Wearable Baby Blanket

 

After I finished the baby wrap last week, I was on such a sewing kick that I immediately had to find another project to make.  I came across this pattern:  Wearable Blanket for Baby  and knew right away it was my next project.  Since the baby will be born in early January (give or take) it's going to be quite chilly out and this will be the perfect blanket to keep him or her warm through the night!

I followed the pattern almost exactly as she made it, but used a slightly different type of fabric.  I bought the fabric a couple months back with no idea what I was going to do with it.  It was on sale plus I got an "end of the bolt" discount and had a coupon... I think I paid maybe $6 for around 1 1/2 yards.  Super deal!  It is not fleece but it sure is soft and cozy...

I used one of the outfits I had picked up at a recent yard sale to measure out the pattern.  I choose a 3 month size outfit so hopefully it will fit the baby through the winter months.  This was also my first time sewing a zipper, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be!

3 mo. size outfit inside blanket

When I was at the craft store this weekend picking up a zipper, I also came across the cutest ribbon ever.  Since I needed some for an upcoming project, I picked up a roll...

And decided to make a little owl tag for the outside of the blanket!  Too cute  :)  I think I will start adding one to all my creations from now on...

 

Little tab with snap to cover up top of zipper:

Finished blanket:

So much fun to make!  Only took a few hours from start to finish and I was able to do it all in one day.

Total cost:

Polka-dot fabric:  approx. $2 for amount I used (I still have a huge square left over)

Green Zipper:  $2

$4 total!  Not bad for a sweet, snuggly wearable blanket!

8 Weeks

8 Weeks:

Well one thing is for sure...  Every week my roots are getting darker and darker, ha!  I had been planning on coloring my hair returning my hair to what should have been the color I was born with the weekend that I found out I was pregnant.  I was long overdue for a touch-up four weeks ago.  Now I have crossed into new territory - two toned striped hair.  It's a good look for me, you think?  ;)  While I have read in many places that coloring your hair while pregnant is safe, it is recommended that you wait until the second trimester when all the vital organs have finished forming to do so.  So that is my plan...  Until then please enjoy some rather humorous photos of my multi-colored hair!

As far at the belly photos go, to anyone else, I might look like I ate too many desserts lately...  There certainly isn't a bump at this point but my stomach is definitely pushing out more (I'm quite sure this is all just bloating!)  Even Erik told me that I don't look like my "usual shape" haha.  Fortunately at this point the change is not noticeable with clothes on, which is good because we still haven't told anyone else yet.  The Midwife appointment is just over two weeks away so hopefully soon we will be spreading the good news to close friends and family!

 8 Week Stats:

• At 8 weeks the baby is the size of a raspberry, weighs approx .04 ounces and measures about .63 inches. This week, growth is about a millimeter each day. 
• Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from the baby's hands and feet, eyelids practically cover the eyes, breathing tubes extend from the throat to the branches of the developing lungs, and the "tail" is just about gone.
• The baby has started moving around, waving around his/her tiny arms and legs.
• In the baby's brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways.
• The taste buds are now forming.  (Does this have anything to do with why I am so hungry?)  ;)

raspberry baby


Symptoms:

Happy to report, I am still feeling great!  Really not much new to report this week...  Still hungry most of the time (but it has seemed to settle down just a bit), breasts still large and slightly sore (two sports bras and a tight tank top have become my best friend on our morning runs), and I have still managed to remain free from morning sickness.  I called my Mom earlier this week concerned that something was wrong because I really do feel so normal, and she reassured me that both of her pregnancies were the same way.  She said if it wasn't for her clothes getting tighter she might have never known she was pregnant!  That made me feel a little better but I don't think I will be able to completely relax until we hear the heartbeat at the Midwife appointment in two weeks.

