Recent Happenings and News

>The last few days have been full of random happenings that I feel the need to share!

1. Mother’s Day
So I was unable to spend the day with my own Mom, but I did get to talk to her. I spent the day at work and it wasn’t so bad. My Mom DID send me a beautiful Bonsai tree along with a subscription to Better Homes and Gardens! Although I haven’t actually started my garden for the year, I’ve been researching and talking to my Mom about flowers and plants for weeks now. It was something I used to help her with all the time and I never paid much attention to it. Now I wish I had! This is a special variety of Bonsai, because the typical kinds are related to pine trees and alas, I am allergic to them. She was thoughtful enough to remember that when sending me this little beauty. I do have to put it out on the patio during the morning so it gets enough sunlight (it needs FULL sun) and there is absolutely NOWHERE in our little town home that gets direct sun. And I mean NOWHERE. I’m not much of a green thumb but my goal is to keep this little thing alive!

Mr P. also sent me some gifts for Mother’s Day!! What a thoughtful husband, isn’t he? I started thinking about what he was sending the moment he told me and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and thrilled with his gift. He also sent a little something for Jacob. Here is it:

A Boppy pillow!!!! And it is one of the most comfortable pillows I’ve ever slept with! The extra support between my legs and the shape are perfect. It keeps me aligned at night and I don’t feel like my back is rolling incorrectly because of the extra weight. It’s also helping me to stop sleeping on my back. The giraffe is for Jacob! It plays the soothing sounds to help babies sleep (like the whoosh whoosh that my heart makes from inside the womb). I am really excited to try it out and hopefully it will work wonders for the little boy after he’s born!

My Mom also gave me a little something when I arrived in Texas that I never blogged about. She had this adorable little outfit waiting for me! Of course it goes with the giraffe theme!! It’s a 0-3 month, but it looks large compared to the other outfits I have. Hopefully it will fit throughout the winter!

Overall it was a great kind-of-first Mother’s Day for me. I can’t wait until next year when I’ll be able to officially celebrate with Jacob on my lap!

2. Baby Shower is Planned!!
My Dad’s wife and her daughter have offered to throw us a baby shower! We are planning it for June 13! I spent the last few weeks working on invitations (because I love paper crafts) to keep me busy. I wanted them to be cute and perfect and they came out exactly how I wanted – even better actually!! Check them out. And don’t mind all the black marks – unfortunately I don’t think plastering my Dad’s address all over the internet is the BEST idea, so you all will have to deal with it and use your imagination!

I’m starting to address them and get them sent out this week! I finished up the registry (for the most part anyways – there is a link in the top right corner if you’re interested in what I added!) and we are all set to go for the shower! I’m looking forward to getting to celebrate with family and friends from work. Jacob deserves a celebration! I only wish Mr P and my Mom could be there to celebrate with us. Hopefully we will be able to set up a Skype conversation while we are opening gifts.

3. Pregnancy Scrapbook
I started working on the pregnancy scrapbook today!! I’ve been keeping all of my thoughts online and I decided it was time to put it to paper and write it down for Jacob to read in the future. I’ve officially finished three whole pages! There is definitely a LOT more to do, but I’ll have plenty of time over the summer. The title of the scrapbook is “Growing Jacob” and it has a safari animal theme because this is truly turning into an adventure for Mr. P and I. Plus – his nursery his giraffes, so I figure it would be a great combination. Take a looksie.

So it really is starting off well!! I’m just going to try and take my time and think about each page so they come out perfect! It’s going to be something that lasts forever, so I want it just right.

4. 3D/4D Ultrasound
Mr. P and I have decided that we would really like to do a 3D ultrasound to have in the future. So we scheduled an ultrasound at a local place for June 18th at Noon. It’s just over $100 for 15 Minutes and we even get the live internet streaming option, so everyone who is out of town can tune in and watch the ultrasound live! Here is the website to the place that we’re going: http://babyexpressions3d4d.com/.
We are very excited to get to see Jacob again and to see his little face in more detail! I just can’t wait!

5. Why I hate Laundry
There are few things I hate more in this world than folding laundry. The act of actually washing the clothes and switching them to the dryer – I totally don’t mind, but I really hate folding. And you know why?! Because of the stupid little creature that live in my dryer and eats all of my socks. This scary looking thing:

The stupid SOCK MONSTER! I swear, every time I do the laundry I come out with at least one odd sock and I just do NOT understand where they all go! I put all of my socks in the washing machine and somehow they disappear between the washing machine and the dryer.

