The story of Lucy

Lucy's birth story begins on May 20th, 2013.

We woke up early to arrive at Tacoma General Hospital at 6am for an 8am scheduled c-section. The boys stayed behind at the house with "Uncle Craig" to wait until they could meet their little sister at the hospital. Being our third child we were pretty nonchalant about the whole "business" of delivery. We didn't even have a name for her at this point! After being checked in and given a pre-op room my vitals and blood work were taken plus my IV was inserted. We met our surgical nurses who came in to ask me what kind of music I wanted to listen to in the operating room since they have Pandora. Boy times have changed! We also got to meet our very lovely post-op nurses Joanne and Beth.

At about 7:15 I walked into the operating room and was given a spinal block. Once I was all ready to go the doctors came in and so did Josh to get the c-section underway. Aside from getting sick from low blood pressure and slight discomfort and pressure the c-section went well. Josh and I both made the decision beforehand that this would be our last child so while in there the doctors performed a tubal ligation.

At 8:23 am we heard our baby girl cry for the first time. While I was being "put back together" and she was being cleaned off Josh and I just fell in love with her from afar. Josh asked me about the name and I said that she looks l
ike a Lucy and he agreed. Throw in two middle names for good measure and we were proud to be blessed with Lucy Elizabeth Lynn Callon. The Elizabeth comes from Josh's Grandma's name and Lynn pays homage to my middle name, which also happens to be the middle name of my Mom and Josh's Mom as well.

After being cleaned off, the nurses let Josh hold Lucy for a bit and took some pictures of the three of us. The nurses were also nice enough to take lots of foot prints and even printed her foot into her baby book. The nurse taking care of Lucy made a comment in the operating room about Lucy needing to "cough something up" but both Josh and I thought nothing of it. After I was all stitched up we were taken to the recovery room to monitor both mine and Lucy's vitals. Once there I nursed Lucy right away and she latched on wonderfully (which is something I am hugely thankful for later on). Once again both nurses made note of Lucy's grunting and breathing. For good measure they called down to the NICU to have one of the nurses come up to take a look at her breathing. One of the nurses assured me it was nothing, but she wanted to be on the safe side. Once the NICU nurse came and took a look at her they started measuring her oxygen levels and percentages. She opted to take Lucy down to the NICU for a couple of hours to monitor her levels while I stayed in recovery. Josh joined Lucy down in the NICU.

After about an hour or so I was ready to be taken to my own room for recovery. The nurses were nice enough to take me down to the NICU first where reality set in real fast. They wheeled my bed right up to Lucy, who was receiving oxygen from a nasal cannula. The head nurse in the NICU gave me a run down of Lucy's situation. I didn't really understand what she was saying to me. Once she left Lucy's own nurse was able to break it down to me in laymen terms. Lucy was in respiratory distress and would need to be in the NICU for atleast two days to monitor her and to figure out why she was in distress. They also were going to give her an IV to keep her hydrated and blood sugars normal. At this point I just broke down and started crying. Even one of my post-op nurses was crying. After regaining some composure I was wheeled to my room, without Lucy in tow. The nurse who was crying apologized profusely for leading me to believe that Lucy was just fine. She was so sweet and I wasn't even angry at her to begin with. The next several hours were agonizing for me. While I had support from my family and Josh, I felt so alone. This was supposed to be the time where Lucy was to room in with me and I would get to nurse her and Josh and I would get to enjoy our baby. Nurse Shirley was kind enough to bring me a breast pump and was very attentive to my emotions at the time. At one point I broke down crying and she decided right there to wheel me down to the NICU to see Lucy. I am not sure if I got to hold her at that point as my memory was kind of fuzzy from the anesthesia and pain meds but I do know it made a world of difference. Seeing her there, being well taken care of was very reassuring.

Once 8pm rolled around during our first day in the hospital I was ready to get up and itching to get down to the NICU. Once my catheter was removed and I took those first brutal steps I hopped into the wheel chair and was wheeled right down to the NICU. There I got to see my precious daughter and the lovely nurses taking care of her. They gave me the opportunity to nurse Lucy again and set up a little station for me to do so. Having her latch on again gave us both a glow. It was at that point and through that first night that I came down to the NICU every 2 hours to feed her that I realized how grateful I was that she latched on in the first hour of her life!

Through Lucy's first day in the NICU she had several test done to see what could have caused the respiratory distress. The doctors wanted to rule out infection, but the results took upwards of 24 hours so she was given premptive does of antibiotics. Her original platelet count came back incredibly low but the nurses assured Josh and I that the test could be incorrect and that they were retesting. Of course the nurses were right and her platelet levels were fine.

On Tuesday morning Lucy was take off oxygen and transitioned fr
om the NICU to the Intermediate Care Nursery. Her lab results came back with no infections and her breathing seemed to be fine. She spent that day and night in the ICN having her oxygen saturation levels monitored without breathing assistants. While she was still a patient of the ICN, she was cleared to room in with me on Wednesday afternoon with a projected discharge date for the next day. She received her first bath in front of me and we spent most of the day nursing and visiting with family and friends.