No new cravings this week, but I have seemed to back off the citrus fruit kick that I had been on for the last few weeks.  Even pickles and salty things are just an occasional snack.  So far my diet has not changed too much because of the pregnancy.  And thanks to the CSA we joined, we have a giant box of organic and pesticide-free produce being delivered every week which has required us to eat some veggies that we wouldn't normally buy.  Recently we have had bok choy, rutabagas, swiss chard, and turnips.  We have also been supplied with some of our favorites: sweet potatoes, kale, broccoli, and beets.  All good nutrition for growing a little baby!


In other news, I decided not to run the 10k that I had been planning on doing yesterday.  I went out for a 6 mile training run on Tuesday, and did fine until just after mile 3.  I became very hot, thirsty, and started to get fatigued.  Normally I would push through and likely feel fine if I kept going, but given the circumstances I opted to turn off my planned route and walk the 1.5 miles home.  Even though I decided not to do the 10k yesterday, Lucy and I went out in the morning and ran our usual very hilly 5k route, and I felt great afterwards, like I could have gone a lot further.  So perhaps I could have done it, but I will never know.  More important things to focus on right now!  So no more races this year, but I do plan to keep running/jogging/walking as long as I possibly can.

Until next time, grow little raspberry grow!

Baby Wrap DIY

As one of the many (many, many) sewing projects I am planning to make for our little bebe, the one that I was the most excited about was a baby wrap.  I have seen reviews for several different brands on the baby blogs which I follow, but they all really seem to do the same thing (and come with the same $50-60 price tag!)  So I decided for a fraction of the price, I could make my own and it would be exactly what I wanted.  As well, it was a lot of fun to make!!  I am in love with how it turned out.  Here is how I did it:

While I did make some changes, for the most part I followed this tutorial here:  How to Sew a Baby Wrap

(If you don't know what a baby wrap is click on the link above to see photos.  She also has a great video that shows how to put on the wrap.)

I started out with these fabrics:

3 yards of one-way stretch jersey knit, and 5/8 yard of the sweetest owl fabric I have ever seen

One of the changes that I made was instead of joining the two 3-yard pieces of cut fabric together to make 6 yards, I instead sewed the ends of the knit fabric to my owl pattern fabric piece.  This was because laying the owl fabric on top of the dark brown resulted in the brown showing through the lighter fabric on top.  I lined the owl fabric with a piece of thin cream-colored flannel for extra strength, warmth, and softness against baby's skin.

I used a French Seam on the inside of the wrap where the light and dark fabrics met, so it was a nice, neat looking join.

When it came time to taper the ends of the jersey knit, I decided on making a "point" with the ends of the wrap.

After I was done cutting, I simply hemmed the edge of the entire wrap with a regular straight stitch.  When I tried it on for the first time I quickly realized that I had made a mistake in cutting the knit.  I had cut off the end of the knit to make up for the fabric I was adding to the middle, but accidentally cut it when it was doubled, so I took off an extra 22" or so...  Not to worry though, I quickly whipped up a couple ties out of leftover owl fabric and sewed them to the end of the wrap.

Finished product:

Front panel looks really big here, but it will fit a lot better when there is a baby inside...

Back view.  Again, straps will be much tighter when baby is inside...  On a side note, like my disco pants??  They were a find from the last clothing swap...  I tried them on as a joke and my friends convinced me to take them home.  Lately they are all I want to wear!  :)

Side view...

Now, at the risk of looking completely ridiculous, but still wanting to demonstrate the wraps function, I will show you the photos below.  Please don't stop reading this blog because of what you are about to see...  ;)

I put Bosco in the wrap!  Sorry for the grainy pics, these were taken with Erik's iPhone...

Strangely enough, the instant I stuck him in the wrap he started purring like mad and cozied up against me immediately.  A very strange little animal indeed!  Having him inside made the wrap fit perfectly and I know it will be just right for the bebe...

So there you have it.  A homemade baby wrap!  I really can't estimate how long it took to sew...  I worked on it on and off for the better part of a Sunday afternoon and then a few evenings during the week where I could sneak in 20-30 min to finish hemming it.  It felt like a pretty quick project and I really enjoyed making it.

