Updated Baby Guessing Game

I probably won't keep updating, but here is the latest on the guessing game.

Month Bigger!

One more month to go... so that makes Month 9... but last post was Month 7? All I know (and what I cling onto) is that in 4-6 weeks this child will be out of me and I will be able to eat something without getting heartburn or lay on my stomach or roll over at night with round ligaments tightening up. Steven keeps saying he wants to hold him... I totally want him to hold him too... because that means we will be in two pieces! I just can't wait.

I'm changing thing up a little bit because I'm tired of my old format. I will just let you know what's up and post pictures... going to cut the baby development stuff... there are plenty of websites out there if you are curious. Besides I know my mother only looks at our blog for the pictures ;) Love you, Mom!

Last night we had a really encouraging Bradley class. Honestly, I had prayed for it because I HATE the classes when people start doctor bashing. I have a great doctor and I have heard several people (majority did Bradley successfully in the hospital) say that the nurses at our hospital were wonderful. Nurses are there 95% of the time and I'm confident in our hospital and "birth team."

Anyway. We had two couples talk about there experiences birthing at our hospital (one had our doctor). Both were successful (one had been successful twice). They had "normal" pregnancies and they both labored at home until they got into hard labor... exactly what Steven and I are planning on doing... it really helps me feel like we aren't crazy or making this up. The only complication was that one couple, who had a different doctor than planned because she delivered at 6am, had to really fight not to have an eipsiotomy. If that is our only complication then this thing will be considered a success. Our goal is a drug free birth... and episotomies can be done without drugs.

The thing that helped me a ton was TOOLS! I love hearing the couples say, "we did this at home and it worked great to relax me" or "it was really helpful when the nurses brought this." Steven and I were taking notes and gathering tools. The problem is that in the class it's all inexperienced mothers except for the teacher... who gave birth a while ago... so she doesn't always remember... or she is trying to fit in all the Bradley information and doesn't have a ton of time to lay out our opitions for relaxation.

Anyway... we are feeling more and more prepared from just talking with people who have gone before us. The majority of them say that the relaxation practice is what helped them the most. I'm ready and I can't believe I'm saying this but I can't wait to experience this.

Now for some fun... here is my next month picture. I feel like my belly is really point-y.

And our silly photo....



And for some fun... what I'm calling "The Belly Train!" You can really see the point-y-ness of my belly in the last photo.

Baby Guessing Game

Next week I will be considered "full term"... WHOOP!

While we wait we are playing a little game. If you haven't already guessed you are more than welcome to guess the day, time, weight and length of our little one. You can win the pride and joy of guessing correctly! ;)

Here is the line up so far... it's organized by day. First guess is up in TWO weeks!

Refurbished Changing Table

So I have had a changing table "dilemma" for quite a while now... but we finally got it figured out!

Here's the dilemma:
Most Moms I know change their babies on the floor. It's very practical because there is always one where you are and there are no worries about a baby rolling off the table. I've even changed a few diapers on the floor.

Our problem is this... 1) Steven will not get on the floor to save his life... well... maybe to save his life... but he just doesn't like to do it... he will bend over and hurt his back before he gets on the floor... 2) both of us already struggle with bad backs... having the baby at counter height might help reduce visits to the chiropractor... 3) storage!... we need it big time in our baby room.

So we decided we wanted a changing table... kinda. We didn't want to spend much money on one (or have someone buy one for us) because we weren't sure if we would use it or if it would work for us. We looked at Target, but the changing tables in the baby section looked like changing tables and what do you do with those things after your babies grow up? Then we looked at chest of drawers. Great idea, but we wanted to wait to buy John a chest of drawers after we get him a "big-boy" bed.... just so that things match.

While all this was rolling around in my brain (over the coarse of a couple of days), I noticed an old dresser sitting out on the curb across the street. I walked over to investigate and the drawers were shot, but the main part was in decent condition. I drug it home and noticed some plywood sitting out on the other side of the street. A neighbor helped me get some of that to our backyard. Here is the "before" picture...



I used the plywood (and screws pulled from it) to make the drawers into shelves. Then I checked our paint stash in our shed. I kinda wanted to paint the table green or brown, but I thought the only colors we had were beige and white. Turns out we had green. The green we used to paint our kitchen. It also happens to match the baby room stuff perfectly! I sanded down the table, used the last of some primer we had in the shed and painted it up in one afternoon!

