DIY Maternity Pictures

So yesterday, I was actually motivated to take some maternity pictures. I feel Cael will be coming soon, and I knew that if I didn't have some type of picture (other than progressive belly shots), I'd be really upset with myself. So I broke out my Nikon D3000 and my tripod, took some pictures, and modified them on the computer. A lot of them may seem redundant, as I used the shoes, and made hearts with my fingers a lot, but I think they came out pretty good considering what I had to work with - myself.

Nursery Pictures!

Cael's nursery is finally done! Here are pictures showing the incredible changes from being our previous living room, to being a nursery. I'm so happy and thrilled with how the nursery came out - it's exactly how I envisioned it would be. As a guide to these pictures, the blue room was our living room, and the green room is our kitchen. After we moved our big furniture out of the living room, we were left with little things, which cluttered the old living room - which is why it looks so messy. That's not what it looked like when were used it :)

This is a view of what will be the nursery, looking in from the kitchen.

Another view of Cael's room. Our bedroom is the door to the right.

Framing for the wall.

And the wall is installed!

Repairs/spackle to the walls in Cael's room

The door is installed, as well as the trim and base molding

Bye-bye blue! The room is primed and ready for paint!

Molding is taped off, as is where the two colors will be

Paint is done! I love the colors

Border is put on. That was a major pain!

I love it!

Matt getting ready to build the dresser

Commence furniture building!

Crib and letters I made

Inside the crib

Blanket my sister-in-law gave for Cael

View of the crib and bassinet. Oh yea, and diapers!

Dresser with my diaper cake on it

My mom did an awesome job on the diaper cake

Changing table. Car seat and hospital bags are also ready to go

I can't wait to put Cael's pictures in them

Bed Rest - Days 39 & 40

Monday, 8th

Today, I literally did nothing. I really had plans to do something today, but that just didn't happen. I really wanted to at least start priming the living room walls, in short spurts of course, but that didn't happen. In order for that to have happened, I would have needed to run out to Walmart to get drop cloths and rollers, and that wasn't going to happen. I literally spent the entire day on the couch, doing nothing. I guess I needed to though, as I've probably been doing way too much for being on bed rest. I also slept in, which Matt suggested I do, because I haven't been sleeping well at night. I need all the sleep I can get now, before Cael gets here :)

My back and hips have been really starting to bother me. I guess that's another clue that I've dropped, because Cael is putting tons of pressure on my hips and pelvis. The pain and pressure is bearable, but worse than I thought it would be. I never thought it would bother me the way it does. So to help relieve the pain and pressure, I soaked in the jet tub that is now in our bathroom, and it helped a great deal. I wish I could live in the tub until Cael comes, but then I'd be a wrinkled prune.

Tuesday, 9th

I didn't get too much sleep last night, and I actually woke myself up several times moaning in discomfort. I guess I was having some contractions (not too painful ones), and my lower back and hips were really achy. I just couldn't get comfortable.

Matt said he would be getting home from work early today, and he would work on putting up the trim around the windows in the nursery. Currently, that is what he is doing. After I got up, I was still uncomfortable, so I decided to take another bath. It felt really good - it's amazing how much relief a bath tub can provide. Given this, I really think I'll benefit from the labor tub at the hospital when I'm in labor.

I got out, and decided since I was feeling better, to try and take some maternity pictures. Since I was taken out of work, having professional pictures done was out of the picture. Lately, I haven't had the motivation to do anything, but since I was having a lot of contractions today, I figured I'd take some pictures before it was too late. They didn't come out as good as I thought they would (I couldn't expect too much, since I'm doing them myself), but at least I have them now. Plus, I used some editing programs on the computer to crop and make some of the pictures B&W, which I love. I'll share them in another post.

Today was also the first time that Matt and I had sex in a very long time. Even though I'm still on modified bed rest (at least until my appointment on Thursday), my midwife wanted us to wait until at least Tuesday (today) for us to have sex, just in case it triggered labor - since they were both away. Well, the sex was really good, and I kept telling Matt to make sure he was hitting my cervix..HAHA! Sorry for all the information. Let me tell you though, after we had sex, the cramping and contractions started! I've been having cramps and contractions ever since we did the deed, but nothing regular. Although, a lot of the contractions were probably real, because they hurt, and I felt it in my lower back as well. Hey, since my midwives aren't trying to stop labor anymore, why should we :)

:::I can't wait to meet and hold you, Cael:::

Bed Rest - Day 38

Today wasn't really a good day for me. And for no particular reason at all. I was awoken at 3:30 this morning to a loud bang in the nursery. For some reason, I had a feeling it was at least one of the letters falling off the wall. That's the only thing that could fall in the nursery. So I got up, and lo-and-behold, 2 of the 4 letters fell off the wall because the 3M Command hooks didn't stick well enough to the wall. And it actually took some of the paint off the wall, so I was really upset over that. I took down the remaining 2 letters, and climbed back into bed.

And I couldn't fall asleep. I was really upset over the letters, because I really wanted the sticky hooks to work. I really didn't want to have to put holes in the wall, but I guess that's what we'll have to do now. Luckily, I had the back of the crib about 5 inches away from the wall, in the event they did fall, they wouldn't fall into the crib, or damage the wood. I guess nails it will be.