Total cost:

3yards knit fabric x $9.99/yd = $30 (I paid $15 with my 50% off coupon)

5/8 yard owl pattern cotton fabric = aprox $6

I had the cream colored flannel already so that = free

I have a pretty decent size piece of each fabric left over too.  Enough to make a bib or two at least.  So for less than $20, you can make your own wrap too!  

Can't wait for the day when I can wrap up the baby, not the cat!  :D

7 Weeks

I don't think it is visible in the photos we took today, but I can definitely tell that there is a change happening in my belly.  I noticed it on Tuesday morning right after I got out of bed.  It was like I had swallowed an entire orange in my sleep and it was just sitting in my lower abdomen.  To be quite honest, it is likely a combination of too much food lately (yikes!) and bloating.  I am pretty sure the extra roundness is not the tiny blueberry-sized baby, or even my uterus which has doubled in size in the past five weeks.  Let's call this change what it really is: a food baby.  ;)

7 Weeks:

7 Week Stats:

• Baby has doubled in size since last week and is now the size of a blueberry (around 1/2 inch in length)
• Both hemispheres of the brain are growing and forming around 100 new cells every minute
• The arm and leg joints are now forming, and from them are emerging tiny little buds which will grow into fingers and toes
• Other organs which have formed: a permanent set of kidneys, liver, appendix, and pancreas

blueberry baby

 Symptoms:

As I was hoping to report, I have so far luckily escaped the awful morning sickness!!  The only time I have felt ever so slightly nauseous, is when I let myself get so hungry that my stomach feels like it is trying to digest itself.  Yuck..  The feeling however, is quickly resolved by satisfying it with food.  That brings me to my most noticeable symptom of this past week:  I am always hungry.  I wake up and by the time I get downstairs I am starving and immediately need breakfast.  The rest of the day I am fine with my usual meals and a few small snacks, but again in the evening (usually right before bed) my stomach starts to growl again.  I try and eat something lite like a piece of fruit or raw vegetables but I usually go to bed wanting something more substantial.

In the past week I have also transitioned from a lemon obsession to a lime obsession.  Lime water is delicious.  

Also, I would be lying if I said I didn't buy three jars of these today at Trader Joes:

No, there are no plans to chop them up and add to ice cream (yet), but I have been mostly desiring salty and sour things lately and was pretty disappointed a few days ago when I realized we were out of pickles.  Of course I was hungry while we were food shopping today so one jar pf pickles didn't sound like enough.  Three sounded better, you know, in case there is some sort of national pickle shortage in the next week - I wanted to be prepared.  (As well, our T.J. only sells three types of pickles. Can't say for certain what would have happened if there had been even more to choose from.)

As far as other symptoms I should be complaining about right now: nausea, food aversions (ha - what's that??), frequent urination, acne, excessive saliva production, etc, well, they just aren't there. I am either very lucky or they just haven't hit me yet.

Luckily my energy levels have been pretty decent lately, and I am still managing to maintain something close to my usual work-out routine of running/walking with Lucy most days of the week.  I had have plans to run a 10k next Saturday, and as of today I am still planning on doing it.  All the research I have done says that it is okay to continue running in pregnancy, so long as you were a runner before you got pregnant and you don't overdo it.  I planned this 10k before I knew about the baby, and it is something I still really want to do.  That being said, if I am not feeling up to it when Saturday rolls around, I have told myself that I would be okay with not running it too.  I am not out to set any records, and my pace will likely be a comfortable jog.  The course is mostly flat and the race is at 8am so the temperature should be fairly cool.  If all goes as planned, I will be there with running shoes on and Erik to cheer me on from the sidelines!

The Big Announcement

Due to the fact that this is the first grand-baby for both of our families, we knew that there was going to be a lot of excitement when we told our parents that they are now Grandparents-to-be!  I spent a lot of time thinking about how we were going to tell them, and wondering if it would be possible to secretly film their reactions.  I had Erik film my parents response on his iphone, which I was hoping wouldn't be too obvious.  Unfortunately we couldn't tell his parents in person, so we had to film their reaction while on speakerphone, which is really more of an audio recording. Even so, their reactions were even better than I thought they would be.  I have replayed each video at least five or six times, and can't help but smile every single time.

