Baby Wotring - 32 Weeks!

Only two months left!

This week our little girl weighs 3.74 pounds and is almost 17 inches long -- about the size of a large jicama! Baby Wotring now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair. Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for her arrival. She's busy practicing skills she'll need to thrive out in the real world -- from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking.

Sunday afternoon in Baby School! 

On Sunday, we had our childbirth class and while it made for a long day to be sitting in plastic chairs for 6 hours, we both learned a lot and feel more prepared for what we may encounter on D-Day. The class was run by an older woman who has been a labor and delivery nurse for something like 40 years. She's retired now but teaches various childbirth/baby classes for the INOVA hospital system. She was pretty engaging and really made you feel comfortable and free to ask questions which was good because I had a bunch of them! The last part of class was all about practicing various breathing and relaxation techniques which will definitely be useful for both of us!

I was very impressed with the hubs.  He only had a visible reaction to one of the videos we watched (get used to it, punkin) but otherwise he was into it, took notes and he's all into writing out our birth plan so we know the type of experience we would ideally like to have. I know he's going to be an amazing support for me on D-Day and a great dad to our little nugget!

32 week belly

Lots of people have been asking us if we've decided on a name for Baby Wotring and while we are close, this indecisive mom-to-be is scared we'll decide on a name, share it with the peeps in our little world, and then I'll inevitably come across a name I like even more or when Baby Girl arrives I'll look at her and think, that's not the right name! Is this normal? I'm thinking it's probably pretty normal to second-guess yourself on something so important as the name your child will have for the rest of his or her life...

I've been noticing some Braxton Hicks contractions this week and feel like my belly doubles in size from morning to night but still feel great and energy seems normal as does sleep!  I was craving fresh berries and almond butter this week so satisfied both on my weekly grocery run to Trader Joe's. I also had a random craving for coffee cake over the weekend but didn't do anything about it. Low and behold, one of my coworkers read my mind and left some mini coffee cake bites in this kitchen yesterday -- score! I'm up another 1/2 pound bringing me to an even 20 pounds gained!

Such a cute invite! 

My wonderful sister-in-law and mother-in-law are hosting a co-ed baby shower for us this weekend at the lake and we are both so excited for it! We've got lots of really special people that are traveling there to celebrate Baby Wotring with us -- we are so lucky to have such amazing people in our lives!

Parenthood and Other Random Thoughts from the Hubs

Somewhere early in the pregnancy Amy suggested the idea of me doing a post to add my perspective on our upcoming joy.  I have been ready for us to expand our family for a few years.  Amy had personal goals she wanted to achieve before we embarked on this great adventure, so to say I am anxious for the next eight weeks to be over is an understatement.  Before I get too deep in this post I should probably apologize in advance.  Writing has never been a strength of mine so you will have to suffer through run-on sentences.  It’s a gift and a curse; I write how I speak.

From a father’s standpoint, the pregnancy has been very overwhelming.  It’s a mixture of excitement, fear, and virtually every other emotion imaginable.  I was blessed to have two amazing parents who provided me a spectacular upbringing.  Not only were they both extremely supportive, but they also were able to provide me everything I could imagine.

Practicing my snuggles with my daughter dogter

I want my daughter, and any future children we may be blessed with, to have every opportunity I was provided.  My parents managed to do this yet keep me grounded.  Determining this balance terrifies me; giving her every opportunity imaginable while keeping her motivated enough to not become one of the stereotypical entitled brats we come across far too often in this country. 

I also worry about not providing Amy with the support she needs and deserves throughout this pregnancy and once the baby arrives.  Amy is a very independent person and cannot stand asking for help; however, I know that she needs more from me right now than I am used to giving.  She is an amazing person and deserves much more than me.  She did say yes to marrying me though which means she is stuck with me.   

I could get used to this! 

I find myself focusing mostly on the choices Amy and I will make when dealing with our daughter over the next 20 years which will shape the person she becomes.  She has the lineage of two great families in her genetic makeup, and her potential is endless.  I want to be sure I do everything I can to set her on a path of making the best possible choices to achieve what she wants in life, and to live life in an honest and honorable way.

Ultimately, I just want our daughter to be free to pursue whatever interests her and not just make choices in the world to pay bills and get by -- so long as she avoids the horrible choice of her parents to pursue politics and policy.  Having the intelligence and compassion of her mom; combined with the analytic skills and street smarts of her father will give her limitless potential.  Of course her mom’s height along with her dad’s athleticism would be a nice bonus.

-RTW

Baby Wotring - 31 Weeks!

Down to single digits! Baby Girl is as many weeks as her mom and dad are years!

Baby blanket by the fabulous Dianna K

This week, Baby Wotring measures over 16 inches long and weighs approximately 3 1/3 pounds -- about the size of a coconut! She's quickly approaching her birth length and is heading into a growth spurt that will pack on another three to five (!!) pounds before it's time to make her entrance into the world. Baby girl can turn her head from side to side and her arms, legs and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulate under the skin. The baby app on my phone also tells me she's putting in longer stretches of sleep so I may begin to notice more defined patterns of wakefulness and rest but I have to say, at this point I'm wondering when the little nugget sleeps since it seems like she's constantly having a dance party in here!