I finally fell back to sleep about 5:30-6am, and woke back up at 8:30 to go to the bathroom. Matt had just been up to use the bathroom too, so the dogs were anxiously waiting for us to feed them right outside the nursery door. I tell them to lay down, and turn to open the bathroom door. I look down, and notice that right next to the floor, some of the paper from the wall is peeled up and there is a decent sized hole in the sheet rock. Commence me crying. I knew Tyson did this, because he's pulled the drywall paper up off the wall in the kitchen before, which the contractors repaired. But he's never eaten a hole in the drywall. I was so upset and mad at him. I decided to feed and let them out, so they would calm down, and let us sleep longer.

While they were eating, I went back into the bedroom and sat on my side of the bed and just sobbed. Matt woke up, asked what was wrong, and I told him. He tried to calm me down, but I was just so upset. I let the dogs out, let them back in, and then crawled into bed and cried while Matt held me. It's such a silly reason to cry, but everything was finally repaired throughout the apartment, and now there was an imperfection. Needless to say, we didn't fall back to sleep, and got up around 9:15.

I still felt really emotional, as I have been the last few days. You think I'd be the happiest person in the world, as the construction was done, and Cael's nursery was finished. But for some reason, I still feel sad and just want to cry. After eating breakfast, I decided to take the 2 remaining sticky hooks off the wall in the nursery. I pulled the crib out so I could get behind it, and wouldn't you know, the corner of the crib rubbed against the border. I was hoping it wouldn't leave a mark, but when I pulled the crib away, there was a mark there. I was just a wreck at this point. I took the two hooks down, threw out the sticky backing, and climbed into bed and just sobbed - without Matt knowing.

He eventually came in to see what was wrong. I didn't want to tell him about the wall, but I eventually did, and when I did, my sobbing turned into hysterics, where I couldn't catch my breath. Why? All because of a little imperfection on the border. And who knows why else. He just held me, and let me cry. He asked me if I wanted my left over Pizza Uno, and I did. He told me to take a nap, because I probably needed it from not sleeping well, and he'd wake me up when it was done. Surprisingly, I managed to calm down, and actually fell asleep.

I was hoping Matt would hang the window trim and curtain rods today, but it's not looking like it will happen, and I can't say I blame him. He's been working so hard, taking care of me for the last 5 weeks or so, and then working so hard on the nursery. He just wants a day off, and that's fine with me. It makes me want to cry, because I just want it all finished so I can take pictures and share them, but he really hasn't had a day off to do nothing, and he deserves that. He said we can put the car seat in the truck soon, so we'll be doing that. And maybe I'll whip out the paint, touch-up the walls, hang some nails and the letters, and apply the wall appliques. I think if all that gets done today, I'll be ok and happy. Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel better, but I'm not expecting it. It just feels like I'm getting more and more upset with little things, and just crying for no reason as each day goes by. But we will see. Maybe the increase in being emotional means Cael is coming soon? I have no idea.

:::I love you Cael, and can't wait to hold you:::

Bed Rest - Days 34, 35, 36 & 37

YIKES! I haven't really written in a while! I'm still on modified bed rest, but I am allowed to start doing more, so that's why. I've been up more, doing things, especially since the construction is finished, and we were able to start working on Cael's room! I'll try to remember and recap each day.

Wednesday, 3rd

Matt completely primed Cael's room yesterday, since he was home from work early. He has off today because I have a weekly appointment in the afternoon, as well as an ultrasound - this would be our last ultrasound. Our goal was to start painting the nursery today at some point, probably after my appointment.

My ultrasound went really well, and Cael looked fabulous! I was a little upset that they wouldn't be checking my cervical length, but I guess I should have known that. I swear - whatever knowledge you know medically, pretty much goes out the window when you're the patient. I really did want to know how short my cervix was, but after 35 weeks, it's not important anymore because they won't stop labor if it starts. My fluid measured 17 cm; Cael's heart rate was 152 bpm; and he measured in at 5 pounds 12 ounces, and in the 55th percentile! I was really happy about that, because now I probably won't be having an 8.5 lb baby! I noticed his belly was measuring a week or so behind, which I thought was weird. Up until now, everything had been measuring 1.5 weeks ahead. But I guess it just means his growth is leveling out, which is fine with me.

I also got my last Progesterone shot, and had my GBS swab done - which was a piece of cake. I was told by my midwife that she is thrilled that I've made it to this point, but to try and hold out a little longer because she and my other midwife are off until Tuesday! WHAT?! There is a good OB on call that she fully trusts, but she knows that I signed up for a midwife, and would hate for me to have a doctor deliver me if that's not what I wanted. So the goal is to hold out until at least Tuesday (and that's probably what he'll do).

I asked if she was going to manually check my cervix to see if I was dilated at all (something I was also curious about), and she said she's staying away from my cervix, for fear of starting labor before Tuesday. For this same reason, she wants Matt and I to hold off on having sex until my next appointment, which is next Thursday. Fine with me - I'd rather one of my midwives deliver me, and not a doctor. I'm not sure if my midwife will check me next week, but I hope she will. I'm really curious to know if I'm dilated at all.

