36 Weeks and boy are we moving F-A-S-T!!!!!

So, we found out last week that Itbert was turned head up. We tried everything from accupuncture to chiropractory to standing on my head... nothing was working. Itbert was moving a ton but couldn't manage a full turn. We got an appointment at the hospital to see if we were good candidates for an external cephalic version. (manually moving baby into the right position for natural labor.) Unfortunately they weren't able to do the procedure because Itbert and I don't have enough amniotic fluid... and by not enough for the procedure I mean low enough that they suggested we get this c-section scheduled sooner rather than later... we, being not eve 36 weeks at the time, were pretty surprised... they did a non stress test (hooking me up to a machine to monitor baby's heart rate, my heart rate, baby's movements and any contractions I might be having, while laying in a bed relaxing... really non stress). Baby got a big ole' thumbs up for it's performance. I got one too but I must say all the nurses saying "what a happy baby you have there" was more exciting than any positive report for myself will ever be! Long story short, we need to go in for fluid checks 2x a week so they can make sure we stay healthy.

I can't help but think that if baby hadn't snuck head up we'd never have known about the fluid issue and we are just so thankful that we are aware of it now. I'm drinking excessive amounts of fluid everyday trying to get baby as much to swim in as I can. And Itbert, well, Itbert is moving, dancing, kicking, and tickling all day long so we'll know that our little one is healthy. 

Again, this is not the plan we had going into this, but seeing how the Lord is leading our steps it's impossible to feel any kind of disappointment about the changing plans. We feel confident that we are being well taken care of! We can't help but see it.

So, belly at 36 weeks... and of course in the NURSERY!!!! It's not done yet but here are some sneak peeks at Itbert's little nook! (we still have a LOT to do... hanging picture frames, shelves and putting the rest of Itbert's things in their proper places! There are also hot air balloons to come!!!!)

So, we got this old glider from our borough wide garage sale this past fall... it was like every other glider... wooden, synthetic covered and run of the mill. Ours was exceptionally ugly. Soooo, we picked out some fabric from Ikea and when my dear husband brought it to me I realized it was not exactly what I had in mind... but I spend the next few days making a slipcover out of it anyways. It turned out pretty well I think. It's not finished completely... I got a bit of the tealish ribbon to go around the top of the skirt on the chair and the little ottoman. 

35 weeks!!!

So, when we got a few warm days in a row a few weekends ago we decided to paint the "little changing table that could" that we inherited from Dan's Dad's family. It has some really great lines and after a coat of "sea glass" paint it looks like it will fit seamlessly into our nursery! I also painted a few picture frames for the walls of the nursery. I plan to hang them on the wall above the changing table. These past few weeks I've also been working on some paper mache hot air balloons for above the baby's crib. I still have some painting to do but they are coming along...

At our 35 week check up we learned that not only was my blood pressure elevated a little bit, but our sweet little Itbert finally tired of 34+ weeks upside down and has decided to explore a different placement... some would call it Breech! : \  

Because of the blood pressure my midwife decided to put me on modified bedrest... meaning they are forcing me to relax and lay on my side. Exceptions are only things like getting food and luckily going and sitting at a baby shower (on sunday)! Both Dan and I have heard people say "it's not the birth I wanted, but..." and we realize that we just don't want that to be us. Our greatest desire from this whole experience is for Baby and I to return home safely and healthily! We have made an effort to be consciously making decisions about our birth that we are really comfortable with, but we want to see this as it is. If baby stays breech, we have a baby still. Our perspective, hopefully, will be one so thankful we'll have little room for disappointment. I say this to convince myself of this too. This feels like the perfect time to prepare myself for things possibly not going according to plan. I want my heart to be set on doing everything I can to bring home a healthy baby and not on how exactly that will happen. We'll do everything we can... but at the end of the day, we just want a healthy, happy little family!

Baby's head is here!

34 weeks!!!