We gave the same photo to each set of parents (in different frames) and told Erik's family that theirs was a Mothers Day present, and mine that theirs was a house warming present.  That way no one was suspicious of anything.  We wanted to do our best to keep it a big surprise!!

Framed photo we gave my parents

We arrived in Tennessee on Friday night, and I really had to restrain myself from yelling out "guess what, I'm pregnant!!"  The worst part was my parents kept offering us a glass of wine, and I kept declining.  Erik finally agreed to have a glass of red wine with my Dad, and I had to make up some excuse about being car sick to avoid joining them.  Still, my Mom gets out this bottle of Almond Amaretto and proceeded to pour herself a glass.  She then got this mischievous smile on her face and took out a tiny little shot glass and poured me a sip.  I smelled it and pretended to be repulsed (even though it smelled delicious) and said "this smells so gross, like almond extract!"  I left it on the counter for a few min before carrying it over to Erik and insisting that he drink it instead.  Whew...  Just barely got out of that one!

The next morning our plan was to give them the framed photo after breakfast.  I cooked oatmeal for everyone and was so incredibly nervous I could barely eat.  I ended up forcing down a few bites and tried to relax and hope no one would notice how jittery I was.  When I finally couldn't take it anymore I went and got the wrapped up present and told them it was just "a little something" we wanted to give them as a housewarming present.  Erik snuck off to the side and started filming.  The look on their faces when they realized what was happening is priceless!!

The video above is super-tiny, if you want to watch it larger on you-tube click here

We waited until we knew that Erik's parents were both home before calling them.  We told them that since we would be out shopping all day on Sunday (Mothers Day) we would like for them to open the present a day early (of course a completely made-up story but there was no way we were waiting until the next day to tell them!)

The beginning of the video is kind of hard to hear because the wrapping paper is being opened, but give it a few seconds and it becomes much clearer.

To watch this one in you-tube click here

Erik's Mom was clearly very surprised, and then you hear Erik's Dad yelling "Yes, yes, yes, thank you!!!" in the background.  Haha! I only wish we could have been there to see the looks on their faces.  It was wonderful to finally tell everyone and see how truly excited and happy they were.  We also told my sister Megan and Erik's brother Scott over the phone.  Those videos didn't turn out quite as good, but I will say they are both very excited to know they have a little niece or nephew on the way!

It sure was fun sharing the news with our families.  I am going to have to think of some fun and creative ways to announce it to everyone else in a few weeks!

6 Weeks

This weekend was the long anticipated trip to Tennessee during which we got to experience the moment we have been waiting for - we finally got to share the big news with our Parents!!!  We also told my sister Megs and Eriks brother Scott.  In a few more weeks we can share it with the rest of the family.  I have a post planned for later this week with more details on the "big announcement" but even being on vacation I couldn't allow myself to skip my regular Sunday update, so here ya go!

6 weeks:

 6 Week Stats:

• Baby is the size of a sweet pea (about .25 inches) and will double in size again by next week

• The nose, eyes, ears, chin and cheeks are starting to develop, and paddle-like arms and legs are starting to emerge

• The heart is beating at 100-160 beats per minute and blood is starting to pump through the tiny pea-sized body

Symptoms:

Luckily, no new symptoms in the last week!  My body seems to be craving carbs for the past few days, and no we are not talking whole grains and fruit here, more like potato chips and toast!  Perhaps it is because we are on vacation and I always tend to let myself splurge a little at times like these.  I did give in and enjoy some treats while at the Parental's house, but for the most part during the pregnancy I have been eating 95% organic whole foods (kale, quinoa, rice, romaine, etc...) and nothing processed so I am not punishing myself too much for a few treats here and there.  Plus, when my Mom makes vegan nutella and buys whole-grain gluten-free bread how can I say no to that combination?!  Other then that, no morning sickness, energy levels are pretty good, and sleep is starting to get back on track.  I am having to pee often but I am also drinking a ton of water so that definitely has something to do with it.  

