Week.39.Questions.

How far along: 39 Weeks

Total weight gain: I lost those two pounds of water weight from last week! So.. 26 lbs total thus far. One week to go! 

Maternity clothes: I can still wear some non-maternity yoga pants. I stick to sweats, yogas, and jeans once or twice a week. My clothes are sitting funny, so I think the belly has dropped. 

Stretch marks: Nothing new. I need to get her out before they all show up like some cruel joke or something. 

Sleep: Eh. Sleep is ok. I toss and turn still (trying to prevent insane hip pain). I have been waking up to SEVERE acid reflux/heartburn and have had to prop myself up to sleep sitting up. (not comfy). 

Best moment of this week: I made it through MORE birthdays! Whew. The only one left is mine (Friday) that I share with, my niece, Rachael. I can do it! ((I do not want a baby on my birthday... call me selfish... I just don't.)) *Valentine's Day with my love was nice too! Homemade pizza and relaxing evening in. This was our 9th Valentine's Day together!*

Miss anything: My energy/desire to get things done. I was gung-ho for a while... but now... I don't really care that the laundry needs done. I should care. I care... just don't want to do it.  

Movement: She is moving. Not as much as before, but she is still moving around. She still keeps getting the hiccups and kicking me in my right rib. (It hurts to even touch that part of my belly)

Food cravings: Not much of an appetite this week. Nothing was calling my name. We did have DELICIOUS BBQ Chicken Pizza on Valentine's Day... We made it. I am proud. I could eat that again. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Headaches have subsided (unless Stella throws a fit... then I have one) but the acid reflux/heartburn is still a major issue. *Don't RUN OUT of Zantac... ever again!*

Have you started to show yet: Oh yea. The bump, I think, has dropped. She has always been low, but the belly seems lower now. (it is funny to feel the cold air where my shirts ride up and uncover the belly!) 

Gender: Little Lady! <3

Labor signs: Nothing that I recognize. I have had a few pains. Possible random contractions (I am talking 4 throughout the week maybe).  Went to the doctor today... not a significant change. I am 'open' but not even a full centimeter yet. 

Belly button in or out: Still in. But, that red 'mark' above is still there and gets kind of sore. 

Wedding rings on or off: Still on. I don't think I was drinking enough water. 

Happy or moody most of the time: eh. neither. I am more or so just tired. I am happy, but feeling really lazy. It is a double-edged sword. I want to be productive, but I don't want to ACTUALLY be productive. 

Looking forward to: little baby Edmonds' arrival. We are down to SINGLE DIGITS!!! 7 days to go! 

Let The Countdown BEGIN! (10 Days to Go!)

Well... I haven't been feeling the greatest these past couple of days. I have had headaches, hip pain, and the newest... EXTREMELY DRY nasal passages. I have had a stuffy nose for most of the pregnancy, but this recent dry nose is awful. The only way I can describe it is that it feels like when you have pop come through your nose. That burning is not a way I want to spend my night.  We have a humidifier but I think I may need to resort to some saline or a steamy shower to get some relief.

Another thing that is currently on my mind is that I AM HAVING A CHILD in about 10 days. It seems so surreal. I am so excited, terrified, nervous, anxious, tired, ready, and happy. John and I have been getting things done around the house... but I really hate doing laundry. I mean... who does like it. But it just seems like once I get it all done, two minutes later, it needs done AGAIN! blah. I can only imagine the amount of small, pink clothes that I am going to be washing. I can't complain too much because John is SO helpful and washes the clothes too.

I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. I will update everyone then. Until then, we watch the Olympics and wait. and wait. and wait.

My birthday is Friday... and I am truly terrified I will go into labor. I DO NOT want to have her on my birthday. She is technically due on February 26th. We have high hopes for February 27th. (My favorite number is /2/ and John's favorite number /27/) Not sure if we will make it that long, but with no current progress, we just might.

Until next time... (Tuesday)

-Alexis-

Nursery Tour for Little Baby Edmonds

Well... here it is! A final look at the nursery. The only thing missing is her NAME! I will post a picture of that once she is born. But, it will be above the crib, on the white ledge, below the mobile. (It looks good! hehe.)

Photo Tour:
Starting with the nook then into the nursery.

Bathroom Wall Side (the blank spot by the outlet will hold the growth chart that is still in progress)

A few printables. I made the two on the outside, inside one was free on Pinterest. (If you want one, leave a comment and I'll send it your way!) Shelf (Target:Threshold) Maternity Picture (Ikea frame) Books will soon be stacked on this shelf as well. 

Blocks in a Jar- I love the color pop!