So we got back from our appointment earlier than we thought we would, and we immediately started painting the nursery. Placing the painting tape was really tedious, especially since we were doing two colors. But we got that done, painted the top half of the wall blue, let it dry for a little while, and then painted the top half brown. We stepped back, and admired the colors. We are in love with the colors, and couldn't wait to finish it off with the border. But it was late, so we went to bed.

Thursday, 4th

Today, I spent most of the day relaxing like I should be. When Matt got home, we got started on the wallpaper border. Let me tell you this, we will never put a wallpaper border up again! It was the most anxiety-ridden, stressful and tedious thing we've done. Considering we've never done anything like that before, and only watched a how-to YouTube video once, it didn't come out bad at all. The border has a geometric pattern, and we were able to match up the shapes to make it look continuous, like I wanted. It came out really good for a first try.

After we got the border on, we decided to try and build whatever furniture we could before we had to go to bed. We started with the dresser, and it actually took us until 10:30 that night to finish. Matt did most of it, and I just sat in a chair watching him. I was having a lot of BH contractions, one right after the other, so Matt wanted me to relax. He looked at me, and told me to "Stop it!", that I'm not allowed to go into labor until the crib is done, and until the midwives were back.

Friday, 5th

Today was a great day! My friend Sadie came over at 10 in the morning to help me finish the nursery. After Matt spent a lot of time on the dresser, he said he was done, and that we could build the rest. It was tedious building the dresser because of all the drawers you had to build too.

So Sadie came over, and after showing her the renovations, we got started on the room at 10:30. We built both the changing table and crib by 11:40. We wondered what took Matt so long, because we had such an easy time...lol. Then we got started on bringing everything into the nursery to set up. We did the crib first, and put the bumpers, mattress protector, sheet and sheet saver on. Then we brought in all the clothes that I had previously washed, folded, sorted, and vacuum-sealed in SpaceSaver bags. We organized the clothes by drawer - it was so much fun! And Sadie started having bad baby pangs with each piece of clothing she held. It was so funny, but I know how she feels. I've been there.

We finished up with setting up the changing table, organizing the extra sheets, blankets and burp clothes in the canvas crates we have for the changing table, and putting the shelves back on the walls. We then ended up going to Babies 'R Us to get a few little things that I needed to finish off the nursery. One thing that I was REALLY excited about, was that BRU had the window valances I've been looking for! And not only did they have one; they had TWO! They've been put on clearance, and discontinued, so I've only ever been able to find one, if any at all. But never bought it for fear of not being able to find a second one. So I was really happy about that find. We spent so much time in BRU, and got home at 6:00pm! But the nursery was finished, and we got home right before Matt did, so we could show him.

He's not one to get too excited about much of anything, so his reaction could be considered non-appreciative. But I knew he liked it, and was happy that he didn't have to do anything else that night..lol. It was absolutely beautiful and perfect. And I can't believe it was done. Finished. Ready to use. It's so surreal. The only things left to do are put up white trim around the windows, get curtain rods to hang the valances, hang his letters, and apply the appliques to the wall.

Saturday, 6th

Today I relaxed for a lot of the day, but at the same time, I also did a bunch of stuff in the nursery. I did a final load of Cael's laundry, folded it and put it all away. I had to use the washer upstairs because ours died a few days ago. We are planning to go out and get a new washer when Matt gets home from work at 3. I also finished getting Cael's hospital bag together, as well as starting to pack mine. It's almost done, and I only have to get a few toiletry items, and pack some clothes for Matt.

Matt got home, and we went out to look at washers, and get the last of the things we need to complete the nursery. We went to Best Buy, because we have a credit card through there, and payments are interest-free for 18 months. We went there with the idea we'd get a washing machine for maybe about $400, pay it off, then buy the dryer. Well, let me tell you - that is nothow it went. I'll spare the details, but after about an hour and a half in Best Buy, and a near anxiety attack, we ended up buying a high-end washer and dryer, for way more than I had thought we would.

But the sales-guy got us 24 months interest-free (and he doesn't work on commission), and have awesome machines for all the extra laundry we will be doing. Plus, they have a steam feature to sanitize clothes and whatever else needs to be really cleaned. Honestly, I think walking into Best Buy 9 months pregnant made us weak in a way. It gave the sales-guy "ammo" to sell to us a more higher-end washer and dryer than we originally wanted - such as the steam feature. But he brought up good points that we didn't even think about. In the end, we're happy with our choice - even if it will take us 2 years to pay off :) We will be getting them delivered on Friday the 12th.

We then headed over to Lowe's to pick up curtain rods, sticky wall hooks for the letters and white trim for around the windows. As it turns out, we bought four 7' pieces of trim, but I must have only picked up 3 of the 4 pieces when Matt pulled up with the truck, so we left a piece at Lowe's. Unfortunately, we didn't realize this until we got home and unloaded everything. Anyway, we then went to Pizza Uno to celebrate us finishing the nursery. I was so excited, and the pizza was so amazing!

