land of nod

I've never been one for big bright crazy colors...some might call it boring, others may say restrained.
I prefer to think classic? Timeless? Meh, who knows.

This particular baby chicks bedding from Land of Nod is not boring at all but it is still pretty neutral in comparison to the super hot pink bedding out there.

and then there is this bedding that definitely qualifies as boring but I can't help myself. All I can think about is how soothing a neutral room would be at 3 in the morning trying to sleep sitting upright while feeding a small human being.

Plus...let's not beat around the bush, my dog's hair is literally everywhere including my clothes, mouth, eyeballs, floor, anything fabric, well anything at all. And all I can think when I look at this is how great it would be at masking the white fur hair that would undoubtedly be all over this thang.

Hope the baby's not allergic??

dreams

I haven't been sleeping very well lately because of all the crazy dreams, more like nightmares, that I've been having!

Some of them are baby related and others are just weird.  But all super vivid and I felt like I was half awake the entire night last night because of it.

I also woke up last night feeling cramps in my stomach muscles from moving from the position I had been laying in.  I've had those cramps for a few weeks actually, and they are just muscular cramps, maybe from growing/stretching??  I have no idea.  But I'm not even growing much yet so who knows.

We use a lot of these for OT, it's good for fine motor grips and also helps teach kids the very beginnings of how to put clothes on and take them off.  Just amazon search "dressing board" and maybe refine it under learning toys and it will pop up

aloe butter

The Body Shop's Aloe Body Butter is a 2 in toxicity levels on ewg.org/skindeep which means it is my new Michigan-dry-skin life saver

Sigh of relief.

quilting

I love this chevron quilt from aestheticnest and never considered quilting anything for the baby but I may be a convert!

Quilting has never been interesting to me but I definitely want mostly quilted blankets for the crib bedding and this might be a good quick project for me this summer when I have time for these things.

I don't think I'll do the chenille look on the opposite side and the binding was the hardest looking part to me but I looked up a few tutorials and grasped the concept.

So cute!

:: edit :: after looking at this photo again and thinking about functionality I'm a little worried the quilt might bunch up and become overly wrinkly after a machine washing, which I can only assume will be necessary.  Guess we'll find out; maybe I should make a tiny one first just to see...it would be a shame to waste all that time

really?

From babycenter.com

"During the first 14 weeks of your pregnancy, fluid passes from your circulatory system into the amniotic sac. Early in the second trimester, your baby starts to swallow the fluid, pass it through his kidneys, and excrete it as urine, which he then swallows again, recycling the full volume of amniotic fluid every few hours. (Yes, this means that most of the fluid is eventually your baby's urine!) "

So....the baby is drinking it's own pee??? whaaaa?

Disturbed.  I feel I need more clarification on this.

strawberries and olives

The baby is no longer an embryo - it is a fetus!

No more tail, heart is getting close to complete, and the external sex organs are there.

Wish I could see them but I still have another 9 weeks before I can get my gender ultrasound.

I've been on pinterest a lot and realized later that I've been pinning alot of strawberry desserts - I had Jared pick up some strawberry ice cream at the store because I can't stop thinking about strawberries!

down home amy...

...found here on etsy.

I love her shop and will probably have to give in to her panda bib.

Downside? None except she lives in Canada.

Upside? SUPER cheap shipping to the U.S.!

Body butter review

So that body butter that I bought from anthoorganic on etsy came yesterday and I tried it out!  Thought I'd give my two cents about it.  It surprised me how hard it was - literally like cold butter that you have to cut into.  It makes sense because it is the texture of raw shea butter but for some reason the "creamy" description led me to think it would be softer.  It works really well though, and there is a slight scent which isn't my favorite but it does disappear after awhile.  I tried it on my michigan hands and it healed them, although I would be more wary to use it on my face even though I tend to put ANYTHING on my face with no thought to whether it was meant for faces or not.  It melts at the touch of skin and turns into a buttery/oily texture that makes me think it would be ideal for clogging pores so I will probably not use it for this but will definitely put it to use when I start growing in the summer because it isn't oily after it soaks in.

