Birth Story

Jacob Thomas Nielson made his debut Thursday morning, July 28, at 8:29 am. As you know from my last post, we ended up needing to do a cesarean section. I was quite nervous having to do this. But it was much better having a scheduled one instead of waiting a week or two, being induced, going through labor, and then ending up in a cesarean anyway. Then I would just have had double the pain and trouble from having to go through both types of labor. So here's what happened:

I was scheduled to go to the hospital at 5:30 am on the 28th. I got up around 4:10 am in order to take a shower and get ready. I only slept about 3.5 hours that night, so I was pretty tired when I got to the hospital, but honestly, I think it helped me to relax and not think about the impending surgery I was about to go through. Once I was settled in my room, my nurse came in, took some blood, and then set up my IV with some antibiotics and fluid. I hung out in the room until just before 8 am, when the anesthesiologist came in to get me to walk me down to the OR.

In the OR, the anesthesiologist put in a spinal block while his assistant held on to me and kept me calm from the front. It didn't hurt too bad. The worst part was the numbing shot they put in before the spinal block goes in. While the block was going in, I felt a few shooting pains down my legs as they were getting it in all the right spots, but that is normal. It wasn't bad at all, just weird and uncomfortable. They then laid me down on the table and set everything for the surgery up. I started feeling a bit sick and ended up throwing up a tiny bit, but then I felt much better. During the cesarean I could feel the general areas where they were working, but didn't feel anything specific or any pain. The hardest part for me was when they were getting Jacob out, one of the doctors was pushing down from the top of my belly, which made it hard to breathe for a few seconds. When they pulled him out, the first thing my doctor said was, "this cesarean was the right decision; his shoulders and chest are really broad and probably wouldn't have fit." The next thing I knew, he was crying and they brought him up to see Bryce and I. We got to hold him for a few minutes before they took him to get all cleaned up and get his stats. My mom watched the whole thing from out in the lobby and Bryce was in the OR with me, holding my hand. He did get brave for a few seconds and looked over the tarp that was blocking our view. He didn't really see anything because the incision was so low and my belly was in the way.

After getting the baby's initial vitals, Bryce went with him and the nurse to the nursery while I got stitched up and taken back to my room. Not long after that, Jacob, Bryce, and my mom were all in the room with me. I got to feed Jacob and hold him for a bit and then we both got some sleep.

The hospital I delivered at was awesome. The nursing staff was amazing. I had one nurse dedicated to me for each shift (2 nurses per day) and they were so incredibly nice and helpful. I almost didn't want to leave because it was like being in a hotel-- every meal brought to me, getting my room cleaned every day,  and anything I needed at my fingertips. I did get pretty stir crazy, though, and because I was doing so well, they sent me home a day early. The nurse I had on my last day was probably my favorite. She gave me a ton of great tips on breastfeeding, holding my baby, taking care of my c-section, etc. She also hooked me up with a ton of stuff for myself and baby to take home.

I have been doing really well since getting home. Jacob has had high bilirubin levels, so we've had to get out every day to get his blood drawn. I have been walking around a lot and doing enough to keep myself active and that has helped a ton with recovery. And now on to an overload of pictures from baby's birth day:

 Jacob's first picture: 

 Such a cute dimple:

 He got his first bath while I was getting stitched up:

 All cute and clean. I was tired and oh so puffy.

 Look at that chin dimple:

We are so happy and feel so blessed to have such a cute and healthy baby boy. He is everything we could have hoped for and more! Plenty more posts and pictures to come!

Baby/Pregnancy Update

I went to the doctor today and here's the update:

I have made absolutely NO progress in the past 3 weeks. I am maybe a fingertip dilated and my cervix is hard as a rock. My doctor said that at this point, I will definitely go past my due date and that I cannot have a medical induction until one week past my due date. He also told me the baby weighs almost 9 pounds at this point, so if I wait until a week past my due date, I will be looking at a nearly 10 pound baby. And to top it all off, I apparently have a narrow pelvis, which will not very likely not accommodate a 10 pound (or 9 pound, for that matter) baby.