So it really had been a busy week!! Even though I was off of work it seemed like it went by so quickly!! I am looking forward to the next few weeks and getting into June so we can have the baby shower and go to the 3D ultrasound and see little Jacob again.

Bi-Annual JBF Sale

>About a month ago I found an ad on craigslist for a twice-yearly sale called the Just Between Friends Sale. It’s a huge consignment sale at the expo center for Mom’s in the area. I decided it would be a good sale to check out and I was RIGHT.

I took out $100 in cash and I walked away with SOOOOOO much stuff. It was awesome. The prices were amazing and everything I got was nearly new, if not new with tags still on. Check out everything I came home with!

In that stack I ended up with 12 onesies, a Ralph Lauren Polo, two Guess onesies with pants (tags still on), two Carter’s bath robes (one with tags still on), 2 pairs of sweats (nearly new), 2 newborn sleepers (probably all that I’m going to buy in that size), 3 outfits that have pants, a shirt AND a jacket, 2 pairs of overalls (one with a onesies included) and a Denver Bronco’s onesie. Most of the clothing is 0-6 months, with a few 6-9 month outfits thrown in there. With all of this stuff we are pretty well set on clothing up to 6 months. We won’t need much more, since I’m sure he’ll be growing so quickly! I also found these little shoes and socks that are BRAND NEW! How cute is that!! 6 pairs of Puma socks for a dollar. What a deal.

Here is some MORE random stuff that I got. A bunch of little infant toys. The piano at the top attached to the end of the crib and is a kick and play piano! There is also a collection of books. All of those little books came in one pack for $4.00. The head support was about $5.00 and the blanket was $3.00 and still had the tags on it.

And last but not least I grabbed some nice towels and wash clothes along with 3 burp clothes and 3 bibs. I think we should be set on these for a while too. It’d be nice to have more, but not a requirement. 5 towels and 6 wash clothes should be enough. We’ll definitely need more bibs and burp clothes though.

So it really was a FANTASTIC trip and for just under $100 I walked away with an unbelievable amount of stuff. Even the larger stuff, like strollers and cribs were reasonable priced. I’d rather purchase that kind of thing new though. I’ve spent the day doing laundry, getting things folded and put away. I finally found a good way to organize the dresser and I’ve been inventorying all of the clothing we have so far.

I did stop at Wal-Mart and found some nice bins for the changing table. I have been thinking of getting something like this for a while, but couldn’t find any I liked that were reasonable priced. Mr. P doesn’t like wicker stuff, so I wanted canvas and I wanted them in a cream or beige or gold color to match the nursery. This is what I found. Unfortunately they only had four and I will probably need 6. Right now I’m keeping receiving blankets, bibs and burp cloths in the bins. I’ll probably keep changing stuff in one as well, but we don’t have any of that yet. Here is the changing table now:

I also wanted to show you a little bit of what I did with the crib since we have all of the new stuff.

And last but not least – I rearranged a little bit. I just switched the chair and the changing table. My Mom suggested that the changing table be in arms reach of the dresser so I can keep changing supplies there instead of having to reach below me to get them, especially with one hand on little Jacob. I actually like the way it’s arranged much more now. I think it’ll be a little bit more functional.

Sorry this has been so long, but there were so many things so share!! It was a busy day in the nursery and I took a lot of pictures. I’m falling even more in love with the furniture and the decor as we go along. It’s getting hard not to rush out to the store and buy everything we need right now, but I want to save some stuff for later on when I’m bored.

OH YEAH. I forgot about this little guy. I found him a few days ago, but hadn’t uploaded the picture yet, so here you go. Isn’t he awesome!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures!! Look for an update and pictures on Monday! It’s been a good week!!

20 Weeks – Halfway!!

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20 weeks!!! We are halfway done!! It’s weird to think that’s it’s been so long since we found out and so much has changed and happened since then. I have definitely grown. I’ve reached the point where people are starting to look and wonder if I really am pregnant and not just getting pudgy.