On Wednesday evening I had Lucy sent back down to the ICN to have her breathing checked out again, since it looked like she was having difficulties. After a quick oxygen saturation check she was deemed fine and returned to me. During the early hours of the morning she had her bilirubin levels taken as she was looking a bit jaundiced. That morning her results came in and her levels were high. She was immediately given a "bili blanket" and her discharge date was pushed back even more. I was discharged early Thursday afternoon. The hospital was nice enough to give me a complimentary room while Lucy was still a patient of the ICN. Thursday evening was rough. I was not fully informed of Lucy's bilirubin levels and was exhausted, couple that with the fact that I couldn't take Lucy home, I broke down several times. Josh and I decided it would be best for me to come home for awhile while Lucy received double light therapy.

On Friday morning I came home empty handed but eager to see the boys. Joey was not happy that I didn't bring Lucy home with me and Van wouldn't even look at me, let alone engage me. It took a couple of hours for him to warm up to me again. I think he was mad because I was gone for so long. I spent the day with the boys and Andrea was nice enough to brave Memorial Day traffic to take me back to the hospital for the evening to visit Lucy. It was good to see her and reassuring that while under the lights she was warm and sound asleep almost 24/7. We stayed long enough for me to nurse her and hold her briefly.

On Saturday I got up early to cook the boys a pancake breakfast and we opted to do a "picnic" on the living room floor. It was nice to be able to spend that time with the boys before I headed back to the hospital for the night. Holly picked me up and drove me to the hospital and spent most of the afternoon with me. Lucy's bilirubin levels came down enough to completely remove her from the lights.  I received another complimentary room and was grateful that Lucy got to room in with me. There was talk about discharging her in the morning, but it was more likely going to be the late afternoon as long as the bilirubin levels stayed down.

On Sunday morning Lucy's nurse informed me that she would be discharged in the afternoon. A short while later she called our room with even better news. The doctors saw no reason to keep her as an ICN patient and wanted to discharge her immediately as long as I got her bilirubin levels checked in a couple of days. Making that phone call to Josh was bittersweet. "Would you like to come pick us up and take us home?"

The official diagnosis of Lucy's extended NICU stay was Tachypnea. Essentially, since she was not squeezed out of the birth canal not all the fluids in her lungs came out which caused her not to transition to regular breathing once born. After that cleared up, her later stay was a result of  hyperbilirubinemia or Jaundice. Josh and I are so grateful for the care and love Lucy received while in the NICU and ICN. The nurses she had were amazing and they helped us to get through the tough parts and joined us in the exciting parts. We definitely felt the love.

39 weeks

Today marks 39 weeks of the fastest/slowest pregnancy ever! Anytime pregnancy falls into two different calendar years it seems to go on forever. Not to mention I found out I was pregnant at the very end of summer when it was still warm and it is starting to get warmer again here.
We are using this weekend to get some last minute things done and spend some time as a family before we go in on Monday for the delivery of Baby Girl.

We still don't have a name for her. It's hard because all the names we like individually don't really settle well with the other. I am adamant that we both have to love the name and I feel like we are getting so close. I think when we see her we will know.

At 39 weeks, I am definitely feeling the urge to be done and delivered! Baby Girl, you move around so much and love hearing your brother's voices. You put on quite the show for them. They watch my stomach move up and down and all around. Joey is so excited to meet you. He confessed the other day he was nervous because he didn't know how to take care of a girl. It made him feel better to know that I had never taken care of one either and that we would learn together. Van is still blissfully unaware of the big change that is about to happen. He knows my tummy is big and when you ask him to "show me your baby" he will lift his shirt up and proudly pat his own stomach. It is adorable! Daddy is eager for your arrival. He is so nonchalant about it all. I ask him if he is nervous and he just gets a big grin on his face and says, "I can't wait!" For me it has been an utter joy carrying you for these 39 weeks. I have amnesia about the first 23 being rough and so sick, but the last 16 weeks have been so blissful. I cannot wait to meet you and to have a daughter. I say it all the time, but I am still shocked to be getting a girl! It is a dream come true!

I just put the finishing touches on the nursery today. I got a special delivery in the mail yesterday from Auntie Kara that pretty much finished the room for me. I was dreading having to sew another blanket for the end of the bed (I am burnt out from sewing), but when I opened the package and and saw the beautiful quilt she made I knew it completed the room! Thanks Kara!

Without further ado, here is the reveal!

The color inspiration came from the fabric I purchased for the curtains. I admit it was a bit difficult finding patterns and colors to go with it but I kind of let the eclectic look take over. I suppose I also unintentionally made the nursery a flower theme, although it wasn't the original plan. At the end of the bed you can see the quilt Kara made. The pink blanket on the crib was a registry gift, but the crib skirt was a huge sewing triumph for me. I never knew you could sew ruffles on your sewing machine. This tutorial was majorly helpful in the process. It took me longer to cut, iron and hem then to do the actual ruffles.

The goal was to do as much DIY as possible when it came to the room. The flower poms over the crib were a new craft for me. I am not sure I love them completely but they help to bring the focal point up in the room and take over the white wall space. I followed this tutorial here for the poms. The pinwheel garland over the closet doors actually came from Joey's 6th birthday banner. The colors didn't quite match, but there is red in the curtains so it did coordinate.