So, my doctor laid out all the info and the options and we've decided it was best to just set up a time to do a cesarean section. Unless I happen to go into spontaneous labor in the next day and a half, I will be having this baby just after 7:15 Thursday morning. I am a bit nervous about the whole thing, but relieved to have an end in sight. I'm glad my mom is here to help me out around the house and such. Keep us in your prayers that everything goes smoothly. 

Nursery

The nursery is now 95% done, so I figured I should show you all. All we're missing is our rocker/recliner (that won't be here until August 1) and the shadow boxes for above the crib (I am doing 3 10x10 shadow boxes, 1 w/the elephant, 1 w/the hippo, and 1 w/the giraffe like the bedding).
What do you think?

The cats have been hanging out in the baby's room all day for the past few days. I hope its because they can sense it will soon be occupied... like in a few days. *fingers crossed*

This corner is reserved for the rocker/recliner and a side table. It looks really small in this picture, but there's plenty of space there.

I made the pelmet boxes above the windows, the memo board, and the book holder (which will eventually be for the baby's books, but now holds my magazines).

Close up of the crib (the 3 shadow boxes will be spaced just above it) and also the changing table. I finally found the perfect baskets at Target in the $1 zone (they were $2.50 a piece, not $1 unfortunately). They are the perfect shade of teal and have a polka-dot style motif on them, which was a perfect match. I think I'm going to replace the elephants on the top shelf with some pictures once the baby comes.

Baby's Room Help!

I am DETERMINED to get the baby's room done in the next week (completely finished/cleaned/put together by next Sunday). But, I need a little help. The room is currently a khaki/green color which obviously does not go with the colors that we are doing for the baby's room (white, teal, charcoal, light grey, yellow). I cannot decide which color to paint. I want to do either the light grey or teal. They each provide a totally different look from the other and I think both would look great, but its decision time. So here's the rundown to help you help me decide. Once you read through it, please vote on the sidebar -->

• All the baby furniture is white
• The changing table has open shelving below it and whatever color I don't paint the walls, I will likely use as a basket color for the shelves
• My sister is bringing up my parents' old la-z-boy that I plan to reupholster, likely in a grey/charcoal microfiber
• The quilt, bumper, and fitted sheet can be seen here 
• I plan on using white frames on the walls with various pictures/prints in them
• Here's a close up of the main fabric with all of the colors in it (its the light grey, like the frog, or the teal, on the hippo):

I think that is all the pertinent info that would have to do with making a color decision. So put your imaginations to work and help me decide! Voting will last until Tuesday, since it will probably take me that long to get the room cleared out and ready to paint. 

Baby Quilt

I finished the baby's quilt today. I am SO glad to have it done. I have had the pieces cut out and most of it put together for a while, but it felt so good to get it put together and quilted. What do you think?

Front and Back: 

 Detail shot:

I also finished the crib bumper last week. Here's a picture of that with the crib mattress (and fitted sheet I made a while back. Yes, we still haven't put together the crib, so the mattress is just leaning against the wall.)

33 Weeks

I am just about to the 33 week mark and had a doctor's appt. yesterday. Now I go again in 2 weeks, then 2 weeks after that and then every week until I'm a mom. It is crazy to think it's that close. I will be full term in 4 weeks. Crazy! Here is a picture of me today:

