freezer meals

When I was pregnant with Trent I did everything I could think to prepare myself and the house for the arrival of a new baby.  I did what people recommended, I did what the books said, I did what I thought I was supposed to.  One of the things I intended to do but didn't get around to was making freezer meals.  Fortunately, my mother-in-law read my mind and hooked us up.  One random day she gave us a good dozen containers filled with different foods.  After we had the baby other people surprised us with dinners as well (Kevin's coworkers, neighbors, etc).  Whenever my mom visited during the day she would bring us lunch.  We loved it.  We ate the meals we both liked for dinners together, and the meals I didn't like got sent to work with Kevin for lunch.  By the end of it we were sick of lasagna (I think we had 5 lasagnas given to us) but I wouldn't have had it any other way!  It was so nice to not have to worry about cooking every night and not having to settle on take-out or drive-thrus.   

At Christmas time this year I earned a free turkey from the grocery store.  I finally thawed that sucker and cooked it a couple weekends ago.  We had a turkey dinner that night, then the next night I went ahead and made a couple meals specifically for the freezer for post-labor.  I made Shredded BBQ Turkey, and Turkey Pot Pie using this recipe (substituting turkey for chicken and turkey gravy for chicken gravy.  It's fantastic!).  I intended to make turkey enchiladas as well but I didn't have enough soft shells.  Instead, I shredded up the rest of the turkey and froze it as-is.  Already in the freezer (from weeks before) we have some "eh" chicken & dumplings and some shepard's pie.  More recently I was able to add some lasagna and some stuffed peppers filling.  I had originally planned to make a few more meals, but I doubt I will get around to it at this point - and that's ok.  I'm happy with the stash I was able to make.

EDIT:  I was able to add meatloaf last night :-)

hard questions to answer

anonymous asks: Are you in total nesting mode at all? Do you seem to have gotten everything done that you need to before the new baby arrives? Do you think you were more or less prepared for this baby than you were w Trent?

-nesting?  I think I've been nesting off and on for a while.  I go through phases where I NEED to get *this* clean, or get *that* done, or *buy buy buy* - but it comes and goes in waves.

-ready?  No.  There are a few things I really hope to do before the baby arrives.  Small stuff.  For example, I need to return some stuff to a store, I need to get the rocking chair from my parents house, I want to clean the inside of my car, I want to make a few more freezer meals, etc.  When it comes to the more important things, we're ready.  The baby has a place to sleep, we have the basic necessities, my hospital bag is 95% packed. 

-more prepared? Tough call.  We are mentally more prepared for this baby since we've already been through the newborn phase once before.  We know what constant feedings feels like, what sleep deprivation does to us, and just how "boring" a newborn can be.  On the flip side, we are less prepared mentally because we have no idea what to expect life to be like with a newborn and a toddler.  When it comes to materialistic things we are probably equally, but also less, prepared.  We had everything we needed for Trent before he was born thanks to all my amazing relatives and friends, and we plan to reuse most of it for this baby.  However, If you look at the two nurseries you will see how much more empty BBJ's room is than Trent's was.  Fewer trinkets, toys, stuffed animals, pictures, furniture, etc.  In time (and probably in no time at all) that will all change.

The most important thing is that Kevin and I (and hopefully I'm not putting words in his mouth) aren't stressing out or working frantically to prepare for this second baby.  We starting getting ready for this baby early enough that now we can kinda sit back and relax.  For the most part we feel like he or she will be able to come home to a house that is ready for him/her.  Physically and emotionally (meaning we are ready to spread the love). 

Of course we have our "what were we thinking" moments...but that's to be expected, I think.



Which brings me to my next point.  My house has not been clean since my baby shower 1.5 years ago and I don't plan to really clean it again anytime soon (unless nesting takes over me).  If you come to my house, do not expect it to be clean.  I can promise you streaks and dirt on the windows, dust bunnies in plain view, dog hair everywhere, food crumbs on every surface, pee stains all around the toilet, dirty dishes stacked high in the kitchen, dining room & living room, and a poopy smell coming from the bathroom (thanks to cloth diapers), the laundry room (thanks to cloth diapers) and 2 or more butts.  If you can not handle these things, please do not visit.

