I took this picture last night. I’m 23 weeks. I swear, the camera adds a few (several?) inches! Being pregnant is so weird. There’s really no other way to describe it. So far, everything is going pretty well (*knock on wood*). I feel great, aside from some aches and pains and a minor case of absent-mindedness. Based on the size of my stomach and the kung-fu kicks that are going on inside, I’d say baby is also doing well. That doesn’t stop me from being nervous though… I’m still so afraid something might happen and ever doctor’s appointment and ultrasound comes with a huge amount of tension then a big sigh of relieve when I see and hear that little heart beating. At my last ultrasound appointment, we found out that we will be having a baby girl (pretty sure! she was very squirmy and didn’t stay still very long). We have picked out names, and will be naming her after both of our grandmother’s.
I’m uncharacteristically relaxed about actually looking after the baby. I don’t know if that’s me being naive, or the result of some kind of hormonal free for all going on inside of my body. I just feel like I will somehow make it work with, you know, common sense, moderation and patience. I’ve read some message boards and blog posts about mother’s who are disappointed when motherhood doesn’t turn out to be exactly how they imagined. The upside of never having imagined myself as a mother is, I wont have to deal with that! I have absolutely no idea what to expect. On the flipside, I have absolutely no idea what to expect… In the wise words of my husband, “Don’t worry… it will be FINE!” (Me: “What’s that weird noise the car is making?” Dan: “Don’t worry… it will be FINE!”. Me: “I think you should check on the grilled cheese sandwich you’re cooking, it appears to be burning.” Dan: “Don’t worry… it will be FINE!”)
As the due date slowly approaches, I am starting to get a little anxious about the things we need to do to prepare. Like, how the hell do you pick out a stroller? Is the $800 stroller really better than the $200 version? Why does a play pen have to come with so many attachments? Do they even call them play pens any more? Why are there so many cloth diaper options? It’s just a poop catcher! (I am making flat diapers.. it it was good enough for me, it’s good enough for my baby!) Someone is making a mint off of new parents, that’s for sure.
Mostly, I am just thinking about getting the room done right now (ie. the fun part). We spent the last few weekends sorting through boxes in the basement and spare room, and getting rid of furniture and things we no longer needed to make some extra space.
I’ve had a hard time finding baby room ideas I like. I’m not so into cutesy baby things, but between Etsy and Pinterest I found a general colour scheme and some art and ideas I like. I’m hoping we can get it painted soon, then work on furnishing it…
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| Butterfly Art Print by Susannah Tucker , Fabric swatch via Fabricworm, Framed Deer Print by Burrowing Home, Colour Palette via Design Seeds, Cloud Shelf by Shop Littles, Felt Cloud Mobiles by Shop Kiddo, Polka Dot Fabric via Fabricworm |
10 Comments
Kristin Jones
June 17, 2014 at 1:50 pmAhh, I think your husband is right. Just relax and things will be fine.. though maybe not for the grilled cheese. 😉 I love, love, love your color scheme. I've not really seen anything like that for children, but, like you, I hate the traditional baby decorations so I'm really looking forward to seeing how your room turns out. Hopefully someone with more experience can tell you about the stroller situation because $800 seems completely ridiculous to me! Enjoy your week!
Rosalinda loza
June 17, 2014 at 4:26 pmIt's scary at first, but you'll get the hang of it pretty easily, as for the kids supplies; every parent is different. What works for one doesn't work for all. It's a trial an error thing. Although having big wheels on strollers helps make it easier to push. Look for something in the middle, unless you want all the bells and whistles! Congrats again! I'm a mother of three, and I hope it helps!
Kathleen Maunder
June 17, 2014 at 5:18 pmYou look beautiful! I really like your colour choices for the baby's room. They feel happy and peaceful.
I remember when we got our first stroller (19 years ago), I felt like I should have majored in 'Baby Strollers' in university. It was so complicated to open and close the darn thing. Press button here, apply pressure there, fold here. Hopefully the new designs are simpler. I found this current review online: http://www.babygearlab.com/Stroller-Reviews Maybe it will help you with your choice. 🙂
gingermakes
June 17, 2014 at 7:17 pmYou look so great! I'm so excited for you! I'm glad to hear you're feeling relaxed about all the weird decisions to make. Not sure what your town is like, but my sister lives in a small town in Michigan and she was able to get many baby things cheaply secondhand, if that helps. I love your inspiration for the baby's room. It looks so modern and fun!
Kristi
June 18, 2014 at 12:37 amYou look great, and yay for relaxed parenting!!
I agree with Rosalinda – what works for one doesn't work for the other with baby stuff. After having 4, I figured out that for me spending the money (but not crazy money) on a good stroller that folds and most importantly steers easily was important to me. They all steer easy with a newborn, but a toddler is a different story. I finally ended up with the BabyJogger CityMini and couldn't be happier 4 years and many trips and walks around the block and in the park later. And I would skip all the extras with the PaknPlay – I only ever ended up using the big part for more than 3 months.
Craft Sanctuary
June 18, 2014 at 1:00 amYou look so great! I'm so happy for you, and like your hubby says, I'm sure everything will be FINE 🙂
macskakat
June 18, 2014 at 8:06 amYou're looking fabulous! Funny, you're only about a week ahead of me – I'm nearly 22 weeks pregnant. It's super strange, isn't it?!?
Glad to hear you're not getting all worried about what happens after the baby arrives. Personally, I think that's the right way to do it – there's so much advice out there, and so much of it is conflicting, and it can be crazy easy to get paranoid about it all. Yet every baby is different, and you've just got to go with the flow, really.
I know what you mean about the worry – I feel the same. Such a relief when I started feeling our little one move around, it's like a constant check that yep, they're still there, and they're moving so they must be fine! Crazy, nerve-wracking, alien sort of time, this whole pregnancy business. (Rather fascinating though – our bodies are pretty amazing things!) 🙂
Anonymous
June 18, 2014 at 8:20 amHi Sarah, I understand all your worries but you know it is just your thought. Good for you and your baby will be Yoga relaxation breathing, for example, http://www.pregnancy-yoga-resource.com/yoga-breathing-exercises.html, it helps a lot. Sending you lots of love. JJ
CJ
June 24, 2014 at 7:12 pmAll the choices out there certainly don't make it easy on us, and making decisions can sometimes be panic inducing. I was fortunate that I had close friends and a sister-in-law with young children at my disposal. I bugged all of them to let me try out their gear. It was very helpful to see others using strollers and try to figure it out on my own before buying anything. My husband and I settled on the Baby Jogger City Mini. It's lightweight and very easy to fold and store. Best, it's not too expensive. We did splurge on the travel crib (which we certainly use as a play pen!). We went with the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light. It was worth it to us for the ease of setting up and breaking down. We do a fair amount of traveling and this one is so light. I borrowed a pack n play once and will never ever try to figure that one out again.
Best of luck – you look fantastic!
Tifia Napier-Morales
July 23, 2014 at 8:24 pmlooks like a girl oldwives tail about the way your carrying high in the womb…. congratulations and thanks for all the info on how to make pretty, sexy underthings!!!