Getting Big (ish) and Moody

Well, November is almost over. As mentioned last week, we've already done our holiday decorating for the most part, so bring on December...

Week 25: Head to heels, baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair, which if we could see it, we'd now be able to discern its color and texture.  In the past few weeks, the top of my uterus has risen above my belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball. 

We had our last monthly (now we go to every 2wks) OB appointment and all looks good. I'm measuring normal, though I feel bigger than I should be, mainly because I know I've been a sloppier eater (more sugar, more everything now that food actually sounds good, even when I don't feel hungry) and haven't exercised as much in the last month. I've gained 11lbs total but 6lbs this month. I get that this is probably when I'd start to gain but... yowzers. For my height, average gain should be 25-35lbs but I'd like to be on the healthier side of that for many reasons, but also for the post-partum. I'm big enough now that I can no longer see my... (oh I'll just say it) vagina... when I look down, which is weird. Also, my belly button is getting very shallow; Matt keeps telling me it's going to pop out like a "turkey's done" button, according to what he's read; gross!

But also, in the last week, I've noticed that I get full really quickly, and if I attempt to eat what would be a normal (or slightly larger) amount at a meal, I'm uncomfortably full and have indigestion for hours afterward. So, um, so much for being able to eat for two. I thought this wouldn't be noticeable for some time but here we are with still over three months to go, and I'm really needing to eat much smaller portions at a time. And more frequently. This should seem like a pleasurable thing but I find it quite annoying. I always have to be thinking about what I'm going to eat next, but not much of it, like half a bagel at a time, maybe with a glass of milk. It feels a bit like a drag.

Also, I've noticed I'm moodier this week. It could have something to do with the gloomier weather after all our days of sunshine. I've just felt a bit (PMS like) down. Today especially, but then everything I tried to do kept not working out. For example, I tried to schedule my day so that I could go to my parents' house where I'm feeding/exercising their dogs; my plan was to get there, setup my work computer, take the dogs for a long walk as my "lunch" and be back in time for a 1pm meeting. But I get all the way there before I realize that Matt has my car keys (because we swapped cars for the day) and that includes their house key, so I'm locked out. Luckily the guesthouse was unlocked but it was freezing cold, but luckily there is a heater. But I felt really rushed while walking the dogs (I had brought the wieners and had to wear Zoey in a make-shift carrier because her leg has been hurting) and when I got back, my meeting was cancelled. But, since I was locked out of the house, luckily I had brought my own lunch. And although the guesthouse has a microwave and dishes, it does not have utensils. But luckily there was a plastic set in Matt's glovebox. Then I met him at the Kia dealership, because the wipers on the Sportage just keep shorting out randomly, and traded him cars again so that he could finish his work day. Luckily they have wifi there so I could keep working too. But I waited nearly 1.5 hrs without anyone talking to me or announcing that the car was ready, either by saying anything about a Sportage or Matt's name. When I finally approached them, they said, "oh well, we thought we saw him leave. Oh well, we tried to call him but looks like we don't have his current phone number. And anyway we need to order a part, so we'll call you next week when it's in." So I waited there for nothing, which would've been fine because I'd been working, but I was hungry again and had no snacks. Then I tried to go get some groceries to make dinner -- thought I'd make lasagna cause we had some ricotta that'd been in the fridge awhile. On the way to the store, I realized that Matt had left his wallet in the car; I had a small window to meet up with him to return his wallet so I rushed through getting groceries, forgetting a few essential items, got home, realized that the ricotta was actually moldy... and just absolutely lost it. Luckily it only took a BBQ cheeseburger to set me right, but c'mon, crying over moldy ricotta. That's just lame. That's that kinda moodiness I haven't experienced in awhile. Oh pregnancy.

In good news, Matt and I are taking a little babymoon this weekend!

At work (which has been super busy for me lately, and will only get busier until I'm out), we're getting ready for the holidays by preparing our clients' holiday cards; there's a whole process to who signs which cards. And because I work outside the office, I have to type up my greetings and someone writes it for me. I jokingly asked that she also include a drawing of reindeer, holly, or a wiener dog with a santa hat. This is what I got as a reply. Love it!