Oh, and toys being all. over. the. place is a given, so watch your step.

As for MY appearance post-baby......yeah.....you have all seen the shoes I wear out in public.  You can only imagine what I wear in the privacy of my own home.

I love my family, that's all that matters.

(and I love you too....just not enough to clean for you)

Nesting or just Barbie?

I've pretty much always been a planner. I like to start things well in advance, I like to plan ahead, I like to make lists, I like to be organized (which totally goes against wanting to be surprised with the sex of my children, hmmm). My desire to be prepared is in full force right now. Perhaps its just me being me, or perhaps its me nesting. Who knows. All I know is that I want to get stuff done!!


Here are a few random updates:

• We started painting the nursery right before leaving for California! We should be done in the next week or two, then I will post pictures!
• We bought the new baby's take-home outfit on Sunday. Kevin and I made a special trip to the store just for this purpose. It's a cute little set (sleeper with matching hat and bib) that is primarily green and white with little zoo animals on it.
• On Monday I contacted the appropriate people to get the short term disability paperwork I need. I have to give one section of the paperwork to my Dr. to fill out, one portion to my employer, and I have to complete the third portion myself.
• On Monday I also talked to big boss about maternity leave. As of right now I am planning to take three months off work following the birth of the baby. They gave me 2 weeks pay when I went on maternity leave with Trent but they can not afford to do that again this time, which stinks.
• On Sunday I started packing my hospital bag. There's not much in there, just a few items along with a list of things I would like to pack as the due date approaches.
• There's been poor communication between myself and the cord blood company I am working with. Days after I submitted my paperwork they contacted me with questions they had. Unfortunately, I was away from my phone and when I called them back, they were closed. I left a message with them with my name and number but they never called me back. This was months ago. Fast forward to yesterday, I contacted the company once again and we are working on moving forward. Donating our cord blood is important to us, so we really hope it all works out.

birth plan

I need help from other moms out there. Did you make a written birth plan? If so, did you feel that your Dr. respected and followed it?

An Assortment

Yesterday i received an assortment of questions from an anonymous reader. I'll go ahead and answer them all in one post.

Anonymous asks:

1. Do you have any strong feelings yet on what you are having?
2. Did you have a strong feeling with Trent?
3. Any name ideas you are caring to share?
4. How will you decorate the nursery for baby #2?
5. What is most fun about Trent's age right now?

Answers:

1. Girl. For the first 20 weeks I had strong feelings that I was definitely having a girl, mostly because this pregnancy has been quite different from my first pregnancy. I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything, but whatever. My gut said girl. More recently (the last 4 ish weeks) I haven't had strong feelings either way. Possibly because in my head I've already convinced myself that it's a girl?? I'm not sure.
   
2. I remember specifically NOT having strong feelings either way. Kevin, however, thought he was going to be a girl.
   
3. none that I care to share, no ;-)
   
4. To see the nursery furniture, click here. We already have the crib, and my parents got the changing table for us. We hope to eventually get the bureau. We haven't decided yet if we're going to do a "theme" in this nursery. We may just go with some simple gender neutral sheets and bedskirt and call it a day. I do, however, plan to do a special design on one of the walls again, but it won't be an animal print this time (to see pictures of Trent's giraffe-themed room, click here), or anything related to a specific character - it's just a design of sorts. We already know what the design will be, but it's going to remain a secret until it's almost done, at which point I will post pictures immediately. Sorry, once again, for being so secretive. Other (smaller) things I would like to do in the nursery if we have the time and money include: replace the closet doors, replace the bedroom door, new window treatment(s), name letters (once born), added shelving, replace ceiling fan (shhh, don't tell Kevin I said that), and possibly re-do some, or all, of the closet shelving.
   
