The Bean Bump: Weeks 34/35/36ish

{week 36}

Week: Welcome month 9!

Bean Size: You're a big melon! or soccer ball. Thanks to Justin and Karen, we've got your Mexico soccer outfit ready to go for the next World Cup. 

Total Weight Gain: At my last visit I was up to 31 lbs. So far, so good. I have another appointment next week, so we'll see where I'll be then. 

Maternity Clothes?: Yes. There should also be such thing as maternity shoes because I'd be all over those puppies. I guess sandals can probably fall under that category. 

Sleep: Lots. I've been sleeping great! I've got the pillows handled and I'm not getting up at all during the night. I do wake up thinking I might have to go, but I'm able to make it until about 8 am before my bladder tells me it's time to get up. I'm truly enjoying my sleep. 

Movement: The bean's favorite thing to do as of late is stick her booty on my right side with her feet stabbing/kicking me in the ribs on the same side. It's hard for me to get comfortable when she's doing this. I always pat her booty and kindly urge her to move over a bit. She doesn't always agree. 

What I Miss: Walking up little hills without losing my breath and sushi. The hubby and I already have plans to have sushi with daddy man once the bean arrives. Daddy man (my dad. Eric will be daddy man III since my brother beat him to the title of daddy man II) hasn't had sushi for at least a year since he's been in Guatemala and obviously I've been preggers. We're eagerly anticipating Baby J's arrival for many reasons!

Status of the Button: It's not going anywhere. I did recently notice the extent to which is has stretched because the part of my piercing that used to be in the inside of the button is now on the outside. But, the button is still IN!

What I'm Looking Forward to: Smelling my baby girl and dressing her in girly clothing. 

Best Moment this Week: Being showered with love from our wonderful friends! The bean received so many wonderful gifts. She's spoiled already. Someone giving up their seat for me on the train was very nice too. Completing our HypnoBirthing classes that we loved. We feel a lot more prepared and super duper excited to meet our little girl. Our friends having their beautiful baby girl (and our bean's bestie)! I can't wait to meet her in person. 

Preggers Bod-New and Exciting!..maybe: I feel wonderful! I'm a little swollen all over, but it doesn't bother me much. My hair has been so dry lately. I've tried four different products to help me control the crazy frizzy mess on my head. I just got a new one today, we'll see if it works. 

Bean Milestones: Sweetie pie, you are almost fully cooked! Your full-time job now is to pack on more of those fatty pounds. 

Food Cravings: The usual characters: watermelon, sugar, and iced tea. I'm back to berries, too. 

How's the Rice?: He's amazing! I'm so very fortunate. I can't wait for him to meet the bean because I know he's going to be a wonderful daddy. I have noticed his level of excitement growing and his interactions with my belly becoming more frequent. I think we're all ready to meet her...in a few more weeks. 

Tid Bits: The bean's nursery is basically finished! There were some things I needed like a changing pad, diaper pail, and random bits and pieces, but they are now in position. Last night I organized the binder with our paperwork such as the birth plan(s), scripts for relaxation, breastfeeding info, postpartum, and misc. things. The bean's hospital bag is ready to go and I'm still working on mine. There are still a lot of other things I'd like to get done and I know I have time, but I'm not a procrastinator and I rather have them finished in order to provide myself a sense of calm as the big day approaches. 

How You Grow!

Mama's love documenting the growth of their little ones. It's hard not to photograph such a cutie's every move, new facial expression, and adventure. I've seen some mama's photograph their wee ones every week, some every month along side a special teddy or toy, and every day. I'm pretty sure that we will be doing a lot of each of those.

Mrs. Shortcake's post about BB Blocks got my crafty juices flowing because I figured that was an easy and quick project for me to take on while on maternity leave and it would serve as a "special something" to identify the bean's stage of growth. I also think they are adorable!

{BB Blocks}

I headed over to Michael's about a week ago with a coupon in hand to pick up my supplies.  I selected the stickers below; one group with letters and the other with numbers. I also found perfectly cut wooden squares and rectangles. Easy peasy. Then, all I had to do was select my letters and numbers to stick on my wooden pieces. 

Voila...this is what I came up with!

{i chose to spell out: months, years...

...week, and weeks.}

I love that I saved moola making them myself, that the letters and numbers come in various fonts and colors, and that I can easily change out the words by peeling the stickers. This little project also took me less than 30 minutes to make! Now, they're just sitting on the shelf waiting for the bean to arrive. We're exactly one month from D-day! We can't wait!

