8.27.2009

Baby Book

Most of the baby books on the market are totally cheesy in my opinion. I looked at a few with my Mom and even she wasn't too impressed. I've looked on Amazon and read other peoples reviews on them. Blah. Boring. Bland.

Well, after searching for months I have found two that I really like. They are both sold on Etsy.com and both are around $60. That seems like a lot of money for a baby book, but I cannot find any others that even come close.

RubyLovesDesigns

All her books are customizable. I love the Green Tea Floral Cover with the gender neutral pages. In the future you can order more pages like "first outings" and "2nd year". Once the little one is born she can also personalize a name plate for the front window of the book.

EdnaMae

Very similar in style, the other book I like is also customizable. I like the chocolate or sage cover with the whimsy nature design. She too offers additional page packs and a personalized name plate.

Basically I have decided that I will order one of these two books. I just need to decide which one. They are both adorable and unique! Fortunately I am the type who will actually fill out my child's baby book so I do not feel that guilty spending $60 on it. I have spent more making my own scrapbooks.

Gender specific dream

I haven't had too many baby related dreams so far. The ones I have had the baby has always been androgynous. Well not anymore. Last night I had my first gender specific dream and, ladies and gentlemen, it was a GIRL! I woke up feeling a little off balanced because we have been so sure that I am carrying a boy. Within the last week though I have been having doubts.

I was looking in the mirror the other day and my Mom, who thinks I am carrying high, insists that means a boy. My Grandma Stock predicted the gender of my older siblings correctly based on that theory. I don't think I am carrying high or low. To me, it looks like this kids is pretty well centered in there. While I was staring at my belly that day, the thought crossed my mind that it was a girl. Since then I haven't been able to shake it. We had an ultrasound last week in which the lab tech said she. I don't place too much stock in that though since we have had ultrasound techs call the baby "he", "she" and even "they". It is just another thing to plant the seed of doubt in my mind.

All this speculating about the gender could easily be solved if we just found out at our next ultrasound. However, I am very glad that we are not choosing to do that. Even though the gender changes weekly for me, I really have no desire to spoil the surprise. I keep thinking how cool it will be for Dave to be the first one to see of we have boy and girl. I've had plenty of special moments with Baby R. already. I want Dave to be the first to know the gender and the first to hold him/her.

So for the next 8 weeks I will just keep flip flopping and calling the baby him one day and her the next.

8.23.2009

The 92% completed nursery

We are basically done with the nursery with the exception of a few items. My Mom is making a new cover for Dave's IKEA Poang chair that will go in between the closet and crib. We are getting a ceiling fan installed. The humidifier is on its way and we will order the baby monitor probably in October. Other than that the room is ready for a baby and two tired parents! This is a picture heavy post so enjoy!

View from the door
Angled view from the door
Crib close-up
Future home of the Poang chair
View of the door side of the room
Changing table between door and rocker
Close-up of rocker
Right side of closet
Left side of closet
Closet dividers in action
Super adorable Land's End diaper bag
Changing table basket
Cloth diaper covers, fitteds and all-in-ones
Our cloth diaper prefold stash
Bunny curtain holders


8.19.2009

Thoughts about pregnancy

You will have to forgive me in advance, but I am bored and have had a lot of time to reflect on this.

About 3 weeks ago I started feeling fetal movement much more frequently and consistently. I just thought Baby R. was having a crazy day, but as it turns out the little one has crazy days every day. At first it was amusing and just a little irritating. I had to learn to sit differently to get my ribs as far away from kicking feet as possible. However, now I think it has made me bond with the baby more than anything else. That is our baby in there. How crazy is that?

There are many things in this life that I love. Somehow I found the perfect person in this world for me and married him. I have 5 siblings that I wouldn't trade for anything and 2 parents that are just the greatest people in the world. Now I am in love with a little person that I have never even met.