For storage we are going to use six baskets on the two shelves. That way we can pull one with diaper supplies into the living room if we want to do changes on the floor... and we can use the baskets for baby toy storage... or extra outfits. I went ahead and purchased one to make sure it matched, but the rest are on our Target registry... along with the changing table pad... so the table looks a little unfinished. As you can see we are already in need of storage and we haven't even had our shower yet! We have been very blessed to receive much from friends and family already.

The best part about this table is that I didn't spend a single cent refurbishing it! Actually I found a penny in the process of cleaning it up! So, if it works out we don't like the idea of a changing table or when our baby days are done we can keep the baskets for some other storage need in our house and toss the table with out feeling guilty.

*** the "John Class Of 2032" was made for us by Steven's little sister's boyfriend... fun, huh?

Star Mobile

Even though this baby isn't our Madeline Star, I still wanted to incorporate some stars into the room decor. After all, stars are gender neutral and they are classic. I had the idea of making a mobile but I needed a star pattern. I looked online to find a good pattern for crochet stars, but didn't like most I came across. I decided to make my own... it is roughly based off of this, but it's simpler.

To make the stars I used a size H hook and Vanna's choice - mustard yarn. I made two of the following, sewed them together and stuffed them.

Round 1: Ch 2. Sc 5 in second chain from hook. Join round and chain one
Round 2: Sc 2 in each st around. Join. (10 sts)
Round 3: *skip one st. Sc 5 in next st.* repeat 4x. Join.
Round 4: *skip one st. Sc in next st. Sc 2, dc, sc 2 in next st. Sc in next st. Sl st in next st* repeat 4x.
Round 5: *skip one st. Sc 2. Sc 5 in next st. Sc 2. skip one st. Sl st in next st* repeat 4x.
Round 6: *skip one st. Sc 3. Sc 2, dc, sc 2 in next st. Sc 3. Sl st in next st* repeat 4x.
Round 7: *skip one st. Sc 4. Sc 5 in next st. Sc 4. skip one st. Sl st in next st* repeat 4x.

The rest of the mobile I made by crocheting up some simply triangles and little buttons for the stars. I hot glued the triangle pieces to cardboard and hung it from the ceiling with fishing line & push pins. Incredibly simple! Hopefully John enjoys it as much as I do!

Sneak Peak

This is a picture of the baby bedding I'm working on. It is one part of the bumper pad and the crib sheet. The green part of the bumper pad will face the outside and the brown/yellow part will face the inside of the crib. I like the way it turned out a lot... it looks like little pillows.

The crib sheet is so precious... I love all the stars. Unfortunately the fabric was really expensive so I only made one... I will just put a white sheet on when this one is in the wash. The dust ruffle will be the same red color that is on the edge of the bumper pad.

More to come :)

How babies get outies

Last night at our Bradley class we were talking about what to pack in the bag that you bring to the hospital. Some of the things we "need" are a basin and a puddle pad for the car ride... in case you have the baby in the car. I don't think this will be a problem for us because we are only 15 minutes from our hospital and there is a different hospital across the street from our house.... and yet another ER on the way. So we are set.

Steven always gets really excited when we talk about having the baby in inopportune places. He gets so excited because, of coarse, he will be the one doing the catching. The idea of him "catching" the baby worries me a little. They seem to be pretty slippery when the come out... and doctors/midwives are trained in "catching." Maybe on our second time around.

After sharing this, someone said, "It's okay, you (Steven) can catch him (John) by the umbilical cord if he slips!"

And I said, "And then we can tell him (John) that that is why he has an outie!"

It was funny (and kinda made my belly button hurt a bit), but in all seriousness I totally trust Steven with our delivery. He has been very involved and such a great coach already. However, I'm not sure if I'm just being naive but I really think our birth isn't going to be that dramatic. Tons of people have babies every day... and you only occasionally here crazy stories... and if you do here them often, they are probably repeats. Our plan is to stay calm and take it one contraction at a time.

Scrapbooking

After two year of marriage and a baby that is definitely on his way, I have finally completed our Wedding Scrapbook!!! It is huge! 116 pages. I would have taken pictures of my favorite pages to share with the world, but I have too many other projects on my To-Do list.

