Saturday, September 25, 2010
What a Week...
I wanted to check in quickly to let you know that our baby boy, Finley, was born just over seven weeks early on Monday, September 20th at 2:32pm. It has been such a roller coaster of a week, and we are still riding the ride. I hope to be back soon to give you a full update on what has been going on and how we are all doing. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We really appreciate it.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
A Little Update
For those of you reading this post, you now know that I made this little blog of mine private. At some point, I hope to open it up again, but for now, it's the best option for me. Over the past few months and with growing readership, I have been receiving more and more anonymous, negative and troll comments on the blog that I've had to continuously moderate. I am sad that I've had to make the change, but I decided that my time was better spent doing things other than moderating comments.
Now... to explain my little absence on the blog the past couple of weeks. My parents flew in to town last week for my shower, so I took a few days off to work on the nursery and get things in order around the house. Thank goodness I did. Once my family left and J went back out of town for work, I started feeling a little crummy. I went to bed straight from work and abandoned all household duties, which is saying a lot folks!
I had been to the doctor a couple of weeks ago and had mentioned my Humongo-girl bloating, headaches, etc. All of my tests came back normal during that visit, but when I mentioned that baby boy wasn't moving as much, they decided to do an ultrasound. At that time, they noticed that he was measuring a bit small, so they decided we would do another ultrasound during this week's visit to see if he was just going to be a small baby or if he was falling off the charts in growth. When I arrived at my visit this Thursday, I was already noticeably very swollen for it being so early in the day. My blood pressure was elevated, and I had had a rapid amount of weight gain that caused some concern. When they did the follow-up ultrasound, they realized that his growth was not what was to be expected. With all of these warning signs, they decided to send me to the hospital for tests. After doing some fetal monitoring and an ultrasound of the blood flow through the umbilical cord, they said he is a happy baby... but my blood pressure and swelling had not gone down. It was then that they decided to admit me into the hospital for monitoring. I was told that I have pregnancy-induced hypertension, not yet pre-eclampsia. Thankfully, J was able to come back from working out of town a few days early just in time to stay the night with me at the hospital. My blood pressure came down just enough over the next 29 hours, and I was released. Unfortunately, I have been put on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy. They don't expect me to go until the original due date of November 9th and are hopeful that I go no earlier than 4 more weeks. I have my fingers crossed that bed rest will keep my health in check and not cause them to schedule the birth for any earlier than that. I go back to the hospital on Monday for them to re-run tests, and if all goes well, I'll go home again to come back and repeat the process on Thursday, and so on. Each appointment will be a weight off my shoulders, for sure! They gave me 2 shots during my stay to boost baby's lung growth in case I have to deliver in the next week. Fingers crossed that's not going to happen! The goal is to have baby boy stay in me as long as possible.
So... that's where things stand right now. I had hoped to get some pictures loaded of the nursery for you to see, but it looks like I'm strapped to my bed/couch for a while.
Now... to explain my little absence on the blog the past couple of weeks. My parents flew in to town last week for my shower, so I took a few days off to work on the nursery and get things in order around the house. Thank goodness I did. Once my family left and J went back out of town for work, I started feeling a little crummy. I went to bed straight from work and abandoned all household duties, which is saying a lot folks!