 And finally, the biggest news of all! After 11 months (of not consistently working on it), I finally finished the baby quilt! The blue stitching was done by my great grandmother for a quilt that used to be on my dad's bed. At some point, the quilt was redone and although I loved her stitching, I wasn't crazy about the whole thing. So I've lovingly repurposed it here.

back

Corners

Birthdays + Turkey = Best Week of the Year ;)

One of my fav weeks of the year-- birthday week! AND this year it's teamed with my fav holiday!!

Why do I like my birthday, and insist on taking it off work every year even if it is on a Tuesday? Because it's the one sure day that I can do whatever I want and not have to answer for it. I can take the whole day off work and do absolutely nothing and be made to feel guilty for it. I can have my way all day. And I can reflect (which is also nice when it corresponds with Thanksgiving) on all the wonderful blessings of my life that I have received and that I have created.

So, we started the week with a family trip down to Gilcrest to some gun/sports store where my dad had a good coupon. First time I've been asked "how far along are you?" It actually took me by surprise :) And then the store owner forced us to pose for this quintessential picture in his store. Ohhh yehhhhh.

 

Cool baby happening: later that day, as we were lying in bed, baby started really moving around. Matt poked him (and it was kinda hard, geez honey), and baby responded by kicking back. They did it a few times. Cute! It was a first sort of communication with him. He responded to us! (Of course, he's only done this for Matt, not when I try)

24 weeks: Baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (like an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

5 candles for Matt, 1 for me

Then... birthday time! (For any unknowing readers, Matt's birthday is Nov 19 and mine is Nov 20 so we are birthday buddies) Matt always jokingly calls it "three days of birthday," although it's only two, because two years ago when we were dating and first celebrated our birthdays, I'd bought him Blazer tickets for the night before his birthday, so we literally celebrated for three nights. This year, not so much :) He bought himself NMA League Pass and Sunday NFL Ticket so I just bought him a cake. But he bought me a snazzy new digital camera (which I picked out); I've heard I need to fast shutter to catch cute baby pics so I was in need of an updated technology. For Matt's birthday, we just watched tv, ate pizza and cake, just what he wanted...

For my birthday/day off, I did very little. It was awesome. I worked on the baby quilt (pics soon, it's soooo close to done). I walked around the river and had lunch with my mom. I prepped for people coming over because for some reason I'd decided it'd be fun to have a little birthday party.

I thought a party would be a good excuse to have people over and maybe get to know some a little better. Then I remembered- oh, I don't really like hosting parties; it's stressful to me. I stress about how clean the house is. I stress about if there's enough food and enough variety of food and if I've accommodated all the various possible dietary needs. I stress about how people are interacting, and if I'm talking enough, or too much, to certain people. So, probably the last birthday party I'll organize for Matt and me. But, that said, it meant a lot that some people showed up. People have become dang impolite; I get that a Facebook invite isn't exactly like getting an invitation as one might have in the past... but does it really kill you to just reply Accept/Decline/Maybe? People just ignore it; I find that SO annoying. Just say you're not coming (the only thing more irritating is people not RSVP'ing to weddings, or RSVP'ing for more in their party than end up coming- so, so rude).

lovely birthday flowers

Anyhow, for the people who did show up, it meant a lot to us. Particularly my parents who stayed the WHOLE time; I love them. My mom is so great to have at social functions too, because she can talk to anyone and she always makes people seem heard and interesting.

Thanksgiving was nice. I went out to the Turkey Trot to see my GOTR girls finish their 5K (thus ending their season). I walked 1.5 mile trotter walk with Ellie, who's a good little walker when Zoey's not around. Then I came home to make a few pies and greenbean casserole (yuck) before we headed to my parents'. Man, my mom makes the best turkey, and stuffing. Everything was delicious. I'm inclined to never learn to make Thanksgiving dinner on my own because her food is what I'll be striving for, thus I should just have her cook every year :) But... I decided that, since it was Thanksgiving and since I AM pregnant, I would try to eat for two. Realistically I probably only ate as much as I used to eat as a teenager- mid size portions, then a small second portion of a few fav items (turkey, potatoes, yams). I thought this is gonna be awesome. It was so, so, SO not awesome. I swear I've almost never been so uncomfortably full in my life (except I do remember this time Maria and I went to an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet in Portland, bleeek). And then I made the mistake of wanting to eat some pie about an hour or so later. I swear I was close to trying to force myself to vomit, but I don't think that would've helped. I felt so bloated and horrible. It was like a whole turkey was just hanging out in my throat. I didn't exactly have heartburn but I felt just terrible for the next... 8 HOURS! Seriously, this baby did NOT do his job trying to help me digest and get rid of all that food. Big mistake.

