33 weeks, Car Seats and Dilemmas

33 Weeks

Only a few more weeks to go and the count down has officially begun. Matt and I are so ready for feedings every 2 hours, crying, not knowing what to do with this tiny person and sleepless nights/days. We are actually pumped up about it. Weirdos. I am so excited to see the baby's little face! I can't wait to see what it looks like, because in my dreams it always has teeth and wants to bite me--I'm ready to put that theory to rest. This irrational fear probably stems from me drinking 2-3 gallons of milk and crewing 96 extra strength Tums a week, I keep thinking all that rich calcium has to calcify somewhere on our baby and I envision TEETH. Side note: Heart Burn is a bear.

The Easter Bunny came this past Sunday and brought gobs of candy for Matt, which he attempted to eat in one day and TUMS for me. That Easter Bunny, I tell ya, he sure does know his clientele! Frazier claimed that the Easter Bunny is a cheapskate! He only brings the dogs toys after the holiday because that is when everything is on sale. There may be some truth to this.


33 Weeks and Frazier's Butt

Car Seats

Perhaps I can't read directions well or perhaps the people at Chico find it funny to use to worst possible pictures and descriptions on how to install a car seat properly. Either way, safely installing a car seat took me 23 minutes, 3 texts to a friend with children and 6 cuss words to install. By the end of the ordeal I was red faced and extremely frustrated, I do believe I took a nap. Don't judge.


23 Minutes to Safety Bliss

I thought for sure Mister Instructions-Are-For-Losers would have an even more difficult time installing his car seat base into the truck. I challenged him to an Install-Off and giggled at the fact it was going to take him forever to figure out how to interpret all the new vocabulary words of a car seat, let alone install the darn thing. Ready, Set, Go.....6 minutes from house to perfectly installed and safe car seat. Damn, joke was on me.
Dilemma

The baby's room is really coming together beautiful and is so near completion that we can smell it! We still need a light fixture, some nick-knacks here and there, for my Grandma to send the bedding--which is compete by the way-- and to hang things in their official places on the walls. Here is where our problem lies... We have no idea what to put above the crib. I don't want something heavy that if it fell would crush the Little Monster where it lied. I am also not a huge fan of wall decals, all though if the right one came our way it might work (open to suggestions). We don't want anything that's too "baby" because the room itself is far from an ordinary baby's room--minus the crib, changing table, rocker and other accouterments.

I was thinking about just hanging a mobile-ish type thing from the ceiling that would be ascetically pleasing as well as stimulating to the Little Monster. I just don't know what type to hang. That's about all I got so far, please offer up suggestions. If anyone's information leads to the arrest or indictment  the final decision of the previously mentioned Crib Dilemma there could be a cash reward up to $1,000  $5.00. (Not sure if anyone caught on to my Crime Stoppers reference here, but if you are going on 2.5 hours of sleep like me it might be kind of funny).

Here is the way the wall looks with nothing on it. I know it is kind of hard to offer up suggestions when you can't see the rest of the decor that is adorning the room, but it is not put together enough to be shown yet. Any help is appreciated. And.... if anyone is wondering, yes, Frazier does follow me from room to room and is constantly at my side at all times. He is a 65lb growth that I have to feed twice a day and take outside to go potty.


Stay tuned for pictures of the Baby's room in its more complete and final state....
Colie

Holy Stretch Marks, Batman!

Greetings!

This week marks 32 long, hard and sometimes lovely weeks of pregnancy. Our child has decided to gift to me 32 stretch marks (give or take) and an additional 5lbs this week. Thanks Little Monster, I will cherish them forever I am sure. I will spare everyone the up close belly shot of all that purple zebra stripped loveliness, trust me when I say it is H-O-T-T, Hot.

I figured it was time to squat down ever so gently and organize the baby's room as best as I can. I still need to buy a storage/organizational closet system so that I can clump like sized clothing items together and I need to figure out how to put everything in its rightful place so I remember to use it all. I tend to be a creature of habit and will use the same thing over and over. This baby has so many cool (yes, I said cool, is that not cool anymore?) things and I want to make sure they all get a chance to be seen/touched/used.

This is an extremely small portion of the baby gear we have received, there is a whole 'nother truck load in the closet awaiting sorting detail. The best thing about all the items is that everything is 100% usable and functional and we don't have a million and one of anything. There seems to be just the right amount of every item in every size. I just want to say thank you to all the friends and family who have gifted all these wonderful (gender neutral) baby items, it means so much to Matt and I to have such a huge support system.

Colie

31 Weeks

This picture captures how Krum feels about the impending arrival of the Little Monster. Krum can't get enough of my hormones and can frequently be found as close to my belly as possible. Unless Matt is around then my hormones have to compete with Krum's undying devotion to his "daddy".

Although, sometimes I have a hard time telling who loves who more....

This past weekend was great, I didn't have one single hormonal outrage or even the threat of one. Even the 31 week photo-session with the horrible framing, bad lighting and a not so flattering angle didn't bother me. Matt only had to take 3 pictures and I said "ok, that will work." I think he about had a heart attack, usually he fears these weekly sessions.

Squinty eyes? Whatever. Window and door in the shot? Sure, why not. Bad angle? Bring it on. I'm a new woman. Let's see how long this lasts... But seriously, can you see why I do have breakdowns every week? This is generally what I have to work with.

Colie

Amazing Friends

Hi

I have loved working at Riley from the second I stepped onto the unit and I have always thought my job as an PICU nurse was rewarding and fulfilling. Today I realized that the women I work with are without a doubt the most amazing, thoughtful and kind hearted friends I could ever be blessed with. I love being a nurse, but the people that I work with are the reason I truly LOVE my job.

My good friends Emily K., Lauren, Monica and Emily W. all worked very hard to throw me a baby shower and invited the whole unit. I knew this was a huge undertaking for them, but wasn't able to fully comprehend it until I arrived. These girls coordinated all the food, decorations, cake and prizes into one cohesive Yellow and Grey Baby Williams Theme. Everything was meticulously thought out and planned. Every event from the greeting, to games to food to gifts to goodbyes was seamless. I am so lucky to have them as my good friends and I hope they know how deep down grateful I am to them for caring enough to put the shower together for me.

There were so many girls that came to show their support for Matt, me and the Little Monster. Everyone was so thoughtful in their gift choices. I loved everything from the tiny washcloths to the big swing. It took everything I had not to cry when I was opening up gifts and I don't think I can blame it on hormones this time. I was really taken aback by how thoughtful and caring everyone was. Yes, I am crying now that I am writing this--I do blame that on the hormones though :)

This was the only picture from the shower that I took, I was so distracted by all the people and things to do. Emily K. took a lot more pictures with her super high-tech camera, I will post more when she sends them to me. But leave it to me to have taken only one picture and it is of cake. I have a one track mind--food.


It was Lemon and Orange flavored...OMG, YUM

Here is all of our baby loot scatterd in the living room. Its all so cute, I can't wait to put it to use on a real baby. Our baby! Haha, still not fully setting in yet.

If my day wasn't amazing enough as it was I came home to more surprises. Matt and Allen (Emily W.'s husband) built me a garden box. My plan for this summer is to grow a beginners garden in a raised bed. I hear it is easy, we will see. 

Oooo, but that's not all folks. Matt also started to paint the baby's room today, he had it 90% trimmed out by the time I got home from the Baby Shower. The color took us eons to pick out, but it is official now. The color of choice is called Online and it is the perfect shade of grey to even out all the whites and yellows in the room.



Looks like a 1 beer job....for now

Colie