5. Trent is SOOOO much fun right now!!!!!!!!!!! I love spending every second I can with him!!!!! He's extremely mobile (though still not walking) and very curious. He is turning into such a big kid right before my eyes. It's amazing! He can eat almost anything now, and he loves most foods, so mealtime is always fun. He's not nearly as fragile as he once was, which opens up a whole new world to us....you should see how him and Kevin wrestle around. He loves bath time. He loves being able to sit down and go from toy to toy. He crawls over to us and just lays down when he's tired or needs a break. He's all about "sharing" right now, which is the cutest thing! HE GIVES KISSES!!!!!!! My heart melts every time. This whole "being a mother" thing is just the most rewarding and amazing experience. I can't pinpoint one thing that is "the most fun" about his current age but if I had to generalize it, I'd say the most fun part is watching him mature from an infant into a more independent and mobile toddler.
   
   It's weird. When Trent turned one I really didn't have an emotional break-down (possibly a bad way to describe it) of any kind. I didn't cry over the fact that my baby wasn't a baby anymore. I didn't try to make time stand still. I wasn't freaked out at all. Of course there was part of me that couldn't believe a year had already passed, but I was very glad to have a healthy and happy one year old and I was/am anxious to see what the future would bring.
   
   I guess it's a delayed reaction, but NOW I find myself wishing Trent would stay exactly the way he is for a while longer. I don't want him to grow up just yet. I don't want him to get bigger. I don't want him to walk and talk. Walking and talking means he's a big kid. I want my lovable little Trent to stay forever as precious as he is RIGHT NOW!

Registry for #2?

Alicia Asks: Do you plan to do any sort of registry for this baby? At all? I know you said you weren't expecting gifts at all, but I'm sure there are people who will get you something anyway, plus they're always a nice way of keeping track of things you need to pick up for yourself.


Answer: Nah. There are so few things we actually need for #2 - there's just no point.


The only things we need prior to the baby's arrival are:
1. a crib
2. monitor
3. carrier
4. diapers

Kevin and I already bought a crib for the new baby. We already have 2 sets of monitors, so we're all set there. I asked for a carrier for Christmas, so hopefully I'll get that.

The other things that we need, but don't necessarily need until after the baby is born are:
1. clothes
2. new diaper bag
3. double stroller

I'm still not 100% sure which diaper bag I want. I don't want to get a double stroller until after the baby is here. And I can't register for clothes since we don't know what we're having.

As you can see, if we were to register, the only things on our registry would be diapers.

All of the bigger items we own (swing, bouncy seat, car seat, etc etc etc) are all gender neutral so it wont matter if #2 is a boy or girl, he/she will use what Trent used.

The smaller items (burp clothes, receiving blankets, bibs) are also gender neutral, and still in great condition, so we're set!

We even have tons of newborn, 0-3, and 3-6 month gender neutral onesies!

This is all thanks to our amazing family and friends who really hooked us up at our baby shower and have continued to support us in every way!

with only 4 months left....

Anonymous Asks: what are your plans as far as child care with baby #2? do you plan to continue to work full time and put both children in daycare or will you decide to stay home or will you work part time? if you plan to continue to work full time, will the new baby go to the same child care as Trent? also, while you are on maternity leave will you continue to take your son to day care or have him stay home with you and the new baby? also, what ways are you preparing Trent for the new baby? do you think he understands the "baby brother" "baby sister" concept?

Answer: As of right now:

~ I will continue to work full time and have both kids in daycare.

~ Baby #2 will go to the same daycare as Trent.

~ I'm not 100% sure what we're going to do with Trent when I am on maternity leave. On one hand, if we send him to daycare everyday that will give me a great opportunity to bond with the new baby and focus 100% on the baby. Not to mention daycare may not hold his spot if I pull him out for 3-ish months. That is something I have yet to talk to his daycare provider about. On the other hand, if Trent stays home with the baby and I, it will give Trent time to really adjust and bond with the baby. It will also save us a ton of money. On yet another hand, keeping Trent home for 3 months then sending him back to daycare may be a hard adjustment on Trent (from both standpoints: pulling him out. sending him back). And on a 4th hand, will I actually wake up each and every morning and actually drive my son to daycare when I have a 1, 2, 3+ week old in tow?

