The Nest

A long-awaited post...

When we found out we were having a boy we began planning his nest. We decided on gray for the walls and ceiling (ceiling being one shade darker), dark furniture and the theme: World War II airplanes.

The last element was based on a favorite past time of Austin's. From a very young age he could identify most planes from this genre, whether he found them in books or saw them in the sky at air shows. As he got older and his dexterity improved Austin and his father would purchase model airplane kits to paint and assemble.

We actually found a few of the their finished products in storage recently and thought we would include them in the decor. Austin suspended them from the ceiling here...

The plane you see sitting on top of the hutch is actually a model of the plane my grandfather rode in during WWII. He was the gunner in the ball at the base of the plane. A big thanks to Jon and Joy for the very meaningful gift.

To add a special touch to the room, Austin decided he wanted to give our little guy a gift. He spent his spare time during the Christmas holiday painting and assembling a Dauntless Dive Bomber to place on the shelf. He did a great job and it was super-fun to watch him complete it, piece by piece, with love (and yes, he hand painted ALL the pieces, including the little guys in and around the plane.)

We found some art work on Etsy, really cool graphic prints by a guy in California. So we purchased and framed three different images of WWII planes and hung them above the crib.

The bedding was an adventure. My dear friend, Callie, helped me hunt down the perfect fabric - and then she sewed the bumper and bedskirt for us!! Very talented and definitely made with love. She also surprised us with the fabulous pillow, too!

We included some lego friends of Austin's (another favorite past-time as a child!):

Sweet books and friends from family...

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the glider. This one has a story. The original glider we ordered was supposed to be red but upon arrival we found the color was the most awful shade of red you've ever seen. Something closer to orange. Needless to say I couldn't stand to look at it. We returned it for a small loss and found this FABULOUS glider at a small boutique in Richardson, where the lovely store owner was willing to sell us the floor model. And we were so grateful too as this meant we didn't have to order one and wait six to eight weeks!

Austin and I really enjoyed the process of pulling the room together and are super happy with how it turned out. Here are just a couple of other shots...enjoy!

Mile 25

It has been a long time since I've been here. In a 26.2 mile footrace, mile 25 feels like forever and right now I'm stuck at mile 25. You've trained for months, you're completely invested in finishing what you've started and now you reach a point of potential failure. Self-doubt creeps in. Concern and obsession start to mask themselves in physical form. For me, the only thing that keeps me on track to finish successfully when I reach this point is the psychological willpower I'm able to muster up. And right now I'm losing that battle.

I realize we're only three days past our due date and when I look back on this I'll probably giggle at the dramatic flair I'm demonstrating at the moment but with no finish line in sight it's getting more and more difficult to stay focused. The good news: no woman has stayed pregnant forever. Austin was kind enough to remind me of this today :) I need to also keep in mind that the last .2 miles of this race is labor and delivery. I have yet to meet my biggest challenge!

40 Weeks and Still Pregnant

That's right, we're still pregnant! We had our 40 week appointment today and all looks fine but he remains snuggled up.

We have spent so much time preparing for this little one yet the one thing I didn't prepare for was a late arrival. Physically, it's not that big of a deal. Yes, I'm uncomfortable but I can take it. Psychologically, this is my biggest hurdle by far. For one, I'm READY!! I want to meet this little guy and I actually thought he would be here early...he's teaching me already.

What's worse is my anxiety of being induced. Those who know us, know our approach. We decided to go with a natural childbirth. It's not just opting out of an epidural or other drugs, it's an entire approach to the process. It means allowing things to happen naturally, within reason of course. Currently we are scheduled for an induction on February 2nd, one week after our due date. This is considered a completely normal practice but now that we are faced with the reality, it's got me freaking out a little. I truly believe that your body is ready when it's ready (again, barring medical complications and risks.)

After a great discussion with our doctor today (whom I LOVE!) she is willing to let us go possibly one week beyond our induction date as long as the baby and I remain in healthy condition. This means they'll monitor us and his environment multiple times a week and we'll cut bait if we have to. This, I can live with.

So, needless to say we'll just take one day at a time. Thank you to all of you for your support, prayers and love. While it may feel like time is standing still we know this only temporary!

Yes, folks, I'm still pregnant.

Since the last post was nothing short of a novel, I'll make this quick.

We have hit 39 weeks and yes, we are still pregnant. We're showing signs of progress though. The belly has dropped, I'm partially effaced, and we've had some "practice" contractions but we are fully aware that all this means nothing until he's actually here.

As we anxiously await his arrival, I'll share a pic from this last weekend. Shana and I joked that I look like a snowman in this outfit!

