What the What?! Breastfeeding Babydoll

What on earth?!

There's not much I have to say about this.... just.... holy crap, seriously?! and WHY?!

What are your thoughts?

Week 27 and 28

     Some of you have pointed out to me that I failed to post for Week 27, you're right. I assure you that I feel awful! With our Bradley Classes being on Saturdays from 10-2, smack dab right in the middle of the day, it makes it difficult to post when I get home after the drive back up the canyon. And Sunday after church, we had a local community group come to use the church's mega screen for their children's double feature movie day. We inevitably stayed and watched the movies with them and helped out with the sound equipment. Needless to say, after being at church from 9 to 5, I was not in any particular mood to post, no take a picture for the post more importantly.

     Last week I had my check up at the doctor's, and by doctor I mean nurse, b/c I don't ever see my doctor. The appointment went well; we had a little laugh b/c baby girl was being so active that the nurse was having a hard time finding her heartbeat, all you could hear was baby girl swishing about actively! Finally she found her heartbeat, and said things look/sound great. She mentioned that all previous tests came back looking great. I gained 3 pounds this last month, putting me at 7 pounds (between my first two appointments, I lost 2 pounds, which is why it's not counting as more, as I gained 7 pounds alone my previous month). My nurse is very pleased with my progress, and even said, "You must be eating really healthy b/c you're doing great!" My response was to smile and not blurt out how I eat chocolate pretty much every day! ahahah! But I have been so cautious about my breakfasts and lunches the past few months, which I think is having a big impact.

     Looking at week 27: The Bump says that baby girl's nose is now unplugging and she is beginning to practice inhaling (she is inhaling amniotic fluid right now).

     Looking at week 28: I've made it to my third trimester now! Baby girl is still the size of an eggplant, but The Bump says that if born now, her lungs are developed enough, that with medical technology, she would likely survive. Baby girl is around 13.6-14.8 inches and 1.5-2.2  pounds. Amazing!

     Today is a big day: Not only have I begun the last trimester (only 3 more months to go before we get to meet our precious girl), BUT this morning, G also got to feel baby girl for the first time! She kicked me pretty hard this morning upon waking up, and I immediately moved his hand over my belly hoping she might kick that hard again (he hasn't been able to feel the small little kicks yet, so I've had to wait for some really serious kicking of hers), and he said... "I felt that!" Oh man, my heart leapt with joy! I have been waiting for weeks and weeks for this moment!

     Some things I've noticed the past few weeks: The heartburn is creeping back in every night, no matter what I eat, it's super frustrating! A few new stretch marks, which is fine, they match the collection. It's definitely time for a new bra, nothing to be excited about. I finally gave in and got some maternity pants last week; which have been GREAT! The BeBand lasted as long as I could make it, and it was a good friend to me, but when students at school are noticing the button and zipper line through the BeBand and shirt, it's time for some maternity clothes! My back has been hurting the past week, not sudden, intense pressure, just ongoing sore pain, which sucks. And if I sit and lean or hunch over, say the desk, I get a frustrating pain at the top of my abdomen, right under my bra, so I have to try leaning back and stretching out to make it go away.

     Progress:

Onesies!

I came across some super cute and funny little onesies the other day!
I think my favorites are 4, 6, and 9!

1. Arrr...Change Me Booty
2. Owl, Tie, and Whale Onesies
3. Tax Deduction
4. Miso Cute
5. Iron-on Penguin, Elephant, and Giraffe Onesies
6. iPood
7. Diaper Loading... Please Wait
8. Gray Owl
9. Green Eggs and Ham

And I couldn't help but show these cuties!

The Wishing Elephant Etsy Store

     This gal's store has some super cute onesies! I know several prego ladies, so this is an idea on my list for gifts. She has some cute sets as well for twins or triplets. The felt she uses on the onesies are all 100% post consumer recycled plastic bottles. I'm not a super Green freak, but I do think it's super neat when people try to make a small difference in their every day lives to try and contribute and protect God's earth. 

Hot Commodity

     I'm a hot commodity people! Yep, you heard me right. A hot commodity! I have a doctor's appt. tomorrow in Bako so I'm not taking any sub jobs. I forgot to block the day on the website, so I've been getting calls for Thursday. Now, these could just be calls that were sent out to any random substitute, but you know you've been requested specifically if you continue getting called for the same job back to back, every 30 minutes or so. This started on Monday night for one of the gals in the Sp. Ed. department, whom I love! I usually just hang up b/c I hate declining the jobs, so by hanging up it seems as though I never picked up and it just calls the next person on the list. Well, I continued to receive calls for the job, so I finally broke down and declined it. Gah! I hate that. I don't want them to think that I don't want to sub for them, it really is b/c I have something else to do.

