Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Third Trimester Update!

Yeah, so this whole weekly blogging thing did not happen.  Sorry guys, but I am back and officially in the third trimester!  It really snuck up on me, and I can't believe we only have a few months (at most) before Baby Dillon is here.

Since it's a been a while, here are some answers to the questions we're getting most often:

1. Have you picked out a name?  No, we really haven't.  We've discussed some options and are narrowing it down to a short list, but we probably won't publicize it widely in case we change our minds.  However, if you're curious about my thoughts on names, you can read this post from my other blog.

2. Is the nursery ready?  No, not even close.  All we've got is this design, but most everything has been purchased except for the lamp and curtain fabric.  We need to paint our vintage dresser, but the color will be close to what's pictured.  The plan is for everything to come together in January.



3. Have you already registered?  Yes, at Amazon.com and Target.  I found it very difficult since there are SO many options for everything and every third opinion contradicts someone else's recommendation.  The staff at Babies R Us got a good laugh at the pair of college educated adults genuinely perplexed by a Chicco stroller.

4. What hospital will he be delivered at?  Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Plano, because my doctor of 8 years has an office across the highway and I did not want to find a new care provider just to save 10 minutes (or less) of drive time.  Door to door, we can get there from our house in about 25 minutes unless it's evening rush hour.

5. How are you feeling?  Great!  I've been very fortunate to have an easy pregnancy so far.  Aside from occasional nighttime heartburn and round ligament pain, I don't have anything to complain about.  The belly is getting more obvious with each passing day!

Once we take our 27 week photo, I'll fill out my little survey and post it.  For real this time.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

It's done! Bathroom Before & After

This post will be up on my other blog, but I figured you all might like to see it too:

At long last, our bathroom renovation is done!  I could not be more proud of Nick for sacrificing his evenings and weekends all summer and fall, and I think the end result looks pretty great!

[As you know] we live in a mid-century ranch house, and there's not much space to work with, so we did a lot of designing before we figured out how best to utilize the layout.  I also wanted to keep the look modern and fun, but without too any finishes that a future buyer may be scared of.  (It turns out that most people who buy houses think beige is fantastic)

Here was the before shot:



This was the design plan:



And, the finished product (which was REALLY hard to photograph because that room is tiny and the lights are bright):

I decided that gray cabinets would add some contrast to all the white, without blending in with the floor, and a Silestone countertop will offer the same look as marble but without the need for maintenance and no risk of stains.  The existing tub was refinished, and Nick installed white subway tile all the way to the ceiling to make the dark end of the room feel brighter and more open.



To add storage space, we decided to install two sets of drawers opposite the vanity with a matching countertop, and built-in shelves on top of an ikat wallpaper that the next owners can paint over or rip down if they want to be boring.   Several baskets from Homegoods will let me hide things I don't want sitting out, although most of our drawers are empty at the moment.


Overall, I'm thrilled with the end result and am so relieved for this project to be over.  Doing projects like this yourself obviously saves lots of money, but the timeline is measured in months instead of days.  I'm super proud of Nick, but I'm excited for him to be able to relax after work instead of putting in 3 hours of manual labor.

That said, any ideas for amazing Christmas gifts for the man willing to build this for me will be much appreciated.


Source Information:

Mirror - Purchased from the chip and dent room at Horchow Finale (with a small crack), repaired by Malloy Glass in Dallas, TX

Cabinets - Ordered from Second & Surplus in Dallas, made by Shiloh Cabinetry

Countertops - Lyra by Silestone, purchased as a remnant from Irving Countertops

Floor Tile - Exotica Walnut porcelain plank tiles purchased from Floor & Decor.  We have these throughout our living area and kitchen and love them!

Wall Tile - White subway tiles purchased from Floor & Decor

Wallpaper - Soft Ikat by Patty Lonsinger via Spoonflower

Shower Curtain - via Amazon.com

Rugs - Nate Berkus Aztec Diamond rug via Target

Baskets - via Homegoods

Pineapple Thingys - Nate Berkus for Target (on clearance, no longer available online)

Monday, November 4, 2013

21/22 Week Update

So it turns out that weekly questionnaires and pictures are a lot to keep up with.  My 21 week photo is actually a 21 week + 5 day photo, and this will be a 22 week update.  Oops.

The reason: We've had a busy week, and are finally in the home stretch of the bathroom renovation.  We just hung the mirror (harder than it sounds, considering the size), and then he'll just need to add some trim around the built-in, apply some caulk, and I will touch up the paint.  Those of you who recall the old white, always dingy, room will not recognize it!  We'll share some pictures next week, for sure.

 Until then, this one will have to do:


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How far along? 22 weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  Less than most, but more than I'd like.  Thankfully, I had tons of energy this evening and did lots of cardio at the gym.  Hopefully I can keep with my weekday evening routine as the belly grows, and I have to switch to treadmill walking on an incline.
 
Sleep:  Still no problems, but I keep catching myself laying half on my stomach without crushing anyone.  It's easy to do on a Tempur-Pedic mattress, but probably not for much longer.
 

Best moment this week:  On Friday night, Nick and I were watching a movie and little guy starting kicking like crazy.  Nick was able to feel him moving around from the outside!
 

Movement:  Yes, lots.  See above.
 

Symptoms:  Nothing significant to report, just a growing belly and a little bit of the back pain that goes along with it.
 

Symptoms I DON'T have:  The other ones.
 

Food cravings:  Still loving cereal,clementines, and greek yogurt.  I cannot adequately explain how good refrigerated clementines taste to me!
 

