Onesies

My friends Claire and Claire threw a "Billings baby blowout" shower for me last night and invited a bunch of the students that are involved with our ministry.  We played chug the bottle- hilarious.  The bottles were filled with apple juice and apparently it's a lot harder to drink out of a bottle than you think.  They were pretty small bottles and it still took them about 5 minutes just to finish them.  We also played "Celebrity baby name OR fake baby name."  Also hilarious.  I'm all for creativity but "Pilot Inspektor" and "Audio Science"?  Poor kids. 
My favorite baby clothes are just little white onesies.  There is just something about how simple and clean looking they are compared to all the other busy baby outfits. I just love them.  I can't wait until it is warm enough for little B to just run around in a plain white onesie.  So our other activity at the shower was painting white onesies.  I just knew that out of a bunch of sorority girls there had to be some artistic talent to make some cute outfits!  I was right! 
How funny is the "got milk?" and the "pink" one?  Notice that the "pink" is written on the booty of the onesie.  Stephen was not too thrilled about that one and we have already argued about whether or not she will even be allowed to wear this one.  (I'm pretty sure he's the only guy that will be checking out her booty for quite a while, and that will only be to check for poo.)

 Don't worry, she will get a Razorback onesie soon enough. 

How cute are those!?  I am sad I didn't get more newborn or 0-3mo sizes so she can wear them sooner. 

Birthing Class #2

We made our second attempt at a birthing class this weekend, and it was so much better!  Here we are about to leave!  We were pretty excited (well, I was.) 

This was an all day class (9am to 4pm) and even though it took up our whole Saturday it was SO much better than our Bradley class experience!  Our teacher seemed like a fairly normal human being, and we were in the class with about 8 other normal couples.  In fact, I think I was the only "crazy" person in there that is considering a natural birth.  It was unbelievable how different the information was from the Bradley class.  This was a completely unbiased class that was not trying to sway anyone to do a drug free or drug assisted birth.  I felt like we could trust the information.  We learned about drug free births, drug assisted, induction, and c-sections.  But some of the stuff was literally the exact opposite of what the Bradley teacher told us.  Someone is lying!  :) 

We learned lots of great relaxation techniques for labor, and it was great fun for me because Stephen had to "practice."  Which meant that he spent most of the morning rubbing my shoulders and back to find out what relaxes and soothes me.  Ha!  He was a trooper and I think he will be so helpful when I am in labor.  Here is Stephen in his "dad" outfit for the day.  He left his morning coffee mug, which completed the ensemble, in the car.  At least it's not a wind suit. 

It was fun because several of the women were 35 and 36 weeks pregnant.  It was crazy to think that they could be having their babies any day now!  And I'm only a few weeks behind!  We can't wait!

It's time

That's right folks.  It's time for Christmas.  I know there are some scrooges out there (like my husband) that think you can't start celebrating Christmas until after Thanksgiving.  He said to me yesterday:
"That's like on my birthday in June, you saying 'happy birthday, but we are celebrating my birthday today too.'"
But I personally believe that of all people, we are allowed to celebrate CHRIST'S birthday whenever we want!  Who's with me?!  And luckily I was able to finally convince Stephen to get the Christmas decorations out of the shed.  I compromised and we are waiting until next weekend to get the tree up.  Even some of the radio stations agree with me.  My new favorite started playing Christmas music nonstop on November 1st.  So I'm actually late in the game. 
So I also decided that not only does my house need decorations, but my blog does too.   I am still searching to see if I can find an even better background, but this one will do fine for now. 
Come to our house and you can enjoy hot cocoa in one of our many Christmas mugs, eat on our Christmas plates, eat candy out of the snowman candy jar (there will be Christmas m&m's soon), and watch Elf. 

Sleep these days...

