We also had a house full of people all weekend, so I am quite exhausted. I will post more about it later this week and pictures too. I need to go lie down! But here are my 35 week belly pictures:
Sunday, January 31, 2010
35/35
Yesterday marked my 35th week and which also means 35 days left. Of course that is not set in stone, but it's still quite the achievement. My mom, mother-in-law, sister-in-law and friend threw me a baby shower yesterday as well. It was a lot of fun and we got a ton of gifts. It's so overwhelming!
We also had a house full of people all weekend, so I am quite exhausted. I will post more about it later this week and pictures too. I need to go lie down! But here are my 35 week belly pictures:
We also had a house full of people all weekend, so I am quite exhausted. I will post more about it later this week and pictures too. I need to go lie down! But here are my 35 week belly pictures:
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Not Much of Milestone
Remember back in December when I wrote about this milestone? Well guess what? After a few weeks of not wearing my wedding ring, I decided to try it on. It still fits!
Every day I try it on, and most days it fits just fine. I just keep it on and just take it off at night. Fortunately I really don't seem to have much swelling, if any, even by the end of the day.
I bought another ring to wear that was really cheap and so ridiculous, but it was actually too big and I usually wear it on another finger on my right hand.
So - Yay for still being able to wear my wedding ring!
Every day I try it on, and most days it fits just fine. I just keep it on and just take it off at night. Fortunately I really don't seem to have much swelling, if any, even by the end of the day.
I bought another ring to wear that was really cheap and so ridiculous, but it was actually too big and I usually wear it on another finger on my right hand.
So - Yay for still being able to wear my wedding ring!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
34 Weeks and counting . . .
Skol Vikings! Above are my 34 week pictures. Wow - 6 weeks left! Yikes!!!! We are getting exciting, but a little freaked out as well. I am wearing Uncas's shirt, and it's really large - even for me. But I just had to wear it today!
This weekend we got more done in the nursery. The dresser is stained and in the room, a little shelf is hung as well as a little light. It's really coming along and looking like a baby could live there. Next week I should have the curtains!!!
But of course right now our focus is on the Vikings game. So I better get back to the tv! Skol Vikings!
Friday, January 22, 2010
It's never too soon . . .
To turn your kid into a geek! Uncas sent me a link today to these:
It's nice that he has taken an interest in our child's clothing options.
It's nice that he has taken an interest in our child's clothing options.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Guest Blogger
Uncas wrote up a blog post and requested that I post it. First I need to give you a little background to his post.
Last night we had another group appointment and our favorite most annoying mom was there. As usual she dominated a lot of the discussion, but it was on things that were totally off topic, she was rude and interrupted people and wouldn't stop talking at the request of the nurse and the midwife. It probably wouldn't be so bad if she had interesting things to say. But after already 5 kids, her questions and contributions are puzzling.
The nurse and midwife were talking last night about all the marketing that is done to parents and how many things are completely unnecessary. Then we got to talking about it can be difficult to know when you are nursing, if your baby is getting enough to eat and ways we can tell, other than going to the pediatrician's office to weight them. Annoying Mom (AM) brought up how her kids wanted a new Wii Fit (apparently they already have one, but there is a new game for it) and she initially said no. Then she read on the back that you can now weigh your baby with Wii Fit, so she spent $20 and bought it!
Without further ado - here is Uncas's post titled:
Last night we had another group appointment and our favorite most annoying mom was there. As usual she dominated a lot of the discussion, but it was on things that were totally off topic, she was rude and interrupted people and wouldn't stop talking at the request of the nurse and the midwife. It probably wouldn't be so bad if she had interesting things to say. But after already 5 kids, her questions and contributions are puzzling.
The nurse and midwife were talking last night about all the marketing that is done to parents and how many things are completely unnecessary. Then we got to talking about it can be difficult to know when you are nursing, if your baby is getting enough to eat and ways we can tell, other than going to the pediatrician's office to weight them. Annoying Mom (AM) brought up how her kids wanted a new Wii Fit (apparently they already have one, but there is a new game for it) and she initially said no. Then she read on the back that you can now weigh your baby with Wii Fit, so she spent $20 and bought it!
Without further ado - here is Uncas's post titled:
How to weigh a baby in 31 easy steps
1. Get in car and drive to your favorite electronics or video game retailer.
2. Select Nintendo Wii and WiiFit Plus game (and balance board) and new
52 inch OLED LCD TV
3. Pay for your new items
a. Present debit card
b. Listen to sales pitch and eventually decide to open store credit card in order to save 15% on purchase
c. After filling out paper work and checking to make sure discount has been applied, listen to sales pitch for extended warrenties.
d. Eventually decide to get warrenties for items - it's for your baby after all! Add 15% back onto purchase price.