Oh, and now that my Mom knows the big secret, I am finally able to ask her about her pregnancies.  As it turned out, she never experienced any morning sickness with me or my sister, and said the thing she remembers most was a big increase in bra cup size.  No surprise, that is also my main symptom so far!  Hopefully I will be one of the lucky few who escapes the dreadful pregnancy nausea, but it's still too soon to tell.  I have read it usually starts around week 6 or 7 so I have my fingers crossed that I will have a very similar "symptom" update next week  ;)

In other news, we have the first appointment with the Midwife scheduled for a month from today.  They typically see patients for their first visit between 10-12 weeks, and I will be right around 11 weeks at that time.  Hopefully we will be able to hear the heartbeat at that time.  If all goes well, I think we will be able to start spreading the news to more than just our immediate family after the first appointment.

Until then, we can at least now talk about the excitement with more than just each other!  :D

Birthing Center Tour

This afternoon we got to take our long-anticipated two hour tour of the birthing center!  It was so incredibly informative and the RN who gave the information session/tour answered just about every possible question that has popped in my mind to date.  Most of the stuff as far as the reasons for choosing a birthing center over a hospital, what to expect during a birth there, and complications that would require transfer to a hospital were things that I already was aware of.  (You can read about birthing centers here and here)  But there was a lot of new information that was surprising to me (mostly in a good way!)  Some of the things that come to mind were:

• Patients will meet and get to know all of the midwives during their prenatal care and actually try and see a different one at each visit (there are 8 total in the practice.)  This is because the midwife on call when you go into labor will be the one who attends the birth.  I was a little concerned with this at first (for continuity of care reasons) but after I thought about it I understood the reasons and actually look forward to meeting all the midwives, I bet I can learn something different from all of them!

• This birthing center is the largest in the state, and second busiest birthing center in the entire country!  They deliver over 450 babies per year, and only a very small percentage of those births have to be transferred to the nearby hospital.  For the ones that do, only a tiny fraction of that small percent are true emergencies.  Most of the time if you have to go to the hospital the midwife will have you hop in your own car and she will meet you there.

• All appointments with the midwife are at minimum 30 minutes long.  The initial visit as well as some postpartum visits are an entire hour.  This allows you to really get to know the midwives (and vice versa) as well as ensure that concerns are addressed and all questions are answered.  Most of the time in an OB office, appointment times are around 15-20 minutes for a "long" appointment and 10 or so for routine checks. Due to their long appointment time slots, she said it is rare for them to be running behind schedule so there is usually very little waiting time at appointments.

• If you are transferred to the hospital (even for a c-section) the midwife will stay with you the whole time (even in the OR!) and be with you postpartum to help with breastfeeding.

• Speaking of breastfeeding, over 90% of the mothers who choose the birthing center end up breastfeeding their babies.  They are Baby Friendly certified, and have lactation consultants available anytime to help with breastfeeding problems or concerns. 

• Postpartum, the average stay in the birthing center is 6 hours after delivery.  Minimum is 4 hours and max is 12.  If you have to stay longer then 12 hours it is usually because you need longer monitoring and they might recommend you go to the hospital for additional care.

• They require you to take a birthing class if this is your first pregnancy.  We were actually planning on that later in the pregnancy anyway, and I already have one in mind  ;)

• The center focuses on an unmedicated, natural birth whenever possible (which is one of the main reasons women and their partners choose a birthing center to begin with.)  They do have homeopathic and herbal remedies available that they encourage you to use if needed.  You are also allowed to invite your chiropractor, acupuncturist, or massage therapist to the birth to provide treatment during labor!  As a last result (and hopefully I don't have to go there) they do have narcotics available, morphine for rest in early labor and nubain for pain control in active labor.

