Nursery Sneak Peak

We have finished more details in the nursery. And while it won't be complete until after baby Elayne is showered with generous gifts and I am able to finish nesting, I guess I can give my followers a little sneak peak of what we have finished so far.

Our beautiful and super comfortable rocker from my parents!

The door sign I made for our sweet girl.

Closet dividers I made to keep her tiny clothes organized. I like how simple they are an the rhinestones that add a little something extra.

The absolutely stunning chandelier we splurged on makes a huge statement I love.

The adorable mobile I made. The shadow and different shades of pink kind of give an optical illusion. A better picture will come later with the finished room.

The crib pieces.

Daddy putting the crib together!!!

Gorgeous crib all put together with a lot of the big pieces placed in the room. More decorations to come!

Our great car seat we now have thanks to Phillip's parents! I love the car seat canopy I got for free! The seat is gray and all of that pink is the canopy to keep her warm from the cool winter breezes.

34 Weeks -- Happy 700th Post!!!

We are now a mere six weeks away from the big due date! No word from the doctor yet as far as if they think she'll be early, late, big, small, etc. Hopefully I'll find out more Thursday.

Thursday is also childcare tour day! Spots fill up fast, so it's important we look now. My wonderful mother-in-law is an expert in the childcare area - hence her being director of several centers, an education specialist, certification professor, etc. So she's coming with me and we're going to look at three promising ones!

Baby Elayne

Size: Large Butternut Squash (4.75 pounds, nearing 18 inches long) <-- be="" confused="" earlier="" in="" not="" p="" pregnancy.="" size="" spaghetti="" squash="" the="" to="" with="">

Important Developments: Fat! She's getting those chubby limbs and face that we'll all be kissing and touching once she's here.

Noticeable Symptoms: It's hard to move, sleep, breathe, and pretty much do anything. Anyone want to come clean my house?

The Little French Provincial for our Little Princess

As promised, here is a full entry devoted to the re-do of the cute little dresser I found for Elayne at an antique mall. This is in no way a how-to post, seeing as there are things I probably could have done better, and let's face it, I was following a culmination of tips found on Pinterest.

I wish I would have taken a better "before" shot, but before I could think about it, I already had the drawers out and drawer pulls taken off. But here is the closest I have to what it looked like before. I redid this dresser because the original paint was ready to be refreshed, had some scuff marks, and there was a terribly outdated gold detailing around way too much of the piece.

First thing was first. I needed to prime. After reading some furniture redo blogs, I set out to find this Zasser 1-2-3 primer. This stuff seriously covers laminate. I was skeptical, but it worked! If you work with laminate, NEVER sand it (I was told). And I used spray paint for this entire project to prevent brush marks and for the lace overlay you'll see in a second.

 While the primer dried and dried and dried and dried, I decided to work on the drawer pulls. I loved the antique look they originally had, but did not like the gold tones and repeated creamy white paint choice. So I painted them gray, and antiqued them with a paper towel and some acrylic paint. Totally made up this process, but I think it worked!

After slapping on two goats of gray paint on the fronts of the drawers, and waited for them to dry, I laid down some lace from Hobby Lobby. I was worried when I was told the weight of the lace was enough to support it, but they were right. Once the paint went on top, that sucker didn't budge. So I then painted a couple of coats of white on top of the lace. It was important to not try to soak it too much and work with the lace to make sure it stenciled on nicely.

 

As soon as the white had been applied, Phillip and I gingerly lifted the lace together to make sure it came up straight. It's important to do this before the paint dries because the lace WILL stick to the paint otherwise...

Beautiful right!? I sealed the entire piece with this Minwax Polycrylic Protective Finish spray, waited for it to dry a full 24 hours between coats, and then we put it in the room.

The finished product!! I could not be more pleased!!!! So beautiful and feminine! Perfect for our baby girl. Ignore the shadows in the picture, it's the chandelier catching the light - I'll show you that piece soon too. What a beauty!

My Birth Plan (and 33 Weeks Update)

I have so much to say, so prepare yourselves for multiple posts in the next days.

First of all, the 33 week update!

33 Weeks

Baby Elayne

Size: Durian Fruit* (Over 4 pounds and more than 17 inches long)

Important Developments: She can open her eyes! Can't wait to see if they're blue like Phillip's or brown like mine!

Noticeable Symptoms: I'm now getting up about every 2 hours in the night to rush to the bathroom. I am officially huge and it's noticeable. I can't bend over, overexert myself, or find comfortable positions to sleep in. I'm officially in that miserable stage of pregnancy.