Sleep? This has started to get really tough lately. I have to get up several times per night to go to the bathroom and I can rarely get comfortable. I haven't had leg cramps very much in the past few weeks, but I've been careful to put my feet up when I can and stretch my legs at the end of the day and it seems to be helping.
Movement? This is no longer a "crazy cool thing" because he has less space to move around in, which means pain for me when he moves. Baby is still head down and since I dropped a few weeks ago, his head feels WAY down. This means lovely jabs from his feet in my ribs and punches into my hip bones. I can also feel him hiccup, usually a few times a day. It is a weird, but cool feeling.
Progress? I am having contractions all the time. When I told my doctor this he said "Good...its just your uterus practicing. The more you have now, the easier things should go." I am so glad that he is confident about that. The contractions don't hurt, but everything gets really tight and uncomfortable. Every once in a while I get one that hurts, probably because of the baby's position. My doctor also told me that it is common for a first time mom to have the baby about 6-7 weeks after the baby drops, which would put me right around the 37 week mark. Considering he's estimating that the baby weighs about 5.5 pounds right now which is AN ENTIRE POUND MORE than my babycenter.com weekly update e-mail, I think I am okay with him coming early. Plus, 37 weeks isn't too early. I'll be full term by then.
Other Updates: Not much else to report other than I finished the crib bumper (quilted it and everything) and am going to finish the quilt this weekend. We are going to be getting the baby's room painted and set up soon. We have a lot of furniture moving that needs to be done and we are waiting to see how a few things pan out before we start moving things around. (Oh, and don't worry, by "we" I do not mean me. I mean Bryce and whoever is kind enough to help him. I am not allowed to lift anything more than 25 lbs. and this point.)

New Mom Advice

As baby Jacob's arrival gets closer and closer I am getting more and more stressed about the fact that I am completely unprepared. I want to ask all of you mothers out there: What do I absolutely need to have when baby comes? What do you feel that is not necessarily a need, but made your life a lot easier?
Here's what I have so far:

• Clothes. I am pretty sure I'm set as far as newborn size goes and I have quite a few 0-3 mo. size clothes as well. 
• Blankets. I have both the swaddling sacks as well as flannel and waffle-knit swaddling blankets. I also have baby bedding (sheets, bumper, etc.) and a couple of cuddly blankets. 
• Crib and Matress
• Changing Table (although neither this nor the crib are put together, even though I've had them for a few months now)
• Pack-n-Play w/bassinet insert. We are going to have this in our room for the baby to sleep in for the first few weeks and then move it downstairs into the living room for the baby to play/hang out in while mommy and/or daddy needs their hands free
• Stroller and car seat
• Wipes (and lots of them) and diaper ointment
• A few packs of newborn diapers. How many should I realistically plan for?
• Pacifiers
• Bath stuff (soap, shampoo, lotion, towels, bathtub)
• Boppy pillow
• Bibs and a few burp cloths 

Things I don't have, but feel like I need (this is where I really need your help!)

• Baby Monitor
• Caps and mittens (for when baby's sleeping)
• Some sort of dirty diaper storage
• Newborn and one size up diapers
• A diaper bag
• A baby-specific first aid kit
• Bouncer
• Breast pump and extra bottles (although I plan on having the baby with me most of the time, I will very likely go back to teaching at least a few hours a week in the fall)

Is there anything I've completely forgotten? Are there things that I think I need that are totally unnecessary? What are the best products that you have found? Now that I've written it all down, it doesn't seem like I'm really missing a ton of stuff, which is very comforting for me because I was really starting to freak out. Now I actually need to get the things I do have organized and put together. 

30 Weeks

 28 weeks vs. 30 weeks 

Sick? I have been feeling great lately. I get heartburn pretty bad, especially when I'm starting to get hungry. Tums fixes that quickly, which is good. 

Weight Gain? I don't even want to talk about this now. Let's just say the number on my scale is more than I'd like, but "on track" according to my doctor's office. It just happened pretty much all in the last 8-9 weeks, so it feels like way too much. 

Sleep? I have been getting good sleep lately. My friend Caitlin lent me her pregnancy pillow, since it was just hanging out under her bed, and it has helped SO much. I only wake up in the middle of the night if I get really bad leg cramps and usually once to go to the bathroom. 

Crazy Cool Things? I know last time I said that I can feel the baby move/kick, but I discovered last night while I was sitting on the bed its not just feeling him move anymore, its seeing him move. It was totally crazy, so I went downstairs and sat on the couch with Bryce and said "watch my belly". About 30 seconds later the baby gave a nice big kick right in the middle of my belly and Bryce said "what the?!?" It was quite hilarious. 

Crazy Weird Things? Well, the belly button is pretty much just out now. Baby boy is really active at specific points in the day. He also reacts to noises and kicks a lot when the cats lay on or near my belly. I think baby likes the purring vibrations. 