When we got home, which was around 8:30 I think, I hung up Cael's letters over his crib. It looked amazing, and I was really happy with how they turned out. They're one of those finishing touches that completes the nursery :).

Finally, here is a picture comparing my belly at 34, 35 and 36 weeks. You can definitely tell I've dropped. He'll be here really soon!

:::Love you baby Cael! You're more than welcome to come anytime after Tuesday:::

36 Weeks! What-WHAT!

•How far along?: 36 weeks! We made it to my goal! 9 months pregnant, and boy do I feel the part!

•Current Weight: 143!!!

•Total weight gain: +20 from pre-pregnancy weight.

•How big is baby?: Large cantaloupe. 5 pounds 12 ounces on Wednesday.

•Movement: All.The.Time. He loves pushing his feet and butt out.

•Stretch marks?: Unfortunately, they've shown up late. I have some light ones on both hips, and just a few light ones on my lower back, off to the sides. Plus the one on top of my belly button.

•Sleep?: Getting worse again. I have to roll over all the time (about every hour) because my hips feel like they're splitting, with terrible achy pains.

•Symptoms?: Minimal heartburn (thank you Zantac!), TERRIBLE hip pain, lower pressure, and minimally swollen fingers, toes and ankles. No cankles though, fortunately.

•Food aversions?: Not currently.

•Food cravings?: Hamburgers, cheese, pizza, pasta..Nothing different.

•Labor signs?: I thought I dropped last week at 35 weeks, but it's obvious that this week I have definitely dropped. Some cramps, BH, and I had a few of what I think were real contractions. But nothing regular or consistent.

•Belly button in or out?: Some in and some out, depending on where he's laying and whether or not I'm contracting.

•What I miss: Bending over, moving easily, deep breaths in, and seeing the skin below my belly button line.

•What I'm looking forward to: Meeting Cael! His nursery is 99.9% done, and all ready for him!! As of now, we just have to hang his letters, and get curtain rods for the valances.

•Best Moment this week: Finishing the nursery. It's so surreal now!

•Milestone: Getting to 36 weeks! Which was the goal!

Bed Rest - Day 33

As of 6:30pm last night, construction was complete! It was a long day, since they wanted to stay late, and finish everything. But it was worth it! There is still a light film of dust on everything, so I had to vacuum off the couch and what-not, but it's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. We are so happy with the improvements, and everything looks fabulous.

I wanted to try to prime Cael's room today (I'm still on MBR, so I figured I would do it in short spurts), so I decided to get up early and get started on things. I needed to shower, which I did, and we desperately needed to do food shopping. So I was up at 6:45am, showered, and on my way to the food store by 7:45am. Needless to say, that was a VERY tiring task, and by the time I got home, slowly unloaded everything and put everything away, I was just plain exhausted. And it was only 10am. Not to mention that I was already starving for lunch since I was up so early.

So I made some Pizza Bagels for "brunch", and relaxed on the couch. I found out that Matt was going to be coming home early from work at around 2. I was happy about that, because I like when he's home with me, and he could help me prime the room. However, at around 11:20, I started getting these really painful pains with belly tightening. I thought for sure it was a contraction - my belly hardened, it was painful, and it was hard to breath. I started timing them, and in all, I had about 3 of them, and several painless BH's in between by 1:15.

They were definitely irregular and spaced far apart, so I didn't get too alarmed. They just hurt. But at the same time, I was nervous and anxious for if it was the real thing. I told Matt about them, and he wanted to make sure I was timing them, and to not move off the couch. He didn't want me to do anything else for the rest of the day, because he really doesn't want Cael to come yet. He tells me I'm not allowed to have him until the nursery is finished. So on the couch I laid. And Matt walked in at around 12:30 - earlier than I thought. I was happy.

So Matt ended up priming the entire nursery, and I relaxed. I'm so happy and lucky to have Matt. He did a good job, and the room is now white, compared to the bright blue it was before. Tomorrow, Matt has off because I have an office appointment and ultrasound (my last one! The u/s that is) in the afternoon, but we're hoping to do some of the painting tomorrow. The room will be two-toned with a border around the middle, so we have some work ahead of us. I'm just happy we're finally working on the nursery - it feels so surreal.

I'm thinking that the nursery will be painted and ready to be furnished by Friday the latest, and then Matt and I can build the furniture. Once he has the furniture built, I can put everything in the nursery. My friend Sadie is planning to come over on Friday to help organize everything, so I am excited about that. Hopefully we'll have all the furniture assembled! It's all so exciting!

:::Hold on just a little longer, baby Cael:::

Construction Update - Day 5

So today is the 5th day of construction (well, technically the 5.5th day because they worked half a day on Sunday), and the progress is amazing! My guess is they'll be done by the end of today! We'll be able to start paint the nursery tomorrow with Primer. This is really moving along!