*Apparently a Durian Fruit is a nasty fruit that most people can't even stand the smell of - but some people love. Online, the "lovers" said it smells like almonds. While the "haters" compared the smell to raw sewage, turpentine, or rotten onions. Ew. Smelly baby!

And now on the topic of my birth plan....

Like I mentioned in the previous post, my emailed to-dos say that now is the time for a birth plan. Have you heard of these? Seen examples? Anything?

This is another one of those "new age" things our parents and grandparents certainly didn't care about. I think it's a result of our particular generation that wants to control every aspect of life, the advancement of medicine and what is effective, and the fact that we are the first generation that is demanding choices in medical care by asking pointed questions and researching the you-know-what out of every issue known to mankind.

Birth plans, for those of you who aren't aware, is a written plan for how you want the birth process to go - from hospital admission to discharge. It's formal, written, and added to the patient chart in most circumstances. The examples online are multiple pages long, address every teeny detail, and almost form manuals once completed.

Examples of Things Found In Birth Plans
Who is attending labor/delivery.
Environmental particulars like music, lighting, clothing, props, positions etc.
Pain management and medications.
How you'd like delivery to go as far as pushing techniques, c-section and alternatives available, and more.
What the hospital offers as far as rooms, where baby care takes place, etc.
Circumcision for a boy.
Feeding options and timing.
Discharge procedures.

It's quite the list. And while I love that these lists really make you think about what you want and tell you what your rights are and what you should expect to have access to, it's quite lengthy. And just like the hospital bag post...

Reality Check #1: The plan will inevitably change. All plans change. I found this out for myself around wedding time when at the last minute, I decided I didn't care about anything but getting married and having a good time. My doctor even said the women who come in with lengthy detailed plans are the ones who have to have an emergency c-section.

Reality Check #2: Ultimately, it's all your doctor's call. It doesn't matter if you swear up-and-down you don't want to be induced or have a c-section. If you're doctor feels it is necessary, you will have one. Pick your doctor accordingly. This goes along with the pediatrician as well. No need to alert the hospital staff about what your pediatrician should or shouldn't be doing. If you did your research and picked the right doctors, you shouldn't have to tell them what their job is.

Reality Check #3: You are subject to your hospital's facilities. No use in requesting a "birthing stool" if they don't have one. And staying in a private room is, for the most part, out of your control if your hospital doesn't have one. Ours has standard private rooms. Again, like above, if you did your research and picked the right hospital, they already know the best things for baby.

Reality Check #4: You are setting such high expectations and setting yourself up for what you would consider "failure" if things don't go according to your plan. I read a fantastic blog entry about how birth plans give women unrealistic expectations in order to satisfy their micromanaging urges. My favorite quote is below.

“Look, they don’t give out medals in the maternity ward. There’s no I Avoided The Episiotomy wall of fame bulletin board and they don’t put little stickers on the babies’ foreheads to distinguish whose mother had an epidural or not. (Although I do remember seeing a sticker on Noah’s bassinet chart that read “I’m a breastfed boy!”, but somehow I doubt the bottle-fed babies’ stickers featured frowny judgment faces, or anything.)”

So what does my birth plan consist of? Three things. And I doubt I will even "submit" it with the patient chart. They're easy to remember and Phillip knows too.

1. Elayne will be formula fed exclusively.
2. I am requesting pulse-oximetry to be done. Outdated now, since Texas legislation just changed this past session to make this required for all newborns in the state. Plus, our hospital already does this anyway. Until now, it is/was not standard, but usually available.
3. No forceps unless absolutely needed. I know my doctor will do what she needs to do. But we have also had lots of discussions about this and she knows how I feel and what I want. Plus, if they bring them out, I can protest until/unless she makes a case for this.

That's it!

My Hospital Bag

On the list for this week (according to those once cute email newsletters I thought would be fun when I first found out I was pregnant) is packing the hospital bag.

My hospital bag is already packed. If you know me at all, you know I actually HATE packing so i like to get it out of the way as soon as possible. Oh, and I buy all new things so I can call myself completely done instead of having this awful task looming above my head. I hate packing.

Did I mention these online lists people have come up with seem absolutely ridiculous? I mean, who really needs to show up to the hospital with 4 suitcases, pillows, blankets, and a diaper bag? That would be a nightmare for me. Again, I hate packing. So after compiling a massive list with everyone's suggestions, I removed a bunch of things that seemed a little overboard. And then!! And then I found a lady's realistic list on her blog that made so much sense! Hers was some post talking about how to pack for the hospital with one bag - similar to those how to pack a week's worth of clothes in a single carry on posts.

