Question for the Mommies

I'm not sure whether or not I should buy these items. Are they necessary? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
1) Conversion kit for our crib. Did you actually use this when your kids started outgrowing the crib? And is it really worth buying 2 years in advance? I have no idea where we'll put it, but then I'm worried the crib won't be around in 2 years.
2) Head support for the car seat/ stroller/ swing. Do you need something like this when they are newborns?
3) Waterproof mattress pad for the crib. The mattress we bought has a vinyl laminate cover so that should help. But should we get a pad as well?
4) Do I need a humidifier? 
Thanks!

Baby Bump Update: 32 Weeks

I started my 33rd week yesterday and things are starting to feel more real. My stomach is getting really big and so is Cullen. He is about 19 inches now and almost 4 pounds, gaining about 1/2 a pound a week going forward. The nursery is coming together and is almost done. I'm still waiting for the letters to hang on the wall (they should be here in another week or two) and I need to look for some other wall decorations, since the walls are off-white and pretty bare.  If you know of any site that I can get some cute nursery artwork, at a reasonable price, please let me know. I'm surprisingly not having much luck with etsy.com.  It's getting harder to sleep. Last night I got up four times to pee. It's not usually that bad, but obviously I drank too much water too close to bedtime. Turning over in bed is also becoming quite the challenge. 

Week 32 Summary: This week, your body may start prepping for delivery day by flexing its muscles — literally. If you feel your uterus bunching or hardening periodically, those are practice contractions, otherwise known as Braxton Hicks. These rehearsals (typically experienced earlier and with more intensity in women who've been pregnant before) feel like a tightening sensation that begins at the top of your uterus then spreads downward, lasting from 15 to 30 seconds (though they can sometimes last two minutes or more). What's up with your baby? He's starting to get ready for his big debut, tipping the scales at almost four pounds and topping out at just about 19 inches. In these last few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice as he hones the skills he'll need to survive and thrive outside the womb, from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. And speaking of sucking, your little one has been able to suck his thumb for a while now. Another change this week: As more and more fat accumulates under your baby's skin, he's becoming less transparent and more opaque.  You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Baby Class #3

We had our third baby class last night. Interesting to say the least. There is no doubt that Charlottesville is a very liberal town. 

What we learned:
 1) Our teacher wants to be an actress. Maybe not, but she LOVES to reenact labor contractions. She performed early labor, active labor, and transitional labor contractions for us. And by 'perform' I mean screaming, odd breathing, and writhing around on the floor with varying intensities. Everyone else takes it so seriously. Andrew and I cannot help but laugh. I feel so immature laughing, but it's so hilarious. We almost had to leave the room because we were on the verge of disruptive. We then had to watch a video of about 6 women going through contractions. Once again, we were not able to contain our laughter. It wasn't quite as funny as the live version though.

2) I am a bad person for wanting an epidural. This may have not been stated in so many words, but I felt it. First off, we had to put a sticker on a chart for where we were on the 'pain med' scale - far right being 'no way in hell would I get pain meds, au natural all the way', far left being 'drug me up as soon as possible'. I completely admire anyone who wants to go natural, don't get me wrong, but my theory is 'why be in more pain than absolutely necessary'. Apparently, most of of the Charlottesville mothers do not share my view. I was one of only two women who agreed with pain meds during labor. The other 8 ladies in the room had a contest to see who could put their sticker farthest to the right. I'm happy to report that the biggest hippie in the room won that contest. Our teacher then said something along the lines of, "one of the most embarrassing moments of my life was when I told my husband, when in labor with my second child, that I wanted an epidural. I made him swear up and down that he would never tell anyone that I got one. Lucky for me, I was too far along in labor to get one. Phew."

3) Andrew is not cut out for a classroom setting. He just cannot sit still. But I want to thank him for going anyway, and not complaining TOO much about it.

