Special Delivery!

Our stroller arrived in the mail yesterday!!!

(please excuse my messy livingroom, nosy kitty, and bunny rabbit pen lol)

Really poor quality camera phone pic, but I cannot believe we have a stroller in our house!!!!

We absolutely LoVe this thing! I came pretty much fully assembled (awesome!), which we almost didn't believe because the box that it came in was so small - but this sucker folds up into almost noting, believe it or not. All we had to do was unfold it, pop the wheels on and snap in the visor/sunshade!

It has absolutely everything that we were looking for - inflatable all-terrain wheels, easy fold, flat lying positioning, full coverage sunshade, adjustable handlebar, hand break, 75lbs weight capacity... the list goes on and on!

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa W :o)

15w3d

How far along: 15w3d

This weeks' weight gain/loss: 0lbs

Total weight gain/loss: -13lbs

Symptoms: still having some occasional mild nausea and fatigue (both have gotten much better lately though), lots of awful heartburn, some lower back pain and of course frequent urination.

Maternity clothes: just purchased my first pairs of maternity jeans this weekend - I don't really need them yet, but I needed a new pair of jeans and so it didn't make sense to buy regulars anymore. I also ordered a bunch of summer maternity clothes from Old Navy recently and they arrived in the mail this weekend - they were having a great sale and I had a coupon, it was just a great deal.

Stretch marks: yes :o( around the hips, lower abdomen and thighs *sigh*

Best moment this week: scheduling our elective gender determination ultrasound!!!

Movement: nothing identifiable yet, but I think we're getting close!

Food cravings: lots of salty and sour stuff - sour patch kids and pickles lol

Gender: we find out on Friday 4/1!!!

Any baby related purchased: my wonderful in-laws purchased our all-terrain stroller for us this weekend!!! It should arrive in the mail on Wednesday, I'm soooooooooooooo excited!!!!

Milestones: being far enough along to be able to identify the gender!!!

GIRL? or BOY?

GIRL or BOY

So my impatient self has decided to schedule an elective ultrasound at 16 weeks, for a gender determination!!! Next Friday April 1st we will be finding out if we're having a little GIRL or a little BOY!!!

We still have our traditional Anatomy Scan Ultrasound with our OB a few weeks later, sometime around 18 weeks or so. But I am just so darn impatient, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to find out a few weeks early :o)

In the mean time, I thought it would be fun to get some "predictions" about baby's gender!

So I've tested out some of the old-school predictors, to see what they have to say....

CHINESE GENDER CHARTS:
(These use the mother's age at conception and month of conception to determine the sex)

Chart #1 = BOY

Chart #2 = BOY

Chart #3 = BOY

Chart #4 = BOY

Chart #5 = BOY

Looks like the charts are pretty consistent! The verdict here is definitely BOY.

I've heard varying things about the accuracy of Chinese gender charts, so I guess we'll see if it works for us or not...

OLD WIVES' TALES:

Mayans
The Mayans determined the sex of the baby by taking the mother’s age at conception, and the year of conception. If both are even or both are odd… it’s a girl. If one is even and one is odd… it’s a boy. I was 25 and it was 2010.
= BOY

Nausea
The old wives tale is that a girl will make you more nauseous. I was soooooo nauseous, even into my second trimester!
= GIRL

Heart Rate
The old wives tales is if the heart rate is above 140, it’s a girl. If it’s below 140, it’s a boy. The heart rate has consistently been up over 140.
= GIRL

Cravings
The old wives tale is that if you crave sweets, it’s a girl. If you crave sour, it’s a boy. This is really a toss up, I haven't had many cravings per say. But I wasn't able to demolish my usual multiple bags of my fave Easter candy this year, because I just wasn't in the mood for sweets. So I guess we'll go with sour on this one...
= BOY

Husband’s Weight Gain
The old wives tale is that if your husband puts on weight during the pregnancy, it will be a girl. Bryan has most certainly not put on any weight.
= BOY