Other Updates: Overall, things are going well. I am ready for this little guy to be here. According to my doctor, he should be about 9 pounds when we get to my due date. We will probably have him earlier than that, so hopefully everything will go smoothly. 

Baby Ultrasound Update

I had my recheck ultrasound at Maternal Fetal Medicine this morning. I saw a different doctor today, but he was aware of everything going on and answered all of our questions really thoroughly. So here's the update:

1. The bright spot they found before has not multiplied and doesn't seem to be getting bigger. Yay!
2. The spot is actually within the liver and it is tissue. It is most likely dead/scar like tissue because it is showing up as a different density than normal tissue. So it is NOT a cyst and NOT a calcification. The doctor said that it was probably tissue that was not forming correctly and had the blood supply cut off from it, so it turned into a sort of scar tissue. 
3. This tissue will likely not go away, but it should not affect the baby at all. They will probably recommend that an ultrasound be done on the baby when he's born, but the doctor said that the radiologist will likely tell us the same exact thing--it is nothing and shouldn't affect anything.

Today was good news. A BIG relief for us and huge weight off our shoulders. The only other thing we found out today was that he's still big. Who would have thought, right? They were putting my due date, based on his size (length and weight, which is just under 3 lbs), between July 20-24. That is 1-1.5 weeks ahead of the due date my doctor's office gave me at my first appointment. Either way, my doctor isn't going to let this baby get too big. My mom never went into labor, which is a possibility for me, so we're going to keep a close watch on his size and my progress and decide when to have this little guy. Either way, I've got about 2.5 months left, maybe a little more, but definitely less than 3 months. Yay!

Crib Sheet and Mobile

I am just blazing through these sewing projects for the baby's room. I finished one of the crib sheets last night (well, technically this morning since I had to go buy some elastic to finish it off). This is the flannel sheet. I still need to make the cotton one, but they will look exactly the same.

If you're curious about how to make a crib sheet, it's super easy. If you have a normal sized crib, just cut a 70"x45" piece of fabric. Cut an 8 3/4" square out of each corner and then sew the edges of the cut-outs together to create the corners. Sew a 1/2" or so casing for your elastic and then thread your elastic through. I used 3/8" elastic so my casing was a little wider.

I also started working on some animals for the crib mobile. I cut them out of felt (using the zoo fabric as my template for the animal shapes) and sewed them together using a blanket stitch and embroidery floss. It went pretty quickly once I had it figured out. I am going to make at least one more hippo and maybe a giraffe for the center. I may end up with one more elephant and two more hippos. I'm not sure just yet, but I think they turned out pretty well for just winging it.

What do you think? 

Car Seat Canopy (with customizable tutorial)

Last night, while hanging around the house, I decided to get to work on my sewing projects for the month. I started with the car seat cover. I swear that EVERYONE here in Utah has one, which I don't blame them for. It gets cold and it gets windy, and I would want to protect my sweet little baby's face from that too. Most that I have seen are like this, but for $40 (or more) I can make one myself and make it better. Here's the finished product:

• I started by measuring the length across the carrying handle, plus an inch or so for hangover and hemming and from front to back (over the carrying handle and normal canopy), plus some extra for hemming and hangover. I got a measurement of 44"x48". I ironed and cut out the fabric. 
• I measured and marked the middle of the short side so that I made sure to drape it evenly over my car seat. I then guesstimated the curves and cut off the corners on 1/2 of the fabric. Then I folded it in half and traced/cut out the same curve for the other side. This gives it a nice, even drape in the front and allowed me to add that "something extra" (elastic) in the back. 
• I sewed my two pieces of fabric together (right sides facing in), leaving a hole to turn it right side out. 
• Before I turned it out, I draped it over my car seat one more time to see where I wanted the elastic to start and stop. I marked those places and then sewed about 1/2-3/4" seam (I just guesstimated) in from the original seam. 
• I turned the fabric out and found the holes where my elastic hole was. I threaded the elastic through (3/8" elastic), bunched the fabric until the right amount of elastic was in the back and pinned it on both sides. Just slightly up from the ends of the elastic, I secured the elastic by sewing a thick stitch pattern over it. 
• I tucked the end of the elastic in and ironed the edges of the fabric out so I could put a decorative stitch/sew shut any gaps left at this point. 
• With my leftover fabric scraps (cut from the corners earlier) I made straps by cutting out a square of fabric, folding it in half, and sewing it (right sides together), leaving one short end open. I turned it out, ironed it, and used the same decorative stitch as the canopy. I used snaps on my straps, so they were the last to go on. (NOTE: if you want to use velcro, I suggest sewing it on before you sew the strap in half so that you don't have stitches all the way through your strap.) 
• I pinned the straps onto the canopy equidistant from the center point and then sewed them on with the same decorative stitch that I used on all the edges. I made sure to put straps on both sides so that it can be reversible. Check it out: 

