SURPRISE!

Yesterday morning, I shuffled into work, hollered out "Good Morning!" to my coworkers that work down the hall and opened my office door. That is when I saw this:

love the card!

How nice is that?! The ladies in my office (all THREE of them) had Top Pot doughnuts waiting for me and we had a nice little shower! Peanut got a little yellow zippy and bib (complete with my company logo, of course...gotta start 'em young!) and a little PINK onesie, since that is their official guess to what Peanut is :). We also got the diaper genie...one of the key elements that was missing from our nursery!

Looking forward to a FOUR day weekend, thanks to a flex day I'm taking tomorrow. The weekend is busy though! I have my last baby shower, and it's my wonderful friend Kim's wedding, so I will be busy with that along with the rehearsal/dinner the day before. My feet have been rather swollen lately, so I am beginning OPERATION DEBLOAT today...drinking tons of water, staying away from salt, sticking to my nightly baths and elevating my feet. I'd *really* like to wear some gold heals just for pictures and for the wedding ceremony, but right now, my feet in heels look like sausages that have been stuffed in casings that are entirely too tight. I'm also hoping that a massage and pedicure tomorrow will help also. I better prepare for the worst though and go out and get some gold flats, just in case. I'm really hoping the photographer will have mercy on me and strategically cover my enormous belly, flabby arms and 2 of my 3 chins.

Then, just a 4 day work week next week and then I am working from home until the baby makes it's appearance! It will be nice just wearing my sweats instead of the 10 work outfit maternity rotation I have going on. Plus, if I have to hear, "you still haven't had that baby yet?! How much longer???" any more, I might just smack someone. ;)

Also, don't forget to place your bet in the baby stats poll. Just click the link below...Only one week left!

Hello Spring...and 3rd Trimester!

The lack of blogging is primarily blamed on me being incredibly busy lately! Spring is here and I absolutely love looking outside my living room and seeing the most beautiful blooms on the tree..I have no idea what kind it is, we thought apple, but it produces none. Another favorite time of mine is here...Spring Cleaning (which now is really Spring Nesting). The Hubs and I registered last weekend and wow, is there a lot of things that we "need." The only thing we were unable to register for was a bigger house. Of course since is was the Hubs and I out and about, there was humor involved. The Hubs was the checklist master and as he was scanning down his list he said in a very serious and a little loud manner, "Hon, did you get the breast pads? How about your nipple cream?" I started laughing hysterically because it is times like this where I almost pause my real life and flash back to us 9 years ago drinking Bud Light and playing moose with his frat brothers. Flash forward and he is asking me about breast related feeding necessities...boy does time fly.


The other bit of humor was when we saw this:

Ummm...if that is what our kid looks like with this product then we will pass thankyouverymuch.

This weekend is busy with watching our beloved Huskies beat New Mexico and then buying the paint and prepping the room (ie--moving the office furniture out of Peanut's room) and cleaning out closets and garage. Also worth mentioning, the childcare hunt is officially on! Thanks to my friend Kim, we went and toured a place very close to our house yesterday. We thought it was a wonderful place, we are just going to compare and visit a few more to really make up our minds. I'm eager to decide and get a plan together--once we do, an enormous weight will be lifted!

Furniture!

On Sunday, the Hubs and I went into full baby furniture mode. We had already found the crib a couple weeks ago, but after looking at Peanut's room, we came to the conclusion that the enormous 64" long dresser that I previously purchased was just not going to work. With the help of the Hub's BFF, D (of D & G), we took back the dresser and started our hunt. We went to the furniture Mecca, otherwise known as Southcenter (which I absolutely despise) and began our hunt. After about 3 hours, we realized that getting what we wanted for a bargain was not going to happen, so we went back to old faithful (Merry-Go-Round Children's store) and got exactly what we were looking for:


The Crib--Pali Designs, Salerno Crib:
The Dresser/Changer--Million Dollar Baby, Annabelle. Look how proud the Hubs is that we *finally* found one we like!