Today, they:

• Did all the sanding of the mud and rock
• Vacuumed and cleaned up the dust
• Installed the base molding in Cael's room
• Installed the trim around the door in Cael's nursery
• Installed a gutter above our front door to prevent the rain from pouring down in front of the door outside
• Re-hung/aligned our bathroom door in the living room so it doesn't take all my strength to open (this was something we didn't expect!). The door bottom would drag along the carpet
• Installed our new faucet in the bathroom
• Installed the rest of the door knobs

Phew! All that is left is:

• Install the rest of the trim around the remaining doors in the apartment
• Install switch/outlet covers over all the outlets
• Install a wood plank on the bottom of the look-through hole opening
• Finish cleaning up/shop vacuuming

What a big change! I can't wait to post pictures of before and after :)

Bed Rest - Day 32

The contractors started early this morning, around 7:30. They're currently sanding the rock and mud, so I'm upstairs in the living room, away from all the flying dust. That means that the construction is coming to an end shortly, and I can't wait. I am, however, extremely anxious over the cost of everything. Like I've posted earlier, the initial estimate was $2500. But since it's taken them a couple of days longer than estimated, AND they ran into the electrical problems, I'm convinced it's going to be a lot more. We took out a loan for $5000, in which $1000 ended up getting spent on monthly bill (which I really didn't want to happen, but what's done is done), so that leaves $4000 for the renovations. Matt doesn't think it will be too much over what the initial estimate was, and I hope he's right.

I'm thinking that the contractors want to at least be finished with Cael's room by the end of today, so that we can start painting in there. They keep making jokes about how I have to wait to go into labor until they leave - they're really funny. They keep saying that's not "their specialty", and if anything, wait until Matt comes home..too funny! If they aren't done today, then they will be done by tomorrow. If they're done today, that totals 5.5 days of work; if they're done tomorrow, that's 6.5 days of work. A little longer than they estimated, but well worth it. I just hope that time spent doesn't equal money, in this case anyway.

I had the weirdest dream last night, and I'm not sure if I want it to be true or not. My midwife in my dream, which was Elaine in Katie's body (both my midwives - really weird), told me that I should expect my water to break soon. Like, really soon - days soon. Wouldn't it be nice if they could actually predict when these things would happen?

I have been crampy on and off all morning. They're like menstrual cramps, but without the hardening of my belly. So I'm guessing they're not contractions? I have no idea. Maybe I have to poop, but I don't feel like it. We did do a lot yesterday, with being out half the day.

It was funny, because Matt said at one point yesterday, "Are you sure you're ok to go to another store? I know they said to increase your activity slowly, but I don't want to increase it too much and have Cael come before the construction is done." And then last night, I was having those painful twinges really down low, which made me double over. Matt was like, "Don't YOU DARE!". Haha! He's terrified I'm going to go into labor before he can finish painting and building all the furniture. Then I leaned over to get my phone while in bed last night, to set my alarm, and he asked me what I was doing, like "What are you doing??". He thought I was going to use the contraction timer app I have because I was having a contraction. I assured him I was only setting my alarm, and to relax. He is downright TERRIFIED of Cael getting here within the next few days.

I do have some things I want to do today - like food shopping! We literally have nothing to eat in our apartment. And honestly, no means to cook anything, because there is clutter everywhere (especially on top of the stove) from the construction. So we have been eating out a lot. I clipped some coupons this morning from the P&G flyer in the Sunday paper, so I'm anxious to use them. Thing is - I can go out food shopping, but then I have no where to put anything once I get home because of the contractors working. I don't want to get in their way, so that won't work. I want them to get done with whatever they need to without impeding them. Maybe when Matt gets home from work, we can both go. That would make it easier on me as well.

Finally, this whole "dropping" thing is in my head. I'm trying to figure out if I did indeed drop a little. I feel less pressure up high, and more pressure down low. Plus, a lot of people commented on my 35 week Facebook picture about how much lower I'm carrying, that it looks like I've dropped. Maybe I did, even a little. I can definitely breathe a little better, that's for sure. Here's a collage of pictures from 33-35 weeks to see the comparison. And finally, here is a video of Cael hiccuping - something he's been doing quite frequently :)

:::I can't wait to meet and hold you, Cael:::

Bed Rest - Days 30 & 31

Saturday, 30th

I was able to sleep in today, fortunately. The contractors didn't come today to work, but are coming tomorrow instead (Sunday). So I slept in until 10am. I had plans to go out and get some things today, such as going to Walmart and doing some food shopping, but then I started feeling like sick. I was light-headed, nauseous, and had a lot of pressure down low. So I decided it would be best to stay home, and not risk passing out in public. So on the couch is where I stayed.

I eventually started feeling better, and made my way upstairs to make myself some lunch, since our stove is covered in stuff. I then relaxed a little bit more, and made my way down to the pool. I love being in the pool, because I feel weight-less, and don't feel pregnant. It's amazing what water can do. I spent about an hour in the pool, and it was lovely. Although I didn't go out and do some errands, I did want to do something. So I did a couple of loads of laundry, and washed some dishes.

Sunday, 31st

Today was a busy day! We got up at 8am, and the contractors came to put in half a days work at 9am. They wanted to put a second coat of mud on the walls, install the door knobs, and trim around the doors. Matt and I had plans to go out and get some things, so we left about 10am, and didn't get home until around 4! We went to Burlington Coat Factory (Baby Depot of course!), JC Penny, ate some lunch, and then went to Lowe's to get our paint.