At our last Doctor’s appointment I’ve gained a total of 11 pounds. Not so bad! I’m right on track. I don’t even remember what it’s like to not be pregnant honestly. I’ve been feeling pretty good lately. Mostly I’m dealing with the shortness of breath and memory problems, but that’s not so bad. There are still some foods that don’t settle so well, but I’m adapting. Work is starting to get a little bit harder, because it requires me to run around the restaurant. I’m always exhausted by the end of the shift. Over the past few days I’ve been sleeping really, really well (other than the dreams) and I haven’t had to get up throughout the night (which has been amazing).

Jacob is doing well!! He’s moving a lot more now, especially in the late morning and right before bed. Yesterday he was somersaulting and moving all over the place! I think he’s now laying sideways across my stomach. I prefer this position. He’s been feet down with he little feet on my cervix and I can feel when he’s kicking down. It’s a little painful. He also thinks it’s funny to kick my bladder too. Oh how sweet of him!! If I can find his head now, he’ll move if I apply light pressure to it. He likes to stretch out and push upwards too. I can feel the top of my uterus a few inches above my belly button when he does that!!

He now weighs 10 1/2 ounces and is 6 1/2 inches long (although I think he’s a little bigger than that already). He’s supposed to be about the size of a banana! Wow. He’s still practicing digestion and swallowing. Apparently the taste of amniotic fluid changes depending on what I eat, and since Jacob now has taste buds he can taste the differences. He’s also producing meconium (a sticky by-product of digestion) that will remain in his bowels until birth (hopefully). His skin is also becoming more complex and now has 4 layers.

Life around here has been, well, life. I spent last week putting together the dresser and using up the Kohl’s Cash that I had. I got lots of cute clothes and a few toys. I’ve spent this weekend making sure that our registry is updated. We’re probably going to use it just to keep track of what we need to get before he arrives.

Today I wanted to celebrate making it 20 weeks so I decided to pull out the gift card that my Dad gave to me for Christmas. I headed to Dillards and spent a little while looking around. I ended up with a few pieces of clothing and I still have $4.07 left on the card to use at some point. Here is what I got:

The jeans are to go with the polos that I got last week, to match Daddy. The little lion outfit is REALLY soft and will be nice and warm during the late fall and early winter. The last outfit is Bronco’s colors and is a 12 month outfit, so Jacob will be able to wear it next year! I thought it was cute and it’s even better that it’s Bronco’s colors.

Mr. P is doing well. Time just keeps on moving. I can’t wait until we’re half way done. That’s what I’m most looking forward to. I mailed off another package this morning and he should be receiving his Easter packages soon (a little late, I know). I do miss him like crazy though. It gets quiet and kinda boring around here without him!

So this week coming up we have no plans. I’m working like crazy. On Wednesday I have to work at 4:45 am AND I have to work an evening shift that night. I’m going to be exhausted when this week is over, but at least it’ll keep me busy. We’ll be posting about 21 weeks in no time!

Little Boy Clothing

>Little Boy clothes are absolutely the cutest thing in the world. I kinda thought I would miss buying little summer dresses and hair bows, but I don’t! It was so much fun looking at all of the little boy stuff!!

I had some Kohl’s cash that I needed to use and also a gift card left over from a birthday (from Leigh – thank you!), so I headed over to our new Kohls. The baby section is adorable there and they have a LOT of good deals. There must have been a little sale yesterday because I ended up saving more money than I spent! And I got a LOT of stuff!

Most of what I have is 0-3 or 3-6 months. I haven’t purchased ANYTHING in newborn size, because it says it’ll only fit up to 8lbs and I think Jacob is going to be over 8lbs. I might get one or two little onesies, but I doubt they’re fit for long. Check out what we got! Jacob got spoiled!

0-3 Months

3-6 Months

6-9 Months

12 Months

If you didn’t notice there are LOTS of little polos in that collection. Mr. P is always wearing polos and jeans and I couldn’t pass up on these little outfits!! Now he can match Daddy when we go out and about!! And of course – the last little outfit is 12 months, so it should be fitting around next summer – right when Mr. P gets back into golfing. How awesome is that!! I am so excited for Jacob to arrive so I can put all of these cute little clothes to use! 

He’s going to be one stylish little baby! I just can’t wait.

New Outfits!

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While at Burlington, I spent a long time searching through the layette section for clothes that are gender neutral. There was some cute stuff, but also some stuff that was just NOT adorable. I ended up with 4 different sets and I love them ALL. They’ll work for a little boy or a little girl and they’re all within the 0-6 month range. This first set is three little onesies and a bib and they all have to do with Noah’s Ark. How cute:

This second set here is one of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITES!! Is it not the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen? I can totally picture the little one giggling in it! Maybe if Baby is the right size, this can be our homecoming outfit. It even matches the first set of onesies above! I love it.

