Babymoon

Last weekend, Matt and I went on a babymoon to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. We spent the weekend at a little bed & breakfast in Madera Canyon (about 20 miles from our house). I'd intended to get pictures of our adorable room (in cowboy decor), but I never got around to it.

Our little getaway was exactly what we needed. Work has been hell on Matt lately and he was overworked and stressed by the end of last week. I was starting to get overwhelmed with work, getting things ready for the baby and dealing with my new pregnancy symptoms. We needed to get away from all things work, chores and responsibilities.

We were exhausted and I was ill when we got to Chuparosa Inn on Friday night. It was cold outside and a little chilly in the room, but it was clean, quiet and very nice to be cut off from everything. The Inn has no tv, no telephone (no cell signal) and no internet! We were the only guests that first night.

We spent our babymoon relaxing, doing crossword puzzles and playing Scrabble inside our room and out on the patio outside our room. It was cold the whole time we were there, so we kept ourselves bundled up in layers of jackets while we were outside and the plush robes provided by the B&B when we were in our room. They also provided muffins, quiche, fresh fruit, cereal and assorted teas and coffees for breakfast. We brought a little food from home for our other meals.

In a blink the weekend was gone and it was Sunday morning and we were scrambling to get our things packed into the car so that we could make the checkout time. Later that day, we went out for our tree and started setting it up.

The only photos we took were at night and we're still learning how to use our camera.

Baby's Things

We have a couple of items that we still need to buy, but we essentially have what we need to welcome baby home (assuming our ordered items arrive in time). Here is a list of things that we have. Thank you to our friends and family who have helped us get ready for our son's arrival!

Furniture
Crib (on order)
Crib Mattress
Dresser (on order)
Glider with Ottoman (on order)
High Chair (friend is saving for us)
Baby Swing (friend is saving for us)
Bassinet (on order)

Nursery Items
Diaper Genie Elite II
Changing Pad
Boppy Pillow
Cloth Diapers/Burp Cloths - 24
Changer Pad Covers - 2
Washclothes - 7
Towels - 1
Huggies Wipes (72 count) - 1
Genie Elite II Refills - 3
Nasal Aspirator
Rectal Thermometer
Carbon Monoxide Detector (on order)
Humidifier (need to order)
Bathtub (on order)
Other baby care items

On the Go!
Diaper Bag
Stroller
Car Seat

Bedding
Knitted/Crocheted Blankets - 2
Receiving Blankets - 8
Crib Sheets - 4
Crib Mattress Pads: Fitted - 2, Flat (small) - 4

Clothes
Sleeping Gowns
Long Sleeve
0-3 months - 3
0-6 months - 2

Onsies
Short Sleeve
0-3 months - 5
6-9 months - 12
Long Sleeve
18 months - 1

Tees
Snap
3 months - 5
Pullover
3-6 months - 3

Sleepers
Long Sleeve
Newborn - 3
3 months - 7

Bibs - 4
Caps - 4
Mittens (pairs) - 7
Booties (pairs) - 3
Socks (pairs) - 6

Other
Breast Pump (on order)

Week 32

We had another good appointment on Monday, December 7. My blood pressure is good. My pulse is good. My weight is, uh, well, growing. Neither my doctor nor my Matt is concerned, so only I am worried that I will eventually be too heavy to walk. I'm now about 20 lbs over my starting weight.

Since my previous appointment, I endured Thanksgiving dinner and a birthday dinner with cake:

Berta's Birthday Cake
(aka Dark Chocolate with Dark Fudge Icing and Rainbow Sprinkles)

The delicious cake that my dear husband made has contributed to my current size and yes, the smile!

Berta (aka Mommy) at 31 weeks

And I have this guy to thank (not the cat):

Matt (aka Daddy) with Neo (aka Catman)

All the fuss over my birthday has inspired us to talk to our baby about his upcoming birth day and how we will celebrate his day every year as he gets older. I really enjoy telling him about his big day and the adventures that will begin from that day.

I've also started singing Christmas carols to him. To be honest, I suck at singing Christmas carols. I don't know the words to the songs and while I read the lyrics off my laptop, I will forget the tune and end each song with embarrassed giggling.

We are still just as amazed, grateful and excited about our baby as the moment we first found out I'm pregnant. This is a very happy time for us.

Matt (aka Daddy) at 31 weeks

Berta (aka Mommy) and Baby (aka Adam Winter Craig) at 31 weeks

Day 214

It's hard to believe I've been pregnant for a little over 200 days. Then again, I don't remember my my pre-pregnancy body. I've been wearing elastic band jeans for so long, I'm not sure how I'm remember to zip my pants when I'm not wearing maternity clothes.

