Dear cabbage,
heh, cabbage-head.
Today we had our first baby shower. It was thrown by your Oma, you Aunt Cassie, your Great Aunt Ev and your GREAT-Oma. Your dad and I had a great time and you, little one, received an incredibly generous amount of lovely gifts. We are so lucky to have such great family and friends.
Some things to remember:
~the invitation asked guests to bring a book instead of a card, so your library just expanded rapidly!
~baby clothes are just the cutest thing... especially when there are animals on the footsies
~your Grandma Hen got your dad and I both diaper bags--your dad told me he wouldn't carry the one I picked, so you decided on a Yellow Submarine bag for himself
~your Oma bought us a glider for the nursery...I am more than a little excited about this, so comfy for those late nights
~your cousin Tyler was so excited by some of your new toys and may have given them a test run... the whole room laughed when he exclaimed "This is Auntie Kirstie's baby's toy!" He also happens to think that your name should be Tyler too.
~your Great Aunt Ev made so many adorable knit clothes and decorations for you...including the cutest little aviator hat (with ear flaps!!!!) that I'm already plotting to use for your newborn photos
~your family baked the most delicious assortment of cupcakes for dessert...I had a Boston Creme and it was so YUM!
~your Auntie Cassie and Tyler picked out several outfits for you... and then along with Great Aunt Ev, purchased your stroller!
~There were several babies in attendance also...Cousin Charley (2 months old) and Bailey (4 months old) were a big hit and much to my relief managed to take some of the spotlight off of my belly. :)
All in all, it was a lovely event. Your family went to a lot of trouble for us. From the delicious brunch buffet to the cupcakes to the games to the teacup and saucer favors (because a baby is brewing!)... Too, too generous.
For my sake, there weren't too many hands grasping the belly and too many personal questions, so I didn't even get too stressed out, which was nice!
It was an even more fun weekend because Champaign girlfriend and her little one, Bailey, came to stay with us on Saturday night. It was a bit strange having a baby in the house for the first time! She was such a well-mannered little girl though and slept great. Your dad and I agreed that she was so well-behaved that she was giving us the wrong impression of babies in general. I still think my girlfriend is incredibly brave for traveling with a 4-month old, no matter how good she is! I'm so glad she did though. It gave us time to catch up again.
And your dad and I were extremely pleased to see that your doggy, Lita, was so well-behaved with Bailey in the house as well. She was very curious of the smells and sounds, but settled quickly. She even seemed to be a bit protective of Bailey, choosing to lay down near her when possible. As far as we know, that was her first experience with a baby!
You are one lucky kid. Lots more fun to come in the near future as the shower for your dad's side of the family approaches.
Keep growing, baby.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Week 29.
Dear "english hothouse cucumber" cauliflower "Chinese cabbage" butternut squash,
seriously? who comes up with these size comparisons?! It is not helpful if I first need to find out what the vegetable actually is that I'm supposed to be comparing you to... Chinese cabbage?! I can deal with butternut squash. Plus, "butternut" is a pretty cute nickname! Too bad there's a chance you're already well beyond that size...
Yes, the biggest news to report is that your dad and I went to a check up this past week. He got to hear your heartbeat for the first time in awhile...136 beats per minute. And wiggling all over as usual. The doctor measured my belly too. And found that it was bigger than anticipated! At the time I was 28 and a half weeks along... typically the belly size in centimeters is supposed to be right on track with the number of weeks. So I should have been 28ish centimeters. I was 33-34. Whoa. Then she noticed that I was also 3 centimeters "ahead" at my last appointment. So this is not that big of a shock. And it could mean absolutely nothing. You could have had a growth spurt and things will balance out now. There could be more variation because a different doctor measured me last time. Or maybe you were more spread out on that day. OR... or... maybe you're a big boy! Your dad has been excitedly telling everyone that maybe you'll arrive earlier than anticipated! Dear boy, I hope you don't... not that I'm not excited to meet you, but I want to make sure that you are healthy and strong when you arrive. And your dad is anxious to finish his work on your nursery. :) We'll find out more about what all this means at our next appointment at the end of the month. The doctor scheduled us for an ultrasound so we can take some measurements of YOU! This means another chance to see you, a rare occurrence as most pregnancies go. Of course, ultrasound measurements can also be off by some degree, so I'm not quite sure how much information this will actually provide. But at least we'll know that you're doing well, that my fluid levels are good and we'll carry on from there. You just keep baking!
The other news is that your mom is now another year older. My 31st birthday came and went on the 10th. We celebrated with your Aunt Cassie, Uncle Dan, and Tyler and Uncle Konrad and Johanna by going to the roller derby. We had a great time grilling at the house beforehand and I think everyone was impressed by the derby itself. On Sunday, your dad and I went to the Renegade Craft Fair in Wicker Park for the second year in a row. Of course we purchased some things for you! Including an orange stuffed dinosaur named "Gregor" that is made of a recycled sweater. You'll see how much fun it is next year! :)
Nursery progress continues! Your dad has been SO busy getting ready for you! Your room now has two very fun striped walls. He thought I was crazy when I asked him about painting stripes, but I think he agrees now that they are fun and unique. We have also ordered all the furniture and it should be here within 6 weeks or so. Then it will start looking like a real room!