One of the cool things about this dresser is it comes with a top, so it can look like a traditional changer like the picture below, but when you no longer need the changer, the top converts to a nightstand (comes with attachable legs):
And finally, The Glider--Best Chairs Storytime Series, Patoka w/Ottoman in Taupe. We really wanted a chair that didn't look like the typical wood glider and so we got this (the ottoman glides too, so comfy!):

The great thing about all of the furniture we got was even though it cost an arm and a leg, the crib converts to a toddler bed and a full bed and the dresser s/he can use for life and the chair can nicely go in a rec room or den. Next project: painting the room!

I'll be the first and only one to say it...

I hate the Bella Band. For any of you who don't know what the Bella Band is, it's essentially a piece of spandex that you wear around the waist band of your unbuttoned pants, so you can wear your pre-pregnancy pants while you are pregnant. It's a great idea in theory, but to me, this will be one of the items on my "highly-overrated-don't waste your money" list for pregnancy. Everyone raves about them and how wonderful they are, so I spent $26.00, no--I bought 2, 1 black & 1 white, so I spent $52.00 + tax on a two pieces of spandex that I'll mostly likely use as a sling-shot to launch things at my neighbors when their techno music is too loud.

The reason I am on this rant right now, is because today is casual Friday at work and I sent my best 2 pairs of maternity jeans to be altered, which leaves me with my regular jeans with Bella Band. The sizing of them is weird--the medium is a little tight around my baby birthing hips and the large is absolutely swimming on me to the point that it doesn't look like spandex. But, my big issue with them is when your pants are unbuttoned and the Bella Band is around them, you can totally see the bumps of the button right through, so you look like you have an outty belly button on the lower right side of your body, so forget about wearing a white shirt with it. See what I mean? (WARNING--unflattering picture of giant belly):

I haven't been blogging so much lately...there has been a lot going on that I hope to fill everyone in on this weekend. To preview, it includes a roller coaster of emotions including: the passing of a loved one, 2-year olds say the darndest things and the first prenatal yoga class. Happy Friday everyone! (& happy 23 weeks to my sweet Peanut--mommy loves you so!)

Operation Nursery

Lately, I have been totally preoccupied in gathering items for the most perfect nursery EVAR! my child's quaint room. Sister J was kind enough to brave the crowds of Ikea with me on Saturday. I intended to go and just look because the Hubs was not with me and I would *never* buy anything for our child without consulting him...yeah right. I came home with a dresser, a lamp, a storage/bookshelf and some more cute elephants--oops! The trip was a bit more stressful because we ended up damaging the dresser before we even left the parking lot. It's because the Hubs wasn't there to help us load the boxes into my car and (thanks to Karma) one of the boxes got caught on a metal thingy (<--technical term) in my car. As I shoved it in, we tore open the box and scratched the paint...craaaaaaap! I went back into the store, with my tail between my legs, and told customer service what happened. They were awesome and said they would bring out another and suggested I have one of their people help load it in. Good call!

Bits and pieces of Peanut's room are slowly coming together except for one part: the bedding. Believe it or not, yellow, gray and white bedding or even just yellow and white bedding DOESN'T EXIST! I'm serious. I've looked everywhere. All the typical baby stores, Target, random sites online--no dice. I'm so set on my color palate that I'm going to start visiting fabric stores to try to find what I want and have it made. Ridiculous? Yes. If you see any in stores, puh-lease let me know!

Here is a little picture I created of some things we have so far and others that I want and still need to be purchased, just to give y'all out there an idea for what I'm envisioning:

1. "Ti Amo Per Sempre" Elephant picture. Purchased on etsy.
2. Glider Rocker and Ottoman by Best Chairs. Have yet to purchase, hoping for a gray color. Saw at Merry-Go-Round Children's Store.
3. This is the bedding I would LOVE, but have only seen it for adult bedding. Is it crazy that I am considering buying and having baby sheets made from it??? Dwellstudio for Target, Mandala.
4. Artwork from etsy.
5. Table lamp from Ikea...super cute
6. Dresser from Ikea, Hemnes 8-drawer
7. Paint colors, 3 walls yellow, 1 accent wall gray.
8. Yet another elephant I had to have. This one has a mama and baby, Ikea.
9. Mobile I saw on etsy but haven't purchased because it's 80 bucks and that seemed a bit steep for a paper mobile.
10. Storage/bookshelf from Ikea
11. Munire Essex Crib (not the dresser) from Merry-Go-Round.