So for some reason, Matt has been on a super early Christmas kick. Normally, we whine about Christmas music playing early (and c'mon, Christmas stuff out in stores before it's even Halloween!! Let us enjoy the present moment and the present holiday). Maybe it's the fact that next year, we'll have a son to enjoy Christmas with; kids always make holidays more fun, their joyful innocence and pleasure in the little traditions. I held Matt off til after Thanksgiving but then had to indulge him in putting up our fake tree (for which he got himself an early present-- a little trainset to go around it) and helping him with the outdoor lights.

Good wifey decorating the tree while husband watches basketball

 One of Matt's friends called this our sorry lil Charlie Brown tree. It's true. Hey, I bought that sucker for like $20 at Goodwill a few years ago and it's done its job. Our first Christmas together, it didn't matter that we used the dinky tree because we went to Idaho Falls anyhow. Last year we had a nice live tree but this year, we had to change the location of the tree and it's sitting right between the fireplace and a heater vent, so I thought the fake tree would be safer. Thinking that next year we may have to spring for one of those fancy fake trees. They look almost real these days!

On the outdoor lights, Matt's unhappy about the string that faded from last year. He's threatening to buy more lights and re-do this. Whatever. As long as I don't have to help ;) And yes, we were the first people on the street with lights. Oh, how far I've come... or, rather, oh, what I do for love :)

Really Looking Pregnant Now

Week 23: With his sense of movement well developed by now, baby can feel dancing. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), we can see him squirm underneath my clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as a dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

I'd have to say I'm really showing a belly now. And I CAN see him moving around. It's very weird. His movements originally felt like gas bubbles; then like muscles spasms. Now I don't know how anyone wouldn't know she was pregnant if all babies kick like this. It feels just like you'd think it feels, like someone thumping you from the inside. But sometimes it's so strong or close to the surface, I can actually see my belly moving around; it's so strange but cool at the same time. But it really does feel like there's a little alien inside, messing around. I tend to feel him most right before bed, or anytime I lean too far forward in my chair (no more hunching over, I guess). Matt's felt him a few times now :)

Practicing my one-handed typing

It seems like there should be something worth mentioning from this week. I really can't think of anything we did all that noteworthy. Girls On The Run is almost done for the season; we completed our community service project. The girls have to design projects and vote on which to complete as a group as part of our season. Admittedly (and the conspiracy theorist part of me totally believes this may occur often in our government), they had a few projects to vote on and I always have them vote with their heads down/eyes closed for anonymity... but... one of their ideas seemed much more logistically challenging and I wasn't quite sure how to lead them through it (it wasn't fully thought through)... so... when they voted, I added an extra vote to the easier project. Terrible eh. Hey, but it's so much easier to get 20 girls to make cards for people in the hospital than some of the other projects they proposed. And they have fun doing it in the end anyhow. All we have left now is the Turkey Trot 5K.

And Matt went to finally check out the drop-in basketball at one of the middle schools (which I've been bugging him to try for 2 yrs). I think he had fun. He's starting to make a new buddy. He claims they were better than most of the guys playing though, even though Matt hasn't played since April. Well, it's a start. Maybe by next year, he'll have met some more elite players to ball with. Good start at least :)

Recommendations from my lovely mom friends

I polled my mom friends for recommendations on various baby items. Below is the combined wisdom of at least seven friends.

Nursery

Crib

Use a bassinette for the first few months; you will sleep better if you can hear them breathing. 

At least 2 sheets for the crib

We have a mattress that has a firm side (for infants) and a soft side (for toddlers) so that we didn't have to buy a new mattress later. 

Pack N Play

If you don't use a bassinette, use a Pack N Play; also good for travel, nap at grandmas etc... 

We use a Pack N Play instead of a bassinette; also has a changing pad, which makes midnight diaper changes very fast and easy.

