Now all we need is a baby...

It's official - I am on maternity leave. Yes it's a bit early but I'm hoping that BB allows me a few days (or at least until May 12 after say 2:30 when I should be done with my hair appt.) to relax and put my feet up. I swore that today I was doing nothing, and that's exactly what I did. Here's a run down...

• 6:30 am - got up and fed the dogs
• 7:00 am- took Brett to the train station
• 7:15 am - returned home, ate cheerios, a banana and a glass of milk
• 7:30 am - returned to couch to promptly fall asleep
• 10:00 am - woke up and had a glass of orange juice and watched I don't know what on TV
• 12:00 pm - fixed lunch and started watching the multiple episodes of Pregnant in Heels that I had a recorded
• 1:30 pm - talked to two of my best friends on the phone for the next 1+hours
• 3:00 pm - returned to couch to finish watching recorded episodes of Pregnant in Heels

Now this is my kind of day. Tomorrow will be more productive, but man this was fun!

Baby, Baby, Baby

I know I have been a bad, bad blogger. I really have no one or thing to blame except for myself. So let's see if I can catch you up on the happenings around here over the last few weeks.

Today, I am officially 37 weeks. I don't like the shirt I am wearing, AKA ugly maternity shirt saved until the end because now my belly is so large and in charge that shirts barely cover my maternity panel/ belly. So here is a cuter one from 35 weeks. Yes I am (much) bigger now, so we'll see about getting an updated one.

I made a Shutterfly book documenting our pregnancy. There's not a whole to it other than our weekly belly shots and random photos of a few things I took pictures of. It is however up to date and will be easy to print whenever I decide to do so. I would love the last picture to be of us leaving for the hospital because I figure the next book after that will be BABY, BABY, BABY.

Speaking of baby, BB still has no name. That's right folks - nameless. Everyone says we'll know the name when we see the baby, but I am doubtful. We still have a list of 9 :-)

I now see the doctor weekly and have been seeing a new doc who I L.O.V.E. First he has the greatest bedside manner of just about any doctor I have ever seen anywhere. He comes in and does what he needs to do, but then always sits down and asks about questions and concerns that I have. I love this because I don't like to feel rushed or intimidated.It also doesn't hurt that he is incredibly good looking and a very nice dresser. He reminds me of Prince Eric from the Little Mermaid. Not that I am into cartoonish looking men, but he has that same perfectly cut jawline. Brett even likes him, although more for his bedsdie manner than good looks. I have to see Dr. Needs-To-Retire tomorrow and I am not looking forward to it. He just seems impatient and doesn't make me feel like I can ask what I need to.

A few weeks ago we were blessed to be given not one but two baby showers. One by my very good girlfriends and another by Brett's step mom and sister. I was truly overwhelmed by our friend's and family's generosity. I am not a "shower person" simply because I struggle when lots of attention is on me, but I had an absolutely fabulous time.

The same weekend of the showers, my very best friend (we've been friends since Kindergarten) and her daughter were able to fly in and spend the weekend with us. It was so great to see them and have them stay with us. It really made me miss them and wish we lived closer so that we could see each other more often.

The baby's room is done...almost. We have a last minute shopping trip that we'll take care of this weekend and we still need to decided on a glider/ chair for the room. I have been stressing and researching this for a while. My big dilemma? How much do we spend? I want something moderately comfortable if I am going to spending a lot of time nursing in this chair. However, I don't want it to be a major purchase because while I may spend a lot of time there at first, it won't be in the room forever.

I don't know if I have mentioned this or not, but I (Brett is totally on board but just said I have to tell him what to do) have decided to cloth diaper. I have been told on more than one occasion that I am nuts. That's OK. I figure that even if I do it for the 6 months that I will be home, it will be worth the benefits (not buying diapers, not disposing of diapers, and hopefully a baby that doesn't get a whole of diaper rash). We are lucky that there is a store specializing in cloth diapers in the same town that I work. Cute name - it's called Comfy Bummies. I bought a variety to start with and then we'll go from there. It's a trial and error thing when it comes to brands and types so we'll just have to see what works for us. I started the prepping process (washing the diapers a million times before using them) and tracked down a laundry detergent that is cloth diaper approved. S0, now we just need a baby to try these things on.