4. Have 'helpful' teen employee attempt to load an already back seat with new 52 inch television box.
5. Attempt to close back seat car door.
6. Take out TV box and fold down rear seats. Slide TV box into trunk and attempt to close trunk.
7. Ask employee for rope to tie down hood of car.
8. When employee returns with a roll of packing tape, hold back urge to strangle (it's not one of the steps).
9. Use packing tape to secure trunk.
10. Drive home.
11. Once home, peel tape from trunk and attempt to carry in giant TV box by yourself.
12. Check local weather conditions.
13. Quickly unpack TV in driveway in order to beat incoming thunderstorm.
14. Haul unpacked TV into house narrowly avoiding the downpour.
15. Give up on soaked packaging spewn across your lawn - you didn't need that TV manual anyway.
16. Curse under your breath and run into down-pour to retrieve the Wii and Fitness board from front seat of car.
17. Unpack Wii
18. Connect stand to TV and insert power cable and look for remote.
19. Make a note to order new universal remote as it's likely the new one won't work after sitting in the driveway soaked.
20. Open Wii box and extract contents
21. Connect power adapter to back of Wii
22. Connect RCA input cables to AV input of new TV
23. Plug in Wii sensor bar and position in front of TV
24. Power on TV and Wii
25. Turn TV as far as it will go, you're going to need to use the controls on the TV
26. Fiddle with the controls in order to enable the AV input for your Wii (this make take up to 30 minutes)
27. Once you have the AV input set correctly, put batteries in Wii-mote and connect balance board
28. On the Wii main menu select Wii-Fit Plus
29. Use Wii fit plus to weigh yourself, the Wii will remember this
30. Navigate to the Baby weighing selection and pick up your baby
31. Step onto balance board and the Wii will tell you your baby's weight!
2. Select Nintendo Wii and WiiFit Plus game (and balance board) and new
52 inch OLED LCD TV
3. Pay for your new items
a. Present debit card
b. Listen to sales pitch and eventually decide to open store credit card in order to save 15% on purchase
c. After filling out paper work and checking to make sure discount has been applied, listen to sales pitch for extended warrenties.
d. Eventually decide to get warrenties for items - it's for your baby after all! Add 15% back onto purchase price.
4. Have 'helpful' teen employee attempt to load an already back seat with new 52 inch television box.
5. Attempt to close back seat car door.
6. Take out TV box and fold down rear seats. Slide TV box into trunk and attempt to close trunk.
7. Ask employee for rope to tie down hood of car.
8. When employee returns with a roll of packing tape, hold back urge to strangle (it's not one of the steps).
9. Use packing tape to secure trunk.
10. Drive home.
11. Once home, peel tape from trunk and attempt to carry in giant TV box by yourself.
12. Check local weather conditions.
13. Quickly unpack TV in driveway in order to beat incoming thunderstorm.
14. Haul unpacked TV into house narrowly avoiding the downpour.
15. Give up on soaked packaging spewn across your lawn - you didn't need that TV manual anyway.
16. Curse under your breath and run into down-pour to retrieve the Wii and Fitness board from front seat of car.
17. Unpack Wii
18. Connect stand to TV and insert power cable and look for remote.
19. Make a note to order new universal remote as it's likely the new one won't work after sitting in the driveway soaked.
20. Open Wii box and extract contents
21. Connect power adapter to back of Wii
22. Connect RCA input cables to AV input of new TV
23. Plug in Wii sensor bar and position in front of TV
24. Power on TV and Wii
25. Turn TV as far as it will go, you're going to need to use the controls on the TV
26. Fiddle with the controls in order to enable the AV input for your Wii (this make take up to 30 minutes)
27. Once you have the AV input set correctly, put batteries in Wii-mote and connect balance board
28. On the Wii main menu select Wii-Fit Plus
29. Use Wii fit plus to weigh yourself, the Wii will remember this
30. Navigate to the Baby weighing selection and pick up your baby
31. Step onto balance board and the Wii will tell you your baby's weight!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Quick Update
Our ultrasound went great today. Baby is growing and is quite active (not that I needed the ultrasound tech to tell me that it wiggles a lot!) The fluid in the kidneys looks like it cleared up on its own. The kidneys are slightly larger, but they weren't concerned with that. The next thing that they recommend is an ultrasound when the baby is 2 weeks old.
The baby is currently measuring a couple of weeks ahead of schedule and is up to 5 lb. 9 oz. That was a little shocking, but of course the room for error is about 2 weeks and who knows with the weight. But I think the realization that this baby could really come at any time now has started sinking in for both me and Uncas. It looks like we might be moving in high gear to make sure that the stuff we want done before the baby comes, gets done and soon!
We also found out the position of the baby. It's head is up high still. I am hoping that in the next few weeks it turns head down, although I can't say I am looking forward to all that turning inside of me!
The baby is currently measuring a couple of weeks ahead of schedule and is up to 5 lb. 9 oz. That was a little shocking, but of course the room for error is about 2 weeks and who knows with the weight. But I think the realization that this baby could really come at any time now has started sinking in for both me and Uncas. It looks like we might be moving in high gear to make sure that the stuff we want done before the baby comes, gets done and soon!
We also found out the position of the baby. It's head is up high still. I am hoping that in the next few weeks it turns head down, although I can't say I am looking forward to all that turning inside of me!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Weekend Bullets
We had a good weekend. After having visitors the past couple, it was nice to not have Sammy whining during the early hours to go visit them upstairs. Here are some random thoughts:
- Friday night we did a little date and went out for pie. It was tasty and fun. We are working on doing stuff like this more in the next couple of months before the baby comes.