I had been to the doctor a couple of weeks ago and had mentioned my Humongo-girl bloating, headaches, etc. All of my tests came back normal during that visit, but when I mentioned that baby boy wasn't moving as much, they decided to do an ultrasound. At that time, they noticed that he was measuring a bit small, so they decided we would do another ultrasound during this week's visit to see if he was just going to be a small baby or if he was falling off the charts in growth. When I arrived at my visit this Thursday, I was already noticeably very swollen for it being so early in the day. My blood pressure was elevated, and I had had a rapid amount of weight gain that caused some concern. When they did the follow-up ultrasound, they realized that his growth was not what was to be expected. With all of these warning signs, they decided to send me to the hospital for tests. After doing some fetal monitoring and an ultrasound of the blood flow through the umbilical cord, they said he is a happy baby... but my blood pressure and swelling had not gone down. It was then that they decided to admit me into the hospital for monitoring. I was told that I have pregnancy-induced hypertension, not yet pre-eclampsia. Thankfully, J was able to come back from working out of town a few days early just in time to stay the night with me at the hospital. My blood pressure came down just enough over the next 29 hours, and I was released. Unfortunately, I have been put on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy. They don't expect me to go until the original due date of November 9th and are hopeful that I go no earlier than 4 more weeks. I have my fingers crossed that bed rest will keep my health in check and not cause them to schedule the birth for any earlier than that. I go back to the hospital on Monday for them to re-run tests, and if all goes well, I'll go home again to come back and repeat the process on Thursday, and so on. Each appointment will be a weight off my shoulders, for sure! They gave me 2 shots during my stay to boost baby's lung growth in case I have to deliver in the next week. Fingers crossed that's not going to happen! The goal is to have baby boy stay in me as long as possible.
So... that's where things stand right now. I had hoped to get some pictures loaded of the nursery for you to see, but it looks like I'm strapped to my bed/couch for a while.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Yay for Three Day Weekends
Wow. It's September. I had fully intended to do some "what I would love for my birthday" posts before my birthday actually came and went, and now, it's already September. I'm a little behind. I think I'm going to have to do some "what I would love if I had an unlimited supply of money" posts instead. :)
To keep you from leaving me all together from my lack of posts, I figured I'd tide you over with a mock up of the nursery. I was going to keep it a surprise until after the baby shower (which is next weekend), but I decided I really, really wanted to share it. I'm loving it. Really, really loving it. Can I say "really, really" more? Because I do. If you don't, that's okay. The only item that isn't truly in the room is the really expensive pillow on the rocker, and the crib is actually a pale turquoise. We also replaced the boring dresser knobs with brass ring pulls. When we have most of the items placed, I'll post actual pictures, but until then, you'll have to imagine it. Without further ado...
Have a fabulous weekend! For those of you in the states, happy Labor Day weekend!
To keep you from leaving me all together from my lack of posts, I figured I'd tide you over with a mock up of the nursery. I was going to keep it a surprise until after the baby shower (which is next weekend), but I decided I really, really wanted to share it. I'm loving it. Really, really loving it. Can I say "really, really" more? Because I do. If you don't, that's okay. The only item that isn't truly in the room is the really expensive pillow on the rocker, and the crib is actually a pale turquoise. We also replaced the boring dresser knobs with brass ring pulls. When we have most of the items placed, I'll post actual pictures, but until then, you'll have to imagine it. Without further ado...
Have a fabulous weekend! For those of you in the states, happy Labor Day weekend!
Monday, August 30, 2010
A Big, Fat Humongo-Girl Thank You
I just have to take a minute to send a thank you out to all of you. You were all so kind in your response to my posts last week. Sometimes it might be hard to voice what's really going on in your life outside of the blog, but I feel like it's important to put things out there in case someone else is going through the same thing. I had braced myself for some negativity, but all I got were virtual hugs. You all rock! It's because of you that I continue to write in this little place of mine. So, I thank you! Big hugs to all of you for reminding me how amazing this world can be.
Monday, Monday
It's amazing how hard it is to pull myself out of bed on a Monday. I go to bed with the full realization that the weekend is over, yet I still find myself surprised when the alarm goes off on Monday morning. The past two weekends have whirled by in a flash, so I wanted to recap before I got to another one.
