One week

Charla was one week old yesterday!



She is so little that even her newborn size clothes are big and we don't have many of those - most everything we have is 0-3 months. She swims in them! A couple of nights ago we took this photo to show how much extra room she has in her sleep gowns.




My posts may be mostly photos for a while - composing text is time consuming and probably wouldn't be coherent anyway!

It's a GIRL!

Announcing...

Charlotte Grace


Born March 20, 2009
3:39 pm
5 pounds, 13 ounces
19 1/2 inches long

We are in the process of getting used to our new role as parents and that means that blogging is on hold for a while. I will be back as soon as I can!

Gettin' Crafty

Yesterday I found some time and energy to do something creative. First off, I made a few cards. Remember when I used to do that? I haven't had a lot of time for cardmaking since last summer, but I am able to squeeze in a card here and there. My aunt is in the hospital recovering from surgery, so I made her a card to brighten her spirits. It's the same layout as this card but more feminine.


In the afternoon I decided to sew a large receiving blanket for the baby. We took a class on newborn care a couple of weeks ago and the class strongly encouraged swaddling for your baby in the first couple of months if they get fussy. The class also mentioned how quickly newborns outgrow receiving blankets, so we'll need something larger. I got some flannel and had the store cut it as long as it is wide so that I ended up with a square. Then I just hemmed up the edges with a zig-zag stitch and we're all ready for a snug, cozy baby!


This is technically the boy fabric that I selected, but I think it could work for a girl too. To me it's more "cute" than "boy." I wouldn't wrap a boy up in a pink blanket, but girls can wear a little blue sometimes can't they?

Finally, I wanted to mention a creative blog that I've recently discovered called Little Birdie Secrets. The blog features sewing, quilting, and other fun projects. Check it out here if you're interested.

I'm off to my doctor's appointment to see and hear Baby!

39 weeks

At 39 weeks, our little one is about 20 inches long and weighs approximately 7 pounds - roughly as much as a mini-watermelon. That explains why my belly looks like I swallowed a watermelon!

While my mom was here, we put some decor on the nursery walls. I found this Classic Pooh wall hanging panel at the fabric store, but she made it for us since it was hard for me to schedule time at the sewing machine while being on partial bed rest. She brought it to us on Sunday so Monday we hung it on the wall over the changing table. For such a simple looking project it was a little more work that we anticipated! However, I'm glad she persevered and I hope the baby will love this project that Grandma made for its nursery.


This adorable blanket came with our crib bedding set, and upon taking it out of the packaging the other night, I remembered that using a big blanket like this in a newborn's crib isn't recommended. Darn! It's too cute to keep folded up in the closet and just hanging it over the side of the crib we'd lose half the picture. So up on the wall it went - behind the crib so it is still near the rest of the bedding that it coordinates with. I'm so happy with how it looks that I may leave it here indefinitely!


My doctors appointment for this week is tomorrow afternoon. I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions, although no more than one or two a day and I'm not even sure that I'm having them every day. They don't hurt so I don't think that I'm always aware they're happening. I'm eager to see what they have to say at the appointment tomorrow - it is the standard ultrasound, non-stress test, and exam. We're praying that everything is still good with the baby and that we'll get to meet him/her before too much longer!

Scripture Memory for 2009 - verse 6

Once again I am late getting this posted. My mom has been visiting since Sunday and we've been busy getting the freezer stocked with meals for after the baby is born and getting the house cleaned from top to bottom so I can just relax and wait to go into labor.

So here is my verse for the next two weeks:

The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment.
2 Peter 2:9 HCSB

I'm a week out from finishing Beth Moore's study on Esther and this is a verse from her lecture a couple of weeks ago. She makes the point that it is tough being a woman who feels responsible for the "how" but that we don't have to be responsible for the "how" because the Lord knows how. I really needed that when she taught on it because there are a lot of things going on right now that I don't know how they're going to come together. This verse is an excellent reminder to me of whose hands all those things are really in and that I don't need to worry about figuring out how everything will work.