End of longest review ever.

August 24!

August 24, 2012!

little paddle hands and paddle legs

The ultrasound tech said 8 weeks and it looks a lot like what the books show it would look like...head with a big lump on it for a brain and paddles for limbs.  The heartbeat was 162 (maybe it's a girl? banking on an old wives tale here...) and all looks healthy.  Also I have a long cervix so I should "carry my baby well".  Well alright then!

Also....is it just me or is there a superimposed adult face on the baby's head?? Totally a figment of my imagination as the baby still more or less resembles a sea horse with limbs, but Jared pointed this out to me and it is really creepy....!

almost...

Tomorrow is our first prenatal appointment and I just want it to get here already so I can go in and hear that I don't have an alien baby or that I am making up the pregnancy in my head!

Intervention, Yea!

We are finally getting to intervention in the program, and this whole semester is dedicated to pediatrics, which goes up to adolescents.  That will hopefully come in somewhat handy as I have limited experience with children and I will need to know a thing or two pretty soon!

photo credit http://www.childsplayot.com/

the daybook

I love Sydney from thedaybookblog.com and this photo was so cute!

amerasian

Amerasian babies - specifically, Korean/Caucasian

Organic body butter

Except I bought unscented.  The building that my program is in is voluntarily fragrance free and I prefer unscented sometimes anyway.

Ingredients:
raw organic shea butter*
organic sunflower oil*
organic golden jojoba oil*
organic rice bran oil*
natural gmo-free tocopherols (vitamin E)
lavender organic essential oil*
bergamot organic essential oil*
* USDA certified organic ingredients

$16 from anthoorganic on etsy

awkward...

These awkward pregnancy photos on pregnantchicken's blog are ridiculous!  This is truly how I am spending my 3 week Christmas vacation.

ha

couldn't resist

In searching for some japanese/korean inspiration on etsy for baby room decorations, I found these cute notecards from queenofheartspaper.  Had to buy them.  New impulse purchase record, less than 10 seconds.  But it's us!  On paper!

For the sewer (sew-er?) in your life

 Spoonflower sells fabric that can be cut and sewn up into a cloth book!  So cute and I love the idea.  It saves me the step of having to print the design myself, which crossed my mind.  I always see something and think about how I would go about making it from scratch on my own and this is MUCH easier.  I just ordered one fat quarter in quilting weight.  I might back the fabric with cotton batting so it's more plush.

Mobiles have gotten so much cooler since the day of the plastic musical spinning variety

1. http://www.petitcollage.com/deluxe-blue-elephant-mobile.html

2. http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/how-to/how-to-crane-mobile-040974

3. http://ideas.homelife.com.au/media/images/5/2/7/6/0/527619-1_ll.jpg

Should've known there'd be a survey for this....

Pregnancy Survey

About You
Name: Lindsay
Age: 25
Height: 4’11”
Pre-pregnancy weight: 118
About The Father 
Name: Jared
Age: 26
Height: 5’7”?
Are you still together: Married for 3.5 years…will be more like 4 when the baby arrives (rough guess)
About Your Pregnancy
Is this your first pregnancy: Yes
When did you find out you were pregnant: December 15 the last day of exams before holiday break

Was it planned: Yes, only we planned for it to be 3-5 years from now

What was your first reaction: Disbelief although I wouldn’t have been taking the test if I already hadn’t thought it was a possibility

Who was with you when you found out: Nobody, I took it when I got home and had to wait for Jared to get home…he took a lot longer than he has ever taken since tax season and didn’t get home until 7pm
Who was the first person you told: Jared
How did your parents react: Both sides happy, although I’m sure both sides are aware of the challenges it will present
How far along are you: I’m not sure…maybe 8-10 weeks?? First prenatal on Jan 13…almost a month after my test! I am feeling pretty patient although it would be nice to get some details so I could somewhat plan ahead for my future.
What was your first symptom: I had what I thought were normal pregnancy symptoms of sore chest but then my period never came.  I waited 2-ish weeks or less, and still nothing, but the sore chest persisted.

What is your due date: Not sure yet!