Pregnancy and Its Baggage

I've been informed by some of my mommy friends that as soon as your little bundle of joy is placed in your arms, much of the baggage that pregnancy brings is soon forgotten. Baggage meaning difficulties, discomfort and mishaps. I've been fortunate enough to have had a fairly uneventful pregnancy but I thought I would journal a few of the things I've experienced in case I'd like to reflect later. Moms, feel free to share too. :)

- My pants didn't fit early on thanks to bloating.

- Food. Certain foods didn't sound great in the first trimester. For me it was chicken and roasted vegetables. I did however pick up an affinity for Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. To keep things under control I choose to purchase the little cups you can make for yourself in three minutes.

- Emotions. I'm not the typical gal. My motto is "Put your big girl panties on and deal with it." But soon after my belly starting growing, so did my heart. My sister was first to notice and was absolutely tickled to see my softer side. Austin on the other hand had no idea what to do with me at first. I was a bit more whiny and weepy. This seemed to even out over time.

- Frequent bathroom breaks throughout pregnancy. I knew this was standard but had no idea how early it happened!

- Limits. I often failed to remember that physical activity while pregnant can become challenging. Like the time I was around 12 weeks and decided I would wash our outside windows. It was late June and near 100 degrees and right before an afternoon on the lake. Not a good choice!

- The "are you gaining weight or are you pregnant" looks I got from those who knew me but didn't know we were expecting.

- Travel. I travel often for work, (two to three times a month), and did so until almost 30 weeks. While travel already kicked my butt, it was even more of a challenge while growing another human within. In my experience I found:

- Reaching for the space under the seat in front of you is so uncomfortable and sometimes impossible.

- Men who are fathers are usually the ones who offer to help with your luggage.

- Gas, (yes, the lovely air in your digestive track), becomes exponentially worse thanks to cabin pressure.

- You can't get enough water when you fly pregnant and packing snacks is necessary.

- While on the road I finally had a good reason for turning in early.

- My personal favorite, the swelling feet. I have fat feet to begin with but I've always been big on wearing heels, especially for work. Everything changed when I was about 16 weeks in. I was in Chicago for the week and after two full days of being on my feet in heels I found on day three I couldn't even get my heels ON. I felt like a stepsister in Cinderella. I laughed and then caved, wearing my reef flip flops until the swelling went down. It was flats for me from that point forward.

- Heartburn. This one sucks. It typically comes out to play in the middle of the night. One night it was so bad I woke up thinking I was going to be sick. I'm not a medicine taker so I didn't have anything for it in the house. I decided it was bad enough that we had to make a run to the store at 2am. Lovely. Tums have now become my after dinner mint and snack before bed.

- Peeing in a cup every doctor visit. I get it, it's necessary and a standard practice but hasn't someone come up with a better method of collecting this than a DIXIE CUP? After a certain point in the pregnancy it's like a game - I'm aiming blindly to get a "small sample" in this miniature plastic cup that I can't see and then I have to deliver it safely to it's destination, praying the whole time that I won't have to shower when it's all over. I laugh and sweat every time.

- A visit to the cardiologist. Around 26 weeks I started to experience a light-headed and nauseous feeling in the mornings and wasn't sure exactly what was causing it. Not enough protein? Was my blood pressure bottoming out? Was my little munchkin sitting on a nerve? Driving to a branch one morning it got so bad I almost passed out. I quickly pulled over, laid myself in the backseat and tried to keep myself calm. In the end it earned me a trip to cardiologist, 48 hours of wearing a heart monitor (to which they found nothing significant) and instructions to stop running. I still get the sensation almost every morning but it's manageable now and I think it comes from not eating all night then my blood sugar spiking thanks to breakfast.

- Frequently rolling over in the middle of the night. Moving from one side to the other after being stationary for a couple of hours takes time and muscle. I feel like a plump chicken roasting on an open fire every time I attempt this.

- Snoring. This one's for Austin. I don't typically snore but apparently this is something I've picked up in the last trimester and I can saw some serious logs. Some nights are worse than others and Austin and I are both hoping that this is only temporary.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed my rant. I'm sure I've missed something but it was fun to reflect.

Getting closer...

As of today we are at 37 weeks! We went to the doctor and the doctor said...all looks good. Growth is on track, heartbeat sounds good and we're seeing progress as we move closer to our due date, the 25th.

This little guy isn't so little anymore. He's got to be close to six pounds or a little over, although he moves around like he's still a little bean. I swear he thinks he's suppose to exit out my right side, using his feet to break free.

He remains head down for most of the day, loves it when I eat and gets the hiccups once in the morning and once at night. He's actually hiccuping as I type!

This week we are putting the finishing touches on the nursery, reviewing our birth plan (no drugs = coaching sessions with Austin, practicing, etc.) and getting back to work now that the holidays are over. We are blessed.