Friday, December 19, 2014

Pregnancy: Weeks 8-13


Week 8 was very exciting! This week I still battled with all day nausea, found my new obsession: pineapple mango smoothies!!, I finally got nausea medicine which is AMAZING, and we got to see our little peanut for the first time!!! 

Wednesday was our first ultrasound appointment and Andrew's cousin Jennifer works at our doctor's office so she got to be at our whole appointment, which was suuuper quick might I add! They found our little one right away and we got to hear his or her heartbeat! It's at 170, which is typically girl range, so I'm thinking my suspicions of baby being a little lady were right all along, but we'll have to wait a few more weeks to confirm that! The doctor said our little one looked good and he would see me again for a standard checkup in weeks!

I had been looking up 8 week ultrasound pictures online so I could kind of have an idea of what baby would look like, but nothing compared to seeing OUR baby! It all happened so fast but Andrew said he teared up when he saw our peanut! So exciting! Take a peek! (baby's head is on the right and body on the left!)


How Far Along: 8 weeks 5 days today.
Size of Baby: About the size of a raspberry, about .5" long!
Symptoms: Nausea and exhaustion.
Maternity Clothes: Nothing purchased recently.
Stretch Marks: None yet.
Sleep: Tons, but I don't feel like I can get enough!
Best Moment of the Week: We get to see our little one for the first time today!
Movement: Haven't felt any yet.
Food Cravings: It's been so random, cornbread is one and pineapple mango smoothies! mmm!
Anything Making You Queasy or Sick: Lots of things, mostly when my stomach is empty.
Gender: I read that I might be able to tell at our first ultrasound today, so we'll see!
Belly Button In or Out: In
Wedding Ring on or Off: On, but it may come off soon, while I can still get it on and off.
What I Miss: Being able to go throughout the day and not be hungry or nauseous.
What I am Looking Forward to: My growing belly and meeting our little one!
Labor Signs: Hopefully not for a while.
Nursery: Nana is trying to buy our upholstered glider for the nursery :)


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Week 9 is off to a great start, with nausea waving goodbye in the rear view mirror, I can finally eat when I want to and eat whatever I want! Ahhh it's so nice to feel normal again! This week I had to whip out my first maternity top because everything else seemed too tight, however this must have made my bloat look like a baby bump because a few family members started rubbing the belly already. Funny thing is, I still haven't gained any weight yet, so maybe I'm just retaining more water?

This week is Christmas, which means not only is my work week shorter, but we'll get to celebrate this holiday with all of our family over the course of a few days! I love knowing my work week will be short, I just hope time flies by!

Little one is growing everyday and we are amazed to learn all that is happening each week! I love my "What to Expect When You're Expecting" app because they have a video each week about what's happening with baby! It's a short, and fun little time for Andy and I to connect and get excited about little one! 

Have a Merry Christmas!!


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Happy New Year! I hope you and your loved ones had a safe and blessed end of 2014 and beginning of 2015! I can't believe that this is the year our baby will be born! It's so unreal! I wish I could tell you about the lavish and extravagant New Year's Eve plans that we had, but truth be told this Momma has been soooooo tired! Andrew and I had plans to stay up, watch some episodes of a TV show, cook frozen pizza, lay around in our sweat pants and play a board game or two...yeah right! Andrew took the frozen pizza out of the over around 6pm and I took one look at it and I said...yeah I don't feel good I'm going to go lay down. I slept until 10 pm! I woke up knowing I needed to eat something to be able to take my vitamins and looked at the pizza again...not loving the idea, took a few bites and went back to sleep until hubby woke me up at midnight to kiss! He's so sweet :) Then I went back to sleep until New Year's Day around 8am. Yep. Suuuuper eventful! I didn't make my chalkboard sign for week 10 yet, and since I missed my photo ops this week...being so tired, guess it will just be a picture of the sign without me!


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I can't believe we're 11 weeks along already! It feels like it's been forever...and yet like we just found out yesterday, all at the same time! Nausea comes and goes still but overall I just can't seem to get enough sleep! I'm so tired!!! We watched our "What to Expect" video this morning as we hit the 11 week mark and our little one has a tongue, is chewing, has nail beds, and is about 2 inches long! Of course there are many other exciting things happening this week, but that's just so crazy!!!! Can't wait to have another check up in about 2 weeks!