I love being pregnant.  Every little inconvenient thing is so worth having a baby.  So I hope no one ever gets confused about whether I like this or not, or am thankful that God allowed us to be pregnant.  But let's be honest, the interesting things to write about are the inconveniences! 
Like sleep, for instance.  I need it more than usual, however, everything seems to make it more difficult and less enjoyable.  I am tired during the day and need to take a nap, but when I do, I have trouble falling asleep at night.  It is nearly impossible to get comfortable.  I wake up a million times at night to use the bathroom, B is practicing gymnastics(I do love being woken up by this!), its an inferno in our room, etc.  I either have horrible heartburn, or I am wide awake despite the fact that I was falling asleep all day.  Several times I have laid there talking to Stephen, only to discover he's fast asleep. This pregnancy hasn't negatively affected his sleep.  He's another thing that complicates my sleep.  I get SO hot these days.  Stephen, being the sweet husband that he is, is a bit of a cuddler at night.  He blames me for this.  Pregnancy has made me, well, NOT a cuddler.  He gets really cold at night, traps himself in with covers, and somehow manages to get his body temperature to about 200 degrees. Then he gravitates over to my side of the bed, and I wake up drenched in sweat.  I have felt him before and been sure he was dying because he felt so hot.  Luckily our house has been about 60 degrees at night so I can throw the covers off and get a little relief.  I usually have to tell Stephen to move to his side of the bed about 2 or 3 times a night.  It's not that I don't love him, he just tends to smother me at night. 
Another thing that is pretty stressful about sleep is that I sleep on my back.  Everyone knows you aren't suppose to sleep on your back when you are pregnant.  I think for a lot of people it just eventually gets uncomfortable and they stop on their own.  It seems for most people this happens around 4 or 5 months.  Well here I am, over 7 months pregnant, and I wake up on my back most of the night. 

I seem to have a lot on my mind at night that I can't just let go.  I seriously lost sleep in the midst of my cloth diaper research because I couldn't help but lay there in bed thinking about it.  This past week a good friend of ours came to stay with us.  We only have one bathroom upstairs and both our bedroom and the guest room are upstairs so we get to share a bathroom with our guests.  No big deal.  I wake up at every tiny noise though.  Also really not that big of a deal since I probably need to pee anyway.  Well, our friend used the bathroom but didn't want to flush the toilet because he didn't want to wake us up.  Silly, since I woke up as soon as I heard him get out of bed.  So I can't go back to sleep because I am afraid I'll gag when I go in there because it will smell like pee.  What a strange thing to lay there and think about!  I think I laid there for an hour worrying about it- not to mention, I really did have to pee, but I was afraid to because of the smell.  So I laid there and wouldn't get up until Stephen got up to use the bathroom.  Kinda mean to make him suffer through the smell, but he's a man and he's not pregnant.  I told him the next morning what happened and he told me I should have woken him up and told him to flush the toilet for me.  So I did the next night when our friend did the same thing.  It's kinda funny really, to think that I laid there and lost sleep, all because I was afraid of smelling pee. 

I am getting use to not sleeping well or much, and am actually looking forward to having something to do during the times I am not sleeping when we have this baby.  Sometimes I lose sleep because I am thinking about that. 

31 weeks!

30 weeks

This was a monumental week in my pregnancy thus far.  Mainly because I am REALLY feeling pregnant.  In a good way, of course.  There is just something about 30 that all of a sudden there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Here are some real live pregnancy observations:

One or two more weeks, and I think Stephen will be putting my socks on for me!  I now actually have to roll out of bed.  I can still sit straight up if I try really hard, but it hurts.  I quit wearing my wedding rings a few weeks ago, because my fingers would swell on and off through the day and get uncomfortable, but now they are pretty much swollen all the time.  We had a meeting with a bunch of college students the other day and I was talking to a girl, and she noticed I am pregnant so we talked about that for a while.  Well, she is good friends with another girl on staff who she later told: "That is so great that even though she got pregnant when she isn't married that she can still be so involved with the ministry!"  Ha!  I watched myself walking by a mirror the other day and I am pretty sure I was waddling.  It took me three days to clean the house this week.  Not because I did anything especially difficult, I just have to take a long break between major activities.  There is no more Halloween candy left for the trick or treaters.  I will take personal responsibility for this, BUT I found out yesterday when I was feeling guilty for eating so much candy that Stephen actually got into the huge bag, dumped it out, and picked out all of the twix bars.  It's actually not ALL gone, but all that is left are a few milky ways and 3 musketeers, and who even likes those?  