- We also enjoyed sleeping in both days this weekend. Even Sammy slept until 9:30 this morning - heaven!
- Saturday we went out to lunch with Josh and then dinner with our friends Matt and Janis. The big downside of dinner was me not being able to enjoy a margarita. They sure looked great! It was such a fun day hanging out with friends.
- Skol Vikings! It was so much fun watching the game today - enough said!
- I spent $7.80 on comfy pants last week and I LOVE them. I think I am going to go back to Kohl's this week to see if they have any more left.
- Watching the Golden Globes and is so annoyed with James Cameron. I can't believe Avatar won for best movie - blah!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
We're Ready
Last night I was sitting on the couch in our living room reading a book. Sammy was next to me chewing on a rawhide and Uncas was playing some football on the Wii. Sammy got up and started walking into the kitchen. I looked up from my book and looked towards the kitchen while Uncas turned in his chair to also look in the kitchen. As we waited, listening, we heard Sammy drink some water out of his bowl. We looked at each other and smiled. Each of us thinking - oh good, he doesn't need to go outside.
Right after this little, insignificant event, Uncas turned to me and said "We are so ready to have a baby! Look, we both were involved in something else, but became distracted when Sammy walked into the other room. We were keeping tabs on what he was up to."
You know what - I think he is right. If there was any doubt about us as parents picking up on our baby's cues, it has definitely been erased. I do think it's true that having a dog has prepared us for parenthood. And just to reinforce that, something else happened with Sammy and me today.
I was sitting on the couch, probably on the computer and Sammy brought a piece of rawhide up to chew, but he flung it off the couch inside. So then he looks down at it and starts whining. I encouraged him to go get it, but then he decided to bark at me! It made me laugh! He wanted me to pick up his rawhide, even though he is fully capable of getting it himself. So I ignored him and he finally jumped down, grabbed it, and ran into the other room to chew on it. See - I didn't give in to him - more practice for what is to come!
In other baby news - this morning we met with the pediatrician that we will be using for our baby. I really liked her a lot and the clinic too. It's really close to home. One more thing I can check off our to do list!
Right after this little, insignificant event, Uncas turned to me and said "We are so ready to have a baby! Look, we both were involved in something else, but became distracted when Sammy walked into the other room. We were keeping tabs on what he was up to."
You know what - I think he is right. If there was any doubt about us as parents picking up on our baby's cues, it has definitely been erased. I do think it's true that having a dog has prepared us for parenthood. And just to reinforce that, something else happened with Sammy and me today.
I was sitting on the couch, probably on the computer and Sammy brought a piece of rawhide up to chew, but he flung it off the couch inside. So then he looks down at it and starts whining. I encouraged him to go get it, but then he decided to bark at me! It made me laugh! He wanted me to pick up his rawhide, even though he is fully capable of getting it himself. So I ignored him and he finally jumped down, grabbed it, and ran into the other room to chew on it. See - I didn't give in to him - more practice for what is to come!
In other baby news - this morning we met with the pediatrician that we will be using for our baby. I really liked her a lot and the clinic too. It's really close to home. One more thing I can check off our to do list!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Redecorating
Someone in our house feels the need to move rugs, blankets, towels etc. around. Apparently, I don't do a good enough job decorating or something. For example, here is a picture of the rug by our front door:
I think the little blue rug looks perfectly nice there. But here is where the other someone thinks the rug should go:
Notice the other someone guarding his handy work! It's not uncommon these days to find blankets in the bathroom or towels (that we keep by our side door to wipe up the snow) in the bathroom as well. I guess he likes the look of rug on rug or towel on rug or blanket on rug. Go figure!
In other news - today I got to hang out with Ella and her darling baby Eliza. We went to IKEA for some shopping and some Swedish Meatballs - yum! And I even had a piece of some delicious chocolate cake. Here are a couple cute pictures of Eliza:
In other news - today I got to hang out with Ella and her darling baby Eliza. We went to IKEA for some shopping and some Swedish Meatballs - yum! And I even had a piece of some delicious chocolate cake. Here are a couple cute pictures of Eliza:
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Final Holiday Celebration
This weekend my parents came up to visit us and to finally celebrate Christmas. They came with not only gifts, but also food, which made for a nice laid back visit. Of course there were plenty of laughs, as always, and we even went to see a movie (Sherlock Holmes, which was pretty good).
Here are some pictures from the weekend:
Here are some pictures from the weekend:
Dad opening his gift - PhotoShop Elements
Baby Nimzlet and Sammy gave my parents a Vikings ornament
Uncas received a fun game called Smart Ass from Derek and Jeanna. We had fun playing in on Friday night.
Baby Nimzlet received a singing lamb/goat from Grandma and Grandpa. I love this (and Sammy is equally as fascinated with it).
Sammy received a Snuggie from Grandma and Grandpa!
In addition to gifts and food, my parents brought my dad's old bassinet that we will be using for the baby. I actually slept in it when I was a baby as well. Sammy needed to check it out.