Oh and the best part – it comes with a matching blanket with a hood for swaddling!! How awesome is that! It just totally made the outfit. And it was only $11.99!!!

The next two I had to get because every parent needs this kind of stuff. I actually found the second one first and thought twice about getting the first one, but I decided it was ok.

And of course – for Mr P – “Daddy Loves Me”. This just melted my heart when I saw it and I HAD to get it. It’s totally true and I thought it would be great, considering that Mr P is away at the moment. Maybe if he gets extended this can be the outfit Baby will wear when Mr P comes home for good!!! Plus the giraffe was adorable.

Ok so I think I said adorable about 50 times in the last 2 posts, but I can’t help it. Everything I find that I fall in love with really is adorable. They all just make me smile and make me warm and fuzzy inside when I think about little Baby P wearing them soon! We’re starting to get a little bit of stuff in the nursery and I’m loving it. I can’t wait until it’s all ready and Baby is here! Just about 5 months now!! We’re almost half way!

The Cutest Baby Stuff EVER!

>Sooo I did a little bit of shopping today. All bargain shopping of course. I came home with some great stuff! I haven’t bought a whole lot for the baby, so I’m just taking little steps right now. First the book and now this stuff.

I took my first trip to Ft. Carson alone today. I wanted to go to the PX and to the Commissary. At the PX I took a little while and looked through the baby section. They don’t have a lot of gender neutral clothing, so I ended up with these little stocking caps! They’re wonderful and they’ll look good on a boy or a girl! They’re supposed to fit up to 6 months, but we’ll see how big Baby P is!

I went to Gordman’s too. It’s a nice discount store (and they have some sweet stuff there). They have GREAT deals!! I got 4 onesies at $3.99 a piece! That’s fantastic! They are completely adorable too! Two of them are 3 months, one is 6 months and one is 9 months, so Baby P will be set to go for a while! I had to show pictures of the front and back because the back is what makes them so cute!! Check them out!

So it was a really good day for me and Baby! I’d really like to be able to feel Baby P move, but I know it will happen within the next few weeks! I’m just so impatient!! I want to feel it NOW! Oh well. Soon enough the little one will be bouncing all over the house. I guess I should enjoy it right?

Baby’s First Gifts

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Well it is official. Baby has it’s first gifts!

Mr. P and I had dinner with his sister and mother (the future Auntie and Grandmother) and they were lovely enough to bring us gifts! The blanket it really, REALLY nice and soft and will go great with the bedding and nursery theme that we have selected. We also received an elephant teether that makes a crinkling sound (which apparently babies love). Mr P. pulled that out of the bag and had the most bewildered look on his face. It was priceless. And Baby P has it’s first article of clothing as well. The little elephant onesie is awesome. It’s a thermal material and will be great for the chilly winter nights!

All in all – it was a little bit surreal to be opening baby gifts. Mr. P said it perfectly – “So it’s actually real now”. And it is. We really have to go through this all now.

After the gifts we went out to dinner and had a good time. It was nice to actually be able to talk about everything going on with someone other than Mr P. And honestly, our stress level has gone down a lot now that we’ve told all of the parents (including mine).

Both of my parents took it well! My Dad was a little bit giggly and asking all sorts of questions. I imagine it’s odd for him to hear that his baby is having a baby! My Mom was a little bit surprised at first, but seems excited about it now. She said that a baby is worth celebrating regardless of the circumstances, and that was REALLY REALLY nice to hear. I’m glad that she’s supportive and excited about being a real grandmother (not just a step-grandmother!). She’s already planning her trip out here in August!

If you couldn’t tell – Mr P’s mother and sister are SUPER excited as well. So it’s fantastic that we have so many people behind us who are supportive and ready and willing to help (especially with Eric’s deployment). They will be the closest “family” I have around while he is away, and will probably be taking me to the hospital if needed before Mr P comes back or before my Mom arrives.

So for today – life is good. Baby is good and I’m not feeling too sick at the current moment. We are looking forward to the future and feeling less stressed. We are finally beginning to enjoy this pregnancy and our little Dectron. 🙂

THANK YOU HEATHER AND LAURA!!! The gifts are GREATLY appreciated!! Thank you so much!