Nursery and Pregnancy Update

Lucky number 22 was on Monday!  18 Weeks to go!  Here's my favorite picture from our 22 week photo session (aka Danny snapping a few photos for me). 

I've been gearing up for the weekend and getting excited that my mom is coming to paint the nursery for me.  I went to Lowe's last weekend and picked out paint.  We've decided on a two tone color with chair molding in between.  We will be doing pink on the top and chocolate on the bottom with white chair molding.  I hope it turns out nice!  I also received Marissa's bedding set in the mail last weekend (see below).  It's so cute!  It's simple, but I love the colors and can't wait to see it all together with the crib.  My mother in law ordered the crib for us last week and it should arrive in about a week or two.  We're still in the beginning stages of the nursery but I think after this weekend we will be well on our way to the perfect room for our little girl! 

I've also been working on some craft projects for Marissa's room.  Remember that "M" from my last post?  Well, here's the finished product!  However, it won't be 100% finished until it is on the wall, behind the crib in the nursery and we have little Marissa here with us.  :)

I decided to make a lamp shade in coordinating fabric with the letters.  I L-O-V-E the outcome!  So stinkin' cute!  Have I mentioned that mod-podge is my new favorite craft supply (thanks, Kristin)?  I've already used half a bottle!

DIY Nursery Decor - Sneak Peek!!

Here's my first DIY project for the nursery.  It's been a bit time consuming but I think the end result will make it all worth while!  I'm really excited to see the final product. More pictures to come soon!

We also picked out the name for our little girl.  Her name is going to be:

Marissa Iris

Danny and I love the name.  Danny actually picked out Marissa and I picked Iris.  I love that you don't hear either name that often.  It's unique but not too out there.  We've had a few people kind of give us that look like "really, you're naming your kid that?"  It's kind of annoying all the (unwanted) opinions people feel they need to throw at you when you are pregnant.  I don't like people telling me how I'm going to feel when my child gets here, or what I will or will not do as a parent.  You don't know what I'm going to do and pushing your beliefs and views on me is very rude and frustrating.  Just smile and nod, right!?  I just wish people would be supportive!  I am grateful for those few people that have been supportive on my parenting decisions and have respected that this is my child and I need to learn and explore parenthood with my husband as a family. 

I'm 21 weeks along today, 19 to go.  Over the weekend a friend of ours gave us a ton of baby girl goodies!  We got a walker, a swing, a vibrating chair, a few toys, a large bag of clothes, a crib and a dresser.  We decided that we would let Danny's parents keep the crib and dresser at their house.  We have a nursery set that we want to purchase.  It was very, very generous of our friend to give us this stuff though.  It will all be put to good use and I can't wait to see Marissa in the adorable little outfits!

Well, it's getting late and my bed is calling my name.  If only my hubby was here to snuggle. :-(

Half Baked

Yesterday was the big day!  Danny and I had our 20 week ultrasound.  We got good news that the baby is growing and progressing on track, the baby looks healthy and we will continue to pray for our little one to grow healthy and strong.

We also found out that we are having a baby G-I-R-L!!!  I guess me wearing pink in all of my belly pictures really did have an underlying meaning.  Danny and I are both so excited.  I think Danny is a little nervous about having a little girl.  I think he is already scheming in the back of his mind how to chase boys off.  He's so funny.  I know time will fly, but lets at least let the little one make her appearance before Daddy goes running off every boy in town. 

It was amazing getting to see our little angel move around on the ultrasound.  She wasn't very active and the sonographer actually had no trouble getting any of the measurements.  We did get to see her moving her lips and sticking out her tongue.  It was so adorable!  Danny says she has a button nose.  I know she is our child and that we have to think she is the cutest thing ever, but really, she looks so darn cute on the sonogram.  I can't wait to meet that sweet face in August!  Perfection is only in the eye of the beholder.

After our appointment with the sonographer we met with the Doctor to discuss the results.  He said everything looked great, the only problem is I have a low-lying placenta.  Right now there is no need to worry, they have scheduled another sonogram for 28 weeks to check and see if it has gone up at all (the good part is I get another ultrasound, the 20 week one was supposed to be my last!).  I am hoping that my placenta begins to rise so that we can continue on with our natural birth plan.  If it hasn't, I guess we will deal with that when the time comes.