I'm hoping to post some new nursery pictures tomorrow since my mom and I did a little work in there these past couple of days.

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!!

Quick Post

• All was well at my appointment today! Blood pressure was high-normal, but that last word is key - not too far off from NORMAL! Pray for the doctors as they decide if I should be allowed to go into labor on my own and possibly go past 40 weeks or if I should be induced right around 40 weeks (provided I haven't already gone into labor by that point).
  
• Our camcorder arrived today, so we are one step closer to being ready for Baby. It's a belated Christmas gift - A has spent the last few months researching the best one to buy. He doesn't take these kind of purchases lightly. :)
• I had a haircut and fresh highlights yesterday so I'm all ready to meet our baby and today I had a pedicure so my feet will be cute for labor and delivery. I doubt the baby cares about my feet, but my painted toes make me feel so much prettier!
  
  
  
• A and I have ZERO PLANS for this weekend which is awesome! I don't feel like doing much more than just hanging out around home anyway and I'm trying to relish every last moment that it's just the two of us (three of us if you count the kitty, which I do).
• My mom is coming Sunday afternoon for a couple of days to do some last cleaning and cooking for us. My bedrest has risen to a whole new level in combination with my lethargy. It's hard to get anything done, even in the time I don't have to be lying down so I'm very grateful for her help!
• Hope everyone has a blessed and fabulous weekend!

38 weeks = tired

(photo by Anne Geddes)

Today we are two weeks out from my due date. I cannot believe how close we are getting!

I don't know if it is the time change or being so pregnant (or maybe both) but the tiredness seems to have hit me big time this week. I got an email from a good friend wondering how I am doing and at the end of her email she wrote "GET YOUR SLEEP NOW – I MEAN IT!!!!" She's a mom of two little ones so I'm sure she knows what she's talking about. It made me laugh because this is the one thing I can and will do. I can't get through the day without a nap and some days it feels like I could easily take a couple.

Our little one has been moving around like crazy today. Wonder if that means anything... I never complain about feeling movement because it's the most reassuring thing in the world to me. A dancing baby is a happy baby! :)

My doctor's visit this week is on Friday, so if I don't post tomorrow, please keep me and baby in your prayers on Friday morning. It's the same deal as usual - ultrasound, non-stress test, and regular checkup on how the pregnancy is progressing (including my blood pressure of course). My prayer at this point is that baby is happy and doing fine and that my health will be good enough that they'll let me go into labor on my own.

Other than that I don't have much to report. I'm just taking it easy, trying to catch up on books and magazines, and rest as much as possible!

Post-weekend wrap-up

I realize it's Tuesday which might be a little late to be giving a post-weekend wrap-up, but it was kind of a busy weekend and completely wore me out! I spent most of yesterday resting, taking it easy on the couch, and doing as little as possible. Pregnancy can really tire a girl out!

Saturday was our third baby shower. The guests were mostly friends and family from A's side of the family. Upon arrival at the shower, there was a table set up with three games on it - guessing the number of newborn diapers in a gallon-sized jar, identifying various baby foods without the labels on them, and identifying various white powders from around the house (like baby powder, cornstarch, powdered sugar, etc) without smelling or touching them. Quite a challenge!



We got lots more wonderful gifts and it was fun to get those all unpacked. I did baby laundry that evening, plus got the crib mattress pad and some other soft items for the nursery all laundered and ready to go.

Sunday morning we went to church and then made a stop on the way home to stock up on some more things we'll need after the baby is born. Between a busy Saturday and the time change, I was exhausted and spent a couple hours off my feet before we met up with A's family for lunch. In the afternoon we picked up our crib and mattress and then came home and got that all set up. I love it and am so, so happy with the crib we selected!!! We also got the valance hung above the window. The room isn't finished yet, but it's looking more and more like a nursery!





Finally, one member of our household is very excited to have an extra hour of afternoon sunshine thanks to daylight savings time. Hope it's feeling like spring at your house too!