Acne
The old wives tale is that a girl will cause acne because she is doubling your hormones. My poor complexion has taken a beating with this pregnancy.
= GIRL

Clumsiness
The old wives tales is that if you are clumsier than before, it’s a boy. If you are as graceful as ever, it’s a girl. I've felt as though I've lost my balance a little more than usual, so I guess we'll go with yes on this one.
= BOY

Boobs
The old wives tale is that if your boobs grow a lot, it’s a girl. The boobs are out of control.
= GIRL

Sleep
The old wives tale is that if you prefer to sleep on your right side, it’s a boy. If you prefer to sleep on your left side, it’s a girl. God, I would just prefer to SLEEP at this point. Neither position is particularly comfortable; I have to rotate pretty regularly throughout the night. But if I'm sleeping on my side, I tend to end up the right, so...
= BOY

Hands
The old wives tale is that if you have softer hands, it’s a girl. Rougher hands, it’s a boy. My hands are more dry than usual, causing them to be more rough!
= BOY

High or Low
The old wives tale is that if you feel heaviness down low, it’s a boy. If you feel pressure up higher, it’s a girl. I've definitely been feeling pressure down low, but it's still early and so this is difficult to tell for sure.
= BOY

The results...

GIRL =  4
BOY =  8

And there ya have it folks! Obviously we're having either a GIRL or BOY lol But according to these "predictors", it looks like BOY takes the majority. Although they are not completely conclusive, so I guess it's still anyone's guess at this point. Only 9 days until we find out for sure!

Rockin 'n Rollin

So we went on our first "official" baby shopping trip this weekend - it was surreal, being out in the stores looking at things that will be used for our baby! It was also overwhelming, there are sooooo many baby items out there!

Our task for the day, was to nail down a glider/rocker and stroller that we like.

We had been doing some window and online shopping prior to this, so we went in with a pretty good idea of what we liked and didn't like. Basically we were just going to see these items in person and confirm our thoughts.

After much research and debate, we're pretty sure we've settled on:

 

 The Baby Jogger City Elite all-terrain stroller

Shermag Chocolate Glider Combo with Tea Mocha Fabric

(shown here in different, lighter fabric)

After being able to "test drive" these items in the store, we're pretty sure that we're set on them. Both come highly recommended and seem to meet all of the criteria that we were looking for in each type of item.

We only have a couple of complaints regarding the stroller. 

First, that the all-terrain strollers tend to be a little larger in size and can therefore be difficult to maneuver around some tight spaces (i.e. malls, stores, etc.). However, we really want an all-terrain stroller for all of the outdoor activities that we enjoy during the nice weather months (i.e. walking, hiking, festivals, parks, camping, etc.).

Second, the infant carseat adapter for the all-terrain stroller is rather expensive ($60 for a metal bar) and leaves a lot to be desired with regards to stability and functionality (the carseat needs to be strapped down/in and it sticks out so far that it really blocks your view of the front tire, which in turn makes steering difficult as well).

As a result, we're looking at this stroller for more of a 4+ month item - once the baby is able to hold their head up and no longer needs the extra support of the infant carseat with the stroller. This also works out for us because the baby wont be 4+ months old until after the winter months and so we really wont be using an all-terrain stroller until then anyway. And of course this will also save us the $60 for the carseat adapter bar.

So we considered a few other options:

• getting just a travel system
• I absolutely hate plastic wheels and they're not practical for the activities we'd be doing
• getting just the all-terrain
• we would still have to buy the carseat adapter ($60) and carseat ($150+)
• getting the all-terrain, an infant carseat, a snap 'n go carseat frame, AND a lightweight stroller
• this little plan would end up costing ~$700+ when all is said and done

Bottom line, we need an infant carseat and those can be pricey by themselves! The ones that we were looking at range from $150-$200+!!! Whoa!!! Since we would also be in the market for a more compact stroller as well, we compromised and found an inexpensive travel system (that comes with an infant car seat) for the same price (if not cheaper) than the infant seats alone. --> Yes, we will have 2 strollers.