Two weekends ago, I went on my last solo road trip before the baby is born. I was really looking forward to the trip, but let me tell you... it was a killer. My feet swelled up to three times their normal size, and I had to stop every couple of hours to relieve myself. Amazing how a "quick" 5.5 hour drive can turn into 7+! The temps were quite a bit warmer in UT than they were in Steamboat, and my body wasn't enjoying it. Even with my legs elevated overnight, the swelling didn't go down. I found myself covering my face with a wet washcloth that I'd stuck in the mini-fridge's freezer in order to make my nose (and entire face) look like it hadn't been stung by a poisonous insect. It was rid-on-culous. But... c'est la vie. Eventually, I got over my Humongo-girl negativity and headed to the letterpress class that Sycamore Street Press was holding. I had a great time learning about their press and how they run their business. Eva, one half of the married duo behind the company, is due with a baby girl just two days before me... so it was fun to hear the two of them answer questions from everyone about their upcoming "addition" to the team. While I was there, I couldn't help but pick up a few fun pieces for the nursery, as well as a 2011 calendar for a friend who happens to have an obsession. (Maybe I should change my obsession... hers seems much cheaper than cowboy boots!) I would show you a picture of the calendar, but it's not yet in their shop. Cyndi got an extra special early edition... at least that's what I'm telling her. ;)
After the class, I drove onward to meet my friend, Stephanie, at Ikea. We were there for 3 hours! Of course, some of the items that were on my must-get list were out of stock yet again. I was really bummed at first, but I decided to make due with some alternatives... after I'd already checked out. I just couldn't drive all that way and go home without shelves. You can't find decent shelves in Steamboat anywhere, and those you can find are much more expensive. So, back in I went. By the time I checked out again, it was late, so we jetted off to dinner and then back to her house. She and her hubby were nice enough to offer me a place to stay for the night. I returned the favor by keeping her up until 1:30 in the morning griping/venting. I don't know how I suddenly contracted verbal diarrhea, but Steph suffered the consequences! Sorry, Steph! The next morning, I was off to make the trek back. Amazingly, it seemed to go by quite a bit faster than the drive out did.
This past weekend, J and I had plans to put up the shelves and finish some much needed home projects. On Friday, I was sidelined with a nasty migraine that lasted until midday Saturday. Even though I had a residual headache, I was determined to bang out a few items on my ever-growing to-do list. While J was cursing and banging his head against the wall trying to hang the shelves in the nursery (apparently the studs in our house are curved because there was no consistency whatsoever), I put the newly purchased artwork in Ikea frames. I also added this print from Sparkle Power that I won on Tales and Trials (another Abby blogger friend) and the prints that I had already purchased from The Wheatfield.
We got so much done in the nursery. It was refreshing to see it all come together. I'll show pics as we get a bit closer. It's actually getting me so excited.
Yesterday, while J painted the deck railings, I spent most of the day following your advice from this post. I feel like this almost deserves a post for itself, but because I didn't take pictures of the process, I will spare you. Earlier this month, I decided to listen to you all and actually go through my magazine stash after getting the urge to purge. I honestly don't know how many I had to begin with, but it was gross. Amazingly gross. Over the course of three weeks, I got rid of 250 of them. Yesterday, I got rid of another 100. Are you sicked out yet? Here's the worst part... I'm not even close to being done. J asked me if he could "help", which I knew meant handing him the entire stack without perusing so he could head straight to the dumpster. I let him know that I needed to go through the process. It is helping me realize that I really, really don't want to end up on the show Hoarders. Please don't stop following me now. I promise I'm not a complete whack-job.
That's it for the update. It doesn't seem like much when written down, but I am feeling so free! What's on the agenda for this week? I have many more to-dos to tackle, but the most exciting item on the agenda is the visit to the birthing rooms at the hospital tonight. In ten short weeks, our to-do list is going to get a lot more complicated!