Saturday Brett "graduated" from daddy boot camp. He received a certificate that says that he can officially "change a diaper as well as he can change a tire". Cute, but I have never seen him change a tire :-) He also received a very cool camo shirt that he will be wearing for delivery.

Our bags are packed - for the hospital that is. I'm sure I brought a lot of stuff I won't need and will think of something once there that I forgot, but we are "ready".

So, we haven't just been sitting around, we really have been busy. As each day passes we get closer and closer and closer to the arrival of our sweet baby. I am nervous and overwhelmed and impatient and terrified and excited and I would be lying if I said I wasn't all of these things. But this baby will be here soon and I truly CANNOT wait any longer!!!!!!

I think I need a reality check because the month of March simply CAN. NOT. BE. OVER. I mean really? If March is over, that means it's April. And if it's April, that means that the very next month on the calendar is May. And May 17 is on that page in the calendar! WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!

Recently I have been extremely tormented inside. On one hand I want this little baby in my arms more than anything. I want to know that this baby is healthy and really, really here. On the other hand, I am simply not done being pregnant. I love it! I love knowing the baby is inside me and even when I grimace because there is a body part trying desperately to climb out of my belly button, I love every second of it.

This household has been nothing but productive recently. My parents and Ben were here for a long weekend and got lots of little projects around the house done for us. Brett has also been working super hard at checking off things on my ridiculous "Must be done before the baby gets here to do list". Thanks to Brett, the baby's room has a new paddle fan, the bathroom has a new floor, all of the doorknobs in the house have been changed (hooray for no more brass). That's not really all, but those are more of the ridiculous things I wanted done.

Brett has also ben getting ready for the baby by figuring out what all this stuff is for. Baby Bjorn tested and loved by Tucker!

While the family was here, my dad, Ben and Brett ripped out our shower downstairs and put in a bigger and better one. This was a necessity because the old shower was out of commission due to a leak in an undisclosed location. The other major accomplishment was taking the bed down in the spare room and getting the mattress and box spring all stored away. That means that our house no longer has a spare bedroom, but rather a nursery! Yep - a whole room dedicated to caring for a baby. The nursery is not done, but it is well on it's way and I am more than pleased with how it is coming along. Last but not least, Ben took some awesome pictures of Brett and I right before he left. These would be officially 32 weeks and 5 days pregnant and I have never felt better.

Start of the 3rd Trimester Brain Dump

So I am week behind but we have hit another pregnancy milestone - the third trimester! Yep! Last Tuesday we are officially 28 weeks pregnant and in the home stretch. Now, sooner rather than later, this little person will making his/ her debut to the world and we can't wait!

I think Brett and I are both starting to feel the time crunch. While May 17 seems like far away when you take into account all the things going on between now and then and all the things we need to get done, time seems quite precious now.

Here's my brain dump for today...

• Here I am 29 (as of Tuesday, 3/1) weeks pregnant.


• We have a our first prenatal class this weekend.This one is an overview with a tour of the hospital and a Q and A session.
• I finished replacing the knobs on the dresser. The new ones seem a little too modern for this old piece but I like the brushed silver so much better and they are functional. It will work.


• Brett helped me for several hours in the kitchen. Not what you think. There was no cooking taking place. Instead, we removed almost everything from every cupboard and tried to rearrange/ organize better in preparation for all of the new baby kitchen items soon to come. Our kitchen is terrible in terms of space and functionality.


