Head Band-ing

A few of the "final products..."

In response to the aforementioned "situation" where Ryan and I were unable to determine if a random baby was a boy or girl (and in conjunction with our not-overly-pink wardrobe per Ryan's preference), I've been hunting down hair accessories to help us avoid the "What a lovely...um...baby!" reaction and encourage the "What a lovely little girl!" reaction.

This baby girl's closet has turned out to be more feminine than fun, which has made finding coordinating hair accessories a little more challenging than expected.  Really, there are a lot of options out there, but the affordable ones seem to only be available in bright colors and patterns, and the  "softer"/daintier options seem to be way expensive.  After creating my ideal hair accessory wardrobe in my Etsy cart, the final price was a bit alarming--after all, she will be growing out of these things relatively quickly and many of them match only one outfit!  And, of course, there's the artist in me (as well as the Type A personality) that knew deep down I could make these headbands myself...

So I did.  I don't know why, perhaps because I have a million other things I'm trying to accomplish and prepare for in the following weeks, but I really didn't feel like making felt flowers from scratch, which is why I procrastinated so much on this project.  As I sent Ryan off on his final trip before the baby comes, I figured I'd better take advantage of my last weekend at home alone, so I decided to check out the semi-homemade options at Michael's and JoAnn Fabrics...and was surprised.  Although the options on Etsy were definitely cuter and more creative, for the price, the craft store options were pretty decent.

I ended up spending about a third of my Etsy dream cart total, and in about an hour I had 20 headbands to show for my effort! And, truthfully most of that hour was spent configuring the headbands to her outfits.  The lesson here?  Hot glue = miracle worker!  Although I like some better than others, it was a lot easier than expected, and I figure these semi-homemade options will tide me over until my creative energy needs another outlet...because I already have the nagging voice in the back of my brain challenging me, "Seriously, you could make Etsy-ier headbands if you wanted to...and you know you do!"  One day, maybe sooner than later...A nap time activity for mom, maybe?

My favorite? The totally impractical neutral one with the "brooch," which will only be used for pictures. :)

Dear Feet

Hey, everyone has bad days...

Dear Feet,


I know we've had our ups and downs throughout life, but I feel that our relationship has weathered the storm quite well.  I know that we've hit a rough patch as of lately, so I just want to take a moment to encourage you.


I think our problems started at the beginning of May; when the weather turned hot, our relationship turned cold.  You had been so patient with me during this whole pregnancy, even to the extent that I thought we'd be able to avoid the pitfalls that so many pregnant women and their feet fall into, even despite a summer due date.  Perhaps that was my fault--being too arrogant to think it could happen to us.  But it did, and you ended up enflamed.  Literally.


You have made yourself quite clear--you're done.  Over this pregnancy AND this weather.  And let me say, I agree!  But unfortunately this baby isn't done growing, the summer is just starting, and we made a commitment to stay together through good times and bad.  I'm doing everything I can to ensure that you're happy: I drink water, I stay off of you, I avoid salt...but it never seems enough for you, and I'm at my wit's end.  If only we could go back to how it was before...because we DID have some good times, right?


Remember when we ran that half-marathon?  You thought you'd never make it through alive, but I believed in you.  And we did it!  Remember the sense of accomplishment we felt? And how nicely I treated you after the race?  What about the three years you spent supporting me for 9+ hours at a time "visually merchandising?"  I always tried to keep you in mind--avoiding torturous high heels for much more sensible ballet flats--and in return you didn't give out on me, despite the occasional grumbling and groaning on your part.  And all of those pedicures I treated you to: Did they mean NOTHING?


And now we're having a baby.  We can do it!  Just like everyone keeps telling me how being pregnant is "beautiful" (despite what the mirror says), let me just say that you're still beautiful...at least to me.  And if you ever are feeling bad about yourself and how fat you are, just take a gander at Hands and Face.  They're catching up to you quite quickly, and pretty soon people won't even notice you anymore.  And remember, it's "just water weight," which the doctor says should go away within a few weeks of having the baby.  (Hands and Face, that goes for you, too!)


So I hope you'll stick it out for the long haul, Feet.  We've only got a couple more weeks to go!  We can do it!  And when you're feeling down, keep this mental picture in your head (because you WILL lose that "baby weight" and return to a normal size, I promise!):

Ah, Maui!

Maybe we could get together for a pedicure sometime soon?  For old time's sake?  Just let me know...you know where to reach me.


Love,
Talie

Grandma Blankets (cont.)

Hand-knit with love by Grandma (or should I say Great Grandma!)

70s for sure!

Earlier I mentioned my grandmother's penchant for baby blankets and my request for one in yellow ombre...and here it is!  I didn't expect it to turn out looking so 70s, but I LOVE that it gives off that vibe.  It was a bit more of a hassle for her than I originally intended, but it was worth the effort because we'll keep it in the baby's "hope chest" forever. :)

A classic pink baby blanket...

Oh, and of course, she also made us the basic light pink blanket to take Baby Shove home from the hospital in...

An Old-Fashioned Book Report

A few items from my baby-belly library...

I love to read, which is definitely a beneficial trait when preparing for a first baby.

We've had a ton of recommendations from friends on books to read, so I thought I'd share my thoughts a few that I've read so far.  (Once again, these are just my opinions...take 'em or leave 'em!)