On the Go

Make sure you put the car seat in your car early; you never know if baby will come early

always make sure you have plenty of gas in your car

Baby Carrier

Moby Wrap; you can tie it in several different way's depending on the size and age of baby. You can even nurse in it! Sometimes I would put Owen in it just to get him to sleep, and the vacuum or do stuff around the house. He usually fell asleep in it when he was 0-4 months or so and wouldn't sleep in his crib. It was great for shopping or going to the grocery store. It fit him a lot longer than the baby back backs.

Bjorn because you can carry your baby facing out or in. But I found that it killed my lower back to carry my kids in it once they were over 12 lbs. For that reason I wouldn't recommend it.

Ergo. Seriously, LOVE it. Would recommend for sure. I use it almost daily.

heard tons of good stuff about ErgoBaby; you can actually nurse with no one the wiser

I have only had the Bjorn but I know from other moms that the Ergo is the new, hot, awesome, baby carrier.  I also tried the sling thing and the Moby wrap.  I liked the Moby wrap but it only worked when Parker was little, bitty and it was difficult to put on.  

Car Seat

brand Graco

We actually had a bucket car seat that you could just set in the stroller piece for when he was really little, but only really used it for the first 9 months (when he started walking), so I don't know that it was the best use of money. If I were to do it again, I would think about more "transition" type equipment--car seats that will go forward or backward facing, and can be used as they grow. 

I used the graco brand for both kids. If you are blessed with big babies like I was, then make sure your infant car seat is for babies at least 30 lbs. Collin's first carseat was only designed for kids under 20 lbs (which he outgrew at 5 months) so we had to buy another car seat. We sold that one and got for Lia a graco that goes up to 30lbs. The recommendation is for babies to be rear facing for 2 years now... so the bigger the car seat the better. Chances are you will need to switch to "convertible" type seat before they exceed the weight limit because their legs are so long. The Convertible seats are nice because they are for both rear and forward facing kids, and eventually turn into a booster seat, so Collin will be in his for a long time still. I would get two bases for the infant carseat and leave it in both cars. I would get two convertible carseats when the time comes so you don't have to mess with hooking it in and out all the time if you both will be driving with baby. I know there is a ton of brands out there and I don't know if it matters which you use. We bought ours a Costco for less than $100 each.

Love the car seat/stroller combo because you can pop the seat in and out of the car and take baby anywhere, even when they are sleeping. 

Buy an extra car seat base so you don’t have to constantly transfer it from one car to the other. 

Once the baby is too big for that car seat then look into the stationary ones.  These are def expensive and require research but you have time and don’t need to get it right away.  I think I finally moved Parker into the big carseat around a year (Ryan was a little earlier b/c he was so big). 

Strollers

brand Graco

I had for a Collin a jog stroller, an umbrella stroller and the stroller that you snap your infant carseat into. I ended up selling the later because we never used it. I use my jog stroller most of the time. It is a bit large for shopping and what not, which is where the umbrella stroller comes in handy.

I would suggest one bigger stroller or maybe a jogger if you think you will be doing lots of walking/running with baby.  BOBs are the best out there for that but are SUPER, DUPER expensive. 

Jogging Stroller

I got a great jogging stroller off craigslist; it's nice to have one with large tires, (especially with a swivel-front tire so you don't have to pick up the front end as you run). Takes a bit to find one that would be comfortable to run with. Think about height while shopping.

Some people swear by the BOB strollers, but I couldn't stomach the price. I would say find one used on Craigslist if you really want that brand. I have the brand that Target carries, which I have been happy with for 2+ years now. We also use that stroller for any "off road" excursions... beach, hiking etc.

Travel/Umbrella Stroller

I would also suggest some sort of “travel” (or umbrella) stroller, one that is easy to get in and out of the car, good to travel with, lightweight, etc.  You can’t put newborns in these so it is something you can wait on but now I only use my travel stroller.  I finally invested in a really nice one and it was def. worth the money. 

I found that it's also useful to have an umbrella (collapsable) stroller for travel and to the zoo etc. 

Love our Peg Perego. But one feature I highly recommend (regardless of brand) is having a single bar that parent pushes rather than 2 handles. That way you can steer/push with 1 hand and still have the other free to hand new bottle forward, text, get a drink, etc. The ones with 2 handles: MUCH harder to do that!