I love that with the elastic and nice drape in the front that it will actually keep rain/wind/snow/cold off of baby and not just look cute. (Although I think it looks pretty darn cute.)
Last night I also whipped up this little guy:

At my baby shower I received a monstrous package of 1100+ baby wipes (yay!) and it came with two cases, including this travel one. I watched a couple of YouTube tutorials of how to cover one and kind of blended them together to get this. I had some leftover camo flannel from one of the receiving blankets I made, so that is what I used along with some teal ribbon I had just hanging out. It was really simple and I think it turned out well, although Bryce said he was "underwhelmed" by this after seeing me whip up the canopy. I am going to have to get another of these travel cases (hopefully in white) and make another. 

Baby Bag

Do you remember this post about the completely amazing, yet completely ridiculously expensive Kate Spade baby bag that I want? Well, while I still would take it in a heartbeat, I am not (as I'm sure nobody else is) willing to spend $295 on this oh-so-perfect diaper bag. (Although I did find it here on sale for $207... anybody really love me?!?) Anyway, I was just introduced to the adorableness that is Vera Bradley diaper bags. They come in lots of different patterns as well as some plain ones. These are my favorites so far:

Baby Bag in Black Microfiber: on sale for $79

The plain Jane baby bag. Simple and functional, but not much different than the Jeep one I registered for. 

Baby Bag in Blue Rhapsody: on sale for $65

I like this blue bag, but I'm not crazy about the background being navy. I don't think it will quite coordinate with the baby fabrics I've chosen.

 Baby Bag in Baroque: $97

I love the pattern of this bag and the colors coordinate with the fabrics I've chosen for baby. I'm afraid the yellow might be too neon colored, which I don't know that I'll like. I feel that this one is more boy friendly, but I can't decide if its my favorite, or the next one:

Baby Bag in Peacock: on sale for $65

I love the colors of this bag (which also coordinates with my fabric), plus its on sale, which makes it even more appealing. Though, the dark color on it is brown, which I don't love. I'm afraid that it will get dirty much faster than the Baroque. I can't decide which one I like better, so someone else should just decide for me. If you feel the need to purchase me a baby gift, you can always send one of these beauties my way. ;)

Goals

I am finishing up a lot of big, important things very soon and it has gotten me in a goal-setting mood. Today I finished my oral repertoire exam, which is one of two 2-hour long oral exams that I have to pass before the School of Music will grant me my Master's Degree. I passed "with no question" so said my professors, which is a huge relief. One thing to check off the list. After class tonight, I am one paper and two more hours of testing away from being done. FOREVER. Its a great feeling.

