Week 27: 3D Ultrasound and Nursery furniture

Week 27 is here and it is fabulous! One week closer to meeting our precious little girl. One week bigger (both her and me!). I am definitely starting to experience some new pregnancy symptoms. Most notably: every time, every single time, I stand up after sitting down for more than 5 minutes I have to pee. It never fails. Which is terribly inconvenient at work. I am constantly having to ask another nurse to watch my patient so I can run to the bathroom. I have also been struggling to get comfortable at night. I am a back or stomach sleeper. Which happens to be terrible positions for pregnant women. Awesome. I know there is an option for a body pillow, but I don't see how that would even fit in our bed! Between my husband and my cat, I am already pushed for space in our queen bed. Oh the joys of getting bigger!

Here is baby Regal at exactly 27 weeks. She has her right hand up by her face but you can see her full cheeks and massive lips. I'm in love already!

Another exciting milestone at week 27 is that the nursery furniture has been purchased! My step dad Kevin offered to buy our furniture for us, which was SUCH a huge blessing! He even picked out the crib himself, I was impressed! We decided to go with all white furniture, I think it will look great against those pretty blue walls.

The crib:

We also got this changing table/organizer:
And this tall dresser:

I can't wait for it to come in so we (Kyle) can put it together! It is only a matter time before a sweet baby girl will be sleeping in that crib!

26 Week Happenings

26 weeks seems like another milestone! According to my updates I get from whattoexpect.com, baby Regal is about 2 pounds and viable outside of the womb (meaning her lungs are developed enough that she could survive if I had her today). This is reassuring, but I am in no way ready for that. I would like her to cook as long as possible! I have been doing a lot better about what I'm eating (OK, that is probably a lie. Not a LOT better, but maybe a little). The scale has reflected that and I have not gained any weight in the last 2 weeks. As I'm sure most pregnant women feel, there are not a lot of times when I feel "hot" anymore. But I have had some opportunities to go out with friends and take some extra time getting ready. There is something to be said about how getting dressed up makes you feel better not only on the outside, but the inside too!

These shots are from weeks 25 and 26:

So, I jokingly told Kyle that it is customary to get the wife a "push gift" once the baby is born. I am not sure where I even heard that before, but I totally agree with it! I told him some ideas of what I would like and not only did he listen, he delivered (no pun intended), Early! The first thing I talked about getting was a Garmin running watch, for a couple reasons. Obviously right now I do not plan on doing a ton of running between now and when the baby comes, but it is one of my favorite pastimes. I have done 2 half marathons before and plan on signing up for the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon in November. I figured that would be perfect motivation for me to get back in shape.

Kyle did a ton of research and got me this:

It is perfect for me, I can track my mileage, pace, calories, etc. And right now I am using it to watch my heart rate. My doctor has advised me to keep heart rate below 150 when I am working out during my pregnancy. This has actually been harder to do than I thought. I love blaring music, doing cardio and getting my SWEAT ON. The first time I got on the treadmill I quickly realized that wasn't going to be as easy anymore. I kept pulling back but my heart rate would sky rocket quickly. I assumed this had something to do with all the extra blood needed to supply both me and the baby. Since I have been more consistent with my work outs, I have noticed I can tolerate doing more cardio for longer periods of time with out going over 150bpm. Love my first push gift, and can't wait to actually RUN with it!

My second "push gift" was all Kyle. He was thinking about my needs as I would be up late with the baby feeding, pumping, doing whatever moms do (haven't figured that out yet) and that I would need some entertainment. I already read a lot on my Nook app on my iphone (people think I am crazy for reading on such a small screen) so Kyle got me the Nook tablet! He once again did his research, and liked the Nook over the Kindle. I really didn't have an opinion either way, but now that I have it I love it! I have already read 2 books and really think it is going to be so nice to have during those feeding/pumping times.

Love my new toy, and looking for more books to stock up on!

I really have to say, so far pregnancy has been a very enjoyable experience. No sickness, tiredness, or other crazy things have happened. I feel very blessed! Next Monday is our 3D ultrasound.. I can't wait to see what our little peanut is starting to look like!!

24 Week Updates

Wow, I am 6 months pregnant. 6 months! Have I really been going through this for HALF OF A YEAR? It is insane. And what is even crazier is the fact that I only have 3 more months to go. Whoa.