Two weekends ago, I went on my last solo road trip before the baby is born. I was really looking forward to the trip, but let me tell you... it was a killer. My feet swelled up to three times their normal size, and I had to stop every couple of hours to relieve myself. Amazing how a "quick" 5.5 hour drive can turn into 7+! The temps were quite a bit warmer in UT than they were in Steamboat, and my body wasn't enjoying it. Even with my legs elevated overnight, the swelling didn't go down. I found myself covering my face with a wet washcloth that I'd stuck in the mini-fridge's freezer in order to make my nose (and entire face) look like it hadn't been stung by a poisonous insect. It was rid-on-culous. But... c'est la vie. Eventually, I got over my Humongo-girl negativity and headed to the letterpress class that Sycamore Street Press was holding. I had a great time learning about their press and how they run their business. Eva, one half of the married duo behind the company, is due with a baby girl just two days before me... so it was fun to hear the two of them answer questions from everyone about their upcoming "addition" to the team. While I was there, I couldn't help but pick up a few fun pieces for the nursery, as well as a 2011 calendar for a friend who happens to have an obsession. (Maybe I should change my obsession... hers seems much cheaper than cowboy boots!) I would show you a picture of the calendar, but it's not yet in their shop. Cyndi got an extra special early edition... at least that's what I'm telling her. ;)
After the class, I drove onward to meet my friend, Stephanie, at Ikea. We were there for 3 hours! Of course, some of the items that were on my must-get list were out of stock yet again. I was really bummed at first, but I decided to make due with some alternatives... after I'd already checked out. I just couldn't drive all that way and go home without shelves. You can't find decent shelves in Steamboat anywhere, and those you can find are much more expensive. So, back in I went. By the time I checked out again, it was late, so we jetted off to dinner and then back to her house. She and her hubby were nice enough to offer me a place to stay for the night. I returned the favor by keeping her up until 1:30 in the morning griping/venting. I don't know how I suddenly contracted verbal diarrhea, but Steph suffered the consequences! Sorry, Steph! The next morning, I was off to make the trek back. Amazingly, it seemed to go by quite a bit faster than the drive out did.
This past weekend, J and I had plans to put up the shelves and finish some much needed home projects. On Friday, I was sidelined with a nasty migraine that lasted until midday Saturday. Even though I had a residual headache, I was determined to bang out a few items on my ever-growing to-do list. While J was cursing and banging his head against the wall trying to hang the shelves in the nursery (apparently the studs in our house are curved because there was no consistency whatsoever), I put the newly purchased artwork in Ikea frames. I also added this print from Sparkle Power that I won on Tales and Trials (another Abby blogger friend) and the prints that I had already purchased from The Wheatfield.
We got so much done in the nursery. It was refreshing to see it all come together. I'll show pics as we get a bit closer. It's actually getting me so excited.
Yesterday, while J painted the deck railings, I spent most of the day following your advice from this post. I feel like this almost deserves a post for itself, but because I didn't take pictures of the process, I will spare you. Earlier this month, I decided to listen to you all and actually go through my magazine stash after getting the urge to purge. I honestly don't know how many I had to begin with, but it was gross. Amazingly gross. Over the course of three weeks, I got rid of 250 of them. Yesterday, I got rid of another 100. Are you sicked out yet? Here's the worst part... I'm not even close to being done. J asked me if he could "help", which I knew meant handing him the entire stack without perusing so he could head straight to the dumpster. I let him know that I needed to go through the process. It is helping me realize that I really, really don't want to end up on the show Hoarders. Please don't stop following me now. I promise I'm not a complete whack-job.
That's it for the update. It doesn't seem like much when written down, but I am feeling so free! What's on the agenda for this week? I have many more to-dos to tackle, but the most exciting item on the agenda is the visit to the birthing rooms at the hospital tonight. In ten short weeks, our to-do list is going to get a lot more complicated!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Thirty-one Years Ago...
My parents' lives were changed forever. My father reminded me of this with a text message this morning...
"This day, several decades ago, a child was born. Now I sit here wondering how on earth she ended up in Colorado? Oh well, you didn't turn out so bad. Good thing you took after me! Happy 50th birthday. Oh wait... that would be me. You're just a punk kid! Love you, Dad"
My parents were high school sweethearts who got married right out of high school and had me at the ripe old age of 19. Here I am, now 31, expecting my first child. I can't imagine how freaked out they must have been at that age! I can certainly tell you that I'm shaking in my boots.
So... thirty-one years ago, my parents welcomed this into their lives.