There you have it!

I've got the fever!

And it's not for more cowbell--it's the shopping bug. Mostly, it's for things that I probably (a) don't need or (b) should put on the registry (which I haven't started yet). Here are the items we can file under "purchased":

While shopping with my friend Ang, she warned me not to by crap like this because it's the type of thing people like to give and you all of a sudden end up with one million just like it...I bought it anyway.

This is hilarious... I stand by my purchase.

What can I say? I'm weak :)

I did manage to buy something that will be useful, that I probably should of just registered for, but I was having a hormone the other day that I have purchased nothing that this baby needs and I am unprepared and the only thing the baby will have when it is here is adorable duck booties and Husky onesies (both incredibly necessary!). So, my mind was spiraling out of control. This is when I got this:

It's the Cadillac of baby monitors with the highest reviews. Ahhh...I feel better already. On Sunday, the Hubs picked up my parents and took them to Merry-Go-Round baby store to check out furniture. We saw lots of nice stuff, but didn't purchase anything....yet. I think we are going to go back in a couple weeks and pull the trigger. Highlight of the afternoon was seeing my Dad pick up a breast pump and use it like a megaphone...so classy!

We have so much to look forward to this week: Elton John/Billy Joel concert on Wednesday (!), and Peanut's second trimester ultrasound on Thursday! Can't wait to see my little Peanut up close and personal!

Ti Amo Per Sempre...

Thought I would share the one and only thing I have purchased for Peanut's room. It is a print that I still have to get framed for the wall:

Italian translation: I love you forever.

Speaking of long term love, I would like to wish my parents a very HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Here's to the next 34 years! Love you lots!

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!?!

You can file this post under "things that scare the crap out of me." As I was surfing the net looking at some nursery ideas, I came across something that is a bit...um...disturbing. I don't know what else to say. Have a look:

They call it a "bustier", sexy, huh? Yes, I plan on breastfeeding and I'm aware that when I go back to work, I will have to pump. But there is something that seems wrong with hoping on a conference call while having milk squeezed out of me. Ay, yiy, yiy.

Grandmas Know Best

The Grandmas have already begun shopping and giving out good Grandma advise! Over Thanksgiving, Amma (Hubs' mom) gave Peanut some white onesies, soft white booties, a blanket and his/her first pair of jammies!

I can't handle how cute they are! Note: little duckies on the booties....so presh.

On Sunday, we went over to my parent's house for a little Thanksgiving Round 2, where Grandma was informed that I was fighting a cold (my second one since Peanut has been with me...coincidence? Not so much.) and she sent me home with a humidifier which helped tremendously! I woke up the next morning feeling sooo much better. She also gave the Hubs this book:

Hi-larious! I don't know what is funnier, the fact that the man is knitting a pair of booties, that he looks old enough to be a Grandpa, or that the Hubs noticed he was wearing a sweater vest on the cover...and likes it.

Operation New Wardrobe: Phase 1

I decided to order my first round of Maternity clothes well before I wake up and find that nothing fits. True to form, I opt for all comfortable, non-work clothes from Gap and Oldnavy.com:

(ordered this set in my favorite color, black)

I plan on living in hoodies :)

This shirt got the highest reviews on the website for comfort and flattery...I got it in purple.

I didn't go crazy, just some staples... Frankly, I wasn't impressed with the selection and I'm hoping for some of my fabulous girlfriends to lend me some of their cute clothes as well, whenever I decide to tell them. And I'm glad that I *finally* have some good suggestions for Mom when she asks me for Christmas gift ideas. Yes, yours truly, otherwise known as Mrs. Clark Griswold is already thinking about Christmas--my favorite time of year!