Yesterday was my 24 week appointment and everything looked great! We got the full reading of our ultrasound that was done at 20 weeks, and there was nothing significant to report (a good thing!) The baby is approximately a little over a pound and about 12 inches long... No wonder this belly of mine is really sticking out! I did gain more weight this month than my doctor would have liked. ((which by the way, I got weighed the DAY after the Super Bowl, give me a break!) I have to admit though, I was bummed. It is hard to hear when you are doing something wrong. She wanted me to cut out carbs at night and stay away from juice or soda. I don't really drink either of those things but the carbs.. that will be tough! Especially since I work until 9:30 at night three days a week. By the time I get home, I'm starving and quite frankly don't care what it is I'm eating. But, I will do what I can and I realize that it is only for the best, especially after the baby comes out. After feeling sorry for myself, I got my tennis shoes on and my new workout shirt courtesy of my sister in law (Erin). Tank says, "Body By Baby" =)
Then I went downstairs and had a great workout on our treadmill. I have been using it about 2 days a week, but I am going to make more of an effort to use it 3-4 days a week. It is hard though, because all I can do it walk up hill. But it sure is pretty :)

In other news, we painted our nursery! (twice!) We got a color, and of course as soon as Kyle was done slaving away at it, I saw it.. and didn't like it. Don't get me wrong, it was a beautiful color, just not the one I was envisioning in my mind. So being the awesome, loving husband he is, he did not make me feel bad for not liking it. Instead he went and got the lighter version of the color and painted it again. Here is the color now:

I am so happy with it! I can't wait to fill the room with sweet furniture and goodies. I have a strong belief that babies need to sleep in their own cribs, in their own rooms, so she will get good use out of this nursery.

And last but not least, another funny thing I have gotten lately.... The stupid things people say to pregnant women. Apparently a filter is no longer needed and I guess there is some unwritten rule somewhere that states that you can say whatever you want to a pregnant woman, even if you preface it with, "no offense but..."

The two times that have stood out to me the most were:

1) At work, a respiratory therapist asked me how far along I was. I happily told her, "23 weeks". To which she quickly responded, "No offense, but you are HUGE!" I just stared at her and had no idea how to respond.

2) The second time was also at work (maybe its the scrubs?) I was taking care of a patient when his mom asked me when I was due. I once again, very excitedly told her, "The end of May". Her mouth dropped open and she exclaimed, "Whoa! I thought you were going to say the end of FEBRUARY!". -No ma'am, I am not 9 months pregnant. :-/

From what I hear though, it seems to be a common occurrence. (People saying dumb things to pregnant women). And honestly, I don't take offense to it at all. Sometimes I wonder, "Is my baby too big?" But I know that everyone carries differently. I know that I have a healthy baby and I am doing my best to keep myself healthy too.

Last but not least, here is a pic of Baby Regal enjoying her fabulous city during Super Bowl week!

Nursery Inspirations

Working on the nursery has proven to be a fun yet stressful experience. We have family coming in to town in early March and we would like to have as much done as possible before then. Also, after talking to my good friend that is 36 weeks pregnant, she suggested doing as MUCH work now as possible. She warned me that once you get to the third trimester energy levels plummet so I want to use all this energy I have right now!

We bought paint yesterday, an exciting step. We decided to forgo the typical pink walls and do something a little different -Blue! The color is actually a light aqua blue and is beeeeautiful. Another important part of our nursery is a painting done by my very good family friend, Teresa. She painted my mom the most beautiful painting and after my mom passed away Teresa made sure I got it. It is definitely the inspiration for our room. I love it so much!

I found this picture of a little girl's room on Pinterest and knew right away this is what I wanted. The color of the walls, the pretty colors, simple and modern. We do not plan on doing the tree, but have not ruled out something fun to do on the walls.

*Now my biggest challenge is finding those curtains... I LOVE THEM!

The next picture I found is from Pottery Barn Kids. Once again, love the wall color, and I love the bedding set. It is SO expensive though. I have thought about just purchasing the dust ruffle and bumper pad though, making it more affordable. The polka dot sheet is my least favorite part of the set.

PB Kids:

After seeing the awesome PBK bedset I actually found this picture on Pinterst used in a real space. I loved the blue walls in contrast with the brown chair so much that we actually got one! (a brown chair that is). We ordered the most amazing rocker/glider/recliner from Buy Buy Baby. It is a Best Chairs brand, made in Indiana, and something that will last a lifetime. Hopefully I wont have to spend too many nights in it, but it does lay all the way out in case I need to sleep in the nursery!

With all of the exciting changes, it is still hard to imagine what the room will actually look like, considering THIS is the current condition:

All prepped and ready for paint...

I will have to say, at least all of the bulky furniture is out and the walls aren't puke green any more. A step in the right direction! The painting should be done tonight, and hopefully we get furniture soon... fingers crossed!


Last but not least, a picture of what 22 weeks is looking like for me :)

Counting My Blessings

As we started the overwhelming task of doing an inventory of everything we need for the baby I began to feel some anxiety. Between figuring out what we "need", the stress of taking so much time off from work this summer, getting the house together and the multiple $dollar$ signs I saw flashing before my eyes through out this, I really had to take a step back and put everything in to perspective. After doing so I felt so extremely blessed and a sense of peace washed over me. It's something I don't do often enough, but I wanted to take the time to count (a few) of my blessings...

-I am so thankful for my husband. I truly believe God hand picked Kyle and I specifically to be husband and wife. We are best friends and he is my encourager, supporter, and mate. I feel so blessed to be so HAPPY every day I wake up next to him!