I went way overboard on hair bows and I am not even sorry for it. Not gonna lie, I will make more! I made sure to attach the clips to only the flower pieces so that I could switch out the assorted elastics with coordinating pieces. There are so many options to try out! The headband frame came from Pinterest, and I just used coordinating colors to make it my own. The original source can be found here.
Beneath the recycled changing table (was an Ikea hutch/desk) that used to be Van's is an assortment of burp clothes and nursing pads I made out of flannel and chenille cloth. Technically I could have reused the clothes I made for Van, but we still do use those on him for meal time messies and I couldn't pass up the really awesome sale Joann's seemed to have forever on flannel.

I have to laugh at the full size bed in the room. It was so close to being trashed on the last move, but Josh really nailed it together this time. It's not going anywhere unless you take an ax to it. I slabbed a coat of mistinted painted from Lowes on it. DEAL! The headboard used to be open with metal bars going through the four open slots. No joke, I upholstered cardboard with a little bit of batting and some leftover Chevron Premier Prints fabric and hot glue gunned it into the openings. It cost me nothing since everything was either in the recycling or left over from a previous project. The two bright coral tables came with the bed. It used to belong to my sister and all pieces were unfinished wood. Valspar had samples of their spring paints on sale at Lowes for $3. I saw it as a great excuse to pick up a color and try it out, not to mention who doesn't love a little bit of pink furniture? The pillowcases were sewn by me using some of Joann's calico prints and quilters cotton. The lamp base used to be black and the shade was a clearance find at Target.

The flower art pieces were made using canvas and assorted flower making tutorials a lot similar to headbands.  The left flower (pink canvas) was a basic ruffle attached with hot glue in a flower shape. This tutorial was really helpful. The middle canvas was a completely though of on my own. Using different hair flower techniques I simply attached them to a painted canvas and painted on stems. The last canvas was crafted using felt to make a 3d flower. The original tutorial can be found here.

Thanks to my basic photoshop skills, some canvas, Office Depot copy center and some modge podge and paint, these little art pieces filled in an otherwise blank corner. If you are looking for digital chevron paper, this blog has tons to offer.

I really didn't have a huge vision for this room. Individual projects kind of came together to complete the room. In hindsight I would have chosen a different curtain fabric. It really restricted the design, but it also opened up the color palette to choose from a wide array of colors. If I had more time and energy I would sew some ruffled toss pillows, but for now this is the final project. I do like that these curtains can grow with Baby Girl, and can also be reused for different projects down the road.

33 weeks

I was looking back on old post of my pregnancy with Van and felt a little ashamed that I had done such a good job at tracking and writing about his and I haven't really done that this time around. I can't say that this pregnancy has been "non-chalant" but it sure seems that way after I got over being constantly sick and having the "plague". Ok, really it was just a really bad cold and sinus infection that lasted a month, but still; it knocked me on my butt. Since about the 23/24 week mark things have been smooth sailing. Being my third, I opted in for online virtual visits instead of going to the doctors office every 2-4 weeks. Since they mainly want vitals, they sent me home with a blood pressure monitor, a Doppler, and pee sticks (to test for protein). I essentially Skype/webcam with a practitioner and the appointment is over with in 10 minutes. No muss, no fuss.

Surprisingly I have only gained 25 pounds so far. February was a brutal month though. Too many temptations! Girl Scout cookies, Subway $5 foot-longs and Valentines Day were my downfall! Drool! So good! On the odder side of things I still fit into my regular pants, albeit they are super snug though. Since I am having a girl, I am carrying her a little higher and clothes have been a little more forgiving this time around. But let's be real here, maternity pants are way more comfortable and sweats are even more comfortable. Unless I am out and about, sweats and yoga pants are this pregnant girl's best friend!

Since this pregnancy is winding down I am starting to tire often and lose steam frequently. Most people, who don't know me, don't think I look pregnant. I joke around and say that with my height and build, I am a very roomy and hospitable uterus hotel. That being said, I feel like I am running out of "room" for her. She reminds me constantly with sharp jabs and kicks in every direction. The reminders are especially apparent at night.


As far as prep work goes I "set-up" the nursery today. I use that term loosely since there is still a lot of work that needs to be put in to it. I have a ton of sewing to still do. Nursing pads, burp clothes, skirts, and headbands are all on my to do list. I made a nursing shawl and boppy cover about a month ago from some Amy Butler fabric that I am in love with and cannot wait to put those to good use. No more flashing innocent eyes while breastfeeding! I also completed the curtains for the nursery that are the main inspiration for the room. The hard part now is to find coordinating fabrics and colors so that the nursery doesn't look too busy.

Do you see what I mean about "a lot of work"? I also think I need to rearrange more. But do you see that beauty of a crib? That was my $44 clearance find at Target back in January. It was the exact crib I wanted, but in the wrong color. Beggars can't be choosers though. I couldn't pass up that great deal. I even put it together myself! Let's not mention the fact that I will have two children in cribs. Shhhh!!!

