Working on 29 weeks!

Next Monday will be 29 weeks.  According to What to Expect, Cooper is almost 3 lbs and 17 in.  Getting to be a big boy!  He sure is rockin and rollin in my tymmy these days.  His kicks are getting harder and more frequent.  His room is finally coming together.  And, thanks to friends and family, he is accumulating lots of clothes and baby "stuff." 
This week Andy and I are decorating for Christmas.  We put up the tree on Sunday, and I've been decorating the rest of the house slowly.  I just keep thinking of how different next Christmas will be.  By then we'll have a 10 month old!  I wonder if he will be pulling up on furniture by then - or even beginning to walk!  These kinds of thoughts keep popping into my mind.  Along with things like "I'm about to have a son."  And I can hardly believe it each time.  I know I keep saying this, but I feel so blessed!

Blue Nursery and Wrinkly Baby Clothes

We now have a blue nursery!  It looks so cute and it matches the bedding perfectly.  I'm so very pleased.  Andy worked hard on it all day today and now it is done.  It's up to me now to decorate and make curtains.  Which is going to be much easier now that I have a pattern - I went to a grarage sale this morining and just happened to find a whole box of sewing patterns.  And I found the perfect one for Cooper's curtains.  Yay!

While Andy painted, I decided to wash all of Cooper's clothes that we have so far.  Turns out they are VERY hard to iron!  I wanted them to look all pretty and flat like they were before I washed them... but I may just have to get over that.  I spent forever trying to get all the wrinkles out and hang them back up.  This is funny if you know me - you know that I DO NOT iron.  Unless it's for a sewing project, of course.  I would rather wear crinkled clothes than take the time to iron them.  Andy irons his own stuff when he wants it to look good.  Oh well, looks like I may be turing over a new leaf.

22 weeks 3 days

We saw Cooper last night - I mean we saw his kicks from the outside of my tummy!  It was so funny!  He's like a little alien in there.  I never know when he's gonna move but now I can watch and see him kick so hard that there's a little lump that pokes out every once in awhile.  Andy and I both laughed so hard when we saw it.  I don't know why it was funny, but for the rest of the night I just sat with my tummy out wathcing for him.  So cool!

Actually interacting with him is now the highlight of my day.  Usually we talk to him at night when we go to bed.  This is when we play music and sing and read to him.  Scout plays music and talks to him every day - thanks Aunt Jennifer, Uncle Josh and Aunt Di!  And two nights ago Andy was so sweet.  He asked me if I wanted him to sing to Cooper, so I turned on Pandora and he sang country songs to him.  I loved it!  This baby stuff is great.  All of the sore backs, heartburn, growing feet, clumsiness and weight gain is soooo worth it.  Such a small price to pay for such a great blessing.  Thank you God for our little angel.

21 weeks 3 days

Cooper's been kicking up a storm and for the first time Andy felt him!!  After days on end making Andy sit there with his hand on my stomach, he finally felt him!  Andy wasn't really too into it at first - he kept saying that all he could feel was his own pulse and got kinda impatient with me (mainly because I kept asking "did you feel that?"  "how about that?" over and over)... but when he finally felt Cooper kick he was so excited.  Of course then he told me that I was mean for tapping on my stomach to stimulate (or startle) Cooper and the moment was over.  But what an amazing moment it was!  Looking forward to many more of those moments.  :)

20 weeks - It's a Boy!

Well, since finding out on Friday that we are having a BABY BOY, I've been on cloud nine.  It's unreal how happy I feel at this time in my life.  I know that I will have to come down from this high soon, but I'll just enjoy it for the moment.  I've now gotten a tiny glimpse of how people describe seeing your child for the first time after they're born.  Like nothing you've ever felt before; like you could never love something more than you do that little being. 

Now all I have on my mind is getting ready for little Cooper.  Decorating his room perfectly, making sure I have everything I need to take good care of him, getting myself prepared for motherhood.  Andy probably thinks that I'm going crazy - it's really all that I talk about lately.  But that's ok.  I just smooth it over by telling him it's totally normal.  I say, "it's called nesting and all mothers do it".  He just laughs.