~ So far we have done very very little to prepare Trent for the new baby. Occasionally I will say "baby" when he's looking at my tummy with that "time ease up on the donuts mom" look on his face. From the beginning we've been trying to teach Trent was "gentle" means when it comes to our dog, and I think that might help for when the baby arrives. When I was putting together the new crib and Trent was in the room with me, I was telling him how this crib was for his future sibling, etc. But really, I don't think he understands what any of it means. Some parents will use a babydoll as a training tool before they have a newborn, but I just think he's too young right now - maybe I am underestimating Trent all together. If anyone (Chrissy) has any advice on this subject, please let me know.

BBJ's new crib

Since a crib is a bit of a necessity we figured now is as good a time as any, so I just ordered it. It's a convertible crib, which means it acts as a crib right now, but when we're ready it will be a toddler bed, a day bed, and eventually a full sized bed. Below is a picture of the crib decorated with girl bedding and a picture of it with boy bedding. Following those are pictures of the different converted arrangements. There is a very nice bureau and an awesome changing table/night stand that goes with this set, but we're going to wait a little while to purchase those pieces. I'm really hoping I like the stain (espresso) when I see it in person (i ordered this thru JCPenney.com without seeing it beforehand) - but I was able to get free shipping, so I guess it's no biggie if we don't like it.

I'm thinking that since the stain is so dark we'll probably go with a lighter color for the walls, hmmm

nursery #2

Michelle asks: Do you have any ideas for your new nursery? Are you buying all new furniture?

Answer: Yes, we plan to buy all new furniture for Baby #2. Trent's crib is "convertible", so it will stay with him until he moves out of our house. We plan to buy a convertable crib for #2 as well. I found a crib with matching beaurea and changing table (the changing table converts into a night stand for when the kid is older) that I really like. Of course it's the most expensive stuff out there - but it's often on sale, so that helps.

Here are scattered details about the future nursery. We don't know much yet. We DO know that BBJ will be getting it's own room. Trent is going to stay in his current room with all his giraffe decor, and BBJ will go in the spare bedroom and get a whole new room just for him/her. Bedding: I found one neutral theme we like at BRU, but I'm not in a huge rush to make a final decision just yet. I need to look around some more, and we need to decide for sure if we're going to find out the gender or not. I decided that I'm not going to buy a classic bedding set this time around - I'm just going to buy a bed skirt and some sheets, then create a theme for the room some other way (wall hangings, etc). Paint color: The set I mentioned has a nice burnt orange color in it, so I thought it would be cute to paint the walls burnt orange, but that would totally clash with our orange duck bathroom across the hall. We already agreed we will not paint the walls green since we already have a couple green rooms. The furniture set I mentioned above is a nice dark wood finish.

so basically the nursery is totally up in the air right now. We've been doing work in our living/dining room lately, so once that's finished our focus will turn towards the nursery and I'll have more updates.

our name list

someone asked if we have any names picked out yet - and if we are considering any of the names we considered the first time around.



well, we really like what George Foreman did so we might go with Trent if it's a boy and Trentalina or Trentabell for a girl.

to recommend or not to recommend

Alicia Asks: You hear all the time that all babies like different things. Some parents never use some items that other parents seem to swear by. Likewise child #1 may hate something that child #2 (in the same family) loved. What are some things you had gotten great reviews on that you personally found you never used or were a waste of money? What are some things that you swore by? What is something you hadn’t heard anything about, got anyway and wish you had/hadn’t gotten? I have been planning on posting something similar myself and would love to see what others have to say.

Answer: This is exactly why I'm almost always hesitant to recommend anything to anyone (baby related or not). Everyone is so different.