Baby Shower

My Mother in Law, Becky and my Sister, Holly were kind enough to throw me a wonderful baby shower for Baby Girl. Naturally, the color pink was incorporated big time. Sharing this special time with my family and friends is so important to me and I am so glad that they can all be apart of this wonderful blessing of having a little baby girl!

I received so many clothes. This girl is going to be well dressed for sure!
Special thanks to all that came and an uber special thanks to Holly and Becky for taking the time out of their busy schedules to throw me a wonderful shower!

Van's Birth Story

The original plan for Van's birth was to have a VBAC without induction. At our 41 week important I was barely 1cm dilated and only 50% effaced. My doctor said he was willing to bend over backwards and do what I wanted in terms of the VBAC, but that I would have to be induced the next day. He said that the odds of me being in labor for two days and ending up with an emergency c-section were fairly high. After thinking it over and talking with Josh we opted to do elect for a repeat c-section. It was more important for me to successfully breastfeed Van then to undergo a trial of labor only to end up with an emergency surgery. There is a huge difference in terms of healing time and coping with a routine c-section than an emergency one.

On September 7, Josh and I headed to Tacoma General Hospital for a schedule c-section at 4pm. It was weird to nonchalantly walk into labor and delivery and get prepped for surgery. I was able to see my in laws, my Mom, my sister and Joey right before the surgery. Naturally, things were running behind and I walked into the OR (isn't it strange to just walk into an OR for surgery?) about 4pm. The environment was cold and I was all by myself. The anesthesiologist came into give me a spinal block and warned me that I might get sick because it drops your blood pressure and I already have low blood pressure. Sure enough, I was nauseated and panicking. The nurses kept calling back to bring Josh into surgery, but it took awhile. The doctors came in and actually started the procedure before Josh came in. When he finally came in he said there was a problem with the scrubs they gave him. Apparently they were too small and they had to find a pair that actually fit his body, which ended up being doctors scrubs. As soon as he came in and they gave me meds for nausea I finally felt better.



The whole process took less then 30 minutes and at 4:57pm we heard Van cry for the first time. I cried, Josh beamed with joy. I consider it one of those beautiful moments where you are so happy, you cry. It's only happened two other times in my life; when Joey was born and on our wedding day. While the doctors sewed me up, Van was cleaned up, weighed, measured and prepped for Daddy to hold him for the first time. As soon as we were brought to the recovery room I immediately nursed Van while Josh ran in and out updating our family on his arrival and sharing pictures. The recovery room was odd and peaceful all at once. For one, I got to hold Van and finally feel relief and happiness that he had arrived, but on the other hand another Mom was recovering in the partition next to me and we could also hear the many sounds of someone laboring down the hallway. We spent about an hour in recovery before I was wheeled out on the hospital bed to the hallway where a big group of our family and friends were waiting. Funny enough, we all fit in one elevator going on up to our room. Imagine me in a huge hospital bed and about 10 other people, plus the nurse in a cramped elevator.



The rest of the hospital stay went swimmingly. I was out of bed and walking around (slowly) 12 hours after surgery and Josh was a champ at changing Van and handing him to me to nurse and hold whenever needed.



The nurses and staff were amazing. I actually cannot believe that the 3 days we were there went so well. From the surgery, to recovery, to caring for a newborn again after 4 long years we drove away from the hospital on the 10th feeling relaxed and ready to bring our family of 4 home for the first time.

40 weeks

* How Far Along: 40 weeks exactly.
* Size of baby: Babycenter.com says about 7.5 pounds and 20 inches long. I am guessing this baby is taller than 20 inches though.
* Total Weight Gain/Loss: I am so not giving exact numbers here. For one I don't know that answer and two....because I have at least gained as much weight as I did with Joey.
* Maternity Clothes: Yah...still in those. But the selection is small. Thank goodness the weather has been amazing, I don't have to cram myself into jeans! However, I am thinking a mumu would be perfect attire right about now...Josh would disagree though.
* Gender: A boy. And judging by the intense heartburn I get...a very hairy one.
* Movement: He doesn't move around quite as much, but when he does it is almost painful. There is no room in there for him, so he pokes and prods until he is comfortable. It's been difficult deciphering his regular movement from Braxton Hicks contractions, but I do know that my stomach has never looked more funny then when he stretches out in such a way that my stomach is high peaked on one side and flat on the other.
* Sleep: I dread going to bed at night. Getting to sleep is the hardest part. I sleep best from about 2am on. I can't get into a comfortable position to fall asleep and my new addiction to Words with Friends probably doesn't help either.
* What I miss: I miss feeling healthy and energetic. Not that I am not healthy, but when I get up in the middle of night there are times where I can hardly walk and my knees hurt from the weight gain.
* Cravings: Desserts! I probably have eaten more dessert in the past two months then I have in the past 3 years. Let's just say that Josh makes this delicious Peach Blueberry crumble that I affectionately call the "Gobble Cobbler."
* Symptoms: Heartburn, back pain, Braxton Hicks, swollen feet, ridiculously long and healthy hair.
* Best moment this week: Making it to 40 weeks and not really fussing about today being the due date. I wanted to bake this one as long as possible. With the whole 2 vessel thing it was important for me to make full term with this baby. And with the way things look, perhaps an overdue baby. No big deal though. I am excited to meet him, but am glad to have him develop a little longer.
* What Joey thinks: Sweet Joey is just so eager to meet him. We rented a couple of books from the library about being an older sibling and what happens when a baby comes into the house. His only suggestion is that he doesn't want the baby to cry because that will scare him. Poor Joey, looks like I will be double comforting in a short while.