The opposite wall. Wall art display. (I can't wait to hang her art up!) I made the printable and our brother in-law drew the family portrait! Land of Nod Pennant Banner

A shot of the door closed. The wall on the right will have a mailbox, chalkboard, and magnet board. Still to come! 

View from the Dutch Door!

Wall of Books: Ikea Spice Racks (painted), Radio Flyer Wagon

Antique Table (John's Grandparents), What to Expect in Baby's First Year, Bible, Mommy Magazines (free and they keep coming!), Ultrasound pictures, Metal Owl (from Marshalls), Baby Black and White Flashcards (hand me downs), Maternity Picture in Ikea frame.

Glider (it was in John's nursery... I have LOVED this chair since I met his family for the first time, and when they moved, I GOT IT!!!! It is the perfect size. I do need to get it cleaned. The blanket is from Marshall's, Pillows from Wal-Mart. Diaper Genie. 

Shelves above Glider (the rest of the wall is blank, but will be filled with pictures once she is born!) Motorola Video Monitor (we love it so far---just in our playing with it!) Old blocks from John's childhood, Blocks from online consignment shop (They will spell her name when the time comes), Small jar of confetti from our gender reveal, Maternity picture in Ikea Frame, Giant 'E' for Edmonds from Pottery Barn, Twig colored pencils (Marshall's), and Hedgie from Ikea. 

The Right side of the changing table. Sound Machine, Lantern (from Marshall's), diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, baby supplies in small glass jar (old 3 wick candle from Bath and Body cleaned out) and Mason jar. *Valentine Jug Decoration from Target One Spot* Metal tray from Ikea. 

Ikea Mirror, Ikea Dresser (Hemnes), Babies R Us Changing pad and cover, Valentine Decor from Michaels and Target One Spot

Wall of Frames (painted to match color pallette) Printables created by me (in Powerpoint) Empty frames will get pictures added after birth. 

**Want any printables? Leave a message below. I will send it**

Play Area: ThirtyOne Totes with toys, Target Elephant Toy, Rocking Chair (garage sale find, painted)

A view of the corner/wall. (Ignore the ugly space heater...)

FINISHED crib area (only missing her name) Ikea Crib. Target (Dwell Studio FunDot Crib Skirt-No Longer Available) Circo Star Crib Sheet. AMAZING Quilt... (see below), Little Lamb Rock and Play Platinum Addition. Painted Lantern Mobile (lanterns from Amazon) hung with fishing line and small Command Clear hooks. 

Look at this AMAZING puffy quilt! One of my church camp kids (not a kid anymore) made it for little baby Edmonds and sent it our way!!! It matches perfectly. I didn't get any other pieces of the Dwell FunDot line because I got the crib skirt on sale for $2.14 two years ago. Nothing is available to match. But... I sent a picture of it to Emily and she found matching fabrics and made this amazing quilt! I am so excited that it looks amazing! Thank you so much Emily! 

This is Hedgie. He was the FIRST thing we bought little baby Edmonds. We had just found out we were pregnant and at the time we bought it, she was the size of the strawberry he is holding! I love this little guy. We put him in her nursery as soon as we got home. It was the only thing in the room. It made us smile. It is a squeaky toy from Ikea. <3 sweet Hedgie!

Chalkboard (from Marshall's) is on the wall when you walk in the door on the left. I can't wait to complete this Bucket List! So exciting!!

A View from the doorway. Adi loves the room, and will just lay in there if I let her. The playmat on the left is from Target. I love the neutral colors and fun patterns. 

I hope you all enjoyed seeing where little baby Edmonds is going to spend a lot of time! I am so happy with how the room turned out. I love the neutral colors and and the fun patterns. When she arrives, I will be taking a TON of pictures of her with all the new things. I will post an updated picture with her name included, the canvases we choose to hang on the wall, and the growth chart. 

-Alexis-

How Do You Fold Baby Leggings?

How do you fold baby clothes in general? They are so small at this point and impossible to either fold or keep folded. After sorting through all little baby Edmonds' hand me downs (that would be TUBS and TUBS to take into account) we had it sorted and washed. Then... came the decision of how to sort it in her room. I wanted to keep it pretty simple, but also accessible when necessary.

Disclosure: I may have been a BIT overwhelmed on many occasions trying to figure it out. John too. It was a bit hectic at times. What are the sizes... NB, 0-3, 3-6, etc. But.. where do you put the stupid Carter brand clothes that are only labeled 3m or 6m... we had many discussions. We decided that they would go with the higher number. So 3m go with the 0-3 month clothes. It annoyed my brain at times.