ON BEING PREGNANT


I'm Pregnant!: When we found out I was pregnant, Ryan and I immediately went to Barnes & Noble to get some reading material and "What to Expect When You're Expecting" was on the top of our list.  However, after seeing how much the cover price was, Ryan convinced me to pay way less and just get a copy on our iPad. Then he started traveling...and took the iPad with him.

Early on, however, a friend gave me a copy of "I'm Pregnant!," which has become my substitute "guide."  I really, really like this book, even though it doesn't seem to be a popular one.  It's written by a female doctor, and because I enjoy knowing the ins-and-outs of every detail, I was enthralled by a lot of the illustrations (bonus!) and information she presents.  

This book starts with conception and gives an in-depth look at the (miraculous) number of things that have to occur perfectly in order to get pregnant.  It was my favorite part and extremely fascinating.  I have read "What to Expect Before You're Expecting," which covers similar material, but I found this book's explanation to be way more detailed and "scientific."

The rest of the book is divided into increments of a few weeks at a time and tells you what's happening with the baby's growth, what to expect at your doctor's visits and changes that are likely occurring with your body (pretty basic stuff).  It explains about disorders and potential problems, why certain tests are performed, etc., which was great for me since I like to know my worst-case scenarios up front.  The book ends (of course) with delivery and is one of the few things I've read that really is objective in presenting birthing options.  Whether you want an elective c-section or a home birth, this book tells you what to expect, good and bad.

The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy: This book came highly recommended to me by a lot of moms, and, although the least informative of my readings, it certainly was the most entertaining.  A copy had been passed down to me, and what I didn't realize before starting the book was that it was an old edition from the mid-90s.  You can imagine my surprise and delight at some of the outdated tips and references, most notably in the fashion section.  At the mention of how stylish Laura Ashley and velour dresses are for pregnant women, I finally clued in and checked the reference page for the published-on date. :)

This was one of the first books I read front-to-back, and it's a quick, easy read.  With a sense of humor and good-natured self-effacingness, this book presents a lot of the grimy details of pregnancy in a way that gives you a sense of camaraderie with other pregnant women.  Overall, it was a funny, light read, very appropriate for the beach or vacation.

I've also heard that Jenny McCarthy's pregnancy books are great for female humor, and although I might still read them, I chose this particular book because it seemed the quintessential option.

ON NATURAL BIRTH

Husband-Coached Childbirth (The Bradley Method): The Bradley method basically approaches childbirth as a bodily function that any woman can and should handle naturally.  This seems to be the prevalent philosophy of all of our natural-childbirth-advocating friends, which is why I ordered this book...and then was told it was the wrong one!  Oops.  (There's a basic Bradley Method "workbook" that I should've chosen apparently.)  It had already shipped by the time I realized my mistake, so I figured I might as well read it.  About three sentences in I realized that this particular book was actually meant for husbands to read. Oops #2.  Oh, well--it was here and since I don't own the real Bradley book, I read this one anyway.

It's definitely written to convince and build confidence in husbands/coaches, which was interesting but clearly not applicable to me as a pregnant woman.  (I did find it a bit repetitive and slow in some parts: Yes, we get it.  You should be sympathetic to your pregnant wife and offer to help her around the house as much as possible.)   However, this book did go over the Bradley exercises, psychology and diet that IS applicable to me, so that was helpful.  I enjoyed the medical tidbits sprinkled throughout the pages but could've lived without the "Go team!" anecdotes. :)  After the third or fourth story of how wonderful it was to see Patient X "smile after giving birth as she walked herself to the recovery room," I had gotten the point...

If you absolutely don't ever even want to consider an unmedicated childbirth, DON'T GET THIS BOOK or (I assume) any other Bradley books.  I warn you simply because they are extremely anti-medicine and take the stance that medicated babies and mothers are at a disadvantage from the start, i.e., you will probably find the material condescending and infuriating.

If you know Ryan at all, you know he's never been "a reader," so I told him that once he's done traveling (one more week!) that I'd read the pertinent parts to him.  That's true love, folks.

As for the REAL Bradley book, I may still get it--especially as we get closer and I'm eager to pass the time.  For right now, though, I think I'll just translate and practice the methods from this book.

HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method: Okay, okay, everyone get your eye rolling done now.  Done? Good.

I almost didn't include this book in my "review" because the concept is a little unusual (read: wacky) by today's standards, but as I have cautiously been mentioning this philosophy to people, I've found a lot of women who have either (somewhat secretly or somewhat unknowingly) used this method.  In a nutshell, the concept is that (similar to the Bradley method) childbirth is a normal human function that the body is meant to perform, and that the notion of a hysterical, overly-painful birth is a modern and self-induced concept.

In the same way that adrenaline is known to make people commit seemingly impossible feats of strength and courage, "HypnoBirthing" claims that the mind can make childbirth (almost) painless.  It focuses on self-hypnosis and relaxation, with the logic that the body cannot experience pain while simultaneously releasing endorphins--which you can train your brain to do on command.  Do I believe it? Well, that's a sticky question...