So we'll also be purchasing this little beauty:

Graco Stylus Travel System - Ben

This stroller will be used mostly for the first few months of baby's life, as the baby's primary infant carseat and as our smaller, more compact stroller for shopping and mall trips. The price tag on this guy is only about $175 (with coupon) and so it ends up being the same price (if not cheaper) than purchasing the $60 adapter bar and an infant carseat for the all-terrain stroller... we're basically getting a free stroller by going this route. 

So that's the plan as of now - I am of course continuing to research. But at this point, this seems to be the most logical and inexpensive solution. Of course if anyone has any others, I would love to hear them!

14w4d

Made it in on time this week :o)

Overall a good week - yesterday was probably the best I've felt this entire pregnancy! I actually made it through a meal without feeling sick and managed to get through the day without needing my Tums!!! I know it seems silly, but that was actually a huge milestone for me and hopefully an indication of good things to come! I've also been sleeping and napping a lot less and still managing to function, so hopefully that means that some of my energy is returning as well. Now all I need is some nice weather, so we can go on walks!

How far along: 14w4d

This weeks' weight gain/loss: +1lbs

Total weight gain/loss: -13lbs

Maternity clothes: Old Navy was having a great sale this week, with free shipping and 30% off I couldn't pass up the opportunity to score some inexpensive summer items. Most of them will be too big on me yet, but I'll keep the ones that I like and that will give me room to grow.

Stretch marks: definitely some around my hips and lower abdomen

Best moment this week: shopping for our glider/rocker and stroller!!!

Movement: starting to feel quite a few twinges and flutters - possibly baby???

Food cravings: feeling better this week than I have in a long time, and was able to stomach much more regular food than I have been lately. Still no real cravings yet though, but stay turned ;o)

Gender: ???

What I miss: margaritas lol we went to my fave mexican restaurant the other night and everyone was walking around with them, I wanted one sooooooo bad! But I know this will be worth it :o)

Milestones: almost to the 4 month mark (whoa) and have "officially" started baby shopping!!!

Disney

I don't know if it's because we have a little one on the way, or what. But lately I have been obsessed with all things Disney! I've always been a fan of the Disney classics and collected the videos over the years. We're now currently in the process of collecting the BluRay editions, as they are released.

Regardless, I would like Disney to be a big part of out little one's childhood years. We've already begun with the Winnie the Pooh elements in the nursery, and I have been searching for ways to take it even further.

Another design element that I really like for children, is fantasy - I feel like every child should grow up with a limitless imagination. My own favorite things as a child, were based on this concept of fantasy and adventure - I would like to pass that along to my child now.

While pondering this concept, I came across this artist and his beautiful pieces of artwork:

This is a series done by Thomas Kinkade, and I just think that he does a fabulous job of capturing the fantasy and magic of Disney. The colors and composition are just so imaginative and whimsical - I love them!

I only wish that he had done even more of the classic Disney films and characters...

I would love to put these up in a playroom at some point. After we finish our master bedroom remodel, I would like to finish part of our basement and make room for a permanent play area and theater room where these pieces might be displayed. I think they would fit perfectly in a space such as that.

13w5d

I know, I know... I'm already late with my weekly pregnancy update. We're only on the second week of updates and I'm already behind! But in my defense, it was a busy weekend and I had to work on Saturday - because of that I took the day off from work today, and so today is really like my Sunday :o)

No less, here's what's been going on this week...


How far along: 13w5d

This weeks' weight gain/loss: -2lbs

Total weight gain/loss: -14lbs

Maternity clothes: with all of the weight loss, my regular clothes are actually fitting better!

Stretch marks: possibly some beginning around my hips - sigh

Best moment this week: picking up our nursery furniture!!!

Movement: nothing yet - lots of round ligament pain and little twinges here and there

Food cravings: nausea is back with a vengeance this week :o(

Gender: ???

What I miss: wanting to eat and being able to :o(

Milestones: "officially" in the 2nd trimester!!!