• While they do offer routine diagnostics, genetic testing, and ultrasound (ultrasound is done at the hospital) you have the option to opt out of any tests that you feel are not appropriate for your situation.  Blood work and urine testing are required at the initial visit, but after that the choice is yours for which future testing you have done.  Usually only one ultrasound is recommended for women who birth there, and that occurs around 18-20 weeks.  They do recommend it as an anatomy scan for the baby, to determine that he or she is growing appropriately.  It will also give information on how much amniotic fluid is surrounding the baby, as well as the location of the placenta.  Also, at that point if you wish to know the gender of the baby you can usually find out at that time as well.  In a normal, healthy pregnancy ultrasounds are not a medical necessity and are considered elective screening tests. 

• Vaginal exams are kept to a minimum.  There is an exam during the first visit, and towards the end of the pregnancy if you go much past the due date so they can determine if anything is happening down there...  The nurse said sometimes women end up with two vaginal exams only, the first at the initial visit and the second as they are pushing out their baby, ha! 

• If you go into labor before 37 weeks they feel that the safest location for delivery is at the hospital,  during which the midwife would provide the same care as she would in the birthing center.  If the pregnancy goes past 42 weeks they will induce, which also occurs at the hospital, and labor is still managed by the midwife.

• Their episiotomy rate is around 2%.  In the hospital it is around 30-40%.  During labor, the midwife will encourage slow and natural pushing as well as provide perineal massage.  Based on these and other natural interventions used at the birthing center, the risk of tearing is also greatly reduced.  (You can read more about episiotomy vs. natural tears here.)   

• IV's are not required unless you test positive for Group B Strep (a test that is done in pregnancy between 35-37 weeks.)  Approximately 1 out of 4 women is a carrier for the bacteria, and it usually causes no symptoms.  It is harmless to the mother but can cause a serious infection in the baby after birth.  If you do test positive, IV antibiotics are given shortly after arrival to the birthing center in active labor, which requires the use of an IV.  If needed, the IV is left in for the remainder of labor in the event that another dose of antibiotics is needed.  Also, women who are positive for GBS are required to stay the full 12 hours after delivery to monitor the baby for signs of infection.  The baby also receives a home visit at one day postpartum to check for symptoms (routine postpartum visits by the midwife are done at 2 or 3 days after delivery.)

• Immediately following delivery, the baby is placed directly onto the mothers bare chest and both are covered with a warm blanket.  The umbilical cord is not cut until it stops pulsating, which increases the iron stores in the baby's blood.  The placenta is delivered naturally, and the baby and mother are allowed at least an hour to bond/breastfeed before the baby is weighed, measured and given it's first bath.

• Even though the birthing center strives to provide the most "home-like" setting as possible, they are equipped for emergencies and certified in neonatal resuscitation.  They have an emergency equipment including oxygen, suction, and medications and do a good job at concealing these items in the birthing suites so they are not out in plain sight, but can be available in seconds if needed.

• They not only allow but also encourage you to eat and drink during labor.  As well, they won't let you go home until you have eaten a hot meal postpartum.  They also assured us that food delivery from local restaurants is possible to the birthing center.  (Note to self: verify Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe will deliver...)  :)

The birthing suites are cozy and home-like, with a full size bed, birthing tub, birthing chair, birthing balls, and individual bathrooms.  They also have a nice family area with a living room and full kitchen that can be used to store and prepare any food that is brought in for the laboring period.  Overall, I can't even really express how lucky I feel to live so close to such a wonderful resource.  As we drove out of the parking lot I proclaimed "I could have a baby there right this minute!"  haha...  Erik said he was glad we have another 8 months to go, he wants more time to prepare  ;)

Tomorrow I will be calling to schedule my first appointment with the midwife.  Wow, this is starting to feel so real now!

5 Weeks

It is slowly starting to sink in that this is really happening.  I feel like we just found out about the pregnancy yesterday, but at the same time I feel like I have known for a long time.  I guess it's because I think about this little one growing inside me probably 90% of my waking hours (and dream about it almost every night too!)  Even though I love going about my day knowing this little secret that no one else does, I guess I couldn't wait too long without sharing the good news with someone else...  I broke down and told two people at work (the girls I am closest to at each of my jobs) and of course they were both super excited for Erik and I.  We will be telling our parents next weekend and I can hardly wait! 