Today, my back is stiff and it's only allowing me to stand for a few minutes at a time. I was hoping to get the dishes washed before the repair person dropped by. Our furnace is not working and it was cold enough in the house today (we are working from home) that we actually tried to turn on the heat. No luck.

Matt and I are getting the essentials ready for our baby's arrival. Last night, we wrote down a master list of things we still need to buy for those first few days/weeks. Basic clothes, baby care items and still working on the furniture. We had our furniture set picked out and tried to order it a couple of weeks ago. When we arrived at the store, we saw a GOING OUT OF BUSINESS sign on the door. They weren't taking any orders and the nearest dealer is in Scottsdale. The manufacturer sells only through retailers. Bummer.

We are currently reading Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great to our son. We've also been talking to him about his upcoming birth day. He's going to be a winter baby just like Matt and I were winter babies. Technically, I'm a late fall baby, but in my hometown, winter really does start before the calendar date.

Another blog cut short. We got our furnace issue resolved, but now there are particles all over my desk, laptop and papers. I need to start trying to clean up the house. More later...

Week 31

I have so little too complain about. Overall, pregnancy has been wonderful. I love seeing my belly grow big and round and there are a lot of symptoms that I can appreciate much more than mind. I try to focus on the fact that my body is changing in order to support our son, both now and after he is born. So, the leaking breasts, the low back pain, foggy brain, tiny bladder and swollen ankles are just reminders of a beautiful process that will lead to the birth of our baby.

Still, I would like to trade in the heartburn and carpal tunnel syndrome. The heartburn has been off and on since I got pregnant, but now, it's harder to avoid. Antacids don't really help me, so I don't bother, plus they can interfere with iron absorption and iron is so very important in this last trimester (more on that later). When the heartburn is especially bad, it really feels like my esophagus is corroding upward. Not fun.

The carpal tunnel syndrome started gradually with tingling and numbness in my hands during the night. It's progressed to the point that I cannot grip the covers to pull them up in the middle of the night and in the morning, squeezing toothpaste out of the tube is difficult. On the pain scale, I guess it's not as bad as, say a migraine, but it is annoying and I'm already having to pass some things off to Matt that my hands won't allow me to do. I may have to start sleeping with braces on my wrists.

Weekend before last, Matt and I attended a 1-day birth class at the hospital where we baby will be delivered. There were only 2 other couples at the class, so it was comfortable and we were able to get all our questions answered. The class included a tour of labor and delivery area of the hospital. I was relieved that the hospital provides a birthing ball and encourages the mother to try different pushing positions during labor. I was really concerned about being forced to be on my back during the whole delivery. Or should I say, my tailbone was concerned. For the most part, Matt and I are flexible about our birthing plan. We have the standard preferences, like a vaginal birth, breastfeeding baby after delivery, etc. The health of our baby and myself are the top priorities, so we will be flexible about our desires so that we do what is best for baby and me.

One thing we learned in birth class is that newborns don't get iron from diets. They have to shore up their supply during pregnancy. This is why it is so common for pregnant women to be anemic in their 3rd trimester. Women have to consume enough for her to deliver safely and for baby to store up for the first few months after birth.

More Baby Pictures

This morning, we had our follow-up appointment for the anatomical ultrasound. At 20 weeks, the technician was not able to get a good scan of our baby's heart, because of our little guy's position. Today, the technician was able to get a great view of his heart (all four chambers). The image was clear enough that Matt and I could see the valves opening and closing. Wow!

Baby is measuring around 3lbs and 4oz, a little bigger than the average size for this stage. Matt and I had each guessed he'd be 3lbs, so we were very close in our estimate.

Baby (aka Baby) at 28 weeks

During the exam, we also got to see him open his eyes and open and close his mouth several times. We are so in love with our son and beyond grateful that he is healthy, strong and still growing.


Added: Guide on how to see Baby's face on the ultrasound

I reduced the image size to make it easier to see. The baby is facing you and laying down on his side. I circled his face with magenta and put a green bow tie where he'd wear one if he was wearing one.

Monday's Appointment

We had an OB appointment on Monday that went very well. Remember the 10lbs in 4 weeks? The exercise and switching from ice cream to milk has paid off. I lost 2lbs over the last two weeks. That brings my total weight gain to 15lbs. I don't feel quite so out of control now.

Baby's heartbeat and all my vitals were good. Another great appointment!