• Most people we talked to said changing tables were a waste of money and space. They all said we'd use it for the first couple weeks, at most, then start changing the baby on the floor, bed, wherever. Eight months later we still use it regularly. Granted, we don't use it EVERY time we need to change his diaper - but we use it every time we're upstairs and need to change his diaper (which on weekdays is more times than not).
  


• One item I always heard mixed reviews about was Wipe Warmers. Some say they are a godsent, others say they dry out the wipes and are a waste. I chose not to get one. Sometimes, on those cold winter days, I felt terrible wiping Trent's hiney with a cold wet wipe - but not enough to run out and buy a warmer. I doubt I'll get one in the future.
  


• Monitors. Everyone uses monitors, right? Well, we registered for, and received, two sets of monitors. One was a video monitor (we have the camera set up to look into his crib. the actual monitor/screen can be put anywhere you'd like) and a traditional set w/ 2 receivers. Well, I can honestly say we used the video monitor only a handful of times, and we used the traditional set for 1 week (the week we went on vacation). Though they don't get much use, they were extremely useful those times we DID use them. Also, I have a feeling the video monitor will get more use as Trent gets older. I will be able to check on him during naptime without worrying if i will wake him up by opening the creaky door or stepping on the loose floorboards.
  


• As I've mentioned before, I frequent thebump.com - a baby-related website that has
  chatboards, etc. I got (and still get) a lot of advice from those boards over the last year and a half....including "must register for" items and "don't waste your money" items. One of the BIG waste-of-money items for breastfeeding mothers is Bottle Warmers. When it comes time to give your baby a bottle of pumped milk, they tell you to hold the bottle under running warm water until the milk is the desired temperature. Quick, easy & "free". Well, I went ahead and registered for a bottle warmer anyway. Turns out, Trent does not like cold, cool, or luke-warm milk - he likes WARM milk. Maybe we brought this on ourselves by using the bottle warmer from the beginning, but we'll never know for sure. Linda (daycare provider) uses the old running water trick and she says it takes approximately 8 minutes to get the bottle to the temperature Trent likes. The bottle warmer takes, oh, i don't know, 1-2 minutes. I'm very glad I went against the mob and registered for/got a bottle warmer. Of course Trent rarely gets a bottle from Kevin or myself these days, but it comes in handy for the babysitters; and it came in handy when Trent was younger.
  


• Infant carrier. There are a zillion different style infant carriers out there. How is anyone supposed to know which one is right for them? Well, I just picked a style that I thought would work for me. Turned out to be a carried I really liked using. Problem is, it killed my back. I know I sound like a whiny little baby, but it is what it is. I WISH I could have used it more often and for longer periods of time, but it killed. (clarification: the carrier did not make my back hurt. my back started hurting when I was pregnant and just hasn't stopped hurting).
  


• A bit of advice to pregnant women everywhere - and women who might get pregnant...ever. Please, when you go to register for things like strollers and carseats PLEASE go to the store and play with the items first. Wheel them around, close them up, play with the features, make sure they fit in your trunk, etc. DO NOT chose a stroller based sole on "oh its pretty!!". I made that mistake myself!!!! Let me just tell you - Trent and I were out shopping one day and everything was going fine. When we were done, i put Trent and the bags in my car, then went to fold up the stroller and put it in my trunk. I couldn't get the piece of crap to collapse. No exaggeration, I was out there in the parking lot for over 5 minutes looking like a complete idiot!! Eventually I took a little break (in order to NOT turn into a psycho mother who's cursing at, and throwing, a stroller). During my breather I called Kevin and asked him not to be mad at me when we had to buy a new stroller because I left our orange one in the parking lot. That's right folks, I was *this close* to rolling the stroller right over to the cart-corral and giving it one last kick goodbye. Luckily for me (or was it?), right after I got off the phone the stroller decided it was done making a fool of me and it folded up nice and perfect. The Post Partum Gods think they are funny don't they?!
  