I finished this week because I was with Steven on a trip. The hotel didn't charge for me to come along, so I was able to work on our book while he was at work. Also, I was able to hang out with friends that had moved away... which turned out to be a distraction, but a good one because I just could not simply work for 8 solid hours on pasting paper together.

Luckily scrapbooking paper was half price this week at Hobby Lobby. I made several trips for last minute things. I also picked out paper for John's book. Can you believe it... one HUGE project down and I'm already thinking of another big one to do.

The plan for his book is to start NOW and hopefully get the entire thing together before he comes. That way all I have to do is put pictures in and fill in details. I have also put a limit on the number of pages... hopefully no more than 80, but I'm planning on doing his first year... so we will see.

A lot of the paper I got is more little boy-ish than baby-ish. He will have a couple of light blue pages that say, "I'm a baby!" But the rest are more little boy things... like Super Man! I found a great stack that had spaceships, jungle animals, robots, (old school) Super Man, circus, cowboys, ocean prints and pirate paper. It's really fun.

I also looked through the sticker section. I usually don't buy stickers because they are really expensive... unless a page really needs them. I was actually looking for some for our wedding book... one of the shower pages is really lacking. Anyway, I came across a couple of little boy stickers. Then the baby section. As I was reading them I started to cry! The hormones got the best of me... and I probably looked really silly in the store with a huge belly holding a baby sticker with tears running down my face. What can you do?

These hand made books are a lot of work, but I really feel like they are worth it. Especially our Wedding and John's first year. I'm planning on doing all of our kiddos' first year and then doing online books through Kodak, Walgreens or Shutterfly that are more just organized photos. I do prefer to have our pictures in a book. I feel like if they aren't in a book then no one looks at them... and that is really sad.

Anyway, that is how scrapbooking is going!

Month 7?

I was looking through a book when I realized that I'm seriously confused about the way they count months of pregnancy. I have completed seven months of pregnancy and am currently in my 8th month, hence the month 7?

As of right now (and I know my picture is a little late) I am almost 33 weeks pregnant! Which means in around SEVEN weeks we will have a child! That is less than two months away. The thought is kinda overwhelming and as a result we have kicked our baby preparation into high gear at our house.

For our blog that means less posts and more baby projects. The crib is coming along and I have fabric for the bedding. I'm also making letters for the wall and refurbishing an old dresser to use as a changing table. Hopefully I can get a couple of toys finished off as well.

Changes for Me

-Heartburn has changed a bit. My doctor said I could start taking Zantac. It has helped reduce the amount of heartburn, but I'm still living next to a bottle of Tums.

-He is still alive and kicking. I'm positive his head is down, because I feel two little feet/knees poking into my ribs often!

Changes for Steven

-Fallon has been complaining about a tight belly

-Recently I have been envisioning John taking up more and more space and being more squished inside of Fallon.

Changes for John

-He is up to 4 pounds and will top off 5-6 by the end of the month.

-He is starting to fill out. Looking less like an alien and more like a cute squishy baby :)

-Supposedly, the uterus will get more cramped and less vigorous kicking will result. But this kid is pretty strong... I'm still startled by a nice strong kick at night.

-Lung are approaching maturity and soon he will be ready to live outside the womb. (The lungs are the last thing to develop)

Baby Bib

Here are a couple of bibs I did a while ago. Sorry I don't have a cute kiddo to display them... he is still in the oven!

The first one was for a friend who really likes turtles. I looked all over for a pattern, but came up with nothing! So I had to make one myself. It took some time, but I it was worth it. I made it with super soft cotton (I think it's called "I love this cotton" from Hobby Lobby). I picked cotton because I wanted it to be super absorbent!

Here is the little button and button hole set up.



so cute...



The next bib I originally made for a friend who is doing her nursery in owls. However, after I completed it Steven asked if it was for John because he really liked it. Whenever Dad likes a craft I jump all over it. I made one for John too. I used this pattern from Lion Brand Yarn Company... but I added some things. Like more rows to make it a little bigger.... bigger bibs catch bigger messes... or they are suppose to in theory. And I added a better neck tie. My friend likes hers and I can't wait to see mine on little John because it is pretty stinkin adorable!