We spent about $100 at BCP, but we got so much stuff! We were originally looking for a Newborn size take-home outfit, but weren't able to find one. But we got a bunch of cute outfits in 6 month sizes, and they were all much cheaper than the original price. We found out that we should have bought most of Cael's clothes there, instead of Babies 'R Us. The discounted prices were much cheaper, and they have all the same things. Oh well, you live and you learn.

We also hit amazing clearance sales at JCP - we got onesies for $2.99 each! How could you resist that!? And we also found our NB take-home outfit...for $4.99! It isn't a 3 piece layette set like I originally wanted, but instead a romper. I ended up asking my friend Lindsay what she brought Liam home in (because I was originally thinking about a onesie set with either shorts or pants), and she said a snap-up onesie, because of his belly button stump. I didn't even think of the stump, so I figured we'd get a romper-type outfit as well.

We got our border in mail on Friday, so we were hoping to match a blue and brown from the border. Fortunately, for us, we were able to find an almost SPOT-ON matching brown and blue. We're just hoping it still matches when it's on the walls. We should be able to paint at least Cael's nursery on Tuesday - I'm so excited!

The contractors will be back tomorrow to apply the 3rd coat of mud, sand, install door knobs, install the trimming and molding around all the doors, and install the base molding in Cael's room. When we got home from our outing today, only the 2nd coat of mud was applied, and the exterior doors were sealed. I'm sure it took them longer to mud than they thought. So hopefully tomorrow, everything will be done! I can't wait!

35/35!!

•How far along?: 35 weeks, with 35 days to go!

•Current Weight: 145!!! :(

•Total weight gain: +22 from pre-pregnancy weight.

•How big is baby?: Large cantaloupe. 19-22 inches long; around 5.5 pounds.

•Movement: All.The.Time.

•Stretch marks?: On my belly button, on the skin that would be over my piercing. It's starting to turn red, and feel like it's tearing.

•Sleep?: Surprisingly, it's actually been getting better. I'm sleeping through most of the night now - with the exception of having to constantly switch what side I'm laying on because of hip pain.

•Symptoms?: Minimal heartburn (thank you Zantac!), hip pain, lower pressure, difficulty breathing, and minimally swollen fingers, toes and ankles. No cankles though, fortunately.

•Food aversions?: Not currently.

•Food cravings?: Hamburgers, cheese, pizza, pasta.

•Labor signs?: I may have possibly dropped a little? I'm not sure though. And I'm still getting occasional BH's and contractions.

•Belly button in or out?: Some in and some out, depending on where he's laying and whether or not I'm contracting.

•What I miss: Bending over, moving easily, deep breaths in, and seeing the skin below my belly button line.

•What I'm looking forward to: The construction being done early next week; and our final ultrasound on Wednesday.

•Best Moment this week: Making it to 35/35, and being told I can start to slowly increase my activities! But I'm still considered on bed rest.

•Milestone: Being 35/35!

Bed Rest - Days 28 & 29

Thursday, 28th

Four weeks of bed rest has been completed by the end of today! I can't believe it, and I'm actually quite surprised at how quickly the time has gone by. Thank you Facebook and The Bump!

Today was day 3 of construction. Although visually it didn't look like much got done by the end of the day, there truly was. All the rocking was finished, and some of the mudding was done. Also, the two closets took the longest to rock, so that took up some time. We had a weekly ob appointment, so we were gone most of the morning, and returned after lunch. When we got back, all of the above mentioned was done, as was rock repairs in Cael's nursery. There were some pretty bad areas of missing or lumpy sheet-rock on the walls, and I'm surprised they fixed them all. The walls now look like they have white chicken-pox, but I'm grateful it will all be repaired, smooth and ready to paint.

Initially, we were just going to keep the blue the same as it was on the upper part of the wall, and then just paint the lower part a shade of brown. However, Matt and I didn't think that through too well, because we forgot there was a new wall going up, as well as a door. Duh! That new wall has to be painted anyway, and that paint is from 5 years ago, and I doubt it will be any good. That is, if we still have it somewhere. I'm happy about it though, because recently I starting hinting to Matt that I wanted to repaint the whole room as opposed to only the bottom half, and choose a different color blue. Now we can, and we can pick a blue that will match the blue in the wallpaper border we ordered. Which, by the way, should be coming on Friday!

My appointment went well. It was actually the easiest, quickest and least times I've been poked in an appointment ever - type of appointment. Caels' heart rate was 130, I got my progesterone shot, and that's about all that was checked. She is happy with the progress I've made (or rather, lack of progress), and that I have so far made it to 34 weeks 5 days. Her original goal was to get me to 35 weeks, so she's happy now and more relaxed. The other midwife I see wants to get me to 36 weeks, so either or. The midwife I saw said I can slowly start to increase my activities over the next week! This is perfect, because we'll have a nursery to paint and work on by early next week.

She still doesn't want him born yet, but I think she'd be comfortable if he was, because he's not considered too early at this point. When asked about having sex/orgasms, she was a little hesitant to say yes, so I know she's still being cautious. She asked if we could wait until Sunday, in which I'll be 35 weeks 1 day, and we said of course. It's been longer than 4 weeks already (for me anyway), so what's a few more days?