• The carseat inspection officer (not really an officer, I just want to make him sound official) frowned upon the rearview baby mirror we have - but i LOVE it. I understand that looking at your baby through the rearview mirror while driving can be extremely dangerous, but it's nice to have when at a stop light or what have you. I was unable to use it for a week when we went to OBX (it didn't cooperate with the vehicle we were using) and I really missed having it.
  


• Many people said Nursing Wraps were a waste of money. "Just throw a towel over your shoulder" they said. Well, I tried that at first and it was very awkward!! Eventually I bought myself this handy dandy hooter hider. I love it!
  


• Another item I loved were those swaddle blankets. In the beginning we struggled to keep Trent bundled into receiving blankets throughout the night, but those swaddle blankets were perfect. They kept him snug as a bug all night long. I have, and will continue to, recommend these to people.
  


• something I would like to have is a laundry sink. We priced them out several months ago to find out how cheap they are, and we measured our laundry room (plenty of space), but I've just been too cheap frugal to give Kevin the green light. I bring up this ordinary household item in my baby-related post because last night I had to hand scrub a very poopy onesie in my bathroom sink. I was not thrilled with the idea of A. using my bathroom sink (but i certainly wasn't going to use the kitchen sink) and B. using my hands. If we get a laundry sink I would get a faucet that has a hose attachment, allowing me to blast away the poop. If you're wondering why I didn't just go outside and use the outdoor hose......its because I didn't think of that, ok?!
  


• Here's a small penny saving tip I follow: When I was pregnant Megan taught me to buy 1 travel container of baby wipes for my diaper bag. Once all those wipes are gone, don't buy a new portable pack - no no - just jam more wipes in there. I snicker every time I stuff more wipes into my worn-out pack - like I'm sticking it to the money sucking pampers corporation (even though the wipes I'm stuffing are still pampers. They get the last laugh). Hey, I said it was a SMALL savings
  


• In doing research on breast pumps I came to the conclusion that the Medela Pump In Style was the pump for me. Anyone I spoke to who had it recommended it. At my shower I was given a different pump, and pump I just would not settle for. I went out and bought myself the $279 pump I had already picked out. Of course I used coupons and got it down to $168. Of course I was worried at first that I wouldn't like the non-returnable machine, or that I wouldn't get my money out of it - but it's safe to say, at this point, the pump has paid for itself tenfold and I do not regret the purchase at all. This is an item I would recommend to any working mother who plans to pump. (Fortunately, I haven't had any problems with the pump yet, but I was told they have wonderful customer service, which is an added bonus)
  
  
• My glider was an item I didn't jump right in to. Literally. When I was in the hospital first learning how to get Trent to latch on properly I was always sitting up in the bed with pillows propped around us. When I first got home I did much of the same. I would sit up on the couch or bed and prop pillows around me. It took me a few weeks to even sit in my brand new glider. The first few times I used the glider I didn't even like it. I felt like the baby was too high up when sitting on the boppy pillow. After just a couple days it was like a light switched was turned on. All of a sudden I was addicted to my glider. I didn't want to nurse him anyplace else. It was just so comfortable. We kept the glider in the living room while I was on maternity leave for convenience sake. When I returned to work we put the glider in the nursery. To this day I use the glider at least once a day....and it's not uncommon to see Kevin rocking Trent in the glider too. I often wonder if I should buy a second glider when it's time to decorate a second nursery - or if I should just move Trent's glider into the new room. I guess it will depend how often Trent uses his glider when that time comes.
  

growing family

Anonymous asks: Was it hard for you to transition from being just you and your husband, to a family of 3?

Answer: A little hard. Late in my pregnancy we would talk about how life would never be the same again, and it was very bitter sweet for both of us. We wouldn't be able to come and go as we please. We wouldn't be able to afford the trips we used to take. We knew we'd probably lose some friends. But at the same time we knew we were ready. We were anxious for one chapter to end and the next one to begin. We were ready for the adventures of the unknown!! So, to celebrate the end of our life as *DINK's*, towards the end of my pregnancy we went to the movie theater a whole lot and we did a couple really nice "last adult dinner alone" dates.