Scene and Heard Sunday

Wow, I cannot believe how exhausted I feel. I am not surprised, but I suppose at 39 weeks I am pretty much dunzo! Wouldn't this week be a great week to have a baby? =)

-Things have definitely slowed down this week. The 38 week appointment was standard and they didn't check my cervix but I can tell my body is definitely practicing with the contractions. I keep putting off packing hospital bags. It probably has more to do with the fact that I have about 3 outfits that I re-wear time and time again (since they are the only ones that fit) and I don't want to have to pack one away for the return trip home. That being said, I am constantly keeping up with laundry and folding so that everything is orderly when the time comes to give birth.
For the most part I stay close to home slowly getting prepared and re-prepared for baby's arrival. Poor Joey is going a little stir crazy, but he has had no qualms watching Toy Story 3 for the billionth time! Tomorrow I will have my 39 week appointment so hopefully I will find out a little more information with dilation, etc.

-Nursery/Craft Room reveal: It's almost time to unveil the finished product. I spent the better part of this week working on nursery art and putting finishing touches together. I need Josh to hang my magazine holders today and print some pictures out and everything should be done. Of course I could keep going with this room, but then I would never finish it. Here's another little sneak peek for your viewing pleasure.



-I like to leave notes written with chalkboard pen on our bathroom mirror for Josh to read every morning when he wakes up for work. Usually they are motivational quotes, or an inside joke, or just something random. The other morning Josh left one for me that cracked me up. Short backstory: Joey and I do prayers every night. At the end I always say, "I love you all the way to the moon and back." Because we have all been going to bed about the same time Joey does Daddy's prayers for him. Basically they consist of Joey recounting our prayers, but he mixes up the words and songs and sometimes even meshes them together. Anyways, the note on the mirror read this yesterday morning...



It's hard to actually read, but it says, "I lift this all the way to the moon and back, Amen."

Joey mixed "I lift this all up in your name" and our "all the way to the moon and back" saying. Goofy kid!

-On Saturday I attended my friend Lisa's wedding down in Olympia. We've known each other since we were 14 and 15 years old playing club volleyball way back in the day and all the way thru college. It was good to see here and some of our other friends that I haven't seen in quite some time. The bride was beautiful and the ceremony was as well. I have never been inside the Capitol Rotunda, but the mix of marble staircases and the ceremony decor made it the perfect scenery for celebrating a marriage. The reception was held at Medicine Creek Winery and it was fun catching up with some friends there. I have to admit that I was a little jealous that I couldn't partake in the delicious wine offerings.

The beautiful ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda


The Bride, Julia, and I.


Julia and I


-Sunday we headed over to my brother's house for a bbq with his friends and coworkers. Joey loves going over there to see his roommates dogs and to play with toys there. I had my brother take a picture of us and he titled the following photo, "the calm before the storm." Let's hope that instead of a storm we have a couple blustery winds.

Getting ready for baby

I have been a Sewing Machine!

Pun totally intended.

I have always admired the slings that I see mother's wearing their babies in. I was also a bit envious because I didn't even dream or imagine this stuff when Joey was a newborn. Of course they had Baby Bjorns and I used one while I coached volleyball but it always hurt my back and Joey never looked comfortable in it. I came across some really gorgeous slings on etsy.com when I first found out I was pregnant again. The one I really wanted was over $60, only because it was made with Amy Butler fabric. I found some more modestly priced ones for around $30 which I contemplated about here. However I couldn't decide on the fabric I wanted and I realized I just didn't love either one enough to commit.
Enter in my obsession with Joann's craft store. I found the cutest gray hounds-tooth fabric that I knew would look great on something. I dwelled on it for a couple of days and found a really neat baby sling tutorial on Pinterest.com from The Poplar Porch blog that really simplified the process and dumbed it down enough for me to get how to sew it.
I thought a yellow Chevron striped fabric would go perfect with the gray fabric and so I went on a very short search for it at Joann's and came up with nothing, but I did find a yellow dot fabric that matched well. I took the fabric over to my Mom's and she helped me sew my first sling together. My Mom has sewed since she was a little girl and one of her last projects was sewing me my homecoming dress sophomore year of high school. It was really neat to see her "light up" doing this project since it's been quite awhile since she has sewn.



Here I attempt to model it with a stuffed animal and a self portrait. The picture doesn't do it justice, but it turned out awesome. The fit is not right yet since I have a big baby basketball in the way, but it should be fine post birth.