Friday, 29th

Today started off with some anxiety over the construction. We figured they'd be sanding today, so that's what set me off. The idea of getting rock dust all over everything started me going. I even cried after Matt left for work. It just overwhelms me to think of how messy it's going to get, and I know rock dust stays around for a couple days, even after cleaning it up. However, it turns out that they will probably not be sanding today, but instead tomorrow. They still have to finish mudding, and let that dry completely before sanding.

So that's what they've been working on since this morning. First, they covered all the corners of rock with a metal covering that was nailed on. I always wondered how they got smooth corners. That took about an hour to do, because there were a lot of corners. Then they started on mudding. It's coming along very nicely, and finishes off the edges nicely, so you can get an idea of what it will really look like without the visible screws and raw edges. Once they are done with the mudding, it will probably be around lunch time, so they'll take a break.

Once back from lunch, the mud will probably still be wet, so I hope they'll start working on the exterior doors. They're both crooked and hung wrong, and one doesn't even latch closed, so it will be nice to have working outside doors for a change.

Other than that, that's all going on today. I want to go to Babies R' Us to get some diapers, because they're having a sale on Pampers, and some other stuff we still need for the nursery, but I'll probably stay home. I woke up sore and tired this morning, so I think I'll just stay put on the couch today. Matt's computer plays BluRay movies, so maybe I'll finally get around to watching the last Shrek movie. I think Matt got it for me for Christmas, and it's still in the plastic wrapper.

I also should really write my last Thank You note to my sister-in-law, who threw my shower. I know, I know. Talk about procrastination. I saved hers for last, because it's on a different card, and it's going to take me longer to write. I should really make myself write that card before I do anything else, so that I can mail it tomorrow morning. I don't know why I've waited so long - I have no reason. My other Thank You's went out about 3 weeks ago! I've got to get on top of it, and just finish it so it's done.

I'll leave you with a picture of a face that Matt had to draw on my belly. It's kind of cute, really. He used my semi-sticking out belly button for a nose. And here is a video of Cael moving around.

Bed Rest - Days 26 & 27

It has been quite an eventful couple of days. Yesterday was day 1 of construction. Yippeeee!!! I'm so happy and excited to see the progress right before my eyes. It's literally right in front of me, because our couch is out in the new living room, which is where I've plopped myself, and where most of the renovations are happening. It's noisy and a little dusty, but not too bad. I've been just occupying myself with Facebook and The Bump.

Yesterday, the contractors did a lot. Actually, a lot more than I think was in the original plan. As it turns out, the morons who built this house liked to cut corners..with everything. Therefore, what I originally thought was going to be "put a stud here, and hang all the drywall there", turned into "we have to take these electrical outlets and switches apart, and re-wire everything because it's not done properly". Great. All I could see were dollar signs flashing before my eyes.

Our original estimate was about $2500, which then turned into about $3000 when we turned around, and asked them to finish sheet-rocking the "particle board" wall. We figured Matt wouldn't be able to get around to it anytime soon, and the contractors might as well do it while they're here and doing everything else. HOWEVER, now that most of the time has been spent on electrical work and wiring, I'm terrified to know what the final cost is going to be. There really isn't expensive electrical parts to buy, but it's rather the labor. And trust me, from what I've seen, it's very frustrating and labor-intensive. Especially when the wiring is majorly fvcked up to begin with.

Just to give you an idea, some outlets/switches are double wired, neutral wires are live and giving shocks, and (my favorite) an outlet in the living room somehow was connected/circuited to an outlet across the room, by Matt's dad's computer, which ran the cable router for the internet. They were trying to figure out where the second circuit went to, so they un-wired it, and nothing in our apartment or living room went out. So we figured it went to God-knows-where upstairs. Well, as it turns out, we went to use our lap top, and the internet wasn't working. Matt checked over by the router, and everything was out. BINGO - at least we didn't have to go searching for where it was connected to. Now, I have no idea how this stuff works, or what should be normally done, but by listening to them talk among themselves, it doesn't sound good or done right.

Within the first few hours of being here, they had all the framing done - for both walls, and the two closets in the living room. It was when they got to the closets that they were spending the most time. Although it was already framed, most of the beams had to be replaced. And then there was the outlets and switches. I think once they got there, they realized that all the wiring was going to be a problem. Long story short, from about before lunch time to when they were ready to leave at 4:30pm, they spent all that time on electrical-related stuff. The wiring and electrical in this house, or at least in the extension (which is our apartment and new living room) is extremely done wrong, and it's kind of scary. I'm glad we are having a professional fix everything, because it will at least be a little safer, and done correctly. Even if it does cost more money.

That brings us to this morning. They got here right around 7 am, and have been working on...yup, you guessed it...electrical stuff. However, before they can start sheet-rocking what they've framed, they have to have all the wiring done properly in the wall. They are adding a new outlet and cable wire hook-up for us in the living room, as well as dropping all the outlets they can. For some reason, most of the outlets are up higher, like belly-high. So where ever they can, they're bringing them to the floor where they should be. I'm assuming when they're done with all the wiring (hopefully by lunch), that they'll start sheet-rocking, and everything will start to take shape.