Genius I tell you. This woman was genius.

Reality Check #1: Don't bring anything to the hospital you would mind throwing away. Whether it ends up ruined from various things (I'll spare you), lost, or accidentally tossed by the cleaning staff, chances are, you won't be going home with that super cute custom hospital gown that either costed you $60 to buy or took Aunt Suzy 14 hours to make. Okay, so cross the hospital gowns, pjs, and expensive therapeutic socks off the list.

Reality Check #2: Stock up on millions of snacks and you will end up eating none. This actually is true with just about any trip/vacation you take. Everyone goes overboard and spends so much money on favorites, only to return with them and have them sit on your counter for months as occasional snacks. I know Phillip likes certain things, and I know I like certain things. However, adrenaline kicks in, hormones shift, and cravings happen. So instead, we'll be bringing money for vending machines and/or food runs made by our family and friends. Besides, why would Phillip pack a few bottles of warm Dr. Pepper when he could go down the hall for an ice cold one? That takes a load off our bags. Cross those off the list and add cash in their place.

Reality Check #3: No one needs a diaper bag at the hospital or for going home. Yes, our diaper bag is the most adorable bag I have ever owned. And yes it will be stocked full of every single thing I could possibly need from extra diapers to a sewing kit. But what could we possibly need between the hospital and home? Maybe she'll need an emergency diaper change in those 30 minutes? It's possible. Thankfully, hospitals give you the leftover packages of the diapers and wipes you used during your stay (see next reality check). And all of those extra outfits they tell you to bring? Elayne does not need to go through her entire wardrobe in two days. The hospital provides baby clothing. Even if it isn't cute, it's convenient and someone else washes it instead of us returning home to an entire load of baby clothes to wash. Scratch that off the list. Instead, a going home outfit and an outfit for the first round of pictures are placed in a  giant ziplock bag, along with scratch mittens, socks, and pacifiers we've already been told our hospital does not provide. And probably some swaddle blankets in case we get a sudden cold front or something. Let me tell you how little room that takes up in my suitcase.

Reality Check #4: The hospital provides a whole lot - oh and you're actually paying for all of that with the sky high bill you're paying. Again, this goes hand-in-hand with reality check 3. No need to bring nail clippers, aspirators, baby lotion, diaper rash ointment, a dozen swaddling blankets, etc. And there is also no need to bring your own towels, shampoo/conditioner, and wash cloths. Are these people having babies in remote cabins? Our hospital (as most do) provides all of that. And while it might not be my Grade A expensive products from Ulta or our super soft plush towels we got for our wedding, I think I can handle a couple of nights. I'll survive for the sake of having a single suitcase instead of needing a moving truck. After all, we're paying for all of this stuff!!! More thinks to scratch off the list.

Reality Check #5: Magazines, thank-yous, puzzle books, regular books, etc. will be left untouched. I've heard several people say through the inter-webs that your mind is so exhausted and unable to focus that you won't have time at all to dive into these things. I mean it's hard enough to find motivation to write thank-yous and you want me to suddenly find that motivation in between contractions and/or when Elayne falls asleep for the first time?? You guys are crazy. I won't even be bringing a laptop either, because it's such a hassle. And let's face it, with today's technology, I'll be content with my cell phone and iPad. Plus, we are going to have so many visitors coming in and out that I'm sure we won't be bored. Scratch all of those off the list too.

You must be thinking: Okay Ashley, then what's left? Haha. Actually, not much! That's how I'm already packed! I have some outfits for me to wear in case the hospital gown becomes too uncomfortable and if we happen to need to stay longer for unforeseen reasons. And then basic toiletries I know they won't have (like toothbrush). Some special items I am packing are dry shampoo in case my oily hair gets nasty before I'm able to shower, brush-ups in case surprise visitors come before I am able to brush my teeth or I can't make it to the sink, sleep mask and ear plugs, and other recovery-related unmentionables that I will need. But not much else. Oh! I am bringing an extension cord. That was another incredible idea. Because hospitals never have enough outlets and they're always across the room from where you need them. But this makes for a small carry-on sized suitcase that rolls.

Beside my small suitcase, Phillip will have a bag, we'll be bringing a boppy billow for the princess, and I'll pack my ultra protected pillow in the car in case I need it. Packing light will feel nice if/when we need to rush out the door during labor. Plus I really didn't want to have to make two trips to the hospital room with a bunch of crap. And it'll be nice returning home without mounds of unpacking to do.