19 weeks 2 days

Well, two days until we find out boy or girl!!  Or 1 day and 9 1/2 hours! I am about to bust!  It seems everyone has an opinion about what it is.  Andy refuses to say, I think it's a girl, both of our moms say boy, the "clairvoyant" nurse at my Dr's office insists it's a girl, and the owner of my favorite quilt shop says it's a boy.  Whew!  I guess we will see who's right very soon.

17 weeks

Well, we have begun registering!  Andy and I went to Babies R Us yesterday and put a few things on the baby registry to get us started.  Since we still don't know about colors and bedding, it is just a start - but a good one!  We added things like diapers, a swing, a bumbo seat, playmats, and bath essentials.  Yay!  It was really fun, but it wore me out to think of all the "necessities" for a baby.  Also, our crib came in today.  We can go pick it up anytime at the store.   :0)  I'm so excited to get it put together and in the room!

I still haven't felt the baby move yet (I think).  The other night I did feel something, but I may have been making it up.  I've been so ready to feel him/her move that I think I may have imagined it.  Still trying to be patient...

16 weeks 3 days

Can't sleep again.  In a word - heartburn.  Andy thought that he may have had it the other day.  This is how the conversation went:  "Oh, wow.  I have this awful feeling.  It hurts so bad in my chest.  It burns.  I must have heartburn. Oh, that is so awful.  Do you have any Tums?  Will that help?"
Um, yes, honey.  Of course I have Tums.  This is how I feel every night!

On another note, we got to watch the Bulldogs play tonight against Auburn.  We lost, but I still enjoyed the game.  Poor Relf.  Didn't do too good there at the end.  By the time we left Josh and Jennifer's house Josh was pouting and Andy wasn't really talking to anyone.  But I was ok, because Julie and I got to watch the game together.  I got to change her little diaper and hold her while she slept.  She's getting so big that her newborn diapers are getting a little snug on her.  Most of her NB outfits are still too big though, so she's not a whole lot bigger.  Jen said that she keeps rolling onto her side to sleep in the pack-n-play.  And she already wants to hold her head up and look around some.  Obviously she is a very advanced child! 

Still no "butterflies" or anything in my tummy.  I keep asking the baby to move and kick, but nothing yet.  If you count this post as Friday, only 21 more days until we know the sex!  Still a long way to go, but almost halfway there!  The crib should be in this week.  That's exciting.  I hope it turns out the way I imagine.  And I hope it goes well with the changing table.  At least we got the closet cleaned out.  All of the stuff is in the middle of the floor, but it's a start.  This weekend Andy is gonna be busy!   ;)

15 weeks 5 days

It's 5:15 on a Saturday and I can't sleep.  Wow.  This never happens to me!  And why?  I'm dreaming of little dresses and bloomers, crib bedding, and paint colors for the nursery walls.  In my head I've redesigned the room a dozen times, made a few outfuts, and rearranged the closets to fit our new family.  If only this were really happening right now.....

I did buy some new fabric yesterday so I would become inspired to sit with my sewing machine awhile and make something.  I don't think it's my inspiration that needs work, though.  It's my determination.  I need to finish Julie's quilt  before I start ANYTHING else, but I have completely lost momentum on it.  That is one project that I let get the better of me.  Oh well.  I will finish it soon.  At least I have a game plan now.  Ok, so back to my new fabric.  I brought it home and showed Andy - I told him just like every time I bring home new fabric - "Oh look, I found THE CUTEST fabric today!"  His reply:  "You always find THE CUTEST fabric.  All the time."  And gives me that look that says "yes how cute, that's great, can I go back to watching my football game now?"  I must say he does sit through lots of fabric swatches and crafty ideas with only the slightest eye rolling.  He's the best. :)

I think that the new fabric will be for making pillowcase dresses.  I found patterns online the other day and it looks SO easy.  Of course, they use actual pillowcases to make it really simple and I bought THE CUTEST fabric to use instead.  But it wouldn't be a project of mine if I didn't make it harder on myself than it has to be.  Oh well.  Pictures to come - if I ever get around to it!!