Feeding

Have some formula around just in case, even if you are planning on breast feeding; you never know what's going to happen

Breast Pump

Get a really good cordless breast pump.

Medela Pump In Style--  My insurance company paid for it; call yours to see if they will pay for one

Madela Breast pump-- very easy to use, buy parts for etc. I bought extra shields and attachments so I didn't have to wash everything at work. (This was nice when working 12 hour shifts!) That way I could just pack everything up and sterilize it when I got home. I used the sterilization bags--which steamed in the microwave rather than the full thing, I found it to be cheaper that way. 

Don’t buy one immediately. Rent one for a couple weeks or month from your hospital if they have that option. That way if for some reason you can't breastfeed you haven't spent $200+ on a pump you won't be using. Or borrow one from someone or buy a hospital grade one used. Just buy new membranes & tubes. Those are the only parts that come in contact with fluids. Bottles, pump parts, flanges, etc. can all be sterilized! Saves a bunch to do it this way.

Invest in a high quality, expensive pump!  MUST HAVE! Breast pumps are SUPER expensive the good ones run upwards of $300.  I would highly recommend a Medela pump.  You should def do some research on what you will need your pump for.  If you are going to do a lot of pumping, then def get something more hospital grade.  This might be something you can wait on and purchase after baby is born BUT sometimes it comes in handy early on if you are having any issues with nursing.  

Nursing bras

Have 3 nursing bras; 1 comfy night time one that is easy to undo and 2 day time ones

When your boobs grow out of your current bras while you're pregnant, buy nursing bras--they are stretchy and you can use them after (rather than buy bigger bras you will never wear again). 

I loved, loved, loved the sports bra like nursing bras from Motherhood Maternity. I think they are called “sleeping bras”.  Motherhood is great for regular nursing bras.  Just FYI your boobs get gigantic once your milk comes in and you will be SHOCKED at your new bra size.  Wait till after baby comes to get fitted for nursing bras.  Def suggest getting the “sleeping bras” to wear in the hospital during labor/post baby. Super comfy and better than a hospital gown!

Boppy pillow

great for nursing and for tummy time. There is an organic one and cover. 

I used the Boppy but have heard My Breast Friend is awesome!

Boppy - seriously this is a must have!  I would suggest getting at least two covers because baby is bound to spit up or poop on it.

Nursing covers

If you're going to use one, start using it immediately; otherwise you have someone like Gavin who hates it and won't let ya stay covered while nursing

MUST HAVE!  I loved mine and used it all the time.  There are different brand names and you can find them at Motherhood Maternity or even Target.

Bottles

I wanted to use glass bottles, and bought a bunch, but barely used them. You can't heat breast milk up in the microwave (it destroys the proteins); you have to heat up water in a larger cup and then put the bottle in the cup until it's warm. Using glass bottles became a pain for this reason as it took way longer to heat through the glass. We often used the Madela BPA free plastic bottles. When we transitioned Owen to formula, we used the glass ones. 

brand Dr. Browns

Kind of a preference thing, but Gavin had Colic/LOTS of gas issues, we went through 5-6 different brands (all recommended or claiming best for reducing colic) but he did best with Playtex VentAire. 

If you're going to breastfeed also, you want the wide model as it is closer in nipple size to a breast. And for same reason you want to stick with the slow flow nipple always (otherwise if you switch to the bottle med or fast flow they'll get mad at the breast when it doesn't speed up.

I use the Medela breast pump and use the bottles that are compatible. some babies are particular about nipple type. Maybe just a couple options to try and get more as needed. Same with pacifiers.

milk storage bags: Lansinoh

breast pads: Lansinoh

Burp Clothes

Have lots of burp rags and at least 3 blankets

The thicker the better!  The old fashion cloth diapers work great for burp cloths.

High Chair

Peg Perego

SPACESAVER I used a high chair that just strapped to an existing chair. There are also great highchairs that fold up and store pretty easily.  You can also wait on this purchase till baby is ready to start eating (4-6 months time frame).

Bumbo/ Bebe Pod – MUST HAVE There has been some recalls on this but only because people are dumb and think it is a good idea to put your baby on the counter.