I've been reeeeally bad at taking my picture with my signs this trimester, I've just been so tired and in sweat pants most days that I haven't wanted my  picture taken even a little. Hopefully next trimester I'll have more energy, no nausea and be taking my belly pictures like crazy! I've started wearing my maternity tops since Christmas because I feel like they're much more spacious since I'm just on the verge of going from bloat to bump!



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12 weeks...I got really excited because I thought 12 weeks meant we were out of the first trimester...but I guess that's not exactly how it works. My extreme exhaustion left around 11 weeks 3 days and now I actually feel pretty normal! I'm not as bloated, as hungry, as tired or as nauseous as I was before, which rocks! We have our monthly appointment today and I'm excited and hopeful to hear that everything is going well. I've been experiencing more noticeable pains and cramps though, which can be uncomfortable at times, but I still feel way better than I did a few weeks ago. We have to get my engagement ring and wedding band inspected every 6 months to maintain the lifetime warranty on them and last week I noticed that a diamond had fallen out. We took it in to get fixed and they inspected my rings before saying, "thanks, see you in July!" July. July is when our baby is due....July is 6 months away....whoa! What an earth shattering moment, I feel like we just found out we were pregnant and now the baby is coming in 6 months already?! The months seem to be flying by, but the weeks..not so much! I'm so excited to meet our sweet sweet babe, but I'm REALLY excited to find out the baby's gender too! That should be coming up here in about 3-4 weeks! AHH! :D God is so awesome! Thankfully, I still really haven't gained any weight, more so maintained about an extra lb or two, which I'm totally okay with. Although I look like a parachute....I'm excited to really pop and look more pregnant than chubby! (I wish my face wasn't getting rounder...but I still feel blessed to have a little one growing inside of me!)




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Hello 13 weeks! We're almost out of the 1st trimester and I can hardly believe it! This week 3 people noticed, all on the same day, that I've finally "popped", although I have felt like a whale for a few weeks now! My husband even patted me down thinking I was carrying things in my coat and he responded "wow, you didn't look this pregnant yesterday!" Thanks honey...! HAHA! Also, my husband's grandparents purchased our upholstered rocking chair for the nursery and it came in yesterday and my husband and his grandfather assembled it! It looks great! Now it just needs to be broken in a little bit! 




Happy Living & God's Blessings!
J.M.

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Friday, December 12, 2014

What Do Babies Need, Anyway?


Being a first time mom I know little about what babies truly need. Even before I found out we were pregnant, I began researching this question, what do babies need, anyway? Remembering that I'm a sel-proclaimed O.C.P. (Obsessive Compulsive Planner) I began reading books and blogs, reflecting on my years spent working in a preschool, perusing product reviews and pins, and asking friends and family. I chose to register at Target because I generally love their products and they seem to be one of few stores that can be found in every state, making it easy for our friends and family all over the country to purchase gifts that we're asking for. 

Here is what our baby registry looks like and I'll explain my reasoning behind the products I chose: 

Bedding
  • Circo® Two by Two Woven Fitted Crib Sheet This is by far my favorite sheet pattern! If it came in everything baby I would buy it! This sticks with our color scheme and how cute are the little two-by-two animals?! So darling! I registered for two of these sheets as well.
  • Delta Baby Clothing Hangers As much as impractical products, like baby hangers, bug me, small hangers are needed if you plan to hang any of your baby's clothes. I think they're kind of a waste since they will only be used while you have babies, but these are pretty inexpensive so I went along with it anyway. We registered for 4 packs of these.
Changing & Diapering

  • L.A. Baby Health Care Grade Changing Pad - 30" The crazy thing to me is these things aren't cheap! I don't understand why, but I picked the most simple looking one I could find. I read reviews because some people complained that some changing pads made loud crinkling noises so I tried to avoid the changing pads that had those complaints.We registered for 1 changing pad.

  • Munchkin 3pk Waterproof Changing Pad Liners We registered for one of these 3-pack changing pad liners. They are great to have under your cute changing cover for unexpected messes, and since the changing pads are so gosh-darn expensive, these will protect the integrity of your changing pad.

  • up & up® Baby Wipes Sensitive Skin 64 ct You really can't go wrong with wipes but getting the sensitive kind is always playing it safe. Up&Up or Target brand are a great and inexpensive way to go! We registered for 2 of these because this is a great size to keep in a diaper bag, in the car or at Grandma's house!
  • up&up Sensitive Baby Wipes Refill Pack - 736 ct Hooray for bulk! Target's Up&Up brand sells their sensitive wipes in bulk! We registered for 1 of these big boys because we know we will use them! Plus they're an inexpensive choice on wipes!
  • Sterilite® Ultra Click-Top™ 28 Qt. Wastebasket I'm not all about products that will only be useful while my children are babies, so products like baby genies and diaper pails seem useless to me. Instead I registered for a regular trash can that we will keep in the baby's room for dirty diapers and wipes. Call me crazy, but why spend tons of money on a product that won't have a use in a few years?
     

