Time to put on the winter coat

It's that time again - to both literally and figuratively put on that winter coat.  That's what I say when I start to put on the lb's during the winter.  A little extra insulation doesn't hurt anyone.  It's easy to do when you have a pregnant wife.  As she stated in an earlier blog, she's about to move into the third trimester and that means more cravings - at least that's what I've heard.  That's okay with me, because it's just about to be the season of eating with Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner.  Right now, I guess you could say it's the calm before the storm.  I actually have a race this weekend which I've been training for...thanks to a friend that lives nearby.  After this weekend, I'll probably start making the annual winter coat.  I'm not trying to go for any records - I just hope by the end of the season my bellly doesn't shake like a bowl full of jelly.

Almost to 3rd...

In just a few short days I'll be in my third trimester.  Crazy!!!!  Our baby loves to move now and I feel him all the time.  I'm still waiting to see an actual hand or foot push against my belly.  I hear that when you see the actual body part moving across your belly it's both a cool and weird experience.  The baby should also be close to 2 pounds at this point.  At least according to the baby books and websites.  They compare it to a cauliflower.  Jay's not a fan of cauliflower so I won't read too much into it.

I will say that I think our baby already has some personality.  Every time Jay tries to put his hand on my belly to feel the baby moving, the baby stops.  He's either trying to frustrate Jay or he's afraid of him.  I think it's funny and when he won't stop kicking I tell him that he better stop or I'll have to get his father.  I know he doesn't understand but it still makes me laugh. 

Harder than it looks

Like I said, we scrapped the Peter Rabbit bedding and decided to go for something more boyish.  I really didn't think it would be very hard.  Boy was I wrong (pun intended)!  I've looked at tons of bedding.  Here are my requirements:

1.  I don't want it to look babyish - meaning I want to be able to use the room after it's past the stage that you no longer count their age in months.
2.  I don't want it to look like crayons exploded in the room - meaning I don't want a clash of primary colors.
3.  It needs to have enough color that it engages the baby but doesn't drive me nuts.  I'm a neutral girl - I like color but I don't know that I always like it in my house.  However, I do realize that babies need color so I can bend a little.
4.  It needs to look good with the furniture we already have.  We just bought a beautiful crib, dresser, and glider.  Additionally, we have an adorable bookcase from Jay's grandparents that we are using.  We are not scrapping the furniture so the bedding, rug, and decorations need to compliment what we already have.

Having these requirements has made it a little harder than I expected. I'm headed back to the store today to return two more bedding rejects.  Maybe number four will be the lucky number?  If not, I'm ready to order possibilities five and six.  If those don't work, we may have a problem....

Wish me luck!

Week 26 and Counting

We are moving right along.  I'm 26 weeks and the baby is definitely growing.  He loves to move around now and sometimes he likes to wake me up in the morning before I'm ready to get up.  I'm not sure he understands that he isn't supposed to do that until after he's born! 

We've also started preparing (to the best of our ability) for our upcoming arrival.  We've enrolled in a birthing class as well as a hospital tour.  We also picked up our crib and dresser, which look great!  We ordered the glider and I can say we tested out a ton of different types of recliners and gliders to find the chair that fit our body type the best.

One thing that has deviated from the original plan is our Peter Rabbit decorating plans.  We put the bedding in the crib and I wasn't happy.  I thought it would be okay but the more I stared at it, the more I wasn't happy.  I know the baby doesn't care.  But I do and I'll be spending a fair amount of time in the room so my vote counts.  We've decided to say adios to Peter, and go for more blue, tan, and cream.  We won't have a theme, but I'm sure I'll find some cute prints to put on the walls.  It won't be a babyish room but it will be a boy room.  Now I just have to find something and get it ordered ASAP. 

The next couple of weeks will be busy but I'm sure we'll get the nursery pulled together in time.  Fingers crossed!

Good Night!

Those seem to be the words that leave my mouth every time Amanda points out how big her belly is getting.  It's more of a reflex thing I think.  To put things into perspective, this is not the most recent picture.  She won't let me post that one yet.

Mary's Birthday Surprise

Jay and I were so excited to be part of Mary's 60th birthday surprise.  The surprise came in August, as opposed to her actual birthday month in September.  Everyone from California to Wisconsin was able to travel to Estes Park to be part of the celebration and I'm pretty sure she was truly a surprise.  We had a great time in the mountains and it was a rare event to have everyone together.  Well almost everyone.  Josh S. couldn't make it from Chile but we'll forgive him!  There was a lot of talking, eating and running after small children.  It gave us a small glimpse as to what we were in for once our little one comes along. 

I'm so glad we could be there with Mary.  She is an amazing lady who is always doing things for everyone in the family.  I hope she knows how much she means to us and we hope she had a wonderful birthday!  We love you Mary!

Says Who?

Throughout my pregnancy I've heard the same thing from everyone.  "During pregnancy your hair will become thick and shiny and you won't lose any of it until after the baby is born!"  Really???  When does this start?  I'm 23 weeks in and my hair is nowhere near thick and shiny.  I'm also losing the same amount of hair that I did before I was pregnant.  Maybe it's just something people say so you have something to look forward to as your body changes over the course of 9 months.  Or maybe it's just an urban legend.  Regardless, this is not happening to me.    

Garage Space...and a tribute to previous loves

Amanda is starting to make her nest and that means making room for new things - that includes the garage.  To give a little background, about two years ago I sold the first car I owned; a Jeep Wrangler.  It was custom painted "midnight blue", had a three inch lift with big tires and waterproof speakers.  I had a soft top that never went on in the 16 years I owned it.  I can tell you from experience that this is the best car a 16 year old could ever imagine driving.  I have many great memories from owning this car.  It was my first of three Jeeps I would eventually own.  Well, this past weekend I sold my second love; a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee.  I bought this car in 97' and put over 140K miles on it in 13 years.  I made many trips with this car including driving out to live with one of my good friends in Boulder, CO.  Many a camping trip I remember this car taking us on.  This truck also survived a car-jacking and was lost to me for eight days - that was six years ago.  But it was time to move on since I'm now driving my third Jeep, which was handed down to me from my dad with 225K miles on the odometer.  There can be many things said about the Jeep.  I guess one reason I love it so much it that I think of myself a little:  adaptable, rough around the edges but acceptable, and American.  Will I own another Jeep after this one?  Someday, but it looks like the nesting from my wife may take us down another path.  Something that has a third row seat, which Jeep doesn't offer.  I would like to own another.  I will miss my Jeeps.  Maybe our son will be as lucky as I was and have a Jeep to ride in when he's 16...God willing