The Belly

I see all these adorable pregnant women posting belly shots at 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, and 40 weeks on their blogs and think, "I wish I did that."  Not necessarily for you all to see, but to capture this incredible transformation that happens over the course of 9 months.  So, here, for your viewing pleasure, are all the belly shots I've managed to capture or have captured during these past 40 weeks.

5 Weeks--No, I wasn't showing THAT much, but that shirt is definitely not flattering to a non-pregnant belly.  Even at 5 weeks, I still got asked by my dear friend if I was pregnant because of this picture.

13 1/2 weeks--My attempt to start capturing the growth in a formal way.



18 weeks--Doesn't look like much, especially compared to the month before.

19 weeks--Dude!  What happened! 

30 weeks--Photo Courtesy of Taryn

32 weeks--Photo Courtesy of Keara

34 weeks--Photo Courtesy of Keara

Oh wait, mom, I didn't quite get your belly in that one.  Better do panoramic!

36 weeks--Photo Courtesy of me...my camera can be a bit delayed... 

39 weeks--Photo Courtesy of Taryn--Loved this Halloween "Costume"

 39 1/2 weeks--Photo Courtesy of Avery

Today--39 weeks, 6 days--With no one around, I had to take my own picture using the mirror.

Seriously?  Who is in charge of cleaning that mirror?  I would if I could reach it but this belly keeps bonking into the sink...

And there you have it, folks.  It can't get much bigger than this before d-day.  Hopefully!



I think I need a new photographer. 

Taryn's "Bright" Idea

I keep forgetting to post this.

Several weeks ago, Taryn announced that she and Avery had decided on a name for the baby.

T:  Mom, we should name the baby "Bulb."
M: Bob?  Bub?  What did you say?
T: Bulb, mom.  Like LIGHT BULB.

This is why the girls are not consulted when it comes to naming the baby!

Count Down

Has it hit you yet that Halloween is in just 5 days?  And that November, yes NOVEMBER, is in just 6 days?  Wasn't it just January?  And it is already November.  I remember thinking in March that November would never come as I hovered over the toilet, violently experiencing the joys of the first trimester, and yet here it is.  November.  Thanksgiving.  Christmas.  We're in the throes of autumn, which I absolutely ADORE, but very soon, we'll be wrapping up the year and putting away the decorations that bring so much joy and light to my life.  I love this time of year.  I just can't believe it's already here.

Which also means my due date is just around the corner.  8 days, but who's counting?  I'm hoping for a healthy baby and wonderful birth experience...and early or "on time" would be nice too.  My mom comes in town on the 5th, so I'm hoping this little one is here by then.  And yet, I stop to think about that and realize...that's in just a week and a half!  Seriously?  I just might be holding this little wonder in less than a week and a half?  Is that really possible?  I don't know why I'm having such a hard time wrapping my mind around the concept this time around.  It just seems like it's been off in the distant future for so long and I can't believe it's actually here.

I think one reason why the timing of this impending birth seems so odd is because I have had by far the least prenatal care of any of my pregnancies. With Keara, I did everything strictly by the book--every 4 weeks, 2 weeks, then 1 week until 41 weeks when she was born--that's like 14 appointments. With Taryn, I was a bit more flexible. With Avery, since I knew my doctor by that point, I worked it out to come every 6 weeks instead of 4, and then every 3 instead of 2 at the end. With this baby, I had an appointment in April, then May, then June. Then I had nothing until September with my new OB up here. I saw him again at the beginning of October and have my next tomorrow. So 6 appointments total so far. Enough for an ultrasound, glucose screening, and group B strep test, which was positive again. Still, it has made the whole experience seem a little less, um, timed? Maybe? I don't know how to say it.



I am concerned (and I'm trying to have positive thoughts so as to help the situation rather than compound it) that she isn't in the right position.  Sometimes she feels posterior, other times sideways, and tonight...breech.  I have my OB appointment tomorrow morning, so hopefully I'll learn a little more about her situation there.  A couple weeks ago, she was definitely head down and low, but she's not engaged anymore and is still floating.  I know that's common and normal for subsequent pregnancies, but I'd like to feel that she's settled and ready to come. 

But until she is, I still have 30 diapers to finish and an order for 12 yogurt tubes to send off.  Plus 20 other things that are still on my to-do list.  The girls halloween costumes are coming together and we have 3 parties to attend in the next 3 days. 

Hopefully, my next post will be filled with a happy announcement.  We'll see!

Sneak Peek!

Here's what I made last night...

Nesting?

We're counting down the weeks now...just 4 to go!  I can't believe we're really at the end of this pregnancy already, and yet I'm not sure I'm ready for it to be over!  I have so much to do...

They call it nesting.  I call it preparation.  And sure, do I really have to do ALL these things before the baby is born?  No.  But I know that life will be much easier afterwards if I do.

I started with making freezer meals.  In the end, I have enough meals put together or ready for 50 dinners.  FIFTY!?  Wow.  That was a lot.  This is the first time our freezer has been full.  Like really full.  Like don't buy anything that has to be frozen because it will not fit. 

I also had a bunch of orders (particularly yogurt tubes) that needed to get done.

And we're still trying to move in now that the basement is getting finished (though it should be officially finished this Saturday.  Hooray!!) so I've been organizing and unpacking.  I'd rather do it when the weather is perfect than in 6 weeks when it is snowing.  Last year's first snowfall was on November 13th.  That's a lot sooner than most of us realize...or want...

Oh, and I really wanted to get Christmas finished before the baby came so I could enjoy the season.  I've got half of it wrapped and the other half either planned, purchased, or started.  But I still need to get that done.

