Chickie sure is One Cute CUC!

I can hardly believe it's been 30 weeks already! Sometimes it feels like I've been pregnant for years, and other times it feels surreal that my little cucumber will be fully cooked and ready to play with everybody just 10 short weeks from now! 10 weeks is still a lot of time - over 2 months - but it definitely feels good to have made it this far and to know that we're in the home stretch. This week was a little off for me. My mom and I went shopping on Tuesday at THE CUTEST baby store in town (which I really do enjoy, but won't name here, and you'll see why in a second). Strange enough, while I was bent over looking at some awesome Ergo Babies, a whole shelf of something heavy came toppling down on the back of my head. My usual clumsy self didn't even touch any of it. The store owner was very nice and rushed over to make sure I was okay. I didn't want to cause any trouble since she had been so nice, so I ended up buying this beautiful black and camel Ergo (which I LOVE), but left the store more than a little shaken up.

After an hour nap on my parents' couch I felt better, but that night brought on THE WORST migraine ever! I couldn't sleep more than 10 minutes here and there because I can't lay on my stomach these days and the back of my head was killing me. From about 1 am - 5 am, I came out to the living room and laid down on the couch with packs of frozen veggies literally surrounding all sides of my head. I finally caved and took a couple of Tylenol around 5:30. The Tylenol really seemed to help ... that and a nice hot shower, some Mickey D's for lunch (thanks Robo and Gramma!), a few hours of "Property Virgins", and free pie Wednesday at Baker Square with Sean ;) My head still hurts a little bit here and there, but it's very VERY minimal compared to how I felt Tuesday night. I have my next doctor's appointment this coming Tuesday, so if my head still hurts at that point, I'll probably ask if there's anything else I should be doing.

And now for more fun Chickie Updates!!! ...

• Chris and I opened a savings account for Chickie! Maybe, with any luck, a semester or two of college will be in Chickie's cards by 2030 ... :)
• Chickie's book recommendations of the week: Goodnight Moon and Elmo's Guessing Game (*both books received 5 solid kicks ... the highest rating there is!)
• In fact, Chickie is continuing to kick all the time, especially when I'm lying down.
• Chickie's somewhere around 3 lbs (which means that at least 3 of the extra lbs I've been carrying around lately is NOT me! really it's not)
• Chickie's brain is really starting to take shape and is even capable of regulating body temperature.

Crib!

Second edition to the nursery was just as successful .... Yay Chris!

All that's missing is Chickie!

ACORN SQUASHed

29 weeks - one more to go until the real countdown begins!! - and size-wise Chicken Fry is measuring somewhere between a 2.5 and a 3.8 lb acorn squash. I don't know whether Chickie's facing up or down, right or left, punching or kicking, but one thing's for sure - our little ACORN SQUASH is starting to feel more than a little SQUASHED him/herself inside those tight quarters and isn't afraid to let that frustration show! This past Tuesday, I was lying on the couch after dinner when suddenly these tiny (yet fierce) kicks/punches started bouncing off me like rapid fire and didn't stop for over an hour! Chris LOVED this. The truth is that I did too. We're so happy to know Chickie is growing stronger and stronger and getting more and more excited to come out and meet everyone soon.

The doctor's office called with the results of my gestational diabetes test. Everything checked out normal, so naturally Chickie and I celebrated by treating ourselves to some Mickey D's :) Our next appointment is scheduled for Tuesday, April 3rd, and it looks like I'll have to keep checking in every 2 weeks now that we're getting close. Mid-April should be our next ultrasound ... can't wait to see that cute little face again!

Things I've Done:
- Started picking out/putting together some baby furniture for Chickie's nursery
- Started registering
- Started collecting info about Pediatricians in the area
- Signed up for Child Birth and Parenting Classes
- Put in for Maternity Leave

Things I Need to Get Done:
- Finish putting together Chickie's furniture
- Finish registering
- Decide on a Pediatrician
- Start decorating Chickie's nursery
- Decide on Insurance for Chickie
- Pack a Hospital Bag
- Probably a million other things that I'll figure out sooner or later ?!?!? ;)

Chickie's Nursery (Part 8)

Chris' parents gifted us with this beautiful espresso brown dresser, which matches our crib and changing table perfectly.

Chicken Fry is one lucky chick! Thank you!

Chickie's Nursery (Part 7)

I originally wanted to have a Winnie the Pooh themed nursery for Chickie, but when I actually went to start looking for various items, the quality of the products I was finding just wasn't as cute as I had envisioned. I have a few Pooh bear stuffed animals, and the beautiful Winnie the Pooh quote to display behind Chickie's crib, but that's about it, at least for the time being. One of my favorite craft websites is etsy, and while I was looking for cute Winnie the Pooh stuff, I actually came across a lot of really cute owl decor - not that I want the theme of Chickie's nursery to be exclusively owls, but at least it's a starting point. The chains on the ceiling fan in the room are all broken and beat up, so I placed an order for two new owl chains. In an effort to remain gender neutral, both owls will have green wings (not pink) and dark brown heart-shaped feather on their bellies. I decided to keep the heads blue because we have a blue couch in the nursery anyway, plus I happen to LOVE the color blue, so I'm thinkin' it will work well for a boy or a girl. I also ordered this hedgehog woodland light switch cover. I think it will tie in nicely with the bedding I found, which also happens to have an owl and a hedgehog on it. I'm still in the process of searching for some cute prints to add a little excitement to the walls, but I don't want to overdo it on the owls, so we'll see what else etsy has to offer!

Happy Spring!

Back to School

After my appointment this morning, I had some time before I had to go back to work, so I finally sat down and registered Chris and I for some childbirth preparation and parenting classes at Lutheran General Hospital. On Sunday April 1st, I am going to take their Prenatal Breastfeeding Class since I am pretty much clueless and my doctor keeps warning me that this can be a much trickier process than you'd think! This 3-hour class helps prepare expectant mothers to recognize and prevent common problems. It also teaches technique and positioning strategies. Partners/support persons are also encouraged to attend (eh-hem Chris ;) ). In addition to that class, I also signed Chris and I up for the Compact Childbirth Class. This two day - 12.5 hour - class is offered the weekend of May 19th (Happy Birthday Gramma!) and 20th from 8:30 a.m. 'til 3:30 p.m. Topics include the birth process, breathing, physical care, safety, sleep, feeding, common concerns, and immunizations and development. Participants are also given tours of the Labor, Delivery, and Recovery rooms, the Mother-Baby Unit, and the Newborn Nursery.

Yay! I feel like I've had a productive morning and am being a good mommy ;)