July 2006 Mommies - It's 2nd Trimester time!

[cpbride8203]

jewamese - Congrats on your girl! I am so excited about having 2 little girls...are you? I love the suggestion that someone gave a while back of Lilliana...I think Taya and Lilli sound cute together!

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Congrats Jewamese on your little girl! I really like the name Jordan as well. One of my cousins is named Jordan and she is such the little mommy to her younger siblings. So adorable!

Nips- Mine have been bumpy since my first pregnancy. Haven't spotted any leaking yet but they feel wet sometimes when the air hits it right.

[Sophia]

Jewamese: The Baby Name Wizard lists these as good matches for Taylor:

Jordan, Bailey, Ashton, Kelsey, Hunter

And these are listed as good matches for Avery:

Aunrey, Peyton, Ava, Mallory, Emory

Whenever I'm not 100% sure on a name I like to look at the matches since they're so close in style. :)

[cece]

maybebaby- it really is up to you as to what your baby wears coming home. they are wrapped in a blanket anyway, so it just depends how you want them to look.

finn wore this onesie by kissy kissy (love the quality of their layette stuff):

http://store1.yimg.com/I/blueberrybabies_1883_17182407

and white pants by the same company. we wrapped him in his blue little giraffe blanket and put a blue knit cap on his little head.

http://www.sleepytimestore.com/image.php?productid=15

-c

[mia's mama]

Cece- Little boys in low top Chuck Taylors are the best! Picturing Finn in his CTs makes me want a boy! ;) I also saw the cutest T- shirt today that read "I love Dirt"...so freaking cute. And who said boy clothes arn't as cute as girl clothes...
http://store1.yimg.com/I/tutti-bella_1883_19015932

I did pick up this adorable easter dress for Mia today though...couldn't resist. I'm not into floral prints, and thought this was so sweet and simple...and since Mia is on the small side, she wears dresses forever (she's still in 6-12 month)...so she can wear this all summer too.
I got this, but in a dress (no bloomers or hat...and no polka dots- just plain white linen with the chickens across the top)
http://us.st11.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/I/tutti-bella_1886_23387689

I think Steven Tyler's girls are the reason Liv keeps comming back to me (I LOVE Liv Tyler...think she's so beautiful...I prefer Mia Hamm over Mia Tyler though ;) ) Mia and Liv just sound right together...I like the three-letter commonailty.

I love Kissy Kissy- that onsie is SO cute! I would love to get it for my friend (the sailor), but I guess it's pretty boyish looking (they don't know what they are having).

Jewemese- Ah, Taya is such a cute nickname for Taylor! I still like Avery and Taylor (or Mia and Taylor :p ) the best together.

Marryanne- sorry about the carpal tunnel! Can your doc refer you to an Occupational Therapist who specializes in hands? (I am an OT and we worked with a lot of CP patients when I did my hand rotation, but I work in pediatrics now).

emmjay- Can't wait to hear!!!!!

nips- I have the bumps too....

[emmjay]

It's a BOY!!!

We are so excited - and my 5 dreams last night were correct! :D

I immediately went out and bought a bunch of clothes from this baby boutique near my office - too expensive to shop there regularly (esp. once I'm not working) but I couldn't resist.

Woo hoo! How am I going to concentrate today?? Thank god my boss will be out tomorrow... ;)

[Sophia]

emmjay: Congrats on your BOY!!!

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Emmjay- Congrats on your little boy!! That is so exciting.

Mia'sMomma- Where did you find that shirt? It is really cute. I want go out and get our little one a pair of CarHartt Overalls and a flannel so that he can match Daddy! I think lil boys clothes are so cute! BTW- I figured out that my mom is not spying on me. But I still don't want to put anything in my siggie.

[mia's mama]

Emmjay- HOW EXCITING!!!! I think dreams are often correct- I had 3 girl dreams with Mia that were SO VIVID...this time only 1 dream (boy), yet I'm still convinced that this is a girl. ;) Yeah for a mini-shopping spree!

Lil_Mrs.- you can find that shirt here http://www.tuttibella.com/someday-dreamers-i-love-dirt-tshirt.html

[mmisabel]

maryanne - It sucks that you get the one part of pregnancy that totally affects what you do. I'm sorry! I've mostly been hearing girl from other people, but who knows! I'll have to post a belly pic soon.

ShelbyMay - No, these girls are like 12 and 8. I think it's a cute combo for twins too, Taylor and Jordan.

[maryanne]

mia's mama-- do you think that it would be worth seeing a specialist at this time? I was thinking of going to one, b/c I am so nervous that it manifested itself so early in my pregnancy. (I had bouts of it even before I was pregnant).The OBGYN seemed to think that it is NOT just related to pregnancy but my lifestyle--but said that surgery obviously wasn't an option until after I give birth and they see if it goes away.

I am just so upset about it since I need my hands for work- I am worried that if I continue to work while they are hurting that I will excaberate the problems, and cause more damage in the long run...I tried to discuss this with the OBGYN and felt that I was getting the brush off since I am preggers--but when it was diagnosed by another OBGYN that was covering for him while he was on vacation, it seemed that he was ready to write out disability papers and refer me to a specialist right then????

Arrgggh! It has been causing some major issues with my hubby and me too. He wants me to quit NOW---or beg for disability...Actually lately almost everything has been causing us issues :eek:

[mmisabel]

EmmaJay- You snuck in there. Congrats on your BOY!!!!

[maryanne]

which brings me to another RANT....

I am so tired of not being allowed to own any of my emotions....for the year before the wedding , I was always dismissed whenever I felt any emotion..."oh, she is just nervous about the wedding...she's just being a bride"....now, whenever I try to share fears, angers etc...I get ""she's overemotional because she is pregnant!"

[mia's mama]

mia's mama-- do you think that it would be worth seeing a specialist at this time?

I do think it's worth going in for a consult- especially if your insurance will cover it. They may have some options for pain mangagement for the rest of the pregnancy, though for some people only surgery seems to help. I can't remember, are you wearing wrist braces?
Sorry about the trouble with DH...both pre-wedding and during pregnancy are such common times to argue...and women will typically talk about fears etc. much more (even though the men have them too, I'm sure!), so we get labled the emotional ones. :rolleyes: I AM more emotional when pregnant, but my fears are also rational and well-founded (well, excpet for that one a few days back that I was PG with twins ;) - luckily DH is pretty good about listening and talking them through with me. Unfortunately the communication often gets worse after the baby is born for a few months b/c everything is so new and you are both lacking in the sleep department. Since Mia was about 4 months old though, it has been smooth sailing.

[maryanne]

Yeah, I know it is common to fight around these times...but, since we rarely do fight, I think that it stands out so much more. He just wants to solve everything and hates it when he can't.

I think that I am going to give a specialist a call today and see if I can get an appt.

I am wearing braces on both hands! It is actually kinda comical, I look so silly!

[mkvh]

Hey gals! I've been MIA because I've been in migraine land again. FUN! That's one a month for the past three months, and they last 3 days each. And the dr. can't give me anything other than what I already have med wise, so I just have to "sleep it off". Lovely. Not that I can complain too much, as this really is the only PG negative I've had to deal with so far.

Congrats on your DAUGHTER, jewamese!!

Congrats on your SON, emmjay!!

mmisabel--weird...I was thinking that maybe I knew you IRL b/c I used to work with someone who has a Taylor and a Jordan! And most of my company relo'd to Boston. But her girls are younger.

nips--mine are huge and flaky and surrounded by bumps. And itchy. But I haven't noticed the leakage yet. Maybe I'm just not very observant...

mia's mama--she's SOO cute!

Okay, that's my lame attempt at replies. Hope you all are doing well!

[Mystikal]

Congrats on the boy and girl!! :D

colustrum I'm not sure if that's what it is, but my nips (well, my right one) has been leaking a clear liquid when I squeeze. I saw it on accident the other night when checking to see if I have inverted nipples and was so excited! I'm hoping this means good news for BF'ing since I've been worried because of my breast reduction. I hope it's a good sign!!

[hotmama]

i'm SO sorry i haven't been around here. there were 2 times i tried logging in but kept getting a message that the server was busy. :(

anyway, have some info to share...and photos, too! hope you are all doing well and sorry to make this a brief update. i haven't been feeling well.

18 week belly shot:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/bwiched/18weeks.jpg

our baby is a......
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/bwiched/itsaboy.jpg

a footprint:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/bwiched/baby2footprint.jpg

a profile shot:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v519/bwiched/baby2profile.jpg

[emmjay]

Thanks, everyone! :D I still can't believe we're going to have a boy! Well, I believe it enough to have purchased a shockingly high number of expensive outfits in a very short amount of time, but it's still so surreal. ;)

maryanne - that sucks about the carpal tunnel! It sounds so painful - I hope the specialist can help you out.

hotmama - Congratulations on your BOY!!! :D

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Congrats Hotmomma! He is definately a little ham!

Maryanne- I totally get what you are talking about. I think I am pretty good judge of when I am just hormonal and when I have a legitimate reason to be mad. And even those times that I am hormonal, yes I may be "overreacting" but I still have a point. I don't get why that point just gets dismissed.

[klav]

Congrats Hotmomma! ON YOUR LITTLE BOY!!
love the little foot shot too cute!!

have any of the mommies bought the robeez shoes? just wondering what you thought of them? they are too cute!!

[nuhmah]

I bought a pair of the turtles in size 0-6 months. They are so adorable!

http://store.babycenter.com/MEDIA/ProductCatalog/49263_207240_md.jpg

I am in LOVE with the dumptruck ones!

[klav]

I was looking at the booties for the winter ans some sandles or the lions for summer.
I think they are sooo cute!!

[ShelbyMay]

Do our babies need shoes in the summer? I am so clueless about these things!

Even if they don't need them, the Robeez are adorable! Has anyone else checked out the thead in Parenting about shoes?

[cece]

shelbymay- i think it's all a preference thing.

it's so warm in summer and they're so tiny, i never put shoes on ds that 1st summer...only sox occasionally. (he was an august baby). he wore these fuzzy booties i had for him during the winter. i had him barefoot or in 6-12m robeez or jack & lily's the following spring/summer when he was 7-12m.

it wasn't until he started walking around 12m that i got him shoes, and they were the see kai run soft-soled shoes.

-c

[Sophia]

Shoes: I won't be getting any shoes (very soft soled) until the weather turns chilly. Until then, just socks as needed.

[ShelbyMay]

This is how crazy I am: I almost always take my belly shots on a Tuesday, since that is when "my week" changes to the next. I somehow got it into my head that today was a Tuesday and that I was now 22 weeks along. I got out my camera, changed into my "belly shot outfit", and took the pictures.... only to realize that today is Thursday and I am only 21 weeks and 2 days along. :rolleyes:

I don't know if I will add this pic to my progression collage since those were all taken 4 weeks apart and this was just over 1 week since my last pic. I thought I'd share it here, anyway, since I think there is a noticeable difference:

Here is my 20 week (actually, 19 weeks 6 days) shot for comparison:
http://images.snapfish.com/3464594%3C2%7Ffp335%3Enu%3D3238%3E284%3E2%3A5%3EWS NRCG%3D3233545335437nu0mrj

and then here is the shot from tonight (21 weeks, 2 days):
http://images.snapfish.com/3464594%3C2%7Ffp337%3Enu%3D3238%3E284%3E2%3A5%3EWS NRCG%3D32335679%3C24%3A3nu0mrj

ETA: I think my belly button is about to "break even", too.:p

[rande]

Jewamese-Congrats on your little girl! Love the names Avery and Mia!!!!

Emmjay & Hotmama- Congrats on your boys!!

Hotmama- You look great for 18 weeks. You can barely tell that you are pregnant. Hope you feel better soon.

Mia's Mama- Mia is adorable! I am thinking girl for you. Good luck tom.

Well, we had our follow-up ultrasound today since they could not get a good look last week and it is definitely a little girl! We are so excited to have 1 boy and 1 girl. DH is really nervous-he thinks there is so much more to worry about with a girl. (He freaks out when we go to the mall and he sees how alot of the early teenage girls dress nowadays). Our top name contenders are still Olivia (Liv), Keira, Isabelle, or Ella. Although I really want to try for something not so popular and make sure that it is something that I will like down the line. We are leaning towards Olivia since it is not super popular in California, as much as on the East Coast. DH also loves Keira. We brought Drew to Disney this afternoon to celebrate. He had a blast. So much fun!

[maybebaby]

Cece, thanks for the suggestion! Love the outfit you brought Finn home in.

Jewamese congrats on your girl!

I know I have missed a lot of baby boy/girl announcements so congrats to everyone I missed! I don't get on CC enough to quite keep up with this fast moving thread.

But I did skim back and notice how absolutely gorgeous Mia is! Those are some eyes, Mia's mama! She's a cutie.

[maryanne]

Hope that you had fun at Disney, Rande!

Shelby, funny, I was thinking about your belly button soon to be popping when looking at your pics and then I saw your caption. You are almost done :D

[mrst2b2003]

Emmjay & Hotmama- Congratulations on your Boys!!!



Hotmama and Shelby- your bellies look fabulous:)


Mia's Mama- Good luck on your ultrasound today:)

[Wrighty26]

Congrats Hotmama and Emmjay on your BOYS!!! (Emmjay I totally had boy dreams too-- that's when I just "knew"!) Glad to see you guys are "evening the score" a little :D

Congrats OFFICIALLY to rande on your little girl! I love the name choices (Olivia was one of my top girl names).

Shoes - We're going to be skipping shoes for a while. It so freakin' hot and humid here during the summer (until at least mid-October) that it's pointless. Plus they grow out of them SO fast! They are cute though :)

Anyone else ready for the weekend??

[MMK]

Quick drive by...I just noticed the "forest" themed baby Gap quilt is on Ebay brand new currently going for $25. I thought several pages back a couple of you were interested in this bedding. Just an FYI!!!!

[sunchaser26]

Congrats Hotmama and Emmjay on your BOYS!!!

Hotmama,

Sorry to hear that you haven't been feeling well lately. Hopefully that will pass soon. Great belly shot, you look great can barely tell that you are pregnant!

Congrats to rande on your little girl! Hope that you enjoyed Disney.

[Lizard]

Congrats Hotmama and emmjay!! Hotmama, I showed DH your boy "parts" picture last night, because during our u/s he kept asking how they could be sure ours was really a girl. I was like, "There definitely wasn't one of THOSE on our kid." :D

Shoes - I won't get any anytime soon. Heck, I barely wear shoes in the summer, I don't expect my kid to. :)

We had a hospital tour last night... our OB will deliver at 2 different hospitals, so we toured the one we were most interested in. They were OK - nothing special, nothing terrible. Our group was kind of sarcastic and a lot of the guys were making comments on the dad's accomodations. Basically they give him a recliner chair to sleep in, and it looked terribly uncomfortable. Also, dads can't order off the hospital menu at all, but they did say that mom could order more than she would eat, and they'd let dad eat the leftovers. :rolleyes: They only allow 1 person besides dad in the labor room... this is fine with us, because we DON'T want a crowd gathering around my hoohah. One person at a time is very manageable. :) Once the baby's born, you can have as many people as you want in your room, but they kick all the visitors out from 1-4 every day for "family bonding time". They dim all the lights on the floor and it's a quiet time for everyone. I like that quite a bit. :) They do all the stuff I'd hoped as well... breastfeed within a half hour of birth, baby rooms in, security tags, etc. I just wish they had a little better facilities and rules for DH. I told him if worse comes to worse, he can go home after the birth and sleep/eat and I wouldn't be upset. We only live about 10 mins away from the hospital.

I checked with a friend of mine that's delivered 3 kids at the other hospital we can pick, and she said it sounds pretty similar. So we'll stick with this one.

[a_spark]

Rande-Congrats on your official girl!!! We must be on the same wavelength, because our name choices are very similar! Ours are:

Sophie
Keira
Ella
Ava

I may have mentioned this already- preggo brain...:rolleyes:

[mmisabel]

Congrats Hot Mama on your boy!! There's no doubting that scan!

hospital tour - we are going next week to meet the MD's in our practice that deliver, hopefully we'll get a tour with it.

We are only planning on having DH and I there for the delivery. We will call parents, etc. to come after baby arrives. What are other's plans?

[emmjay]

We are only planning on having DH and I there for the delivery. We will call parents, etc. to come after baby arrives. What are other's plans?
Well, we live about 1500 miles from our closest family members (on either DH's or my side) so we will definitely just have the two of us! I think my parents are going to come about a week after the birth, and my ILs are going to come at some point after that. My sister and niece are planning to come about a month or so later. DH's aunt will probably come as well (she doesn't have kids and is very close to DH and his brothers).

hospital tour - I definitely want to do this but I haven't scheduled it or any classes yet. I should probably get on the classes because I know they fill up quickly!

Non pregnancy related rant: We have had a new mail carrier for about 6 weeks and I just realized he has been inserting our bills/letters/etc. into the center of various catalogs and other junk mail. I found out because I was flipping through a PBKids catalog and our phone bill was just stuck in there between some random pages - wtf?? Now we realized that we are missing at least one $400 expense check from DH's work, and who knows what else. I called the carrier and he gave me this big sigh and said "OK I will make a note to not do that anymore. FOR YOU." - like I'm so high maintenance because I don't want my important mail shoved randomly into junk mail?? :mad:

ETA - fixed spelling and also to apologize for that rant! Back to pregnancy-related stuff: I felt the baby move with my hand last night! :D

[klav]

Congrats Hot Mama on your boy!! There's no doubting that scan! you know when they did ours and she made me say it's a boy first.. and she did not give us a scan of that area just the profile something about if they are wwrong they don't want to get blamed? hummm it's just made me think of that?

[hotmama]

thanks for the congrats, ladies! we're def excited about having another little boy. Aiden is going to be a great big bro, i just know it. they'll be best of buddies!

regarding shoes and robeez....just want to help with my opinion. our son was born in October and he never wore shoes until he was crawling, and that was around 7-8 months. we always put socks on his feet if it were cold and at bedtime. but otherwise, no shoes. i love the robeez, too, but i found they are not very durable. Aiden went through 3 pairs quickly. his current pair have a small hole in the toe already. :( i barely washed them, too. i wasked them as suggested on the packaging. i think they are meant to be indoor shoes. they fray easily and the bottoms are tough to clean if they've gotten dirty outside. know what i mean?

anyway, not knocking them b/c we def owned a few pairs...but was disappointed in how long they lasted vs the cost per pair.

[Lizard]

I wouldn't feel TOO rushed on the hospital tour... I was the smallest person there by far. The 2 couples we talked to briefly are due in April, and basically everyone there looked ready to pop. :D

Our plans for delivery... well, my parents live 8 hours away and DH's live 4 hours away. So assuming I go into labor naturally, we'll just call them and tell them what's up, and they'll drive/fly in and get here when they get here. My mother is being a gigantic pain because she's begging to be in the room when I give birth, and I keep telling her that first of all, we don't want anyone in there except DH and I. Second of all, there's obviously no way to guarantee when I'll be delivering! She whines about it at least once a week. :( She has snuck into relatives' delivery rooms before, so we'll have to give the nurses a Wanted poster or something....

After delivery, my folks are going to stay a day or two and then go home... probably the same for DH's folks. Then my folks will come back in a month or two and stay for a while. Hopefully routines are more established by then.

Can you tell DH's folks are easier to get along with and more relaxed about these things? We have to grind out all the details with my folks, otherwise dealing with my mom is a giant nightmare. This way it'll just be a small nightmare. :D

[hotmama]

Congrats Hotmama and emmjay!! Hotmama, I showed DH your boy "parts" picture last night, because during our u/s he kept asking how they could be sure ours was really a girl. I was like, "There definitely wasn't one of THOSE on our kid." :D

OMG! that's funny! actually, i myself couldn't believe the accuracy and clarity of that u/s shot. i was stunned! we didn't know what we were having with our first child, so we had no idea. that shot was dead on...we are def having a boy and i won't hesitate buying anything blue or sports related. lol!

