Shopping for Baby

I have already started getting small gifts for my little one.  A few toys (thank you Linda),  a baby blanket (thank you Vickie), some decor for the nursery (thank you Mamoo), and an awesome onesie (thank you Erin)!

Another one of the fun things you get to do when you are expecting is to start a baby registry!  Yeah....not so fun for me.  More confusing than anything.  I had started an online registry so I could have everything in one place, and it's so confusing what is socially acceptable to ask for, and what you REALLY need for a baby...and what you really DON'T need.

Like I said, I started my registry on Baby List (click here if you wanna) and then decided on a whim while out shopping by myself to stop in at Babies R Us to see what it's all about...yikes.  I wish I had a picture of the face I made when I walked into baby stuff heaven...utter shock. And no, I haven't been in a Babies R Us ever that I can remember, or maybe I was so overwhelmed that I blocked it from memory.  Luckily for me the wonderful people that work there are used to that face/reaction from newbies and rushed over to help me.  I told them that I was still very early, but I like having things planned out so I wanted to at least start a registry.  So they got me set up, explained how stuff worked and handed me a little scanner and sent me on my way...well there are employees EVERYWHERE in the store so I was able to ask a ton of questions, and I did, about products and preferences.  I still have a few things I need to decide over the next few months, and fortunately I have friends that have volunteered their baby shopping expertise so I won't need to drag my husband along (I know he is grateful for that) and I will get advice from moms I know and trust!

The other awesome thing about Baby List (no I'm not getting paid to say this, but they can contact me if they want and we can talk...) is that you can import other registries,  so I was able to link my Babies R Us registry to the Baby List registry so everything is still all in one place, which was my plan from the get go!

12 weeks!

It seems like just yesterday that I was writing my 11 week post!  Time sure is flying and that baby he is a growing!  This week milestones include; the major organs including his brain are formed and will just continue to grow, baby will be moving his hands and feet and it won't be long before I will start to feel him move!  My bump is starting to show and that makes me more excited even tho I'm not quite ready for all of my maternity clothes, and I can still kinda fit into my regular clothes...here is a picture that shows about where my bean is!

At the end of this week I will finally be in my second trimester!  October 2nd is fast approaching!!!

On a more personal note.  Today everyone has been asking me, "How do you feel?"  And I have been able to say, GREAT!  No more sickness!!  I sooooo should not have bragged about that!!!  I thought it would be a good idea today to snack on some beef jerky because I'm having a late lunch...yeah, that does NOT feel good coming back up....no more jerky for me.

A checkup

On a monthly basis I will be visiting my OBGYN for a checkup while my pregnancy progresses.  We have a steady heartbeat at 150, and everything is measuring right on track.

The Lil' Bitty baby bump (3 months)

Today I asked about why my hair is still falling out, and it's normal! Not every woman will get that thick mane of glossy tresses.  I'm ok with that, my hair is thick enough normally, and I break hair ties regularly, without adding the pregnancy thick hair!

Being the planner I am I asked the Dr about his opinion on a birth plan.  He basically said that as long as I realize that Murphy's Law dictates that nothing goes to plan, and I won't get all freaked out if it doesn't go to plan, then go ahead.  So I started researching birth plans and determining which points are important to include in my birth plan.  Umbilical cord cutting delay is a high priority, as is discussing possible interventions with us before just doing them.  There is a really cool site, Nurturing Hearts Birth Services, if you want to read more about waiting to cut the umbilical cord, everyone should read it!

This picture taken from the blog post on NHBS and is credited to them!

I am also iffy on the Vit K injection, the eye goop and the HBV shot...I still have several months before I really need to worry about the ins and outs of the delivery, but I have a plan started thanks to research, and Pinterest.

11 Weeks!

This week if you could see my wee one. They would look a bit like this...

Milestones this week include irises developing and the teeny tiny nails on his hands and feet growing as well.  You can feel the top of the uterus if you know where to press, carefully of course.  And although I'm not showing per-say, I'm definitely using hair bands to hook my pants, or just wearing some of the maternity garb I was lucky enough to get already!

One of my favorite movies is "What To Expect When You're Expecting" when I first watched it I related to Holly, because I had been told IVF was it, and we couldn't do that, so I thought well we can adopt.  Most recently I relate to Wendy.  The woman who has dreamed of becoming a mom, does everything including charting, swearing off alcohol and relations on a schedule.  Throughout the movie she plasters a smile on her face and swears everything is great when in fact it was far from it.  This early on I was naive enough to think that once I got pregnant it would be sunshine and rainbows and unicorns....yeah not so much.  I have been sick, sore, tired, and my face looks like a throwback from middle school teenage years...don't get me wrong, I am still ECSTATIC that I'm pregnant.  And I can't wait to find out what we are having, and to get the nursery done, and to finally hold my precious miracle, but man it would have been awesome to just feel great from day 1.  Or as they say in the movie, I want my glow.  If you haven't watched this flick yet, I suggest you do.