Look forward to my upcoming post on my birth plan. You think THIS sounds like a minimalist? To give you a little bit of a preview - my birth plan consists of 3 bullet points.

Things I [Will] Miss

Well, Elayne is about 7 weeks away from making her presence into our lives! The doctor hasn't given me a more "accurate" update yet, but that should be coming in the next couple of appointments. I have a feeling she might come early (which means she'll probably be late).

We started our hospital classes this week, and let me tell you how helpful they have already been and how good I feel about Phillip learning so much! I'll post an entire entry about that soon... especially after we get into more classes in the coming weeks.

But back to this entry's theme. I am starting to make a mental list - which means I need to share to preserve that list - of things I love and don't love about pregnancy. This has turned into this:

Things I Will Miss About Pregnancy

• Feeling her move when no one else can. It feels like our own special moments no one else can participate in. It makes me feel really close to her.
• That first trimester sleep. That was the best sleep of my life and lasted up to 12/13 hours. In fact, I even miss it now.
• Having an excuse for my house looking like a disaster zone every second of every day. "Eh. I'm too tired from growing this human."
• Using the above excuse for just about everything, actually...
• Not shopping for myself - or if I do, not being concerned with the size of the clothing.
• The weekly emails and notifications about how big she is. They make me chuckle and tell me exactly what to expect. Why isn't there an every day life app like that?
• Maternity leave. Enough said.
• Pants with elastic bands and no buttons/zippers. Very handy for all those bathroom trips and feeling like you have a food baby larger than your real baby.

Things I Miss About Pre-pregnancy (That I look forward to having back)

• Being able to do what I want, when I want to do it. I can't lift anything, can't bend over, and have no physical ability to do everything my mind wants to do. I'm ready to get back to being "busy me."
• Getting to eat what I want when I want it. If I'm too busy to eat right at lunch time, I can wait to have a bigger late lunch.
• Having multiple cups of coffee if I want. My doctor lets me have coffee, but in moderation. I'm ready to be able to drink as much as I want/need for the day - especially with early mornings.
• Sleeping on my stomach. Man I really miss that.
• Seeing things "on the rack" that look similar or the same on.
• As weird as it sounds, I'm really wanting to be able to get back into some sort of working out. I won't have too much baby weight to work off, but I'd like to be in better shape than I was before pregnancy, which I think is in reach. I miss the freedom of being able to go exercise if the mood strikes.
• Not feeling like my to-do list is forever-and-a-day long and never-ending. Oh and not feeling like I need to load up on baby essentials every time I'm near a store. I know babies still need things when they get here, but this initial stocking of the room is insane.

32 Weeks (That's 8 Months Y'all!)

What a great weekend! Originally the whole family was planning a trip to Houston to see my grandparents. So naturally, Heather and I took Friday off so we could basque in the glory of a three day weekend. Well, when the trip got postponed, we wound up with a lot of free time with nothing on the agenda.

I got my hair cut, a pedicure, and a gel manicure (love those!) on Friday. Saturday was pool time and our first crack at homemade sushi. I'd say it was a success! Then yesterday was spent doing homework while it rained all day, and then an evening celebrating my grandfather's 91st birthday.

Today my reality is back. The worst part of a relaxing weekend is returning to the real world on Monday. Catching up on work. Washing piles of laundry. Cleaning. And starting a fresh to-do list for the week.

On the agenda this week? Finishing up the adorable dresser mom and I found last weekend. A preview is below. Then hanging the fabulous chandelier in Elayne's room when it gets delivered on Wednesday.  The love seat that will go in her room is also getting recovered this week. Also hospital classes begin this week! Things are really coming together. Can't wait!

32 Weeks

Baby Elayne

Size: Jicama (about 4 pounds and 16 inches long) - Mexican yam/turnip

Important Developments: She should be turning into her downward patterning and "dropping" soon if she hasn't already. We are getting so much closer!

Noticeable Symptoms: She keeps kicking my ribs. I'm running out of room. And everyone says suddenly my belly popped out even more this week. Still only gained 13 pounds to-date. I'm pretty happy with that.

Notice to Explore

Alright, so about the major events I was telling you about previously...

One of them is that I gave notice at work. I will be finishing out the remainder of the summer, and will no longer be employed by the company after the completion of my maternity leave.