[Sophia]

hotmama: ITA that Robeez are intended for indoor wear. That type of soft soled shoe is also called a "crib shoe."

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Robeez- We will probably buy pairs starting at 6 months. My friend absolutely swears by them. She said that they held up pretty well but I think she only used them outside on dry days. I agree that they are mostly indoor shoes. There is also an Ebay seller that sells knock offs. Here's the link: robeez knock offs (http://stores.ebay.com/kids-garden) I think for the most part they are $11 a pair. Haven't ordered from them yet but I plan on it.

Hot Momma- We didn't let them print out the money shot but our tech didn't have to tell us the sex. We could see it for ourselves. It looked like a third leg!! At www.tshirthell.com they have these smart ass tees for babies. We want to get the one that says "Hung Like A Five Year Old."

[nuhmah]

The thing I liked about Robeez is that I have been told they are unable to kick them off. :)

- - - - - - - -

Well, ladies, DH had his yearly company meetings the other day, and came back with some exciting news!! We are leaving Portland, OR!!! WOOHOOO!!!!

They want to move us by December of this year - we have narrowed it down to two places - back to the east coast (anywhere we want in downstate NY, Western CT/MA, or NJ), or to PARIS!!!

We are seriously considering Paris... we are so excited! Little baby J will be about 5 months by the time we go, so we feel that is better than with a newborn!

[cece]

nuhmah- oh my gosh. what a great life experience paris would be. how long would you be there? my cousin's husband is an engineer and they are re-located about every 3 years. they just had their kids in switzerland for the past 3, and are now in maryland. she said it was just awesome for the children, and the oldest went to school there for 2 of those years and picked up french in a nano-second. i'm envious that you could also chose connecticut. my husband is from there, and aside from the cold weather that i would hate, i would love to have the chance to raise my children there.

hotmama- sam, that is just about the best ultrasound parts shot i've ever seen. i mean, there is just no mistaken that that is a little boy! glad you're feeling better :)

visitors- aside from my MIL's occasional bossiness, we have actually reached an understanding and have developed a really nice relationship in the past 10 years. she was ready to go (in nyc) with bags packed and was in the hospital 5hrs after ds #1 was born. she stayed with us for 1wk and it was a godsend. she just took care of things...of everything. cooking, taking care of the animals, cleaning, etc., so we could just relax and spend time getting to know our baby. she wasn't overbearing at all which shocked the hell out of me. she'll be coming again this time for a week. (after 1wk though, i was ready to have the house to ourselves and get on with life). my dad & step-mom are only 15 min's away which is nice too.

-c

[rande]

Robeez- we never got any for our son. My husband thought they were too girly. I disagreed. However, Drew was born in December. People bought us some cute shoes but they always fell off. We waited until he was crawling 5-6 months to buy him some Stride Rite Crawlers-expensive but I highly recommend them. They can be worn outdoors and hold up well. We got him stride rite walkers at 11 months even though he was walking at 9 months because they have a harder sole and the Crawlers shoes were much easier for him when he was still learning. The walkers have been great now that he is very efficient at walking and running. If you plan on getting Stride Rite shoes register on their website. They will send coupons which help since the shoes run usually over $40 per pair. I may have to try some cute Robeez for this little girl but I will probably not buy any until 6 months.

Nuhmah-Paris-how exciting! You guys are going to be very busy. Your other options are very nice as well-Western CT/MA is especially nice and a great place to raise children.

A-spark-beautiful names! We definitely have the same taste!

[mkvh]

OMG nuhmah!!! What a neat opportunity. Although after all you're going through to remodel your house, I would be sad to leave it. I guess that pales in comparison...

Interesting discussion on shoes, ladies. I guess it never crossed my mind!

[klav]

OMG nuhmah!! how wonderful would that be Paris!!
when will you know and how long would it be? that's awsome!

[mia's mama]

hotmama- Congrats on boy #2! :D

Shoes- Well, I'm a bit of a shoe whore myself, and I am embarrassed to admit that Mia has about 14-15 pairs of shoes. A few are getting too small, and several are too big still. They are totally pointless in the beginning (especially during the summer months), but she started wearing them regularly around 7 months or so, if we were outside. I only put her in soft-soled shoes until about a month ago. She's a profecient walker/runner now though, so we go for durability these days. Although I think robeez are cute, I prefer pedipeds. They have a velcro closure rather than slip on, and I just like the way they look a little better. They are about $28/pair, and Mia is ust starting to grow out of the 6-12 month size now at 15 months, so I feel we get our money's worth. ;)

BIG U/S....
We don't know they sex YET...but we have 7:30pm dinner reservations to find out! They baby looked great...measuring a few days ahead and 13 ounces. The tech said the baby looks really long (though it was moving around so much it was hard for her to get an accurate length measurement) and has HUGE feet! :eek: So now DH is convinced it's a boy, but I still think girl...we'll see in about 7 hours! I think this baby will be a swimmer, like his/her big sister- it was lying belly down, literally pushing it's legs off the side of my uterus- we got some beautiful spine shots and a cute one if his/her sucking it's thumb. :) I can't believe how little I feel him/her move compared to what we saw going on in there!

I've gained 8 pounds so far (3 since last appt.). I LOVE my doctor...he has my starting weight as 120...which was actually taken when I was 6 weeks post-partum with Mia. When I came in for my 1st appt. this pregnancy, I was at 110. He said "Wow, you've really lost weight have you been vomiting"? I tried to explain that no- this was my starting weight...I had lost 10 pounds in the last 10 months (obviously normal for post-partum mothers), but he said "well, 120 is the last weight I have for you, and I'd like to stick with that as your starting weight."...fine by me. According to him, although I have gained 8, I am still down 2 pounds now, at 118. ;) Ha!

[cece]

mia's mama- you tiny little thing you! i love that s/he was belly down and sucking her/his thumb. how adorable. you know this is absolutely killing me. and i admire your strength to not rip that envelope open. i think that is such a cute and memorable way to discover your news together! hotmama did the same thing.

shoes- i'll have to admit that if i had a girl, i would most probably be purchasing alot more shoes than i do now with a boy!

[nuhmah]

Paris - well, we would probably be able to set our own time limit - DH works for a small Paris-based company. Probably 2 years, and we will know defenitely in a couple of weeks if this is going to happen or not. We are really working to remodel, but it was never our plan to stay in it. We always wanted to treat this as an investment house (and practice our remodeling skills) because we always knew we would be leaving Portland.

Mia's Momma - have fun finding out at dinner! We had the tech write it to down on a piece of paper and seal it up for us - we opened it at lunch later on.

[hotmama]

forgot to mention some of the details from our u/s this week.

the baby is weighing about 9 ounces and measuring in for a due date of july 29 or 30. the little footprint was so cute ... we wanted to know about how big the foot was. the tech measured and it's exactly 1 inch. SO tiny! the baby was moving a little, not too much. we were able to see him bring his hands to his mouth and wiggle his feet.

one small thing, the baby has a calcium deposit on one of his heart chambers. i thought something may have been wrong when the Dr came in to do a complete 2nd scan, but she said it's nothing to worry about. she clearly explained it to us and said if it was her sca/baby she wouldn't worry one bit. in the past, they used to think it was an indication of a chromosomal abnormality...but that's not the case anymore. good to know and we moved on.

regarding visitors, in the hospital? not sure. currently we're thinking about a plan for what to do with Aiden. we'll need someone here at the house to watch him when we head out to the hospital. with Aiden, my delivery was SUPER fast. we'll need someone here right away, i'm sure. when we had Aiden, my MIL, SIL and godmother were in the room. as i said, it all happened so quickly that my own sister couldn't make it down from the bay area. she arrived later that evening. my MIL lives in the area but my entire family lives in SF. makes it tough on me b/c i wish they were closer to help out. the relationship with my MIL isn't the best. we do get along but we have our moments and it's become a touch worse since having Aiden. she can be controlling, nosy and bossy. good thing she lives in the area and won't need to stay with us, you know? ;)

anyway, i would say if it worked out best, i would have my sister here to help for a few days. J, my husband, will prolly stay home for 2 weeks as he did after Aiden arrived. but i think i'll send DH home every night during our hospital stay to be with Aiden. that way at least one of us is getting a good nights sleep. i don't mind staying alone in the hospital.

[mia's mama]

Well....I guess I should have listened to that dream I had...
I am SHOCKED to say ...


IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek:

I can't believe it! My DH is bouncing off the freakin' walls right now :D .

I opened up the envelope at the start of our dinner and found that U/S technician had actually put 2 U/S pictures in there with "the parts" labeld, instead of just writing it on a piece of paper. I thought that was so sweet of her! Thank goodness this kid is a boy with the feet on him! Will have to post U/S pics at some point.

I think I just evened our group out!? Am I right? 10 girls and 10 boys so far?

Holy crap...now we have to deal with names! We had totally settled on either Tess or Olivia for a girl, but 2 nights ago DH decided he doesn't like Gavin anymore, which was my top boy choice. :rolleyes: Now what!?

[mrst2b2003]

MIA'S MAMA CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BOY!!!! now you have one of each:)


I think picking out boys names are harder than girls names. We have narrowed our choices down to Evan and Ryan for our boy. I don't even want to think about middle names. I just wish my DH would commit to a name:rolleyes:

[klav]

MIA'S MAMA CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BOY!!!! HOW AWSOME IS THAT!!!

[cece]

mia's mama- oh my gosh, how fabulous!!!! congratulations on your boy! you know, for you i was so excited for you either way, because i LOVE the idea of 2 sisters, but i'm so excited for mia to have a little brother and for you to experience having a little boy. you are just going to melt.

well, believe it or not we've settled on a name. and i'll tell you girls what it is, but nobody else. i don't think this one's going to change. we've decided on harrison. our last name is simple and 4 letters, so now it's the middle name we're stumped on. any ideas? none of the family names sound right. i wanted to honor my grandmother in some way and her middle name (and mine) is grace. we were thinking maybe gray as a rendition of that, but not sure it sounds so great. and if we decide to have 3, and it's a girl, then we've got that name picked out and grace would be the middle.

have a great weekend!

[July&August2006Mommies]

*** Updated to here - 11 boys, 12 girls and 3 surprises so far! ***

Hotmama - Did you get a due date yet? Let me know if you did, and I can update you. Same goes to everyone else... if your due date changes based on your u/s just let me know, and I'll change it! :)

Edit - Never mind Hotmama, I missed your post where you said July 29 or 30!

[a_spark]

Mia's Mamma- Congrats on your BOY!!! How exciting! :)

[nuhmah]

Congratulations, Mia's Mamma on your BOY!!!

[mmisabel]

Mia's Mama - Congrats on you boy!!!! That's so great!

Numah - Paris sounds wonderful! How exciting would that be for a few years!?!?

shoes/clothes - Since we aren't finding out the sex, I haven't bought a thing in that department. I am going to wait to see what we get at our shower and then buy the onsies, lightweight sleepers that will be needed. I'll probably stick with socks in the beginning and 1 or 2 shoes for special events!

Movement - DH still hasn't felt the baby move. One night when he wasn't home I actually saw my stomach shoot out where baby must have kicked. It was so neat. How much longer do you think before he'll be able to feel??

[Soulmate]

mia's mama Congratulations on your BOY! How cute that your DH is so excited :D What a great celebration around finding out the sex.

cece I really like the Harrison Grey combination. I think Grey and Grace are different enough that if you want to give a daughter Grace as a middle name it wouldn't seem weird.

nuhmah How exciting that you have a chance to move to Paris! It sounds like you are going to have a whirlwind year.

emmjay You have a total right to be upset with your mail carrier! I always just throw out the junk mail. DH gets on me about that but I always assume the mail carrier is smarter than that. Guess not all are.

ShelbyMay You definitely popped out this last week...how gorgeous!

visitors I'm sure we'll have friends come to visit at the hospital and my ILs may come to visit too (they live about 1.5 hours away). I just hope it won't be too much. If it is we could just kick our friends out...they would be more than understanding. If anyone stays with us after the birth it'll be MIL...but she may just go home. I'm not sure on that one.

Sleeping positions Can anyone else still comfortably sleep/lay on their back? I rarely ever do and can easily sleep on my sides but I could if I wanted to. I am waiting for it to be uncomfortable but it hasn't yet. No heavy feeling, no pressure, etc. Another pregnant co-worker is about 4 weeks behind me and she hasn't been able to lay on her back for some time now.

So I seriously grew overnight. Last night my ribs were hurting so bad when I was trying to sleep that I had to sit in child's pose for about 15 mins to ease the pain. My ribs have only hurt when I sit at the computer too long. Then this morning I sat on the edge of the bed and my belly felt so much heavier. Then I stood up. My belly looked like a torpedo! I am still absolutely loving my belly :D Also, last night I was laying on my back watching t.v. and I could see baby moving and kicking my belly. It was making me giggle being able to *see* my baby. I would poke back at him and he would kick again making my belly move. It was so neat.

[klav]

I'm jeoluse of all you girls who can actually see your belly move. I'm feeling him but not feeling much whne I put my hand on my stomach. and I'm still feeling like I don't have a belly at all?:(
Anyway I wewnt to Tuesday Morning here and bout a few out fits. so cute!

[rande]

Mia's Mama- Congrats! Looks like you and me are in the same boat but opposites. One girl and one boy!!!!!!! Glad to hear that all went well with your ultrasound. Like Cece said, you will love having a little boy. They adore their mamas!!!!! And, like me, you have a great excuse to do some shopping. It will also be nice that your little boy will have a boy cousin close in age!!!!!!

Cece- Love the name Harrison, very cute. We are thinking of Grace for our little girl's middle name!

[Soulmate]

mmisabelHow much longer do you think before he'll be able to feel?? DH can feel now (before I could see it) but Logan moves so intermittantly that he has to have his hand on my belly for over an hour. Then it only feels like a little muscle spasm to him. He is not very impressed with the movement right now and wants to wait until it becomes very obvious. I think he'll get a kick out of seeing it though.

klav How far along are you? I could feel him from the outside at like 19weeks and even then had to have my hand on my belly for over a hour. A friend of ours couldn't feel her sons at all (even on the inside) until 24 weeks. She said that her DH could feel them on the outside by 30 weeks. And they were very big and healthy babies.

[klav]

I'm at 21 W 5D, O-well he may be samll like his dad at birth DH was only 6 lb unlike me at 8lb

[mmisabel]

Soulmate- The problem is also DH gets impatient and only keeps his hand on my stomach for about 10 minutes, then he gets restless. We'll just have to wait until it's more obvious! I often find myself waking up on my back, so it's comfortable for me. I do find I'm breathing heavier when I wind up there, though. My ribs were killing me yesterday also. What's that all about??

CeCe - I love Harrison, so cute. I think with Gray is nice. Or James, Patrick, Michael - something strong and classic sounding! What about Ford?!!?? (LOL!!)

Finally dropping off belly shots! I've grown a lot in the past month. Any predictions????

18 1/2 week belly shot:
http://images.snapfish.com/34646%3C%3B58%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D3269%3E966%3E993%3EWS NRCG%3D3233568%3B8377%3Bnu0mrjhttp://images.snapfish.com/34646%3C%3B58%7Ffp343%3Enu%3D3269%3E966%3E993%3EWS NRCG%3D3233568%3B8%3B62%3Cnu0mrj

22 1/2 weeks (1 month later)
http://images.snapfish.com/34646%3C%3B58%7Ffp339%3Enu%3D3269%3E966%3E993%3EWS NRCG%3D3233568%3B8%3B633nu0mrjhttp://images.snapfish.com/34646%3C%3B58%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D3269%3E966%3E993%3EWS NRCG%3D3233568%3B8377%3Cnu0mrj

[Soulmate]

mmisabel Totally BOY

[klav]

going with mmisabel a BOY

[emmjay]

Congrats on your BOY, Mia's Mamma!!! :D That's so funny that you had a dream that it was a boy too!

mmisabel - BOY (because your belly looks like mine! ;) )

Quick question for anyone who has a Baby Bargains handy - can someone let me know how the Delta Lorraine 5-in-1 crib is reviewed? Someone on Craigslist is selling a brand new one that they never used and it's a great price. If anyone can let me know I would appreciate it! :)

[Sophia]

Mia's Mama: Congrats on your BOY!!! ITA, boy names are much harder.

mmisabel: You look great--I say boy.

emmjay: BB gives Delta an overall rating of B- but doesn't mention that specific crib.

[Wrighty26]

Mia's Mama - Congrats on your BOY!! My little guy was also laying on his belly kicking out (towards my bladder) during the u/s. It was like he was trying to push off for a swim!

Soulmate - I wake up on my back all the time still and it's still really comfortable. My Dr. said to put a pillow under my back so I'm not totally lying flat if I was really worried about it. I've also been waiting for it feel "uncomfortable."

mmisabel - You look JUST like me... I say boy :)

Feeling the baby - My DH first felt the baby @ 19 weeks. The baby is pretty consistent about kicking after I eat and right before I go to bed (he moves around a lot when I'm lying in bed reading)-- so I just wait until then to have him feel for him. Sometimes he starts kicking hard after Dan puts his hand on my belly and sometimes he just stops moving! I have noticed that the baby is kicking me a lot higher lately- so either he's found more room, found out the he can kick higher than he thought or he's switch positions completely.

Growth - I just started feeling rib pain- and only after I first wake up. I'm sure it will get worse-- not really looking forward to that!

This isn't baby related-- but it's kinda stressing me out. My youngest brother ended up in the hospital early this morning after the golf cart he was tooling around in-- at who knows what time in the morning-- flipped over and pinned him down. He did all kinds of damage to his shoulder and elbow (he pretty much destroyed his elbow, he is missing part of his nerve from the elbow to the hand, and he gigantic open wound on his outer forearm). This morning he had one of many surgeries. He is also taking antibotics to fight off infection which is common with the type of open wounds he has. He is about to be transferred to a bigger/better hospital. If you can-- please think good thoughts for him (even though I really just want to ring his neck)! Thanks :)

[kmmommy]

*June mommy delurking*

Michelle ~ Sorry to hear about your brother. Good thoughts and prayers to you and your family.

[hotmama]

mia's mommy: CONGRATS on your litle boy. you will absolutely adore being a mother of a son. they are the best! that was great to hear your DH was so excited! how great!

cece: OMG! Harrison is on our list, too! that is SO odd! actually, i've noticed a lot of our names have surfaced here in this thread. like Liam. John thought of the name, then my aunt suggested it, and now i'm seeing it in this thread. really odd! we're thinking about Christian, too, but we have a lot of Chris's in the family. altho, we would want him to be called Christian, not Chris. anyway, we love the name Harrison, too!

movement: am starting to feel a lot of movement. especially at night while i'm laying still in bed. i'm feeling the kicking and sometimes a rolling kinda feeling. makes me a little queazy when i feel it. soon enough John will be able to feel and see it, too. i know he's anxious for that.

growing belly's: wow, some of you are clearly pregnant! wow! i can't get over those big, round belly's. here i am ... you can barely see anything. i'm still wearing my pre-preg pants. there i a cute pair of maternity pants i own and i don't fit them yet. with Aiden, i fit in them around this time during his pregnancy. i can't wait until i'm clearly showing and everyone will know this is not just tummy fat. :)

nesting mode: can anyone relate? i am in full fledge nesting mode and have been since seeing that positive preg test. lol! :D i've done quite a bit in the house already, but it's never enough. aiden is napping right now and i'm listing a few things on e-bay. i had a huge pile of things donated last week. stuff went to the trash last week. my big itch is the bedroom where this baby will sleep. i'm struggling as to what to do in there. since aiden will still be sleeping in his crib when the baby arrives, i figure the baby can sleep in a basinett. we have a twin bed in that room and i think i'll room in with the baby for a while so John can sleep for work. it was tough on him with aiden sleeping on my side of the bed in the basinett. we both didn't sleep much.

so, i'm thinking about the twin bed, the basinett and the glider being in that room. we'd like to add a closet organizer but i think these guys can share closet. the closet in aiden's room has an organizer and there's plenty of room for the baby's clothes to hang in there. yesterday i bought 4 sets of drawer organizers from ikea. i pulled all of aiden's clothes off the hangers and folded them in the drawer organizers. there is SO much more room to hang items now. and the changing table is in aiden's room....it's set up right next to the closet and we don't have to move an inch to grab whatever clothing we need. i like the safety of that.

anyway, anyone else thinking about the bedroom stuff yet? i guess it may be different for me b/c i already have a little one and i'm trying to make the most of my space around here.