Food aversions:  The only salad I want to eat is the California grilled chicken salad that you can get at Super Target in the deli.  All others are gross.  (Totally reasonable, right?)
 

Gender:  Boy!
 

Labor Signs:  Too early for that
 

Belly Button in or out?  Too early for that

What I miss:  This week I packed up another box of non-maternity clothes that don't look right anymore and it was sad.  My closet has never been so bare (I know it's still "full", but I have a crazy amount of clothing).
 

What I am looking forward to:  I am looking forward to registering, but dreading it at the same time.  I want to feel like we're making some preparations beyond talking about the baby at dinner and reading one book. 
 

Weekly Wisdom:  Every time I feel fat, I make myself think of three things I'm excited about.  So far, it's been very helpful!



Sunday, October 27, 2013

20 Weeks + Big Surprise!



Needless to say, we got some pretty big news this week.  Baby D is a he!  

I'd be lying if I said that I have always pictured myself as a boy mom, but I am beyond happy to bring a little guy into our family and I'm in love already.  Every time I think about how excited Nick and our families are, I start to get a little teary eyed.  This boy is going to be so loved... and well-versed in building things and being outdoors.  His father can't wait until he's old enough to participate in the Saturday morning woodworking clinics for kids at Home Depot.

And he's not going to wear ugly things with slogans and frogs on them - he is my son, after all!  Luckily, we have about 20 more weeks to get ready.  I need to get a room design together asap!

And in case you're interested, here's my 20 week update:

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How far along? 20 weeks, 5 days 

Total weight gain/loss:  Almost 8 pounds.  Not too bad for 20 weeks, but I have had a terrible schedule recently and can't wait to get back to the gym and hopefully feel more like myself.  Today's 35 minutes of cardio was way harder than usual after a week away.
 
Sleep:  Still no problems, but I'm trying to train myself to sleep on my side before I have no other options.
 

Best moment this week:  Seeing our little guy on the sonogram screen and hearing that he appears perfectly healthy, and is measuring right on track!  I am SO relieved.
 

Movement:  Yes, finally!  Real kicks that feel like there is popcorn popping in my lower abdomen.  It's still not constant, though.
 

Symptoms:  Continued round ligament pain, although I woke up on Wednesday morning with more of a baby bump than I had the day before and it's continued to pop out a little more.  The photos don't showcase it very well, I know, and I'm hoping it will get more obvious.  Apparently, I am carrying the whole baby/placenta unit lower and further back than a lot of women, which explains why people look surprised when I say I'm 20 weeks along.
 

Symptoms I DON'T have:  No vein issues, back pain or swelling. Thank goodness!
 

Food cravings:  Still loving my cereal, and now trying to resist Halloween candy.
 

Food aversions:  Fish, smelly vegetables
 

Gender:  Boy!
 

Labor Signs:  Too early for that
 

Belly Button in or out?  Too early for that

What I miss:  My regular clothes
 

What I am looking forward to:  Designing a room for a little guy that's not themed or babyish, but still cheerful.
 

Weekly Wisdom:  Maternity clothes are hard to find.  The jeans are great, but there is a lot of ugly stuff out there.  I get a little angry thinking of the people who designed a nasty printed, polyester top with a babydoll cut and assumed pregnant ladies don't deserve better.  Plus, the nice stuff costs twice as much as I spend on a normal top, so options are limited.  Thank goodness for Liz Lange tank tops from Target and non-maternity butt-covering cardigans from LOFT!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Welcome! + Week 19 Update

I know what you're thinking.  "Another blog? Really?"

Yes, really.  Since my other blog is intended for the internet at large, I wanted to create a separate, more private,  space to document the latter half of my pregnancy and then hopefully, lots of photos of a cute baby for family members who live far away.  Maybe I can even get Nick to post sometime! (We'll see.)

So, in case you're really out of the loop, you should know that Baby Dillon is due on March 11, 2014 and we are really excited!  Nick wants a boy, I want a girl (or a boy, I'll be thrilled with either) and we find out the sex on October 25th.



That said, I plan to fill out this questionnaire up until the baby comes so that I have something to look back on in the future (or when my mom turns all this into a scrapbook... hint hint).

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How far along? 19 weeks, 2 days
 

Total weight gain/loss:  Not sure, but I'll know when I go to the doctor next week
 

Sleep:  No problems!
 

Best moment this week:  I'm pretty sure I can feel the baby moving.  It feels like someone poking a sore muscle on the inside of my lower abdomen and it does not feel good.
 

Movement:  Even though it sort of hurts, I was excited to finally feel something.
 

Symptoms:  Round ligament pain, as my baby bump (hopefully) starts to appear.
 

Symptoms I DON'T have:  Most of them.  It's sort of scary, though.  I have too many people to compare myself to, and I worry that lack of symptoms and noticeable baby bump mean that something is wrong.
 

Food cravings:  Sugary cereal (this week it is Honey Smacks that I mix with Special K Protein so as not to overdo it) and clementines.
 

Food aversions:  Fish *shudder*, smelly vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower
 

Gender:  We'll find out next Friday!
 

Labor Signs:  Too early for that
 

Belly Button in or out?  Too early for that

What I miss:  Wine and sushi, my usual jeans
 

What I am looking forward to:  Actually looking pregnant, and not just a little bit fat
 

Weekly Wisdom:  It's not a good idea to go on about how un-pregnant a pregnant lady looks. Just leave it at "you look great!"