29 weeks

June 16-23

Madison is likely almost 3.5 lbs this week. And 15.5" long by now which is the size of a loaf of bread. Her lungs and muscles continue to mature and her head is getting bigger to make room for her brain(and hopefully her daddy's smarts!) Her brain now controls her temperature and breathing and she can even cough now!

We took infant CPR on the 16th at the hospital. Hopefully we will never have to use it but we like having the knowledge if, God forbid, we do. This week is when I got most of her clothes, blankets, towels and washcloths washed and put up. We bought a 9 cubby storage unit for her closet and new towels and a shower curtain for her bathroom.

Sleeping is becoming harder and harder for me. I can't lay on my side because it's in the way and I feel like I'm squishing her. If I lay on my back too long, it starts hurting. I am still only getting up once a nice to use the restroom and it's like clockwork around 2-3am every morning. Friday night I woke up and couldn't fall back asleep for 2 hours so I tossed and turned. Luckily Alan was too tired to notice! I am also getting heartburn more frequently, especially when I lay down to go to sleep, so TUMS have become my best friend lately. I am also outgrowing some of my maternity shirts and my prepregnancy shirts I was able to wear. My weight this week is 120.5 bringing my total weight gained during the pregnancy so far to 13 lbs and my belly measures 36" which brings my measurement total up to 5-6" gained so far!

(remember I blog about the week before I actually am. I am currently 30 weeks.)

Madison's room.

We have been busy little bees the past few weekends trying to get Madison's room ready. We are 90% there! We have to decide on art for the walls and a possible rug. Alan started by lowering her closet shelf since Big Foot built our house and put all shelves 7 feet tall. He got the shelf down, holes patched and I, against Alan's wishes, painted the closet white this morning. Alan got home from work around 11:30 and started assembling the glider we got last night while I was ironing the curtains and attaching a sunblocker to the back of them to help keep the sun out so she can nap in peace during the day! Once we got all coats of paint up and it was dry, Alan put up her shelf back up to where I can reach it. We then rearranged the room 5 times to figure out which layout we liked the best and decided on this one. This is what you see when you come in the door:

To the left of her crib is her closet. I washed all of her clothes, blankets, towels, hats and socks and anything else I could fit into the washer last weekend. The little size dividers on the rod help me to be able to eyeball what sizes are where. We got the 9 cubby storage unit last weekend to help with storing items I need handy. The top right drawer holds Newborn size onesies, the top middle holds Newborn sleepers, top left hold swaddling and receiving blankets. The 2nd row right drawer holds burping cloths, the middle and left drawers holds pants and shorts. The bottom 3 drawers are empty but I'm sure I'll find a use for them once she gets here!

This shoe organizer on the back of her closet door has been really helpful in keeping her socks, shoes, tights and hairbows organized. It also allows me to be able to see everything really quick without digging through drawers.

This cabinet is doubling as her changing table and is directly across from her crib. There are 3 drawers on the top. In the right drawer I have a couple of burp cloths to keep handy, the middle holds her little caps and the left drawer is empty but will soon fill up I'm sure! Her changing pad will go on top so it will fill up that space and in the white tote is diaper changing accessories like lotions, creams, powders, wipes and diapers. In the 2 cabinets are books, frames waiting on pictures and all of the cards we have received.

I also bought a new shower curtain, towels and the white vase to redo her bathroom, which is also the guest bathroom. I love it since it's so girly. We still need some kind of art to go on the wall beside the window but it'll do for now.The shower curtain has really pale pink roses embroidered on it.

The other side of the bathroom
We are also working on her bathroom closet and the hall closet. Alan will finish putting up a shelving unit in the hall closet tomorrow so we can move our extra linens and work towels from the bathroom closet to that closet. In the bathroom closet, we will have totes for Madison's blankets, her towels and washcloths, regular towels and washcloths and totes for any other things we want to keep organized. This nesting thing has it's benefits. Our house has never been so organized and clean!