Month 6

Man, do I feel pregnant! And I look very pregnant. Every time I see myself I'm amazed at how big I am. The thing that truly blows my mind is that I've only gained 15 pounds. I look like I put on 50... and I feel like I put on 100! Before writing this I looked back at my Month 2 photo and realized I never appreciated my old body... now I will be so thankful to get it back!

I had to switch to one of Steven's shirts to take my photo for this month. Next time I will just start with an XL shirt. When taking the first picture I literally just grabbed something out of my closet that seemed stretchy to me at the time. Lesson learned.

While taking my picture Steven and I often get a little goofy. Most of the time I delete the silly photos, but I had to add this one because it truly captures how I feel...

Changes for Me
-Nothing much has changed in the realm of heartburn, backaches and general uncomfort... but I have accepted the current circumstances. I'm sure once I meet John I will think it was totally worth it.
-He is still kicking a lot... they are just stronger now. And I think he has found some of his favor spots... like my lower left rib. Anything that is tight against my stomach he kicks at. This has been helpful because if someone want to feel him kick they can just press real hard against my stomach and he'll kick you! Just warn me before mashing a hand into my ridiculously large tummy.
-Something new this month are growth spurts. Oh man, I hate these! First things start to feel really really tight. Then I get crazy hungry. Then there is more tightness... and aching. No matter how I sit or lay I just can't get comfortable. And then, all of the sudden, I'm better! The thing that bugs me about growth spurts is that I have no idea how long they will last. I had one that lasted 3 days and another that only lasted a day or so. It would be much more bearable if I could predict them.

Changes for Steven
-Its been a fun feeling John kick. Yah for me feeling him kick a few times... and big ones too!
-I've noticed that Fallon's back is hurting her more. But doing the Bradley exercises has helped some.
-I feel like our love for each other has increased. Or at least we are showing it more.

Changes for John
-Most things I've read say that he is around 2.5 pounds... but I know he has got to be at least 3... some days I think 15.
-He has hair... which isn't a shocker, because I've had heartburn since... forever! But he does have eyebrows and eyelashes... which I think is precious.
-In addition to the practicing of breathing and being able to hear us, he will now start to open his eyes... I can't wait to see them peering up at me... hopefully not while screaming at me!
-Bodily growth has slowed a bit because so much energy is being pumped into his brain.
-Bone marrow will take over production of red blood cells.

New Flip Colors

For some reason that has currently slipped my mind, I found myself on the Cotton Babies website... which isn't unusual for me... he he. And I saw a yellow Flip diaper!!!! Turns out Cotton Babies has new colors for Flip. I love the twilight, butternut & grasshopper... if only they would come out with a white... oh well... yellow (butternut) is a good compromise. I'm may break down and buy some Flip diapers.

Bradley Class

We had our first Bradley class this week and it was very exciting. If you aren't aware of the Bradley method it's a birthing technique that teaches relaxation (and many many other things) in order to achieve an unmediated birth. See this website for more information.

This has been my desire for a long time... even before I got married. Steven heard about it through me and has been very supportive. I chose this method because I know women have been giving birth without medicine for a long time (some even in my family) and I want to see if I can do it too! I love how Bradley encourages the husband's involvement and educates you on the entire process. I feel like I'm going to be prepared... and I really like that.

There is always a chance that we will need medication or possibly a cesarean, so we are preparing our hearts for that if it happens. I'm not so set on an unmediated birth that I'm going to ignore the concerns of our doctor... however, we both really want this for our family and so we are doing everything we can to be successful.

Back to the class... we both really like the instructor. She has nine kids... two were adopted, but she birthed seven of them. All of her children are very well behaved and polite... we were very impressed. In addition to having a ton of personal experiences, she has taught the Bradley method for 17 years! Instructors are required to get and maintain a certification so there is some degree of accountability. Steven was very impressed with these things and quickly put his confidence in her.

The thing I most liked was that she works with what we want. For safety reasons we plan to give birth in a hospital and because we have insurance through Steven's work, it would be more expensive to have a mid wife. There are couples in the class that have chose to have a midwife and those who have not. I was very relieved... as silly as it sounds, I had fears that we would be sat in the center of the room and sternly instructed to get a midwife. There is a lot less pressure than I expected.... it's more like educating you so that YOU can make a decision.