My adventures in sling making gets even better. I made another with left over fabric from the car seat canopy I also made. Depending on your measurements, it only takes two yards of two coordinating fabrics and some thread and you got yourself, not one, but two slings. So after purchasing and sewing I only paid about $15 total in supplies for two baby slings. Technically, I can make another sling for nothing if I pair the two remaining pieces I have left over from the other two slings. Baby shower present? =) The second one only took about an hour to whip out, since I knew what I was doing.

In addition to sling making I also have created some blankets, diaper/spit up cloths, and a reversible car seat canopy.

The picture below shows both finished slings, a guitar blanket, and the cloths.



I didn't use any web sources for the blanket since those are pretty basic to sew, but I did research what fabric to use for the burp cloths (flannel for absorbency)since I wanted to pair them with the cute fabric I bought on fabric.com awhile back. The guitar fabric was originally intended for the car seat canopy but I mistakenly bought jersey knit fabric and it's very stretchy and hard to pair with regular cotton fabric so I reworked it to make a blanket instead.

The car seat canopy was fun to make, but took a little bit of time. It may be because I did it with my Mother-in-Law and we love to chat, but also because we were brainstorming how to do the ties. I get a little overzealous when I sew and go too fast, but I was really glad to do this project with her because she had some really good tips for me. I used this tutorial from the Vanilla Joy Blog. The instructions were almost like making a rounded blanket with ties to tie on the car seat handle. Since I was making it reversible (using the gray hounds tooth and teal dot fabric from the slings) it was a bit complicated getting it to all work together. None the less though, the canopy came out beautifully and it's probably my best "sewing in a straight line" accomplishment to date.



I unintentionally matched it to the car seat fabric. I say unintentionally because the guitar fabric was my first pick and the teal polka dots fabric was actually purchased to make a hospital gown with, but I have ditched that project...for now.



Lastly, here is a sneak peak at part of the nursery. I sewed up this blanket with the adorable Owl Fabric and a chenille underside. It turned out surprisingly well, considering sewing with two completely different fabrics is difficult and the chenille fabric kept slipping and moving on me. I do plan on finishing it with blanket binding for more of a polished look, but I may just leave it the way it is for now. Mainly because I have never sewed binding on before and it looks good the way it is. I would hate to mess it up!



And what the heck, may as well give a tiny reveal of the curtains (hint, it's a cotton shower curtain from target) and the neat paper mobile I made.



I linked these projects up to....

36 weeks

* How Far Along: 36 weeks. Only 4 weeks left
* Size of baby: Ultrasound reveals a 6lb 9oz baby plus/minus a pound
* Total Weight Gain/Loss: 36 pounds <---that should be fun to lose!
* Maternity Clothes: Unless I have to leave the house I usually just wear the Nike cotton shorts that I have in 4 different colors. It's hot hot hot!
* Gender: A boy. I made the ultrasound tech confirm today that baby was still indeed a boy and she said, "the man parts didn't fall off."
* Movement: He's gone from acrobat to a Kung-Fu Fighter. I get those jabs in the middle of my stomach as a gentle reminder that the space is getting tight down there.
* Sleep: Ugh....my nemesis! I rely on one tylenol pm to help me out with the restlessness, soreness, and constant adjustment. I try to go to bed as early as I can as Joey likes to rise around 6:30am. Typically he just comes into my room and watches tv while I sleep for an hour or so more. Gotta love that about a 4 year old!
* What I miss: wearing matching flip flops. Seriously! I looked down one day and I had one dark brown flip flop and one black flip flop on!
* Cravings: Anything that sounds good at the moment. I am craving fresh summer produce and my shopping list for tomorrow would rival a vegetarians!
* Symptoms: Hormonal mood swings...still. I am very sensitive lately and back handed comments and even looking at me wrong usually results in tears.
Braxton Hicks contractions come and go, but they are getting to be more common.
* Best moment this week: Joey woke up the other day on the verge of tears and said, "it's taking for a long time for baby brother to get here." He's getting so excited, even though I see a little bit of jealousy coming out.
* What Joey thinks: Joey likes the attention of being an almost big brother, but you can tell he is feeling a little bit anxious about it all. The mild jealousy is starting to show up in the form of tantrums during my maternity photo shoot and trying to turn the lights on during the ultrasound (since the attention was not on him).
*What I think: I am feeling nervous and anxious (see below bullet). Things are almost all ready for baby boy's big arrival. I guess we should finally decide on a name though.
36 week ultrasound/appointment: Today I had an ultrasound and appointment. The ultrasound went well, but I definitely noticed the technician spending some time studying the screen while the doppler was near my belly button. I asked if everything was OK and she said it was. While waiting for my doctor appointment, the ultrasound tech came back out to get me and wanted to have a "second set of eyes" on the ultrasound so my doctor stepped in as well. It's not diagnosed completely, but it looks like baby boy has a 2 vessel umbilical cord, when normally a baby has 3 (two arteries, 1 vein). They both thought that they saw 3, but only two were able to be picked up on the screen. Either the baby was not in the right position or the 3rd vessel flattened. Neither seemed too concerned about it and my doctor said that you can "theorize" that because baby boy is only in the 50th percentile for his weight at this time that that could be the result of only having two vessels. He said not to worry, but of course it didn't stop me from researching it further. Most of what I read stated a lower birth weight for baby was a possibility, but there are also further complications. Most 2 vessel cords are found in the 20 week u/s, but since mine is now only showing up in the 36 week u/s it may be just fine. Since my doctor isn't worried about it, I will try not too either. I still am wanting a VBAC, but if for some reason that may further complicate things I will elect for a c-section in a heartbeat!
*What's next?: 37 week appointment next Tuesday.