I will admit that pregnancy had been kind of a novelty to me until recently. I knew there was a baby in there and I knew eventually it would be born and I would all of a sudden be a Mom. That all seemed so far away and surreal though so I really didn't focus on it. Lately I have been so protective though and worried and anxious and impatient. I want a healthy, full-term baby - THIS healthy, full-term baby. I have 9 more weeks and everyday I love him/her more and more.

I know our lives will forever be changed once Baby R. gets here, but that must be why pregnancy is 10 months. 10 months is a long time to get used to the idea, start loving your child, and then just being ready for him/her to arrive. How could I not want to take care of this being that I feel everyday inside of me, changing me, changing my life?

Anyway, thanks for bearing with me. Call it pregnancy hormones, a new realization, too much time to think, whatever. This is what was on my mind.

8.18.2009

Mocha Fudge Cookie Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Makes: About 24

Ingredients
  • 1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp instant coffee granules
  • 1 tsp coffee liqueur, optional (I used Kahlua)
  • 1/2 cup superfine sugar (can take regular granulated sugar and grind it up in a coffee grinder)
  • 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown since it's all I had)
  • 1 stick salted butter, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup pecans (I probably added about 3/4 cup b/c I like nuts!)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 baking sheets or line with nonstick parchment. I used my Silpat mats.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
  3. In a small bowl dissolve the coffee granules in coffee liqueur or 1 tsp of hot water if not using liqueur and set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, mix together the sugars. Add the butter and mix thoroughly until light. Add the egg and coffee mixture and beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture, chocolate chips and pecans and mix gently with a spoon until well combined.
  5. Place rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes until set. Transfer to cooling rack and then store in an airtight container once they have reached room temperature.

The last few weeks

What have we been up to lately? Dave have been working diligently in the yard fixing the sprinkler system, cleaning up the backyard, growing some chard, lettuce and mesclun (which are growing really fast) and mowing with our manual push mower that he hates, but tolerates for me! I have been cooking and baking a lot more, reading too many scary birthing books and putting little touches in the nursery here and there.

We also have a ton of appointments, classes and things to do in the next two months before Baby R. gets here. Today I start my breastfeeding classes, tomorrow I have my last ultrasound (hopefully), and in two weeks we start childbirth classes and preregister at our hospital. That gives me 2 weeks to come up with a birth plan hence all the scary birthing books.

Yesterday I finished amassing our newborn cloth diaper collection. We are set with diapering until our baby reaches about 15-16 lbs. and then we will move up to the next size. I also got the curtains I ordered for the nursery. I am just waiting for Dave to install the curtain rods and then the room will look more put together I think. I am so excited to post pictures of the finished nursery! My Mom is making new chair covers for Dave's IKEA Poang chair that we put in the nursery as well. I cannot wait to see what fabric she picks out!

This past week Dave & I flew to Nova Scotia for Cailin and Steve's wedding. Cailin is a high school friend of Dave's and our sister-in-law Marissa's sister. We had a fantastic time! Marissa's family is super nice and they make you feel like you've been part of their family forever. We also got to spend time with Bob & Joan and the twins. They are so adorable! It is amazing how fast they grow. We last saw Peter and Addie at Thanksgiving and they are like totally different kids now.

It was nice to get away one last time before we become parents. We spent a lot time just walking around and relaxing. One day we drove to Peggy's Cove with Dave's parents and then took the scenic drive back. Our little B&B was one block from the water and right in the heart of Chester, Nova Scotia. We went to a lobster and karaoke party one night, the rehearsal party the next and then the wedding the night after that. Here's a big kudos to Cailin and Steve for the food at their wedding! It is not often that a vegetarian gets so many delicious options at a wedding.

That about sums up our lives of late. I'm sure we will be keeping busy for the next, oh, 18+ years now! Bring it on!