We practiced some exercises and relaxation techniques during the first class. I have full confidence in Steven. Because I have had such a hard time sleeping he has become really good at helping me get comfortable. He sets ups and adjust up to seven pillows for me every night. I know, seven pillows sound ridiculous but some nights it is really hard to get comfortable... I can't just flip over like I used to be able to do. He also has had a TON of practice massaging my sore back. So the relaxation part of the class was very easy.

The exercising portion was a little more educational. Because a few of my friend have also done this method I had already begun some of the exercises. However, I was definitely doing one of them incorrectly... contributing to some lower back issues I was having. Some nights I could barely crawl into bed because of a dull pain in my back. The instructor helped me correct things and I've have almost no back pain since.

We are both excited and feel more bonded with our child than before. We need so much prayer, because a lot of things have to go well in order for this to happen the way we desire. Conception, pregnancy and birth are all such a miracle... I'm amazed anyone is able to have children.

Baby Ball

First baby project... done! What do you think? I used the colors I want to use in his room. The plan is to take this adorable ball with me to pick out fabric for the bedding.

The yarn is Lion Brand Vanna's Choice. I just love it because it's soft and durable. Most acrylic yarn is durable... but not very soft over time. If you need a good all purpose yarn, I highly recommend Vanna.

We found the pattern in a book I brought home from the library. I was trying to be adventurous and make a sweater like my friend... so cute! But gave up. Steven was looking through the book, saw the ball pattern and insisted I make some. It was very easy and quick... and I'm not an expert knitter. I made it in a couple of hours.

Here is what I did. You don't need 5 different colors, really you could make it from one... the ball has 10 sections. The original patterned called for wool and felting (throwing it in the washing machine until the wool fibers stuck together). I imagine it would make for a stiffer ball if you desired that.

here is the book I got it from

Baby's First Ball

one pair #7 straight knitting needles

Vanna's Choice - Dusty Blue, Dusty Green, Cranberry, Beige & Chocolate.

Cast on 23 stitches

Row1: K23.

Row2: K15. turn.

Row3: sl1k. K6. turn.

Row4: sl1k. K8. turn.

Row5: sl1k. k10. turn.

Row6: sl1k. k12. turn.

Row7: sl1k. k14. turn.

Row8: sl1k. k16. turn.

Row9: sl1k. k18. turn.

Row10: sl1k. k20. turn.

Row11: sl1k. k22. turn. (you will finish a the row this time)

Row12: k23.

This completes one section. Change colors and repeat rows 1-12 until you have 10 sections then bind off, sew together and stuff.

Have fun!

From Backpack to Diaper Bag...

When I was two semesters away from graduating I replaced the backpack I had been using since high school. It was a very hard purchase for me because I only had two semesters left... I just didn't think it would be worth it. I finally decided we could use it as a camping pack or something and bought one.

Well today while speaking with my chiropractor we were discussing my upper back tension... I'm crazy tight in my shoulders. In the past he has suggested baby carriers (like a moby wrap or baby bjorn) that place the load equally on both shoulders... I know he secretly glares at my purse when I turn my back. He suggested that instead of getting a cute diaper bag that carries on the side, that I use a back pack that encourages me to hold my shoulders back.

I was very happy... and now I have a use for my old school pack! It's blue so I don't have to worry about sending John to the nursery at church with a hot pink pack. And even though Steven has no problem holding my purse for me if I need him to, I won't feel bad about bumming off the ol' diaper bag to him.

What we've been up to...

Tuesday of this week was the first day of a new semester for many of my friends... but not me!!! wahooo!!! Steven was off work and we had a good time hanging out.

He actually had a four day weekend and it was very relaxing. We first helped friends move out of their apartment. It was fun, but I will really miss the couple. To cheer up afterwards we went to Brenham (with a different couple) and sampled some Blue Bell at the creamery... so yummy. My new favorite is Banana Pudding!

The rest of the weekend was spent playing Catan and hunting down lumber for our crib. Due to some information collected we will have to re-design our crib a bit... it shouldn't take long, though. We plan on getting started on construction in a two/three weeks, depending on what comes up. Once we start it should only take about four weekends to complete... so baby crib will hopefully be here around month 7... I hope that isn't too late.

I've turned in some paperwork to begin working part time until the baby comes... but as of right now I'm mainly cleaning and crafting. I couldn't ask for a better life! We have rearranged the entire house (minus the bathroom... things are kinda fixed in that room... lol). Steven loves making the arrangement just perfect and I like de-cluttering!