• I made this Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Pizza from Rachael ray's magazine for dinner last night. It was different. I used Italian chicken sausage form Trader Joe's and it was quite tasty. This picture is clearly from her website and not of my actual pizza - I have trouble taking pictures of food lately. I am far to hungry to put off the the satisfaction for a picture.
• There is a substitute sitting in our office right now couching so loud I think he might need help. When he finished coughing, he farted. I giggled. I might be 5 years old.
• Winter...I am done with you.

Baby To Do List

I would first like to take this moment to thank our Presidents. Because of those wonderful men that have come before me, I get to stay home in my jammies all day cuddling with my fur babies and the future star of "So You Think You Can Dance" growing inside me (Brett and I wish we were millionaires and could afford our own ultrasound machine to watch just exactly what this little thing does in there to make my belly move like it does!).

So as I sit hear on the couch, sipping coffee, Today show on in the background (how COULD you take the day off Matt and Meredith?), and finally catching up on my blog reading, I think I need a Baby To Do List. Not that I plan on checking anything off of that list today, but a list would at least let me see what I would like to accomplish over the next 12 or less weeks.

• We did not purchase a new dresser for BB's room, but rather will use the antique that we have from Brett's grandmother. I had previously painted it black and antiqued it, so that will still work but I would like to change the drawer pulls. So that will require removing the hardware, filling the holes because they are not standard, and then reattaching the replacement hardware.


• Wipe out the dresser and put in drawer paper to start filling with all the abby stuff taking over the room. Any suggestions on where to find neat paper would be appreciated...I'm not digging the weird stuff at Target/ Wal Mart intended for your Grandmother's kitchen.
  
• Finish spray painting the wooden curtain rods for BBs room and then get curtains hung.
  
• Clean and organize kitchen - this involves taking everything out of every cabinet, wiping them down and reorganizing.
  
• Take down and store the bed in what is the spare bedroom but will be BB's room. We can do this now because we finally ordered our new couch for the basement and....it's a SLEEPER!!!! Delivery is March 5 and I can't wait to post a picture.
  
• Begin freezing meals for after baby is born.
  
• Decide on a few decorations to purchase from Etsy for BBs room. Here's one that we are considering - don't get excited...it comes in pink and blue, it's just shown in pink :-)

• Reorganize laundry room. In desperate need of some better storage!


• Purchase either bookshelf or cubby storage and a glider chair for BBs room. I'm hoping to find a glider on Craigslist and then my plan is to just paint it since I can't seem to find the right color.


• Final sweep of the house for stuff to take to our favorite donation location.
  

I know this list might seem kind of funny, but this is where my brain is at right now. Anyone want to come over and help?

Pregnancy Confessions

I have a confession to make - I LOVE being pregnant. I love every single thing about it. I love when I burp and food comes up with that burp. I love being so uncomfortable on the couch at night that I turn from side to side to side 400 times. I love walking into my closet and not being able to wear 90% of the clothes hanging in there. I love the taste of Tums. I love getting tired at 8:30 and falling asleep in the middle of a TV show. I love the disgusting smell of my prenatal vitamins. I love that yesterday I had to drink 10 ounces of the worst tasting fluid ever and then have my blood taken 1 hour later to see if I possibly have diabetes. I love that my back and my left side hurt. Yeah....I love everything about being pregnant.

While Brett and I only had to try for six months for this sweet baby, each of those months that we weren't pregnant brought tears to my eyes. We in no way went through any ordeal to conceive like so many people. I say prayers for those people every day because to me, being pregnant is the greatest gift I have ever received.

My real confession should be that while I love being pregnant, I don't think I am good at it. I am sure I don't eat enough fruits and vegetables. I probably don't drink enough water. I certainly don't exercise like I should. I can become obsessed with reading online what horrible thing could happen to our baby. But, I don't think I could love this baby inside of me any more. This sweet thing has a personality of its own already. Today in the middle of teaching, I grabbed my side in pain. It was not an "Oh my gosh something is happening" kind of pain, it was a "please for the love of all that is good stop poking me from the inside" kind of pain. It seriously hurt and I loved every second of it because it is one more thing that makes this baby a person, a real live living human being.