     Then yesterday I got a call from one of the English teachers that tells me I'm his favorite sub! Now that's what I love to hear! He requests me every single time he's out! I love it! And I love his classes, so it works out beautifully! Well of course I hung up and got super bummed b/c I knew I'd be getting another call shortly. I quickly got online and blocked the day so he would know I was unavailable. I'm getting more frustrated at this point b/c I'm not able to accept these jobs.

     This morning, I get a call, and I know it's from the school b/c of the number, I was scared at first thinking that maybe I didn't realize I had a sub job today and just didn't show up and they were calling to yell at me. Except that they weren't, and it was ANOTHER teacher calling. What's really neat about this one is, I barely just subbed for this girl for the first time yesterday afternoon for only two periods. (I have never spoken with her, and I'm extremely intimidated by her). Her last class is a group of juniors, that are mostly great, except for that ONE student that can just ruin everything! You know that kid. He knows he's that kid, he loves to be that kid. Thankfully he's gotten in trouble one too many times, so I just have to whip out the Dean card and he chills out.... as much as a kid like this can, which makes him more manageable. I am always unsure of how teachers are going to respond to the notes whenever I have this kid in a class, I just don't know if they will approve of the way I handled him or not. But apparently she did b/c she was calling me personally, on the phone, to see if I could sub for her tomorrow! WHAT?! That's incredible! I was so shocked with disbelief and so flattered that she would call me personally.

     Anyway, it got me thinking. I'm not planning to sub as much next year b/c I'll be caring for our baby girl! Which will be great, but I do know that I'm not that kinda person who can just be at home all day, I think I'm that person in my dreams, but I know I'll go crazy. Therefore, I'm still planning on subbing occasionally. The Husband has Friday's off, so I'm thinking that Friday's will be daddy/daughter day (how cute is that!?). And b/c the school is in a different sports league than the rest of Bako, all of their games are either at home, or located several hours away. When there is a game, teachers/coaches and students must leave in the middle of the day to get to the game. So I get a LOT of half day jobs, which will be perfect. And I'm guessing that if someone requests me far enough in advance, and it's someone who's classes I really enjoy, then I'll just go ahead and work it out for that day.

     The reality of being a stay at home mom hasn't really kicked it much yet, I'm kinda nervous about it. That's a lot of responsibility, and temptation. Responsibility to be that mom that doesn't slack, and is consistent with teaching and helping raise this little human life that is yours, that will hopefully grow up to be a contributing citizen in society that makes a difference in this world, and most importantly, loves the Lord. Temptation to not just get comfortable staying at home and slacking off, to not forgo routine b/c it's just easier that way, to not become the mom that decides it's all about me and begin resenting my family b/c I think I work so hard at home and no one understands, but rather is the mom that loves my job and takes pride in taking care of my family.

     What do you think? What did you do when you had your children, did you work, stay at home, part time it? For those of you that chose to stay at home, how did you manage to juggle all the responsibilities and not go insane (unless you did go insane!) hahaha.

Anywho, I found this really cute and funny list of 10 Things Never to Say to a Stay at Home Mom:

1. When the kids are older, do you think you'll get a real job?
2. How June Cleaver of you!
3. Oh, so you don't work?
4. Since you have extra time on your hands, could you whip up a few dozen brownies for the bake sale tomorrow?
5. All day with your kids? I can't even imagine.
6. I'm jealous. I wish my husband were rich so I wouldn't have to work either.
7. So what do you do all day, anyway?
8. Don't worry; I'm sure you're not the only one who's ever wasted money on a college degree.
9. That explains why your son is so clingy!
10. Weird. I assumed your house would be super clean.

My favorites are 4, 5, 7, and 10.
Which ones make you laugh?

Week 26

26 weeks?!
We're still an Eggplant this month.
The Bump says that baby girl is beginning to form her eyes and will soon be blinking!
Where has the time gone?!
Things are beginning to really sneak up on me so quickly!
It's a little scary!
I fear that I won't be able to get everything ready for baby girl by the time she gets here!
I pray I do!

Things to do in anticipation of Baby Girl's arrival:
-Refinish the dresser (sand, paint, get new pully handles, get new slider tracks for the drawers)
-Touch-up the crib and put it together
-Clean out her room
-Find a new living place for all the things currently in her room
-Paint her room
-Make the DIY mobile I have planned... I really hope this actually happens
-Make the DIY bunting flags to hang in her room (I'm also going to put it up at the shower for decoration, so it needs to be done even earlier)
-Buy some odds and ends for her room (this will be accomplished on my Ikea trip with my galfriends, Can't Freakin Wait!)
-Finish purchasing some artwork for her room and wait for it to get here (this last Etsy purchase has been taking WAY too long to arrive; I don't know if it's the seller or just Etsy)
-Write up a Birth Plan
-Get a hospital bag together
-Make sure I have the essentials ready for when we bring her home*

*I'm getting weirded out by this statement... It's really happening, we are actually going to bring home another human being that we created, insane!