My 5 week photos are nothing to get too excited about...  I was in the middle of "spring cleaning" upstairs in the bedrooms (mainly to make room for all this baby stuff I am buying) and realized that I needed to take my 5 week photos today.  No makeup, work-out clothes on, and messy hair...  Then again, when is my hair ever not messy?  ;)

5 weeks

Obviously there is no change since last week, nor did I expect there to be.  It was the OCD girl inside of me who decided that since I started taking photos at 4 weeks, I will need to continue every week until birth!

5 week facts:

• The baby now resembles a teeny tadpole (complete with a tiny tail) and is about the size of an apple seed, approximately 0.13 inches in length
• The major organs (heart, stomach, liver, kidney) and systems (digestive, circulatory, nervous) have started to develop, as well the tiny heart has already formed and will start beating this week!!

Appleseeds

Symptoms:

I am happy to report that I am feeling great right now.  I am sure my breasts have grown even more this week although they are not as sore as last week.  No morning sickness yet, but I have had this weird thing happen a few times lately where I have been eating and my body suddenly says "STOP NOW, stomach full!"  I had 2 bites of oatmeal left in my bowl this morning and seriously just couldn't finish it.
I am sure that true pregnancy cravings don't happen until much later, but I will say that lately I have been eating lemons like crazy.  This started even a week or more before I found out I was pregnant.  I have been averaging at least one full lemon (or more) everyday since then.  Mostly in the form of lemon water, but have also caught myself squirting lemon on every food that it might possibly go with (and actually eating plain slices of lemons at times!)  The lemon obsession is helping me drink more water though, of which I have at least doubled my intake this week.  I read in one of my pregnancy books that there is an old wives tale which says sweet cravings means its a girl, sour cravings means its a boy...  I have always thought that our first baby would be a boy so maybe there is some truth to these old wives tales  ;)
The only other symptom that I have had this week (as well as the most problematic one) has been insomnia.  I have not got my usual 7-8 hours of sleep at all in over a week.  Even if I am tired when I go to bed, I have a hard time actually falling asleep.  Then I usually wake up between 2am-4am and lay awake for an hour.  Then I wake up again around 6am and just can't get back to sleep.  An entire week of this resulted in me being so extremely exhausted by Friday that I went to bed at 9pm, which is almost unheard of for me.  Fortunately this weekend I was able to catch up on sleep (even though I woke up several times in the night) and have felt super great all weekend. 


I called earlier this week to make my first appointment with a Midwife at the Birthing Center, but they require you to take a tour before they will schedule you an appointment.  I thought that was kinda odd at first, but when I thought about it I realized that they probably answer a lot of questions during the tour that would otherwise be asked during the initial appointment and it allows them to be answered as a group rather than having to answer them all individually.  As well, I bet there are some women that don't understand how things work at a freestanding Birthing Center (maybe even expect that they offer epidurals for pain control) so likely not everyone that tours will actually end up choosing the practice for their prenatal care and birth.  I set up for us to take a tour on Tuesday, and I am very much looking forward to it.  Afterwards, I will be able to schedule my first appointment, which won't actually be until I am 10-12 weeks along.  By that time, the heartbeat should be audible by doppler, so hopefully we will get to hear it at our first appointment!


I am really looking forward to Friday when we head to Tennessee to visit my parents.  It will be then that we tell our immediate families the happy news (and hope they can keep it a secret for the next 6 weeks to follow!)  This will be the first grandchild for both families so I am sure everyone is going to be very excited!

Thrifty baby: take 2

Another weekend, another round of yard sales!  A week ago from today was the day we learned that we have a baby on the way.  Now that it has sunk in (well sort of, I am still processing the thought that this is really happening) I am in total baby shopping mode.  Even worse than before!  In the last two weekends I have scored some super awesome baby stuff, check out my sweet finds below  :)

For part 1 of the Thrifty baby series, go here:  Thrifty baby: take 1

Purple Bumbo

New on Amazon:  $40

I paid $2 (and it looks new!)