For the first several weeks of being pregnant, I simply loved being pregnant. Then I was scared. Not about the baby but because I was afraid that I wasn't sure I actually wanted a baby. I thought maybe I had gotten caught up in wanting to be pregnant that I had ignored the fact that pregnancy only lasts for 9 months and a baby forever. Those fears have certainly been calmed and I can't wait for this baby to arrive. I can't wait to hold BB in my arms as I see that proud Papa look on Brett's face.

Sweet baby, we love you and can't wait for you to get here...

A Few Favorite Pregnancy Items (WARNING: a bare belly pic is involved)

Now these things are by no means necessary to get through a pregnancy. I am, however, fortunate enough to have a super excited husband who can't wait to be a daddy and is doing everything he can to make it easier on me. He told me one day that he had bought the baby and I a few gifts and that they would be delivered soon. All I can say is...he done good!

• Belly Buds: Specialized "head phones" that stick to you pregnant belly and adjust the volume of music so it is not too loud for baby. Since Brett and I are both very into music, we felt it was important for the baby to be exposed to some of our favorites ahead of time, mainly Dave Matthews. The baby has however already "attended" two Dave concerts. The neat thing about Belly Buds, is that they have a website that you can send invitations to family members to record messages to the baby. When we were home for Christmas my mom recorded herself singing to the baby. My only complaint is that you can't download the recordings so you have to plug the headphones into your computer. I think it is just easier to make your own audio file. Anyway, we created a lay list so that I can sit at night and the baby can listen to my iTouch!

• Snoogle Pillow: This is a MUST HAVE. I honestly don't think I could sleep with out it. It is a pillow with a hook shape at the top, long straight body part and then a curled bottom. It fits my body so perfectly and helps to ensure that I sleep on my side. A lot of women at this stage in their pregnancy struggle to get a good nights sleep. I don't attribute it all to the snoogle but so far I am having the opposite problem. I feel great but when it's time to go to bed, I have no problem!!!! Brett ordered my pillow from Amazon, but I saw something similar at Babies R Us.

• Prenatal Yoga DVD: I must confess that I have been VERY lazy so far during my pregnancy. Fortunately, my weight has not suffered but I know that it is good for both me and the baby to get some physical activity. Brett realizing that I was struggling with this ordered me a prenatal yoga DVD. I tried it recently for the first time and I love it. It is broken into practices by trimester and then special symptoms (morning sickness, sleeplessness, back pain).

And most of all, the one best thing to have while being pregnant - this guy!

What up on this chiiiiiillllllyyyyy Friday?

I have been off work since December 23, you would think I would have made a little time for more blogging, but nope. So, please excuse this jumbled mess of thoughts going through my head.

• Planning for a baby is overwhelming. Brett and I registered at both Target and Babies R Us and while I sort of know what we need, it is a very overwhelming feeling trying to decide exactly which nail clippers will be best for your baby! HAHA! I know, I know....women have been having babies for a long time with a fraction of the stuff we will be blessed to have. This being our first baby, though, I want everything to be perfect.
• We know the sex of the baby. We have told our immediate families, but that's it....IT'S KILLING ME!!!!!!! I am so excited I just want to tell the world - which would be why I told the lady on the phone with the insurance company this morning and the cashier at Whole Foods.
• Speaking, of knowing the sex, we picked out bedding which is what the theme of the nursery will be. I am not a them-ey sort of person, so it is basically just the color scheme. We will get a few pieces from the bedding set and then coordinate from there.
• Last night, I made dinner....twice, because the first was not edible. I wanted to try this delicious looking lemon pasta from Pioneer Woman. I got the sauce all done (with no lights on in the kitchen) and when I turned the overhead stove light on, there were blue chunks in the white sauce. I am truly at a loss for an explanation and no the sour cream was not moldy.
• I would really like to go away for a long weekend, preferably someplace warm. Unfortunately, if I wait until Spring break, I will be 33 weeks pregnant (WHAT????) and I don't want to travel at that point. Soooo, I am looking for a long weekend relatively soon and relatively cheap. Any ideas? Anyone want to come? Oh, Brett is most likely going on a golfing trip with his buddies in Florida, so I may be counting him out on this trip....just kidding, honey! But seriously, anyone want to go somewhere???
• All I want to eat is cookies, cake, brownies...you get the picture!
• As I said at the beginning, I have been off work since December 23 and go back this Monday. I know that most people will have no sympathy for me whatsoever, but I really don't want to go back. I love being home with these sweet things. I love sipping coffee in the morning, baking warm muffins, being caught up with laundry and having a semi-clean house.