The short answer is yes.  The rub is that with this method, it's only as effective as you believe it will be, so that if you are unsuccessful in using it, the response by its followers would be, "Well, it didn't work because you doubted it."  After exploring this method and the Bradley method, I don't think they're mutually exclusive, and from gathering our friends' experiences, it would seem that women instinctively used some form of hypnobirthing to get through the pain; the main difference is that Bradley also focuses on the physical aspect of birthing, not just the mental aspect.

I think this book is worth reading--unless you think hypnosis is a bunch of whooey to begin with.

ON TAKING CARE OF A BABY

Baby Wise: Clearly this is the #1 philosophy our generation has found to create "well-behaved" babies.  Simply put, the idea is that adults naturally thrive on a flexible schedule, and thus babies (who are people) do too.  Feed, play, then sleep every three-ish hours, and you will have a happy baby.  It might sound crazy to those free-wheeling personalities out there, but my personal observation of Baby Wise babies is that it works.

I enjoyed the research and statistics presented in this book because they appeal to my personality type, but could get boring to people who are blind believers.  Not actually having a baby to practice on currently, I did find myself a little overwhelmed at the different ifs/ands/buts presented: Tell me that I need to start the cycle everyday at 6 a.m./9 a.m./noon/etc., and I'm good.  Throw in the "unless the baby seems to be hungry at 8:30 a.m.," and I'm a little freaked out.  Baby Wise actually discounts both free-feeding and over-scheduling, of which I find myself definitely leaning toward the latter.  As someone who knows NOTHING about babies and is anxious at the thought of being one's primary caretaker, the notion of predictability calms me down, so hopefully our baby will follow in my footsteps a bit and actually thrive on a somewhat rigid schedule...fingers crossed!

Clearly I've never used this method myself, but I think you'd be crazy not to at least read this book and consider this philosophy.   I will readily admit that I haven't and won't read up on the opposite philosophy of this book (free-feeding, co-sleeping, child-directed parenting) simply because it's just not who I am.  (Not saying that it's bad, I just don't live my current life that way and know it won't be a parenting style that works for me.)

As we get closer to our due date, I think I'll be skimming the pages of this book one more time just to remind myself of all of the ifs/ands/buts so that I don't panic the first time that the baby is hungry at 8:30 a.m. :)

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: This is what I'd consider the European version of "Baby Wise:" a little "lighter" and less high-strung in its views.  Essentially, the concept is the same, with a few additions.  The author is British, so warning, if you gag at British euphemisms (she does refer to you as "ducky" and "love" quite a bit), you won't enjoy this book.

The major differences, it seems to me, are these:

1. The author goes beyond the simple scheduling philosophy with the notion that there are inherent personality types that make babies more responsive to different types of interactions.  This was interesting to me, and may prove beneficial if we struggle to soothe our baby.

2. She advocates a schedule from Day One, while the Baby Wise philosophy gives you a bit of time to adjust.  Which is right?  No clue here!  I figure we're going to have to wing it since it's our first baby.

3.  "The Baby Whisperer" focuses a lot on treating your baby like a human, i.e. with respect.  The book talks a lot about viewing your baby as a person and not a "baby," especially in what you explain to them.  (Basically, she wants you to tell the baby everything that you're doing, like wiping their bottom, before you do it so that the baby has fair warning like an adult would want.)

4. The information is presented in VERY anecdotal terms, which isn't really convincing to me (for the most part).  However, the information was a little easier to digest for me than "Baby Wise" because there weren't a lot of numbers and stats to process in addition to the scheduling.  It's a little more feel-good than "Baby Wise," if that's what you need.

You could definitely get away without reading this book and just stick to "Baby Wise;" however, the slight differences might give you an idea that's helpful down the road, so I'd say read it if you have time.

I have read (or at least skimmed) a few other books during my pregnancy, but none of them were really that fabulous (or horrible) to be worth mentioning.  I hope this helps any other pregnant girls out there who are overwhelmed by a sea of information.  Overall, I would say if you hate to read, choose "I'm Pregnant!" and "Baby Wise," and you'll be fine. (Right, Ryan? :) )

36 Weeks

Another week, another growth spurt!

I can't believe it's been a full nine months! It's the strangest feeling to respond to the question "When are you due?" in terms of weeks (three and a half!) instead of months...

I read the other day that the 40-week gestation calculation isn't truly accurate, that 41-and-1/7 weeks is actually more realistic, so I'm trying not to get excited.  I'm prepared for the long haul, and unless we hit July 1st, I'll be patient.  At that point, I may not get out of bed in the mornings, and my 66-degree household may become a 60-degree household!  Bundle up...

Nursery Update: Details!

Where Baby Shove will lay her little head to sleep...

The nursery is (finally) done!  Although I originally thought that I'd be done way sooner, I should've known better; I am way too OCD to make anything simple...especially these days! :)

So we started out with this amazing yellow painterly paisley fabric, but as you may have read, I panicked about limiting my decorating to only yellow and brown.  After some thought and inspiration, I decided to add aqua and chartreuse, which opened up a world of options--and slowed my process down a bit.  Now that everything is said and done, I am SO pleased with my decision to add color, regardless of the extra time and effort it took to pull the room together.

CHANDELIER:

I have some burlap chandelier shades in storage that I may add to this later on, but right now it brings a lot of much needed light to the room, so I'm skipping them for the moment.  If/when we do move, I have matching sconces that would (in theory) go on either side of the crib.  Right now it's too permanent of a project (rewiring and all), so we'll just wait until our next home to get use out of them.