Diapering

Diapers

Babies grow so fast that I wouldn't have more than 1 box of diapers on hand; if you do, then next thing you know they have out grown them and you’re left with a half a box of diapers that won't work.  

Nature Baby Care diapers-- they are the most earth friendly, made from non-toxic products, and are often cheaper as they don't advertise (Diapers.com). I tried cloth diapers, G-diapers, trying to find the most earth friendly route, but settled on biodegradable, disposable as a working mom has less time for washing diapers

LOTS of diapers.  10-15 per day!

Pampers Swaddlers (Target)

I wouldn't recommend stocking up on a particular brand until your know what fits your baby. I also know lots of babies who have had skin reactions to diapers and wipes. For example the Costco brand diapers are too narrow for my kids... so many leaks. I like Huggies. You should have newborn diapers ready before baby is born. Plan for diaper change every 1-3 hours for the first couple weeks, then it slows down. They seem to grow fastest in the first 2-3 months so you end up changing diaper sizes frequently. They seem to be in size 3 diapers for a long time. If you are going to register for diapers, include a variety of brands and sizes so you can try them out.

I have mainly used Huggies.  I like Pampers but only for the newborn diapers.  Not sure if this is true or not but I have heard people say that Huggies are better for boys and Pampers are better for girls (because of the way they fit).  It might also just depend on your kiddo.  I would suggest you hold off on buying massive quantities of diapers or wipes just in case there is an allergy issue. 

Wipes

Tons of wipes.  The diaper and wipe brand definitely pampers.  

Buy wipes at Costco.  You will use more wipes than diapers (10-15 diapers/day); you do the math!

I find that the Huggies wipes irritate the bums more (they smell like they have more perfume in them) but the Kirkland brand hasn’t caused my kids any issues.  Either the Huggies wipes or Kirkland wipes are super easy to travel with too.  Huggies wipes come with a travel case and the Kirkland wipes are easy just to throw in your diaper bag, car, etc

Diaper Bag

Get something color neutral that your husband won't be embarassed to carry around.

I like have a “bigger” diaper bag for longer trips and something smaller for just daily things or for bringing to/from daycare. 

Diaper Creams

bag balm for sore bums

Def baby dependent.  I prefer to use Balmex (Desitin has a weird smell that I could never get over and my kiddos all had some sort of reaction to the baby butt paste)

Diaper Pails

Most diaper pails require specific ‘bags’ but there are a few diaper pails that just take regular garbage bags. 

Clothing

Don't buy many!! Everyone loves to give baby clothes. Plus different brands fit differently and until you know if you're baby is plump or lean then you might buy all the wrong ones. Gavin is super lean so Carter's onesies fit his body type best.

I'd only aim for about 2-3 outfits per day per week because you'll be doing lots of laundry anyhow and they grow out of them very quickly the first yr!!

They will only be in newborn outfits for about a month at the most so there is no need to buy more than 10 outfits.

Woombie-- my kids both like to be swaddled for sleep but regular blankets and swaddlers were too small or they could wiggle their way out. Some babies like to be swaddled some don't; wait and see kind of item.

PJs--  My favorite thing for when the baby is little are foot pj’s that ZIP.  Zippers are key for late night/early morning feedings.  Easy to get on and off when they get puked, pooped on, it is 3 am, and you are exhausted.  I love the ones that come in a 3 pack at Target.  Those are better for Spring/Summer b/c they are lighter material.  For the winter I love the Carter’s fleece PJ’s (which can also be purchased at Costco!). 

I would suggest not buying too many clothes items.  Baby clothes are something people will love to buy for you.  You want to avoid buying too many things in small sizes.  Generally I would avoid buying any newborn sizes or buy just a few pieces b/c the baby will only be in these for a short period of time or if you have a bigger baby (8lbs or more), he won’t fit in newborn sizes anyway.

I used the long sleeved plain white onesies; my daughter threw up a lot so we went through maybe 5/day. As she got older, she still wore them under other clothes, which kept her warm.

Play Time

Baby swing

My kiddos loved the swing, best way to get them to sleep too!  Disclaimer:  not all babies like swings.  Borrow if you can or have someone buy for you!

Bouncer

If you have a swing, I don’t think you necessarily need a bouncer too.  I liked it for when the kids were itty bitty and the bouncer is also much more portable than the swing.