Do you know the sex of the baby: No - I have had some heartburn and I am hoping that it is a girl : )
Have you picked out names: Olivia May and Elliott James.  Elliot with one T or Elliott with two T’s? Middle names are somewhat negotiable but we are both pretty agreeable on our top choices for everything.
If so, what are they: Olivia May, Elliott James
How much weight have you gained:  I lost weight at first because I wasn’t eating as much with so much on my mind, and was eating SUPER healthy. However I have gained a few lbs since then thanks to Christmas food.
Do you have stretch marks: No
Have you felt the baby move:  No
Have you heard the heartbeat: No

About the birth
Home or hospital birth:  Hospital birth, Royal Oak Beaumont so far.
Natural or medicated birth: Medication I think
Who will be in the delivery room with you: Just Jared
Will you breastfeed: Yes
Do you think you’ll need a c-section?: I don’t see why and I’d rather not but I’d also rather do what the doctors think is safest.
Will you cry when you hold the baby for the first time: Probably, I feel like I have had a track record building recently for sentimental moments
What’s the first thing you might say to him/her: Hello. jk
Would you let someone videotape the birth: No
Are you excited about the birth, or scared?: After reading the birthing process and especially episiotomies, I got a little scared, but I’m sure it will all be fine and everyone says they don’t remember much about the actual birthing process after awhile.

Heartburn

Still not sure of my exact due date or how far along I am but I have been experiencing some acid reflux and heartburn at different times of the day.  The chocolate chip cookie I ate after dog training yesterday night did not help.  Last night I had to sit slightly upright due to heartburn but it did subside.  Today I also felt nauseous for a good portion of the afternoon and slept most of the day.  I’ve been getting car sick easily as well but nothing major.  Also, the dog ate one of the baby books so I had to go get a new replacement…

Christmas

We decided that because my parents were going to be in Savannah, LA, then South America until mid February, then Spain, that we would tell them the news.  Also, my sister would be there from Nashville and it is so hard to get everyone together all at once so it seemed a good opportunity to tell people in person.  We ended up also telling Jared’s family as I don’t think we will drive back to Grand Rapids anytime soon or see everyone altogether at once and I know they would prefer to hear it in person as well.  I’m finding it very difficult to keep the news to myself because I feel like I am always thinking about it and am lying when people ask about my plans for the future or what has been going on in our life.  So far my extended family knows and a few friends as well.  I am a little worried that I fell into the trap of telling people too early before my first appointment but I prefer to say it in person and the Christmas holiday was too perfect.  I can’t keep a secret either; not even my own…

December 15, 2011

The beginning :
I had taken a pregnancy test the week before but it was negative.  Then again, it was the line vs. double line kind and I realized later that you have to wait much longer than I thought for a positive response so I could have thrown it away before it had time to “marinate”.  The next Thursday I had taken the two (and only) final exams I had that semester, went to Tower Inn in Ypsi for a drink and dinner with my program, almost got in a car accident, and then casually picked up some more tests just in case because I was planning to go to 2 Christmas parties that weekend and would want to know for sure beforehand.  And of course, the 5 tests I took within the 2 days following were all positive!  When Jared got home I had to tell him about it and he was not expecting to hear that news, but I think that the idea of what is about to happen is settling in slowly. 

Unfortunately I have 2 years left of my Occupational Therapy master’s program and it is going to be very difficult.  I am planning to continue and not take a break at all in between but this might be wildly unrealistic as I have no idea what it is like to have a baby in the middle of an academic program!  This will be easier to envision when I have my first prenatal appointment on January 13 and we get a solid due date.  I have no idea how far along I am and Somerset Gynecology/Obstetrics wants to make sure there is something visible on the ultrasound when I go in for the first appointment so they are having me wait.  For all I know by then I could be only 6-8 weeks or I could be more like 10!  It’s a very long wait but luckily it is Christmas break and I have 3 weeks to read, relax, and think.

Winter semester begins January 9 and then on that same Friday I will have my appointment, so I think time will fly by.  Hopefully nothing is wrong and I am earlier than I thought so I will be due earlier in the summer as I have all of July and August off!