I LOVE this chandelier.  Vintage/girlie/understated?  Perfect.

PAINTINGS:

I've owned these eclectic frames for a while, and thought they'd be perfect for over the crib.  Originally I was just going to do Etsy-ish letters in them to spell out her monogram, but I was feeling inspired to paint, and took the opportunity to add color to the walls.  Unfortunately I had to "white out" our baby girl's first and middle names in the pictures (since we're keeping it a surprise), but you can get the idea of what they look like from the "Shove" frame:

I am really excited how these paintings turned out--definitely the right choice.

BEDDING:

I decided to let a professional seamstress make the bedding, which was definitely wise.  Because our crib is so oddly shaped, it took me enough time and energy to put together the instructions on how the items (the bumper in particular) needed to be constructed that I was over it before a stitch was even sewn.  In fact, throughout the process of having the bedding made, the seamstress even expressed how difficult of a project it was, so I'm glad I didn't waste my time.  I ended up having her make a bumper, toddler duvet and throw pillow.  The yellow crib sheet's store-bought, and the tiered, ruffled burlap bedskirt is my handiwork.

Ruffled edges in solid yellow with painterly paisley ties

A solid yellow crib sheet (with back-ups in fun patterns for late-night changes)

Toddler duvet (for future use) and Grandma's ivory blanket

Ruffled burlap crib skirt with tiers for extra style

CHANGING TABLE/WINDOWS:

Our changing table is awesome; it has a changing table topper that allows the piece to be used as a sideboard when removed.  It's caned doors are antique-y and will match our home's decor for longterm use.  Meanwhile, it definitely adds to the vintage vibe of the nursery while still being very functional.

The window panels are "parsley" colored, and we used tiered, ruffled voile panels to block the sun for afternoon naps.  I think the addition of the voile panels really softened up the grown-up feel the parsley curtains...and blocked my backyard neighbor's view! :)

I like that this mirror is sophisticated but not formal.

RUG:

Oh, the rug.  This was perhaps the hardest decision for me in the whole nursery.  The moral of my rug dilemma is this: Go with your instinct.  When I first thought about adding blues and greens to my color scheme, this rug was the first one I found, and I was instantly in love.  However, just like any OCD person would do, I had to look through about a thousand (literally) other options and hem and haw for about six weeks before ordering this one.  (Hey, it's a big statement piece in the room, and I'm going to be stuck with it for a long time, so I wanted to be sure...)  When it came in, I was so pleased, and since then it's been a major inspiration for my other elements (especially the paintings).  

I'm a bit worried that the dogs will dirty it quickly, but I've had difficulty finding a good alternative to Scotch-Guarding.  Right now I just try to steer them away from it as much as possible...which is hard to do, especially considering Olive's dog bed (which is made of white voile to match our window treatments) is dangerously close to the rug. :) 

This rug absolutely had THE PERFECT colors for the room!  (Olive's bed and a toy bin in the background...)

READING NOOK:

Our nursery's not a super big space, but I really wanted a little "activity area" for books and toys.  My solution was a bench with baskets for storage (which right now are holding a million blankets!) with a book rack hung on the wall.  I've also got a collapsible toy bin (which is full already) in the corner for quick clean-ups.

I also really wanted a way to display the baby's monthly pictures, and after running through several different options, I decided to go with a simple pinboard.  My other thoughts were too complicated, and ultimately I realized that I just needed an easy way to add new pictures month-by-month.  Right now it's empty--but pretty soon it'll be filling up quickly! 

The reading bench was an easy way to add storage space, and with colorful pillows it's super cozy!

A pinboard for her monthly pictures, a place to store books and somewhere to hang headbands?  Check!

SEATING:

I love that my chair is super comfortable.  I'm already getting a lot of use out of it--as is Olive. :)  I opted not to purchase the matching ottoman because I wanted the furniture pieces to feel eclectic (and to add more color to the space).  (In fact, none of my furniture is from the same collection, but I think it all blends well together.)  The nightstand is handy for storage, and the lamp has a dimmer for late nights.  I adore the lamp and its shade (burlap) because it looks like an antique but is super functional (and safer than an actual antique!).

Also, I got a great deal on a HUGE shelf for next to the rocker, and since I'm a vignette-y type decorator, it's really been nice to have somewhere for a few picture frames and colorful accessories.  

Olive is already enjoying cuddling in the rocker with me...or alone even!

A few little decorative items for fun

The bird nests that originally gave me the idea to add blue and green... 

Right now the frames have pictures from our Gender Reveal, but I'm ready for baby pictures to replace them! :)

Most of this stuff was already in our home and was easily repurposed!

So there's a few details of the nursery!  I've been a bit crazy and obsessive over this space, and I can't believe it's finally done...although decorating is really never truly done.  (Right, ladies?)

The only "big" thing I haven't decided on yet is whether I'm going to make a mobile for over the crib.  I'm not a huge fan of how they look, and right now I'm very happy with the paintings being the focal point for that part of the room.  However, I know that mobiles are great for keeping babies entertained, so I'm still contemplating making one.  Other than that, we're ready...or at least her room is ready ! :)

35 Weeks

Growing still!