My biggest project is our wedding scrapbook. I've got all the pages planned out and organized. I got a great deal on prints through shutterfly and am currently waiting on their delivery. I'm also waiting on paper to go on sale so that I can save some money on scrapping supplies! So in the mean time I've been crafting gifts for friends. It's too bad I can't post pictures... they are turning out really great.

As soon as the crib gets started I will begin making the bedding. By bedding I mean bed skirt, bumper pad and possibly crib sheets. I was hoping to register/purchase sheets, but I can't find any colors that I like. The nursery colors are going to be cinnamon red, sage green, beige & dark brown (funny enough... it's the colors in my blog background... I laugh to myself when I realized that). Crib sheets I've seen so far don't have those color combinations or are too pale. We know this room is for a baby, but I really want colors that I like. I seriously doubt John will remember his nursery colors. I will focus more on colors for him when I do his quilt... which does not have to match the room.

The theme of our nursery is this really vague concept of reminding Steven and I that this child is a gift from God who we plan to raise to be a God honoring young man. More than colors or matching crib sheets I want this room to scream that. I hope to frame some good verses (on pretty paper of coarse) that I can pray over him while I'm doing nursery type things... changing diapers, folding clothes, nursing, etc.

Well... that is basically what we've been up to. It's pretty simple right now and I like that. The quiet before the storm coming in May! Lol!!!

Diaper Report... the sequell!

****re-post*** I accidentally put 1/4/09 instead of 1/4/10 when I originally posted this... sorry... you get to read it again.

Steven and I will be using cloth diapers while at home and I did a summary on why and the cost of both cloth and disposable diapers. I've needed to post a sequel but have been so busy with graduation that I have put it off for quite a while. My sequel is mostly because one of my friends helped me refine my numbers for the cost of disposables (she has four kids and definitely know the ropes of diapering) and because we have kinda changed on minds on which cloth diapering system we want to go with.

The truth is, Steven and I will use the least expensive route no matter which option actually happens... be it cloth or disposables. As far as disposables go, if and when we use them we plan on cutting coupons or investing in a Sam's Club membership... like our friends.

Below is the updated spreadsheet.



I'm still learning a lot about cloth diapers and the more I learn, the more excited I get. I would have never believed how excited I am to change dirty diapers!

Steven really likes the diaper with a cover system and I'm a fan of it too! Mainly because you get a lot of use out of the covers and because the pocket diapers or all-in-ones require stuffing... boo for stuffing diapers! CottonBabies, a company we really like, just came out with a new system called "Econobums." They are made with less expensive material and half the cost of other diaper/cover systems available. I'm keeping my eye on the reviews because they are so new and I'm a little worried about how the diapers will do with multiple children... but even if we have to purchase a new set for each child, Econobums are still cheaper than using disposables exclusively.

A full set of Econobums is $150 dollars. That is 9 covers and with 36 diapers. That should give us at least a day in between washes at the beginning and possibly three days when little John gets to potty training age. The great thing is that Ecocobums are one size... which means that they can expand as the baby grows. See this picture to get a better understanding of how the diaper grows.

CottonBabies also has a new line called "Flip" again its a diaper/cover system. They seem very durable but a little less than twice the cost of the Econobums. They are priced similarly to other diaper/cover systems available. I'm also watching the reviews for Flip because they are new, but I really think I'm going to like Flip diapers. You can get a full set (8 covers, 36 diapers) for about $270 dollars. I hope that we receive Flips as gifts so that this option is more economical. We will probably use both Flips and Econobums.... possible a Thirties cover if John get really big (Thirties has a large cover that fit bigger kiddos well... so says most diaper review websites).

So if you round up for other things like increase water/electricity usage, purchasing a pail and liner to store dirty diapers, the re-usable wipes and other cloth diapering expenses it come to about $250-$300 dollars for cloth. Disposables are about $600 per child.

So... based off of those numbers alone we plan on using cloth diapers. Even though it is more expensive to use disposables we will probably dapple in them a bit... for trips to visit family, when we take the baby to church, when he goes to a sitter or if he gets that dreaded diaper rash.

Anyway... I'm excited and will probably post picture of little John in a cute cloth diaper when I post about how cloth diapers works out for us! More to come!!!