[klav]

hotmama LOL I was just upstairs putting all the little oneies I had in the cubbies we have in The baby's room! and cleaning out some of my clothes. trying to figure what I have not worn in a long time and what I hope to get back in to later. DH will have to share some of his closet now because I'm trying to clean it out but I still have alot of stuff. I'll have to put the winter clothes away soon anyway hopefully that will free up some room.
But I did manage to get all that I have of the babies out. I have also been loking at furnature.... still looking fro a dresser 3 drawer to also act as a changing table that is only at the most 3'-6' wide I have to fit it in to a cubbie area in the room that is 4'-2' wide the room is a bit small to have bothe dresser and changer in there as well as a rocker and crib. that's alot of stuff to put in one little room!

[Lizard]

Wrighty26 - OMG, I'm so sorry to hear about your brother!! I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers.

Mia's Mama - Congrats!!!

Soulmate - I SWEAR that when I have a really bad day when I'm tired, or achy, or something, my belly's bigger when I wake up the next morning. It's so weird, but I swear it's happening. Funny to hear it happen to someone else. :)

Nesting - I guess I kinda have, but I feel like I've been making up for all the lost time I had when I was so sick. So it could be a combo of the two. I have been really thinking about how to get the room set up, though... it's kind of a small room as well, but the only major furniture items that will be in there are the crib, dresser and glider. The closet already has some shelves, and I might move a bookcase in there with some baskets for items. I have ideas, I just need to work with them a bit more. :)

Feeling kicks - My DH has only felt them twice, because he just doesn't have the patience to keep his hand there for a long time. She'll kick really strongly for maybe 5 minutes, then stop for a while. Not to mention most of the kicks I feel are low in my crotch, and those aren't real feelable for him. :)

We ended up buying a crib today.... it's the ChildCraft Cascade crib in honey pine. ChildCraft got an A rating in Baby Bargains so I was really happy to see a crib of theirs that we both liked. It was on sale at Baby Depot for $179, yay. We still need to get a mattress - kinda spaced that out today.

http://www.childcraftindustries.com/pictures/17801.jpg

Also, I'm really thinking about getting one of these mesh bed canopies off of eBay, similar to this pic. One, they are SO CUTE, and two, they will be a visual deterrent for the cats getting into the crib. Is there any reason safety-wise that they are a bad idea? I rarely see people use them.

http://i12.ebayimg.com/05/i/06/12/9d/b6_1.JPG

[mia's mama]

Thanks for all of the congrats! It's starting to slowly sink in that we will be adding a BOY to this household. My Mom, Mia and I went out today and bought a bunch of boy stuff from Babystyle, babygap and gymboree...made it feel a bit more real :D

Wrighty- so sorry to hear about your brother! :( WIll keep him in my thoughts & prayers.

cece- LOVE Harrison...and SO cute with Finn. Harrison Grey sounds great together!

hotmama- I can't BELIEVE how tiny your belly is! Although I seem to remember from the WC that you didn't get very big with Aidan either...do you have a long torso? You skinny minny you! I didn't gain that much weight with Mia (pretty average 28-29 lbs.), but my belly got HUGE and this time it has grown SUBSTANTIALLY in the last 3 weeks or so. I'll take my monthly picture tomorrow.

mmisabel- yep, I've got to agree with the others and say BOY...our bellies are similar in size and shape...though I thought mine was "girlish" since it is so high...I am rounding out all the way up to my boobs!

Nesting- well, my kids will be sharing a room while we are still in this house, so not too much to do on that front. I am so happy that we painted Mia's room blue! It is totally neutral minus a few pink frames and LOTS of pink clothes hanging in the closet...we are ordering an additional dresser, moving a bunch of her toys in the family room to make a little more space, and moving a toddler bed into the room.

Names- This is killing me. I don't need to have THE name picked for another 5 months or so, but I NEED to have a short list at least, or I am going to freak out...DH and I are NOT seeing eye to eye on this topic. :rolleyes: I think we are each going to have to make a list, and then cross off only the ones we HATE and take it from there...of course getting DH to sit down and do this is a whole other story- he doesn't feel rushed at all on this front. His only qualifications are that the name DOESN'T sound "made up" , that it DOES sound athletic and that it is preferably Celtic/Irish. Any suggestions? Our last name is 2 syllables and very Irish. His favorite is actually Aidan, but we have friends who just used the name for their son.

[cece]

soulmate- thank you! i think grey is really starting to grow on us. we haven't decided on which we like better though, grey or gray. i like them both. i can't sleep on my back...it feels like a huge weight is sitting on my insides, which makes perfect sense i suppose! i love having a belly as well. and i love that he was kicking back at you!

klav- i can't really feel it all that much from the outside either. from the way it feels on the inside, i would think that i could feel more from the outside. but, i also only think to sit and wait for it in the evening when i'm resting watching tv or on my computer. i really felt it come through the other night though...he had a strong one built up!

rande- thank you! i love grace.

mmisabel- thank you! ford would be hilarious! great belly shots! i'm going to say girl...only because it's rounded up to the top. and i'm only comparing it to mine though, which is super low.

wrighty- really sorry to hear about your brother. hoping he's feeling better soon.

hotmama- harrison is a great name, huh? my husband thought of it and it just totally clicked. i think it's classic, strong and relatively unpopular. dh thinks it's essential that the baby boy has a really strong name! i like christian alot. and, i loved liam but dh didn't like it so much...and it is a super popular one with the july mama's. we all have the same taste! nesting? i can totally relate. i'm a maniac. i have been starting to think about the boy's room and how to re-arrange it. i'm pretty sure i've got it figured out, a few minor changes and we'll be all set. i've been sorting baby clothes also! but more to figure out what i have plenty of so i don't buy more. there are a few things i'd like to stock up on more of, but this kid is pretty set with finn's old wardrobe.

lizard- i don't have much patience waiting for the belly movement either! what a nice crib! the canopy would be lovely for at least the 1st 6 months, after that she'll probably try to pull at it once she can stand in her crib.

mia's mama- a shopping spree, how fun! thanks, i think harrison is really cute with finn also. our boy's will share a room also. i think even if we had the extra rooms, we would probably have them share for awhile anyway. i think it's really sweet and it comforts them to be together. we'll move things around a little also to accomodate the toddler bed. and we have 2 navy dressers in there currently, 1 has dh's clothes in it, so those will move into our room since we're having a new dresser built that will house all of his/my folded clothes together. names- these are a few that i like - jared, reid, jude and will. i have client's that have given their son's these irish/celtic names - keiran and cullen, which i think are pretty cool. my girlfriend just had her 2nd boy yesterday morning and named him gannon which is totally irish (they're both irish). and i like dillon, which i think may be celtic.

my next appt is tuesday. i think it's just a quick check-up.

*c

[mrst2b2003]

Wrighty-Sorry to hear about your brother. I hope he recovers quickly

[Sophia]

Wrighty: Hope your brother recovers quickly.

Nesting: I'm in nesting mode, big time. Luckily, DH is on spring break this week and we'll be getting some things done. I say "we," but I'm not trying to fool anyone. DH is doing all the painting and real work. I'm dealing with small things and being his gopher. Here's our plan for the week--we're trying to go slow because he's had back pain lately.

Yesterday we went to buy paint for the room DS will be moving into as well as for the soon to be nursery. We also moved the computer from the old computer room (soon to be DS's room) to the family room. Today we'll get the rest of the stuff out of that room and paint it for DS. Luckily the walls in there are currently white, and he chose a nice tan color called Dust Bunny by Valspar. He'll probably sleep in his room again tonight just because of the fumes. It's latex, but it'll still have an odor, and he has allergies.

Tomorrow (Monday) we'll move his bed and dresser to his new room, along with anything else we have time to move. Then we'll break for lunch and then go to the sono and OB appts. :) Afterwards, we'll hopefully get started on getting the awful wallpaper border and appliqués down (http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4d834b3127cce9c9091266e0000000016108AZuGzJkzbtI ) (the previous owners painted the room dark blue and put up a wallpaper border at chair rail height along with a TON of cutouts on two of the walls--fighter jets--we've never liked it, but it was acceptable to put DS in there since it was so boyish).

Tuesday we'll continue getting the wallpaper down and hopefully apply the Kilz to provide a light base for the new paint.

By Wednesday, we hope to be painting the nursery. We chose Christopher Robin's Swing by Behr.

Thursday: set up nursery furniture. Yay!

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: finish up, rest, etc.

[a_spark]

Wrighty I'm so sorry about your brother! I hope he recovers soon.

Movement She's been moving a TON in the last few days. I love it! She generally tumbles around most in the mornings, when I first get to work and sit down and then it tapers off around 11am. It's so nice to feel her in there.

Nesting DH thinks I've gone insane! This week we're having the inside of our house painted, last week we had the chimney swept, next month we're replacing the carpets in the nursery and guest room, the list goes on. I just really need this house to be in order before the baby arrives!

Exercise How much is everyone getting? I had hoped to keep up a good regimen, but I've slacked off a ton and have gotten a little soft in the arms and legs. At the moment, I'd say I do about 1 prenatal yoga session and one gym session (walking on the treadmill and light weights) a week. I'd really like to do strength training 2 or 3x a week so that I can keep up my strength and not be all noodly after the baby's born. Plus, exercising makes me feel so good. It's getting the motivation to actually do it that's hard! Just curious to see what others are doing..

[rande]

Wrighty- So sorry about your brother! Hopefully, he will have a fast recovery!

A-spark- You are way better than me in the exercise department. My only excercise is walking and chasing Drew around the house.

Movement-Most of my movement is at night. Funny, but this little one is so much more delicate in her movement than Drew was. She does very light tap tap taps. Drew was so funny. We used to call him Joey because when I was pregnant with him, he would seem to be literally bouncing off the walls of my uterus at all times. Also funny because we conceived while vacationing in Australia.

Mia's Mama- OOh, your husband sounds just like mine. He wanted very classic athletic sounding boy names-nothing that was too out there! We had read all these studies of how a name shapes your self esteem and everything else down the line. You can get away with alot more as a girl. Some of our choices besides our son's name-Andrew(Drew) James, were William (Will), Charlie, Nolan, and Nathan. I also love Brennan, and Reid. We know a little boy named William Harrison nicknamed Will. I love this. I also like Liam but William and Liam are really one in the same. One more that I like Griffin. Good luck.

[rande]

Mia's Mama- I also love Owen and Jack!!!!!

[nuhmah]

ColdUgh... home sick AGAIN!! I can't seem to shake this cold! It doesn't help that this was production week of the musical, and I was at school until 10pm every night this week, as well as the late night cast party last night. I did manage to find a sub for tomorrow, so I am taking tomorrow as well.

I didn't want to take anything, but I finally gave in after dry-heaving from coughing so hard this morning and have taken tylenol and robitussen. Anyone else have suggestions of what to take?

Nesting - well, we are remodeling, so have totally been on nesting mode for a while. Now that we are beginning to near the actual decorating portion of some of our projects (we are getting ready to sheetrock and paint within the next month), it has started back up again. I have been looking at paint colors, bedding, towels, and area rugs. I can't wait to have this place feel like a home and not a construction site. :) I am thinking that I may hire some cleaning ladies to come in when we are pretty close to done to give the house a good dust and cleaning.

I got a $50 GC to BRU last night from the cast of my school musical as a gift, and I got paid in Visa GC's for doing the musical - now I need to figure out where I am going to spend it! :) I went to JCPenney the other day and they have some cute onesies and such on sale. Maybe I will spend there, first.

[Mystikal]

No time for individual shoutouts.
Congrats to those that had their ultrasounds! So glad everything looks good. :D

Movement I can feel her moving a lot in the morning and the evening. It's becoming more regular throughout the daytime. DH can't feel her yet, and I can't feel her from the outside, either. I'm almost 24 weeks. I think the reason we can't feel from the outside is because I have a little more fluff than others. ;)

Nesting I have been feeling the urge to get things organized. Wednesday night I spent two hours cleaning out our downstairs closet and putting baby stuff in there. Thursday night I spent an hour and a half cleaning and organizing the computer desk and nook. It looks much better. I'm trying to decide which area to tackle tomorrow night. :p

I've been so paranoid that DH isn't all that thrilled about us having a girl, and today we ran into an old coworker of his who asked if we knew boy or girl. I let DH answer, and the look on his face when he said girl was priceless. He was absolutely beaming and looked so proud. I loved it. :D

[maybebaby]

Nuhmah, check with your doctor, but I was told cough drops and Sudafed are also fine to take. I hope you feel better; being sick and pregnant is pretty awful!

[mia's mama]

Thanks cece and rande,
Several names that you mentioned are on MY list...getting DH to agree is another ball game. DIllion would have been Mia's name, had she been a boy, but I have been meeting Dylan's/Dillon's EVERYWHERE it seems, so I think it's out.

Love Griffin, Reid, Jude and Will- also Rhys (Reece), but DH doesn't particularly like any of them. :rolleyes:

Brennan, Kieran, Keaton, Gannon, Nate and Nolan are all names we have discussed and are on DH's "acceptable for now list"...we'll see what he thinks in another week or so. ;) He does like Matthew, which I also like, but am not "in love" with...maybe it will grow on me though. He LOVES Jack, Jake and Luke, but none of them sound great with our last name (which starts with a K), and we already have a Jack and Jake in the family (cousins). We also have an Owen (DH's brother, though he uses the Gaelic spelling- Eoin). SO.....thank god we have 20 weeks or so to figure it out! ;)

Merrick is another cool name...havn't run it by DH though.

[maybebaby]

Mia we have a female cousin named Merrick! It's definitely different but kind of fun.

If we had had a boy, I like Harrison too, though DH worries it would remind people of Harrison Ford. Probably not the next generation though.

Wrighty, wishing your brother a very speedy recovery.

[Linnybubbles]

Hi Everyone, I really have been keeping up in reading, but I have been too tired to post! Anyway, in one hour is my ultrasound! Let's hope the little bean cooperates! I will be back later with the news!

[Wrighty26]

Thank you ladies so much for the kind words. My brother is going in for his 2nd surgery today--although at this point we don't know how many surgeries he'll have to go through in order for him to properly heal. I told him yesterday that he'll have a great story to tell our little one(s) about how drinking and getting on a golf cart with your drunk friend isn't such a great idea.

I don't know if it was stress or what-- but I had some really bad abdominal cramping on Saturday night. It started to bother me when we were at the Coldplay concert-- I thought it might be due to sitting to long- but then continued even after I went to bed. I woke up yesterday and I was fine. I haven't felt bad since. I SWEAR I popped again. So, I'm thinking it was just growing pains.

Good luck at your u/s today Linnybubbles!

Nuhmah - Sorry about your cold! I would call your Dr. and ask them if there is anything else you can do :(

Mia's Mama - I'm right there with you on the name front. My DH finally agrees with me on three names (I think I said before - Braden, Liam, and Jackson) but he's not completely sold on any of them.

Speaking of names...I'm leaning more towards Braden--maybe with the nickname "Brady"... For a middle name we are thinking about "Michael" after my dad. If that's the case his initials would be BMW-- that wouldn't be too cruel, would it?

Nesting - Please pass on some of that nesting dust! We have a lot to do to our house before July and we just haven't accomplished ANY of it! My goal to have all of my crap done by June 4th-- one of my best friend's is having a shower for me at my house (she lives in NY)...

Here's my latest belly shots @ 22 weeks...

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dd27b3127cce97c481434eb400000026102Acsm7hyzZMX

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6dd27b3127cce97c48158cf9f00000025102Acsm7hyzZMX

Someday I'll actually take a full body shot-- so that you all aren't just looking at my midsection!

ETA - Is shutterfly not working on these boards anymore?? Can you guys see my pictures??

[makena32204]

mias mama - congrats on your Boy!

lindybubbles - Good luck! I'll keep my fingers crossed that the little one cooperates!

QOTD- Is anyone worried about gaining too much weight or that they are gaining too quickly? At 21w6d, I'm up 18-20 lbs.:eek: I know a lot of you ladies lost a lot of weight with m/s and are still in the single digit weight gain, but when I had my m/s, I only maintained my weight (I did not lose any) b/c I had to constantly eat at work so I wouldn't get sick. Plus, I couldnt exercise during my 3 months of m/s and I havent been able to exercise as much as I would like to. I realize that my body and baby need to gain weight to be healthy; I just dont want to get into an UNhealthy weight gain. My doctor says it is fine for now and everyone gains differently (so I shouldnt compare myself to my coworker who is 2 weeks behind me and still is NOT showing), I just wanted to know if anyone else was concerned about this issue.

I know this sound almost contradictory to my question, but I am VERY proud of my bump! I am just worried about an UNHEALTHY weight gain. I'm probably just paranoid due to the numerous rude comments from coworkers.

[makena32204]

wrighty - you snuck in on me! No, I cant see your pics. Still thinking positive thoughts for your brother!

[a_spark]

Makena I am right there with you. I had m/s for the first three months as well, and the only thing that helped was to constantly be eating! I gained about 5 lbs in the first trimester. Now I've been eating more normally (not all day long but more than before I was pg, because I'm hungrier) and am up to 14 or 15lbs gain at 21w. I'm only halfway there and the weight has been coming on fast so I'm a little nervous! I do love love my belly and know I need to gain, just wondering if I will end up having gained a million pounds. It doesn't help that my mom and grandmother each only gained like 15 lbs TOTAL during their pregnancies and keep reminding me of that (not in a derogatory way, more like "can you believe that's all my doc would let me gain", but still!). However, that was back when docs didn't want women to gain more than that and things are definitely different now.

[Lizard]

Good morning everyone!

Exercise - We've been going to the gym every other day, and I've been really good with that. Every once in a while I skip a day because I'm tired or because I feel like walking outside instead (we've had some 70 degree days here already!), but for the most part I've been very consistent. It still feels good to go and I feel better after I'm done. I've been starting to get some very low stretchy pains about 45 mins into my routine, and I don't even have much of a belly yet, so I may have to get a belly belt if it continues.

Well, speaking of nesting, I did a ridiculous amount of it yesterday. :) We got the crib put together, and I also unpacked the stroller and car seat and made sure they're working and not missing any parts. I also cleaned out the rest of the baby's room... there's still a small pile of DH's clothes in there, but that's it. I feel like I can start decorating now! Oh, and we had a couple leftover gift cards from Xmas for Target, so we bought a crib mattress as well. I plan on starting our registry this week, since we keep getting questions about what we need or want. I don't even KNOW what we need or want, so doing the registry will help me organize my mind a bit. :D

Once I get the rest of the room cleaned out, I'll take a pic. I am LOVING our crib choice. Even though we loved the Baby's Dream cribs, I'm glad we didn't buy one because it would have taken up a LOT more space. You don't realize how big these cribs are until they're set up in the room, I swear!