I'm really excited to start the nursery.  I plan to go shopping this weekend to start registering and to get ideas of what we like.  I hope that we can get the nursery furniture soon.  My mom and a few friends have offered to help paint the nursery when the time comes.  The good thing is that it is a small room.  I just want to have everything ready before she makes her arrival.  Daddy says his whole house is going to be pink!  :)  I can't promise that it won't be filled with barbies, dolls and dresses, but I can promise that the first time she bats her eye lashes at Daddy, his heart will melt.  I can just feel it, she's going to be a daddy's girl!

We have a few names that are in the running, we're about 99% sure which one we are going to pick.  We want to keep it a secret until we have it firmly in place though, just so we can avoid everyone's opinions and likes/dislikes.  I really like the name we have picked out though, I think it's really pretty.

Here's a few pictures of our little girl: 

~*7 Days*~

This week I am 19 weeks along!  We have 7 days left until we find out what we are having.  I can't believe I'm almost half way through my pregnancy.  I have a feeling the second half of my pregnancy is going to be a lot different than the first half.  I'm so excited to start feeling the baby more, to pick out a name, nursery colors and start buying baby stuff.  I can't wait to know what we are having!  I just hope the baby cooperates next week or we will be in big trouble!

I'm getting really excited for this weekend!  It's Easter and my family is coming to visit us.  I haven't seen my dad or my brother since January so it will be really nice to see them.  We plan on grilling out since it is supposed to be in the 80's all weekend.  Danny might bring out the smoker and do a few things up too.   I don't have much going on this week except getting ready for everyone to show up on Friday.  Danny will be coming home from New York so I'll have to get everything ready by myself.  Hopefully I get some energy because right now I am feeling super lazy.  It's only 6:30 and I'm ready for bed. :)

Well, here I am at 19 weeks.  It has to be a close up because Danny is in New York.  I don't even want to know how big I'm going to get!

I really need to take a picture in something other than pink!  Everyone thinks that I want a girl because I wear so much pink.  I just put my Jammie Jams on as soon as I get home from work and I always grab for the pink ones first.  I'll try to take a picture with blue next week, but by then we will *hopefully* know what we are having so it really won't matter.  ...til next time!

*18 Weeks*

I am 18 weeks and 1 day today, which means only 13 (yes, THIRTEEN!!!) days until we find out boy or girl!  Wow, time is flying!  I only have 22 weeks left!

I've been feeling the baby more and more these past few days.  I mostly feel him/her when sitting at my desk at work or sitting on the couch.  They have been getting more and more noticeable, but the baby is still really, really low.  It brings a smile to my face each time I feel the baby move, so if you see me randomly smiling off into space, you know why.

Danny and I had a great weekend, but it was too short as always.  Friday we went to a friend's house for a cook-out, Eli ran off, we chased him, played some games, hung out then went home to hit the hay.  I was exhausted!  Saturday was a busy day as well.  We went to town to pick up a few things, got the patio furniture out of the shed (can I say Hello Spring!) and then my good friend Cierra and her boyfriend came to visit.  We hung out, caught up on my growing belly and other things in our lives and then we had a cook-out.  Later that night I had the girls over to watch New Moon, eat candy, popcorn and relax in our "Jammie Jams."  The guys played beer pong in the basement and kept the dogs entertained.  Then on Sunday we said fairwell to Cierra and Stephen after a big breakfast and I started preparing for Danny's parents to come over for dinner.  Danny smoked a boston butt on the smoker that was delicious!  We ate outside on the deck and then came inside for coffee and oreo pie - YuM! 

Like I said, it was a busy, busy weekend and come Monday morning I felt like I hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep.  As much as I enjoy entertaining and visiting with friends and family, it's definitely harder on me than my pre-pregnancy days.  I still got it, but it's a lot harder to bounce back after a busy weekend.  I'm hoping that this upcoming weekend will be low key and relaxing.  Other than a baby shower I have to attend for my friend Mickey, I have no other plans and I intend to keep it that way!