1. Wait. What happened!?
In the past few weeks, Phillip and I have discussed me leaving in depth. It's time for me to move on in order to care for baby Elayne when she gets here, cut down on child care expenses, have the flexibility to really focus on school, and refocus on what my passion really is.

2. So now what?
Well, I will obviously finish out working until Elayne decides to make her joyous arrival. After about 6 weeks or so of caring for her, I will probably work part-time to make up for a little of the income and give us spending money. I have a bunch of ideas rolling around in my head and I'm fortunate I don't have to figure this out until at least October.

3. Hold on. You don't have a solid backup plan?
I'm afraid not. This decision came really quickly for me and I have hardly had any time to think. Closing down my work stuff and tying up loose ends while training a new hire will occupy my time until September. Again, we will figure it out. My mom said Elayne is my backup plan for now. And she's right. I still have time. I'm not going to rush this until I need to.

4. Rediscover your passion? What does that mean?
I'm not sure yet. I know that I love health education. And I love the teaching side of it. And my ultimate goal is still to be a professor. But in the meantime, I'm exploring lots of ideas. It's actually kind of exciting because for the first time ever, I'm in control of my future. I have a wonderful husband who thankfully has a great job who will allow me to brainstorm the next few months. I'll figure it out, I know it.

5. Are you crazy?
Maybe. This could creatively be called my mid-twenties-crisis. When I graduated with my undergraduate degree, I was so focused on finding a job that I didn't allow myself time to really find something I would like for the long-term. While this job has served its purpose and given me great experience in a health-related field, I'm ready to be in the completely health field. I have new perspective. More skills. More education. I'm crazy, but I hope more equipped for what lies ahead.

We'll see what happens. For once in my life, I don't feel rushed. I feel like this is a good thing and will work out for the better. I need clarity. I need to refocus. I need a break from the real--world to care for my new baby and family. I need to breathe and take in those first few weeks of her life.

29/30/31 Weeks

This past week has been a busy/emotional/long one. More details to come. But with the holiday and more, I am truly sorry for delaying this post. And since I'm already at 31 weeks, it'll have to be a combo post.

All I can really say as a preview is that life turns and twists all over. I'm at some crossroads and finding new paths appearing every second. Stay tuned.

On to the pregnancy post...

29 Weeks

Elayne Ruth

Size: Acorn Squash

Important Developments: Those wonderful lungs and head are growing. Brain centers are developing so she'll be the smartest baby around.

Noticeable Symptoms: Hormones. Morning sickness is back. Locks of kicking. Foot/leg cramps.

30 Weeks

Elayne Ruth

Size: Small Melon

Important Developments: She responds, sometimes, to people talking to her!

Noticeable Symptoms: Sleeping is getting pretty difficult. My lungs feel crowded. And putting my feet up feels really nice. This week I had an inner ear issue that made me dizzy for a few days. Thank you Sudafed for helping!

31 Weeks

Elayne Ruth

Size: Pineapple

Important Developments: All of her sense are now formed and all but smell are functioning. She is rolling a lot since I'm sure she's running out of room. Plus, she's starting to fill out with fat. About to hit a growth spurt too.

Noticeable Symptoms: Braxton-Hicks contractions are coming and going at times. I can hardly do anything without getting completely exhausted.

"Sometimes it Takes Balls to be a Woman"

I love this song. What an anthem. Girl power. We run this world.

Pretty much I love girls!

And I'm so proud to have such strong women in my life - friends and family - and to have a future one on the way.

This entry is devoted to my wonderful grandmother, who is the epitome of strength. Linda, this is for you.

A woman who has worked her whole life, even when the culture told her to stay home with the kids.

A woman who manages to take care of a 5 bedroom house, a doting husband, the cutest puppy, and still makes time to enjoy gardening and keeping up with the family's adventures. The shining example of someone who can work full-time and keep the house together - running circles around stay-at-home moms.

A woman who has taught me to work for what I want, have dreams bigger than yourself, and not to be afraid of putting in some elbow grease to get the results you want - if you want it done right, do it yourself.

A woman who will soon embark on a journey that I'm positive she will conquer with such grace and dignity.

A woman who raised my mom to be just like her and teach us girls to be the same. Irreplaceable virtues. A woman who has already shown me how to make my daughter that strong too.

A woman who finds strength in the hardest situations and has taught me how to be the rock in moments of crisis.

A woman who doesn't like sugar coating and is a realist. Preparing for the worst but praying for the best.

A woman I love so much and don't know what I would do without.



I love you Linda!!!!