So, back to my goals. I have decided that at the beginning of the month I am going to set some goals for myself to finish that month. I am a list person, so writing it out for the whole world to see will help me actually get some big things done. I think 5-7 goals a month is reasonable. Thats 1-2 per week, and especially since all of my big things are done except writing a final paper for my Philosophy of Music Education class and studying for my final oral exam, this is doable. Here are some goals I have:


April: 

1. Sew the car seat cover, fitted sheets (2), and crib skirt for the baby's room. 
2. Reorganize the kitchen/laundry closet
3. Organize/redo the baby's room closet
4. Walk for 1 hour at least 3 times per week
5. Send out thank-you notes from my baby shower

May:

1. Sew the quilt and bumper for the baby's room
2. Paint the baby's room
3. Put together all furniture/set up the baby's room
4. Reorganize the bathroom closet and linen closet upstairs
5. Clean all windows/blinds in the house
6. Pass final oral exam
7. Clean all light fixtures in the house

That's all for now. I will post these on my sidebar as well and cross things off the list as they get done. I know I still have a few months before this baby gets here, but I'm afraid time will fly faster than I want it to and I won't get things done unless I really commit and have to be accountable. I will be sure to post pictures of what I can (especially the stuff for the baby's room), so check back!!

Pack-n-Play

We now own all of the "big" (aka most expensive) items from our baby registry (except the pump I registered for, but I'm thinking that's one gift I will need to get myself). We have the crib, changing table, and mattress for the baby's room (I will be sure to post some pictures one day when they're all put together). This past weekend we got the Jeep stroller, which Bryce and my dad just loved when it was all put together, and ordered the carseat and pack-n-play. They came in via UPS on Tuesday and I couldn't wait to get them out and put together. The pack-n-play didn't take much putting together, but I did assemble all the parts onto it including the mobile, bassinet, and changing tray. It took about 2 minutes once it was all put together for this to happen: 

I didn't even have enough time to find my phone to take a picture to send to my mom before he just had to jump inside. Unfortunately for us, Harry found the pack-n-play to be amazing. He spends pretty much all of his kitty sleep time (which is like 16 hours a day) in there. This is what I found a few hours after putting it all together:

Both kitties finding the pack-n-play the perfect resting spot. Harry particularly likes the little cave space under the changing tray. When I got up this morning, this little face perked out from the cave to greet me: 

What, oh what are we going to do when the baby comes? Hopefully I can put the baby in there and the cats will just run away and want nothing to do with him until they realize this little play pen belongs to the baby, not to them. I think we're going to put the pack-n-play in our room for the baby to sleep in until he moves into his crib. After that, we will keep it downstairs in the living room for a diaper changing place as well as a nap place/play place when mom and dad are downstairs and need to put him somewhere and keep an eye on him. I'm glad we went with this one, its got everything you could possibly need, was well priced, and got great reviews. 

23 Weeks

I am now past my 23 week mark and moving on to 24. It is crazy how fast time goes. Here are the latest updates:

Sorry about the makeshift self portrait...I'll try to get a better one to match the others soon.

Sick? I haven't been sick as in morning sickness in over a month! I did get a cold back in February and felt one coming on last week, but I think I've fought it off. I haven't even needed to take Unisom for weeks now. 

Weight Gain? Well, it finally started. The baby has shifted around and is gaining weight like crazy (even though I don't feel like I look terribly bigger than my last photo, I can definitely feel it). In the past month I have put on another 8 pounds putting my total in at +9.5 pounds. I don't feel bad about this at all, especially since last week's Fit Pregnancy e-mail said that "you have probably gained about 15 pounds at this point". (Btw, I love Fit Pregnancy. They have great advice, good suggestions for eating even if I don't always follow them, and they have been pretty much spot on with any weird pregnancy things that have happened week by week.)

Cravings? I have started craving sweets again, which I'm not sure is a good thing considering I didn't really gain weight when I detested chocolate. I don't want a ton of sweets, but something each day. Lately it has been smores, so we bought the fixings for them and I've made one in the microwave after dinner the past few nights. I also still love pickles and pasta. 

Gender? We have had it confirmed 3 different times now that this boy is definitely a boy. My parents were in town last weekend and my mom and I completely raided the infant clothing section at JC Penney. This boy is all set for newborn size clothing and I have several things in each size from 0-3 month up to 6-9 month. Even though I have a growing pile of baby clothes, I don't have nearly enough in each size. It is crazy how many clothes you need for a baby. 