I had my breastfeeding class last night. It was ok. I took Laureen with me, because Matt had to stay back while the contractors were finishing up for the day. I felt like I knew most of the stuff already. It turned out to be a 3 hour class (was supposed to be 2.5 hours), and we only got one break the entire time. It was extremely uncomfortable, as we had hard, plastic chairs to sit in. So basically, I felt like it was a waste of time. It started at 6pm, and we didn't get out until 9pm, and then I had to drive all the way home - the hour and fifteen minutes. By the end of the class, I was tired, cranky, and in a rotten mood. We didn't get home until about 10:30pm, and Matt was already in bed. It was a long night.

I plan on updating with pictures of the renovation progress as soon as it's all done. I'm just really looking forward to having everything finished so we can move all our furniture back to normal, and set up Cael's nursery. Just a couple more days.

:::I love you Baby Cael:::

Bed Rest - Days 24 & 25

Bed rest? What bed rest. ::::shhhh..don't tell my midwife:::: I hardly feel rested after these last few days. Yesterday, we (well, Matt) spent the entire day moving furniture out of the new living room (which consisted of all the baby stuff we got, as well as some things that belonged to his parents), and moving all our living room furniture out of our old living room and into the "new" one. The contractor is starting tomorrow at 7:00am with the construction, so we needed the living room empty - he's starting on Cael's room first by building the wall. Once he's done with that, he'll probably start working on the wall between the kitchen and new living room, making an archway where the apartment door is. Then he'll probably finish by building the wall to close off the living room from the rest of the house, and sheet-rocking the two closets.

Matt did so much work yesterday, and moved and cleaned so much - I'm so thankful. We currently don't have a functioning living room, but that's ok - it will only be for a few days. We have our bedroom, lap top and Netflix, so we are set :). Today, my job was to clean the bathroom because the contractor is also replacing our bathroom faucet for us - something we didn't think he would do. I'll be brutally and disgustingly honest - I have not given our bathroom a full cleaning...well, ever I think. Right now, it's probably cleaner than it was when we first moved in. :::cowers in embarrassment:::

I also have to do the dishes, which I will start in a little bit, because cleaning the bathroom took me 2 hours, and I was on my hands and knees (so much for bed rest, huh?). Luckily, I didn't start having contractions or anything, so that is good. We also have to kind of clean up and organize the remaining "junk" we have in Cael's soon-to-be-nursery, because it's not entirely empty. It's amazing how much crap 2 people can accumulate! Needless to say, it was quite dusty, and I'm paying for it now with my allergies. They're absolutely horrendous!

Tomorrow I have my breastfeeding class, so I'm excited about that. I believe Laureen will be coming with me, so it should be a good time. I'm looking forward to it, because I really want to be successful at breastfeeding.

Well, it's getting later in the day (currently 4:20), and I have some more things I want to get done before Matt gets home, related to cleaning. I will update tomorrow.

:::I can't wait to organize your nursery!:::

Bed Rest - Day 23

:::Hee-hee-hee-huuu::: Yup, that's right! We had our all-day birthing class today, and it was much more informative than I thought it would be. I was afraid it would focus on medicated birth and c-sections. But instead, there was a lot on natural relaxation techniques and breathing, geared towards a medication-free labor and delivery. It made for a long day, but I think it was totally worth it. We were there from 9-5pm! Needless to say, today wasn't really a "bed rest" type of day.

After the class, we had to run to Lowe's. We needed to get a new faucet for the bathroom, because the contractor said he'd replace it for us. We've been without a bathroom faucet for about 2 years now, so it will be amazing to have running water in the bathroom sink! We were surprised when the contractor said that he would replace it for us, because we didn't expect it. Hey, less for us to do! I ended up taking a Brethine right after the class, because we knew we'd be walking around a lot, and I was already feeling uncomfortable from being out all day.

We also picked out a bunch of paint ideas for the kitchen and new living room wall. Now we just have to narrow them down. We're going to wait to pick the shade of brown for Cael's nursery (bottom part of the wall will be brown, upper will remain blue) until we have the border picked out. I'm just so happy things are moving along. We'll have so much more room by next weekend!

We have a lot to do tomorrow too. We're going to wake up early to get an early start, and we'll probably be moving and organizing things all day so that the contractor has room to work. For starters, we have to move everything that's in the new living room out. That includes all of the baby stuff, and even all the stuff we got for our wedding 2 years ago. Yes, that's right. We haven't used any of our wedding gifts yet. But now we will :). Everything needs to be moved from the new living room to either Matt's parents' living room next door, or upstairs and out of the way.

Then we need to move everything from the old living room out (which will be Cael's room), and into the new living room. The contractor will be putting up the wall for the nursery first, so we have to make sure that all of the big stuff (couch, tv, tv stand) is out so we don't have to worry about fitting it through a narrow door. Come next week, when that wall is done between the nursery and kitchen, we will move all of the nursery stuff into the nursery to get that out of the way. Then when the wall is done for the new living room, we will move everything back into there. It's confusing, but all should take only about 3 days. I'm so excited!

:::Keep growing strong, Cael!:::