  • Eddie Bauer® Diaper Changing Organizer - Gray This is one of my few fru-fru items. It's cute, matches the decor, and it will keep all of our diaper changing supplies in a nice and organized fashion on top of the dresser/changing table. We registered for one of these.

Health & Bath
  • Home Logic 2 Bu. Hamper - White We registered for 1 of these because my husband is very particular about keeping dirty clothes in the dirty clothes container and not letting clean clothes touch where dirty clothes have been. We also selected these because they were small and white.




  • 4moms® Spout Cover™ I'm excited about this little gadget! Not only is it a tub spout cover to prevent bumps on your little one's noggin, but it also tells you the temperature of the water, which is super important for children's sensitive skin!



  • Johnson's Take Along Travel Pack We registered for 1 of these because they're perfect for the diaper bag and trips to visit Grandma & Grandpa without having to drag full sized bottles of products when we make weekend visits.

  • Philips Avent BPA Free Soothie Pacifier, 0-3 Months, Green, 2-Pack We registered for 1 set of 2-pack soothie pacifiers because you'll want to keep one or two in the diaper bag and one or two around the house. Plus these are great because you can dispense medicine through them and insert your finger into the pacifier while it's in your little one's mouth to massage their gums during teething.
  • Aveeno Baby Care Kit We registered for two of these kits. I liked this set because it included shampoo/wash and lotion. Some of the other sets included all sorts of extra lotions and wash separate from the shampoo and honestly, when you're taking care of your child, the last thing you want to do is be fussing with 10 different products that all do something different! That's too time consuming, and in my opinion, unnecessary. 
  • Fisher-Price Precious Planet Whale of a Tub Who knew baby bath tubs could be so expensive! I highly considered not registering for one at all because it will only be used for maybe the first year, but I also envisioned where I would most likely be washing my little one and I pictured my sitting on the floor with the tub filled and spending quality time with our precious babe. Some people use the kitchen sink which is adorable, but we have a porcelain sink which I think would be cold and slippery and may risk injury of our baby, so I opted for this one. This one also had high ratings!

Feeding, Eating & Kitchen
  • Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair I'm so excited about this product! We registered for one of these, but I'm all about multi-function products! This highchair straps to any chair, it reclines for when you feed a tiny baby, it sits up when feeding a toddler, it becomes just a booster seat when your little one gets bigger and it's so easy to take wherever you go! What's not to love!?

  • Gerber Newborn 10 Pack Gauze Prefold Diaper - White We registered for 2 sets of these 10 cloth diapers that we plan to use as burp clothes. It was so hard to find burp cloths that were gender neutral and honestly, burp cloths can be so overprices, so we opted to use cloth diapers!

  • Tommee Tippee 5pk 9oz Baby Bottle Set  To me, bottles were one of the hardest items to register for because there are so many brands with so many different reviews, but we chose the Tommee Tippee bottles because I've heard from teacher friends and online reviews that these are some of the best bottles for switching between breast feeding and bottle feeding. We registered for one set of the 5, 9oz bottles and two sets of 3, 5oz bottles.


  • Gerber Kiddy Cutlery - Set of 3 We registered for three sets of 3-pack spoons and 3 sets of 3-pack forks. Now these also come in a 3-pc utensil set that includes 1 fork, 1 spoon and 1 knife, but we chose not to register for those because the chances of your child needing a knife while they're using such small utensils is unlikely. I have seen these utensils in action, while nannying, and these are perfect for little hands who are learning to feed themselves. A 1 year old was able to hold these pretty well and lift it to his mouth, although they may need help getting the food on the utensil and actually getting the food in their mouth instead of on their cheek... but they are great for learning!


  • Gerber Graduates Bunch-A-Bowls 4 Pack With Lids We registered for 2 sets of these Gerber bowls. I was so excited to see that these come with lids, so if little one doesn't finish their food, no need to dirty a Tupperware container, just slap the lid on your bowl and go! These are also dishwasher AND microwave safe! This helps us not make more dishes than we already will be, SCORE!