He did not like the spot that I think the bassinet will be located in our bedroom (currently, it's being stored up in the baby's room). I think we'll have to move it down to our bedroom about a week before my due date, so he gets used to it being there.
And speaking of the baby - Saturday marked my 32nd week. Here are pictures:
Friday, January 8, 2010
Dice Wars!
A few years back Uncas was introduced to this online game called Dice Wars. He played it a lot and showed it to me. Basically you get stacks of dice and you try and gain as much territory as possible by taking turns (against the computer) and "rolling" the dice. Whoever has the higher roll, wins the spot, but if it's a tie, the opponent is considered the winner and keeps the spot. It's really a strategy game and so I tried playing it and I sucked at it and stopped (all in probably one day).
Now Uncas - he is a big strategy game person. He loves to think when he plays games. I like to play games that you don't have to think too hard when playing. He has played Dice Wars consistently throughout the years and has gotten very good at it. And over the time I have watched him play and win. Sometimes he would tell me different tips on strategy for the game and honestly after awhile I would enjoy watching him play.
Right around Thanksgiving I don't know why I decided to give the game another shot, but I did. Much to my surprise, I didn't lose immediately and then asked Uncas for some help and managed to win. So, I played again with similar results. I think it was a Friday night (I know - what exciting people we are - playing online games on Friday night). The next morning I was up with Sammy and I sat down and started playing and I ended up winning my first game all by myself! A strategy game of all things! And I actually did play it strategically! After all these years of watching Uncas play and listening to him talk about it, some of the tips and hints actually sunk into my brain. And you know what? I discovered that I actually like the game . . . a lot!
It's not uncommon to find both of us playing a game on our laptops while watching tv at night. I do still ask Uncas for advice and sometimes we play a game together. I never realized that a "thinking" game could be this much fun.
And as much as I would like to type more, I need to go play a game now (I like to win at least one game a day).
Now Uncas - he is a big strategy game person. He loves to think when he plays games. I like to play games that you don't have to think too hard when playing. He has played Dice Wars consistently throughout the years and has gotten very good at it. And over the time I have watched him play and win. Sometimes he would tell me different tips on strategy for the game and honestly after awhile I would enjoy watching him play.
Right around Thanksgiving I don't know why I decided to give the game another shot, but I did. Much to my surprise, I didn't lose immediately and then asked Uncas for some help and managed to win. So, I played again with similar results. I think it was a Friday night (I know - what exciting people we are - playing online games on Friday night). The next morning I was up with Sammy and I sat down and started playing and I ended up winning my first game all by myself! A strategy game of all things! And I actually did play it strategically! After all these years of watching Uncas play and listening to him talk about it, some of the tips and hints actually sunk into my brain. And you know what? I discovered that I actually like the game . . . a lot!
It's not uncommon to find both of us playing a game on our laptops while watching tv at night. I do still ask Uncas for advice and sometimes we play a game together. I never realized that a "thinking" game could be this much fun.
And as much as I would like to type more, I need to go play a game now (I like to win at least one game a day).
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
A Numbers Game
I've had a lot of numbers swirling in my head lately - allow me to share:
- 60 days left until Little Nimzlet arrives, according to the floating baby - yikes!
- 5 Centering Prenatal appointments left, one them is tonight.
- 23-25 lbs (depending on the day and scale) is the amount of weight that I have gained so far.
- 28 responses to the Baby Pool (I didn't count mine or Uncas's entry)
- 3 days until we can celebrate Christmas with my parents (finally!)
- 2 pairs of slippers that I have received from my in-laws as Christmas presents (one pair last year and one pair this year). I am determined that Sammy will not chew on this latest pair - I love them!
- 1 sleeping puppy on my lap.
- 10 degrees outside (heat wave?!)
- 28 days until LOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year!
Last night we finally started celebrating Christmas! Uncas's parents came down from Duluth. This was the year of hats. My mother-in-law knit everyone in the family new winter hats. Here are Uncas and I showing off ours:
Sammy has really enjoyed having a playmate. Sophie has been very patient and a willing participant in playing with Sammy at all times. Here is a picture from last night, after they were all tired out:
Later on in the evening, Sophie decided to try out Sammy's bed. It cracks me up because it's a little small for her, but that didn't stop her from sleeping on it all night!
We all made it till 12 am last night to ring in the new year, but we all stumbled to bed shortly after. I think tonight bedtime will be pretty early.
Today was a fun day. I went shopping with my mother-in-law and Uncas went shopping with his dad. We have also spent time introducing my in-laws to our favorite tv sitcom - Better Off Ted.
Of course being the New Year, it's time to reveal New Year's Resolutions. For the past few years, my resolution has been to learn to drive a stick shift car. Guess what? I didn't learn in 2009. This year I only have one resolution. It's car related and something that I thought of a couple of months ago. For those of you who have had the privilege to drive with me, you'll know that I am impatient, aggressive and have a rather foul mouth towards other drivers on the road. I realized that this is not good behavior that I want to model for my child, so my resolution is to be a more patient driver and not yell at other drivers on the road. It's one that I truly believe I can keep this year, but we'll see.
I hope everyone had a safe and Happy New Years! I think I am going to bed!