So.. we sorted and then I got to the baby pants drawer. Seriously? Baby pants are not meant to be folded. If I fold them.. I don't know how to arrange them. If I don't fold them, they are just in a stack. (see pictures) I decided to turn to Pinterest for ideas. Nothing really seemed to stick out as effective for us. Then I decided that most of these onesies had pants to match. (It was a running joke when we were sorting, John would hold something up and I would always say "That has a matching shirt/pants" EVERY time. He would get so mad!) So... I decided to go through all the onesies and pants of the same size (started with NB and 0-3) and make the matches. Then... It was time to buy hangers. I hung the onesies or shirts or tops and then hung the bottoms with it. THEN!!!! I found amazing hanger clips at Wal-Mart! The clips snapped onto the hangers, and then I could clip the pants to the shirts. This makes it an easy "grab-and-go" outfit. This means that a majority of her clothes are hung up, but I still have a ton of onesies that I will use under outfits for warmth or just hanging out around the house. I sorted them by long and short sleeve. I had random pants left over too. Still no great solution on how to store those, so they are just laying on top of each other in a drawer. So be it.

Newborn Side (you can see the basket shelves to the left), extra hangers, basket hamper below, and newborn clothes hanging top and bottom. 

This is the 0-3 side of clothes. She is going to be clothed.. for sure!

The AMAZING clips!! Woo Hoo!!

As for the top drawers of the dresser/changing table I made my own dividers using foam board. That way I could cut them to the length that I wanted and make as many divisions as possible. I may resort to the IKEA box things but I am not patient to wait for mail. I was on a mission and I accomplished it. The rest of the dresser has sleepers, sleep sacks, gowns, onesies, and pants. I wanted them all to be pretty accessible when changing her, especially before bedtime.

The drawer LINE-UP!

Front: Socks and Mittens and Tights     Back: Hats

Extra linens, waterproof pads, hand sanitizer, and random hooks (not their place... haha)

Wipes

Diaper Drawer (I only have NB size in there, and they are only ones that friends had from open packages... with this baby already weighing a good amount... we may not even use these?!)

Second Drawer (on right) has sleepers. Front row is NB and back row is 0-3. 

Second Drawer (on left) has long sleeve and short sleeve onesies. They are organized by NB and 0-3 as well. 

The annoying pants drawer. It is what it is! haha. (Bottom Left)

Bottom Right Drawer: Swaddle Sacs, Sleeping Gowns, and Burp Cloths in the back. 

The closet is from The Container Store (it is Elfa) and it was quite the task getting the right layout and dimensions we wanted. We had one designed, it didn't work, so we had to take it all back down and take it back across town to re-design and buy. It is definitely worth it! I love how it turned out and I am glad that it is in two "sections" to help me differentiate between sizes. The little shelf baskets are AMAZING! They were going to just be shelves, but we decided to make them the baskets and we love them. We have just been putting random items in them for now. The bottom has blankets, the next has blankets, the next has our Ergo and random stuff, another has shopping cart covers, etc. It isn't super organized, but I am sure I will get it to a point of organization sometime. There is a drawer set that we have to go on the other side of the hamper (from The Container Store) that currently is holding headbands that I haven't put in her hairbow caddy thing and shoes. The girl has SHOES! The bottom drawers I plan to fill with toys that we can take the drawer from place to place and always put it back into storage. There is a space to the right that we currently have filled with generous gifts of diapers! I am sure I will be sad when it is depleted.

This is the sweet hamper and a few of her hairbows. I got this at Marshalls and I just clip them onto the pockets. The headbands are stuck down in the pockets. I have a lot more to add... 

Top Drawer holding the bows I haven't put away and clips for the hangers. It is a really shallow drawer, maybe two inches deep. 

Drawer two is FULL of shoes....

So is drawer Three! Jam packed. :)

I hope that this saves anyone setting up a nursery some sanity on how to organize the clothes. I definitely got made fun of for the labeling... but to be honest... it will keep me sane and if I am not the one putting the clothes away, others will know where things go. I am a pretty big stickler for keeping my clothes (and John's clothes) organized and in the right drawers. Just makes life easier. I hope I can keep all these little tiny clothes just as organized. 

One thing I have left to add to the closet is a small box or crate that I can put "Too Small" clothes in, so when I get a chance, I can move them back to the tubs that we have all the clothes stored in, in the basement. I may use a small basket shelf, or a drawer from the wire stack drawers. 

All her clothes are ready... now... will they fit? I hope I can squeeze her into SOME newborn clothes. I have too many cute ones!