In the meantime... 
     ...I need to focus on my homework... that's right, homework! Yesterday, The Husband and I went to our first Bradley Method* class! I should have been taking a class way before now, but when I previously looked up classes, there were none available. For some reason I checked the website again, and emailed the instructor to see if there was something available. And lo and behold, she had a class starting in just a few weeks, and it would be with other mothers that were also further along in their pregnancies. B/c the Bradley classes are usually 12 weeks long, she decided to cut the classes down to 4 weeks and we'll meet for 4 hours at a time. Which works out great for us! The 4 hours seemed to fly by, I couldn't imagine going for 1 hour a week, it's such interesting material, and I really liked being able to get in depth and not worry about rushing through material.
     The Husband wasn't so sure if we needed to take the classes, so he suggested we try reading through the book first and if we felt like we needed the classes still, then we'd discuss it then. So, I read through The Husband Coached Childbirth book as quickly as possible and found that I was even more encouraged to take the class. Thankfully, the Husband went along with it and joined me at the class. Of course I started worrying that the classes would be just like the book, and we would find the classes to be unnecessary. However, after 1 class, I can say that I am SO thrilled that we took that step and signed up for the classes. The Husband and I both felt that we learned many new things at the class and we're excited for what's to come in the next 3 weeks as well. I could not stop talking about how great the experience was!
     I was so encouraged to really give this method 100% and do everything possible within my power to try to make this natural childbirth happen for not only me, but for the Husband and our little girl. I want to be able to experience everything that happens and remember it. I want to be able to feel in control and not just a part of the system.  B/c I feel o so committed, I have homework. Gah, I thought I was finished with that when I graduated! My homework includes:

-Exercises: Tailor Sits, Butterflies (25 per day), Pelvic Rocks (50 per day), Squats (50 per day), and Kegels (50 per day), and get some cardio in every day for 30 minutes
-Write down everything I eat so I can track my protein intake
-The Husband and I are to download some music and try Relaxation together for 10 minutes
-Try the ice cube exercise: I am to sit and relax while the Husband puts an ice cube on the inside of my elbow and slowly moves it up and down my arm and I am to remain so relaxed as if nothing is happening, no screaming out about how cold it is.... yeah right!
-If I stub my toe or hit my head, etc, then I am to try breathing through the pain and not resort to my automatic response of screaming and shouting... again... yeah right!

*I will post again about the Bradley Method soon for those of you that are not familiar, and explain how I came across it and why I am choosing to go this route.

Progress:

Nursery Update

     I haven't really had the opportunity to begin cleaning out the spare room, which will be Baby Girl's room here pretty soon. And it just hit me this morning how SOON soon really is! The long-term sub job I took in January pretty much exhausted me, and pretty much labeled me good-for-nothing in every other area. Thankfully, The Husband, has been gracious enough to slowly pick away at it. Every weekend he takes one of the numerous boxes we have lying around (The Husband is addicted to Amazon and buying EV-E-RY-THING through them, so needless to say, the box pile gets huge pretty quickly), and begins to pack little parts of the room away.

     He hasn't said anything about me NOT helping yet, I'm sure it's b/c he's super thrilled that I've been subbing like crazy the last two months. And while I have been enjoying subbing, and hope it continues, since I won't be able to sub like this next year, I do hope that every once in a while I get a couple days off so I can start really making some headway in that room.

     The responsibilities of being the Worship Leader at our church, and of just being a pastor's wife in general, means that many weekends and weeknights are full of practices, church events, visitation, etc. With Baby Girl coming at the end of June-ish, this means that I also am trying to fit in shopping days (in which I must drive to Bako b/c let's be real, this town ain't got much in the way of stores, ie: Target, Walmart, Michael's, etc), to get things for the shower and nursery, time to make any of the DIY projects I've decided I really want to do, the actual shower, I want to make an Ikea trip to get some little things for the nursery, repainting the crib, refinishing the dresser, and somehow I need to find time to clean up and haul everything currently in the room and find some place for it that does not exist, and then paint, and decorate Baby Girl's room... all in time for June. And ideally, it would be mostly done by the beginning of June b/c who knows when Baby Girl could come, and if she comes early for some reason, I def won't be spending a lot of time finishing her nursery.

     Holy cow, I don't think even I realized how much there really is to do to get everything ready for Baby Girl's arrival. Now that I am more aware, I better get on the ball here! I am not a really crafty person by any means, so I'm really excited to try to use this time to expand my own abilities and craftiness and make a little room for my girl that she will love. Not that she'll even know what's going on for a very long time, but hey, I gotta spend a lot of time in there, so I want to like it until she can appreciate it herself!