Today was a fun day. I went shopping with my mother-in-law and Uncas went shopping with his dad. We have also spent time introducing my in-laws to our favorite tv sitcom - Better Off Ted.
Of course being the New Year, it's time to reveal New Year's Resolutions. For the past few years, my resolution has been to learn to drive a stick shift car. Guess what? I didn't learn in 2009. This year I only have one resolution. It's car related and something that I thought of a couple of months ago. For those of you who have had the privilege to drive with me, you'll know that I am impatient, aggressive and have a rather foul mouth towards other drivers on the road. I realized that this is not good behavior that I want to model for my child, so my resolution is to be a more patient driver and not yell at other drivers on the road. It's one that I truly believe I can keep this year, but we'll see.
I hope everyone had a safe and Happy New Years! I think I am going to bed!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
My Decade Recap
I saw someone else do this in their blog and thought it would be very interesting to see how far I have come in 10 years. December 31, 2009 also marks my 10 year anniversary moving to Minnesota
2000 – New to MN. Working at TeamExcel as a Jr. Recruiter/Sales Assistant. Got a part time job working Lands End Inlet in Richfield Burnsville
2001 – Started working at The Musicland Group in May. Met my favorite New Kid – Joey McIntyre in June while covering the receptionist desk. Still working at Lands’ End. Moved to South Minneapolis, just a couple of blocks from Lake Harriet
2002 – Sill working at MLG. Started hanging out with the MLGrlz – a group of 5 of us who all worked in HR, right around the same age.
2003 – Moved from MLG to working at Best Buy Corporate HR. Met Reid at Lands’ End in April – we were just friends. My best friend Lisa got married in Oct and it was the first and only time that I have been in a wedding (other than my own). Attended my first play-off game for the Chicago Cubs – they lost L Starting dating Reid sometime in November (neither one of us remember the exact date of our first date). Went to a lot of concerts.
2004 – Switched jobs in March to Telemasters, Inc.working as a Program Assistant. Finally quit Lands’ End. Moved to a different apartment located in Edina
2005 – Still working at Telemasters. Moved to a new apartment in South Minneapolis on France Ave New Orleans
2006 – This is a big year. In March I got engaged! Reid and I moved into a duplex in South Minneapolis, just a couple of blocks from Lake Harriet Rose Gardens at Lake Harriet University of Minnesota
2007 – It was a pretty quiet year for the most part. At the end of May Reid and I took another trip to the Boundary Waters. It was a little bit more intense than the previous trip, but looking back now, I have very fond memories. I also turned 30 in June. That was really about all the exciting stuff that we did. Mainly because we were busy saving money and paying down debt.
2008 – This was quite the busy year. In February we went to Mexico
2009 – That brings us to this year. Another big year full of change. This spring I decided I wanted to go back to school for Early Childhood Education. At the end of June I gave 2 months notice to my work and then we found out that we were expecting a baby! In the fall I returned to school after 10 years. In November my Grandma Blume passed away. And now we are getting our house ready to welcome our baby next year.
As I look back, it’s really amazing and exciting to see how much I have grown throughout these 10 years. I remember that when I first moved to Minnesota
I have a feeling that the next ten years are going to go by really fast. I am so excited to become a mom and I look forward to starting a new career. There is one thing that I know for sure – I hope to not move out of this house in the next ten years! I did enough moving this past decade!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Baby Pool
I have tossed around the idea for sometime about doing a little baby pool for Baby Nimzlet. Today I finally took the time to set one up online.
There will be a fabulous prize to the winner of the pool, so take a shot at guessing the date of birth, gender, time of birth, length, weight, hair and name. I have put the link in the side of the blog, but you can go to Baby Nimzlet Pool if you want to guess right now.
Good Luck!
There will be a fabulous prize to the winner of the pool, so take a shot at guessing the date of birth, gender, time of birth, length, weight, hair and name. I have put the link in the side of the blog, but you can go to Baby Nimzlet Pool if you want to guess right now.
Good Luck!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Christmas 2009 Recap
Here's the thing - Christmas day this year sucked for me. It didn't seem like Christmas at all. The lesson that I learned from this - if they are predicting that the weather is going to be bad - I will just cancel travel plans and make plans to be home. What we did instead of this was play the "wait and see" game. Bad choice, because instead of planning a Christmas meal and how Uncas and I should spent Christmas day together, I just sat and wondered if I would be traveling. Well, we didn't travel and I felt completely lost on Christmas day. The first time in my life I did not spend Christmas with any family.
We did go see a movie, Up in the Air who stars one of my favorite people - George Clooney. We also had Christmas dinner at Champps, a local sports bar - I know - merry Christmas to us! While I was quite thankful to be spending the day with my husband and I acknowledge the fact and that I am very blessed, Christmas still sucked.
But the rest of the weekend took a turn for the better. Maybe it's because we ended up spending lots of money. Shopping does make everything better! We now have a dresser for the baby's room and a new dining table and chairs. Uncas needs to stain the dresser for the baby's room, so no pictures just yet. As for the dining room table - we weren't even planning on buying one, but we found one that we fell in love with. We won't have it for another 6-8 weeks, so again no pictures.