It's amazing how life comes full circle. And, just because it's my birthday and I can... here are a few more pics rocking some amazing hair styles in the early years.
^Pretty darn proud of that outfit if I do say so myself...
^I look exactly like one of my brothers in this pic.
^This is the face of a 10 year-old pissed off about her Annie hair-do.
^Fast forward to days after my 30th birthday...
"This day, several decades ago, a child was born. Now I sit here wondering how on earth she ended up in Colorado? Oh well, you didn't turn out so bad. Good thing you took after me! Happy 50th birthday. Oh wait... that would be me. You're just a punk kid! Love you, Dad"
My parents were high school sweethearts who got married right out of high school and had me at the ripe old age of 19. Here I am, now 31, expecting my first child. I can't imagine how freaked out they must have been at that age! I can certainly tell you that I'm shaking in my boots.
So... thirty-one years ago, my parents welcomed this into their lives.
It's amazing how life comes full circle. And, just because it's my birthday and I can... here are a few more pics rocking some amazing hair styles in the early years.
^Pretty darn proud of that outfit if I do say so myself...
^I look exactly like one of my brothers in this pic.
^This is the face of a 10 year-old pissed off about her Annie hair-do. 
^Fast forward to days after my 30th birthday...Have a fabulous day, everyone! I know I'm going to try!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
You're So Vain... I Bet You Think This Post is About You
But really, it's about me. And my freakin' vanity. I wish I were talking about something like this...
^from Lonny
But alas, I'm not.
I've decided to be fully open and honest with you guys here. I'm struggling with the changes I'm going through physically... and consequently, emotionally. I didn't think I'd react like I am, but it's hitting me hard. In the past two weeks, I've felt like I'm living in someone else's body... a body that surely does not belong to me... one that shows no sign of physical activity despite eating healthy and exercising... one that very possibly belongs to Humongo-girl. And believe me, Humongo-girl is no super hero. She's down-right evil.
She gets pimples in weird places... like her collarbone and neck. Her nose is twice, sometimes three times!!, the size of a normal person's schnoz. Her face shows no signs of cheekbones. And her ankles... they don't exist. Cankles are the only form of connection of feet to legs. Those runner's legs... nowhere to be found. The only things visible are tree trunks emerging from cankles, which just happen to be attached to duck feet... duck feet that will not fit in regular shoes. Her arms are that of a seal. Her hair lies limp. She drinks her weight in water, and pees constantly... but still retains water. And just recently, she's begun to fart uncontrollably. She's in a foul mood because of all of this... which makes her even madder at herself.
Seriously though. I'm struggling. I fully understand that my body must go through changes to help my baby grow. But DANG. Does it have to make you feel so freaking disgusting? I haven't actually gained much weight, but apparently, the weight has found the worst possible places to deposit itself. No matter how much I do to get ready in the morning, I feel like a big turd by 10. I run for my first bathroom stop, take one look in the mirror while washing my hands, and I just want to cry. In fact, I've had to fight back tears a lot lately. I hate that I feel this way. I hate that it bothers me. I don't want to be jealous of my co-worker's wife who is all belly and due at any minute. I don't want to be jealous of the girl that I saw at the airport last month and am still thinking about. I wish I could just move on and be overjoyed that I am going to bring our little boy into this world. But, I can't freakin' move past my own vanity. How sorry is that? It kills me. Don't get me wrong-- I cannot wait to have our wee one in my arms in just over two months, and not just because the gestation period will be over. I am completely ecstatic that our "family" is expanding. I just wish my entire body weren't expanding with it.
Please tell me I'm not the only one out there that has had these feelings. I think I'm beating myself up over my feelings as much as my feelings are beating me up. I'd like to move on. I just haven't quite figured out how just yet...
^from LonnyBut alas, I'm not.