OK, kind of a serious question... for those of you that have had BH contractions already, or with your first pregnancies... is it common for them to be uncomfortable? Over the weekend, I had a few incidents that I believe were BH, but they were a little more intense than I had figured they'd be. 2 of them happened while we were at Target, and I had to stop and kind of catch my breath. At first I thought maybe it was gas pain, but my belly got very hard so I assume it was BH. None of them were real close together... I had 2 on Sunday and 1 this morning before work. Babycenter says they shouldn't be uncomfortable this early in pregnancy?

[mmisabel]

wrighty26 - so sorry about your brother. How's he doing?? I can't see your belly shots! Bummer! I've been getting a lot of stretching pain in my lower abdomen, as well as rib pain.

Mia's mama - I love Connor for a boy or what about Owen? We are probably using Nathan, but I also love Andrew and Zachary.

Cece- You're the first one to predict girl here, but IRL that is most of the predictions. I guess you never really know!

Nesting - Definitely. I've been putting away stuff and trying to throw stuff out to make more room. The basics in the nursery are done - painted, new floor put down, baseboards, shades (thanks to DH!) and now I can begin the fun job of decorating! We decided on Benjamin Moore's Haystack for the wall color. I will post a pic later.

Gym - totally slacking in this department. I haven't been in a few weeks. It's not even from lack of energy, just pure laziness!! I need to find some motivation.

makena - I'm trying not to stress too much about weight gain. I didn't have any M/S so I gained about 5 lbs. in the first tri - I was up 8 lbs total at 20 weeks so who knows what the hell I'll be next visit. I think it really is different for everyone, and if your docs not concerned you shouldn't be!

linnybubbles - good luck!! Can't wait to hear how it went!

Lizard - Sorry I don't have any advice for you. I don't think they should be uncomfortable for you (BH), so if it starts up again call you MD. It's so much better to be safe in that matter.

[Sophia]

Shutterfly: Shutterfly is apparently now incompatible with CC. There's a thread here (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?p=591893#post591893).

Exercise: LMAO As if.

BH: Lizard, mine are sometimes uncomfortable, like I'm short of breath. I consider that normal--probably because the uterus is way up by the diaphram. I had the same issue with my other pregnancies. Pain, not normal.

Weight gain: Slow but steady. Still in single digits from my first appt weight, I think.

My big u/s is today and I'm so excited!

[klav]

Shutterfly: Shutterfly is apparently now incompatible with CC. i USE PHOTOBUCKET YOU COULD TRY THAT ONE?

[mkvh]

Nesting--Yeah, I wish! I don't have ANY motivation to cook, clean, decorate! Although I did buy crib bedding and am anxious for it to arrive so I can pick a paint color.

Movement--I feel her a lot, and the "kicks" are getting a lot stronger. I felt her from the outside last week, but barely. DH still hasn't felt her. I feel bad that he's left out!

Exercise--While I have a lot more energy now than I did even a couple of weeks ago, I have been BAD about exercise. I told DH that he has to hold me to a minimum of 2 workouts this week since we did hike 3 miles on Saturday.

Names--Mia's Mama, I am so jealous that you get to use Irish/Gaelic/Celitc names! I have so many that have jumped out at me. But our last name is totally German and they sound so silly. Of course, I can't think of any good ones right now. Figures! I do have a baby name book organized by origin, so I'll check when I get home tonight.

On the topic of names, I need some advice. I think I mentioned a while back that a friend used what was our #1 girl name for her son without knowing that it was on our list. Well, the more we search for a name, the more convinced we become that that is our daughter's name. And we seriously are thinking of using it anyway. So two questions: 1) How would you feel if you were my friend and I broached the subject with you? and 2) If you were me, what would you say to your friend?

Thanks...and I hope all are having a lovely Monday!

[klav]

name mkvh I really don't think it would bother me.
I would just say that you loved the name before she used it and still do and based in the info. you found on the meaning and background of the name you are considering using it. I don't think I would ask it'snot like she has a licence on the name. not trying to be mean or anything. you love it go with it!

[sunchaser26]

Congrats Mia's Mama on your little BOY!

Exercise -

I have been going 3-4 times a week depending on how things are going and I'm feeling. Lately, I found it harder to go but fine of course once I get there, thank goodness I have DH for motivation. I am finding though I start to have a dull ache in ly lower abs after my cardio portion, but have not problem once I get to the weights. Can't stretch my back out like I used to anymore since it feels uncomfortable. Although I'm still able to do planks and some side ab exercises.

Nesting -

I don't have ANY motivation to cook, clean, decorate! Although I did buy clean all day Sunday and cook dinner too. I have been trying to get DH to help pick out the bedding so we can decide on a color to paint but with his work schedule lately that might never happen if I keep waiting for him. Might just have to pick it out myself in the end.

[emmjay]

mkvh - our last name is German too so we're in the same boat with the Irish names. Meanwhile my mom's parents were from Ireland and all of her cousins still live there and I even have citizenship, but we can't use any of the cool names!! :rolleyes: Maybe for a middle name. My husband actually likes German names (Heinrich, anyone??) but I'm using my veto powers on all of them. ;)

As for using the same name as a friend - if we were having a girl her name would be Frances Kathryn after two of our grandmothers. Funnily enough, without even knowing that two of my friends have told me they absolutely love the name Frances (which I was surprised at since it's so old-fashioned). DH and I discussed it briefly and even if both friends end up w/ daughters named Frances we would use it if we had a daughter. And in your situation, she has a boy and you'll have a girl so it's even more of a difference. Just tell your friend you are using the name for your daughter since it has always been your #1 name. Lots of people have the same name in the world, so if you like the name you should use it. Hey, I was one of FOUR Mollys in my HS class, and I have a cousin named Molly too! I don't think it's a big deal.

Nesting - I sent some pictures to my MIL for her to make our bedding, but we don't have anything else done. Our "nursery" has crap all over the place. I did buy some clothes, but that's about it! I guess the nesting mode hasn't hit me yet...

Movement - he has been jamming around in there for the past few days! Especially in the car when I have the radio on really loud. It's already pretty distracting (in a good way) so I can't even imagine how it will be when he's really kicking hard!

Exercise - I started walking home from work (2 miles) 4 - 5 times a week, but that's all I do.

Weight gain - I was up 8.5 lbs at my last appt (19w 5d), but I was about 20 lbs overweight when I got pg so I am happy about it. I think everyone gains differently. My sister gained 38 with my neice, and my mom said she gained 30-ish for all of hers, so I think I'll probably be in that range as well. I'm hoping for 25 - 30 but I'll just have to see how it goes.

ETA - Wrighty, I hope your brother gets better soon!

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

First off:
Congrats to Mia'sMomma on you little boy!!

Nesting- I think I am taking a break from nesting. My shower is in a couple weeks and I already have so much stuff that I want to see what I get before I continue buying. I do love looking online for little outfits and such. Not buying them but I like to look.

Weight Gain- I have been a little concerned with my weight gain. I am used to being only 125-130 and gained some weight after I got married (July) and was closer to 145-150. Now I am 172. It's weird cause looking at my body I am so proud of my belly and my shape but looking at the numbers I keep thinking I can't believe I have gained almost 50 lbs in less than a year!! I don't think I look that much bigger. The other hard part is I look at other 21-25 year olds and I think about how I will never look like that again. I will never be that hot young co-ed again and I'm only 21- I should be in my prime. For the most part I am really excited and happy about my new shape, but every now and again I get down on myself about my weight gain.

Exercise- I have been doing my Bradley exercises everyday but I really need to get on top of taking walks and something more cardio. We took a good walk Satuday to the library probably 2 miles round trip but I need to be doing more. The weather is just so crappy! I think I am going to start going to my grandmother's gym at her condo. They have an elliptical machine there and I love those things. Maybe my mom will go with me on her days off from Curves for an extra boost.

[nuhmah]

Weight Gain - I am up 14 pounds as of last week (I had my 20 week appointment at closer to 21 1/2 weeks). I feeling slightly depressed about the weight gain, but I have decided not to stress about it. My body will even itself out in the end.

Lizard - some of mine are slightly uncomfortable, too. They got most uncomfortable when I am standing/walking, and feel much different when sitting.

[Wrighty26]

Thanks for the continuing concern for my brother :) You guys really are the best!

Thanks for the update on Shutterfly Sophia... switching to Photobucket!

mkvh - I honestly wouldn't mind if my friend's child was the same name as mine--even if they were different genders. It's your child, and honestly you can name it whatever you want! As far as approaching the situation, I would just tell them the truth. You've had your heart set on that name and you would have named your child this regardless. I do think talking to them about it will make you feel better. You can't help it that great minds think alike!

Exercise - I have been pretty good. I slacked a little last week and will be slacking again this week because I am going on a "girl's weekend" with my college roommates. I know I'm being really hard on myself though-- because I'm used to going 5 times a week and last week and next I'll only be able to make it 3 times (unless I decide to work out at the hotel).

Weight - I weighed myself this weekend and I've somehow LOST weight. I was at 157 the week before and fully expected to be up a lb but on Sunday I was at 155 (at the gym and on my brother's decked out scale). This means I have only gained 7lbs. I find this odd-- but then I think of my eating and I really haven't changed my diet all that much. I definitely indulge in foods I wouldn't normally eat-- but not every day. I may end up gaining 5lbs after this girls weekend-- so I'm not TOO worried :)

Lizard - I definitely know when I'm having a BH contraction and it is uncomfortable. I haven't experienced any while walking around though-- I'm sure I would have the same reaction that you did. If they do get painful, I think it's safe to call your Dr.

Belly-- here they again @ 22 weeks:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f189/Wrighty26/136149db.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f189/Wrighty26/3b4028ae.jpg

[hotmama]

exercise: for those who know me, i'm a HUGE exercise nut. however, that has seriously taken a back seat since having Aiden. i cancelled my gym membership a LONG time ago. now everything i do is outdoors. basically, i do a lot of walking but haven't done any toning work. when you have a little one around you kinda squeeze in the exercise when you can...but you do a lot of it with running after them. i've found that if i do too much walking i start getting light cramps so i don't do too much of it...as far as serious exercise walking.

weight gain: as of my ob appt last month, i think i'm up about 6-7 pounds. i gained about 20-25 pounds with aiden. he was a little guy.

names: i am still stumped. we have a short list that is slowly growing but only a few that i completely love and ONE that both DH and i agree on. we are certain the middle name will be Martin (after my grandfather who passed away last december). our short list right now is Miles, Harrison, Charlie, Cleo, Ellis (my dad's middle name) and Cole. We have a longer list that includes Owen, Gavin...and all those fun names...the same names we had when thinking about Aiden's name.

what it comes down to for me are the nicknames. i'm so particular about nicknames. for ex, if we named the baby charlie, i worry that one day he will be called chuck. i think that names sounds awful. we have a friend named chuck and we love him...but the name just isn't something i'd want for our son. if he were to be charlie, i'd want it to stay charlie. same for harrison. we both LOVE the name but wouldn't want people to start calling him Harry until he's much much older...maybe into his 20s or 30s. but we know, how do you control that? people will call him what they will.

we love the name christian but John's cousins name is Chris and they just named their new baby Chris...if he were to be christian, i would want him to be called christian.

i wonder, how do you politely tell people this is their name and we don't like the nickname...if they start calling him that? i know my MIL would just to annoy me and i would have to nip it right away. :p

[mkvh]

Thanks for the insight on names, ladies! It's looking like our little girl is going to be Ellis. Probably Ellis Ann, although I like Jane for the middle name as well. That's still up for negotiations. Now I just need to figure out how to have the converstation with my friend...

Weight--I was waiting to "weigh in" (hee hee!) till after my weekly date with the scale. I officially am up 2 lbs from my 8 week appointment. Thsi is the first week I've registered a net gain. I did have about 15 lbs extra to start with, and my dr. seems fine with where I am, so I guess it's all good. It IS hard to see the numbers on the scale go up, though!

[mmisabel]

mvkh - I say definitely tell your friend you are thinking of using that name. I honestly think it would be a stupid thing for them to get upset about. I run into other Megan's all the time in life, and I don't get upset. Their parents just had good taste in names!

Wrighty - holy crap, our bellies do look identical!! We are carrying almost the same. I just might have a little guy in here!!!

hotmama - I think the nickname thing is tough. I think ultimately people are going to call your child what they want. Your child may end up liking the nickname or feel stupid correcting people. I say if you feel strongly that way avoid a name with a lot of nicknames. Cole, Miles, Gavin and Owen - tougher to shorten, you know. My mom felt strongly I not be a Meg, I never really was but if people choose to call me that (and a very few do), I could care less. I guess you should not mind the shortened version, even if you don't love it!

[Lizard]

Thanks ladies about the BH info... I am not worried about it, but if they continue I will definitely call my OB. They weren't painful, just uncomfortable and I happened to be walking each time I had one, so I'm sure that makes me tense up as well. :)

Names, etc. - We have a first name but not a middle one. We're not telling anyone the name until birth, but I will tell YOU ladies that the first name starts with a D, and DH is really pushing for a J name for the second so her nickname can be D.J. :D I like the idea too, but we can't agree on a J middle name to save our life.

[ShelbyMay]

Target is doing free shipping on all bedding (including crib bedding) and here is a code for 10% off in case anyone needs it: TCSLBBTH

Weight: I was worried because I had not gained any weight at my 16 week appt, but at 21 weeks I was up about 6 pounds. :p My body is not wasting any time now! I will try to remember to weigh myself tomorrow (22 weeks) and will not be surprised if I am up another pound or maybe even 2. I am just hungry all the freaking time now!

Nesting: It comes and goes. I will just be sitting around, checking my email or something, and I will glance around the room and get a sudden urge to clean. Actually, it's mostly sorting and organizing STUFF at our house. We have way too much STUFF just lying around everywhere. I hate clutter, but I am also a pack rat. I want to get rid of things, but can't bring myself to throw anything away. :rolleyes: Last night, I moved some more junk out of the nursery. The dresser/changing table came preassembled, so I had DH push it against the wall where I want it. Then I assembled the glider and the stroller. My plan tonight is to figure out how to operate the stroller (folding, unfolding, etc.) and take a good look at the infant car seat, too. Oh, and on Saturday I hung up all the itty bitty clothes I have bought just so I could see them in her closet. :) I have to stop buying clothes...

Exercise: Um... does marathon shopping count? I've done a LOT of walking around the mall, Target, Walmart, BRU, Baby Depot, etc. It is pitiful how quickly I get worn out these days, but I was never very active to begin with. DH and I took a short walk in our neighborhood last night, and I hope to increase the distance as the weather gets nicer this Spring.

Names: We have her name picked out. I've decided not to share it here (Sorry!) because of privacy concerns. I can tell you that I think it's a very classic, ladylike name. I can also tell you that DH's family hates it. :rolleyes: Oh well -- they got to name their own kids!

BH contractions/Movement: I don't think I've had any yet, but I'm not entirely sure. I did have the weirdest experience the other night that felt (and looked) like a rolling pin going across the inside of my stomach. I think I saw a body part poking out at me, so it was probably just the baby moving? Also, I woke up in the middle of the night last night with the most horrible gas pains known to womankind. It hurt so bad that I couldn't even get out of bed to get some medicine for a good 10 minutes or so. I just had to lie there and breath through the pain. Good practice for labor, I guess. I also think I felt the baby poking out at me during that time, because my stomach would feel really hard just in one little spot -- Like maybe an elbow was poking there. Of course, I'm just guessing at all of this! Oh, and I think she can hear sounds from the outside now. She has been VERY active during the music at church the past 2 Sundays. Either she really likes it, or she really hates it.

[cece]

nuhmah- hope you're felling better!

mia's mama- i think it's harder finding a name for the 2nd baby. you have to take into consideration not only how it sounds with your last name, but also how it sounds with your other child's name. i think nate and nolan sounds cute with mia and would work with a 'k' last name. i love will and like that with mia also. luke is tough with a 'k' last name...we had the same issue. and i do like owen...it's finley's last name after my husband's late father. you do have plenty of time and you know you'll find one that just clicks.

sophia- yah for your u/s today!

mkvh- i don't think your friend's would have an issue with that at all. i think ellis is really cute for a girl too.

lil mrs 0702- you could totally have that hot young co-ed body back again! so funny, i was just saying to myself the other day how i'd love to have my 21 year old bottom back...it was so shapely then.

wrighty26- cute belly shots! i'll have to take some in the next few days.

hotmama- i think ellis sounds great with your last name and also cute with aiden. i was thinking the same thing about 'harry' for harrison, but for some reason it doesn't bother me. i don't like chuck, but think that is mostly a nickname from charles. i love charlie and had that on my list...for some reason, i don't think of people shortening charlie. and christian is really cute, but i think alot of people would shorten to chris. my dh is jonathan, but his college buddies call him john. i don't think of him as a john at all because nobody else calls him that and he didn't grow up as a john.

lizard- our friend's little girl is olivia jade. i like that for a middle name. it's funny because my friend's mom is jane and when she told her olivia's full name when she was born, her mom started crying and thanking her for naming her jane after her. she had to break the news and tell her it was jade, not jane. ooops.

bh contrax- i've started getting them, but i also get cramps. i think the cramps are uterus stretching related. the bh contrax are more like a quick tightening of muscles. i'm not sure that i would say they are uncomfortable, but i guess they could be if you're not used to the feeling. the cramps are definately uncomfortable for me, but short-lived.

*c

[cpbride8203]

Wow, I am behind...

Just wanted to drop off Congrats to Mia's mom on your boy!!!

[cece]

exercise- wow, you girls have me beat by a long run. i run after my toddler all day like hotmama, so i consider that exercise! i do feel like i need to be toning as well and am super excited to be starting up stroller strides again next week. i used to go after finn was born and noticed a huge difference in my tone...it's circuit training so it really hits alot of my target areas. the teacher in my area stopped teaching last fall and now someone else has taken over so i'm thrilled.

weight gain- the last time is was weighed was about 4 wks ago. i was up 6lbs then and feel about the same now. i gained 30lbs with finn, so we'll see with this one. you will be amazed at how quickly alot of that weight comes off though!

[mia's mama]

Thanks Everyone!

Good luck today, Sophia and Linnybubbles!

Cece- I totally agree on the name front...Even though I really like Kieran, it so doesn't go with Mia...I think we have to stick to simple, classic names (Will, Matthew etc.)...Hayden or Brennen might work and sound good with our last name...we'll see. I imagine we won't reach a decision until we are in the hospital...that was the case with Mia. We had it narrowed down to 3, and decided once she was born.

Cece, hotmama and rande- what are your favorite BOY clothing stores...I have checked out gap, old navy, gymboree, janie and jack and babystyle...anything I am missing? I like simple, vintage, basic boy stuff...so much of the newborn stuff has too much going on for me...planes, trains and automobiles type stuff, that I'm just not that into...

Exercise- I was good about doing pilates for a few weeks there, but have slacked since both Mia and I got sick a few weeks ago...I just chase after her all day and go for walks. Hoping to get back into strollerstrides after the baby arrives...I was in such great shape a few months after having Mia because of it. I miss my toned tush too cece :rolleyes:

ETA: I completely spaced on adding hotmama to my question....pregnancy brain strikes again!

[mia's mama]

cece- You and I cross-posted about Stroller Strides!

[Linnybubbles]

Thanks everyone on the wishes! The ultrasound went well today, the little bean was so cute and cooperated fully! The ultrasound tech was so nice, and afterwards, our doctor told us that the tech could not stop talking about what a beautiful baby it was, and how it was the best one she has done in a long time. Hey, even if she was just saying it, I will take it! Anyway, it's a ................................















GIRL!!!

[mkvh]

Congrats on your DAUGHTER, linnybubbles!!! Welcome to the PINK TEAM!!!!

And because I omitted earlier...

Congrats on your SON, Mia's Mama!!

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Congrats LinnyBubbles!!

[mkvh]

Okay, so I wanted to know how well we did prediction wise. So I went to the first page (so updated predictions weren't included). How funny is it that we were

50/50????


So maybe there is little to be said for Mother's Intuition when it comes to baby's gender? We're no luckier than the odds!