Baby Bumps

The three pregnant ladies from the baby shower posed for some baby bump pictures Saturday night. I am due mid-May, Molly is due 3-4 weeks later in June, and Lauren in due in late July with twins. Hopefully all of the little ones will be great friends :)

Charlottesville Baby Shower

I had a really wonderful weekend. The weather was beautiful, my mom was in town, and I had a great baby shower at the Dinsmore House. A special thank you to the hosts, Amanda, Christine, Leah and Molly. They did such a great job! It was a 'tea party' themed shower with adorable picture banners of Andrew and me as kids, delicious cupcakes from Capellino's, tea/scones/finger sandwiches, and most importantly, wonderful friends. Molly, Robyn, baby Rebecca and Jorie all drove down from DC. I feel so incredibly blessed to have such great friends. Here are some pictures from the shower.

Baby Bump Update: 31 Weeks

I'm starting my 32nd week tomorrow. Only 2 more months left. Ahhh! We're really excited for the baby boy to get here. This weather is making me more excited because I can picture strolling him around and sitting outside on the downtown mall with him. We had our second 'Preparation for Childbirth' class last night. It went better than the first class because there were less icebreakers and discussions about our feelings. We learned about the different stages of labor and practiced positions for labor. Fun stuff! I have my 2 week doctor's check up tomorrow and my mom gets in town for my Charlottesville baby shower! I can't wait for this weekend - it's going to be tons of fun!

Week 31 Summary: Chances are your diaphragm is feeling a little cramped these days. Okay, a lot cramped. That's because your uterus is pushing up against it, crowding your lungs and making it more difficult for them to expand fully. The result: Your body is spare on air, and will be until your baby drops near the end of pregnancy in preparation for birth. Your baby, however, is happy as a clam since he gets all the oxygen he needs through the placenta. Weighing in at three-plus pounds and measuring 18 inches long, he's quickly approaching his birth length though he's got to pack on another three to five pounds before D-day. Also developing at an impressive clip: your baby's brain connections (he's got to make trillions of them!). He's now processing information, tracking light, and perceiving signals from all five senses. He's also putting in longer stretches of sleep, which is why you're probably noticing more defined patterns of awake (and moving) periods and sleeping (pretty still) periods. He 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 skin.

The Woes of Pregnancy

So not everything about pregnancy is that pleasant. Here are some memories for when it's all said and done. I've had some random food cravings and aversions (more aversions than cravings in this third trimester, oddly enough), but for the most part, it's been smooth sailing and I can't complain.

1) I hate meat. It just does not sound good to me right now, except for turkey sandwiches which I'm not supposed to eat because of the deli meat risk.

2) My bra size hasn't changed AT ALL, much to my disappointment.

3) I love waffles, especially with blueberries. I have been eating at least 2 Eggo's a day lately.

4) Zantac has been a lifesaver, but when I don't take it before a meal, I get the worst heartburn ever. If the myth holds true, Cullen should have a lot of hair. 

5) I sleep with a body pillow. Andrew calls it "the damn worm" because it looks like a worm and he hates it. It takes up way too much of the bed for his liking. It's not going anywhere, though, because it helps relieve my lower back pain.

6) I am tired of always having a bloody nose when I wake up. It's there every morning, to some degree. It's minor and doesn't last long, but I'm sick of it.

7) I have been eating a TON of tomato and mozzarella. I eat it on sandwiches, pizza, salads, you name it. It always sounds delicious to me.

8) Without fail, around 4 pm every day at work, I crash. I want to get in bed and take a nap. By the time 6 pm rolls around and I can go home, I usually have a little more energy.

9) I love taking baths, but they are not supposed to be over 100 degrees while I'm pregnant. So I get a thermometer and take the bath's temperature to make sure it's not too hot. Lately, I've been able to tell if it's under 100 degrees without using my thermometer. Andrew sometimes claims it's too hot, so I make him get the thermometer and test it out. He's never been right!

10) I still think Cullen is one of the most active babies ever in the tummy. I'm sure many mom's claim this, but this baby boy can kick me all day long, every day. It really never stops. They tell you it's a good idea to count kicks in the third trimester. As a general rule, you should feel 10 kicks or movements within an hour. We've never had to wait more than 3 minutes to get to the 10 kicks.

