January 30, 2011

Get Him, Macey!

This video is so cute! Macey climbing all over her daddy and even some sweet kisses, too!

January 29, 2011

Today Was a Good Day

Hospital bags for Easton and me packed...finally!

Car seat installed in both cars...check!

House cleaned and cars vacuumed.

Little Easton, you may arrive whenever you'd like. Feel free to make it sooner rather than later.

January 25, 2011

37 Weeks

Sorry, no creative title. It's snowing, and I'm sleepy. :-)

Tomorrow marks week 37 of my pregnancy. 37 weeks! That means, only 3 weeks until the due date.

See the post below for an update from my check-up this morning. Good news!

According to BabyCenter.com:
Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.
Swiss chard looks disgusting.

Thankful

This morning at my weekly check-up I learned that little Easton has turned and is no longer breech! Yay! I was really happy to hear this news, as this has been a high priority on my prayer list for weeks and weeks now. Like I've said before, even though my c-section with Macey went very well, I have really wanted to avoid the longer recovery time with my big girl running around unable to understand why I couldn't hold her. Of course, there are still things that could cause me to need a c-section after all, but those chances have greatly decreased, and for that I am very thankful!

Other than that, the check-up was pretty uneventful, which is a good thing in pregnancy. His heart rate is still good and everything is progressing as it should. I've not started dilating at all, but at this point that's pretty normal.Things are moving right along! Three weeks and counting...

We have a hospital tour scheduled for this evening, but if we end up with the snow they're predicting, then we'll just be staying home safe and sound on the couch!

January 24, 2011

Phil & Teds Jogging Strollers Recalled

(Reuters) - Around 30,000 strollers in the United States and Canada are being recalled over potential amputation and laceration hazards, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada said on Friday.

The Jogging Strollers imported by phil&teds USA have been reported to cause a finger-tip amputation and two lacerations during the folding and unfolding of the strollers, a joint statement said.

The recall includes sport v2 and classic v1 model single-seat jogging strollers with serial numbers 0308/0001 to 0510/0840 and 0308/0001 to 0510/0906 respectively.

Those who purchased the strollers should stop use immediately and contact the manufacturer to receive a free repair kit.

January 19, 2011

4 Weeks/28 Days/Less Than a Month

No matter how you describe it...we don't have long until little Easton makes his grand debut! I know this is technically a good thing, but the last week or so has been pretty boring. For a while I was having sporadic contractions. Even though they were never at all regular, they still made me think about how soon he would arrive. Now...nothing!

I still feel just fine, and for that I'm thankful, but I'm getting more and more anxious to meet our little boy! I'm afraid these final weeks may creep by until he's in our arms.

At my check-up next week, we should find out whether or not he's still breech. I'm very hopeful that he has turned, but if not we'll go ahead and schedule a c-section during week 39. I would appreciate prayers for a no-breech baby boy!

According to BabyCenter.com
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.)

January 14, 2011

I Simply Cannot Make This Stuff Up

Today, I was compared to the sun. Not in the, "You're so radiant you shine like the sun," sort of way. That might actually be nice. But no, think of other sun-like qualities, more like the large and round parts.

So, I was walking into Target--as I usually am--and a man was walking a little bit ahead of me with his wife. He turned and looked at me. Then turned to look at me again, and this time he smiled. The he slowed down until we were walking side-by-side. That's when the following conversation occurred:

Man: Earlier this week, my wife and I were helping our 5th grader build a solar system.
Me: Oh, really?
Man: Yeah! We had all the planets, the sun and the moon...when I saw your stomach it made me think about the sun.
Me: [Nervous laughter.]
Man: It was hard to find something round enough to mold the sun out of, but it ended up looking just like your stomach.
Me: [Still laughing.]

Then, he just walked away. Weirdest conversation ever. I called Greg when I left Target and said I'm still not sure whether I'm amused or offended.

January 12, 2011

My Little Honeydew

Today marks week 35 of pregnancy AND 35 days until his due date. Exciting, huh? Still feeling good! The Braxton Hicks contractions are coming more often, but not at all regularly or close together. Still haven't packed the hospital bag, but I have great intentions of doing that next weekend after a baby shower for our sweet boy.

This week I stumbled on a site all about acupressure to induce labor. I know it is definitely too early to attempt to induce labor, but it has been so interesting to read about this stuff! You better believe once he's full term I'll be trying this out. I'm too curious not to!