Blanket for Bean

A few weeks ago I purchased a yard of this fuzzy wuzzy fabric at my local fabric store (with a coupon, of course) because I could not stop touching it. It is sooo wonderfully soft and cozy. It seemed like something the bean would probably enjoy too and it has a quilted pattern similar to the other fabric used on her bedding set I made. Also, it's the same exact color! I bought it and thought I'd somehow include the other fabrics I'd used for the bedding in order to make it part of the "set." I eventually found that I didn't want to use the other fabrics for the back side and instead made a little compromise. I bought more fuzzy wuzzy fabric and then used the leftover quilted fabric from the bumper to cover the piping around the edges of the blanket. Woo. I again bought another yard (with a coupon) and got to work one evening after work. This is what happened:

{double-sided fuzzy wuzzy blanket with quilted fabric trim}

{close-up of the quilted trim}

It's super easy to make a blanket like this. Here's the how-to: I didn't take pictures of the steps, so I'm going to explain it and provide pictures of the items used. 

Materials Needed:

{you need this. 

I didn't end up using this one because I felt like it was not wide enough, so I bought thicker cord}

{you also need this little piece for your sewing machine. 

The name of it? I don't know...skinny foot? If you really want to know, I'm sure you can find it's name on the web. yucky, fat pregnant fingers. Only one of my rings fits.}

{this is how it's attached. You can attach it on either the left or right side. I prefer the left. This little foot lets you get your seam all right up and close to the edge of your fabric covered cording.}

Obviously, you also need fabric. I used two yards of the fuzzy wuzzy and about a half yard to cover the cording. Note: this is how much I needed, but it depends on the width of your fabric. The quilted fabric was 54 inches wide, which, is wider than the fabric typically found at your local store. 

Step One:

     -Cut fabric to be used to cover cording in long strips. I usually cut mine between 2.5 and 3 inches wide. 

Step Two:

     -Wrap fabric around cording and sew using the "skinny foot." You want to make sure you measure how much cording and fabric you'll need before doing this. If your fabric isn't long enough to cover all your cording, just sew the strips of fabric together before covering the cord. 

Step Three:

      -Sew fabric covered cording around the "good" side of your fuzzy wuzzy fabric. "Good" meaning the side you want to see.

Step Four:

      -Sew other piece of fuzzy wuzzy fabric with "good" side facing the other piece's "good" side and covering the cording. Make sure to sew it up close to the cording.

Step Five:

     -Make sure to leave a hole big enough to turn your blanket inside out.

Step Six:

     -Turn it inside out.

Step Seven:

     -Sew your opening closed. You're finished!

The Bean Bump: Weeks 32/33

{view from above}

{the Boo shot}

{week 33 = large bump}

Week: Making our way through week 33. 

Bean Size: You're a cantaloupe this week! That sounds smaller than what you were before. Either way, they say you're close to 20 inches and about 5 lbs. woo hoo. 

Total Weight Gain: 28 lbs. I'm hoping to not get over 35 lbs. So at this point, I'm good. Yet, if I did go over...eh, I don't care. It's all for the baby.

Maternity Clothes?: I'm soooo happy that it's finally warm enough to wear dresses. I've worn a dress almost every day this week. I had to buy some new ones at Ross. 

Sleep: The same as last time. I've got the pillows in place. I currently use 3, which includes the one for my head.  One of my hips still hurts every morning, but once I get moving, it quickly feels better.

Movement: Lots and lots of rolling. She especially loves to move while her daddy is reading her a story. 

What I Miss: Nothing right now. I'm a very content pregnant lady. 

Status of the Button: Totally IN! 

What I'm Looking Forward to: Finding out who the bean looks like once she's born. 

Best Moment this Week: The super sweet baby shower thrown by my friends and co-workers and knowing that the school year ends on Friday, sorta. I have some textbook training and planning time scheduled next week. But, no teenagers! Oh, taking our maternity pictures with our awesome photographer. She was so wonderful and very creative. I absolutely love the sneak peeks. See below!!!!

Preggers Bod-New and Exciting!..maybe: I feel great! Aside from the swollen feet and ankles there is absolutely nothing terrible going on with this pregger. I have the back pain and the somewhat uncomfortable sleeping, but I am extremely thankful there is nothing worse going on with me. I've still got lots of energy and I enjoy long walks (on mostly flat surfaces) in the afternoons. The bump is BIG. No stretch marks!