33 weeks!

* How Far Along: 33 weeks. Only 7 weeks left
* Size of baby: About 4 pounds and 17 inches. Think a pineapple.
* Total Weight Gain/Loss: 31 pounds, courtesy of the numerous bbq's and sweets I have been consuming.
* Maternity Clothes: Dare I say maternity shorts and flip flops? I picked up a great denim maternity skirt at target a few weeks back that I am in love with. I may have to go get another one.
* Gender: A boy, and no we don't have a name yet. =)
* Movement: Thankfully he is moved into the head down position, unfortunately this means that my lungs and ribs get the brunt of the kicks now. No big deal now, this kid doesn't let me forget for one minute that he is in there getting big and ready to make his debut!
* Sleep: To be honest and to my surprise I have been sleeping well. I have had those awful charlie horses in my calves, but really they haven't happened too much lately. I find that laying on my left side and hugging a body pillow really helps me stay comfortable. Today was the first day that I still felt really tired after getting a long nights sleep. But this doesn't surprise me in the least bit.
* What I miss: I really don't miss anything, because, really I know that my life will be changed again and for the better. My body will be different for awhile and I could care less!
* Cravings: Pickles, so cliche...I know!
* Symptoms: Hormonal mood swings...still. My knees are starting to ache along with my back.
* Best moment this week: Being told that I was the poster child for pregnancy due to my good attitude and positive mindset! I quickly thought of the first twenty weeks of pregnancy not-so-goodness but I have had a lot of people say to me how good I look and that I genuinely look like this pregnancy has not been to rough. I am grateful for the observations and I continue to feel so lucky and so happy to have this blessing come to us!
* What Joey thinks: I have never seen a kid so excited for a baby brother. He sings to my belly and is adamant that his brother share a room with him. He is eager to give him his toys and actively is on the look out for anything his brother might want or need. Joey earned a new watch from the Gap the other day for being good at the mall. He immediately said, "thank you" and then asked if his baby brother could also wear his watch. I can tell that Joey is going to be such a loving and helpful big brother!
*What I think: Going back to this baby being such a blessing when it seemed like the odds were against us makes me feel so grateful and I believe this is where the positive mindset is coming from. I have had a lot of people say to me that they feel sorry for me for being pregnant in the summer because of the heat; and to be honest it kind of perturbs me. There are going to be the rough times of pregnancy, but there are also the amazing times as well and I will take both of the extremes any day to have this second blessing in my life. And besides, it may be hot, but I am not miserable about the heat at all!
*What's next?: 36 week ultrasound the first week of August. VBAC is still a go at this stage, still praying that this happens!

picture courtesy of babycenter.com

Scene and Heard Sunday

-I am 31 weeks! Where the heck is the time going? The first 20 weeks were like the longest of my life...well really 15 weeks, since I didn't even know I was pregnant for the first 5. Better then not knowing for the whole pregnancy, like on that show, "I didn't know I was pregnant."
I had some mild Braxton Hicks contractions earlier in the week that freaked me out. I never have had them before so I got worried for like 2.5 seconds, but then they stopped and all was good again.

Supposedly this is what the baby looks like this week...courtesy of Babycenter



I only say supposedly, b/c with the amount of movement and kicking that is going on in my uterus, you would think this baby was a 4 legged, octopus like sort of creature who finds pleasure in doing flips and rolls inside me in all hours of the day! Just kidding...I love the all the movement. It's one of my favorite parts of pregnancy. =)

-Nesting has officially commenced! I started on the nursery/craft room this week and let me say...it is looking amazing. Josh's parents have graciously offered up their crib they had for Joey so we don't have to buy a new one, cough (because some unnamed doctor told us that we wouldn't be able to get pregnant on our own, so we subsequently sold all of Joey's baby stuff), cough....excuse me! The crafting side of the room is pretty much complete, now I need to incorporate the nursery side. Here is a sneak peak....



This picture is now out of date though...as that ugly grey desk is no longer grey. =)
The room reveal will happen as soon as it is complete though, which will be in about a month.

-Josh took a short trip to Las Vegas with his buddy, Craig. There they met up with Pino, one of our closest friends who moved to Arizona over a year ago. They had so much fun as evidenced by the pictures and videos that Josh has shown me. I didn't even have to ask to see if they behaved in Vegas. These three boys are like the most harmless hooligans I know!

