bump watch: week 21-22

We've been busy, Skippy!

Two weekend ago, we went to Arkansas to spend some time with your Nana & Grandpa Hardin. We also go to see your great grandmother and grandfather - MeeMaw and PawPaw. On top of that, I got to catch up with a college friend and finally meet her sweet daughter who just turned one. Everyone is so excited for your arrival. Nana made you an adorable stuffed animal from the red receiving blanket that Jon was given in the hospital. Apparently all the December babies born in Paragould, Arkansas received these red blankets. We call him red dog skippy. We also got to take home a blanket that Jon's great grandmother crocheted for him before he was born. I love having these sweet sentimental gifts. Both are already sitting in your crib waiting for your arrival!

baby store success

Last week, my mom, your Schmeema, came to visit and help us get ready for your arrival. It was a jam-packed week, but we got so much done. I had some general baby gear and nursery ideas before Mom arrived, but by the time she left, we had a car seat, stroller, playard purchased and several other things picked out and added to our registry. For the nursery, we now have curtains, a crib, crib skit, crib sheets, glider (on order) and a rug picked out! What was once a blank slate, is now a fully formed design. We also did a lot of clothes shopping. I have a hard time resisting the adorable baby wear. It's been so fun picking everything out for you. It makes me even more excited for your arrival.

We also put together your crib, which I really love. I've had trouble deciding on other elements of the nursery, but the crib was an easy decision and I ordered it almost as soon as we found out your gender (it also came in coral, but we thought you would like the navy blue better). It did not disappoint. It was easy to put together, the quality is great and I love the color and simple style. Better yet, it came with the toddler rail included and it can convert to a full-size bed someday. Considering all of that, the price was just right too.

The paint and glider were not so easy....

We picked up paint samples....twice (and then I grabbed a few more after Schmeema left) and tried them on the wall. At this point, we've basically painted the entire room in sample patches. I'm the Goldilocks of paint - it's never *just* right. Gray is hard. In fact, it might be one of the hardest paint colors because it loves to be anything but gray. As soon as it goes up on the wall, it turns purple, blue, green, beige, etc.. But I have good news - I finally found a color and I think it's going to be perfect. If you are still reading this paragraph, here is your reward: revere pewter by Benjamin Moore might be the best gray ever. There is a reason so many people love this color. I lightened it to 50% because it was a tad too dark for our smaller, north-facing nursery at full strength, but the lightened formula was perfect - not too green, not too blue, not too cool, not too warm - a just right gray.

paint samples galore

The glider was an ordeal too. We sat in a few dozen different gliders and rockers before making a decision. There were so many choices, but it still felt like finding a needle in a haystack. I might be the Goldilocks of gliders too. The more we looked, the more we learned, and the more we learned, the more complicated it all became. The perfect balance between comfort, style and practicality was almost impossible to find. Sometimes, the most comfortable chairs were the hardest to get in/out of, which is kind of a big deal when you are trying to maneuver with a sleeping baby in your arms. The most practical ones seemed to be the ugliest design-wise. And some of the contenders I liked just didn't come in the right fabric colors, the right price, the right shipping lead time, etc. I finally settled on the Graham glider from West Elm and was very satisfied with my choice, but then we learned the fabric I wanted was permanently out of stock. Ugh. I wanted to have a good hormonal pregnancy cry, but instead I just pouted a little and went back the next day to pick out another fabric, which I am equally excited about. The glider has been ordered, and I can finally sleep at night. :)

Pregnancy-wise, I still feel pretty great. My lower back started hurting last week, which was not cool considering we still have several weeks to go. Luckily, I already had a chiropractic appointment scheduled. Best. Decision. Ever. If you are pregnant, get yourself to a chiropractor who specializes in prenatal care RIGHT NOW. Dr. Andrino is my new best friend, and I'll continue to visit him throughout my pregnancy. He promised that by the time Skippy is ready to come, he'll just slide right out. ;) My back is naturally very curved, and before I even sat down, he immediately told me that it would probably be harder for me to deliver Skippy on my back thanks to my curvy spine. That seems like a really key piece of knowledge and worth the price of the visit alone. He also had some great tips on sleeping, stretching and exercising. Since being a
adjusted and doing my stretches, my back is already 100x better.

No specific cravings right now, except for a cherry dilly bar from Dairy Queen. I know, it's totally out of left field, but I'd been thinking about them for weeks now so we stopped for a little ice cream snack during one of our marathon baby shopping trips.

Skippy, you move all the time now and you finally moved for Dad. I've been feeling your little kicks and movements for a while now, but every time I told Dad you were moving, you would stop immediately. I think you must already be stubborn. I have no idea where you would get that trait....I drank my first cup of coffee this morning, and you haven't stopped wiggling all day. This is either the greatest day of your life or I've completely overdosed you on caffeine.

Dad still likes to tell you all about life and sing songs to you. He's been so sweet and patient with Mom. He was a total champ during the glider fiasco. I hope you take after him and inherit some of his patience and calmness. :)

bump watch: it's a....

BOY!

The biggest event of week 20 was finding out the gender. I guess Mama knows best because my hunch was right all along. My first thought when the sonographer told us was "oh, boy." It's going to be an adventure. I'm not really sure what to do with little boys, but it's going to be fun figuring it all out!

Most importantly, Skippy is happy and healthy...and completely uncooperative. I would expect nothing less from someone who is probably going to be just like his dad. It took over 45 minutes for the sonographer to get all the measurements and information she needed. Skippy was perfectly content to keep his head down, hands in front of his face, legs crossed and not move an inch the entire time. We really thought we were going to have to leave without finding out the gender. Thank goodness the sonographer was incredibly patient with our little guy.

In other ultrasound news, Skippy is already in the 95th percentile for weight. OH, BOY. I immediately emailed my midwife and she assured me that this is completely normal and it doesn't mean this growth rate will continue. The more I think about it, the more this makes sense. I feel like Skippy just had a huge growth spurt the week before the ultrasound. We went from 0-60 really fast. Just over 1 week again, I didn't even own any maternity clothes, and now I have very much "popped." Hello, baby belly.

Everything feels a lot more real now. This is both good and bad. I like thinking about names, shopping for boy clothes and browsing for nursery decor. On the flip side, everything I was putting off until after we learned the gender is now coming back with a vengeance. I have less than 20 weeks, give or take to be ready for this baby boy. Eek!