Grammy and I 

my mom and sister threw a wonderfully dreamy shower. My aunt and Grammy came and worked in the kitchen. A kitchen full of women you love is, in my mind, the best kind of kitchen there is! Also, we had our first real snow since our return to the states! (It was good that I love snow so much and that it was so beautiful because it kept me from seeing dear dear friends I've been away from for so long!) It was pretty amazing to see how loved little Itbert is when he/she's never even met any of these people before. I was truly blessed by the community of women that surrounded me! Thank you for loving our little (but growing) family!

33 weeks!!!!!

This week Itbert and Dar got some good quality time together! Last time they were together Itbert was still in the "I look like a tadpoley cluster of cells stage". This wonderful long weekend with Darlin' Dar, she was able to feel Itbert kick and move. Pretty sweet! She also helped us turn our nursery walls into their lovely lemony selves.

As you can see from the pictures, our walls started as ugly wallpaper... we soon learned that the ugly wall paper had even uglier wallpaper underneath and a very sweet 60's layer under that... which I would have loved to keep if it wasn't partially painted over with poo-brown paint! We tried to peel... but gave up eventually and did 2 coats of white then 2 of yellow... turns out that was neither enough nor a tolerable color of yellow. We're talking retina burning here people! So... we bought another can in the same color just one shade lighter. It's much better!

 First shade...  TOO BRIGHT!

 making things better!

32 weeks

31 weeks!

So, I'm totally playing catch up here... I've been so late in posting because life has gotten so incredibly busy! Christmas was wonderful. It was great to be home! The Christmas eve service, time with family, and of course lots of cookies!!! We had sweet opportunity to have our dear friends Pete and CL stay with us through new years. What a great time! It was all good but some highlights were definitely the catching up, the amazing chinese cooking that CL and I ROCKED, and of course, ringing in the new year with back to back games of settlers and park and shop! 

At the reading terminal waiting for canolis to be purchased so we can eat them!!!

CL and I caught up while creating an amazing Chinese FEAST!

And of course some 31 week belly pics! We took them in front of the house because this day marked our 4 months anniversary in our home!

30 weeks

29 weeks!

28 weeks... sister time...

Baby sock advent calendar!

My husband kept saying that he didn't want anything for Christmas and I find that unacceptable. He did mention many years ago, however, that long long ago, in the year of 1982 his mom announced his existence by hanging some baby socks in the stairwell. He really wanted me to tell him about future babies using this same sweet method... but we were at the Peace Corps office when we found out and I'm not sure I could have handled the surprise by myself until I got my hands on some baby socks, so as soon as I found him I told him and we just looked at each other kind of shocked-like. No baby socks available.

*SO*

I decided to make him an advent calendar using baby socks. We've made non baby versions of these as gifts for friends and family many times over the years and I decided it was finally his turn!

I bought the socks from Target and filled them with little notes, treats, and funny little nothings. Our budget is pretty small so sentimental gifts are great! I sewed the permanent marker numbered felt circles onto the socks with buttons and hung them on ribbons hot glued to our new blinds. (I bought these cheap blinds to turn into roman blinds... http://www.scoutiegirl.com/2011/04/acute-how-to-no-sew-fabric-blinds.html Check out how easy this is! As soon as Christmas is done... this is on my list! :))  I glued the scalloped felt to cover the ugly blinds!

Day number one: an I love daddy bib! Awwwww! 

Week 27! Ooops, sorry we're a little late here! :)

This week dan laughed as he took the pictures, saying "You're getting BIGGER!" I'm not offended because I can tell I am too! I can't see my feet anymore and I find myself needing help putting on my hightop sneakers! "Dan, can you tie these for me" is usually my laughingly sheepish request anytime we are going anywhere! Horray for growing bellies and husbands who are willing to kneel down and tie their wife's swollen ankle hugging converse sneakers!

Baby is doing great. The latest trick little pea has been trying is laying sideways and pushing up with its hands and kicking its feet down! my belly gets really wide and stretched side to side. Funny and always surprising! :) This baby loves a good joke!