[klav]

Congrats on your GIRL, linnybubbles!!!

And because I forgot (bad me)
Congrats on your BOY, Mia's Mama!!

[Amaye]

I haven't been around for a while for my congrats are coming in late but

Emmjya, Mia's Mama and Hotmama Congrats on your BOY!!!

Linnybubbles and Hotmama Congrats on your GIRL

Weight Last time l weighted myself was at 18w and l hadn't gained any weight so far. I am sure l've gained since then but we will see.

Exercise Ha! What is that? l started out doing prenantal yoga but l haven't done any exercise for a couple of weeks now. l want to start again!

Ultrasound My big ultrasound is next week but we are not going to find out so I'm not as excited as l think l should be. I just want to make sure everything looks good, then l will feel great!

[klav]

Weight Last time l weighted myself , This AM I'm 11 pd over my start. So I guess thta's good sence the first 3 monthes there was no weight gain

Exercise Ha! What is that? I was dilagent till the fatigue set in now nothing I have to get moving!!

Amaye can't wait to hear the news!!

[cece]

linnybubbles- congratulations on your girl!!!

mia's mama- you know, it's so hit or miss with alot of these places. sometimes i find nothing and other times i walk out with a handful. for newborn clothes, i liked the zipper pajamas that gymboree used to carry when finn was a baby. i'm not so crazy about their toddler clothes. old navy, gap and babystyle have some great baby basics. i also like a boutique here called flicka, they carry petit bateau and kissy kissy. starting at about 6mos, i started buying charlie rocket, james perse and kingsley t-shirts at flicka for finn. i get his cargos and cords at old navy and gap although they are so hit or miss with this sort of thing too. i also love mini boden - bodenusa.com and flora + henri (on sale) florahenri.com. children's place sometimes has good stuff and fred segal 'life size' l/s t-shirts are great and only about $16. "this little piggy wears cotton" is another favorite for basics and is close to you. i'm like you and prefer simple stuff.

*c

[a_spark]

Linnybubbles Congrats on your GIRL!!! :D

[mia's mama]

CONGRATS LINNYBUBBLES! Girls are SO much fun!

Thanks cece! I'm a big fan of charlie rocket clothing...Mia has a lot of it too. I feel like I have seen flicka somewhere...is it a chain? Have I seen it on Larchmont maybe? I'll have to check out the other webistes you mentioned...Thanks!

Weight- 8 pounds up at my 20 week appt.

[rande]

Linnybubbles-Congrats on your beautiful girl!!!!

Mia's Mama- I, too, was very picky about boy clothes. I did not want anything too baby. We got most of Drew's clothes at Gap and babystyle. We also bought some at a baby boutique by me-Pickles and Giggles. Love Charlie Rocket. We also got alot of shorts/khakis at Old Navy. My favorite little boy look is to mirror his daddy so Drew wears alot of Ralph Lauren Polo Shirts in green and blue and woven button front shirts-Children's place sometimes as good ones. I recently got him some stuff at Gymboree-frog sweater but I don't have too much luck there for boys.

Weight-up 10 pounds at 21 weeks.

[mia's mama]

Thanks Rande!
Meant to say, Wrighty, that your belly is super cute! I am about the same size, but carrying much higher.

[Sophia]

Linnybubbles: Congrats on your GIRL!!!

Everything went really well. The baby is measuring right on target and was moving around quite a bit. Everything looks great. :)

Without further ado, it's a






GIRL!



We're ecstatic. DH was grinning like the Cheshire cat, and I was giggly. :) All the grandparents are excited, as are DS & DD. I think my mother is going to rush out and buy girly clothes. LOL

These are scans of the printouts we got. We also have a cd-rom that DH is going to try to get additional images from for me, including some very cute little feet and legs. :D

Threadmistress, please change out my old u/s pic for the first one here.
http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/padme_amidala/us1-3-06-06edit.jpg

http://img5.ranchoweb.com/images/padme_amidala/us2-3-06-06edit.jpg

My next appts are:
3/27 glucose tolerance test
4/5 OB appt

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Congrats on your little girl Sophia!!

[emmjay]

Sophia - congratulations on your GIRL!!!!! :D cute u/s picture, too!

[Mystikal]

Congrats Linny and Sophia on your girls!!!!! :D

Weight I'm right there with you, makena. At my last appointment (22w) I was up about 22 pounds. I'm worried about gaining too much, too, but my doctor doesn't seem worried about it.

Exercise I'm trying to find a workout dvd that is specific to pregnancy and not having any luck. Once it gets warmer out I'm definitely going to be walking, but until then I'm confined to the house. Any dvd suggestions?

[Soulmate]

There is no way I can respond to everything! But I'll do my best :D

Wrighty Our belly's look very similar too...its weird how those boys are showing themselves!

Sophia and Linnybubbles Congratulations on your gorgeous DAUGHTERS!

Exercise Still a big nope...but trying to get motivated to do something. My gym has a water pilates class I could try and I have a prenatal pilates DVD. I am just too tired after work and I keep getting colds! Plus I worry about not gaining enough since I have a fast metabolism.

Nesting I wish too! We are not doing too much extra for the baby since he'll stay in our room and in a co-sleeper. We have extra drawers and closet space in our room.

BH contractions A tip I learned from a RO at work is that BH are due to dehydration a lot of times. I got mine when I was coming down with this cold and my body could not get enough fluids. Mine was uncomfortable but not painful. It felt like my belly was so tight I couldn't stand up as straight.

Pants I think I'll have to be switching to full panel pants in the 3rd trimester or soon :( Logan just does not like me wearing any kind of waistband. Even my demi-panels give me cramps or Logan starts kicking away at the waistline. I feel like I'm smooshing his head or something. I'm even sitting here in elastic band pajamas and it bothers me.

[nuhmah]

Congrats to Linny & Sophia on your GIRLS!!!

Still feeling poorly.... sorry to whine but my nose is sore from blowing it, the baby has the hiccups every 5 minutes, and I wish I could take something more than robitussin!!! I didn't call the doctor's office today - I am keeping up their suggested regiment of fluids, rest, 'tussin, and Tylenol Cold & Flu. I am beginning to get frustrated because I cannot be out on Wednesday. My 8th graders have a concert that we will not be ready for if I am out much longer. :(

[mia's mama]

CONGRATS SOPHIA!!!

[Wrighty26]

Congrats on your GIRSL Sophia and Linnybubbles! :)

Thanks for the compliments on my belly :) I LOVE it! Before I was pregnant I would always complain about how "fat" I felt (in which case DH just rolled his eyes)-- and now I am just loving my round body.

Mia's Mom-- You have to post a new belly shot soon! We're you carrying the same/as high with Mia?

It IS really funny how similiarly our "boy" bellies are! I think you said you looked like a bullet Soulmate-- that's exactly how DH described me the other day!

Keep it coming with the boy clothing advice :) I'm with you ladies-- I'm really not "into" typical boy clothes. I love the simple stuff myself-- I think those little polo onsies are adorable! I think I'm the only one on this board that hasn't gone out and bought any clothes yet. I just haven't seen anything I must buy:rolleyes:

[mia's mama]

OK, now that I have looked more closely, I take it back. I'm not carrying like you, Wrighty...you are much lower and rounder...I am more oval shaped. I thought it was a "girl-belly" thing, but I guess it's just they way I carry...it was exactly the same when I was pg with Mia. Short torso = carrying high, I guess. I mean look! My belly extends all the way up to my boobs! No wonder I started feeling out of breath really early with Mia.
Here are my 8, 16 and 20 week comparison shots:
http://photobucket.com/albums/f88/pleasant123/th_8weekclose-up.jpghttp://photobucket.com/albums/f88/pleasant123/th_16weeksclose-up.jpghttp://photobucket.com/albums/f88/pleasant123/th_20weeksclose-up.jpg

[mrst2b2003]

Sophia and Linnybubbles- Congratulations on your baby Girls!!!!

[makena32204]

Linnybubbles and Sophia - Congrats on your little girls! Way to join team pink!

wrighty - I havent bought any baby clothes yet, either! Right now, I'm still on a hunt for anything on sale. Plus, knowing the baby shower gifts my coworkers have given in the past, I know I'll be getting a lot of clothes. That being said, my DH is out of town from Wednesday night until Sunday, so I may be hitting the malls this weekend!!!

[Sophia]

Thanks, everyone! I'm so excited. I keep watching the cd-rom of the u/s because she's just too cute. :) After the u/s we had to go back to the waiting room till they called me back in for the regular appt, and I had a huge afterglow from the endorphine rush. :)

nuhmah: Hope you feel better soon!

Baby Clothes: This past weekend, MIL gave me a bunch of clothes she got at clearance at places like Marshall's and TJ Maxx. Some of it is gender neutral, and there was also a yellow nightie with butterflies and flowers (girlie!) and a set with baseball stuff (alhtough the pants are striped and will be fine with a different top), and a few really cute things that are white with light blue trim, but I like them so much I'll try to add little bows or something, and/or just use them around the house.

A few months ago I got a cute little squirrel outfit from Gymboree because I couldn't resist. It's pink. :) I also have a white/blue one with squirrels and other woodland creatures--again, she'll be wearing it.

I can't wait to start getting more baby clothes, especially girlie stuff.

[mkvh]

Congrats on your DAUGHTER, Sophia!!!

I was lamenting to my mom last night about how I want a CUTE pg belly! You boy bellies are making me so jealous, and I was chatting with a coworker yesterday who is due 2 weeks after me. She has the CUTEST little belly poking out. While mine just looks "thick" from almost my boobs to my pubic bone. :( So enjoy your adorable bellies!!

Nothing much else to report. She's been very low key for the last day or so. Which I know is normal, but still...I'm a mom now....I'm supposed to worry, right??

[klav]

CONGRATS SOPHIA on your girl!!!

[mmisabel]

LINNYBUBBLES AND SOPHIA - CONGRATS ON YOUR GIRLS!!!

Clothes - I also haven't bought a thing. I'm less tempted since we aren't finding out the sex, but I also want to wait until after the shower. Then you can return things to pick out stuff you REALLY want!!

Other items - I'm starting to load up on more practical items - a small amount of diapers, tylenol, diaper cream, nail clippers - so that I won't have to rush out and buy everything all at once.

[cpbride8203]

Congrats on your girls LINNYBUBBLES AND SOPHIA!!

Clothes - I am trying to be really good about this since this baby will born in the same season as my DD and since we already have TONS of things, alot still with tags! I need to look and see what we have that is new. The only thing I have been looking for is a coming home outfit since what my DD wore was HUGE on her.

[a_spark]

Sophia Congrats on your GIRL!! :D

DH and I have fallen in love with a stroller, the Bumbleride Flyer in Bloom. It's way too cute and really well-designed. We're going to test-drive one this weekend and if we like it, we'll get it. I'm so excited!

[Lizard]

Congrats Sophia and Linnybubbles!!! :D

Weight - I am still down about 5 pounds from pre-preg weight. I really don't know what to think - I'm eating well and the baby's definitely gaining weight and I'm gaining size. I imagine I'll start gaining soon, since the baby will really start growing. I was a little overweight when I got pregnant, but not bad (about 5'9" and 180-ish) and my BMI was in average range.

Bellies - I have a belly below my belly button, but mostly I'm just getting thick. One of my friends who's due 3 weeks after me has a CUTE belly - she did with her 1st as well. The other day we were walking around here at work, and someone stopped her and said "Holy cow you're pregnant again!!" and was gushing about her belly. I'm standing right next to her with my belly sticking out, and she didn't even notice. Ah well. Just this morning DH said that he can really notice I'm pregnant now, and that I look more beautiful than ever... aww.

Not really much new to say today, heh. DH and I are travelling up to see his folks this weekend. We haven't seen them since Xmas, so that should be fun. I imagine his mom will want to go out shopping, which is fine with me. :D Also, I think one of my OTHER friends who is also pregnant (yeah, there's a lot around here) is finding out the sex sometime this week, so we can start fussing over things together.

I did start our Target registry yesterday with some basic stuff - it gives me something fun to do during downtime at work. :)

*** Just FYI... since they are wanting to keep threads down to about 1,000 posts and we're over that number, I'll probably start a new thread at the end of the week or early next week. ***

[a_spark]

Mystikal I have been using Anna Getty's Divine Mother Yoga DVD and I absolutely LOVE it. It's strengthening but so so relaxing and she has the most soothing voice. It's not cheesy "send your baby all your love" like a lot of pregnancy yoga videos I've tried, though of course she still talks about the bond between mother and child and reminds you that your baby is along for the ride with you but it's not silly or eye-roll inducing. Anyway, I highly recommend it!

[emmjay]

Clothes - I bought a bunch of stuff at a consignment store over the weekend. I spent $35 and got 10 outfits! I know some people don't like to buy used clothes, but it doesn't bother me! :) I feel like babies don't wear their clothes very often anyway when they're so small, and I only bought stuff that looked pretty new. Plus I went to the consignment store in a nice suburb so most of the stuff is Gymboree and Baby Gap, and they are strict about what they accept.

Belly - mine is finally starting to stick out. Not a ton, but I definitely can't suck it in any more! :p

[CarlaB]

Congrats to the little girls, boys, and surprises!!

Weight & Belly- Lizard, I'm on your end of the spectrum with respect to weight. I am still under my pre-pregnancy weight by 8 pounds. But that said, I have the teeniest little belly starting to stick out, but only to me, DH, and the people that know I am pregnant. And I am just chomping at the bit to actually look really preggers.

Baby's Sex-Our big U/S is not until 3/15, so I am trying to be patient. But we had a surprise u/s last week at our regular appointment because the dr could not find the hb with the doppler. I thought I saw boy bits...but we'll see. I am so jealous that all you ladies (who want to know) know already!

Glucose-Has any one else had the 1hr glucose challenge and 3 hr Gtt yet? My office does a first pass at 16 weeks (and I failed the 1 hr test). So I had to go do the 3 hr test and I passed that just fine. But now I am going to have to do another 3hr at 28 weeks. :rolleyes: I am seriously considering changing practices though. I found a birthing center that I think will be perfect for us, but my practice does not deliver there. I'm still thinking about this.

Clothes-I have not bought a single thing for this kid yet. My DH is so confused because he was convinced that he would have to ban me from the mall and Gymboree, etc. But my best friend sends a package with onsies and towels, etc practically every week.

[klav]

Glucose I've done both the one hour (2x's)and three. failed both hour ones and failed the first hour of the 3hour. I passed the 2and 3 hour? I assume I'll be taking it again in a few weeks or so. the first one was taken at 10 weeks then the next a week 3weeks after and the 3hr was taken in Jan. sometime not sure what weeks I was at 15-or so?

[mkvh]

Bellies[/B] -The other day we were walking around here at work, and someone stopped her and said "Holy cow you're pregnant again!!" and was gushing about her belly. I'm standing right next to her with my belly sticking out, and she didn't even notice.

Yeah, I know how this is! I was chatting with a group of ladies yesterday about our dogs, and one said, "wow, if you're that bad about your dog, just wait till you have kids". My response: "You did know I'm pg, right?". The look on her face was PRICELESS...and all she said was, "Well, NOW I do." Pretty darn funny if you ask me!

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Belly- Well I think I'm the furthest along here so let me give you a heads up... Those who are 20 weeks and worried that they aren't showing just wait! By the end of this month you will all have your bellies! At 20 weeks I was barely showing and people were still guessing whether or not I was pg. Now (25 weeks) there is no doubt and strangers feel free to ask me how far along I am. So just a little patience it is coming and you'll wake up one morning admiring your new round belly! I swear I "pop" every Sunday night in time for the work week!

Clothes- I am so guilty! We already have a small dresser full of clothes. My friend gave us a ton of her clothes from 6 months up so it is up to me to buy the teeny tiny outfits. We buy little gender neutral outfits and sleepers when I am with my mom. My grandma got us the cutest outfit from Orlando this weekend... It's red onesie and the front of it says "Thing 1" and then has a diaper cover with the Thing 1 character from Dr. Seuss on the butt! It is too cute. DH has also been buying a bunch of clothes. I think he is as bad as I am. But fortunately it has all been on sale and we have a good variety of clothes. DH is currently searching online for a Spiderman outfit (his all time fav). If he can find it in a newborn size it will be the take home outfit if not the baby comes home in Mickey Mouse (my fav).

Things that are done:
Nursery Furniture- We have the crib, glider, swing, small dresser, and toy bins shelf. (Still need- bookcase, closet organizer, under crib storage baskets)
Clothes- Got the small dresser loaded, clothes washed and detagged, organized by size then by tops, bottoms, sleepers, etc.
Painted and decorated- Thanks to DH all the rooms I wanted painted before baby came are done! The apartment feels like home now rather than a hotel w/ plain white walls. Living room is rust, bedroom-chocolate brown, nursery-mint.
Bills- One credit card down and one more to go- Will be paid off when tax returns come back. Then we'll just be working on the tv which is no interest until January. (ooh Taxes are done!)

Things still left to do:
Closets- Need to move DH out of the hall closet (I kicked him out with all my clothes in ours). Empty out Nursery closet and move stuff to hall and then organize/set up baby's closet- All happens after the purge.
Purge- We need to purge our apartment again. DH's uncle is moving back in town and I think we let him have first pick then the rest to Goodwill.

All in all I am feeling pretty confident! Baby Shower is in just a couple more weeks and then I can talk to Mom about what is left on my need list and she can designate the big ones out to family. (Moms are great for that!)

[Lizard]

Glucose - At my last appt., my OB sent me home with the bottle of orange drink and instructions. I just need to drink it sometime between 24-28 weeks, and come into his office an hour late for a finger prick. The funny thing is, my next appt, is 3/21, and I'll be 25 weeks... so I guess I'll just drink it an hour prior and kill 2 birds with 1 stone. :)

OK, I have a little vent, I guess. Way back when I told my boss I was expecting, she had a meeting with her boss to talk about plans to accomodate my work while I was gone. She wants to hire a temp, but her boss doesn't want to and just want to spread my work around to various people (which I think is a bad idea). My boss doesn't like her boss, and when she was told they wouldn't hire a temp she got pretty upset. She told me the situation and said "Oh, by the way, I'm taking the last week of June and first week of July off... nothing against you, I just want to spite him." :eek:

I have MAJOR issues with this. One is that I am on-call the last weekend of every month, and I told her that I definitely didn't want to be on-call that last weekend of June. They have a habit of calling me at 3 AM and that's not something I want to deal with. If she's not here, I don't know who will do it. Two, those 2 weeks are gonna be BUSY, and I'll be full-term and probably not concentrating much on work. I'm gonna be firm and tell them that I will NOT be on-call and they have to figure out something, but I'm just worried that I'm gonna get screwed somehow. :( Pisses me off that she's kind of using me as a bargaining chip to get what she wants....

[Amaye]

Lizard Wow! That is so inconsiderate of your boss. Maybe you can wait a little while for her to cool down and then let her know of your concerns. You will most likely not be concentrating on work at that time adn things need to be covered. She can't act immature!

Sophia Congratulations on your GIRL!!!

Belly You know, l really can't tell how l am carrying. My belly has somewhat popped so l can't hide it anymore. My upper belly area is getting rounder/oval but l can tell that my uterus is at most at my belly button. Weird.

Glucose I haven't done that yet. My next appointment is 3/16 so maybe my doctor will mention it then.

Getting Ready Ok, l have to say that l haven't done a thing yet to prepare for the baby.:o The most we have done is go to BRU once to look around and get an idea of what we like. I haven't bought a single outfit or equipment. Part of the issue is that we are moving so l guess l want to get that done first. I guess that other part is that l somewhat don't think this pregnancy is truly happening. There are hours where l forget l am pregnant and at times, when the baby kicks, it takes me seconds to realize what is going on. Please tell me that someone feels this way. It makes me feel horrible.