Pregnancy makes you crazy.  I spent the first 3 months worrying that I wasn't actually pregnant, the next 3 worrying because I wasn't big enough.  Then I had a bit of a growth spurt and I worried that I was too big.  My baby started moving a LOT in the last few weeks, which was fun, but then I started to worry that she was moving too much.  Then a couple days ago, she slowed down a bit, so I had to go in to do a nonstress test to make sure she isn't moving too little.  She gets the hiccups.  But is getting them more that 4 or 5 times a day a sign of something bad?  I bet I could find something on google that says it is.  I recently discovered that she is "transverse" (laying sideways) in my belly.  What if she doesn't turn?  C-section?  And then I pray and ask God that she would get here early (cause who doesn't want to have their baby asap?) but I have to cautiously throw in, "But only if she's healthy, strong, and with no complications, and not TOO early!"  As if God will play a dirty trick on me and answer my prayer to bring her early and say "But you just said early...you didn't say you ALSO wanted her to be healthy..."  So I take the prayer back.  "Nevermind....just healthy." 

And there is also the mood swings.  I use to think this was just an excuse for girls to be mean, then blame it on being pregnant.  I'll only confess one instance to you:  Stephen and I were on our way to bed.  He was in a pretty good mood trying to be all cuddly, and I just wasn't feeling it.  Sometimes I just don't want to be touched.  Well, he decided I was in a playful mood too, despite my hints, and was just pestering me.  I told him to cut it out, and of course he took this as me playing back, who knows why.  So then he starts tickling me and pinning me down- which I HATE.  So I sortof start freaking out, but of course, he still just thinks I'm playing back.  So then he gives me a strawberry on my belly and on my neck- (you know, where you basically blow spit all over someone...) So that's it for me.  I push him off and yell at him to quit it.  He realizes the fun is over, but still doesn't think its as big of a deal as I do.  So I storm off to the bathroom (because I have to pee for the hundredth time) and contemplate my revenge in there.  I came back, and did the only appropriate thing.  I spit on my hand and wipe it on his face and say "You spit on me, I spit on you."  He obviously at this point was convinced I was a psycho.  I apologized.  Now maybe that wasn't pregnancy, but I need to believe it was.  And frankly, it's a good thing I had something to blame it on!  :)

Here I am at 29 weeks! 

Cloth diapers

Now, I know what you are thinking.  The shabby white rectangle cloth somehow finagled to fit around a baby's tiny little legs and waist- fastened at the sides with clothespins or safety pins- bulky and sad looking with the noisy plastic waterproof pants over them.  Yes, that is what they use to be, and what I was lucky enough to wear during my diaper days...(apparently my sensitive little bottom just couldn't take the chemicals of disposables)  Well, cloth diapers have come a long way since then.  Did you know that if your baby isn't potty trained until 2 years (or older for MANY kids!) then you will probably spend $2000 or MORE on disposable diapers!?  If you are like me, and you want several kids- or 5, then that means $10,000 on DIAPERS.  Trash, basically.  It's disheartening.  When I read the ridiculous expense diapers would be, I began my research of cloth diapers.  Much to my surprise, not only have they come a long way in their functionality but also in appearance!  I'll give you the short rundown.