Bean Milestones: Little bird, the books say you're growing and growing and are now limited on space. There's less amniotic fluid in there and more baby! I can tell because it's no longer jabs, kicks, and punches. It's now rolls and tumbles.  Hey, there you go. 

Food Cravings: Watermelon. I cannot get enough. I wish I had some right now. I think a walk over to Whole Foods may be in order the next hour. 

How's the Rice?: He's great. At the baby shower thrown by my co-workers we received many new books (since we're the English department!) and the hubby and I have been so excited to read a different one every night this past week. One of our favorites is a beautifully drawn book with short stories about a little wombat. It's very very cute. During one of our nightly walks I mentioned that we were in the "single-digits" and the hubby was very confused by this comment. He asked me what I meant and I explained that we've been under ten weeks until we meet the bean. He replied with a simple, "Oh." and a surprised look on his face. It may be sinking it for him now. 

Tid Bits: Here's a sneak peek at our maternity session!

{I had to edit this one a little. She has a name, but we're not telling...yet.}

The Nursery: Revealed

After lots and lots of hours spent sewing, painting, a bit of woodworking, and rearranging; I think the nursery is as close to finished as it's going to get. There are still a few more things I'd like to get done and others that I have to purchase. The lighting was almost perfect for taking pictures on Sunday morning, so I couldn't help but take them for the reveal. I hope you like it.

Resource List: Just in case you're wondering...

Glider: craigslist find and slipcover made by me 

Gliding Ottoman: curb and slipcover made by me

Elephant side table: Goodwill

Reading Lamp: Target

Curtains: made by me using fabric from Jo-anns

White frames: purchased at Michael's

Wooden bird on ledge: West Elm

Alphabet Letters: Martha Stewart for Michael's

Linens/Bedding/Pillows: all sewn by me with fabrics from Calico Corners

Bird pillow in crib: Pottery Barn

Dresser and Crib: Ikea

Elephant watercolor: Goodwill find

Frame for elephant: Pottery Barn

Giraffe lamp: Home Goods

Rug: Home Goods

Wooden plaques with knobs: plaques from Michaels and knobs from Anthropologie

Wagon: garage sale find

Zoology book: Anthropologie

Bunny on shelf: Anthropologie

Letter A: Ben Franklin's

Decal-Branches: by Blik found at a store going-out-of-business in town

Birdhouses: Michael's and Jo-ann's

Bunny painting: by me

Hearts in shadow box: by me

Maurice Sendak art: enlarged by me from personal copy of book

Wooden frames above crib: Pottery Barn

Paper garland: made by me

Mirror: found at Ross

White shelves: Ikea

Paint-by-number plate: Anthropologie

Numbered containers: Anthropologie

Wire chair on shelf: Pottery Barn

Clothes on hangers: Baby Gap

Can you tell I love Anthropologie?!

Just for fun, this is what it really looks like. We're getting our car seat installed in two weeks and it's been in the crib for months! The bassinet is waiting for it's stand to arrive and will then be placed in our room. The stroller is just hanging out. 

Denim Love

I love, love, love my jeans. Actually, not just my jeans; I love my denim jacket and I've had my share of denim shirts and dresses. But, don't get me confused with someone that loves to wear the "denim tuxedo," á la vintage Britney and Justin...

{no. thank. you}

I could probably do something like this though...

{images via darling dexter}

When it comes to the beanette's attire, I'm positive that denim will be making an appearance. She already has something like the one below. Her's is from the Gap too, but I did not go out and spend $30 on it. Umm...no, I'm too frugal for that. It does look exactly like that one; perhaps it's already on clearance in the stores and not the web?

{romper from baby gap}

I also really like this little sun hat from Baby Gap.

{so cute}

Then, today, while sitting watching the tube while home sick with a yucky stomach bug, I saw these on some pop news show.

 

{huggies denim diapers}

I'm not sure how I feel about these yet. My first thought what that they were cute, but the more I think about them, the more I don't love them. What about poop explosions and cold San Francisco weather? I'm also a fan of cute little leggings and onesies that would cover them right up. I do have to say they are a fun concept.  What do you think?

The Bean Bump: Weeks 30/31

{week 30}

{week 31}

{the toes. I had to put the camera pretty far out to capture this one}

Week: Movin' and shakin' in week 31! 