Another thing that makes you feel good is doing hard work. We decided to finally paint our dining room. It's literally the last room in the house that hasn't been painted. In fact, we spent this weekend taking down wallpaper glue. This week we'll be finishing it up before Uncas's parents come to visit on New Year's Eve.
All in all - the holiday wasn't a complete disaster. My parents will be coming to visit in early January, so we can celebrate with them and we'll see my in-law's this weekend to celebrate Christmas and New Year's with them. And one other highlight from this weekend - Saturday marked 30 weeks! That means I just have 10 weeks left (probably closer to 11 or 12) till we meet our little baby! I can't wait!!!!
We did go see a movie, Up in the Air who stars one of my favorite people - George Clooney. We also had Christmas dinner at Champps, a local sports bar - I know - merry Christmas to us! While I was quite thankful to be spending the day with my husband and I acknowledge the fact and that I am very blessed, Christmas still sucked.
But the rest of the weekend took a turn for the better. Maybe it's because we ended up spending lots of money. Shopping does make everything better! We now have a dresser for the baby's room and a new dining table and chairs. Uncas needs to stain the dresser for the baby's room, so no pictures just yet. As for the dining room table - we weren't even planning on buying one, but we found one that we fell in love with. We won't have it for another 6-8 weeks, so again no pictures.
Another thing that makes you feel good is doing hard work. We decided to finally paint our dining room. It's literally the last room in the house that hasn't been painted. In fact, we spent this weekend taking down wallpaper glue. This week we'll be finishing it up before Uncas's parents come to visit on New Year's Eve.
All in all - the holiday wasn't a complete disaster. My parents will be coming to visit in early January, so we can celebrate with them and we'll see my in-law's this weekend to celebrate Christmas and New Year's with them. And one other highlight from this weekend - Saturday marked 30 weeks! That means I just have 10 weeks left (probably closer to 11 or 12) till we meet our little baby! I can't wait!!!!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas from Minnesota!
Stuck in Minnesota for Christmas
My favorite Christmas present this year!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Should We Stay or Should We Go?
That is the big question of the day. Should we attempt to drive to my parents for Christmas tonight or should we wait and see if the storm of the century really hits in the next couple of days? We are going to make a decision after Uncas gets home from work tonight, but only time and weather will tell.
Until then - we are all ready for Christmas. Here is a picture of our tree with all the presents:
And here are the gingerbread cookies that I made last week:
Not much else has been going on around here. So, here are some cute puppy pictures from the past week:
Cuddling with Daddy
Helping Mama with crocheting.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Another Milestone
I don't know that it's a very exciting milestone, but sadly this morning I took off my wedding ring;-( I have noticed it getting tighter lately, and I just don't want to take the chance that it gets stuck on my finger. I have other rings, but that particular ring finger is really small (despite the fact my wedding is currently tight), so all my other rings are too big.
Uncas has talked about getting another ring for me to wear. I don't really care if I am actually wearing one, although after having one on for 3 1/2 years, I feel strangely naked without it!
Uncas has talked about getting another ring for me to wear. I don't really care if I am actually wearing one, although after having one on for 3 1/2 years, I feel strangely naked without it!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
End of Semester
Today marked my last official day of class. Tomorrow I have one final left and I am done with the semester - hurray! I have been putting off a lot of things these past couple of weeks, so I can just focus on school. I can't wait to clean my house, wrap Christmas presents, bake some cookies, and just think about and prepare for this little baby that is kicking me as I type!
I don't really have too much new to say about school. It's been a great semester and I have said it before, but I will say it again - I really enjoyed my classes. I look forward to going back to get my licensure, but truth be told - I don't know exactly when that will be. I honestly can't make a decision on if I will return to school next fall until after the baby is born. But the good thing is that I know when I am ready, I know what I am going to do and that makes it a lot more appealing.
In other news - I did have Uncas take "real" week 28 pictures. I can't say they are any better because I look really tired in them, but here they are anyways:
In still other news - Sammy is not really enjoying this colder weather. I can tell he is tired of being inside, but he just gets so cold (particularly his paws), so unfortunately there isn't much to be done about it. I think this weekend we'll have to take him to the pet store for a little field trip. Here is a picture of him cuddling on Daddy's lap while Daddy plays some football on the Wii.
And finally - each year for Christmas my best friend Lisa and I do an ornament exchange. I love it because as the years go by, my tree is starting to have more and more unique/fun ornaments. Today I got mine from Lisa in the mail.
I don't really have too much new to say about school. It's been a great semester and I have said it before, but I will say it again - I really enjoyed my classes. I look forward to going back to get my licensure, but truth be told - I don't know exactly when that will be. I honestly can't make a decision on if I will return to school next fall until after the baby is born. But the good thing is that I know when I am ready, I know what I am going to do and that makes it a lot more appealing.
In other news - I did have Uncas take "real" week 28 pictures. I can't say they are any better because I look really tired in them, but here they are anyways:
In still other news - Sammy is not really enjoying this colder weather. I can tell he is tired of being inside, but he just gets so cold (particularly his paws), so unfortunately there isn't much to be done about it. I think this weekend we'll have to take him to the pet store for a little field trip. Here is a picture of him cuddling on Daddy's lap while Daddy plays some football on the Wii.
