31 weeks and shower pictures

I know, I know, late again. I'm just so tired at night!

Only 9 weeks to go! That is incredible!



This week, the baby measures over 16 inches long and weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He/she can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his/her skin.

This is what the baby looks like around 31 weeks.



We met with a doctor this week, instead of our midwife, just because that is how they do things, and he thought everything looked great! The big news is that he could feel the baby, and he could tell where all the parts were, and our baby is head down, just like it should be! He was a little concerned about my weight gain that week, but I have no explanation, I'm not eating differently or anything.

Here's some pictures from the shower.

Tables and place settings. The napkins are folded like diapers and the my mom made the baby shoe favors filled with runts.





Here's the gift table, my mom made the banner that says "Welcome Baby Murray"





The food! Tea sandwiches, scones, fruit, cupcakes!







Working on the crafts...Rachel organized a quilt, and everyone made a square that she will put together. People drew a vegetable if they think it's a boy and a fruit if they think it's a girl. Then we decorated onesies with fabric paint and stamps.





Here are some of the finished onesies, I made the one that says "Daddy's little Tiger"




Me and Jill, she's due in the middle of December.



Jillian helping me open gifts.


Me and my sister in laws....and Marcel!

30 weeks

Sorry for the late post, Thursdays are rough right now because we have our 3 hour hypnobirthing class on Thursdays. Friday I was just exhausted from a long week at work, and came home and fell asleep.

So, at 30 weeks, the baby is the weight of a cabbage, about 3 pounds.



The baby is about 15.7 inches long now. His/her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he/she's born, it's eyes will stay closed for a good part of the day. When he/she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means the baby can only make out objects a few inches from his/her face.

We had our baby shower, and it was great!! Thanks to my mom and everyone that helped out! We had a lot of fun, and got a lot of really nice gifts! I will post pictures later, my camera battery died, so I need to get my mom's pictures.

I had a little scare after the shower. Sunday night, I realized I hadn't felt the baby move at all. Monday morning, I didn't feel the baby move. We called our midwife and they told us to come in. I had to leave work early, and it was really scary! Of course, once we got there, the stinker started moving like crazy. So, everything was fine.

I also experienced some crazy bad right hip pain this week. I could barely walk, stand or sit! Thank goodness that didn't last more than one evening.

My cousin Katie is moving to LA this week, and we are having a little going away breakfast tomorrow morning. We will really miss Katie, but hopefully not too long after baby Murray is born, she will be back for a visit!

29 weeks

The baby is now the weight of a butternut squash, about 2 1/2 lbs and about 15 inches long. I'd think it would weigh more than that, seeing that I've gained 26 lbs!

The nursery has been an ongoing project....the painting is just about done. Big thanks to my mother in law Kathy, my father in law John, my mom, Christine and our friend Matt for all their help painting. Especially Kathy, who has been here all week it seems like!

Here's a before photo. Yes, that is high gloss, fake knotty pine paneling. It is VERY ugly. And VERY difficult to paint.



Here are some in progress painting photos:





I will post more as it starts looking like a nursery!

We had our first hypnobirthing class tonight and we really enjoyed it! It was 3 hours, but they flew by! We have 4 more classes.

Sara asked about the cloth diaper class we had a while back. It was good, we were there a long time...it was a lot I already knew from researching online, but it was nice to actually see and feel them in person. We are definitely using cloth, for many reasons:

It's better for the environment, even with the energy used to wash the diapers, the energy and water needed to make disposables is way more. Disposable diapers take 500 years to decompose. Even the so-called enviromentally friendly diapers, like G-diaper liners that get thrown away, are in a trash bag that does not allow decomposition. For them to decompose faster, they must be exposed to air. Also, human waste should NOT be thrown into the trash. It even states that on disposable diaper packaging. The poop should be dumped in the toilet. Human waste should not be in landfills, as it will contaminate the water supply. Gross. So, if I have to scrape poop anyway, why not use cloth?

Cloth diapers are cheaper. This was our main motivation. Disposables are expensive.

Cloth is way better for the baby. Disposables are full of chemicals. FULL. They took a toxic chemcial out of tampons because of toxic shock syndrome, but it is still used in disposable diapers. I don't want my baby sitting in chemicals constantly. And, would you rather wear cotton underwear, or plastic? They have got to be more comfortable in cloth.

And, last, fluffy butts in cloth diapers are so darn cute!

My shower is Sunday and I just can't believe it! Time is going sooo fast! October 30 will be here before we know it.

28 weeks

A day late....the baby is now the size of a...



Chinese cabbage, weighs two and a quarter pounds and measures 14.8 inches from the top of it's head to the heels. The baby can blink his/her eyes, which now sport lashes. With the eyesight developing, he/she may be able to see the light that filters in through my womb. Also developing are billions of neurons in the brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

The only new thing going on with me, is my cold. If you remember, I had a terrible cold 10 weeks ago. TEN WEEKS ago! This is awful! I thought being in the 3rd trimester would give my immune system some more strength, but I guess not. Pregnant and sick is NOT fun.

We signed up for our birthing classes, we are doing hypnobirthing. It was recommended by our midwife, and I've only heard WONDERFUL things about it when you are doing natural childbirth. Our classes start next Thursday.

We are also painting our nursery this weekend. We are painting it Gleeful by Sherwin Williams. Thanks to Aunt Karen for painting her kitchen this color and inspiring us!



I'm very excited about this nursery, I think it's going to be SO cute!

Have I gone crazy?

I have been really fretting over this nursery and the sock monkey decision. My mom could tell I wasn't liking it and so we are going to try to sell the fabric. We went to Ikea for something else, and we were checking out the baby stuff...and they have a whole line of super cute whimsical, colorful animals. I love all of it! We can decorate the nursery for less than just the fabric cost of the sock monkeys.




I just think it's so cute!

Anyone want to buy lots of sock monkey fabric??