I've decided to be fully open and honest with you guys here. I'm struggling with the changes I'm going through physically... and consequently, emotionally. I didn't think I'd react like I am, but it's hitting me hard. In the past two weeks, I've felt like I'm living in someone else's body... a body that surely does not belong to me... one that shows no sign of physical activity despite eating healthy and exercising... one that very possibly belongs to Humongo-girl. And believe me, Humongo-girl is no super hero. She's down-right evil.
She gets pimples in weird places... like her collarbone and neck. Her nose is twice, sometimes three times!!, the size of a normal person's schnoz. Her face shows no signs of cheekbones. And her ankles... they don't exist. Cankles are the only form of connection of feet to legs. Those runner's legs... nowhere to be found. The only things visible are tree trunks emerging from cankles, which just happen to be attached to duck feet... duck feet that will not fit in regular shoes. Her arms are that of a seal. Her hair lies limp. She drinks her weight in water, and pees constantly... but still retains water. And just recently, she's begun to fart uncontrollably. She's in a foul mood because of all of this... which makes her even madder at herself.
Seriously though. I'm struggling. I fully understand that my body must go through changes to help my baby grow. But DANG. Does it have to make you feel so freaking disgusting? I haven't actually gained much weight, but apparently, the weight has found the worst possible places to deposit itself. No matter how much I do to get ready in the morning, I feel like a big turd by 10. I run for my first bathroom stop, take one look in the mirror while washing my hands, and I just want to cry. In fact, I've had to fight back tears a lot lately. I hate that I feel this way. I hate that it bothers me. I don't want to be jealous of my co-worker's wife who is all belly and due at any minute. I don't want to be jealous of the girl that I saw at the airport last month and am still thinking about. I wish I could just move on and be overjoyed that I am going to bring our little boy into this world. But, I can't freakin' move past my own vanity. How sorry is that? It kills me. Don't get me wrong-- I cannot wait to have our wee one in my arms in just over two months, and not just because the gestation period will be over. I am completely ecstatic that our "family" is expanding. I just wish my entire body weren't expanding with it.
Please tell me I'm not the only one out there that has had these feelings. I think I'm beating myself up over my feelings as much as my feelings are beating me up. I'd like to move on. I just haven't quite figured out how just yet...
Friday, August 20, 2010
More Gilt...
Normally, I wouldn't post about Gilt so much, but the Surya rug sale going on right now is amazing. You must check it out.
Hello fabulousness! Great prices, too.
Hello fabulousness! Great prices, too.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
For the Love of Pattern
Can I tell you how much I love this sale from Best Slipcover Company going on at Gilt today? I'm practically frothing at the mouth at these two beauties. Someone who has money to spend should buy one... and then send me an email, so I can live vicariously through you. You aren't a member? Join here.
Drool....
Drool....
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Personal Growth
Apparently, my husband thinks I'm mean. Don't ask me why... I just don't feel like sharing bare-belly shots with anyone. Is that bad? {I am a good girl and have been sending pictures anyway.} I've been bad about taking pictures every week, so I'm settling for a couple a month.
Last night, J mentioned that it seems like I've grown quite a bit in the past couple of weeks. So, I pulled up the pictures tonight. There's definitely a change!
Since I've been getting so many emails asking for belly pics, I thought I'd give in and share here, too. Here's a little "show" for you-- and don't worry-- they're not too bare-belly.
Week 23
Week 27 (aka last week)
Please excuse the poor quality and the fact that I took them myself in my bathroom mirror... and that I'm looking a little rough. I saved you from the bare-belly week 27 pic, as I felt a bit more "exposed".
We started our prenatal classes this past Monday. It's hard to believe I'm already 28 weeks along. Time is flying!
Last night, J mentioned that it seems like I've grown quite a bit in the past couple of weeks. So, I pulled up the pictures tonight. There's definitely a change!
Since I've been getting so many emails asking for belly pics, I thought I'd give in and share here, too. Here's a little "show" for you-- and don't worry-- they're not too bare-belly.
Week 23
Week 27 (aka last week)We started our prenatal classes this past Monday. It's hard to believe I'm already 28 weeks along. Time is flying!
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