Month 5!

Here we are... month 5. It's only been a few weeks since the last post so not a ton has changed... except my picture! My goodness! I'm scared to see what next month will bring. A few Sundays ago at church it seemed like everyone noticed my belly... and now I understand why.

Changes for Me

-I feel a little like a pot belly pig. It's funny that I can grow so much and not move a ton on the scale. I actually think I've lost a pound or two since New Years. I've been trying to eat better because New Years weekend was filled with too much good food.

-I'm struggling a little with heartburn. I've often wondered if you can become immune to Tums.

-My back is crazy. Here is picture of the uterosacral ligament. It holds things up... and it's what has really been bothering me. Steven often gives me a 10-15 minute massage once I get into bed... otherwise, I'm not sure I could fall asleep... what a great man!

-TONS of kicking... the little guy even keep me up one night.

Change for Steven

-I'm more excited about feeling John move and have been trying to feel him when Fallon tells me he is moving... no luck yet.

-Fallon's belly has gotten bigger times a lot... (Thanks Dear - Fallon)

Changes for John

-if born this month (we praying against it) he would have a better chance at living outside the womb

-he is practicing breathing using the amniotic fluid

-he will doubling his weight in one month... I hope he borrows some from me!

-he can hear us this month... even though Steven has been singing to him since Thanksgiving.

-his blood vessels are forming... giving him an adorable pink glow.

The big ultrasound

Well.... about 2 weeks ago we had our big ultrasound.

We found out on our anniversary and it was a great way to start the day. Steven went to work for a couple of our hours and then came home to drive me to the appointment. I had to drink a TON of water and not use the restroom for 2.5 hours. It was crazy! Steven made the comment that it felt like he was driving me to the hospital to have the baby because I got mad at him if he made me laugh or hit a bump while driving. It was painful... I don't know that it was the MOST painful thing I've done, but it definitely wasn't comfortable!

Once we there and after some measurements I was allowed to use the restroom. After that I really enjoyed the appointment. We got a DVD but I can't figure out how to upload it. I took some snap shots on the computer while I watched the video and thus the pictures below.

To start things off... if you haven't heard... and you probably have... the baby is a BOY! His name is going to be John Steven Swindell. And we absolutely can't wait to meet him. He wasn't very bashful and the lady conducting the ultrasound kept on saying, "Pretty convincing."

Boy shots

The next picture is kinda hard to see, but it's pretty sweet. It's a foot as it sweeps by the screen. In the second picture you can see toes. I like em'!

This is a picture of his little face (straight on).

The really dark spot are his eyes and

half of face is blocked by the placenta.

Profiles of his spine, stomach & legs.

Picture of the back of his neck & spine.

Profile of him face down.

His hand is touching his neck.

An arm and hand in a fist.

Brain!

Back of the neck

Heart rate measurements. 15o bpm.

Profile of his face... so sweet!

Baby Crib

As soon as we found out we were pregnant Steven said, "I want to build the crib!" I followed with, "and I'll make the bedding!" We are just plain nerdy... but I love it because we are so right for each other!

Anyway. I will post about the bedding when we get to it but we have gotten quite a start on the crib and I'm pretty excited. Here is a little preview...


First and foremost... SAFETY!
We've researched online and this is what we have gathered.

-The crib mattress must fit securely in the crib. If two adult fingers can fit in between the mattress and the railing then the space it too wide. Two adult fingers is a little over one inch... we designed a crib spacing of 3/4 of an inch.

-From the top of the crib, the mattress height should be two times the depth of the crib mattress. Crib mattress must be less than 6 inches deep... so for an infant we planned 12 inches and a baby that can sit up we planned 18 inches.

-The railing spacing must be at most 2 inches. Ours is 1.5 inches.

-Some drop down side have been recalled, so we designed a stationary side.


The Design!!!
Here are some pictures of the preliminary drawings. Steven came up with this and as you will see below we tweaked it together. The big cross is a cut out and the two little crosses are carved.

Side View

End View

Then we found google sketch up! Below are some 3D views of the crib. This is the most recent design. We took away the larger boards on the sides, but other than that it is pretty similar.

End View

Side view

mattress is at the lower level

mattress at the higher level

Soon to come... pictures of construction and the final crib!