I needed to get things ready for when the baby does decide to come, like getting the hospital bag packed.  Not like I need it yet, but it is easy to do and check off the list so I don't have to think about it again.  So that got done.

And then, I am left with the little things I WANT to do to get ready for this baby.  Like making things.  I need to make her cloth diapers and covers, which I started weeks ago and still haven't gotten back to.  Tonight.  Must do tonight.  I also want a new mei tai carrier, so I need to make that too. 

But the most pressing thing for me was to recover my carseat...again.  With Avery, I made a cover that went on top of my existing carseat.  Like a glove, but one that I never absolutely loved.  Here's what it looked like:

This time, though, I wanted a more modern, more gender neutral, and more professional look.  Not so homemade.  So I followed the basic tutorial from Make It and Love It, made my own changes to make it easier, and ended up with this:

I love it!!  So, even if this baby has no diapers for her bum, she'll be riding in style!

Well, This is New

We moved.  Braden started school.  We're in a new city.  We have no friends here.  We have no family here.  And we have no income...yet, hopefully.

As if all that change weren't enough (plus the upcoming start of kindergarten and then the arrival of our baby), I've decided to add something totally new, unexpected, and unchartered to our family.

On our drive up here, I suddenly had the thought that I should cloth diaper our next baby.  WHAT?!  Cloth diaper?!  I have NEVER wanted to cloth diaper.  I like the advancements of diapering, namely being able to toss the mess in the trash and not worry about it.  I like not having to do the laundry more often than absolutely necessary.  I like that my skinny children have skinny buns.  While I admire those who do cloth diaper, it has never interested me.  In fact, I have had a few prejudices against it.  But the inspiration came and wouldn't leave. 

Flashing into my mind was exactly how to make my own cloth diapers in a way that I would like.  I helped my friend a few years ago in her cloth diapering business, but I knew those types of diapers were not what I was looking for.  I had a very specific criteria in my mind and suddenly I could literally see the pattern in my mind of what to do and how to do it.  It was an incredible experience.

Still, I delayed a few days before bringing it up to Braden.  Surprisingly, he was pretty supportive.  We decided we needed to get the hang of it with Avery first and I needed to actually make the pattern I saw in my mind.  So I got the fabric I wanted and started to sew.  My first few attempts were unsuccessful, but every time I laid down to sleep, the thoughts of what to do kept flowing.  Needless to say, I haven't slept well in over a week (well, more like 7 months, but who's counting?).  This afternoon, I finally got it.  I think.  And I love them. 

I have such a sense of satisfaction when I put one of these diapers on Avery.  I don't know what it is.  Is it creating something?  Following clear inspiration?  Saving the planet?  I don't know.  But I know that it makes me happy...which I never thought cloth diapering would do. 

Tonight, I'm making mini diapers for the baby.  Since I have no child to model for me, I'm guessing here, but I'm hoping the inspiration is still flowing so I'm not wasting fabric. 

Why cloth diapering?  Not because I have a moral issue against disposables, believe me.  Not because I'm trying to be green.  Not because I think cloth is better, or whatever other argument could be made.  I am cloth diapering right now (besides the inspiration part) because of the financial savings.  I buy diapers for $40 every other month per kid.  That's about $250 a year per kid.  For three years of diapering, that's $750.  Or $3000 to diaper all my kids. 

Plus, the amount of diapers we go thru is astounding.  I calculated something like Avery has gone thru well over 4000 diapers in her short 2 years.  Average out 3 years per kid of diaper wearing and that's over 6500 diapers per kid...or 26,000 diapers for our 4 children alone.  Wow.

Anyway, I like that these are slim fitting on Avery.  She's so slender and I can usually not tell that she's wearing one.  But I know I haven't figured out the washing part well.  I don't really know the whole routine or how to make this simple.  It isn't that big of a deal, but those poopy diapers...whew.  Any advice? 

This is a new and very unexpected road we're on, but for now, I'm grateful to be on it.

May I Suggest...

My sister's father-in-law always provides a "baby moon" for her and my brother-in-law before the birth of their babies.  I've always thought that was a great idea--a chance for mom and dad to get away and have one-on-one time before adding another child to the family. 

However, I now have another suggestion.  My definition of a baby moon is to have your older children taken for a couple/few days so you are left with only your youngest...your baby.  It has been incredible having these past few days with Avery.  And these will likely be our only days just us before she is no longer our baby.  She has loved it, Braden has loved it, I have loved it.  It has been so rewarding.

So if you have a chance to spend some quality one-on-one time with your baby before your next baby is born, take it!  It is SO worth it!

(I wouldn't, however, recommend coinciding this baby moon with packing to move.  It definitely cuts into the "quality" time.)

The REVEAL!

Check out this video to find out the answer to the big question...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUm9bHDpilY

Let's Try This Again

Presentation.  It's all in the presentation.  Let's try this again.

WE HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.

Check out this AWESOME video...and you have to watch all the way to the end.  This was sent in preparation for our family reunion, in case some of the text doesn't make sense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25Wmz-RplSg

Check out this AWESOME youtube video

I love practical jokes.  And this one was funny to me!  Turn up the volume and watch the whole thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25Wmz-RplSg

Two Projects

I recently worked on two fun projects.  I love creating things! 

First, my sister commissioned me to make her friend a temple bag.  Of course, I had to experiment and mess up on one for myself first, so I ended up making two.  And true to form, the second one turned out WAY better and I really want to make myself another one now that I know a few tricks. 

I love the pattern of the fabric as well as the pattern for the bag.  I love how it folds up, how it has buckles, how it has straps.  Everything.  I love it.

Second, I made this adorable little dress set (dress, ruffle bum bloomers, and headband) for a friend's baby shower.  I love how it turned out!  I may start offering these sets on my etsy store.  What do you think?