After actually having Trent things were hectic at first, of course. We didn't always agree on how things should be done, and lack of sleep put us both on edge, but we talked it through and eventually we just fell into a routine that really worked for us. Now, life is great. We occasionally have our "date nights". We each get our one-on-one-with-Trent time. And every night after Trent goes to bed we get some very special quiet time together!

It helps that Trent has always been an amazing baby!!!!

I hope this answered your question.

*DINK = Double Income No Kids

baby names

Anonymous asked: Was Trent planned and what other names were are your name list for a girl or boy baby?


Answer: Trent was not planned. We actually had plans to possibly start trying to conceive in May/June. Trent was a little ahead of the game; he was conceived in February.


We went back and forth with names for a while. We actually didn't name Trent until after he was born. We pretty much it narrowed down to either Trent Mason or Tyler Mason for a boy. (We might use Tyler is we ever have another boy). As for girls names - we found it very difficult to choose one. We both agree(d) that Kaitlyn is an absolutely beautiful name, but since its so common right now I was steering away from it. There were a couple other girls names we were "eh" about, but i honestly don't remember them.

birthday party planning

work is slow today so i decided to start thiniknig about Trent's first birthday party. He's just over 7 months old right now so I have about 4 months until the invitiations need to be mailed (which means I have 3 months until I need to order the invitations myself). In case you didn't know - im a planner! Im the girl who starts packing for a trip a month before she departs. Im the girl who starts brainstorming halloween costume ideas a year in advance. You get the picture.....



There's so much to think about when planning a first bday

• where. Trent is too young to enjoy/appreciate a birthday party at a fun center (or the like)....but his guests might not be. Since his birthday is in November I won't be able to plan for outdoor activities. He is familiar with, and comfortable in, his own home. Having a party outside the home = less cleaning (before and after).


• who. I wouldn't want to offend anyone by keeping the party small. But 63 guests seems a bit excessive for a 1st birthday.


• food.


• theme. Im finding some cute ones online.


• when.

I don't know all the answers just yet but I look forward to figuring it all out. I think once I decide on one piece of the puzzle the rest will fall into place ;-)

car seat inspection

I went last night to our local DMV to get my car seat & base inspected. Honestly I thought it would be a waste of time for the most part. GOOD THING I WENT!!! Not only did Kevin and I install the base completely wrong, but I learned so much while I was there. First the inspector took me to his office where he showed me the proper way to load a baby into a carseat. We talked about when to adjust the carseat, where to add padding if need be, when to switch carseats, etc. Next we went to my car. He basically undid everything we did and re-installed the base the proper, and safe, way. He then made sure i understood what he did and went on to give me more information regarding how my specific carseat works. This might all sound like common sense to you but I have NEVER had to deal with a carseat before so I was pretty much clueless. I am so glad I went and would recommend him to anyone looking to get their car seat inspected. It was completely free but you do have to make an appt. I think Wedn is the only day he does evening inspections. His name is Larry Kelly and he's located at the Wilmington DMV (the one on 13). 302-434-3234 call and leave a message. He'll get back to you asap.

Full Moon

There have been studies that show a connection between the lunar cycle and the times when babies are born. I myself have heard Labor & Delivery nurses say, "the full moon last night would explain why we were so busy in here". Well, tonight is a going to be a full moon. Now I know i still have 3.5 weeks until my due date, and honestly I would rather deliver much closer to my due date, but there's a tiny part of me that cant help but wonder if the full moon will effect me at all. Stranger things have happened. One thing's for sure, i will be taking a very long moonlight walk on November 13th if I havent delivered by then (thats the date of the next full moon).

In other news
Last night Kevin and I attended a mandatory baptism class at our church. The classes lasted about an hour and went alright. Kevin didnt feel as awkward as he thought he would. I, on the other hand, was more uncomfortable than i expected to be. We watched a short video from the '80's and then did a good bit of 'group discussion' (the awkward part). We all had to answer several questions and explain why we feel the way we do, etc. Kevin is much more dedicated and confident in his religious beliefs than I am so the class was easier for him. I admire him for that!

