Big Shopping Trip & Ultrasound

SO Monday we had an OB appointment and the final U/S to check things out. Mason is totally head down and ready to go! I actually couldn't see anything at the u/s because the screen was pointed away from me, and he is so big now and smushed in there that there isn't as much to see as the 20 week. DH did see him and his cute face. His hand is up by his face and he was doing his practice sucking, how sweet. The tech asked where he got his big pouty lips! Certainly not from me! Now I REALLY can't wait to see what he looks like! She printed us a photo of his face, but it really just looks like a blob to me so I won't bother scanning. She estimated that he is about 6 1/2 pounds right now and will probably be 7 1/2 - 8 1/2 pounds at birth. Sounds perfect to me, although I know these estimates can be way off the mark sometimes.

After the doctor we went to Buy Buy Baby to do our registry completion - so fun! Luckily, we didn't need any big ticket things but it still added up! We got 2 packs of Aden + Anais swaddling blankets, cloth diapers for burp cloths, a Dwell stroller blanket, window shades and mirror for the car, cup holder for the stroller, diapers, wipes, plain white onesies, little socks, two more hooded towels and washcloths, two miracle blankets... and the Twilight turtle! I couldn't resist! (Oh, and an impulse buy- a CD of Metallica nursery lullabye covers which is actually very CREEPY. I will not be listening to that at home alone, it sounds like a horror movie soundtrack).

When we got home there were some packages waiting - the Boppy with organic cover from one of my girlfriends, and some adorable Roobeez shoes from one of my clients!

I also found the PERFECT shabby chic bookcase on EBay and bought it last night. Now I just have to find delivery to get it here from PA, or we could drive out and pick it up this weekend. Is 2 1/2 hours too far to drive at 38 weeks? Hmm.. Also stalking Craig's List for a glider or rocker, no luck yet.

Twilight turtle, he is organic AND he projects constellations onto the ceiling. :)



The Dwell stroller blanket is SO soft..

So fresh and so clean, bling

These are my new OBSESSION. I was working on a photo shoot the other day and someone offered me a vanilla wafer, and said her sister had cravings for vanilla wafers when she was pregnant. Well, I certainly hadn't thought about them until she said that but then I was suddenly overcome with thoughts of vanilla wafers. When I stopped at the deli on my way home, I saw these. Um, AMAZING!! These are the most wonderful things I have ever tasted! And voila, vanilla wafer pregnancy craving is born. I am so suggestible.

Yesterday was wonderful. It was a lovely morning, DH made french toast for breakfast and our new housekeeper came over. We took the dogs and got out of her way and brought the car in to get cleaned. We ended up getting the super duper interior detail where they shampoo the all the upholstery and everything- it really looks and smells brand new again! While the car was being washed, we walked over to the park and hung out in the dog run all day, ran into some friends, had a yummy wheat germ banana smoothie.... Came home to a sparkling clean home. I HEART our new housekeeper so much, she is so sweet. Now we will have to work out how often the budget will allow her to come. How I would love every week, but it will probably have to be every other week, or once a month. We will see how much of a mess I manage to make and how little I manage to clean once the baby is here.

Today we have an OB appointment then hopefully to Buy Buy Baby to do the registry completion. I better check Baby Bargains and add a few things before we go, just in case.

FULL TERM!!

I am officially full term today! That is pretty exciting. :)

What a freak out last night, sorry about that! DH got home a little while later (much sooner than I expected actually) and was really sorry. I was so happy to see him and he was so tired, we just decided to have a nice dinner together at our favorite sushi place in the neighborhood and watch a movie. So I still got to go out and wear my new dress. I think I was having a little bit of cabin fever!

I was also having some pretty painful contractions last night. They were actually time-able for the first time, but I didn't time them because I just didn't feel like this was "it". They woke me up on and off throughout the night as well, but I just drank tons of water and stayed in bed. Seeing that this is my only experience with this, I am honestly not 100% percent sure they aren't just stomach cramps! But, I haven't been constipated, everything is good down there so I think they MUST have been contractions especially since they also ached in my lower back.

So now I feel that I must get everything together. The new housekeeper is coming today, so I think DH and I will take the dogs with us and go get some things done. We were hoping for a nice long time at the dog park, but it is raining. :( Drug store, antique store, hardware store, and baby store are all on the list as well. Actually, last night I was checking my email on my phone, and I saw an email from Buy Buy Baby with an online link to my registry completion coupon- great! Then this morning, it was gone. My phone SUCKS. Do not get a Blackberry Pearl, emails and texts disappear ALL the time. I checked my laptop, my junk, my trash, it is gone. Ugh. I will have to call and get them to email it again I guess?

Maybe we can go there tomorrow after my OB appointment... and Ultrasound! More excitement! I was supposed to have my u/s last week and I even brought my mom and sister since they were in town, but they had messed up somehow and the u/s tech wasn't there. That was super disappointing and I got very upset, but now we get to have it tomorrow and "see" Mason for the first time since 20 weeks!

Another new development.. No one was going to be here for the birth which we are TOTALLY fine with. Our parents all live 6 hour flights away and we don't want them hanging around NYC waiting for me to go into labor, or hanging around our tiny apartment. Well, now MIL conveniently has been asked to speak at a conference in NY the weekend of my due date.... AND now my Dad suddenly has a lifeguard reunion he needs to go to out on Long Island that same weekend, so he might as well just get a hotel in Brooklyn for a few days after! So funny. I knew they wouldn't be able to stay away. :)

Here are a few more pics from the shower...