Baby Jumper 

This is something all my kiddos love.  Def something you don’t need right away either.  If you can borrow one, even better… 

 

Pacifiers

Soothie (these are the green ones)

Books

Baby Signing time. Owen signed way before he talked (and still does now); I feel that it cut down on a lot of communication frustration. We started about 6 months or so...

 

Other

Laundry detergent 

Lots of moms like to use Dreft when the baby is little; in my opinion, just use the laundry detergent you use and the baby will be okay with it.  Obviously some babies are more sensitive than others so it might just depend…

In the hospital:

Don't forget your cell phone charger.

Pack snacks in your bag both for you and your husband.

Shopping

Amazon 

Once baby comes you get a 10% off discount off anything remaining on your registry (& you can add things to it right up until you use the discount code they'll send you once baby's born :) Also on Amazon join Amazon Mom - gets you extra discounts and free prime shipping for up to a year but don't activate that until baby comes along since it's only good for one year and you'll likely order more once babe is there than you will beforehand so no reason to use up your 1yr free prime shipping sooner than necessary.

Order diapers through Amazon Subscribe & Save program: saves 15% on each order. Even if you only get one shipment before switching sizes, you can cancel that auto subscribscription and subscribe to the next size up. 

Most will give you a registry completion discount once baby arrives of 10-15%.

Target 

Best prices on Pampers & has regular sales. Plus if you get too many of a size and then find that they need the next size up but you still have some left of the smaller size, Target will exchange an unopened package for one of the same price. The really big boxes are the best deal & coupons come out all the time for them.

Diapers.com for baby stuff. Shipping is usually free and comes within a few days.

Costco has best deal for wipes and diapers… I like the Kirkland brand wipes but I haven’t tried the Kirkland brand diapers.  They also have great coupons for the Huggies wipes and you usually have to buy the diapers too to get the discount. 

Busy Week #2, Test #2, and Travel to CA

Coming back from my last conference before baby, to AZ, I was exhausted all weekend. So thankful for daylight savings! Every night, I fell sound asleep at 9pm (since it felt like 10pm) but still slept to my normal time in the morning.

I spent the weekend studying, again, for a Certified Meeting Professional exam. I took it originally in July but failed. Normally, I'm a very fast studier, fast learning and good test taker. I studied using an online study program, with pre and post chapter tests and a mid test and two end tests, from February through July. I spent at LEAST 60 hours of studying and felt like I had a good grasp on the information and tested well on the modules. But because of this study program and the questions it asked, which were not from the exam, I spent a TON of time studying really specific information, like how many servers are needed for a dinner, how much sq footage per person to plan for with a classroom-style seating assuming 75-100 people vs 100+ vs 50 or less, the max height of the gap between the elevator and floor for ADA requirements, and exactly how video broadcasting work. On the actual exam, there was maybe two questions (of 165) pertaining to this. I actually had thought I'd done well on the exam so I was shocked, and really embarrassed, when I found out I'd failed. Plus the exam is $450, and I still don't yet know if I'll be reimbursed to take it a second time. My bosses didn't seem too concerned; I'm the first person in our office to ever take this exam so in that way, it was a little bit of an experiment for them. My boss/friend is also studying for the exam but she'd always intended to take the November exam. I figured I'd better retake it as soon as possible while the information was still somewhat in my mind, and before baby comes.

Studying is very stressful. I liked being an English major in college because my grading was on essays; I like reading and researching then bringing all that information together. I don't like having to memorize crap that mainly doesn't have to do with my job. There was some helpful information for my position, but a lot of it is just helpful to know in a general sense for being in the meeting industry. Generally it's my clients who are the meeting planners (picking the conference site, negotiating contracts, ordering F&B, managing the hotel block, planning special event, programming, etc) and my area of involvement is limited since we are a subcontractor (registration, exhibits management although I don't have anything to do with that, speaker support which does entail some knowledge of A/V and room sets). Anyhow, I spent another 30+ hours re-studying the material, re-reading the three different books, reviewing my notes. And I didn't feel any more prepared the second time than the first.