Apologies for the shadows. I've yet to master taking photos at night with the new camera. 

Every time I type some iteration of "I felt really good this week" I cross my fingers and hope it's not the last time I type those words but once again, I felt good this week!  Energy and sleep were both good and no serious aches or pains despite the fact I hadn't been to yoga in almost 2 weeks before tonight. I've been consistently getting in at least three cardio sessions a week in addition to yoga so while I miss hitting up the W&OD trail on a Saturday morning for a training run, I'm pretty happy with my overall fitness at this point.

On Sunday the hubs and I have our all-day "Childbirth Express" class and I'm actually really looking forward to it -- remind me of this when we are five hours deep in labor and delivery horror stories! But honestly, I'm hoping it's a good experience and we learn some things that will help us prepare for D-Day.

#eatallthedonuts

See those gorgeous donuts above? I think I ate about six when I was in Maine over the weekend and I have them to thank for a little jump in my weight (up 1 1/2 pounds) but they were worth every ounce on the scale and I think our little girl enjoyed them too! For any Mainers or people traveling to Maine in the future, The Holy Donut in Portland should be on your MUST VISIT list! They make Maine potato donuts, which as the name implies, are made with real Maine mashed potatoes. The Holy Donut also uses high-quality ingredients and no high fructose corn syrup in these delicious little gems so as donuts go they are pretty much a health food (not really but let's pretend!). My favorites were pomegranate and dark chocolate sea salt. Since I didn't get to try them all, I hope to get my hands on a fresh lemon glazed, roasted pistachio and tart cherry next time I'm in Maine!

And now I want a donut....

Finally, one last picture from my weekend in Maine. My brother's dog, Andy, picked out his favorite outfit for baby girl.

Pink is his favorite color. 

Maine Baby Shower

Baby Wotring and I spent the long weekend up in Maine and we had a great time! We all missed the hubs who wasn't able to make the trip. He was busy at home with work, nursery stuff and getting acquainted with the new stroller!

Hubs practicing his stroller pushing skills...lookin' good! 

Mi Madre, sister and our family friend Kerry hosted a beautiful baby shower on Saturday afternoon at Kerry's new house on Brettun's Pond.  The theme was Winter in Paris. My sister did an amazing job coming up with the theme and bringing Paris to Maine since she knew I had originally dreamed about going there for our babymoon this winter.

Beautiful decorations and DIY glitter vases

C'est une fille (french translation "It's a girl") Crafted by Madre. 

To say I felt spoiled would be an understatement! I had family & friends travel from all over (including Massachusetts and Florida!!!!) to attend the shower. Not only was it so good to see all their wonderful faces and get to spend some time with them, but they were WAY too good to us and baby girl received so many wonderful gifts from all of them.

WARNING: copious photos ahead!

College roommates Dianna & Krista

Fish on the butt -- so adorable! 

Hand-made with love by the talented Dianna Kilgallen

BFF Katie all the way up from Florida! 

Baby girl's first fur from Aunt Mary, Uncle Bob, Court and Hill

Loved all the Maine books! 

30 weeks and 16 weeks

Kerry, one of the lovely hosts, and her daughter Heidi

My Memere and Baby Girl's Great Grandmother

Amazing desserts by my sister

Madre, me & sister

We are so incredibly thankful for our thoughtful and generous family and friends and appreciate all the love they showed Baby Wotring this weekend!! We are lucky to have such wonderful people in our lives!!   -- Love Ray, Amy & Baby Wotring

Baby Wotring - 30 Weeks!

The countdown is on...only 10 more weeks!

This week our little nugget is measuring about 15.7 inches long and weighs almost 3 pounds -- about the size of a head of cabbage! Our little girl is now regulating her own body temperature so she's beginning to shed lanugo, which is the downy body hair that has kept her warm up until now.  Baby girl's eyesight continues to develop too, though it's not very keen at the moment (sort of like her momma).  Even after birth, she will respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision -- compared to normal adult vision which is 20/20 like her dad -- and only make out objects a few inches from her face.

Where do we stand this week?
     Sleep = Great
     Mood = Happy
     Weight = Up 1 lb
     Cravings = applesauce & oranges
     Movement = non-stop (wondering when she actually sleeps?!)
     Symptoms = itchy stomach and crazy thirst

I'd say the biggest thing happening this week is extreme thirst! I've always been a big water-drinker but this week I just can't seem to get enough. Non-pregnant Amy usually drinks about 48 ounces of water while at work (not counting my coffee) but this week I've been drinking twice that amount! That's right people, 96 ounces over the course of 8 hours and I could probably drink more except then I'd probably be spending more time in the bano than at my desk! I asked the doctor about it this morning though and she assured me it's fine and to drink up.