[a_spark]

Lizard That is extremely selfish of your boss. I hope she'll come to her senses and realize that during that time you will be needing help and that abandoning you to serve her own purposes is not the answer.

I have my own personal vent. We have told my family that we have a list of names that we love (Keira, Ella, Ava, and Lily at the moment) and that we'll make the official decision when we meet her. Well, apparently that to them means that we can't make up our minds, so I am being flooded with name suggestions from everyone! It just seems to me to be such a private decision and feels like a bit of a violation to be having all these people jump in the middle of it. I know they're just trying to help, but it really bugs me. I'm really sensitive right now, so that doesn't help. Maybe I just have the "pregnant crazies".

[emmjay]

Lizard - that is BS! Definitely tell her that since you will be 9 months pregnant at that point, it is simply impossible for you to be on call for that weekend AND that you are going to need additional help during that time period anyway. I can't even believe someone would do that!

Amaye - we haven't done much either. OK, I bought some outfits and I registered (completely online since I hate shopping) but we haven't done anything in terms of furniture or anything like that. I forget sometimes too, especially when I'm busy at work, but he is kicking so much lately that it's kind of hard!

[Sophia]

Lizard: OMG, I can't believe that. How unfair and inconsiderate. I hope you can work something out.

Glucose: I go in 3 weeks (minus 1 day) at 8:30AM. They'll give me the drink and then draw blood one hour later.

mkvh: That's hilarious! :)

Nesting: Well, we're already behind on our schedule for the week. :rolleyes: We're going really slow, but it's ok. We'll have enouigh time. DS's son is almost done (DH is taking a break as we speak and only has a teeny bit of painting left to do--the color is SO pretty--it's called Dust Bunny and is a pretty light chocolate milk color). We'll move DS's into the room tomorrow after the fumes can vent (I don't want to aggravate DS's allergies--it's latex, but the room has one tiny window and there's a window a/c in it, so no way to vent--DH is wearing a mask). After that's done, the nursery will be empty and we can continue in there. We already did a test wallpaper border removal, and it's not as bad as I thought it might be.

[emmjay]

a_spark - that is annoying! We aren't telling anyone any of our names because we don't want to hear any suggestions or complaints.

What is the glucose thing? My doctor hasn't mentioned it! :confused:

My next appt is going to be a quick u/s to check the cord (he was in a weird position the last time so they couldn't see as well as they wanted), and I have to get a copy of my records because I'm going to Portugal for the first week of April (Woo hoo!! :D ). Maybe they'll tell me about the glucose test then.

[Sophia]

emmjay: The Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) is a screening test for gestational diabetes. You drink a flavored glucose drink and then they draw blood to check if you are able to "handle" the load of sugar. More info at Babycenter here (http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/prenatalhealth/1483.html).

[emmjay]

Thanks Sophia! I figured it had something to do w/ diabetes but I didn't realize it was a standard test. I'm sure they'll mention it next time.

[mmisabel]

Sophia - Congrats on your GIRL!!!!

Lizard - That sucks about your boss. Try to talk to her about it after you've calmed down and let off a little steam, you'll be more rationale!

GTT - My doc hasn't mentioned it yet either. I'm thinking they'll do it at my 28 week visit and tell me about it when I go on Monday.

Amaye - I think having the ultrasound helps make it seem more real. After that and actually going to register I felt a little more pregnant, but I still have times when I don't at all either. It's totally normal.

[mia's mama]

Just had to get this off my chest, because I'm feeling a bit guilty...

It's so weird...before Mia was born, I thought I really wanted a boy...but the instant she arrived,I was SO excited to have a girl. This time, I really thought it was another girl, and now I sometimes feel the slightest bit dissapointed that it's a boy...I feel terrible for even saying that, but I just had this idea in my head that Mia would have a little sister close in age! I KNOW that I will love having a little boy, but I just can't picture it! Has anyone else felt this way at all? Thought you were having a boy/girl, connected with "that" baby, and then felt a little tiny bit dissapointed? Don't get me wrong- I feel SO BLESSED that this baby is healthy, that DH will have his little boy, that we are really lucky to have one of each etc., but still....

Anyway, I do a lot of work with pre-school aged kids, and today one of my little 3 year-old boys (who is SO freakin' cute) came in with a T-shirt that read: My Girlfriend is Out of Town . It totally made my day- I got all excited again and went right out and bought 2 (way too expensive) shirts from this little local boutique for my BABY BOY! One reads: Lock up you daughters, and the other reads: My peeps - it's a brown vintage looking t-shirt with 3 little chicks accross the top...now I'm starting to picture my little man running around and I'm pretty psyched ;) . Nothing like shopping to cheer a girl up ;) .

[emmjay]

mia's_mama - I think that is normal, so don't feel guilty! I was initially convinced that we were having a girl too, and I had pictured everything as if we were having a daughter (how she would look, the name, the nursery, clothes, her relationship with my niece, etc.). Then right before the u/s I changed my mind and though it might be a boy. When we found out it IS a boy I had to completely readjust my thought process! BTW, I bought a brown vintage-style tee with a skateboard and it says "that's how I roll" (one of DH's favorite expressions). ;)

I'm going tonight to look at a crib that was listed on craigslist. I know it isn't recommended that you buy a used crib, but it's only 2 years old and it's a Pali (for $200!). I figure I might as well take a look since I know it's a good brand.

[mkvh]

mia's mama--I understand your feelings completely. While I was darn sure this little one was a girl from the start, DH and I both were somewhat wishing for a boy (okay, maybe more than somewhat). I still suffer little bouts of "disappointment", though I don't know if that's the word for it. I'm thrilled to be having a girl...I guess I just imagined having a boy. Granted, retail therapy works wonders for that, as little girl clothes are just so darn cute!

emmjay--I know that reusing crib mattresses isn't advised, but used cribs? Why would that be a problem?? I say go for it! $200 for a Pali is fantastic.

[emmjay]

mkvh - I think it's because they might be recalled, or not up to current safety standards. I figure a 2-yr old Pali is fine - it's not like it's a 20-yr old metal crib with springs and screws coming out of it! She's selling the mattress separately but I already told her I didn't want it.

[Sophia]

Used cribs: Things to be aware of as possible problems/dangers are:

older cribs with bars too far apart or lead paint
recalls
instructions or parts missing

The crib I used for DS & DD is in my parents' garage, and I know it hasn't been recalled, etc, but we couldn't find the giant ziplock with all the nuts and bolts and instructions, and I didn't want to risk setting it up wrong.

[mkvh]

Gotcha, emmjay & sophia! That makes sense. I'm using my sis's kids' crib, but it had never been disassembled, and I'm sure no recalls. Though I guess one could always search that online...

[klav]

MIAMAMA I total understand and I felt this way also and felt guilty. but it's now sinking inthat it's aboy and that's Good!! and aslong as he's healthy that's all that matters!! were did you get those tee's they sound sooo cute!!

emmjay go for it 200. bucks and then you get your own matress how could you go wrong. but like they say just make sure the peices are there!

[mia's mama]

Thanks guys, for not making me feel like an A-hole. :rolleyes:

Here's one of the T-shirts I got:
http://us.st11.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/I/tutti-bella_1886_12967518
You can buy it here: http://www.tuttibella.com/no-added-sugar-lock-up-your-daughters-tshirt.html

Can't find the other one, but I think it's by the same company that yours is from, emmjay (Small Audience)...is this the one you got? SO cute! (On the same website I listed above)
http://us.st11.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/I/tutti-bella_1888_16873951

I like this one too:
http://us.st11.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/I/tutti-bella_1887_15513729

[emmjay]

mia's_mama: That's the one! I think you posted a link to that site last week, and that's where I found it. They have great (and $$$) stuff!

For the crib - she told me her daughter's "big girl" bed was arriving tonight so I'm sure the crib has all of the parts since they are still using it!! I hope she still has the instructions.

[Wrighty26]

Mia's Mama - Look at your cute belly! It's definitely high-- and I thought I was high (maybe it's just my short waist). I always imagined myself having a girl first-- I'm not necessarily disappointed that I'm having a boy, but IT IS kinda hard to imagine! I think this has a lot to do with all of my friends having girls-- and DH really wanting a girl. Although, when I think about all of the cute pictures of DH I've seen as a baby I get excited :)

GTT - My office does it around 28 weeks. I go in, they give me the drink, I sit around for an hour and then they take blood. You can bet that I'll be at the Dr. office @ 8:30 that day :)

Lizard - What a crappy thing for your boss to do! Who knows-- you may even have the baby early-- what is she going to do then??

[cece]

mia's mama-

Thanks guys, for not making me feel like an A-hole.

oh my god stacey, you're hilarious. i can totally relate to what you wrote. i hadn't really put much thought into the gender at all at 13w, and when i was told that there was a penis in sight, i was totally caught off-guard to be honest. in my car, i was so sad...really sad. i just kind of assumed i might have a better chance at a girl since i already had my boy, weird i know. i just wanted a little girl so badly. i hoped to god that i got over that feeling, and quick...and funny enough, i did. over the course of the next week i started getting REALLY excited to have 2 little boys and for finn to have a baby brother. now, i feel so content having another little boy. (not to mention the fact that i felt like a total traitor to finn for having another boy. but, i got over that as well). your feelings are totally normal.

how funny, i just got a t-shirt recently at flicka (yes, larchmont!) by small audience with a tricycle and it says "my hoopty ride". i love it and i love the quality and cut of their tees, very similar to james perse and kingsley. finn had the "lock up your daughters t-shirt" last summer. one of my favorites! love "my girlfriend is out of town"...i haven't seen that one, that kills me! your little boy is going to be so adorable and you are just going to cherish your mother/son relationship with him.

*c

[a_spark]

Mia's Mamma don't feel bad! I think we all have expectations going into this and of course if things don't go how we imagined/expected, we're going to be disappointed. You're only human! :) You just need time to get used to the idea and by the time he gets here you'll be so ready for your little boy.

[CarlaB]

Random happening: I have not had any m/s or nausea since about 13w. Today at lunch, I was walking into the cafeteria and was literally stopped in my tracks by the overwhelming smell of all the food. And had to run out (dry-heaving) to the bathroom. I was with DH and he told me that I just turned green and hightailed it out of there. I could not eat anything at lunch and had some room temperature sprite to try to settle my stomach. I did have breakfast and a snack, so I was not totally starving or anything like that. I was sure that these days were behind me. Is anyone else still dealing with stuff like this?

[cece]

update- dh took an updated belly shot this a.m. but it is identical to the last one i posted about 4wks ago. so strange since i feel like my belly is so much larger..?? went to my 21w ob visit this morning...gained 2 lbs which i'm sure are the new little love handles i've acquired on my sides. yikes! where did those suckers come from? got my orange soda (yum) for my GTT. next appt is 3/11...hard to imagine i'll be 26w. i'm feeling pretty darn good. some days i feel like i can conquer the world and i get so much done and am in full-on nesting mode, and other days i just can hardly muster up the strength to run after finn let alone conquer anything.

there's some darn good tv on these days though. that new show, "meet your new mama" or something like that is just hilarious as ever. i missed it last night because we're "24" junkies in this household so nothing comes between me and that show. i've been havin the hankerin for some homemade mac 'n cheese and made up barefoot contessa's recipe (love her) last night since it was raining and we had a fire going...nothing better than that combo!

just enjoying finn's emerging personality more than ever and the little baby in my belly!


ps-will have to get the skater tee for my little skater-in-training. dh already has him on the bongo board for balance control!

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d44/cece_0829/DSCN4336.jpg

*c

[a_spark]

cece Finn is ADORABLE! I can't stand it! You totally need a "Lock up your daughters" shirt for him :)

[sunchaser26]

Linny & Sophia - congrats on your little GIRLS!!!

Mia's Mama,

Don't feel guilty! I felt the same way, we both really wanted a girl. Of course we could not agree on a name for a boy - so then my DH was convinced we would have a boy for that specific reason and so was I. Even though I was still hoping we were wrong. I had pictured everything as if we were having a daughter and then we of couse found out we in fact were having a son.

It was an adjustment and I'm still getting used to the idea, and names are going to be just the worst... Although the baby is health and that is the best news of all.

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Liz- Your boss is being very selfish. Maybe you can remind her that the due date is just an estimate and the baby can really come at any time. By doing this, she is potentialy screwing over your entire department and that reflects bad on her not just her boss.

a spark- Families seem to always assume you are looking to them to name your baby. I would just continue to say that you are not committing to anything until you meet her. No matter what you can't win.

Mias Momma- Do not feel bad at all!! I sometimes think of the things from my childhood (outfits or toys) that I wanted my lil girl to have and sometimes that upsets me but then I think of what a little wild man we are going to have and I get so excited to meet him.

[mia's mama]

OK cece...that picture of Finn and his daddy TOTALLY changed my mind...bring on the boys! :D

Thanks everyone...Just had to get it off my chest and didn't want to tell anyone IRL. It makes me feel like a bad mom to think that, but I know it's normal. Glad a few of you can relate.

Mia and I just got back from the park which was filled with toddler boys...they were all such cute wild ones!

Cece- what is this "Meet your new mama" show? I love good junk TV, but I don't know that one! Is it similar to Wife Swap?

[Linnybubbles]

Mia's Mama, I do not think I really cared what I was having, but I had gotten so used to the idea that it was going to be a boy, that I was pretty shocked to find out it was a girl. Not really disappointed, but really surprised. My husband and I were talking about it after the ultrasound, and you just get your mind in one direction, and off it goes into another. You are in good company, and it is no reflection on how you will love your child.

[rande]

Sophia-Congrats on your little girl!

Cece-Adorable pic. of Finn! We are also 24 junkies!!!!!! Love that show!

Mia's Mama- Having a tendency toward one gender is natural. Having been adopted, I always wanted a little girl so that I could see myself in someone (not sure if that makes sense). My dh is big into sports and wanted boys. Well, when we found out we were having a boy with Drew, I had no idea how I was going to relate to a boy since I am very much into girly things. Let me tell you, boys are just great. Our little one totally adores me, which I love, but wants to be exactly like his dad. He is attached to his hip following him around the house. If daddy is in the shower, Drew wants to be. If Daddy is cleaning the pool, Drew is staring out the window banging on it to get Daddy's attention. This time around, I went back and forth. Part of me wanted Drew to have a little brother close in age and the other part wanted a little girl. I didn't let myself get attached until I knew for sure what we were having, even though I had a strong girl feeling from the beginning because of how different my pregnancy was. I did not want to share it with anyone until I knew for sure.

Yesterday someone told me that girls are for Dads and little boys are for moms. Funny, I would have never guessed it but am excited that my husband will not only have his little buddy, but a precious daughter as well. My husband is really nervous about having a daughter. He thinks that he won't be able to relate, etc. However, many of his buddies who thought that they wanted all boys but ended up with daughters said that they wouldn't mind having all girls now. My thought is that we are given what we are meant to have and hand picked especially for us. That makes having either pretty darn special.

[mia's mama]

My husband is really nervous about having a daughter. He thinks that he won't be able to relate, etc. However, many of his buddies who thought that they wanted all boys but ended up with daughters said that they wouldn't mind having all girls now

So true- When I was pregnant with Mia, I knew DH really wanted a boy (we did not find out ahead of time), but let me tell you, the SECOND she was born, he was all about his little girl- and still is. He says the main reason he wanted a boy this time, is so that he didn't have to share the bond he has with his daughter with another little girl...so sweet. Mia and her daddy are INSEPERABLE when he's around.

[Wrighty26]

So true- When I was pregnant with Mia, I knew DH really wanted a boy (we did not find out ahead of time), but let me tell you, the SECOND she was born, he was all about his little girl- and still is. He says the main reason he wanted a boy this time, is so that he didn't have to share the bond he has with his daughter with another little girl...so sweet. Mia and her daddy are INSEPERABLE when he's around.

Awww... I think you guys are going to make me cry! That is SO sweet :)

[Soulmate]

I just need to come in quickly to vent...Can be considered TMI

Why in the hell does no one really ever prepare you for the constipation?! I naturally lean towards constipation and knew that it happened in pregnancy. I thought "oh, I can handle that what's the big deal?" Well this crap (no pun intended) is traumatic! I have learned to deal with the pain which is bad enough but today after an episode that still has our toilet out of commission I had bleeding that looked like a light AF. Everything is fine now...but still. And for those not dealing with it...consider this the warning. Please be mindful of fiber intake. DH said to me this morning afterwards, "welcome to my world" refering to the status of the toilet I said, "oh, no, not even close" refering to the status of my body and emotions.

This is a vent and only a vent...I know how to remedy the situation...I will just never take advantage of non-preggo body functions ever again.

[July&August2006Mommies]

*** Updated to here... 11 boys, 14 girls, and 3 surprises so far!! ***

Since Shutterfly isn't allowing photo linking anymore, lots of the photos from the front page aren't showing up. Let me know if you update your photo location, or just want me to delete them. Thanks!!

[mia's mama]

Soulmate...I'm right there with ya girlfriend...I had it really bad with Mia too. Mine is S-l-o-w-l-y easing up a bit now, but it's still pretty bad. I have this issue non-PG as well, but not like this....it sucks. I don't know how I haven't gained 30 pounds by now, holding onto all of this food for so long. :rolleyes:

[Lizard]

Soulmate - Let me just say that I am going through the same thing and it's been terrible. I've been taking fiber drinks and eating fiber-loaded cereal in the morning, which helps somewhat, but I totally understand when you talk about how traumatic it is. :( I've been through this before, for YEARS... it was an ongoing issue that actually ended up being a symptom of my gallbladder ceasing to function. I had it removed about 4 years ago and it's been like heaven up until the pregnancy. It was so terrible to deal with then, to have it "flare up" again has really been wreaking havoc with my mind and body. I swear I am ready to start eating burritos every day, just to make sure things are moving! :D

[Sophia]

Liz, I just realized that I didn't post how far along I was yesterday, so it's missing from the u/s pic section. I was 21w 5d.

[hotmama]

wow, this thread moves quickly! i read everything but there is SO much stuff i want to comment on...can't remember it all. sorry!

congrats on the new genders...i think there was one girl in there! again, sorry!

mia's mommy: we buy most of Aiden's clothing from babystyle. we go in spurts where we buy close to $400 worth of clothing there...and that will last him a LONG time. i know it's sounds expensive, but we walk out with TONS of clothes! and they have quite a bargain with their rewards program and sales stuff. we LOVE the baby basics stuff they sell. Aiden has everything from the collection and we have bought the same outfits when he grows out of them. they are great play clothes, wash well, and get softer with each wash. they look so comfy to wear and he can move around easily in them. we sometimes buy things from gymboree but, like you, we're not character driven people...and buy very few things with cars, trains, etc on them. don't really shop at baby gap but have bought some great pjs from children's place.

also, regarding the gender thing...i felt the same way. deep down i was hoping for a girl...just so i could have one of each out of the way. we're planning on having 3 or 4 kids so there is def more time to get that girl we want. but i was a little disappointed when we found out it was a boy. actually, i knew deep down this way a boy all along (i based that on the heartrate thing)...but it was still hard to swallow when we got the news it really was a boy. i think it's normal...you will adore your little boy once he's here...trust me! you will fall in love with your husband all over again. i swear Aiden reminds me more and more of my husband each day. and they are SO cute together.

cece: OMG, that photo of Finn is precious! i don't think i've ever seen a pic of him. you're right, he and A have some similarities. :)

the nesting continues in my house. nothing new to report in the baby's room...i'm spending a lot of time thinking of ways to create more space in our house. i've been doing a lot of organizing..and making room for order before the chaos begins in july :)

hope you are all doing well!

[emmjay]

I bought the Pali crib from craigslist I mentioned above! I didn't bring it home with me. Their daughter just got her new bed today and wasn't too happy about leaving the crib. I told them they could keep it while she is transitioning to the big bed - I didn't want to bring it home tonight anyway. My husband is out of town and I want him to pick it up so he can see how it is assembled/taken apart (they do have the instructions but they said it would be easier to show him).