     The Husband and I have been given many items so far for Baby Girl, and we've purchased a couple as well. Check in later to see what we have so generously been given or lent when I post pictures of everything.

     On a lighter note:
     Here is an adorable nursery. I am doing gray and yellow as well, so I was really drawn to how this mom used the gray and yellow in her son's nursery. I really want to find that cover for the changing table pad, it's so cute! The pop of color from the one yellow wall really mixes things up! Enjoy!

Click here to see more of Baby Cragg's nursery.

Have a great week!
Much love, Meg

Week 25

     This week we have finally graduated from a Papaya to an Eggplant!
Each month I'll only progress one food item, instead of every week, which was fun while it lasted! The Bump says baby girl is 13.6-14.8 inches on average, and 1.5-2.2 lbs. I don't really see how I have a human that is over a foot long inside my belly right now... but I guess it's in there. The Bump says that baby girl is beginning to get a sense of equilibrium, and learning right side up from upside down.

Week 25

Some Things I've Noticed This Week:
     There hasn't really been many changes this past week.
My belly is continuing to grow, people are definitely starting to notice it now (a few of the little girls at school are coming up and rubbing my belly and talking to baby girl, it's really sweet). Baby girl is definitely kicking me! It's really neat, I am just having a hard time waiting for the moment when The Husband will be able to feel her moving too! I can't wait! I keep putting his hand on my belly hoping it will be the moment, and it never is. The Bump said that maybe that might happen around week 28, so only a few more to go.
      My nails are still driving me nuts! They break, bend and crack so easily it makes me want to pull my hair out! I haven't been experiencing any of the normal pregnancy symptoms still: my feel haven't begun swelling yet, which is fantastic! Still no sickness or cravings. And while I have gotten a few new little stretch marks, I haven't gotten the linea nigra, the dark line that runs down the belly... yet. I hope it stays that way, I have enough stretch marks as is.

My Baby Education:
     This week my Bradley Method books came in, we're still unsure if we are going to take the actual classes (we must decide soon b/c the class I found begins next Saturday, and it's only 4 wks long for 4 hrs each). I have been trying to cram my brain with as much information as possible this week so we can make a decision as quickly as possible. I think I would really like to take the class, however, it's difficult for The Husband as Saturdays are his big prep day for Sunday. I will say that reading what I have so far has made me feel somewhat more confident in terms of knowing what's going to happen come labor time. I will just have to be content knowing that I cannot possibly know everything, ie: how I will be able to tolerate the pain, until it actually happens.
     What, if any, classes did you take and did you find it worthwhile?

Progress:

Week 25

My Fridge Has Become Full of Moldy Money

     I had my check up with the doctor last week week. I gained 7 pounds. That's right.... 7 pounds. Gah! (I will say that I typically go to the doctor's mid-day before lunch, but this time I went right after a very delicious stomach stuffing meal at Panda Express. They had way too many good looking options to choose from this time, that I could not say no to a two-item combo. So shoot me.). Now, I know I'm pregnant and that you gain weight while pregnant, however, I think that maybe 7 pounds in one month is a bit much. I was reading the suggested weight gain on Kaiser's website this afternoon, and it listed 1 pound per month throughout the first trimester, and 1 pound per week throughout the last trimester. And of course, if you're already overweight, cough cough ME, then you could/should gain even less.

     I have decided that one of the reasons associated with this slightly larger than desired weight gain, is the result of having dinner earlier than normal. The past several weeks, I have been making dinner earlier than our typical 8ish time. Eating dinner at 8 every night means that the idea of ice cream or dessert at 9 sounds appalling as I'm heading off to bed. However, eating dinner at 6ish each night makes dessert seem quite enticing around 8-9pm. So, while I wasn't having a huge bowl of ice cream each night, I was eating it most nights, or some other tasty treat, and that can definitely lead to some weight gain.

     Not to mention that during the day the past few weeks, I've been giving in to chocolate and chips more often. The exact freakin items that the monthly pregnancy pamphlet tells you to avoid. This could be related to the fact that I was long-term subbing this past month, January, and felt like the candy and chips were my reward for dealing with irritating and disrespectful students all day long.

     Now, I must mention, I am not really freaking about this, I'm just perturbed by it. Therefore, while at the store today, I ended up grabbing mostly healthy items. I got a LOT of fruit and vegetables. Now, this would seem like a real accomplishment for me, however, I typically go to the store and get these items with the intention of consuming them and losing 50 billion pounds as a result. The only problem is, several weeks later, as I'm trying to make room in the refrigerator for all the new fruits and vegetables I bought at the store, I end up finding all the old fruits and vegetables wilted and moldy, hidden away in the very back.