Our first baby shower is this weekend--the one that is being thrown by your Aunt Cassie and GREAT Aunt Ev. The thought of being the center of attention is still a little bit terrifying to me. And I know that people are going to be asking questions that I don't really care to discuss... I'm a private person most of the time so it's hard for me to imagine opening up about birth and our plans--topics that I don't really care to hear other people's opinions on. Your mom is kind of stubborn... I do my research, decide which options are best for me and us as a family and that's it. I don't appreciate other people trying to convince me their way is better. *sigh* ANYWAY, the shower will be fun! So many people that are looking forward to meeting you! I just have to keep my attitude in check with my family members. :) Just wait until they hear we're planning on cloth diapering your adorable bum--ha!
As far as how I'm doing... I've been surprised at how much pregnancy seems to have "caught up" to me the last couple weeks. While I may not necessarily need to sleep, my body is just physically tired all the time now. Getting ready for work in the morning is a real challenge too--I sometimes need to take a break from drying my hair and just sit down for awhile. Your increasing size is taking its toll on my lungs also... as I'm getting winded just heading up the stairs. The fact that it's now allergy season isn't helping that fact either, of course.
All that and I still have to say that I'll be happy to keep you around as long as you need to/want to/should stay.
Keep growing, baby.
seriously? who comes up with these size comparisons?! It is not helpful if I first need to find out what the vegetable actually is that I'm supposed to be comparing you to... Chinese cabbage?! I can deal with butternut squash. Plus, "butternut" is a pretty cute nickname! Too bad there's a chance you're already well beyond that size...
Yes, the biggest news to report is that your dad and I went to a check up this past week. He got to hear your heartbeat for the first time in awhile...136 beats per minute. And wiggling all over as usual. The doctor measured my belly too. And found that it was bigger than anticipated! At the time I was 28 and a half weeks along... typically the belly size in centimeters is supposed to be right on track with the number of weeks. So I should have been 28ish centimeters. I was 33-34. Whoa. Then she noticed that I was also 3 centimeters "ahead" at my last appointment. So this is not that big of a shock. And it could mean absolutely nothing. You could have had a growth spurt and things will balance out now. There could be more variation because a different doctor measured me last time. Or maybe you were more spread out on that day. OR... or... maybe you're a big boy! Your dad has been excitedly telling everyone that maybe you'll arrive earlier than anticipated! Dear boy, I hope you don't... not that I'm not excited to meet you, but I want to make sure that you are healthy and strong when you arrive. And your dad is anxious to finish his work on your nursery. :) We'll find out more about what all this means at our next appointment at the end of the month. The doctor scheduled us for an ultrasound so we can take some measurements of YOU! This means another chance to see you, a rare occurrence as most pregnancies go. Of course, ultrasound measurements can also be off by some degree, so I'm not quite sure how much information this will actually provide. But at least we'll know that you're doing well, that my fluid levels are good and we'll carry on from there. You just keep baking!
The other news is that your mom is now another year older. My 31st birthday came and went on the 10th. We celebrated with your Aunt Cassie, Uncle Dan, and Tyler and Uncle Konrad and Johanna by going to the roller derby. We had a great time grilling at the house beforehand and I think everyone was impressed by the derby itself. On Sunday, your dad and I went to the Renegade Craft Fair in Wicker Park for the second year in a row. Of course we purchased some things for you! Including an orange stuffed dinosaur named "Gregor" that is made of a recycled sweater. You'll see how much fun it is next year! :)
Nursery progress continues! Your dad has been SO busy getting ready for you! Your room now has two very fun striped walls. He thought I was crazy when I asked him about painting stripes, but I think he agrees now that they are fun and unique. We have also ordered all the furniture and it should be here within 6 weeks or so. Then it will start looking like a real room!
Our first baby shower is this weekend--the one that is being thrown by your Aunt Cassie and GREAT Aunt Ev. The thought of being the center of attention is still a little bit terrifying to me. And I know that people are going to be asking questions that I don't really care to discuss... I'm a private person most of the time so it's hard for me to imagine opening up about birth and our plans--topics that I don't really care to hear other people's opinions on. Your mom is kind of stubborn... I do my research, decide which options are best for me and us as a family and that's it. I don't appreciate other people trying to convince me their way is better. *sigh* ANYWAY, the shower will be fun! So many people that are looking forward to meeting you! I just have to keep my attitude in check with my family members. :) Just wait until they hear we're planning on cloth diapering your adorable bum--ha!
As far as how I'm doing... I've been surprised at how much pregnancy seems to have "caught up" to me the last couple weeks. While I may not necessarily need to sleep, my body is just physically tired all the time now. Getting ready for work in the morning is a real challenge too--I sometimes need to take a break from drying my hair and just sit down for awhile. Your increasing size is taking its toll on my lungs also... as I'm getting winded just heading up the stairs. The fact that it's now allergy season isn't helping that fact either, of course.
All that and I still have to say that I'll be happy to keep you around as long as you need to/want to/should stay.
Keep growing, baby.
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