Does anyone know how to flip the picture? It wasn't like this in Picasa! Sometimes I really hate Blogger!!!
Anyhow - despite the picture being flipped, I think you can see it. Unfortunately Lisa will have to wait 10 more days until she gets her ornament, because I am not sending it to her. I hope (weather willing) to give it to her in person!
Ok - I should probably get back to studying now . . .
Friday, December 11, 2009
28 Weeks
Officially tomorrow I will be at 28 weeks, but Uncas will be helping a friend move and I don't want to forget to take a belly picture. So, I took some this morning. They aren't the greatest, and hopefully tomorrow we'll remember to take better ones.
Sometimes I don't think I look that big, but when I just see my bare belly (sorry, won't be posting any pictures of those), it looks huge to me!
I am having some challenge finding clothes warm enough for me right now. Fortunately my dear husband has given me a few things from his closet. Today I am wearing his shirts, which are super comfortable and warm! At night you can find me wearing his huge UMD sweatshirt while watching tv. I think I will actually be able to wear it until March because it's so big.
So - here I am - third trimester. 12 weeks left, although, let's be honest - I am expecting at least 13 more weeks, especially if this baby is as poking as its father is in the morning!
I am having some challenge finding clothes warm enough for me right now. Fortunately my dear husband has given me a few things from his closet. Today I am wearing his shirts, which are super comfortable and warm! At night you can find me wearing his huge UMD sweatshirt while watching tv. I think I will actually be able to wear it until March because it's so big.
So - here I am - third trimester. 12 weeks left, although, let's be honest - I am expecting at least 13 more weeks, especially if this baby is as poking as its father is in the morning!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Behind
I am really behind on posting this week. I think after the really busy past few weeks, I have sort of crashed and burned. Although yesterday I felt like my energy was picking up a little bit, but now with the extreme cold here in MN, it makes me just want to bundle up and lay on the couch.
I do need to post a few more pictures from the past weekend. Here are some of Saffron with her lovely "Blume" hair-do after she woke up from her nap on Sunday.
Here are a couple more - one with my brother and Saffron and one with me and Saffron:
And finally - I took this picture of Tina and Snoopy sleeping together on Saturday afternoon. It's so cute and it makes me want to get another dog for Sammy, so he has a cuddle buddy too, when Uncas and I are not around.
In other news - this is my last full week of classes. Hard to believe the semester is coming to a close. I have to say, surprisingly, I am a little sad. I really enjoyed both of my classes. Currently I have A's in both of them (go me!), and just have two final tests to get through. I am not too worried and plan on studying this weekend.
I will say that I am glad that the semester is ending, because this week it got COLD! I have still been walking to class because it's good exercise, but man, when it's 2 degrees out with negative wind chill - it's tough. And I can't walk as fast before, in fact, I feel like I am waddling lately, so it's a little slow going.
Which brings me to my next topic - baby stuff. I thought that when you are pregnant, you are suppose to run warm all the time. Well, I am still waiting for that "heater" to kick in. I think mine is broken. I wouldn't say that I feel hot or even warmer than before I was pregnant. Maybe it will kick in when I am in the the third trimester.
And speaking of the third trimester - I reach that milestone on Saturday! I can't believe I have made it that far. Sometimes I am still amazed when I look down and see that growing belly of mine. The weight gain has slowed, which is nice. It only appears to really be in my mid-section. I hope to continue walking every day on our treadmill once classes are done. I think it's made a huge difference this fall.
At the beginning of the week I was thinking how great I am finally feeling while pregnant, although I shouldn't have thought that quite so soon. The past few days have been rather uncomfortable. I do see the light shining at the end of the tunnel, which is good. I remember in July thinking how far off March seemed. Now I feel like there isn't enough time to get everything done by March! I wouldn't say that the time has gone by super quickly, although the past month time has seemed to pick up.
Lately I have been thinking more and more about the actual labor. I know some friends (hi Jacqueline) who have horror stories about it and then other friends (hi Laura) who have had very fast, and relatively uncomplicated labors. I suppose it's only natural to be thinking about it, especially at this point in the pregnancy. Next week at our next prenatal appointment, we'll be touring Labor and Delivery. I am looking forward to it, primarily because I have never spent the night in the hospital. In fact, I don't even know where to go once I am in labor! I can't say that I am terrified of labor or even scared, but it's unknown to me, so I keep trying to envision what it will be like.
Anyhow - I need to get some brownies out of the oven now, but I want to end with one last picture. This week my sister and nephew sent Baby Nimz it's first Christmas present. I was so surprised and touched when it came in the mail, it brought tears to my eyes. It's an evergreen tree that we can plant in our yard!
I do need to post a few more pictures from the past weekend. Here are some of Saffron with her lovely "Blume" hair-do after she woke up from her nap on Sunday.
In other news - this is my last full week of classes. Hard to believe the semester is coming to a close. I have to say, surprisingly, I am a little sad. I really enjoyed both of my classes. Currently I have A's in both of them (go me!), and just have two final tests to get through. I am not too worried and plan on studying this weekend.