Anyway, it is this crib in cherry:
http://www.cloud9web.com/images/pali10_1.jpg

I'm so excited to have made a big purchase!! :D

[Can't_Wait]

It has been a little while since I last posted b/c I have caught some sort of bug & it has me knocked out! Being pregnant & sick is not a good combination!!!

Anyway, I wanted to come by to post the results of our ultrasound last monday. It looks like we'll be adding one to the girl team!

I'll be back soon to post more.

[maybebaby]

Feel better Leslie and congrats on your girl!

[Sophia]

Can't Wait: Congrats on your GIRL!!! Hope you feel better.

emmjay: Great crib!

[mkvh]

can't wait--Congrats on your DAUGHTER!!!

emmjay--SCORE on the crib. It's beautiful!

Constipation--*knocks on wood* It hasn't been as bad as I was expecting (I too suffered for years), but I have had a few "episodes" so I TOTALLY relate to what you're going through, Soulmate & Liz. It's not fun. Sending {{{HUGS}}} 'cause it sounds like you need 'em.


So I have been having this side stitch sensation slightly above my right hip bone, like where my uterus ends on the side It happens when I walk quickly and is fine when I am sitting. I'm sure it's just stretching/growth, but have any of the rest of you experienced this? Is it round ligament pain?

[sunchaser26]

can't wait:

Congrats on your little GIRL!!!

emmjay:

Great deal on the crib!

Constipation:

I haven't had it too badly partly due to the prenatals they have me taking have a stool softener in them. Therefore I have been pretty regular.

Sorry, to hear that you have been having such a rough time Soulmate & Liz.

[Wrighty26]

Can't Wait - Congrats on your girl! Sorry that you have a been sick :(

So I have been having this side stitch sensation slightly above my right hip bone, like where my uterus ends on the side It happens when I walk quickly and is fine when I am sitting. I'm sure it's just stretching/growth, but have any of the rest of you experienced this? Is it round ligament pain?

Sounds like round ligament pain to me :rolleyes:

Threadmistress - Here is my u/s from 20w2d (now using photobucket). Thanks!
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f189/Wrighty26/46878014.jpg

[mmisabel]

Can't wait - Congrats on your girl!!!

Constipation - You're preaching to the choir on this one! I struggled pre-preg and have had serious bouts in both directions ever since. But, it's really the only thing I've battled (no m/s, etc) and I'm glad I've found a way to somewhat deal. I'm sure I'll get enormous, raging hemmroids after birth. Can't wait for that one!

Mia's Mama - I think your feelings are totally normal. I think it's natural for a woman to gravitate towards wanting a girl and men vice-versa. But when you talk to people they go on and on about how girls gravitate towards there daddys and little boys toward their moms. So, it makes up for your initial "instinct". My friends with boys have these cute little "mama boys", it's just adorable!

mvkh - i get that identical sensation. The closest thing I can relate it to is some sore of pulling also. It totally comes and goes, but when I have it I find it quite annoying!

[cece]

a_spark- thank you so much! i'll definately have to get that tee for him again this year!

mia's mama- finn and his daddy are total buds. inseparable when he's home like mia and her daddy. yes, boys are wild! but they are so darn sweet too. i think meet your mama is like wife swap maybe. the last one was this super primadonna mama who was all into image for her and her daughters and not settling for "average". and she swapped with this down-home mama from like tenessee or something who lived for her boys and her husband and hunting...we were just dying watching that show!

rande- thank you! isn't 24 great?

hotmama- thanks! (i don't post alot of personal photos on the web. i did post a few on LJ last month, though!) yah, you're going to town with your nesting girl!

emmjay- great crib! what an awesome deal!

soulmate- i do have issues with it at times. it hasn't been super terrible though thank god.

can't wait- congratulations on your girl!! wow, we're just chalk-full of girls around here! i love it!

*c

[Lizard]

I haven't had it too badly partly due to the prenatals they have me taking have a stool softener in them. Therefore I have been pretty regular.

Sunchaser, what is the name of the prenatal you're taking? I will have to mention that to my OB and see if I can start taking them. I'm desperate! :D

[sunchaser26]

Lizard,

I'm taking Prenate Elite. Definitely ask your Dr. if you can switch, it would make life much more comfortable for you. Here is the link which describes the postive highlights and complete list of what they contain.

http://www.prenate.com/prenate/protection_highlights.html

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Congrats on your little girl Can't Wait!

Emmjay- That is a great deal on the crib. That was really nice of you to let them keep it for her transition.

Constipation- Actually I have no problems here. My routine is prenatal at night, Frosted Mini Wheats before work, and an 8 oz cup of coffee when I first come in the office. I don't know if it is the routine or I just lucked out but I have not had any problems at all. I read in my Bradley book that breakfast helps regulate you so I'm sure the hi-fiber breakfast helps that much more.

Liz- I will update my pic this weekend and let you know what's up. Sorry for the wait, but I have a lot to change in my journal as well and would rather get it all done at once.

Nothing new for me today. Just hit my 25 week mark and I am in shock that I am only 2 weeks away from my 3rd and final trimester! It's so surreal!

[emmjay]

Emmjay- That is a great deal on the crib. That was really nice of you to let them keep it for her transition.
I love the crib! :D They showed me the instructions but said it was so hard to do and it took them FOREVER to put it together. So, if I didn't let them keep it I would have had to watch the husband take it apart and try to remember how to put it together later! No, thank you. I didn't want to have to carry it either, so my DH can deal with it. Plus I didn't want to see the little girl crying when I took her crib away!! They only want to keep it for 4-5 days anyway.

Constipation: I, like many of you, have problems with this even when I'm not pg! For me it was really bad in the first trimester and it has been better since then. Although last night I had an identical episode to what Soulmate described above - I could have written that post myself. Ugh. I drink one cup of coffee in the morning and my normal breakfast is Kashi, so I think that helps.

Can't_Wait: Congratulations on your GIRL!!!!

[rande]

Can't Wait-Congrats on your girl!

Cece- Isn't Kiefer the best? He actually lives next door to one of my MIL's friends. She says that he is a really nice guy and loves riding on his boat. He lives in Canyon Lake.

Slings-Mia's Mama or any others that may be able to help, I am looking to buy a sling for this baby. With Drew, we used the Baby Bjorn but I want something different. I would predominantly be using it for airplanes, going to the park with Drew, and around the house. There are so many I have no idea what the differences are. Any ideas/suggestions would be great!

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Where is everyone? I had to find this thread on the second page!!

[cece]

rande- stacey could definately give you some better advice than i because she used them more than i did. but, i have been doing a little bit of research and there's a great thread on the parenting board re: slings. from what i gather, the hotsling, kangaroo and hugabub get the most positive feedback. there are some gorgeous slings out there!

i'm with you on the sling thing this time around. i rarely used one with finn and used the bjorn once he was about 4wks i think. he was always fussy around dinner time, so it was my saving grace in being able to cook dinner or water outside...he loved it and it kept him content. this time around, i can definately see using a sling more to keep the baby content while i'm running after finn. i had the rockin mama sling and the new native...can't say i liked either one at all though.

*c

[July&August2006Mommies]

*** Updated to here - 11 boys, 15 girls and 3 surprises so far! ***

Photos are working again! Not sure what happened there. :D

There are a few members that haven't posted on CC in a while, I will probably remove them soon if they don't check in. I can always re-add them later:

Sandradee
LMG462
ellebelle

Also, has anyone heard from Lolavix lately? She used to post alot but hasn't posted on CC in about a month.

[nuhmah]

I have a friend who lives in TX, and even in the heat swears by her fleece Kangaroo sling. I am also looking into getting a Hotsling or the Kangaroo (based on her recommendation). They say the best ones for BF are the ring sling or Maya wraps, but I don't care for them too much.

Feeling better today - I went to school today and had an ok day. Not as much coughing, and was able to clean up some "messes" from when the sub was there (mainly paperwork and behavior problems) but right now I have a headache and nothing tastes good. I am tempted to call in to rehearsal tonight, but it is the first one. Maybe I will try to duck out halfway through.

[mia's mama]

ACKKKK! Just wrote a HUGE post on various slings and got booted off CC, with a message that the server is too busy. Will be back soon with sling info...have to put a sleepy baby to bed.

[Linnybubbles]

Constipation: I have been taking 3 colace tabs a day for a few weeks (one per meal) and it has definitely done the trick. I am not what I once was, but it is so much better. I used to joke with my husband that all this pushing was just preparing me for labor. No fun at all.


So, we told everyone about the ultrasound and that we are having a girl. Everyone was really excited, but here comes the rant. At least five people have said to me that ultrasounds are not always accurate, and that I should also be ready to have a boy. They all launched into their, "I know someone, who knows someone..." story. I mean, she did a summersault, there were no boy parts there. The tech said it was a girl, not "maybe." Now, I know that ultrasounds can be wrong, but what is it about being pregnant that makes people so nasty? Just like how everyone has to tell their worst labor stories, they feel the need to do this. I will love my child even if she turns out to be a he, and there is nothing I can do to change that. Just be happy, congratulate me, and SHUT UP. That is why we are not telling anyone we know in real life (except my loving, supportive cousin/sister) the baby's name. Grr.

[makena32204]

lindy- Ever since I announced I was pregnant, I have been astonished by all the rude comments that I have received. It's like people feel that a pregnant lady is public domain and open for comment. Sorry, no, this is MY body and MY baby. No one has made the "it might be a boy" comment when I tell them that I've having a girl, but then again, I havent told my coworkers a.k.a. the rudest people on earth. Sorry you are dealing with their comments. :( I just wish I had a snappy reply to give you.

constipation- I was really expecting this to be an issue b/c I occasionally had it pre-pregnancy (especially around my period). However, I havent really had to deal with it. I'm not 100% regular, but I've started eating Healthy Women oatmeal or kashi cereal for breakfast, both of which are fortified w/ fiber. Plus, I snack on kashi granola bars and drink lots of water.

The one thing that I wasnt expecting was all these leg cramps!! I know we have discussed them before, but i'm averaging about three Charley Horse cramps a night. I eat a banana a day, so I dont know what the issue is! But, my Mom told me that when she was preggo she had them so bad that she had to take a supplement for it. Oh well....I'll survive. Now, if i can just work it out so that my cramps and having to pee are at the same time during the night, I might be able to get a little more sleep.....:rolleyes:

[Soulmate]

makena My mw told me that it is an imbalance between calcium and potassium. I was getting way too much calcium so the one banana I ate a day didn't help. I cut back on calcium and it's helped.

Linny We had the same exact thing happen and I posted about it a while back. I was more ticked at them because now DH really doesn't call our baby by a gender because of it. He was soooo excited at the u/s then he came home and is back to calling him "it". I think people just don't realize how their stories impact us and just want to contribute to the experience.

Comments I really am ok with most comments people make but there is one co-worker who appears to be facinated at how "huge" I am for so early in pregnancy. She seems to be the only one. But she asks me if I'm exercising or if I am carrying twins :rolleyes: I'd be fine if it was once, but it is everytime I see her. I have a very small frame and am carrying a big boy. Of course my belly will be big!

[Wrighty26]

The info on the slings would be great! I've also read good things about the Kangaroo.

Lindy - Sorry to hear about the comments! Nobody has said anything, but I'm sure I would be REALLY pissed off if they did, especially since the u/s equipment my office uses is brand new and it was CRYSTAL clear that it's not a girl! Some people really just want to pop your bubble. Why can't they just be happy?

Unfortunately, I know the comments don't end with pregnancy. I was at Publix lasts night and a woman in the checkoutline next to me had her baby in the grocery cart (he was maybe 2 months old). As she was checking out he started to get fussy-- and a perfect stranger came up to the mom and said, "You better get that baby home, he sounds hungry." WTF? Why did she feel it was necessary to make that comment? I'm sure the woman felt bad enough that he baby was sitting in his carseat crying!

I've been pretty lucky about the constipation (knock on wood), BUT what I do have (and what I've been expecting) is cholasma (lovely brown splotches on my face). I was previously diagnosed with melasma (pretty much the same thing) when I was on birth control. The good news is that my acne has cleared up-- but I"m still having to wear more makeup than usual! Gotta love the hormones :rolleyes:

Hope everyone has a great (comment free) Thursday!

[klav]

constipation was feeling it but had a cup of coffee this am and doing fine!! WOOHOO
Comments I have not really had any? sorry to those who are ddealing with rude people!
DH is on his way back from Louiseanna he's been gone sence Sat. will be soo nice to see him I've been lonely in the house alone with 4 cats.:(

DR apt today at 5:00!!

[Sophia]

Linnybubbles: How rude. I guess some people just can't keep their mouths shut.

Skin Issues: I've been having some issues. Not acne. General sensitivity and blotchiness. For the past few years I've been getting these red mole things (thanks, mom) and I've gotten a lot more since I've been pg, and my decolletage area always looks red and inflamed. It sucks. My skin has been super sensitive all over, too. I've had to stop using certain nightgowns.


Yesterday was really tiring. I went out shopping several times. My mom came by in the morning and gave me a bunch of girly clothes she'd bought at Mervyn's one day sale, including the Carter's Little Duckie (http://store.babycenter.com/category/clothing_maternity/carters/carters_collections/little_duckie?s_evar2=little%20duckie&s_prop2=little%20duckie&_requestid=137449) dress set, cardigan, hat & socks, and bib. They're so freaking cute. I may use that as the coming home outfit because she got it in newborn size [not a prob--my kids were 6lbs 3 oz (Bella) and 6lbs 11 oz (Alex)]. Then later I went to Target, Kohl's, and Marshall's and got more girly clothes, as well as a Peter Rabbit baby book to record all the baby info. Then in another trip to Target, I got two pastel toy bins (http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=2-1/qid=1141861450/ref=sr_2_1/602-2561826-0283059?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B0000CEI4L) on clearance--one for the nursery and one for Bella's room. There were a bunch of other errands in there, too.

Alex slept in his new room last night. DH has been working on the nursery today--the wallpaper border and appliques are such a PITA, and it doesn't help that there's wall texture underneath that we need to preserve. I'm trying to decide how to arrange the furniture. We're probably going to put our leather loveseat in there because we lost space in our TV room when we put the computer in here, and now I don't have room for my comfy chair, and I really need a comfy chair over here.

[mkvh]

linnybubbles--I too have had comments since finding out the gender at the u/s...but not what you have.

Slings--I am VERY anxious for some real-momma feedback on slings. I really want one, but I'm not sure which one (a theme with me and baby gear :rolleyes: ). And it doesn't help that DH thinks that slings are a bit too "crunchy". :rolleyes:

I have had MULTIPLE people scold me, call me a "cheater", and generally shake their heads and cluck their tonuges at me for finding out the gender! Hello, it's MY baby, and I wanted to know!! "I didn't know with my kids." Well, that's all well and good, but my DH and I decided we wanted to know, so we found out. There's no crime in that. And it's certainly not hurting YOU. Grrrr!

DH FELT THE BABY MOVE LAST NIGHT! Yippee!! And there was very little patience involved. Once I got him to the right spot, I think it was only a couple of minutes till he felt her. As Soulmate(?) mentioned, he was somewhat unimpressed because you barely feel anything, but I told him just to be patient!

[Sophia]

mkvh: How exciting your DH felt the baby! I can't believe people are so rude as to scold oyu about finding out the sex.

Reading your post made me remember, last night I was sitting on the sofa and I saw my belly move when I felt the kick. A minute later Dh was able to see it move, too. :)

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Skin- I have noticed that my cheeks get flushed very easily. I've had a couple of people ask me if I was okay and I didn't realize that my cheeks were beat red. My acne still fluctuates. I noticed it still follows the same pattern as before- I still break out when I would have had my period.

So I have some fun news... My wedding photographer is a family friend and she wants to borrow my belly! She's still starting out her own business and does everything from weddings to Senior photos, to baby shots. She's going to give me a disc of all the pictures for free for letting her take my belly shots!! I am so excited... She is really laid back and a ton of fun. Do you guys know anywhere to find some good examples/poses for professional belly shots? She has some ideas but I think she wants to try it all!

[Sophia]

Lil Mrs, how exciting! I wish I could have pro belly shots done. There's a Pro Belly Shots thread in Pregnancy (http://www.constantchatter.com/showthread.php?t=1608) with lots of nice examples.

[Lizard]

Lil_Mrs_0702 - That sounds so fun! I've thought about the idea, but I know DH would roll his eyes if I mentioned it to him. I've seen some real gorgeous ones in people's journals here though.

Sophia - Ooh, I've been wanting to buy those toy bins in the pastel colors, I'll have to check our Target and see if they're on clearance there too.

Slings - I'm anxious for info too! Feeling any pressure, mia's mama? :p I definitely want to get one for walking around the mall, neighborhood, etc.

I have gained a LOT of size just in the past week! I really can't believe it. DH has noticed too, I just look rounder and more obviously pregnant. I'm wearing one of my regular tops today, but it is really sticking out on the bottom in a weird way... I don't think I'll be able to wear it much longer. Plus yesterday, I wore a maternity shirt to work that was a gift from MIL for my birthday... I remember putting it on in December and thinking how silly and big it looked. Now it looks pretty normal! :) I've been feeling pretty run down this week, I guess it's from all the growing.

Our friends that had their ultrasound yesterday found out they're having a girl as well, so DH and I are going out to dinner with them tonight to talk girly things. I'm so excited for them, it took them quite a long time to get pregnant, and we're only due about 3 weeks apart. She's also planning on SAH, so we'll be able to hang out a bit and schedule play dates for our kidlets. :)

[rande]

Good morning, girls!

Comments- Oooh, I have a ton. When I was pregnant with Drew, more than one person told me that I would have to have a c section because I was so tiny-starting out at 5'6" and 115 pounds. My doctor told me that I would be fine to give birth naturally. However, it really bugged me that people would say that, including my MIL. Well, Drew was 7' 15 ounces and I had a very easy and quick 6 hour delivery. I guess that I showed them!!!!!!!!! After the baby was born, my IL's would always say that the baby was hungry whenever he cried. They had me paranoid that I was starving my baby. At some points, I was feeding him every 1/2 hour. It was awful. Now I know better. Sometimes babies cry just to cry. Lastly, you would be amazed at how many people would come over to see Drew when he was just born and ask me if my milk had come in..... People that we were not that close to. I personally think that is not something that I want to discuss with the world. Especially in front of my dad who was visiting at the time.

This time, I have also gotten comments that the ultrasound could be wrong. Really annoying! While I know that still happens every once in a while, it is not that common and people should keep their mouths shut.

Hope everyone has a great day. We are off to playgroup!!!

[mkvh]

Sophia--thanks! How cool that you can see baby from the outside now!

Ooooh...Lil' Mrs...how fun! I'm thinking about pro shots myself. Even better to get them for free. I'd be glad to be a guniea pig for that!!

Lizard--How exciting that you're growing! It must be so great to start filling out your maternity tops! I have quite a few that are just waiting. And yay for a buddy with a lil' girl! My friend had a girl in January, and she was so excited to find out that we were having a girl too...and she's SAH as well. I agree--it will be so nice!

rande--yeah, NO ONE really need their FIL to know about the milk situation. :rolleyes:

[ShelbyMay]

Aaaaaargh -- My leg cramps started last night. I woke up twice from a sound sleep with a shooting/stabbing pain in my calf. I remembered reading on CC that I should flex my foot back as far and as quickly as I could, and that helped right away. It was still painful and inconvenient, though! :(

Inappropriate comments: My chiropractor will not stop asking if I am doing my Kegels. I can not figure out how that is even remotely his business. :eek:

Also, my FIL is still in denial about our baby's sex. We have told him multiple times that we are having a girl, but he still refers to this baby as "he" and "him". I was talking about the baby the other day in front of SMIL, and she actually asked, "Does (FIL) know it's a girl???" I told her he certainly ought to, since we've told him several times now. :mad: A**hole.