Pregnancy Hormone Induced Vent

I am so disappointed. Tonight is the engagement party of a friend of mine. He was my closest male friend for a few years, but DH ended up really not liking him. Anyway, I pretty much cut him off and haven't even seen him since my wedding which I have felt really bad about. This year his mom passed away and he met a new girl he is really in love with and we got back in touch and he invited us to his engagement party. DH agreed to give him a second chance (he felt the friend was weird/jealous before) and agreed to go.
However, he had his show in DC last night, so before I RSVPd I made sure to let him know that he would have to come back from DC in enough time to get to the party. This morning when he called, he was on his way to brunch with his friends and band, and I reminded him that the party was at 6. I didn't make a big deal about it because I didn't want to pressure him, knowing he is not crazy about this friend anyway, or harass him when he is with his band.
A couple of hours later, he called and they were touring the White House. Um, OK. Just hanging out, being tourists? I didn't say anything and just asked him to call when they are close to the city. At six I hadn't heard from him so I called to see where they were, and they were at least an hour away still. He could tell by my voice that I was upset and got totally defensive.
He said he didn't know we had to be there right at 6 and I should have let him know that I wanted him back by a certain time, but I was just trying not to make a big deal out of it.
Now I am just so disappointed. I did my hair and I was really excited to wear my new dress and actually get to go somewhere, to a fun early dinner party. I am just so bored here at home. I can't go out and get drinks, I just feel so lonely and was really looking forward to this party. I also feel like a horrible person for RSVP ing and not showing up to the party, I know how that feels and it feels terrible.
I know he isn't going to back for hours with this traffic, so we are going to totally miss the party. I am dreading even talking to him about this because whenever this friend is mentioned it ends up turning into a fight. I just wish I hadn't said we could go, I knew something like this would happen. Now I think I am having contractions, ouch!
Writing it out does make me feel better, I am such a hormonal mess. :(

Coming Home Outfits, etc.

I did my first batch of Baby laundry yesterday. It was difficult, I must admit, they were just so perfect already it was hard to throw them into the wash! I bought the Method baby wash which I like pretty well, although I may switch to something totally unscented instead.

I picked out the tiniest outfit from the shower to bring to the hospital. It is a little Ralph Lauren kimono top and pants with feet. The top also has little sleeves that can cover the little hands! The legs look awfully short though, so I think I will bring a back up outfit in case he is too long!



This is another precious newborn outfit, but it is a bit bigger. The little crocheted cars are appropriate for his first little car ride, right? :)



I am almost finished with my Thank You cards. I bought a PDF design for them off of Etsy and printed them out on craft paper (left over from my wedding Save the Date and Thank You notes I made). There are NO cute stamps out right now, by the way!



I can't believe I am full term this weekend. Well, I sort of can. I am HUGE and I feel like I haven't had a cocktail in 100 years.. DH is on his way to DC for the hotly debated out of town show with his band. At my appointment Monday I had an internal and nothing was going on, so I am not worried at all. I am, however, on strict orders to lounge on the sofa and drink water constantly until he gets back tomorrow. NOT a problem.

I have a ton to do still to get ready, but no energy or motivation to do it. So far, my only nesting this week was finally calling a housekeeper to come on Sunday.

Registry Round Up!

Soo, now that the shower is over with I need to finalize a list for what we still need to get... I will be full term this weekend and seeing posts of people having their babies early is making me nervous! Still, I want to wait for my completion coupon..

Here is a basic round up:

Things we have bought:

Chicco Keyfit carseat
Breast Pump (Medela Swing)
Changing Table

Things we have received:

Stroller (Uppa Baby Vista)
Crib
Bedding
Swing (used from neighbor)
Bathtub (from neighbor)
Clothes
Bibs
2 swaddling blankets
Bouncer (Svan)
High Chair (Svan)
Stuffed animals
Bottles, thermometer, clippers
Tummy Playmat
Lilababy carrier
Maya Wrap
Bundle Me for Winter
Diaper Bag
Bath towel and scrubby mitts
Books

Things we still need:

Monitor
Boppy & Cover
More crib sheets
Socks!
More blankets (receiving & swaddling)
Drink holder for stroller!
Car mirror and sun shade
Diapers and wipes
Diaper Pail
Bath wash, diaper cream, shampoo, etc.
Book Shelf
Rocking chair or glider

How long should I wait for this coupon? It is only a measly 10% but that adds up with this much stuff... Hmmm

Stuffed Animal Round Up!:

Baby Shower :)

The shower was soo beautiful. I took this one photo at the beginning, then abandoned my camera for the rest of the party, but I am sure I will post a few more when I get them from my mom and sister.

The shower was held at this beautiful historic townhouse a few blocks away from me in Brooklyn that my mom rented for the week. She made patchwork cloth flags and hung them around the house and the backyard. We had big centerpieces of zinnias from the local farmers market, and It's A Boy helium balloons drifting around. We made Thyme Lemonade and had Trader Joes White wine and coolers of Brooklyn Lager summer ale.

The food was light, but delicious. My favorite was a watermelon salad with ricotta salata and fresh mint. So good! There was also a cherry tomato and goat cheese salad (yummy golden and red local tomatoes) , grilled zucchini and squash with goat cheese and basil and fresh baguettes. My mom made an amazing simple white cake and also bought a big beautiful fruit tart...

It was really fun, the guys mostly hung out outside drinking and the ladies inside.. DH and I opened the presents together and got some amazing things, we are so thankful. We got lots of great clothes, the Svan bouncer and high chair, Bebe Cook, lots of bibs (lots!), stuffed animals, a baby folk guitar (!).. really adorable things.

At the end, DHs band jammed outside for awhile as the party winded down. Everyone said it was the most shower they have even been to, but since none of our friends have kids I doubt they have been to very many! Still a wonderful thing to hear. I am so thankful to my sister and mom for all the work they did.