I can't wait to meet my baby boy. Only 2 more months!

Nursery Help

I seriously need your help. I can't decide what to do with the nursery. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I'm also going to put a poll up :) These are the options:

1) Keep the queen size bed in the nursery. With this option, we can still fit a crib and changing table, but everything is tight. Positives: We'll have a guest bed if someone comes to visit and if we move, we won't have to buy a new bed. Negatives: I won't get to make the nursery as cute (all the furniture won't match and there will be very little space) and I won't get to buy a glider for rocking Cullen because there won't be room.

2) Get rid of the bed and buy a pullout love seat or small sofa for the nursery. Positives: The nursery will look cuter and we'll still have a place for guests to sleep. Negatives: We'll have to spend more money to buy this couch and we aren't sure if we'll be able to fit the glider. Once we move, we'll have to buy another bed for a guest bedroom.

3) Get rid of the bed and buy the glider. Positives: I'll have the glider to rock Cullen and the nursery will be a true nursery - cute and not a half guest room. Negatives: There is no where for guests to sleep. Once we move, we'll have to buy another bed for a guest bedroom.

I'm sure this seems so trivial, but I am having major problems deciding what to do. Any advice?

Baby Update: 30 Weeks

I finished my 30th week yesterday, and Cullen is now the size of a head of lettuce. He is around 18 inches long and 3.2 pounds. We know he is head down and I think he may have dropped this past week. His movements feel very different this week, but he is still very active. I mainly feel 'waves' of Cullen, rather than kicks or jabs. Occasionally he'll get me good with an elbow or kick, but it's more like twists and turns now. I put together the pack n' play last night. It's really cute and doesn't look as girly in person as it does online, so that's good. It's the Rittenhouse pattern from Graco. 

We had our first baby class through the hospital on Wednesday night. It was not super helpful since the baby books are so good now-a-days, but it was pretty humorous at times. We had to go around at the beginning of the class and say our name, our due date, and aspirations we have for our child. Ok, no pressure on that last one! I said "I hope he is happy and healthy, and I wouldn't mind a good athlete"...I was just trying to keep it light. Of course, the guy who goes after me has to say "I am not going to put any pressure on my child to be a good athlete, but I just hope he enjoys watching sports." Thanks a lot, making me look bad :) Andrew then says, "I hope he is a good person who leaves a positive mark on the world." The teacher then responds , "wow, big expectations for your child. no pressure there." So apparently we are overbearing parents who already have put too many expectations on our child - haha! Other highlights included a breathing relaxation technique, a hand massage, and other icebreaker exercises. At one point, we had to all yell out words that come to mind when thinking about labor. I said "pain" and Andrew said "inevitable" which got quite a few laughs. The teacher then says "yes, it is inevitable at this point, but it wasn't always that way". Needless to say, I don't think we left the class being viewed as star parents, but I thought it was all pretty hilarious.

Week 30 Summary: These days you may feel as if you've got a flamethrower in your chest. Heartburn is one of the most common (and annoying) pregnancy ailments and here's why: The same pregnancy hormones that cause your body's pelvic muscles to relax so you can deliver your baby also relax the ring of muscle that separates the esophagus from the stomach. The upshot? Food and digestive juices can head upstream from your tummy into your chest and throat — hence, the infernal inferno. Your expanding uterus, now exerting pressure on your stomach, only fuels the fire. And speaking of your belly, its increasing size is a definite clue that your baby is getting bigger every day, weighing in at over three pounds now. Also growing daily is his brain, which is actually starting to look like the real thing with those characteristic grooves and wrinkles. And now that your little genius can regulate his own body temperature and turn up the heat, he'll start shedding lanugo, the downy body hair that's been keeping him warm up until now. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face.

Doctor Visit: 30 Weeks

I went to my 30 week doctor's visit last Friday. His heart sounded great and my doctor was excited to hear a fetal heart rate acceleration while we were listening to his heart. Although I don't really understand what she meant, she said that it was an excellent indication of his developmental progress. Apparently, it means he was responsive to what was going on around him. Because of my below average weight gain and because my stomach was measuring small, she had me schedule an ultrasound, which was today. 