According to BabyCenter.com:
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

 

January 11, 2011

Who's the Boss?

Macey teaching those dogs just exactly who is in charge around here! Her new favorite spot is the second step on our stairs. She'll just sit there and chit chat with her babies...they have a lot to discuss. But today she figured out it was a good place to hide out with a snack because the dogs can't get to her!

January 10, 2011

Conversations with Macey

Snow Day...Take 2

After a long nap (nearly 3 hours!), Macey woke up PUMPED about the snow. I don't know what happened during that nap, but she woke up as if she hadn't just seen our snow-covered yard 3 hours earlier. She kept pointing out the window oooohhhing and ahhhhhing. So, after lunch we suited up and headed back outside.

This time we put on regular tennis shoes, not her pretty boots, and she seemed much more at ease with getting those snowy. I only saw her wipe them off once. She just loved walking around, watching the dogs and pointing to the birds playing in the trees.
The shoe Macey brought me when she wanted to go outside...
My slide!

Macey "giving" Dorsey some snow.
You can't really tell, but she was cracking up at herself in this one...

My beautiful snow girl!

Macey's First Snow!

Ok, that's not really totally true. It snowed last February (I think...) when Macey was about 7 months old. But that doesn't count because she couldn't walk and didn't care at all about what was happening outside!

I was so excited to see all the snow falling last night, and I couldn't wait for the morning so Macey could play! Well, my prissy girl proved me wrong once again. While she LOVED seeing the snow from the window, when we went outside it was an entirely different story. Miss Priss stopped to wipe off her boots every time they got some snow on them, and she'd stop to wipe off her mittens after touching any snow. Then when she finally fell down in the snow, she said "cold...cold" (in Macey language) and wanted to go inside.

At one point, I tried making a snowball in an attempt to get her to actually play with the snow, and she just looked at me like I was an idiot! However, she did love walking up and down the driveway and on the sidewalks. She seemed to think it was funny to walk in the snow...without falling of course!
Oooohhhh, pretty.

Waiting on daddy!
What are these things on my hands?




Our backyard.
The other side of the backyard.
Snow on the boots. Not ok!

Let's just relax inside for a while, k?
Trying the snow again. This time in the front yard!
Our snowy house!
Our snowy street!

Wiping off the boots...
And wiping off the boots again!

January 8, 2011

Easton's Bedding!

Now all that's left is deciding whether or not I want a mobile or something similar hanging above his bed...Decisions, decisions.




The quilt is reversible, so this is side 2.

January 5, 2011

Six Weeks from Today...

Little Easton's due date is just six weeks from today! I'm still thinking that he'll arrive in four weeks or less, but I won't be too surprised if that doesn't happen either. Regardless, I think we're ready for him to arrive. Of course, I haven't even thought about packing a bag for the hospital...I guess I should do that before too long.

I finally ordered his bedding last weekend, and it should arrive soon! Be on the lookout for photos. My next check-up is next Tuesday, but I don't expect any big updates from that. It should be just the normal progress visit...weight, blood pressure, listen to the heartbeat and measure the belly. Hopefully after that check-up we'll start learning a little more with each visit in preparation for his arrival. I'm very anxious to find out if he's still breech or not, but that most likely won't happen until the following appointment.

According to BabyCenter.com:
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

January 3, 2011

Such a Big Girl!

Time and time again I'm shocked at how the simplest milestones are SUCH a huge deal when you become a parent. Our latest exciting milestone is watching Macey eat her meals with a fork or spoon like a big girl! A bib is still a huge necessity, but it is so fun to watch her finish a little meal with real utensils. She is so proud of herself, too!






January 2, 2011

Zoo, Zoo, Zoo

We love the zoo! As Macey gets older, it's more and more fun. We took a zoo trip yesterday morning, and Macey said "Ooooohhhh" every time she saw a new animal. She was hilarious watching the gorillas! When the big boy Mwelu yawned, Macey would mimic him and open her mouth as wide as possible.

Apparently she was a fan of the ocelots, but they seemed a little cranky to me. When we walked by them in Cat Country, they hissed and whined at us, which Macey loved. When we started to walk away, she ran back to them to wave bye-bye and blow them kisses. Maybe she was trying to cheer them up!

I think we were looking at tigers here...
Soooo funny!

I think this was the end of one of her gorilla yawns.
Mwelu!
I just thought he was funny with his little blanket.
Duck duck! (That's what Macey says.)




Dancing in the Northwest Passage!
Successful trip!