(Sorry, but his fixation on boys is really pissing me off!)

[klav]

Inappropriate comments: My chiropractor will not stop asking if I am doing my Kegels. I can not figure out how that is even remotely his business. O-MY GOODNESS:eek: what is wrong with people? like any of it's there business!! I think I wouls just look at them like they were nutz if they asked me that.
How in the world do they think it's any of there biz to ask?

[Lizard]

My chiropractor will not stop asking if I am doing my Kegels. I can not figure out how that is even remotely his business. :eek:

LOL.... OK, all of our collective minds need to think of a snappy comeback for this one!! I will work on it this afternoon. :D

[mkvh]

First thought...something along the lines of "How's your prostate treating you?"...or "Been to the doc for a 'turn and cough' lately?"... ;)

[klav]

LOL good one girls!!:)

[a_spark]

Sophia We had the same thing happen last night! DH and I were lying in bed and I pulled up my shirt to look at my belly while she kicked, and it was so cool! Every few seconds, little spots on my belly would jump up. It was such a nice bonding moment, since (as a few of you have mentioned) when DH puts his hand on my belly, he can only feel subtle movements.

Comments We got the one about the ultrasound maybe being wrong from MIL. Of course, now I'm paranoid. I also had my cousin tell me that I am "showing early", which hurt my feelings. Early? I'm 5.5 months pregnant!

[mia's mama]

Oh my goodness...these comments people are making! :eek: I had a mom of a child I worked with when I was PG with Mia tell me I "better watch the weight gain or it may never come off"...OK I started out a little bit underweight and gained 28 pounds. She asked me how much I had gained at that point (I was about 6 months), and when I said "about 15 pounds", her eyes nearly popped out of her head and she replied "Oh my! That's how much I had gained on the day I gave birth! You better slow down!" :mad: This woman was maybe 100 pounds to start with too, so I can't imagine what she was thinking...not to mention I worked with BOTH of her kids who have special needs... Hmmm...and I want to be just like her because her kids are so healthy? :rolleyes: (I'm not sayig the needs of her children are necessarily related to low maternal weight gain, but still...a 15 pound weight gain on a VERY tiny woman IS hardly the standard reccomendation). Whatever.

OK...off to work on my sling recs! Be back in a second....

[mia's mama]

Slings!!!!

Ok...here are my reviews of the 4 that I currently own.

Baby Bjorn Active Carrier
http://www.babybjorn.com//filecache/150x0_$archive$images$products$mobility$0260$activ e_babybjornblue.jpg

I like this one, and DH LOVES it...I would absolutely pay the extra $ for the ACTIVE version, which gives additional lumbar support. Quick and easy to use, Mia enjoys being in it, but not good for nursing (for obvious reasons). We used this very frequently at the dog park, for hiking, grocery store etc. We used it from about 6 weeks (backward facing until the baby has really good head and back control), through 12-13 months. DH can STILL carry Mia in it, but I havn't been able to do so comfortably since about 10-11 months. I'd give this carrier a B+, but only because you can't BF in it. DH would rate it an A

New Native Carrier-
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0009F8RAQ.01-A3IHV2GL6E4GW8._PE12_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
Like cece, I HATED this one...I am on the petite side, and even with a size small, I felt like Mia was hanging down to my knees...she never felt supported enough, and it was very uncomfortable..yuck. D+

Kangaroo Adjustable Fleece Pouch-
http://kangarookorner.com/images/wendypouch.jpg
OK...people RAVE about this one. While I do like it, and will try it agian, I think I may have ordered the wrong size. I am very small on top though (size 2) and it is REALLY tight on me (even on the biggest setting), so I can't imagine who would be able to wear it if not me? :confused: Anyway, it's very cozy (maybe too warm for summer babies), and I did use it when Mia was a newborn, but after a month or so, it just felt too tight. They say it SHOULD be very tight, but I could hardly breath in this thing. Can't give it a grade since I don't know if I just have the wrong size.

More to come....

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

I don't really get anymore comments from people at work, but I ran into an old coworker from Starbucks and she just kept staring at my belly. It made me really self conscious and when I called her on she said, "I just can't help it!! You used to be so tiny and now you're HUGE!!" her eyes were bulged and everything when she said huge. Yeah- that didn't make me any more self conscious.

[mia's mama]

Tinokis-
http://www.babysafetymonitor.com/images/products/tinokiss-all.jpg
This one gets my highest rating...LOVE this thing! It is basically one long piece of fabric (a stretchy cotton) that you can tie in many different ways, depending on the age/needs of your child. We still use this if Mia is really cranky and for traveling...A SAVING GRACE on the airplane. I stick her in that sucker and she is OUT in 5 minutes or less. It distributes the weight well, and at almost 16 months and 20 pounds I can still wear her. I first fell in love with this thing when she was a week or 2 old and having a really hard time sleeping- I put her in the tinokis and bounced on a yoga ball for about 3 minutes and she slept for nearly 3 hours in the sling...I was able to fold laundry, drink a cup of coffee and watch some TV...I FELT LIKE A NEW WOMAN! Then at about 3 months old and I discovered I could nurse her in that thing hands free while I made brownies. :p It was a gift from my sister, mother of 3 and THE MOST VALUABLE THING I OWN. A++++
I may get a new one, since mine is purple, but I also have my eye on a few others

The hugabub-

http://www.instinctiveparenting.com/images/hug_a_bub_photos/berry_hazelnut.jpghttp://www.instinctiveparenting.com/template_images/indigenous%20mocha.jpg?0.6255392860116111http://www.instinctiveparenting.com/template_images/sage.jpg?0.8865114227671739
This is basically the same thing as the tinokis, and better looking in my opinion (I like the fabric choices better), but is more expensive. It gets lots of positive reviews from babby-wearers. Here's a pic of hands-free BFing...hope you ladies don't mind the boob-shot. You actually don't have to expose yourself like that though..the fabric is very breathable and you can totally cover the baby's head, allowing them to breath:
http://www.hugabub.com/images/POSITIONS%20IMAGES/PEAPOD.jpg

[mia's mama]

MORE SLINGS

Here are the 2 I really want to try....
Hotsling-
http://www.hotslings.com/assets/products/large/97699319.jpg
This is another "pouch" type sling (like the kangaroo and New native), but it gets great reviews and is stretchy (which the New native is not) and padded. Not particularly good for BFing, but great for walks, and very quick to throw on (the one drawback of the hugabub and Tinokis). LOVE the fabric choices.

Mei Tai Baby Carrier- (Also known as an Asian Baby Carrier or ABC)
http://us.st11.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/I/peppermintcom_1887_1460146http://us.st11.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/I/peppermintcom_1887_1400132

Another sling that receives great reviews. NOT FOR NEWBORNS though. I want this one because it is totally adjustable (can be worn by either parent), can be worn front, side, or back and can be used for both infants and toddlers...again, LOVE the fabric choices.

The baby wearing thread is great, and you can also see a guide to chosing a sling/wrap as well as a comparison chart at www.peppermint.com

Hope that helps! :)

[klav]

mia's mama
The hugabub where do you get it or how much is it? this one looks like one i'd get.... hoping it comes with instructions on tieing up?

[mia's mama]

Sling Prices:
I would do a google search for the particular brand/type you want..they sell them on LOTS of different websites and most of the sites give instructions- I'm sure they come with instructions upon purchase too.

[klav]

that one I asked about, I found either for 99.00 or 89.00 there's one or two on ebay for about 50.00

[Amaye]

Mia's Mama Thanks for the huge review!!! I was already sold on Bjorn but you have given more to think about!!

[nuhmah]

Thanks for the great reviews on slings, Mia's Mamma! I like the look of that Tinkois and Hugabub. I am concerned with the amount of fabric left over with the Tinkois, though. I know you are petite - is there really that much left over?

Comments - I actually received a really nice one last night! I was at a rehearsal for a Verdi Opera I am playing, and I was in the bathroom with a woman in her 60's during the rehearsal - the baby kept kicking the same spot and I HAD to pee because of it! We started talking about how we just couldn't hold it any more, and when I told her I was 23w along she looked astounded! She told me I look amazing and congratulations! Yay!! No horrific birth stories, TMI information (I have had 3 different women tell me about their constipation in the past 2 days), or anyone to make me feel fat. :)

[Soulmate]

Love my random drive by posts??

I found a sling very similar to the hugabub but half the price and easier to put on. It may be complete crap though since I've never heard of it.

http://www.mybabynest.com/images/Positions5.jpg

MyBabyNest (http://www.mybabynest.com/index.html)

[cece]

mia's mama- what an awesome sling review! thanks so much! i think i'm pretty much sold on the hugabub and hotsling. and more so now since your review! my biggest thing with slinging is that i need to feel like the baby is secure and not about to fall out...and that it is comfortable for me to wear. those both look awesome. one thing i hated about the rockin' mama sling was the giant tail that was always in the way and the way finn felt like he was always about to fall out no matter how tight i had it. i'm sure i must have been doing something wrong. not sure that i'll be able to bf in public with my leaky faucet issues, but i like the fact that i could bf in the hugabub if i needed to. and, the fabrics are gorgeous on both!

*c

[mia's mama]

I think those are good choices cece, and Mia feels VERY secure in the Tinokis, so I imagine the hugabub will feel the same. Make sure you measure yourself before ordering the hotsling...from shoulder to opposite hip, I think.

soulmate- that wrap looks JUST like the tinokis, and assuming the fabric is decent, it should do the trick!

klav- while there is a lot of extra fabric left over on my tinokis, I just tie it once more around your waist, and it's fine. It's a little tricky to put on at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's a snap. To re-adjust though, you do have to take the whole thing off and re-tie it.

ETA: cece- hmmm...yeah I didn't have the leaky faucet issues after the first 2 months or so, as long as I had a breast pad over my other boob. I guess I didn't really start nursing in public until Mia was 3 or 4 months, once I could do it without looking and making a big production of it. But it got really easy...I could latch her on without blinking an eye and just wore nursing tanktops under regular tanks or T-shirts- that way when my top layer was pulled up, nothing was exposed, and my boobs are small enough that Mia's head blocked the whole thing. I never once got a weird look or anything. I don't think most people had a clue as to what I was doing...and Mia has been fed everywhere from the coffee bean to Dinseyand. I did stop nursing in public when she was about 9 months though- just b/c she was such a wiggle worm by that time, and I didn't want to risk being exposed. She and I were both DONE with BFing once she hit 12 months.
These are the nursing tanks I wore:
http://us.st11.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/I/nurturecenter_1884_7699572
Glamourmom nursing tank-top
http://shop.nurturecenter.com/glmomnubr.html

Though I imagine you can get something similar and less $$ at Target.

[rande]

Mia's Mama- Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I am leaning toward the hotsling myself. Your info was awesome.

Well, Saturday morning I am heading off to Palm Springs for a girls weekend. I will only be gone until Sunday night but it will be my first overnight without Drew. I am looking forward to spending some time with the girls-shopping, spa, etc. However, it is supposed to be an awful weekend-rainy and very cold. Figures... I guess we won't be laying out by the pool.

[mia's mama]

Hmmm...soulmate
I just looked at the link you posted for the tummy to tummy and my only concern would be that it might strentch out, or be too big to begin with for smaller chested women. With the Tinokis, it is one long piece of fabric, and you adjust it as you tie it...not sure how this one adjusts though?

[rande]

Mia's Mama- One more cute t-shirt that you can get for your little guy is a black dog shirt! Every baby with Boston ties should have one! Here is Drew modeling his at 6 months or so:

http://images.snapfish.com/3464%3B9%3A43%7Ffp345%3Enu%3D325%3A%3E94%3B%3E548% 3EWSNRCG%3D323357%3A24%3B968nu0mrj

Also one of Drew enjoying a football game with Dad. Wearing Miami gear since his dad is a crazy Miami Fan.

http://images.snapfish.com/3464%3B9%3A43%7Ffp346%3Enu%3D325%3A%3E94%3B%3E548% 3EWSNRCG%3D323357%3A24678%3Anu0mrj

[mmisabel]

Slings - Wow! Who knew there were so many sling choices out there?! Sometimes it seems like there are way too many choices for every "needed" product, it's impossible to predict what your baby will like or dislike.

Rude comments - I haven't heard any. I'm also not super sensitive, so I just let things roll off me that others might be bothered by.

[Lizard]

Wow, thanks for all the sling info!!! We will probably be boring and get a Bjorn, I have a feeling that'd be the one that DH will be most comfortable with. Plus, I see a LOT of people selling them used around here, so I think I can get one for a good price. I'm glad to hear that you and your DH rated it highly.

Went out to dinner with the friends of ours that are expecting 3 weeks after we are... it was really fun. She's shorter and smaller than me, and showing MUCH more. It was neat to compare/contrast what's going on with us. We will be delivering at the same hospital, so we'll be able to take our birthing and BFing classes together as well. So fun!!

This weekend we're heading out to see DH's family, about 4 hours away. One of his brothers has a 3 year old girl and I have a feeling they're going to be giving us a ton of stuff, since they threatened us with that if we found out it was a girl. :) The brothers' girlfriend is almost done with college and is studying to be a midwife, so that should lead to some good conversation.

If I don't stop back... have a fantastic weekend ladies!! :D :D

[sunchaser26]

Rude comments - I haven't heard any yet, only very positive ones. Although I have heard the stories about the u/s as I posted before. Also have had people sending me mass e-mails about parenting and how my life will never be the same and that kids will ruin my house, but nothing yet about birth stories.

Slings - I didn't know there were that many choices out there. Thank you, Mia's Mama for all the great info and recommendations. I'll definitely have to look into them.

Rande

Your son Drew is just adorable!!!

Crib Mattresses?

I was wondering if anyone has bought one yet or the second time mothers-to-be might have some recommendations on what to get... There are so many in a range of prices.

Update:

Our crib & chair (I believe) is in at Babies Room so we might be picking it up this weekend, if we can get my brothers truck and his help. I guess that means we better get looking at bedding and come to a decision so I can get paint chips and get the room painted soon since I wanted it done before the furniture arrived. Oh, well. It only took 3 weeks and they were both special orders, we were told it would take 8-14 weeks originally.

I think I'm a bit bigger this week, but still not that noticable for the most part. Still carrying pretty low. I guess that is all for now, just need to continue working on names, bedding, and start a registry. Threadmistress please update my next doctors appointment is March 15th.

[Jerseygirl16]

Hello everyone! Looks like I have alot to catch up on! The last time I checked in here was before my Feb 23rd appointment to check my cervix (it had measured a little on the short side two weeks prior to that). Well, I went in and they did three measurements: one showed about the same, one a little shorter, and one a good amount shorter. I was 20 weeks at that point and they immediately placed me on partial bedrest and told me to come back the following week. I did and this time they only took one measurement and that showed me a whole mm thicker than I was at the first appointment but I was still on what they consider the short side of normal. So, I followed up with my normal OB that same day and he decided that with my history of two (completely unrelated to this condition) m/c's in the past year and since I had surgery on my cervix that could add extra risk to having it already be a little short they are going to keep me on at least partial bedrest and out of work until after I deliver. I go back next Thursday for my next cervix check and in the meantime spend most of my time off my feet. If it gets worse then I will have to be moved to complete bedrest so I am praying I stay the same. Being out of work is wonderful and knowing I don't have to go back until after the baby comes (if then since we are hoping I can be a SAHM) is the best feeling ever. I still get paid (and actually wind up making more due to a commission benefit in my contract that gives me a 12 month average of commission on top of my normal pay) so no financial worries.
Just still trying to sell our house and be moved in time to either get new doctors and set up at the new hospital in time for baby to arrive or get moved in after baby but before my maternity benefits end and I am either in a position where I would be without pay or have to return to work.
I will try and keep up now as much as I can be on the computer and look forward to really getting to know you all!

Stacy
EDD 7-12-06

[mia's mama]

rande- you're right! I do NEED a black dog t-shirt for this baby! Drew is so cute in his!

jerseygirl- sorry you are on bedrest already:( ! But that's awesome that it won't be a financial hardship!

Slings- bought one today...just like the tinokis/hugabub, but called The Baby Pouch...fell in love with the fabric while at The Pump Station (little nursing-friendly boutique here in LA)- will have to see if I can find it online...
Also- to those who will use the bjorn...although it's great for babies older than 2 months, be sure not to put your newborn in any earlier than that...lots of research shows it can cause hip problems if you splay the baby's legs like that before 8-9 weeks...just FYI. It's great for later though!

sunchaser- huh. for the life of me, I can't remember what mattress I have in Mia's room...but I know I got SUCKERED into a really expensive one when we bought her crib....coil on one side, foam on the other for like $179 or something....Mia is a good sleeper, but I doubt the mattress gets the credit. ;)

[cece]

sunchaser- i'll check the mattress when i change the crib sheets this weekend. i'm pretty sure it is an orthopedic one.

jerseygirl- so sorry to hear about the bedrest, but really glad to hear it's partial and you can take some time off work. and moving in between it all, wow!

rande- drew is adorable!! that black dog tee is so cute. we were planning a trip with the in-laws to the vineyard this summer, but we've postponed that vacation until next summer with the baby coming and all. looking forward to it though! i will tell you that i'm envious of your girls weekend in palm springs! those are just the best times...aren't they?

mia's mama- thanks for the info on those nursing tanks...i think that's exactly what i need! so glad you mentioned the age thing with the bjorn..i think i had finn in it prior to 8wks and he just seemed so little and dangly. i would have loved to have had a great sling then to just cocoon him away. and i do see getting a ton more use out of a sling with a toddler to keep up with. and, i'll have to check out the baby pouch now! i love the pump station too....they've got such great stuff in there.

*c

[mmisabel]

sunchaser - We registered for a mattress at BRU. Baby bargains doesn't recommend getting roped into an expensive one in the store. I think they recommend foam which is hard to find (Colgate is the company they rec). We went with a coil, the Super Maxipedic by Simmons, it is $100 at BRU. We also looked at the Sealy Baby Soft Ultra Mattress for $70. Both were well rated by BB, but DH thought the firmer one seemed better so we went with the Simmons.

jerseygirl - Sorry to hear about being on bedrest. I think I would go nuts!


Rande - Love the blackdog tees! Drew is adorable!!

[mmisabel]

hospital tour - Forgot to add, we had a "Meet the Doctors and Midwives" night at the hospital we are delivering at sponsored by our practice. It was pretty informative and we got a tour which was good. We decided to skip childbirth classes so this was a good rundown of what to expect without sitting through a weekend of information overload. It was nice too because in our practice we can choose if we want the MD team or Midwife team delivering us. I definitely got the sense the Midwives preferred working with people who wanted to attempt natural childbirth and wanted a "touchy-feely approach". The MD's were more like "here's the facts" and discussed options for pain management. I am going with the MD because I need the matter of fact approach and want those meds!!

[hotmama]

hey ladies!

what is the deal with CC? each time i try to log in i either get the 'server too busy' issue or the website doesn't come up at all for me. it's strange. anyway, want you to know i have been trying to get in here for the last few days! :)

little update: i think i may have mentioned the calcium deposit found on the baby's heart during our big u/s? well, the u/s Dr said there was nothing to worry about. of course, as soon as my Dr saw the results she requested i come in for the AFP test. grrr! so, i went in on thursday morning for the blood draw and am now waiting on the results. the waiting part is the worst! i'm sure everything is fine...i trust the u/s Dr's opinion...but i hate waiting for an answer. hopefully we'll hear something this week.

mia's mommy: WOW! what a great sling write-up. thank you! i never used a sling with Aiden but i would def like to try with this baby since i'll have aiden to run after. i never knew there were so many to choose from. thanks, again!