-Joey had a rough week. His words, not mine and it included all of his toys being put away in the closet for him to earn back. I changed schedules at the daycare and only go from 10:45 to 1pm, before we would start our day there at 7:30. Because Joey is a true creature of habit, the adjustment has not been easy for him, as evidenced by his unruly behavior that included potty words, hitting, kicking and pretty much being defiant. I hope its a phase, because this week was difficult for us both. As I have said before, I am very self conscience of what others think of Joey and of his behavior in general. It is amazing to see the vast difference in his attitude when he is at daycare as opposed to being at home with me. The difference is night and day and I am sure a lot of it is showing off for the other kids in his class.

-But of course Joey is still the little man of my heart and knows how to crack me up. The other day Joey somehow managed to work "boob" and "Jesus" into the same sentence. How you ask? "Mommy, Jesus is in my heart, right next to my boob." And if that wasn't enough, he also had this to say, ""Mommy, is Jesus gonna get big in my heart and make my boobs big like the baby gets big in your tummy?" I cannot make this stuff up, even if I tried!
While I was working in the craft room today Josh and Joey were outside working and playing. I looked out my window to see Joey lying toppled over in our flowers with the bike on top of him. I asked him if he was OK and all he could muster to say was, "I took the turn too sharp." Gee ya think? =)



-And finally, I really have to show off one of my coupon trips from this week at Albertson's.


I got all of this for $2.76!
Last week, there was a deal that if you bought $100 in gift cards you got a $20 coupon to use like cash on your next purchase. I bought several gift cards to use over the next couple of months for places like BabiesRUs, where I know I will be spending some serious money at soon. The only thing I didn't know what that these $20 coupons expired within the week and you could only use one per transaction, so I shopped to my hearts content. For this transaction I was able to get about 6 pounds of meat and the other obvious foods using manufacturer coupons, plus the $20 coupon for a savings of almost 99%!

23 Weeks

My friend Shelley over at The Sprouffskes *Life on the Farm* did a very neat survey/record of her pregnancy, so I "borrowed" it from her page to keep track of the rest of my pregnancy. It's easier then trying to think up one on my own. Thanks Shelley! Also congrats to the Sprouffskes who just welcomed their second boy into the family on Monday, John Paul Emeric.

* How Far Along: 23 weeks? Is that really all it is? Apparently I had to go check
on babycenter.com how far along I was b/c I forgot. Way to go awesome Mom!
* Size of baby: Just over a pound.
* Total Weight Gain/Loss: 14 pounds. I've really shot up in the weight in the last couple of weeks. But, I should be gaining about a pound a week now.
* Maternity Clothes: My volleyball teammate, Heather is graciously letting me borrow her maternity clothes since I seem to have given away all of mine. I can wear my normal tops and sweaters, but I am in maternity pants all the way. I attempted to try on a pair of my regular jeans the other day. It. Was. Not. Pretty.
* Gender: A boy!
* Movement: He is very active, especially when I can concentrate on the movement...mainly at night. He has hiccups too, which I forgot how weird that felt.
* Sleep: I am doing ok on the sleep front. I wake up a lot for no reason. I am slightly uncomfortable and try really hard to lay on my sides.
* What I miss: I miss not feeling normal and having energy, but it doesn't bother me. This is such a wonderful blessing!
* Cravings: Omelets. I make them when I get home from work in the morning. Probably why I have so much weight gain!
* Symptoms: A belly?
* Best moment this week: A kindergartner at work asked me what I was doing after I dropped him off at school. I told him I was going home but would be back to work at 3. He goes, "oh...do you think you will have your baby then and bring him back with you?"
* What Joey thinks: Joey is so excited to be a big brother. He tells everyone he meets. He isn't quite sure on how that baby got in there and ask if everyone is having a baby. A couple of days ago he asked me if the baby in my tummy would be coming out of my mouth. Yes Joey...something like that.

The Baby Baking update

This week my ticker says I have just hit 15 weeks, but I am all sorts of confused because my doctors appointment this week is for my 16 week check up. It's funny that different sources tell you different due dates. Babycenter.com, my doctor, and the ultrasound technician all give me different dates. Oh well. I am sticking with August 29th though because my doctor says I won't go past that. Regardless of dates, we are still baking a healthy, perfect baby.
Babycenter says that my baby this week is:
Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light.
I recently went in for a 12 week ultrasound plus lab testing to do a risk assessment. The ultrasound paired with the lab work screen for a multitude of potential problems the baby could have (down syndrome, spina bifida, etc.) While it can't tell exactly if a baby will have a problem, it will provide the risk of having such problems. The doctors seemed very optimistic at the ultrasound and said baby looked wonderful and that baby was very cooperative when it came to checking out all points of interest.
I have definitely noticed a difference in the past couple of days when it comes to morning sickness. It is starting to subside and I notice that my energy is returning. I find it funny that I am able to play in a whole volleyball tournament, but cleaning the kitchen exhaust me. I think that more comes down to what is more fun though. Speaking of volleyball, I continue to play as long as my body allows. I plan on playing up until the end of the 2nd trimester which should get me through the rest of club season and our spring rec league. But the final decision comes down to my doctor.
I am showing a little bit. My boss calls it a little pooch, really it could just be bloat, except it doesn't go away. But I can definitely tell my hips are getting a little bit wider and my pants don't quite fit. I am not going to lie, this is probably a lot more related to my food cravings then anything else.