As any of you Southerners may have noticed, it's super hot out.  I would say that I've been trying to keep out of the heat, but that would be a lie.  I have a definite impending sense of a deadline that's been haunting me (yesterday was one month from my official due date!), and so I've been running around like a crazy person trying to get everything in order.

Since our last baby shower was on Saturday, you can imagine my delight when BuyBuyBaby had a bonus registry event on Sunday.  (You only get one completion coupon, and so I'm glad to be able to save that for any post-baby needs.)  I went in with a plan: I went alone so that I could be efficient. I knew which items I needed to wait to use the infamous 20% coupons on, and which were either cheap enough not to matter much or were excluded brands.  I arrived early.  I wore my workout clothes and shoes (and had planned on working out afterwards...ha!).  I brought a bottle of water, a copy of my registry and all of my gift cards.  I was ready.

Fast forward three hours.

(Sound familiar?)  It was a mess...and crowded.  And I've realized that I have a knack for falling in love with discontinued or overly popular (and thus out-of-stock) items.  Four separate online orders, a special direct-from-vendor order and a cart full of "stuff" later, and I was done.  I'm not going to lie--I was HOT, sweating and my feet were swollen, but it was worth it.  We're almost all ready, although we're in the midst of gathering a few last 20% coupon items (because they'll only let you use one coupon a day, depending on who checks you out of course), and mostly everything is organized and in its place.

I also had a doctor's appointment today (which, yay!, Ryan was able to attend), and we're chugging along like normal.  I met with my primary doctor, Dr. Jo, and went over a couple of small questions I had lingering.  She "checked" me--nothing doing so far, which is great since Ryan has two more weeks of travel left before coming home to await this baby with me.

Now the clock's just ticking down...

Nanny's Big Shower

Pink and green made such a girlie setting!

No one throws a party like Wendi Shove, and if you've been to one before, you know what I mean!

Ryan's mom (a.k.a. "Nanny") threw us a baby shower today, and her list-making and crafting and cooking and decorating truly showed off her creativity and love for a theme. :)  Hot pink and green--it was 100% G-I-R-L from rock candy to polka dots, with a touch of baby birds to top it all off.  Never one to shy away from a motif, Wendi really topped herself this time!

When I walked into Wendi's house, beyond being overwhelmed by the extent and elaborateness of the party decor, my first thought was, "Man, she must be running on adrenaline!" because I know how much time and energy it must've taken her to get everything set up just right.  (I'm sure she will sleep soundly tonight! :) )  She hand-crafted almost everything, from a "custom" piece of art where each guest got to stamp a bird or leaf onto a tree to baby-belly shaped food labels to a tree centerpiece with fancy, feathered birds and pinwheels...so many details were carefully thought-of and executed!

Mmm...Piece of Cake!

My sister-in-law Lisa helped Wendi in her baby shower-ing, and the centerpiece of the dessert table was THE BEST strawberry cake from Piece of Cake.  If you've never had it, you should.  They only sell it during the summer (and on Valentine's Day, which I know because I got up at 8 a.m. this year to ensure that I got one for our Valentine's dinner!), and it is uh-mazing.  If there were ever anyone who knows where to get good food (of any kind) in Atlanta, it's "Aunt Lisa," and really she couldn't have read my mind better on this one!  (I even stole a piece for Ryan--news that he was very excited to hear even being all the way in Ireland.)

Wendi is very blessed to have an amazing group of women to call her friends, and they've been so gracious to Ryan and I throughout our life events.  It's a true testimony to her friendship to them as well as their love for her that they have been so supportive to us, and for that we are so thankful.  It was great to see so many of them because it's rare to see them beyond her annual Christmas party and the occasional run-in around Alpharetta.  It was also fun to celebrate this baby officially with my mom (although we've been informally celebrating along the way!), Ryan's Aunt Alana (who chose to be surprised with the baby's gender at the shower for the first time!) and a few sweet friends as well, making for a fun mix of people from different areas of our lives.

As for the shower itself, we ate, and talked, and ate, and ate...in usual Shove-shindig style. :)  This was definitely the shower that rounded out our baby girl's closet, with a TON of cute, girlie clothes that I know will be put to good use.  (Right about now I think we're at needing at least three outfit changes per day for the first year in order to get through all of the clothes!)  In fact, Wendi's grand finale was a cart literally FILLED (and even overflowing) with baby outfits--complete from head-to-toe with hats and shoes to match!  Everyone gasped when she rolled it out, knowing that she really outdid herself this time. :)  (Of course I didn't get a picture of it--boo!)

I did manage to get a picture of this girl, my mom's "big gift" for the shower...she's about four feet tall and so cute!

What should we name her?

Overall, it was a wonderful event, and I'm thankful to everyone who spent a Saturday afternoon helping us prepare for this baby girl.  You guys are a blessing.

And, of course, THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH to Wendi and Lisa for throwing a shower I'll always remember! We'll never be able to tell you how much we love you guys.

Traveling Husband

How do you explain to this little lady where Ryan is all the time?

If you've been following our lives over the past few months, you know that Ryan's been traveling perhaps more than ever, and won't be surprised when I mention that I just said goodbye to him as he heads for a quick jaunt to Northern Ireland.  For the past four years it's been a large part of our lives, and although we really would love to spend every waking moment together, it's not realistic, so we've got a bit of a routine down (well, as much of a routine as not having a routine can be!) and are pretty used to it by now.