Name? I am pretty sure we are set on a name. I really like the name Bradley, but neither Bryce nor our family members have really jumped on board with it so I'm pretty sure Bryce and I have decided to stick with our original name. So, Jacob Thomas Nielson will be the one gracing us with his presence in July. I'm glad we've decided, especially since I want to make some name-specific things for the baby's room. 

Sleep? I have been getting good sleep still. I have needed a little less sleep lately, maybe a good 8 hours a night, but I've found that the less sleep I get, the more I want a nap in the middle of the day. I have really gotten my energy back lately and am feeling really great. 

Crazy Cool Things? I know last time I said that I can feel the baby move/kick, but I discovered last night while I was sitting on the bed its not just feeling him move anymore, its seeing him move. It was totally crazy, so I went downstairs and sat on the couch with Bryce and said "watch my belly". About 30 seconds later the baby gave a nice big kick right in the middle of my belly and Bryce said "what the?!?" It was quite hilarious. 

Crazy Weird Things? I have had a lot of stretching pain all across my belly. It usually happens once a day or so. Its definitely different from the round ligament pain I was feeling before. I guess this is just what happens from here to the end when the baby is just getting longer and fatter. Everything's gotta stretch! Also, I have a bit of a weird belly button. It is an innie-outie, meaning I have an innie, but also have basically a ball of skin inside my belly button. My mom says I have it because my umbilical chord was really big when I was born. Anyway, I have been worried about it popping out because of its weirdness factor. It hasn't yet, but I suspect any day now it will. Any time I flex my abs the innie part of my belly button goes flat and the outie part sticks out. It totally freaks Bryce out. Haha.

Other Updates: We got the results of my blood test back and there is no active infection going on. This was a HUGE relief because that means they can rule out any serious complications/diseases that the baby could have had. At this point, they are not worried about the cyst/calcification because it is an isolated spot. I go back to the perinatologist in about a month and they will ultrasound the baby again to make sure the spot isn't growing. Even if it is growing, all they can/will do at this point is ultrasound him when he's born to make sure the spot isn't blocking anything (like his bowels or any major blood vessels leading to his liver or kidneys) and will likely do some blood tests to double check that its not something else. The amazing news is that whatever this spot is should not affect his in-utero development. Thanks for all of the prayers and support.  

Big Boy

I had an ultrasound last Friday (baby has a cyst or calcification on or near the liver. The doctors are confident its nothing because its a single, isolated spot, but I had to go in for further testing to be sure. I will keep you all updated when/if we find anything out.) Anyway, at this ultrasound we found out for the 3rd time that its definitely still a boy and they took a TON of measurements of the little guy. According to the measurements, he is measuring between 22 weeks and 5 days and 23 weeks and 2 days. This was when I was 21weeks and 5 days according to the due date they gave me at my first ultrasound. I'm hoping he just had a growth spurt, not that I'm on track to have a 10+ lb baby like my mom did. Yikes!

Bag

So, I know I'm having a boy (yes, its still a boy!) and Bryce would NEVER carry it so we would have to keep 2 separate diaper bags, but how cute is this?!?:

kate spade "dungarees" baby bag

oh kate, you know how to make a girl completely drool over an oh-so-cute bag that costs about as much as my crib, mattress, and changing table combined. Granted, I chose VERY frugal baby furniture, but still. I need somewhere for my baby to sleep, but I really, really want this bag. Don't worry, I know what priorities are. 

19 weeks

I'm 19 weeks and a day (or so) along now. Less than a week and I'm half way done! (Well, I guess I could be half way done now, depending on when this little guy decides to get here.) Things have been going well. Here are the updates....