Pooh Prints

Last week the Winnie the Pooh art prints that we ordered for the nursery arrived in the mail - they're perfect! Exactly what we were looking for! The colors in the prints are just so vibrant, and they really match the colors of the bedding set that we picked out.

So today we went out in search of frames, with which to display these art pieces. The nursery furniture that we ordered is an espresso color, and we knew that it would be difficult to find an exact match for our frames. So instead of obsessing, we did the best that we could. We got lucky and were able to find some very inexpensive frames at Walmart that, although aren't an exact match, are close enough to look great with the wood of the rest of the pieces in the room. So, here's the finished product(s)...

Sorry for the poor quality picture - this was taken with a cell phone.

But don't they look great?! We couldn't be more thrilled with how they turned out!

All together, each framed print only cost $10!!! Already assembled sets cost upwards of $100 for something very similar. I was glad that we were able to do this for so cheap, and honestly I think they look great (if I do say so myself ;o)! And of course, they're exactly what we wanted for the room :o)

Inspiration

I have slowly been collecting ideas and inspiration for our nursery - unfortunately, we cannot actually put any of these plans into practice until we get the upstairs remodel finished lol So in the meantime, the ideas and inspiration continue to pile up and so this seems like a good place to compile them :o)

If you'll recall from a few posts back, we've already purchased our nursery furniture. We decided to go with a nice dark wood, and will add pops of color throughout the room to brighten things up.

We've also already purchased our nursery bedding set, and have gone with a multi-colored gender neutral ensemble. We're hoping to get a lot of use out of our nursery gear, and use it for any future children (of any gender) as well. So this is the set that we purchased:

For the wall color, we've decided to go with a nice and bright gender neutral yellow. Green with another option, but we already have green in the office across the hall and so I wanted something different.

Something else we would like to do is an accent wall, to go behind the crib. We've finally decided on a multi-colored square accent wall, which will be painted to match the colors of the nursery bed set.

And finally, I wanted there to be some sort of running, consistent theme throughout the room. As a child, my favorite character was always Winnie the Pooh :o) Now, I've searched high and low for tasteful Pooh themed nurseries and most of them were just too tacky for my taste. As a result, I've decided to just add some subtle Pooh accents to the nursery theme and decor that we've already decided on.

So far, I've registered for Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals, blankets, toys, etc.

We also recently purchased these beautiful and colorful art prints to hang on the wall:

I just love the colors - they go really well with the colors in the nursery bed set, as well as the colors of the squares that we will be painting on the accent wall! Plus, they're super cute and so it's a win-win situation :o)

We've also thrown around the idea of adding a vinyl wall decal somewhere in the room, featuring a quote from Winnie the Pooh. But that idea has yet to be formally accepted and/or decided on at this point.

Another touch we are considering, is attaching multi-colored paper lanterns to the ceiling above the rocker.

This pictures makes the concept look a little too busy, with two clusters of lanterns. Ours will only be one single cluster over the rocking chair, so I think it will have a different effect. We're hoping that it will carry the colors across the length of the room - the accent wall, nursery bedding, and Pooh art prints will be on the left side of the room, while these paper lanterns would be on the right side.

I also like this clock, but I'm not sure if it's a little too modern contemporary for the room.

Soooooooo... what do you guys think???

Thoughts, ideas, suggestions???

12w4d

I thought it might be fun to start a little pregnancy check-in :o)

I don't have much in the way of a bump to share with you all yet, but maybe some stats will suffice in the meantime?! I figure if I update every Sunday, it will be something nice to look back on as the time progresses.

How far along: 12w4d

Total weight gain/loss: -12lbs

Maternity clothes: not yet, but I have had to unbutton a few times lol

Stretch marks: nope

Best moment this week: seeing our little one at the NT Scan

Movement: not feeling anything yet, but can hear s/he moving around while using the doppler

Food cravings: still no appetite - sigh :o(

Gender: ???

What I miss: enjoying food and being able to finish a meal!

Milestones: entering the 2nd trimester!!!