Bob, Dave and the twins
Sunset from the wedding venue!
Me, Bob and Joan at Peggy's Cove Lighthouse
Me and my 30 week belly at Peggy's Cove
Me and Dave at the wedding

8.11.2009

Baby Carrier Poll

I am trying to decide which baby carrier to get. They are both a style called mei tai and are approximately the same price. It basically boils down to which one looks better.

The first one is the TogetherBe Freehand Baby Carrier.


















The second is the Dittany Baby Organic Unity Mei Tai.









8.07.2009

Tangled up in dogs

Dave and I have been trying to take the dogs for more walks lately. One the little one arrives things will be crazy for awhile and we are trying to get in as much quality time with the pooches as possible. Plus, it is good for me to get out walking everyday.

Last weekend we took them to Garden of the Gods. Can I just say how impressed I am with our dogs? At least 4 young kids asked if they could pet our dogs and they both did fantastic. Piper did not try to jump and Dewey, who doesn't like being pet over his head, didn't show any apprehension. They still have a lot of puppy tendencies, but they are getting so good! They are shaping up to be quite the family dogs.

I got a few cute pictures of Dave with the dogs. He took one of me and Dewey, but it is in the shade and you cannot see us very well. Anyway, here are my handsome husband and adorable dogs at the park.

8.06.2009

Nursery layout

I had a lot of fun this morning putting our nursery into a virtual layout. There are a ton of different websites that will let you put in the dimensions and organize your floor plan.

Baby R's Nursery Layout

Everything on there is actually in our nursery expect for the rugs. They are more of a wishful thinking item than a reality. Rugs can be expensive and are not necessary since we have carpet in there anyway. I can dream I suppose.

8.04.2009

Cloth Diapering

Today Dave and I attended a cloth diapering class at Baby Cotton Bottoms here in Colorado Springs. We had already made the decision to cloth diaper months ago, but the more I read about it the more confused I got. Back when our parents diapered us they had flat diapers with pins and scary looking plastic covers. Today they have flat folds, prefolds, fitteds, pocket, all in ones, liners, doublers, and lets not forget the accessories. Where does a person begin?

For my baby shower, my sister Marlene got me a cloth diaper cake. It was the best gift that I never thought to ask for. I got 24 infant sized prefolds, which is the perfect amount to start off with. All we really need is about 4-6 diaper covers and we are set for a at least 2-3 months. At the class today we learned all about the different kinds of diapers and the various fabrics. It really is not as frightening as I was anticipating. Cloth diapering actually seems kind of fun!

I am sure there will a lot of trial and error as we go, but I am confident in our decision to cloth diaper. There are a lot of skeptics out there, but I think if they did a little research they too would be a little less intimidated by the whole prospect. Yes, the upfront cost is a lot more than buying a case if disposables and wipes. However, the long term savings add up to thousands of dollars especially with each subsequent child. I also learned today that more water is used to produce disposable diapers then we will use washing our cloth diapers.

I need to have this kid already so I can stop getting so excited about diapers.

8.03.2009

How to find a pediatrician??

Today I set up appointments to interview 2 different pediatricians. The first appt. is on August 10 and the second is on September 28. First off, I don't know if 3 weeks before my due date is too late to choose a pediatrician, but that is when the receptionist scheduled me after finding out I was due Oct. 21st. Oh well.

Now that I have these appointments though, I have no clue what to say/ask the Dr. when we see her. Am I a bad mother already for not knowing what I am looking for in my child's doctor? I have looked on-line for questions to ask and a lot of them you can find out by reading the Dr.'s website. How long have you been practicing? Do you have any sub-specialties? What are your hours? Is this a solo or group practice?

I know there are important questions too. What if my baby is sick and the office is closed? Do you offer same day appointments? When will your initial meeting with my child be? What are you views on breastfeeding, immunizations, etc...? I just feel kind of weird interviewing someone who is so knowledgeable in a field that I know nothing about.

I guess this is the just the first string of things that I am going to worry about. Next week I will have something new to stress about. Impending parenthood is scary.