• My brother bought this for the baby for Christmas....the baby is a Steelers fan already!

Happy Friday, friends!

20 weeks until BB Arrives

First, I should explain that ever since Brett and I found out that we were pregnant, I hated the idea of not having something to call the baby. Brett and I started joking around calling each other Baby Mama and Baby Daddy so the baby naturally turned into Baby Baby. That didn't exactly roll off the tongue so we shortened it to BB and it has stuck. When I talk to the baby or about the baby I refer to him/ her as BB.

Tuesday marked a pretty big milestone in our pregnancy - half way! It also marked our big ultrasound. Fortunately, Brett was able to go into work late so that he could come to the appointment with me.

Due to some concerns throughout this is actually our third ultrasound. We just had one three weeks ago, but it is still amazing every time we see that little baby moving around on the screen. Even more amazing, is that the baby is so small but all of it's important parts are visible. We have seen its bran, spine, vertebrae, stomach, heart, fingers, toes, jaw, nose, eyes, etc.

We also found out at this ultrasound that our baby is a little big - 14 ounces! They aren't changing my due date because it could certainly even out, but apparently my big appetite is going straight to BB. And maybe a little to my stomach, thighs and hips!

The best part of being pregnant so far has just happened in the past few weeks - we have been able to feel the baby move. I felt some things at first that I suspected were the baby, but in the past 2 weeks, I am sure. Brett and my Mom have even been lucky enough to catch some pretty good kicks and last night I saw my stomach move during one the those big kicks! It is the most amazing thing in the world to feel this little thing wiggling around and know that before we know it, she/he'll be wiggling in our arms!

Christmas 2010

I can't believe that Christmas has come and gone already. It seems like every year that time between putting up the tree and feeling all of the excitement of the season and the time to take down the tree gets shorter and shorter. I can't even imagine what next year will be like with a baby!

20 Week Baby Bump

As always we traveled to PA to spend the holiday with my family. We didn't leave until the afternoon of the 23rd because I worked up until then. Brett and I cooked my Mom our now traditional Birthday/ Christmas Eve meal, although she had done most of the prep work. We had one of Brett's delicious turkeys and some yummy corn casserole and mashed potatoes.

Christmas morning was wonderful. I love how everything we do over the holidays has become predictable. Not in a bad way, but in a comforting traditional way. Mom passed out gifts and we all had a wonderful time opening so many amazing things! Here we are in our 2010 Christmas Morning in PJs picture...

I hope that everyone enjoyed their Christmas and made some memories with family.

Happy Holidays from the Clancys!

Guess what...

A while back I blogged about having a lot going on. This was true, but to explain, there was really only one big thing going on, and it was something that I wasn't ready to blog about. Until now....

On September 8, 2 days before our 5th anniversary, Brett and I got the greatest gift ever. The news that this little guy (or girl) was on his (or her) way!

Yep - we're having a baby!!!!!

BB (as we're calling him/ her) is set to arrive sometime around May 17 and we couldn't be more excited! Lots more on this big news to come...