14 Weeks

Last week was BABY WEEK! First, my newest "niece" was born on Tuesday. 8 lbs 5 oz, 21 in long and a head of black hair. So pretty and perfect! I cried when they brought her to the window at the hospital. She was just so tiny and sweet. Since then, I have watched both mom and dad change into different people. Okay so not really, different people... but they are different! Jennifer is such a good mommy already. She is a natural with Julie. She seems to already know everything to do. Julie hardly ever cries and both mom and baby have recovered from labor so quickly. And Josh went from loud and antsy (awaiting the baby) to calm and reserved when he is around Julie. It's almost as if he got more responsible looking overnight. At first when I thought, "Wow, our best friends are PARENTS!" it was weird - but now seeing them with Julie it seems normal!

The same day I also went to see our friends' 4 mo old twin girls for the first time. That was really neat. I got to give the younger one, Carleigh, a bottle and feed her. She was darling! So tiny (born at 4 lbs and now only around 7-8 lbs). I loved it. Twins would sure be hard work, but twice the fun too!

Then on Thursday Andy's college roomate had a baby as well. We went to see how Baby Kate and Lindsey (mom) were doing - another cutie! Her father is 1/8 Native American Indian, so she has very dark hair and dark skin. And again I just held her and rocked her and loved on her too.

So, what does all of this mean for me? All these babies really make me want to speed up time until our Baby Nichols is here!! I just can't wait. And I can't wait to see if we have a he or a she! I found tons of patterns to make diaper bags, diaper holders, grocery cart covers, boppy pillow covers, etc, etc, etc. I need ot get started soon! But, I guess I must be patient. 6 more weeks to go before I find out the sex. And another 26 weeks until I meet him/her. Um, and may I make a confession here? Lately along with my prayers for a healthy, full-term, smart baby I also throw in a "and Dear Lord, please can it be a girl?" ;)

12th Week

A few things I've learned over the last week or so:

- bottles have different size nipples with different sized openings? (something about flow?)
- I officially have lost my waist
- maternity clothes are comfy
- if death comes in 3's, pregnancy comes in 7's or 8's
- when you're pregnant there are only a select few women that don't tell you WAY more than you ever wanted to know about labor, kids, babies, etc, etc, etc
- it's really easy to smile, nod and act like you are listening to the above people
- our little cupcake is about 3 inches!
- Mary, the baby gender-guessing fairy at the Dr's office said it's a girl!

10 weeks 3 days

Somehow coming "home" to visit family is even sweeter now that I'm gonna be a mom. I don't really know how... but it's true. I imagine mine and Andy's parents with him/her. Who will they look like? How often will we be able to come to MS and how often will family visit us in Houston? I hope lots and lots!! I want my kids to know their grandparents!

Being here also makes me think forward to Christmas. I really can't wait for Christamas with children. The excitement of Santa and teaching them about the Christmas story - how fun! I will have to make a baby stocking to match our stockings! Of course, I haven't made ours yet either. But next week I'm going to class to learn how to make them. Hopefully class will teach me more about sewing in general and I can use that to make more baby stuff. I already have TONS of ideas of things to make - now to make it happen!

ps - about the baby this week: we are growing fingernails and toenails; we are growing from the size of a prune to the size of a lime; and we are turning flips and somersaults :)

9 weeks 1 day

Alright, for right now I am feeling pretty good. It's been a little touch-and-go with the nausea thing. Some days are better than others. As long as I'm busy and not thinking about it, it's better. I did pick up some vit B6 candies that are supposed to combat the morning sickness. I had to order them from CVS (although not a prescription) and got them in today. A word to the other preggos thinking of trying them: do not get green apple! The cherry ones are ok, but green apple is gross - which doesn't seem to help with the funky feeling you have already.