Boppy Nursing Pillow with 2 "Sweet Pea" covers

New on Amazon:  $40

I paid $6 (excellent shape and washable!)

Wood Toys

 The lady selling these at the yard sale convinced me to buy them, saying they were good for development and such...  She told me they were European and rather expensive new.  She wasn't kidding!

Haba Ballino Clutching Toy new on Amazon:  $13 

Plan Toy Teddy new on Amazon:  $17

I paid $0.50 each

Books

 Books focused on a natural childbirth with a midwife

"The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" new on Amazon:  $12

"Ask a Midwife" new on Amazon:  $18

I paid $1 each

And quite possibly my favorite purchase of all...

Baby Bullet Baby Food Maker

New on Amazon:  $60

I paid:  $15

And guess what?  Mine is brand new too!  Everything was in the box, all wrapped up, and even still had warning stickers on the blades...  Plus it came with two extra batch trays and two extra cups.  Sure it will be a while before the baby will eat pureed foods, but it was such an awesome deal I couldn't pass it by...

I also picked up 4 or 5 more little outfits this weekend, and probably 10 or so last weekend.  I am buying mostly gender neutral stuff in yellow, green and brown (size newborn to 6mo.)  I never pay more than $0.50 for each piece, and they are all in like-new or very good condition.  Plus they are sooooo unbelievably cute...  

Thrifty baby savings breakdown:

Estimated cost to buy everything new ($40 for Bumbo, $40 for Boppy, $30 for toys, $30 for both books, $60 for Baby Bullet, $10 per clothing item) =  $340

I paid = $33

Have I ever mentioned how much I love yard sale season??  ;D

Terrarium Thursday

Today I was surprised with an unexpected day off.  That is the beauty of working per diem (or negative aspect depending on how you look at it) when you are not needed, you get to stay home.  Unless there are a string of days in a row where I am cancelled, I always happily welcome the opportunity to have a surprise day off.  A free day for myself really couldn't have come at a better time, ever since Saturday when I found out the happy news I have had trouble sleeping.  I have been waking up between 5-6am and then my mind starts to race.  It's like every morning my first thought is "oh yea, I really am pregnant!!!"  I get all excited and then it's hard to fall back asleep.  I am definitely not complaining though, it's a lovely thing to have my first thought of the day be such a happy one  :)

So after I cleaned the house, and walked the Lucy, I got out and ran a few errands.  I picked up the rest of the supplies needed to make a terrarium that I have been wanting to make for a while.  Blame pinterest for this one too - I saw one on there recently and couldn't get it out of my head.  Here is what I made:

I started with a few potted succulents, a glass planter, rocks, a small glass apothecary jar, and a mini-planter that I crocheted out of jute twine (inside the jar.)  You can find the pattern for the jute planter here.

After I added rocks to the bottom of the planter for drainage, I added special "cactus dirt."  The pretty cacti on the bag made it seem so appealing!  ha.

Add plants, and done!  (It sounds easy but actually took around 45min just to get those darn tiny plants positioned just right.)  I even had enough plants left over to throw in an empty pot I had laying around.

I had some decorative moss leftover from a previous project so I also threw a little of that in there after I put in the plants.

Sweet little apothecary jar with jute planter and baby Jade plant. awwww....

Although it cost me more than I originally thought it would, I think it was still less expensive than buying an already-made succulent terrarium.  Cost breakdown:

Large glass planter (on sale at craft store): $4

Rocks (also on sale): $1

Apothecary jar:  $3

Special "Cactus dirt":  $3

Jute twine: free since I already had it

Plants (from Lowes):  $9

Total (for large terrarium and mini terrarium):  $20

One of my more expensive projects but well worth it.  I am really happy with how they turned out.  Now to keep the cats from trying to eat them.....