Need more agua! 

Since I hadn't heard anything, I also asked her about my gestational diabetes test and she said I passed...YES!

Baby girl and I are heading to Maine today tomorrow (stupid cancelled flight) to spend the long weekend with family and friends for our baby shower! As always, the plan is to eat lots of Memere's bread, relax and enjoy time with mi familia! Sad the hubs won't be able to make the trip up but he's got work stuff going on and a few projects around the house to attend to.

Nursery Updates!

Ikea. Flat tires. Panera Bread. Assembly instructions. GMU basketball. Closets. Groceries. Bed, Bath & Beyond. Organization. Cooking. Cleaning. Laundry...I could go on!

We spent a rainy Saturday running all over the place to first pick-up our dresser/changing table and then to get my tire fixed since nails in tires are sort of problematic. After grabbing a quick lunch at Panera, it was time to assemble the dresser. It was probably a one person job but I think the hubs and I both like working on the nursery so it became a team effort and didn't take long before she was all finished!

Future home to many diaper changes

Saturday night was spent watching George Mason Men's basketball. They ended up losing to Saint Joseph's 80-84 but overall it was a good game and we were able to make it home in time to see the second half of another big game, the New England Patriots versus the Indianapolis Colts! Pats won, obvi.

Saturday night at the Patriot Center

In addition to our usual Sunday routine which includes groceries, cooking, cleaning and laundry, we finished the closet in between a few other errands. I'm psyched we'll be able to move the shelves and hanging bars around to maximize the space.

Need some itty bitty hangers for all the little nugget's cute clothes

The nursery is looking so good! All we are missing is the glider and the big stuff will all be done and it will be time to decorate!!

Dear Babies R Us,

Please call ASAP to say our glorious glider is ready for pick-up. 

Sincerely,

Anxious First Time Parents

I also tried a new recipe, Pistachio Pesto Chicken, Sunday night for dinner and it was a hit with both me and the hubs! It was posted by one of my fav food bloggers How Sweet It Is back in May and I saved it for future reference. Eight months later and I figured I might as well give it a try and I'm glad I did. I  could eat that pistachio pesto by the spoonful I tell ya! I made some pasta for the husband while I enjoyed my chicken with zucchini noodles.

 

Photo by How Sweet It Is since I forgot to snap a pic before we devoured dinner

Baby Wotring - 29 Weeks!

What's up week 29?

This week the little nugget weighs around 2 1/2 pounds and is a tad over 15 inches long - about the size of a butternut squash! Baby girl's head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain and her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature too. Every day about 200 milligrams of calcium is deposited in baby's skeleton which is now hardening. Since our little girl's nutritional needs reach their peak this trimester, it's important to eat all sorts of healthy right now!

We had a busy weekend and week getting stuff done for the nursery.  We were able to get the cordless blinds and curtains installed which is helping the room feel more like a nursery.  The husband was also pretty psyched when I finally made a decision on our glider which my in-laws so generously bought for us and baby (THANKS AGAIN GRANDMA & GRANDPA!!!).

Isn't she pretty?

She (the chair not the baby) should be here any day now and I think the hubs and I are both pretty excited to test out her swivel, glide and recline abilities. We plan to swaddle Brownie up and rock her to sleep. Just kidding...kinda.

The hubs spent the week working on Baby Girl's closet too. He tore out the old shelf and rod and is getting his patch, prime and paint on so we can redo the closet over the weekend to maximize space y'all!

29 bump belly

25 week bump comparison. Lots of growing over the holidays! 

My diet was pretty crappy over the holidays and as you know, so was my mood. I've really cleaned up my eats and -- hopefully I'm not speaking too soon -- as a result my mood has greatly improved. I credit eating paleo to my lack of morning sickness during the first trimester and I think cutting out most of the junk and gluten has helped stabilize my mood. My diet hasn't been completely clean though. This week I've been seriously craving chocolate! I may or may not have finished breakfast with a handful of dark chocolate chips on several occasions this week. I think Little Miss is going to have a sweet tooth like her momma.

Chocolate chips are a good breakfast food. No?

Otherwise, I'm still feeling good and no aches and pains. Total weight gain stands at 17 lbs and I'm still measuring exactly where I should be according to my doctor's appointment last week so she said to keep up what I'm doing. No word yet on my gestational diabetes test so I'm hoping that's a good thing...? I have my 30 week appointment next week so I plan to ask if I haven't already heard from them.

Mini photo dump

So the holiday and New Year flew by so fast I didn't really share many photos so without further adieu...

Christmas Eve night at the lake

Tired cousins waiting up for Santa

My wonderful in-laws

Familia! (also I figured out how to use the self-timer on my new camera which was exciting)

Ho Ho Ho

Playing with some of their new toys

NYE with some of my favorite ladies

Love him

Cutest little fur-ball