This evening we have a routine dr appt.

mommy purchases

On Friday I made the very best mommy purchase of all time: The New Mommy wine glass by Lolita! My very first Lolita glass and I'm very excited about it!!! It will go great with the "mommy's time out" wine I received at my baby shower.

I also ordered some nursing tank tops. Some moms think they are the best thing since sliced bread but I'm skeptical. For what they cost they better make me breakfast in bed.

If you know me you know how organized I try to be. Every two years I buy a 2-year pocket calendar and I write EVERYTHING in it. 2008 is coming to end quickly and soon I will be busier than ever so I went ahead and ordered a 2009/2010 calendar. The one I currently have is Pug themed and I was hoping to get another pug themed calendar but I couldn't find one :-( So I went with the next most practical theme. mommy. I'll be sure to get a pug wall calendar for work.

On Saturday we went to Kevin's company picnic at Lums Pond. We really couldn't have asked for better weather! The picnic was very family oriented, with THREE moon-bounces, pony rides & spin art! No kid sat around bored, that's for sure! I sat and talked with one of the other wives, Nadene - a new mom herself - a she gave me some advice. She recommended nursing bras, a photographer, crib sheets, do's/dont's, etc. I think she covered all the bases. One thing she told me is a must-have is the Ultimate Crib sheet from Babies R Us. Of course I ran out and bought one the very next day. While I was there I also picked up some sun-shades for the car and some travel-wipes (as per Megan's wonderful recommendation)

Overall the weekend was very relaxing and very nice! This week, however, we're both pretty busy. We have a baptism class tonight, dr appt tomorrow, pediatrician interview & car seat inspection on Wedn, and Kevin has a work-related class Wedn night. I'll be sure to blog about anything exciting that happens.

watch my baby

several posts ago i blogged about daycare. I mentioned that we interviewed a couple daycare centers and were about to interview an in-home daycare. Well, that was a couple weeks ago now and we made a decision. We're going with the in-home daycare. As I may have mentioned, I know 4 moms who send their kids there and they (one friend specifically) always rave about her so Kevin and I had really high expectations when we met with her. When we pulled up to her house she was at the front door ready to greet us. Right away her and I locked eyes, realizing we know one another. Come to find out Linda (the daycare provider) is an old friend of the family who we haven't seen in probably 8+ years. Small world. She actually babysat my oldest brother (who is now 33 years old). After a brief reunion we started talking business. She gave us a copy of her policies, went thru her spiel, gave us a tour, then answered all of our questions. She was very friendly, professional & experienced. All the things we need in a caregiver. not to mention she is about 5 minutes from home and I pass her neighborhood on my way to work. Being that we know each other i was hoping for a discount, but no such luck, haha. Now all we have to do it call her and let her know to expect us this March-ish.



In other news: I signed us up for the baptism classes we are required to take prior to baptising our baby. The baptism will take place where Kevin and I got married (which is also where I was baptised as a baby). We don't have a set date yet but right now we're thinking December.

barbie as a kid

I cant help but feel like we're going to have our hands full with a demon child

34 weeks @ the dr

went in today for my 34 week dr appointment. Everything went smooth, as usual.

weight gain - 1/2 lb = great
BP - 100/64 = normal/great
urine sample - mysteriously disappeared
I'm not too swollen
belly measuring @ 35 weeks (I'm 34.5 weeks) = normal/great
heartbeat = great
got tested for Strep B - will get results @ next appt
Next appt is in 2 weeks.

Over the weekend we put the car seat in my car - jumping the gun a little but why not? it was just sitting in the living room and god knows i never have anyone in my backseat anyway.

I've also got my hospital bag about 85% packed. Again, jumping the gun, but most of it is my travel-sized toiletries that I had lying around the house, so again i ask: why not?