  • Gerber Plates With Lids We registered for 3 sets of plates because I figure we will use more plates than bowls, but these too come with lids and are microwave and dishwasher safe!

  • The First Years Take & Toss Bowls (8 Oz) We also registered for 1 set of these take and toss bowls which will be perfect for trips and keeping a few in the baby bag or car for impromptu meals. These are dishwasher safe so you don't have to toss them out once you use them and they will be perfect for snacks!

  • The First Years Multi Take & Toss Flatware (16 count) We also registered for 1 set of these take and toss silverware which will be perfect for trips and keeping a few in the baby bag or car for impromptu meals. These are dishwasher safe so you don't have to toss them out once you use them and they will be perfect for snacks!
  • Munchkin 2pk Baby Bottle & Nipple Brush These bottle brushes were also in the household where I spent time nannying and I thought these were great! The foam at the top of the brush creates a lot of soap suds to get into the small spaces in bottles and it's just great! I love that these come in a two pack too!


  • Munchkin Deluxe Dishwasher Basket This dishwasher basket was also at the home where I nannied and it's so great because not only is it cheap, but the top lid opens to a special compartment designed to house bottle nipples and keep them secure and prevent them from flying all over your dishwasher and getting lost or destroyed! It's also a nice and compact basket that will fit in any dishwasher and it comes in a few cute colors!

Toys

  • Skip Hop Mega Playmat - Alphabet Zoo I LOVE LOVE LOVE this product and CAN'T WAIT to get it! It is soooo cute and perfect to unroll and play on our wood floors or at a family member's house! It even folds up and has a handle to carry it! It's one of the few play mats that is large, lists the entire alphabet and isn't crazy-overstimulating for little growing minds! I just can't wait! It's going over so well that Target can't seem to keep it in stock online! Next time I see it available I might just buy it off our own registry!
      
  • Munchkin Fun Ice® Chewy Teether - 2pk We registered for one set of these teethers. The little boy I nannied was teething at the time and he would "run" to the freezer and tap on it wanting one of these because the cold soothed his aching gums! They are cute and great for little ones!

  • Go GaGa Squeeze & Teethe Elephant - Kiki From the makers of the overly successful Sophie the Giraffe teether comes Kiki the Elephant teether! This was such a cute item that was gender neutral and followed our elephant theme nursery. We chose not to register for too many toys because we figured family and friends would get what they thought was cute on their own.

Gear
  • 2015 Britax B-Agile 3/B-Safe 35 Travel System Strollers were another tough item to register for. There are so many choices and brands and options to buy strollers and carrier separate, it's exhausting! I contemplated just registering for a stroller and wearable baby carrier but realized that we may not want to wear the baby whenever he or she isn't in the stroller or car seat so we opted for the travel system (stroller and car seat/carrier) and a wearable baby carrying option as well. This stroller is light-weight and my husband and I were able to try it out in Target, which was super helpful, since most strollers are online only. It seems easy to use and has great reviews.
  • Ergobaby Performance Collection Baby Carrier - Charcoal Black and Ergobaby Infant Carrier Insert As I mentioned, we also decided to try registering for a baby wearing option. I did quite a bit of research on which carrier to buy, because many do not properly support the baby's hips and can cause hip dysplasia, so I think I settled on the Ergobaby. We also registered for the infant insert separately. I'm not sure if we will enjoy baby wearing, but it's definitely becoming more popular and helps keep you hands free and available to get more done around the house, grocery store, etc. You also have to research how to wear your baby if you choose to invest in a carrier. They say it's healthier for your baby and their body to always wear them facing in towards you because it puts less strain on their hips and back, and yours!
  • Comfort & Harmony Portable Swing We registered for this swing because it was one of the most simple, inexpensive, space saving and automatic swings at Target. I love that it will swing the baby on it's own while I get things done around the house.
  • Graco® Pack'N Play® On the Go™ Playard I think this playard is cute, simple and conducive to what we are looking for! Some playards come with bassinets and changing tables and all of this extra stuff that you really don't need. This one seemed perfect and it folds up easy and into a compact little bag.