The ultrasound wasn't quite as exciting as the previous two - he's just getting so big and it's harder to see him. Andrew and I both agree that it is more exciting to feel him moving around now. He looks healthy and weighed in at 3 pounds, right below the 50th percentile for 30 weeks which was great news! His heart beat was 137 beats per minute. He has a huge head, measuring in at 32 weeks. His femur bone measured in at a little over 30 weeks, but his stomach measured in a bit small at 28 weeks. My doctor said there is nothing to be concerned about, but we'll have another ultrasound in 4 weeks to make sure I've fattened him up some more. When my appetite is low, my doctor wants me to drink an Ensure to get some calories, so I will definitely be doing that. The biggest surprise was how much room he is taking up. His head is face down (good news that he's not breech!) and he is basically already in the 'dropped' position. I have been carrying him very low this entire pregnancy, so it wasn't a complete surprise, but I couldn't believe how LOW he was. He butt hits me right below my ribs, so he is a very long baby as well. His length coupled with my ridiculously short torso is making for some cramped quarters. 

I think he has my lips and Andrew's nose, but who can tell with these grainy pictures :) He has his mouth open in the first picture, which was neat to see. Can't wait to meet him!

Happy One Year Anniversary

Andrew and I had a great time in Richmond. It was a perfect getaway for our one year anniversary - very relaxing. Friday afternoon we went on a major shopping spree for the baby boy at Pottery Barn Kids. We then checked into the Jefferson Hotel where Andrew had a dozen red roses waiting for me in the room. Well, actually, they weren't in the room like they were supposed to be because while checking in, I insisted they find us a room with a king size bed rather than two double beds, which messed up his plan :) He also had a snack basket waiting for me. We grabbed dinner at TJ's restaurant in the hotel which was delicious. Then Andrew headed out to the Alice in Chains concert (alone) while I watched the Hornets game (alone). Haha. Maybe not the most romantic part of our weekend, but I was really happy that he got to see one of his favorite bands of all time, and even managed to get a free ticket, while I got to lay low in bed. Saturday we slept VERY late and then walked around downtown to grab a yummy lunch at Sam Miller's. We drove around Carytown and then came home to get ready for dinner. We had an excellent dinner at the wonderful Lemaire restaurant in the hotel. We watched The Blind Side - great movie, I highly recommend it. Then we got to go see the band that played at our wedding! It was quite the coincidence, but The Jangling Reinharts happened to have a wedding gig at the Jefferson Hotel Saturday night!  We listened to a few songs and they came out and talked to us in the lobby during their set break. We woke up, grabbed some food at the Cheesecake Factory, and headed on home. Yes, we ate A LOT and slept A LOT. It was a wonderful weekend because I got to spend it with my wonderful husband :) Unfortunately, we did not take one picture the entire weekend.

I'd also like to thank my wonderful mother-in-law and father-in-law for the beautiful bouquet of flowers for our anniversary. And I'd like to thank my parents for the sweet card and check which treated us to the great dinner at Lemaire. We are so lucky to have the best parents in the world! We love y'all!

Baby Bump Update: 29 Weeks

I start my 30th week tomorrow - wow! It's strange to be out of the 20s and into the 30s. I am officially 29 weeks along and our baby boy is the size of a small cabbage. He is about 17 inches long and 2.9 pounds. I don't feel like he has 'turned' head down yet; he still seems to be moving around a lot. Sometimes I feel him below my belly button and sometimes he's up near my ribs. Zantac has worked wonders! I can now eat what I want without feeling absolutely miserable. I think I have a little stomach bug - I woke up at 5:30 am with problems and have been dealing with that all day. I'm hoping to feel better tomorrow for our trip to Richmond! We plan to buy the furniture for the nursery when we're there. We officially have the pack n' play, stroller, and car seat - all still in the boxes; but hey, we're making progress!