Sealed with a Kiss

Here's my attempt at posting the pic of the baby kissing me from my ultrasound yesterday. This is a profile of the baby, although you can't really see the whole profile very clearly - the top of its head is on the right and moving to the left across the image is the nose, lips, and then chin. I've tried to label the nose and lips, but I'm not sure if I just made things more confusing. The nose is right below the word "nose" and the lips are below and a little to the right of the word "lips." You can see two bumps and those are them!


The baby's lips are very puckered and look almost as big as its nose. Its nose might be smooshed into the placenta a little bit - I'm not really sure. Anyway, hopefully you can kind of get an idea from this photo. Sorry for my complete lack of photo editing skills!

Happy weekend to all!

Doctor's Update and an Award

I am back from my doctor's visit and for the most part everything is fine. The baby is doing well which is always my biggest concern. My blood pressure was high today but since I'm getting close to delivery, baby is doing well, and my tests are all coming back normal, I don't think they are worrying too much about it. Heck, to be honest with you, I'm not that worried about it. I'd prefer that it was lower, but if it has to be high another 3-4 weeks or so, that's okay too. Just as long as the baby is doing well, which he/she is. Praise the Lord for that!!

We got the cutest picture from ultrasound today. I'm going to have to see if I can get on here tomorrow. It is the baby with his/her face in the placenta and it looks like it's kissing it - lips puckered and everything. I just talked to A on the phone and told him I can't wait for him to get home this evening so he can see our sweet baby kissing me. Maybe it will be a cuddly, lovey baby! :)

On another note, Kristin at Blue Skies From Now On (isn't that the cutest blog title?) gave me an award a couple of weeks ago and I've been meaning to post about it, but keep forgetting. This is a common theme in my life these days; I think it's called pregnancy brain. She and her hubby just moved into a new home and are in the process of getting unpacked and all settled in. I can't wait until she posts some pics of their new place. Thanks for the award, Kristin - I'm so honored!


Hope everyone has a wonderful Thursday evening!

Stockpiling

Today I am 37 weeks pregnant which is apparently considered full term. If I go into labor now, they won't try to stop me! That's pretty crazy to think about, although I don't really think I'll be going into labor anytime soon. Getting to this point has been a big prayer of mine since week 28 when my blood pressure started being elevated. I am so thankful to have gotten to this milestone!!

My weekly appointment is tomorrow afternoon and I know for sure I'll be having an ultrasound and a non-stress test for the baby. Please pray that these are both normal and that my blood pressure would be as well. It would be great if I could have smooth sailing from here on out, whenever that "out" may be. :)

This morning I made a trip to Walmart to get stocked up on a few things. I don't know if stockpiling counts as nesting, but I seem to be in major stockpiling mode these days. The last thing I want to have to worry about in those first few weeks with a newborn is whether or not we've run out of paper towels, kleenex, or other things that we use on a daily basis. I've also gotten stocked up on some food items and then the baby's necessities like diapers and wipes. Hopefully I've planned accordingly and we won't be making too many emergency trips to the store.

Part of our stockpile - please don't think I'm nuts!!!

I'll update on the doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon/early evening. As always, thanks for your prayers!

A is for Adorable

Look what the Fed Ex man brought to our door this afternoon...


ADORABLE!!!!!

They are size 0-3 months and will work for a boy or a girl this spring when we still have some cool days and evenings. I'm thinking they'll be perfect over a onesie to make the outfit look a little more complete!

That's all - I just had to share with you. Thanks for indulging me!

Scripture Memory for 2009 - verse 5

Hard to believe it is MARCH already (can anyone think of anything big that might be happening in March...wink, wink) - and the end of the second day of March already too! I'm a little late getting my scripture posted, but here it is just the same. Last time I committed to memorizing Malachi 3:16 from the NIV:

Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His name.

I am loving this verse but am having a hard time getting it committed to memory for some reason, so I'm going to spend the next couple of weeks really getting it hidden in my heart and my mind and won't move onto a new verse yet. I don't know if that's against "the rules" or not, but I'm just keeping it real. I want to get this one down before starting another because this is seriously a life and attitude changing verse for me.

Blessings on your week!