I will say that I am glad that the semester is ending, because this week it got COLD! I have still been walking to class because it's good exercise, but man, when it's 2 degrees out with negative wind chill - it's tough. And I can't walk as fast before, in fact, I feel like I am waddling lately, so it's a little slow going.
Which brings me to my next topic - baby stuff. I thought that when you are pregnant, you are suppose to run warm all the time. Well, I am still waiting for that "heater" to kick in. I think mine is broken. I wouldn't say that I feel hot or even warmer than before I was pregnant. Maybe it will kick in when I am in the the third trimester.
And speaking of the third trimester - I reach that milestone on Saturday! I can't believe I have made it that far. Sometimes I am still amazed when I look down and see that growing belly of mine. The weight gain has slowed, which is nice. It only appears to really be in my mid-section. I hope to continue walking every day on our treadmill once classes are done. I think it's made a huge difference this fall.
At the beginning of the week I was thinking how great I am finally feeling while pregnant, although I shouldn't have thought that quite so soon. The past few days have been rather uncomfortable. I do see the light shining at the end of the tunnel, which is good. I remember in July thinking how far off March seemed. Now I feel like there isn't enough time to get everything done by March! I wouldn't say that the time has gone by super quickly, although the past month time has seemed to pick up.
Lately I have been thinking more and more about the actual labor. I know some friends (hi Jacqueline) who have horror stories about it and then other friends (hi Laura) who have had very fast, and relatively uncomplicated labors. I suppose it's only natural to be thinking about it, especially at this point in the pregnancy. Next week at our next prenatal appointment, we'll be touring Labor and Delivery. I am looking forward to it, primarily because I have never spent the night in the hospital. In fact, I don't even know where to go once I am in labor! I can't say that I am terrified of labor or even scared, but it's unknown to me, so I keep trying to envision what it will be like.
Anyhow - I need to get some brownies out of the oven now, but I want to end with one last picture. This week my sister and nephew sent Baby Nimz it's first Christmas present. I was so surprised and touched when it came in the mail, it brought tears to my eyes. It's an evergreen tree that we can plant in our yard!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Visitors
This weekend my brother and his family are visiting. They make this trek from Madison, WI every year around the same time, so they can do some Christmas shopping at MOA (Mall of America). While Derek and Jeanna and Saffron head to the mall, Uncas and I stay behind with the dogs - we know what's it like to go to the mall this time of year, so we try to avoid it at all costs. Here are some pictures from the visit so far:
Saffron and Jeanna
Saffron in the dog bed.
Snoopy and Sammy sleeping on me.
Sammy, Snoopy and Tina by the heater spot.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Coasting Downhill
It's hard to believe that I only have 2 1/2 weeks left of the semester. It has really flown by quickly. Last night I finished up my big paper, and I will be turning it in today. The only thing I have left now are my two finals. Neither should be very difficult. I have to say that classes this semester were a lot of fun. I liked my professors and the course content was really interesting. Very different than my undergrad experience. Of course I know that my own maturity probably has a lot to do with the experience this time around.
I already spoke to one of my professors about making accommodations for taking the final. For my Psych class, we take all tests in the computer lab. I love it because we pick the time we want to take the test (I almost always sign up for the first time slot) and we get our results instantly after we finish. But, with my growing belly, it has become more and more uncomfortable for me. Last week when I took the last test, my back was absolutely killing me. The test didn't take me longer than 30 minutes and the uncomfortableness didn't impact my grade (I got an A!), but I know that the final is a longer exam, so it will take more time. The course coordinator couldn't have been sweeter about the request. I have a few options, so I know we can figure something out.
And speaking of the belly and this baby - I am under the 100 day mark! According to my countdown, I have 95 days left (although, I am convinced that I will be delivering past the 40 week mark, so it's probably more than that). In a couple of weeks I will be in the 3rd trimester. I still can't believe I have made it this far. Most days I still can't believe I am really pregnant and going to have a baby! It amazes me how much stuff we have accumulated so far for the baby, and apparently we still need more!
Well, the baby is currently kicking me and reminding me that I need to get to class to turn in my paper!
I already spoke to one of my professors about making accommodations for taking the final. For my Psych class, we take all tests in the computer lab. I love it because we pick the time we want to take the test (I almost always sign up for the first time slot) and we get our results instantly after we finish. But, with my growing belly, it has become more and more uncomfortable for me. Last week when I took the last test, my back was absolutely killing me. The test didn't take me longer than 30 minutes and the uncomfortableness didn't impact my grade (I got an A!), but I know that the final is a longer exam, so it will take more time. The course coordinator couldn't have been sweeter about the request. I have a few options, so I know we can figure something out.
And speaking of the belly and this baby - I am under the 100 day mark! According to my countdown, I have 95 days left (although, I am convinced that I will be delivering past the 40 week mark, so it's probably more than that). In a couple of weeks I will be in the 3rd trimester. I still can't believe I have made it this far. Most days I still can't believe I am really pregnant and going to have a baby! It amazes me how much stuff we have accumulated so far for the baby, and apparently we still need more!
Well, the baby is currently kicking me and reminding me that I need to get to class to turn in my paper!
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