Since being pregnant, I clearly can't travel with him, so that's left me at home to man the fort and the business, which I've taken to quite well and am really enjoying.  Ryan and I have always worked (even on the side) for ourselves, and have included one another on projects on occasion, believing that we work well alongside but not "for" one another.  Over the past nine months, it's been really great to see that we can actually like being on projects together, although we've been working on taking one another's opinions more seriously, since we both naturally tend to believe our opinion is the best (of course). :)

It's funny how work, more specifically work that requires travel, comes in major waves, and this spring it's been SUPER crazy (thanks, God, for the business).  It's gotten to the point where Ryan's been traveling back-to-back(-to-back-to-back) with perhaps only a day or so at home in between--if we're lucky.  I've gotten into counting how long he'll be with us by hours, not days.   The upside is that he loves the airport, the excitement, the experiences and hasn't really grown tired of it, although he misses being at home and we miss him terribly.  Those days in between travels have become tougher as of recently, and always end up with me teary eyed as he heads down to the West Economy Lot yet again.

The saddest part of it all is the dogs.  Unfortunately they don't understand why Ryan isn't here lately, and Olive's taken to sleeping on the steps near the front door waiting for him.  Every night I tell her how long until he comes home and kiss her goodnight.  Depressing, right? The upside is that her little puppy heart nearly explodes every time he walks through that door, which makes up for her temporary depressions. :)

Oscar, on the other hand, I think relishes Ryan being gone a bit.  He really takes to being the man of the house (because he has an excuse to bark more), but I swear I can see relief on his face every time Ryan comes home.  (Hey, keeping a constant, watchful eye can be stressful and exhausting!)  Oscar sleeps in Ryan's spot when it's vacant, which doesn't help to curb his inflated sense of manhood, but it does give me some welcomed nighttime company.

Keeping watch for bad guys and for Ryan's return...

Happy to hear when Ryan's coming home soon!

The silver lining to having Ryan gone almost continuously over the past three months is that he'll be 100% at home during late June and most of July.  When we first talked about this crazy spring schedule, I told him to travel to his heart's content and that I preferred an extra set of hands once the baby's here as opposed to having him jet off once she's born.  Although he'll definitely have work to do, thankfully his craft can be done outside of the normal 9-to-5 parameters so that we can divide and conquer when it comes to the baby--and for that, I know I'll be truly thankful...a first baby + two crazy dogs = a wife in need of a husband's help! :)  Luckily I've always been good at deferred gratification, so as long as I can make it through the next three weeks, life will be back to a more normal "normal."

34 Weeks

Whoa!

Can I get any bigger? (I guess the answer is "yes," although let's hope not!)  The baby clearly had a growth spurt over the past few weeks; I swear my stomach grows a few inches overnight-every-night!

The latest with the baby (besides continuing to be on track and doing fine) is that she gets hiccups--A LOT! The first time it happened, I was a bit confused; it felt like someone tapping my stomach to a beat, but considering I was alone when it happened (and don't believe in ghosts), I realized that her hiccuping was the likely culprit.  It was so unusual-feeling the first time, but slowly over the past two weeks it's been happening more and more.  "The books" say it's a good sign: It means she's practicing breathing, which is crazy to think about.  However, as the weeks have passed, it's gone from "every few days" to "a few times a day," including during my doctors appointment this morning...I have such a hard time concentrating on a conversation when it happens--sorry midwife!

And speaking of midwives, I met with one I loved this morning and asked her what to do about avoiding Disliked Midwife #1 and #2 during labor, and she gave me a couple of helpful tips.  Crossing fingers that now-named Adored Midwife #1 is on-call when this little lady decided to make an appearance!

Baby Shower at The Barn

Shower time!

Last night we had our first baby shower, and let me just brag on my wonderful friends--it was gorgeous and so much fun!

A relatively mild night (Thanks, God!) in downtown Roswell's Fickle Pickle with super feminine and vintage decorations, these girls really outdid themselves.  Ryan actually made it in town for the couples event, and as we were headed out the door with nothing in our hands, Ryan looked at me and said, "Well this feels great...we just show up?" :)  It's been a while since he's even been to a shower (say about seven years since our wedding?) let alone been the guest of honor, and although it was TOTALLY counterintuitive for us to not do a single thing for a party, it was also so nice.

Peach, coral and gray...oh, my!

Girlie decor for our little girlie

We arrived to a twilit room in the back barn, complete with tissue paper flowers (which I'm sure took a million years to construct!) and lanterns, mason jars of peach and coral ranunculus, roses and tulips (which are now graciously beautifying our home), and picture vignettes of Ryan and I themed "First comes love...then comes marriage...then comes baby!" (So, so, so cute!)  Really, I know how much time and energy it must've taken these girls to pull everything together (especially with kids, husbands and careers to attend to along the way!), and not only did they go above and beyond, but they really, truly made it an event that was so beautiful that I just wanted to sit and take everything in all night.

This guy...