Boy/Girl Poll Update

Okay, I've been getting a few more guesses in on the sex of the baby.  Here they are:

Cierra S.- EDD August 6th - Boy
Ardra J. - EDD August 15th - Girl
My Brother - EDD August 17th - Girl but hoping for a boy
Liz C. - EDD August 18th - Girl
My Hubby - EDD August 21st - Boy
My Dad - EDD August 22nd - Undecided boy or girl
Kristin P. - EDD August 25th - Girl
My FIL - Girl
My SIL - Girl
My MIL - Girl
My BIL - Boy
Linda M. - Girl
Jen M. - Boy
Amy A. - Boy
Cathy T. - Boy
Tina I. - Girl
Matt R. - Boy
Dorsey F. - Boy
Jared E. - Boy
My Boss - A Leprechaun (I surely hope he is wrong, I guess that was his St. Patty's Day joke!)
My Mom - No EDD - Just wants him or her to be healthy!
 
Boys are ahead by just a few!
 
To spice things up a little, Danny and I are going to write our name and our guess on a piece of paper right before the ultrasound and not tell each other what we think.  Then we'll stick them in an envelope, and *if* the ultrasound tech or Dr. will play along, we are going to have them open the envelope and announce who is right!  The suspense is literally making me jump out of my seat!  This is going to be soooo much fun! :)
 

**18 Days until we find out**

 

Note: I will not be using one of these.

4 Months Down

I had my 17 week 1 day check up today.  Today also marked my 4th month of pregnancy!  The heart beat was 147 beats per minute.  I was so nervous sitting in the waiting room to be called, I heard women talking about miscarriages and all of these horror stories that got me a little worked up.  After waiting for an hour after my scheduled appointment, they finally called me back.  The nurse came in and put the doppler on my stomach and I got to hear that sweet sound again.  There was a quick "swish" sound and she started laughing and said, well, "you've got a mover!"  Apparently the baby doesn't like the doppler because he or she was running from it.  I guess these little flutters I've been feeling this past week or two have in fact been the baby.  :)  What a relief!

We are scheduled for our big ultrasound on April 5th at 2:00.  I have to drink 32 oz. of water an hour before the appointment.  That's going to be a loooooooong hour to hold in all that water.  I swear I feel like I pee every 5 minutes some days.  I hope they don't make me wait an additional hour to call me back next time or they might have a mess on their hands.  I really can't wait to find out what we are having.  So much I'll finally get to do!  Pick out furniture, start the nursery, register for items and start buying cute boy or girl things!  Whoo~hoo!!

Danny is in NY again this week (what's new?).  Tomorrow I'm going to this Wee-Cycled Consignment sale in hopes to find some maternity clothes and a few gender neutral baby items.

This weekend I'm having a girls night!  I'm inviting a few friends over to watch "New Moon" and eat popcorn, candy, have a few drinks (okay, I will stick to milk) and of course you can't forget your most comfy pj's!  I haven't had a pajama party in YEARS!!  Cheesy, I know...but I'm really excited for this and my perception of "fun" is a little skewed these days. 

So much is changing in my life and I couldn't be happier!  I'm finding that some things that used to be really important to me, I could care less about now.  I feel like I'm just on a different page than before (well, DUH!) but it's just different, maybe it's because I'm pregnant but I can't explain it.  It's weird.  I guess all of these hormones are changing me and I feel like I'm really starting to grow up and look at things in a different light.  I thought pregnancy would keep me from doing things that I love to do, but I'm finding more and more that the things that I love are rapidly changing and I in fact love being pregnant.  I'm still me, I still like hanging out with friends, cooking, spending time with my husband, going to different outings, but something is just different.  I'm falling more and more in love with this little being growing inside of me each day and there's times where my entire thought process revolves around our baby.  I know so many people look back on their life and say they should have waited to have children.  I don't feel that way though, at least not now and I hope not ever.  It's going to be a lot of sacrifices and I think I'm ready to accept that, I'm ready for this journey, even though caring for a baby is scary and unknown, I'm ready.  I guess time will tell how things work out...

As Kenny Chesney once said..."I've done some livin', yeah, I've had fun."  I think this is what livin' is about.  :-D