To Alan on Father's Day

Madison doesn't realize yet just how lucky she is to have you for her daddy. She doesn't realize how cute it is when you giggle every time you feel her moving or hiccuping. Or how involved you have been with helping me do things that I can't do anymore, without complaining. How you drop everything and make a cupcake run 15 minutes before the bakery closes, and you are 10 minutes away and in the middle of doing something. How much I loved it when the girl that cuts my hair told me recently that you always make a point to talk about her and ask questions about kids. How you didn't hesitate to taking 3 prenatal classes to learn things that I know will come natural anyway.

She doesn't realize how you wouldn't miss a doctor's appointment for all the money in the world because "I get to hear her heartbeat every time and that's enough reason to go." How he constantly asks if I'm too hot or if I'm comfortable or tired and to "Sit down and put your feet up" and "Don't lift that!" How everyday he asks if you have been moving around or will randomly ask "Is she awake?"

She doesn't realize the many questions you have for the doctor at our appointments and how involved in everything you are. Even down to decorating her nursery! She doesn't realize it yet, but I've picked the best daddy for her that I could find and how wrapped around her tiny little finger you are. But I promise to tell her, when she is old enough to understand, what an amazing dad you have been while I've been pregnant. But by then, she will already have figured it out on her own... I love you so, so much! Happy Father's Day!

28 weeks

June 9-16

Madison is probably a little over 3 pounds by now. She likely measures 15" from head to heel and her eyesight is getting more and more improved! She now has color in her eyes but it will likely change after she's born. She is now opening them regularly and will react to different lighting by squinting, turning her head or blinking... and probably punching me in the stomach as well. I can now feel her hiccuping from the outside of my belly. I don't remember feeling her having the hiccups in about 4 weeks and I kept feeling this repetitive thumping in the same spot. I finally figured out it was her hiccuping! She had them again last night and Alan got to feel it that time. Add it to the list of the cute things she's done already!

We had a doctor's appointment on the 10th. Her heart rate was in the 150-160s range and the doctor said I have had a textbook pregnancy so far(except the hiccup we had a few weeks ago) We had our first baby shower at Alan's work on the 14th . We have finally gotten everything put in it's place for now and her room is really coming together! We talked to the doctor about a pediatrician but have failed to call yet. That will be on the agenda this coming week, hopefully. My weight this week is 119.5 and my belly measures 35.5" around my natural waist.

Alan tends to stay confused about my dates on this blog. I am currently in my 29th week but I blog about the week before since I want to get through the entire week before writing about it.. This weekend we have gotten so much done with Madi's room. We got everything from her shower put up, all of her blankets, towels, washcloths and a few outfits washed. I redid the guest bathroom, which will be her bathroom, buying a new shower curtain, towels and washcloths. We bought curtains for her room, a cubby storage unit that holds 9 canvas totes to hold things we will need really handy like onesies, blankets, burp cloths, etc. It can also be used for a bookshelf when she's a little older. I also bought a shoe organizer for her closet door to hold shoes and tights and anything else I need handy but out of the way. We are currently on a mission to find the perfect rug and will be ordering the glider for her room this coming week. I will post a blog this week sometime on her room.

Baby Shower - June 14

Alan's work had a huge shower for us yesterday at his work. We are overwhelmed with all of our gifts we got! Here's a pic of all the presents after we opened them. It took up 2 cafeteria tables. It also filled up my car and part of Alan's car!

A picture of us in front of the presents.

When we got home, I seperated all the gifts out into similar items. There wasn't an inch of floor showing until I started putting the items into baskets. Here's the breakdown of our nice presents:

Right stack is all diapers. 2 stacks beside those are all wipes! White wicker basket is full of bibs, pacifiers, bottles, bottle brushes, grooming kit and a healthcare kit. The pink bathtub is full of bathroom and diapering supplies like towels, washcloths, diaper cream, lotions, shampoos, body wash and bath toys

Sign made my Kathy V. It has Alan's picture, Madison's ultrasound and my picture.

Lots and lots of clothes! Probably 20 outfits total!

White basket full of toys, teethers and books. Her belly play mat, bouncer, crib wedge and bassinet/rocker.

Car & feeding items: Car seat support, mirrors, sun shades, water, bottle drying rack, spoon and bowls.

Frames

Baby memory book on the left and a snow cone machine with Cherry syrup to help me make it through the hot summer! I've already had a snow cone yesterday and today.