Prefolds and covers: almost exactly what I previously described- however, the covers don't HAVE to be plastic water pants.  They make cute ones in colors and prints that velcro or snap closed. *$1 for the prefold (cloth) and anywhere from $7-$17 for the cover (which can be reused without washing if it doesn't get yucky)
Fitteds and covers:  Same as above, only the cloth part is actually designed to fit on just like a diaper.  *$5-$15 for a fitted
Pocket diaper: looks like a regular diaper, (but cute) and there is a pocket on the inside that you stuff with a liner that soaks up whatever comes out of the baby.  *$15-$25, $5 for extra liners
All in 2:  Same as above, only no pocket, you either snap or lay the liner in. *$18-$25
All in 1: Exactly like a disposable diaper, only you don't throw it away, you wash it.  (You obviously wash all of them...)  *$20-$30
ALSO many of these come in sizes, or one size that can adjust to fit the baby.  Obviously- the sized will fit better, but the one size will be more economical and in the long run, save more money.

Babies need their diaper changed around 8 to 12 times a day, so you need at least that many diapers, and twice that many if you don't want to CONSTANTLY be doing laundry.  I have already started my collection (with the help of my mom of course) but I won't be done until several weeks after she is born, so I can see exactly which ones I really like best.  Here is my collection so far- with a few in the mail on the way: 

All of these are Pocket diapers.  The top two are one size (adjusted to smallest setting), the middle two are sized (small), and the bottom one is a duo- there are only two sizes (so it adjusts but will eventually be too small).  I have some Prefolds and covers on the way, as well as some All in Ones.  I am trying to have a variety of about 10-12 diapers to try when she is first born, then I will buy the rest in the kinds I like. 


There is obviously a lot more that goes into cloth diapering...like how you store them before you wash them, how you wash them, what to do when you are traveling, smells, etc.  But I will save that for those that are actually interested!  I am slightly obsessed and thanks to a few sleepless nights recently, I feel like I could start my own business with these or teach a class or something, and I don't even have a baby.   So do you think I'm crazy, or what? 

So long second trimester...

I may be jinxing myself since I actually have one full week left of the second trimester...but here are the top 10 things I will not miss about the second trimester in no particular order:

1.  "MY second trimester was great!  You are going to feel better in a week or two!"  You shouldn't tell a pregnant girl that, cause it might not be true! 
2. Weight gain.  I could cope with the 3 pounds of the first trimester, but holy cow I packed them on the next 3 months.
3. The inbetween belly.  No one could really tell I was pregnant, but it was clear I had gained weight.  And what do you wear for the in between belly? 
4. Hairy belly.  Something no one really tells you about...yes, my belly is hairy.  Luckily its blonde, but still pretty sick if you ask me.
5. Sweating.  Last week it was 50 degrees one evening- I had on a tank top and was still sweating profusely.  I know my hormones will continue to be wacky, but at least my third trimester will be enjoyed with cooler temps. 
6. Appointments.  4 weeks is just entirely too long to think up all the horrible things that could happen before your next appointment.  The internet should really be banned for all pregnant women. 
7. Braxton Hicks.  They were fun at first....but now I don't like them.
8. Glucose screening test.  That stuff made me feel sick the whole day!
9. Time.  Somehow it now takes me twice as long to do EVERYTHING. 
10. Even though it's just around the corner, it still FEELS like forever until I get to have my baby! 

Honestly, it was difficult for me to come up with 10 things I won't miss, so I guess the second trimester wasn't all bad.  It was surprisingly easy to come up with the 10 things I loved about the second trimester:

1. We got to find out we are having a girl, and got to see her on 2 ultrasounds squirming away.  
2. We got to pick out her name.
3. I get to feel her move all the time.
4. Stephen can SEE the little human inside me squirming around.
5. Hiccups.  Who knew it could be so fun for someone else to have the hiccups?
6. No more picky eater here...EVERYTHING sounds good!
7. Grandparents can no longer resist the urge to buy things.
8. I AM starting to show.  Which leads to the next bonus-
9. "Expecting mothers" parking spots.  I don't feel like a criminal now that I sortof look pregnant.
10. Books.  If only I could have gone to college to get a degree in pregnancy and motherhood.  I would have been such a faithful student and would have aced all my tests.

Here I am at 27 weeks.  One more week until 3rd trimester!