Beyond how everything looked, it was also so fun to see our friends (especially for Ryan, who's been home a total of like three days this month) and to catch up and celebrate. The highlight of the night, I must say, was definitely Tim Carley and Eric Ragone's Dramatic Readings in between gifts.  The hostesses had requested our guests write a bit of advice to Ryan and I or to the baby, and to liven up the opening of presents, the boys entertained us by reading the "stacked" deck of notes (some sweet, but mostly they just ragged on Ryan).  One of the most fun shower "games" that I've ever witnessed, here are a few of my favorite funny excerpts (written to the baby)...

"When you're 16 and want two cars instead of just one, don't worry, just remind your mom that she bought you two cribs. A girl's gotta' have options."


"Remember that your dad will always have the better hair products to borrow."


"When you're ready for your first beer, come see your Uncle Shane."


"Just because your mom was Homecoming Queen doesn't mean you have to..."


"Whatever it is you want, make sure to ask your dad."

Uh-mazing.  And, of course, I made Ryan actually do all of the opening of gifts, which was funny to watch since he didn't know what most of the items' names or purposes, which gave the girls something to chuckle at as he squirmed. :)

Overall, it was a wonderful evening and as Ryan and I settled down into bed last night, we couldn't help but be overwhelmed by our wonderful friends.  God has surrounded us with people that inspire us, make us laugh, give great advice, are fun to celebrate with, give us hope, encourage us, and people who make us better in life.  We were so overwhelmed at everyone's generosity not only in helping us "set up shop" for the baby, but also in taking time out of their busy lives on a Saturday night to hang out for some literal "baby talk."  Thank you to everyone who made it out...you were wonderful!

And, of course, THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES OVER to Kristan Carley, Alli Finlay, Natalie Kitchen and Ashley Glover (and their hard-working husbands) for putting on an event we'll always remember! We'll never be able to show our gratitude enough...for last night, but mostly for being great friends.

And on a final note, man, that was one heck of a shower! :)

Partner in Crime

Belly monitor for the stress test

So I'm running into a potential problem with two midwives at our practice. Namely the problem is this: I can't stand them. :)

I know that's terrible to say, and if it was just a personality problem, then I'd be a Big Girl and wouldn't mention it.  However, since the midwives will be the ones with us in the delivery room for the majority of our time in the hospital, I think that liking them and knowing they'll listen to you are two very important aspects of the relationship (right?), and these particular midwives have failed on both accounts. I inquired of a nurse/friend what to do if either of these midwives are on-call when I go into labor, and the verdict was to basically just suck it up and not worry about what they think of me as I fight for the labor experience I want.  Luckily Ryan will be by my side and, despite being a generally nice guy, has a really intense protective side (poet/warrior) and will go head-to-head with whomever stands in our way.

And speaking of Ryan's dual personality, I believe that this little girl definitely has a bit of that in her.  I can tell (beyond basic intuition) because she's been really well-behaved and sweet during all of the poking and prodding and ultrasounds done by the staff members that have been nice and supportive.  On the other hand, when Disliked Midwife #1 was listening to her heartbeat (during the infamous Bellyflop Debacle) and was chastising me for a number of things that I disagreed with, she straight up KICKED the midwife's hand directly.  I was boiling over internally as she was jabbering on to me, but I held my tongue--which worked out well because the baby told her off FOR me.  The midwife was shocked for a second because it seemed like such a purposeful motion by the baby that it made her shut up.  I smirked and just looked at her silently. Take that!

You may think that it was just a small coincidence, which I did at first too. Then, I had an appointment with Disliked Midwife #2 (the same one who tried to force me to get a flu shot), and once again, as she tried to force a Zofran prescription upon me unnecessarily, the baby jabbed her harder than she's ever punched.  Once again the midwife was surprised because it was a direct hit and clearly was reflective of my attitude toward the discussion.  She made a comment about it, and my subsequent silence sufficed in ending the conversation.

AND THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN!  I'm not kidding.  Last week I met with a really nice doctor, and the baby handled his poking and prodding just fine, but because her movement has been way less than it has been previously, they did a stress test.  As they were prepping me for the belly monitor, I was finishing up with my list of questions, and came to my final problem: What are my options if either of these midwives are on-call during my labor? (Just wanted the doctor's official verdict on the subject.)  Unfortunately, as I was about to broach the subject, one of the midwives came in the room, and I had to hold my tongue...and then the baby about stuck her foot straight through my stomach in the direction of the midwife as if to say, "Hey, get the heck outta' here; we're talking about you!"  I almost laughed out loud!  In fact, the doctor actually did, commenting, "Well, at least we know she's moving now!"

I know it sounds crazy, but I really feel like I can tell what her personality is going to be like already, and I can't wait to see her grow up.  She's such a sweetheart most of the time, but she has opinions and  already won't let anyone mess with her.  (Her sweetness clearly comes from Ryan, but that opinionated attitude? Hmmm...I have no idea where she gets that from.  Must be a fluke.  Ha!)  Thankfully as I've gotten older I've learned to be a little better at holding my tongue, and, perhaps as a reward for my good behavior, God's given me a kid who will have the audacity (and excuse, since she'll be "an innocent kid who doesn't know any better") to say what I'm thinking...the perfect partner in crime!

(And, by the way, the other 99% of the staff members at our practice--doctors, nurses and midwives--are amazing, so the odds are in my favor for having a great midwife on-call for the delivery.  Also, just to quell any fears, the stress test turned out fine; she's just getting too big to move as much.  Yikes!)