1. Sick? I have been sick off and on. There are mostly good days with a few bad days thrown in. I was introduced soon after Christmas break to the glories of Unisom. My doctor and several friends suggested it to help me stay asleep at night and to help curb morning sickness. It works like a charm. I usually only wake up once (around 6-7 am) to go to the bathroom and then fall right back asleep for a few hours. When I wake up I'm not crazy hungry or nauseous. It is awesome. 
2. Weight Gain? +1.5 pounds according to my scale this morning. 
3. Cravings? My appetite has been off and on, mainly just off on my sick days, but I generally feel less hungry than I did a month ago. (I think this is part of the reason for basically no weight gain so far.) I don't really crave anything all the time, but I often crave something all of a sudden--usually when I see it or smell it, so its not that hard to get. 
4. Gender? Its a boy! We go in for the 20 week ultrasound next Monday and hopefully he's still a boy. We're very excited to have a boy first (and that he's the first grandson on both sides). 
5. Maternity Clothes? Yes, I wear them and yes, they are the best thing ever invented. Old Navy and Gap are my favorite places shop. I am currently on the hunt for my recital dress. I think I've found one I like. 
6. Name? We have one boy name that we like so far. Nothing else has surpassed it... actually there isn't even anything else that Bryce and I can agree that we both like. So far this is it, so we will wait and see if there's another one we come up with to compete. 
7. Sleep? I've been getting good sleep lately... at least 9 hours a night most nights. This past week I've gotten a bit of a second wind and am not exhausted feeling all the time. I still get tired during the day, but I feel like I can function well throughout the day instead of being crazy tired all the time. 
8. Crazy Cool Things? I can feel the baby move! At first I was pretty sure it was just indigestion, but then I started feeling distinct flutters and even some kicks. Its not all the time, but I feel him moving at least a few times a day. 
9. Crazy Weird Things? My hair is growing like crazy. Apparently its from all the hormones/baby boy's testosterone, but the hair on my head, legs, and underarms is growing SO fast. It is quite annoying, especially when I literally did not need to shave my legs more than twice a week before and now its like every-other day--and that's only because its still winter. Also, the past few days I have started having a lot of stretching/pulling/ligament pain in my lower belly. I think this boy's having a major growth spurt. 

Did it...

So I did buy the fabric. I am so excited! Especially since I saw there's a place to enter coupon codes when you check out, so I did a google search for fabric.com coupon codes and found one that worked for an extra 15% off of my purchase. I saved about $80 overall. Here are the projects I am planning with all the new cotton and flannel fabrics I got:

• Quilt: I figured out my own quilt pattern that's got simple strips of fabric on the back and squares inside of squares on the front. It will be simple, but will really show off the fabric.
• Crib Bumper: It is going to be squares of fabric pieced together so the baby has plenty to look at.
• 2 Fitted sheets: I found a pattern for this online and its SUPER easy. I am going to make one out of cotton and one out of flannel.
• Crib Skirt: It will be one main fabric with another fabric as the bottom border. 
• Crib Organizer: An easy, useful project that I saw online. The organizer will tie onto one end of the crib or the changing table and will have lots of pockets to keep the baby's things handy. 
• Receiving Blankets: I got enough fabric to make a few blankets for swaddling and such.
• Car Seat Cover: So everyone has these now and I think they're pretty essential...especially in Utah in the cool/cold months. 
• Multi-Use Blanket: I am going to make a 45x45" multi-use flannel blanket. It will be great for in the stroller, to put on the ground/floor and let the baby lay/sit on it, for times when the baby needs a little extra warmth or comfort, etc. 
• Nursing Cover: I decided not to pay for the Udder Cover when I got the code for a free one (not including shipping) because they didn't have a color/pattern that I liked. I am going to use my friend's to make a pattern and make one for myself.

Wow, that is a lot of sewing to do before this little man gets here. I am working hard right now to finish my Master's paper and get my recital ready, but after April 1st, I won't have much left to do except some studying and teaching. That will give me several months to work on these projects. I am very excited to transform our extra bedroom into a nursery!

AAAAH!

I just happened to hop onto fabric.com to look at the fabric we are wanting to use for the little guy's room to see that it's all on sale! If I was to buy it by March 7th I would save about $50 overall on it all. I was going to wait a few more weeks because my wonderful parents are going to be sending some money my way to get started with the baby purchases, but now I don't know what to do! Please, someone tell me what to do...tell me there will be a better sale soon...or tell me that I need to just buy the fabric. I just can't make the decision on my own. But, look how cute:

 What to do? What to do????