  • Skip Hop Duo Signature Diaper Bag - Heather Grey I originally wanted a diaper bag that was a backpack style, and after nannying, I realized how nice it was that the family had a backpack style baby bag. However, this bag was too cute to pass up AND it can attach to our stroller! This one looks like the perfect size and it's plain and neutral colored, just how I like it! Plus, I love that it comes with a changing pad, bonus!
Car Accessories
  • Graco Head Wise 65 Car Seat with Safety Surround Protection Aside from having our infant car seat/carrier that comes with our stroller travel system, we thought it was smart to register for a convertible car seat that will seat our child anywhere from 4lbs-65lbs! It also makes me a bit crazy to think that our infant car seat/carrier that comes with our stroller travel system can hold our baby until he or she weighs 35lbs, I worry that baby would be cramped!
  • Eddie Bauer® Deluxe Car Seat Protector - Black I decided to register for one of these car seat protectors because I have leather seats in my SUV and I can only imagine the wear and tear my back seat will see when we move the car seat back and forth between my car and my husbands car, so this seemed like a good investment!
  • Safety 1st Baby on Board Sign We registered for two of these signs, one for each car, so that if we're ever in a wreck first responders know that we have a little one inside the vehicle.

Miscellaneous 
  • Baby Relax Mackenzie Rocker When choosing a glider or rocking chair for the nursery, I wanted to make sure to choose something that will look good when it eventually moves into my living room. Traditional gliders are very outdated and ugly, in my opinion, so I've looked for upholstered alternatives.

  • Threshold™ Light Blocking Basketweave Curtain Panel We registered for 1 panel of these light blocking curtains because we have loved a set that we already have in our home. Not only are these gray, but the light blocking capabilities will help a sleeping baby sleep more soundly and nap better during the day.
  • Long Narrow White CribWrap We registered for 1 of these crib rail protectors so baby doesn't start using our beautiful crib for teething. We also registered for 2 of the side rail covers. 



Let's Recap:
Whew! So we registered for what seems like a lot of different things! Did you notice that we didn't register for bibs, clothes, socks, more toys or a changing table? Well, we know that friends and family will pick out clothing to give us and probably toys and bibs too! We opted not to request a changing table and instead found a dresser we like from Ikea that will grow with our child and double as a changing table while we need it. We also didn't register for a crib or crib mattress because we found one we like at Kohl's that we already know will be purchased by my parents.


Here's a list of everything we registered for:
  • 4 bed sheets
  • 4 packs of baby clothes hangers
  • 1 changing pad cover
  • 1 changing pad
  • 1, 3-pack of waterproof changing pad liners
  • 1 tube of diaper rash cream
  • 1 bottle of baby powder
  • 2 packs or Up&Up 64 Ct wipes
  • 1 jumbo box of Up&Up 736 Ct Wipe Refills
  • 1 garbage can (instead of a diaper pail)
  • 1 diaper changing organizer
  • 1 box on Tylenol Pain Reliever
  • 1 Safety 1st Healthcare and grooming kit
  • 1 Nasal Aspirator
  • 1, 48-pack of outlet covers
  • 1 tall white laundry basket
  • 1 audio baby monitor
  • 1, multi-pack of sunscreen
  • 1 forehead thermometer
  • 1 thermometer spout cover
  • 1 travel size packs of baby products
  • 1, 2-pack of soothie pacifiers
  • 2 sets of baby wash and lotion kits
  • 1 baby bath tub
  • 4 wash cloths 
  • 1 high chair/booster seat
  • 1 boppy nursing pillow with cover
  • 2, 10-packs of cloth diapers to use as burp cloths
  • 1, 5-packs of bottles 9oz
  • 2, 3-packs of bottles 5oz
  • 3, 2-packs of medium flow bottle nipples
  • 1, 6-pack of Medela milk storage bottles
  • 3, 3-packs of toddler spoons
  • 3, 3-packs of toddler forks
  • 2, 4-packs of lidded bowls
  • 3, 3-packs of lidded plates
  • 1, 7-pack of toss away lidded bowls
  • 1, 16-pack of toss away utensils
  • 1, 2-pack of bottle brushes
  • 1 dishwasher basket
  • 1 stroller/car seat toy
  • 1 play mirror
  • 1 play mat
  • 1, 2-packs of freezer teethers
  • 1 freezer teether key ring
  • 1 elephant teething toy
  • 1 stroller/car seat/carrier travel system
  • 1 baby wearing carrier
  • 1 baby wearing carrier infant insert
  • 1 portable swing
  • 1 playard
  • 1 diaper bag with changing pad
  • 1 convertible car seat
  • 2 Baby On Board signs
  • 1 car seat protector
  • 1 upholstered glider
  • 1 light blocking curtain panel
  • 1 long crib rail protector
  • 2 short, crib side rail protectors
There you have it folks! Hope this helps you and your baby planning and registering! 

Happy Living & God's Blessings!
J.M.


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