Bean Size: This week chiquita, you're the size of a large head of lettuce. It says you're about 18 inches and 3.2 lbs. Keep going! 

Total Weight Gain: I'll find out for sure on Tuesday. I haven't weighed myself since my last dr. visit 5 weeks ago, so I'm sure I'll be in for a surprise. 

Maternity Clothes?: How can it be that my maternity tops are getting tighter in the chest and shorter. They must have shrunk. I've been forced to do some more shopping because I can't look like a slob or a pregnant hooker at work. 

Sleep: I believe my body is getting me ready for the long nights with the beanette. I'm waking up often (pretty much any time I switch sides) or when I get a cramp in my leg. I also feel like an old lady getting up in the morning; my hips hurt and I have to roll back and then quickly push myself forward in order to get out of bed. nice. There's also some grunting involved. sexy.

Movement: Most definitely! The past few weeks she's been getting the hiccups a lot! I can feel them down really low and they sometimes tickle me. We like to play games like, "I poke you, you poke me back" and "This feels like daddy's hand, I'll stop moving like crazy now." 

What I Miss: Not visiting the toilet every half hour, or at least it feels that way. Every liquid I drink feels like it's passing right through me and my itty bitty squished bladder. I wouldn't mind so much if I could get up and go to the restroom whenever I please, but I can't. I'm looking forward to the end of the school year just so I can relieve myself without a time limit. Only 14 more days!

Status of the Button: It's still definitely in. I don't think this one is coming out. 

What I'm Looking Forward to: Kissing and snuggling my baby. I cannot wait to meet her!

Best Moment this Week: Picking the red ring out of a box at the children's store and thus getting 40% off the Ergo carrier I was buying! score! My brother texting a message telling me that he can't wait to meet our daughter because he's looking forward to being an uncle. How cute is that!? 

Preggers Bod-New and Exciting!..maybe: I feel like the belly is much bigger than what it looks like in the pictures. My back hurts...not fun. But, I found that sitting and rolling my hips around on the exercise ball really helps.  My uterus is making it's way up to my chin. So that may be an exaggeration, but for the first 29 or so weeks, my bump was pretty low. I definitely had a gap (or a look at my normal stomach) between my breasts and my bump, but I feel that is almost no longer there. It's all bump now and it's still really far down. I could never really wear low-riding jeans during my pregnancy because my bump is soo low. I'd need some special super-duper-low-riding-hide-the-poody-and coin-slot-pants. I don't think those exist.

Bean Milestones: Baby J, they say you're running out of room in there and that you're fattening up for momma. You're also working out that bladder in preparation for all the diapers daddy and I will be changing. Keep growing little one!

Food Cravings: Sugar! My goodness. I've always been good at allowing myself only one sweet treat a day, but it has gotten really hard to do that lately. I am so weak. I'm blaming it on Baby J. 

How's the Rice?: Soo cutie and busy. We both felt like the past week went by sooo slow, especially since the hubby didn't get much of a weekend last week. He had to work almost all weekend. boo. We're looking forward to a three-day weekend and time with friends by the pool. 

Tid Bits: We saw the "Babies" movie today and I really enjoyed it. It was super sweet. cute, and funny at times. It was a nice contrast to the hubby's pick from last weekend, "Iron Man: 2." I don't think the bean enjoyed Iron Man at all. She would not stop kicking and punching me throughout the entire movie. I think it was all the loud noises that were scaring her and preventing her from taking her nap. 

Our maternity photo session is coming up this week and I'm elated! Nicole and I have shared some ideas for the shoot and I think they are going to be really cute. I may be biased though. =) There are 4 outfits I'm contemplating right now, but I think I'm going to narrow it down to 2. Oh, I also finally got my hair done after not having anyone touch it for 7 months! It looks so much better now. 

This is one of the jean options I'm considering.

{anthro sweater}

with

{gap maternity jeans}

accessorized with some cute heals and jewelry.

I've actually got some Old Navy maternity jean slacks that I'm probably going to wear instead of those skinny jeans, but we'll see. The slacks are longer and will probably look better with heels.  Another outfit option is a purple dress with yellow flats, there is also a fun red dress with blue heels, and the other is the skinny jeans above, a white fitted tee, an olive green ruffled sweater vest thinger with some tweed heels (they have the same olive green, yellow, and a bit of orange in them) or some other flats. Which one sounds good? help. 

Only 10-ish, or less, weeks left!