But... I passed! I have to wait 3-4 weeks to receive the "official" results. Apparently when one fails, they say results will be sent in 6-8 weeks, but when one passes, they report that immediately upon conclusion of the test, but then still say it'll be 3-4 weeks to "officially" be told. Annoying. So the first time, I waited over 8 weeks because they were late mailing results only to find out I failed. Why not just tell me that right away? Anyhow, I'm relieved; it's been on my mind for 9 months. Elizabeth passed too, which I'm glad she did but I would've felt a little more justified if she'd failed the first time too; of course, because of my first attempt, she did put much more time into studying, and she had studied for much longer than I had the first time. Soon, though, I'll get to go by Gretchen, CMP. Ooh la la. I thought it would maybe interesting, maybe challenging, probably good for my reputation/status in our industry to have the designation, and maybe one day beneficial for me to leverage for a pay raise in my current position. We'll see.

My cute husband took me to lunch to celebrate

So, Tuesday, Matt felt baby move for the first time! Baby moves quite a bit now and of course I feel it. It used to feel like bubbly-ness, like a gassy stomach, but now it definitely feels like twitching muscles deep inside to pokes/jabs. It's a very strange sensation, though exactly what I imagined it feels like, and it's really surprising. He catches me off-guard. But I kept trying to get Matt to feel it and baby either stopped moving as soon as Matt tried to feel, or he'd kick what felt to me to be strong but Matt couldn't feel it. Tuesday night, we were lying in bed about to go to sleep and baby started messing around, pretty hard a few times. Matt had the cutest look on his face; he looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

22 weeks: At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. Fine hair (lanugo) covers his body and his skin has deep wrinkles, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

I still haven't had a hunger surge, but I have noticed my desire to eat. I feel like I have the munchies. In the first trimester, most foods seemed gross to eat; now I just want to keep tasting things, though I'm not really feeling hungry. Problem is lately though I've had heartburn. It's not as bad as I know some have suffered with, but it's still really uncomfortable and all I can do is take Tums. They recommend not drinking too much with meals and eating small amounts, and avoiding certain foods. I swear it doesn't matter. It's just like every other day, everything I eat gives me heartburn. Alas.

I suddenly look pregnant! I've heard women just "pop" and that must've happened because it's obvious now that I'm pregnant. Yay! It's weird though, looking in the mirror and seeing the changes.

So this week, I took my last work trip before baby. I needed to go on a site visit to San Diego, for the conference in March that I'm very involved with but will be missing since our due date is the day before the conference. My boss/friend E and I flew down Thursday morning, again first thing 5am, then had a jam packed day of meetings and walking around the convention center. Mainly our objective was to think about sign placement and registration setup... but with my new CMP knowledge, I did ask some good questions about room sets, translation equipment, etc. We also got to be part of the menu tasting for a celebration dinner they're doing one of the nights. It went well enough but was really tiring for me, walking around all afternoon, no nap, with such an early morning. Still, I love being in San Diego, even if it's the convention center, and it's mostly cloudy and only 65'.

Funny, I thought- here I was back in San Diego, when the last time I was here was RIGHT before I found out we were pregnant. So *technically* baby was on that trip too ;)

My ankles were so swollen that night (it starts!!). The next day, E and I had a nice breakfast and got to talk shop, etc, while our clients toured some venues for their annual party. I'm bummed I'll miss it all. This conference, while it is exhausting for me in the preparations and the amount of my onsite involvement/responsibility (more so than any of my other conferences), I enjoy it because I've been on the project for many years and most of the association staff know me and say hi. I feel known and appreciated; plus I get to strut around with a clipboard and radio and make some decisions onsite. Oh well. Birthing my first child will be better :)

On my way home, the woman next to me on one flight said as she was getting up to leave "good luck with your baby." I'm pretty sure I hadn't rubbed my stomach on the flight or anything so it must be noticeable now. Yes!

I came home to snow last night, and a little more today that melted off when the sun came up. It was a beautiful crisp, cold day here. Now that my trips are over and the exam is over, I have a growing to-do list of various things. Time to finish my baby quilt that I started in, oh, January. Time to hang shelves in the baby's room. Time to put in the recessed shelves in his bathroom, for which I've already started cutting a hole in the drywall. Time to plan our babymoon (we're thinking Portland and some Christmas shopping). Maybe I'll even get around to actually working on the wedding scrapbook I meant to put together.