What is so special about the 10th week?

This week Baby Fish will completely lose his/her tail, and they will look like a little tiny human instead of a sea monkey!  The inner ear is ready, and the outer ear will be developing although it will be a while before he can hear anyone talking to him through mama's belly.

At the end of this week the placenta will be developed and the baby will be getting all of it's blood supply and food from mama, all the more reason to watch what I eat!  Gone are the days of eating for two.  I just need to add a few more calories to my daily intake, but make sure they are protein and vitamin packed ones.  There is a chance that this week I will get more morning sickness because my HcG levels will be at their highest this week!

I did get to hear the heartbeat this past week.  I should have posted it, but I am gonna post it now!  Just listen to the little Chug-chug sound, like a mini train.  That is Baby Fish!

T-minus 9 days....

On the 14th I will be hosting a P.E.O. meeting at my house...yikes!!! My house is comfortably messy...or a total disaster if you ask my husband.  I have projects everywhere...dog toys everywhere...I'm a mess.  Cleaning is my LEAST favorite thing to do.  But I love having company over...this has to be an oxymoron...anyhoo...

There are a few projects that I haven't been putting off per-say, I just haven't gotten around to them, for a while.  And with company coming it's a great time to get to it!  I'm sure everyone remembers my screen turned jewelry holder that I finished over Memorial Day.  Today's project goes in the same room, and was actually part of the same buy last summer, an old screen and an old three-pane window.  I have had several ideas of what I may want to do with it, but inspiration struck (thank you Pinterest) and I knew it was destined to become an old faux mercury glass mirror!!

I knew from blog posts about doing DIY Faux Mercury Glass (like this one) you could only find the Krylon Looking Glass Spray at craft stores...fortunately for me I was going to Hobby Lobby yesterday with my mom to search for Sock Monkey things for Baby Fish.  We made out like bandits finding the actual socks, fleece, cotton fabric, ribbon and the Krylon spray!  After stopping for custard on the way home I came inside and spread out my loot and took pictures of all of the monkey goodness!

And at some point I took the spray paint out of the bags...

Today my plan was to get up, eat and start making faux magic...but for the life of me I couldn't find that spray paint ANYWHERE!!!  I looked in both bedrooms, the master, the basement, the garage, my bathrooms, I called my mom and she checked her trunk, called the husband, he hadn't seen it...I was beyond frazzled.  So I called Hobby Lobby hoping they put it in a third sack and we left it behind.  I ended up taking everything we purchased yesterday, and the reciept to Hobby lobby and they reviewed the tapes...it showed the cashier putting the spray paint in the smaller bag, with other items.  I was so frustrated with myself so I went to Lowes for blue light bulbs, checked Walmart even tho I knew better, and then went to Michael's to buy more paint....this stuff is NOT cheap...$12-13 a can, and fortunately they have a sale, plus I had a 20% off coupon...made it a bit easier to swallow...I got home and started making the vinegar solution and thought that I should start a load of laundry before I get all involved in painting...yeah.

Guess what I found next to the laundry soap?  My two missing cans of spray paint.  I have NO idea WHY I put it there, or why I would have had the paint near the laundry room to begin with.  But I now have four cans of Looking Glass Spray....let the fun begin!!!

I taped the back of my window up because I didn't want to have spray paint everywhere.

I did put on a mask so I didn't breathe in all of the fumes, gotta protect Baby Fish!

Then I started spraying after I shook the can till my arms felt like limp noodles.

After three coats I decided to do some distressing...

Then more paint!  I ended up putting something like 5 or 6 coats of paint on.  Then I added the black satin paint I purchased as a backing...yeah, there was a whoops and the nozzle got knocked off, and I didn't know it, so it sprayed blobs of paint all over my looking glass paint...try not to panic...

I ran in and found grey primer, so I sprayed that on top of the black mess.

After that I pulled the tape off and waited 10 minutes for it to dry so I could carry it inside and hang it up!  It's dry to handle in 10 minutes, and dry to touch in 1 hour.  There is nothing touching it so yeah I hung it back up after the 10...  I love the way it turned out!  Not bad for my first attempt!!!  And the black mess actually added some interest!!

What are you going to create this weekend?

9 weeks!!!

With a post every week I feel like time is flying by!  It really does seem like yesterday I found out that I was expecting a miracle!  If you are just now tuning in, or don't recall, I was basically told that IVF was the only way I was going to have a baby...and just when we start planning to save for that very expensive procedure I got a positive test!  I still can't believe it...pinch me!!!

Week 9, and Baby Fish (or Guppie as they are affectionately called) has a skeleton, not fully formed but all the parts and pieces are there!  By then end of the week the parts that will show boy or girl will also be formed although it will be a long time yet before we are told (November)!  If you were able to see Guppie...this could be what you see! Baby Fish is a whopping 1.2 inches long!