Also, I found this cool website: http://www.ingridandisabel.com/ They have these things called BellaBands. So neat! They go under a shirt over your expanding belly and will help to hold up your favorite jeans (that you now wear unbottoned). Best part? You can't even tell!! Looks like you have on a layered tank top under your shirt. I'm definitely getting one soon. I haven't gained but a few pounds so far, but my belly seems to be expanding already! The only thing that is comfy are my stretchy yoga pants and summer knit dresses.

On another note, I'm gearing up for another day of work tomorrow. Lately I seem to have to psych myself up for going. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret telling an overwhelmed mom that I can keep her two & four year old 3 days a week... but my energy levels are not really up to par these days. I find myself trying to talk them into watching a movie or sitting in my lap for story time much more lately. I guess that's okay some, but I'm finding that after a few hours of quiet activities they're ready to bounce off the walls. Guess I'm learning about mommyhood early! Lots of activity in the morning = good naps and a better afternoon for the nanny.

Well, better go pack a lunch. Or some pretzels and trail mix anyway.

Galveston

Well, today my baby went to the beach for the first time. I'm hoping to start him/her early so they will share my love for the ocean! Not that Galveston is the prettiest of places, but as long as you don't actually put your feet on the yucky brown sand and instead just look at it, it's not so bad. Plus, The Strand is fun for shopping and taking in all of the historical buildings in town. I think the reason I feel so at home near the water is the laid-back atmosphere. Everyone is wearing flip flops and ponytails and feeling super friendly. Makes me want to buy a house near a pretty beach, open a daquiri stand, and be a beach bum!!

Today has been another lazy and nauseating day. Brushing my teeth is now torture and everytime I think something sounds good enough to eat, I find myself even more nauseated after eating it!
On a happier note, Andy just got home and we are discussing his MBA options. I know he is excited and probably a little nervous to think about going back to school. But I am so proud of him! He has talked about starting his MBA since we moved to Texas. Now with the baby coming in mid February, he is feeling the pinch to go ahead and get a head start on it. At least he could have one semester down by February. Lots of things happening in the Nichols household!!

Dr. Visit

We saw the Doc today. After peeing in a cup and other unmetionable examining, we finally got to see the baby!!! The nurse in the room pointed out that it is the size of a gummi bear. Oh, how sweet. We have a gummi bear! And she/he did look somewhat like a gummi bear. (We will just call it a she for now). Dr. Rizutto kept pointing to stuff like the yolk sac and the amniotic sac and the umbilical cord, but I couldn't see any of it! I, of course, shook my head like I knew exactly what she meant. I mean, how could I tell her that it really just looked like a furry blob to me? BUT THEN I saw the flicker she kept talking about. It was the heartbeat!! Awww! It was so special to see that my baby's heart was beating. All the nervousness and fear that I had pent up in me for weeks melted.
So, here I am thinking of my little gummi bear. Hoping that the time will pass quickly so I can meet her. Next ultrasound will be in 4 1/2 weeks and I can see her again. Can't wait.

Goodnight gummi bear.

Week 7

Ok, so by week 7 my boobs are supposed to be getting bigger, the baby is almost 1/2 an inch, and food is an abomination. Check, check, and check. I like the boobs part, but this nausea has got to go. I went to the store last week and only came home with goldfish, crackers, pretzels, and sour straws candy. Today the trip went better. Lots of food (m&m cookies, cheetos puffs, pineapple, more goldfish, etc) but nothing to make actual meals. Uh, meat - ewwww! Sorry, Andy, you're on your own!
Tomorrow is our first ultrasound. Yay! I am so excited to see the little guy/girl/shrimp-like being. Too bad we can't tell what sex it is just yet. I may be a little ahead of myself but I'm already planning princess murals, names and colors for the nursery! Maybe I should at least get through tomorrow...