-Alexis-

Rounding Out the Week "Off"

Well, the snow has continued and I am officially over it. I mean... I know we are supposed to get even more. I like the snow when I am not pregnant. All I do is constantly worry about falling on my rear and not being able to get back up. (I know what I look like when I am just trying to ROLL over...) I had a few tasks to complete at the Dorsey's while they were away and I got to business on the Valentines. I found the ideas on Pinterest, and then made them myself using Powerpoint. I always make things myself... cuts on cost and I can always add my own flair.

Kindergarten: Hudson (he LOVES tic-tac-toe!)

So much fun!

Fourth Grade: Mason

-Doritos Single Pack-

Second Grade: Kennedy

Cookies and a Twisty Straw! <3

I think they turned out great! Not boring Valentines this year! If you want a copy of any of these with your child's name, let me know and I can send them your way for you to print. 

The chickens all survived the cruise, so did the cats. John helped me strip all the beds and wash and re-make them. Well... we had a random sheet that BARELY fit Hudson's bed left over... We couldn't figure it out. That is when we realized we are starting to lose our patience. We were both so irritable. It was not a pretty sight. We decided to go home, take a nap, and then get ready for our friends to come over. 

Before Adam and Michelle came over (twin free this time) for dinner, we finished up the nook area by painting the one wall that we initially decided not to paint. It is SO much better. While we were painting, we were using the bathroom sink. Much to our surprise, the light didn't work. This can only mean one thing... when we put the dimmer switch in... we really screwed it up. We left it alone, and waited for guidance on the issue. If you turned on the nursery switch (that didn't dim at all) the bathroom light and fan would come on. That could make for awkward trips to the bathroom at night after little baby Edmonds arrives. haha. We cleaned up a bit and Adam and Michelle were here with the  Olive Garden in hand. Yum! I have been steering clear of red sauce (due to acid reflux issues) but I gave in for the Lasagna Fritta! (you need to try it if you go.. it is an appetizer, but could be a meal!) We got to sit and talk and I helped Michelle figure out her iPhone. It was so nice to just relax with friends and have good conversation before little lady makes her debut! 

Sunday: THEY'RE BACK!!!! After church we headed to the Dorsey's to check in, have some lunch, and hear all about the trip! Some highlights include: swimming with dolphins, meeting the characters, unlimited soft serve ice cream on the ship, the turtle farm, the beach, and the water slides. They had so much fun. I want to go on a cruise so much more now! Especially a Disney cruise. I should start saving now... hehe. We relaxed when we got home, I started the growth chart and John worked on school work. As we were watching the Sochi Olympics (John fell asleep) and I started having a minor panic attack about the fact that a BABY is coming out of me (one way or another). I have never really stayed in the hospital (that I remember) and I am not one for not being prepared. I am fully aware of what happens when you give birth. I know that potential for interventions, etc. I have educated myself. But I am just finding it hard to wrap my head around the fact that I have a baby in my stomach AND she is coming out! Yeesh. I did some relaxation research and was able to pull it together. Yikes! I am ok now. But I was really struggling with the whole concept. I guess you have to deal with it at least once in your pregnancy... 15 days people... 15 days!

Monday. Monday. Monday. All was going so well. We got to the store and got all the shopping done for more cleaning supplies, we got lunch, got to go to the office and see Karmon and Jamie for a few minutes, and then it happened. Barf. After a plane ride, bus ride, cruise for days, I drive Stella home, we make it 7 miles from home and BARF! The kid gets so car sick. I feel awful. To the person cleaning up the vomit in the random pull off by Menards, sorry. The kid was covered. Vomit gives me anxiety. I have mentioned before that it never did until I got pregnant. It is just disturbing now. I hope that goes away when this baby comes. (and I am not talking about baby vomit... Stella has full on kid vomit). But.. other than that, this day has gone exceptionally well! She was so excited to talk and talk and talk about the cruise and her doll, etc. She is becoming quite the chatty cathy. How funny to hear her just keep talking. She also wanted a BIG girl pony tail. Check it out! (Cinderella Shoes and all)

Today I had my doctor's appointment. I decided to have her do a cervical check to see if I have progressed at all. Here are the updates from the visit:

-NO CHANGE! :( I am not dilated or effaced at all. 

-She is still VERY low. 

-Being checked was not comfortable (at all). 

-Doctor hoping for a vaginal delivery and is VERY confident. (me her and baby she said!)

-Baby's foot CAN NOT get stuck in my rib... even though it still feels like it. 

So, we are still on little baby Edmonds watch. I will be sure to keep everyone updated. 

-Alexis-