White laundry basket is full of toys, teethers and books. You can also see her bouncer, booster seat and the beige canvas tote is full of blankets and sheets

We also got lots of gift cards and cash, which is much needed to get those things that are left on our registry and items we will need after she comes. Thank you everyone so much for everything you did. We are so grateful and our little girl is so blessed to have you all in her life.

Her bedding also came in yesterday so I got it washed and ironed and put on her bed! Her crib is complete! I love it! It's so girly!

More furniture for Madi!

Piece by piece, it's coming together! This is what we picked up today:

Her chest/changer/tv stand! We will put her changing pad on the top along with some type of diaper organizer to keep diaper changing essentials handy. Note the big pink bear. Alan saw this at Toys R Us and had to have it for her. It's huge! He looked real cute carrying it on his hip like he was carrying a child walking through the store....

A closeup. It has 3 drawers at the top. In the left, we will keep socks and tights. The middle will hold bibs, caps and hair bows and the right one will hold extra bottles of lotions/creams and wipes.
Each door also has a drawer in it too. We will keep burping clothes in one drawer, blankets underneath on the shelf and in the other drawer, I'm not sure :) And the shelf below has some books, her baby book and some other random things.We will get it all organized and rearranged 50 times I'm sure by the time she gets here and probably another 30 times after she gets here but the storage definately helps! It will also serve as her tv cabinet when she gets older, if it lasts that long! In the next 2-3 weeks we will order the glider and finish decorating her room! Her bedding should be here by July since it was backordered. Hopefully by mid July, her room will be complete!

27 weeks

June 2-9

27 weeks!? In 13 weeks, we will, if things go as planned, have a daughter. Oh boy! That's a scary but overwhelmingly exciting thought. Online says that Madison should just now be close to 2 pounds in the 27th week but since she was 2 lbs 3 weeks ago, according to our ultrasound, I feel she's probably closer to 3 pounds by now! Does that mean I'm going to have a 12 pound baby? Oh goodness.... She measures around 14 1/2" from head to heel and is sleeping and waking in regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes and possibly sucking her fingers or thumb.

My back has been really hurting lately if I sit a long time. I am getting massages every 3 weeks that seem to help for about a week and then it starts back hurting. I also had to go buy more maternity clothes this week. I picked up a maternity dress, jeans and 2 other regular dresses that work as maternity dresses. Anyone that knows me knows I'm not much of a dress girl but they have been really comfy! Madison is staying very active and I've noticed here lately that she's a lot more active during the day for hours at a time. She has also become more active later at night(10-12) and earlier in the morning(6-8). I hope this doesn't mean that she's not ever going to sleep! My heartburn is also getting worse and worse. I am now having it everyday so I'm keeping stock in Tums! Other than all that, everything has been great! I can't much complain about this pregnancy. It's been really great and I love being pregnant and feeling our little girl bouncing around inside me. I gained a pound this week, weighing 119 and an inch in my belly so it now measures 35". Our mission in the next week is to buy her dresser and possibly a glider. Also find a pediatrician.. I have my biweekly checkup tomorrow so we will talk to the doctor about the pediatrician and see our next step with that.

26 weeks

May 26-June 2, 2011


Madison is now 14" from head to heel and a little over 2 pounds. Her hearing is better than ever. She can now hear my voice and any one else's voice I talk to, better than ever! She is also inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid to prepare her lungs for breathing outside the womb. Here's a peek at what she may look like. *Photo courtesy of Baby Center.
Not a lot of changes this week. My weight is still 118 and my belly still measures 34" which is weird because people say I look bigger! I ordered her bedding which is back ordered but should be here by July. We will be picking up her dresser next weekend(below). The color and clean lines really match her crib and our style perfectly! We didn't realize it was a tv cabinet until we were writing the name down! It really works for us because we like the 2 shelves that can act as a bookshelf. The one we looked at didn't have doors on it but it could have just been the floor model that was missing them. The height is perfect to use as a changing table and the 6 drawers will be perfect for storing socks, shoes, onesies, blankets and whatever else we will need handy. It will also be great for her when she gets older, if it lasts that long, for her to use as an actual tv cabinet.