Week 29 Summary: Unsightly yet harmless, varicose veins are simply swollen blood vessels that often surface on your body for the first time during pregnancy, especially if your mom or grandma had them. You may have a mild case (minor achiness and swelling) or you may be unlucky enough to experience real pain and bulging blue veins, usually from the ankle to the upper thigh. There are things you can do to alleviate this veiny situation, including watching your weight, keeping your blood flowing, and avoiding heavy lifting. And speaking of heavy lifting, your baby weighs nearly three pounds now and measures about 17 inches. Though he's getting pretty close to his birth length, he still has to chub out a bit. In fact, over the next 11 weeks, he'll more than double — or even come close to tripling — his weight. And as he grows and room in your womb gets tighter, you'll be less likely to feel those big kicks and more likely to get poked by an elbow or jabbed by a knee. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Building Blocks

Elizabeth and I are approaching our first wedding anniversary, so before I tell this quick story I'd like to just say what an amazing year it's been. We're so lucky to have each other, and so lucky to be blessed with Cullen's soon arrival. Our anniversary is 3/7, and I'm sure Elizabeth will post something on here about the awesome weekend we're about to spend in Richmond at the Jefferson Hotel!

So back to the story: as most of you hopefully know by now I play a significant amount of tennis. Usually 2-3 times a week. Based on my time on the court I've made a lot of relationships, some with some unlikely people. This one man, Bill Gordon, is a guy I play with often. It's funny, I always found the term "salt of the earth" to be a weird way of describing people, but it fits Bill to a T. Bill works on a farm with a saw mill. He's a big burly guy in his 60's that's still an amazing tennis player. Most guys in their 60's adapt their games to play in latter years - play softer, steadier, less aggressive - but not Bill. He still hits a serve about as hard as any guy I see on the amateur level. We've had some battles on the court, and he's definitely beaten me a fair share of times. Pretty impressive for a 60 year old to overpower a 29 year old former college player. Bill is a little rough around the edges, and he takes a little while to warm up to most people... but he's also a family man that I aspire to be one day. The way he talks about his wife, children and grandchildren at the age of 60 gives me a lot of admiration for him. If I'm able to carry myself the way he does later in life I'll be doing well. Bill decided to send Elizabeth and I wooden blocks with the letters: C-U-L-L-E-N to give our nursery a little personality. How thoughtful and kind is that? These are blocks he hand crafted on the saw mill, that he's apparently been making for all his grand-kids. I have tennis to thank for a lot of things: moderate fitness, mental stimulation, competition, having fun... but none maybe more so than the friendships I've gained. The friendship I have with Bill Gordon is a different and unique type of friendship, but it's one that I feel blessed and very lucky to have. I doubt he'll ever read this, but I want to give him a big thank you for the great blocks he made for Cullen. Our baby boy will enjoy them!

Cold, Cold, Go AWAY

I am so sick of this weather. It's supposed to snow again today and tomorrow, and though there is not supposed to be much accumulation, I am ready for some warmth! I can't believe it's already March - closer to springtime and meeting Cullen! I've had a bad cold since Saturday. I'm on the mend, but it's wiping me out. My stomach is huge and my maternity jeans are feeling tight now. Leggings are my new best friend, though I'm finding it really hard to find tops that are long enough to wear with leggings! Is the tunic trend out? I think I'm going to have to pick up some casual dresses. The cold + my huge stomach + Cullen's positioning at times + Andrew force feeding me food because he thinks I need to gain weight = Shortness of Breath. I've gained about 8 pounds so far during this pregnancy. It's a mystery to me why it's not more because my stomach is huge and I'm eating all day long. All I can figure is that pregnancy has improved my metabolism. I will talk to my doctor about it on Friday and hope that she thinks it is OK.

We had a nice weekend with my brother in town. Andrew also had some fraternity brothers come in town for the Drive by Truckers show. I went to dinner with the group but went home before the concert. I think they all had a great time! I was sad I couldn't go to the show, but I think it was for the best since it sounded pretty rowdy and I would have had to stand the whole time. I love having David in town! We just hung out and ate a great brunch at Boar's Head. I'm looking forward to my doctor's appointment on Friday and our 1 year anniversary trip to Richmond this weekend!