-I am thankful for my job. I knew in high school that I wanted to be a nurse and achieved that goal as soon as I could. I was blessed with an amazing job, experiences and memorable patient relationships. I was admitted in to a super competitive Nurse Practitioner program as soon as I could and have so many more opportunities in the future as a nurse.

-I am thankful for my church. I am surrounded by a strong body of believers who Kyle and I share life on life with. They are our friends and supporters.

-I am thankful for the wisdom my mother gave me. There is not a day that goes by I don't think about my mom. Whether it is a song that I hear on the radio or something that makes me laugh, I still feel the urge to pick up the phone and call her to tell her about my day. She was the most beautiful, strong, smart woman I ever knew. I was so blessed to be her daughter and I can't wait to tell my daughter about how amazing her grandmother was.

-I am thankful for this next step in our lives. As intimidating as bringing a child in to this world is, I feel blessed that God has chosen us to be parents to his baby girl at this time. I can't wait to be fun loving parents!

-Most of all I feel so blessed to have such a strong relationship with Jesus. I love my discipleship groups I have every Monday night and bible study with girlfriends every Wednesday night. I love learning more about my Creator and becoming a better woman of faith. I love the freedom I have in Christ to be me, have fun, and enjoy my life. For this reason I am TRULY BLESSED!

After thinking about these blessings (plus many more) I began to look at preparing for baby a little differently. Although it is easy to do so, I am going to do my best to not get too wrapped up in all of the "stuff" (like having the best stroller, curbs, bottles, etc).

Have you counted your blessings lately?

Halfway point- 20 weeks!

I can't believe it! This week marks week TWENTY. When did that happen, and will the next 20 weeks go this fast?? Every day that passes the pregnancy seems more real and real, and between the growing belly, changes to the house, etc, the Regals are officially getting ready for this baby girl.

This week I had my "big" 20 week ultrasound. They did an anatomy screen, starting at the head, and worked their way down all the way to the toes. My favorite part was when the ultrasound tech looked at her mouth she pointed out that the baby was swallowing, then when she got to her belly and the baby's stomach was full of fluid, and when she listened to the heart beat we could tell that the baby was hiccuping -ADORABLE.

We also found out that Baby Girl is measuring on the bigger side. Her head measured 21wks5dys and her belly 21wks2dys. I asked the ultrasound tech what that meant, and she said - looks like you have a chubby baby! Which I am totally fine with :) As long as she is healthy!

We finished moving out all of the furniture in the nursery and sold our fireplace too! It is officially a blank canvas to work with now. This weekend Kyle and I are going to go to look at furniture, supplies, etc to get an idea of pricing and what we like. It's crazy to think we will start registering soon! My first shower is in the beginning of March... I can't wait!!

I heard that once you hit week 20 you kind of "pop" out... and that is exactly what happened. I was so lucky to have a generous friend/previous coworker that let me borrow a huge bin of super cute maternity clothes. Until now I have just been making my current clothes work, but they are definitely starting to get a little uncomfortable! Another "first" this week was when a patient's father of mine looked at me, down at my belly, and asked, "is this your first?" I was kind of surprised, because I feel like I am not showing that much in scrubs yet, but apparently I am. I proudly said "Yes!" and thought, gee I hope I don't get that question asked AFTER maternity leave :-/

20 weeks

Nesting

The nesting process has officially begun! Because we live in a 2 bedroom townhouse, we have to do a lot of rearranging before we can start working on the baby's nursery. The first step is cleaning out our extra room in our finished basement (which is home to 2 desks, a sewing machine, old text books, blankets, laundry... basically anything that we don't know what to do with we put in there!). Once that is done we can move the furniture that is upstairs in our guest room down there to make it a livable suite for company. This is important to us as we know family will be wanting to come and stay once the baby is born. When that is done we can work on the nursery which will need painted, crown molding fixed, and then filled with all our goodies we get!

This week Kyle took a day off work to help me start the adventure. Thank goodness he did, because there is NO WAY I could have done it with out him. We had a "giveaway pile", a "sell" pile, a "recycle" pile" and lastly, my favorite, the "TRASH" pile. If it was up to me I would seriously just throw everything away. I feel like since I don't even remember what half the stuff is down there, who cares if I ever see it again? We ended up posting Kyle's old computer desk and chair as well as an Amish fireplace on Craigslist. What is an Amish fireplace and why do we have one, you ask? Good question! The previous owners sold this house to us with "2 fireplaces" which is quite hilarious considering one of them plugs in. It is actually kind of awesome, heats instantly, but it is currently in the nursery and we need room for other stuff!

If we had a bigger house I would consider keeping this beaut:

The only thing left now once those items are sold is to get the queen size bed that is in the guest room downstairs. One task I know I can't help with it. I am not on a lifting restriction but I do know my limits and taking a bed down 2 flights of stairs to the basement is just something I don't want to try. -And good thing I didn't! Because I am SO SORE today for all of yesterday's hard work! My back is the worst. I guess it is just not used to supporting the weight up front... Oh the joys of pregnancy :)

Once the bed is moved we will get to painting, and I am really excited about where we are going for the design of the nursery! More to come on that :)