33 Weeks

SEVEN weeks to go...give or take a few!

I walked into my 32 week appointment last Thursday and the first thing the doctor said was (well, actually, he exclaimed) "Whoa! You're having a giant baby!" Ha. He did my stomach measurement to make sure everything was okay, and despite looking huge, he said I'm right on track (and wrote "32 5/7 cm" on my chart, which would be exactly on target).  Just when I think I can't get any bigger, it happens!

On Set with Retro 8

My best function on Sunday? Stand-in for lighting...

I finally understand what it's like to be old.  Let me just say this: It stinks.

Since working from home full time, I've been trying to help out Ryan with Retro 8 Films more.  Over the past few days he's finally been shooting here in Atlanta, so I decided to help on set--but perhaps I overestimated my abilities at this stage in pregnancy.  It's HOT, and after a successful, 9-hour shoot (mostly outside in Piedmont Park) that ended with a flat tire and an arrival at home at 2:30 a.m., saying we were exhausted would be an understatement.  Truthfully, I almost felt bad being there because I wasn't of too much help; my hands and feet were so swollen they were painful to look at, and no one would let me carry barely anything.  Dead weight?  Maybe.

So yesterday when we had some guys doing guerrilla shooting around town, I relegated myself to being the taskmaster, riding along, making phone calls and (pretty much) just bossing them around.  In my element? Well, yeah, maybe. :)  The only problem? It was STILL HOT and, once again, an extremely long day.

Today I'm achy and sore and exhausted (Sleep? Who needs sleep?) and am walking around like a little old lady--a limp (from a KILLER middle-of-the-night charlie horse that's left my calf sore for two days now!), a stiff lower back, no energy and a cloudy brain.  I don't want to feel this way even for even half of a day, much less for the latter half of my life!  God, help me to stay active, competent and healthy as the decades pass...

Beyond resulting in my feeling physically old, the past few days have really made me appreciate Ryan even more than before.  When he's out of town for work without me, I forget how HARD he works, and how LONG his hours are.  I know that there's something in men that drive them to want to provide for their families, and I'm so proud that Ryan's found a way to do what he loves and make a living.  I think back four years to when he first quit his 9-to-5 job and how scared I was--in fact, I believe that I delayed him in even making that decision because of that fear (bad wife!)--and how life would be so different and less fulfilling for him if he hadn't followed his heart.

It will be interesting to see how much of our work lives change when this baby arrives (clearly mine has already adjusted over the past eight months), but regardless of the impact, I know that Ryan's talent and drive won't change, which is an encouraging constant.  Now if only God would protect his health too as we age, we'll be in good shape. (Pun intended.)

Organic Foods Update: B-

All that I came up with from Publix

People have been asking for an update on our resolution to eat organic, so here it goes...

I'd give us a B-. We're a few months in, and we've fallen into a pretty comfortable routine, which I consider a win. As a reminder, we're what I call "99% organic" in-house: There are certain foods that we can't live without that simply aren't organic; we don't worry about buying organic when we have people over; and we don't worry about it when we eat out. Basically, we aim to make the effort without being obsessive, limited and/or annoying.

The B- is mostly because we hit a low point in March really because of eating out (such a slippery slope--it becomes a major habit quickly for us), and in April Ryan's been traveling so much that his meals have almost exclusively been someone else's decision. Since I've been pretty much stuck at home alone with a no-unnecessary-travel-baby-belly, I've been able to indulge a little with our organic foods budget, which has been nice. I've been shopping almost exclusively at Whole Foods and definitely have a routine filled with favorite foods so that shopping trips have become pretty quick. When Ryan's home (and our budget has to feed two instead of one) I do have to make some decisions based on what groceries we need that week versus our organic goal. Occasionally I've run into a cycle where we happen to run out of a few expensive things in one week (like protein powder, prenatal vitamins, cheese or trail mix ingredients) and thus have had to maybe get a few all natural things instead of organic things, but I remind myself that it's just one week and it won't kill us.

And a side note: You'll notice that I'm doing all of the shopping because the one time I did send Ryan alone, he came home with two steaks, fresh shrimp, expensive cheese and prosciutto. A loverly dinner, but not exactly something to last us for a week! What can I say? He's an impulse buyer.

When Ryan specifically requested salads for dinner last night (for which I had NO ingredients on hand) and I was near a Publix, I decided to give it a try. I used to shop only at Publix and had bought their Greenwise brand previously, which made me hopeful for a successful shopping trip. To save a long story--it wasn't. It's not truly fair to compare Publix to Whole Foods since their customers and food philosophies are different, but I was really surprised at how limited their organic options were. For example, I wanted to get organic sour cream (Mexican salads), and they simply didn't offer any, which took me a lot of time and searching to figure out. Of the foods I could find, they were a lot more expensive than Whole Foods--to the extent that I opted to just get what Whole Foods would call "Stage 1" ground turkey (not really organic). I ended up only buying a few necessities and will be heading to Whole Foods tomorrow to finish up.

The ultimate moral of this story? When Ryan got home, I was eager to share my experience with him, but as he walked in the door he said, "Hey, let's go out to dinner tonight." Ha. Go figure. And that's what we did. Maybe I should give myself an "A+" for the extra effort... :)