And just as they were done, they began.

I saw my friends Karen and Micah in the waiting room at the OB today before my appointment.  Wow, Karen was due yesterday and the OB was out of town until now!  As you can imagine, Karen looked upset, ready to pop and Micah looked like he'd been dealing with a woman in labor for the past week!  I had to stay at the office for the GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test) a whole hour, so as I was waiting to have my blood drawn, I saw them come out from the back and they were on their way to L&D!  Soooo lucky!  Such a morning will end in such a wonderful day!  Oh to be able to hold the little baby girl!  I can't wait.

As for me, the NP said I'm slow on the weight gain.  It makes me happy, but I was supposed to reassure her that the same thing happened with the first pregnancy.  So, I'm at 150 according to the office scale, 147 on my digital scale.  I feel her often, so gentle in her movements.  I feel her now, actually, nudging me here and there.  I love it.  I'm measuring fine, the baby is a good size and the heart rate is good, too. 

I'm a little stressed otherwise, however, because our house is torn apart.  We're going to put our house on the market to see if we can't get out from under this huge payment.  We're going to see if we can't sell it enough to break even, that's all we ask, it's just not helping us reach our debt-free goal to plop such a huge sum of money each month into escrow!  Gotta love the scams they use just to get people into a house, entice you with a low payment, so low you're shocked you didn't buy a house sooner, then slam you after your first year with "oops"es.

So, I painted the nursery, and now we're trying to sell the house.  Yay?  I plan to stage that room with a twin sized lounger we have, to make it into a small bedroom.  The other two rooms are switched now, we moved Aiden into the former guest room and vice versa.  I've packed away all personal items, and we're figuring out what to do with the moving boxes!  I can't believe this, but it's a relief.

I love this house, it's my home, I've spent years making it this way, but I knew I wouldn't be here forever.  Future plans are unclear, but our first goal is to get rid of this monthly load that takes up half our income (when it used to take up not even a third of our income.)  We're expecting another baby and I want to be able to enjoy life with my whole family and plan smart for my kids' futures.  Having every one of your dollars accounted for by someone else each month NOT the way to do it!

Are plans are to pay off the cars & motorcycle using the debt snowball plan (which we started a year ago, just not for THESE vehicles... funny, we'd pay off a car, then trade it in on something newer, pay that off and trade it in again... stupid us!)  This time we pay off and keep, then buy slightly used from now on.  Nothing like having $35,000 in vehicle debt ALONE. 

I think the biggest stress for me is that we were just feeling at home, we were finally clearing things out and making this home project-less.  I have painted every room (except the hall, and I guess I have to paint that before we sell, stupid builder paint is FLAT FLAT FLAT and extremely attracted to dirt.) and I love the layout and feel of the whole house!  We finish everything just to start over again.  Selling everything, giving everything away, just to start over and "do it right."  It's the right thing to do, seems right, feels horrible - but the good horrible, like working a knot out in your back.

Anyway, I'm going to go spend some quality time with Aiden before Josh gets back from the shop and makes us keep going!

More later.

Feeling Stretched

So today I literally felt my abs being stretched.  My tendons were insanely tender to the touch (haha) and every time I touched my belly I hurt.  Needless to say, today, I was cranky.  Halfway through the day around 3:30pm, I got hungry and had already eaten my lunch.  The only thing to eat was some skittles and shockers that a lady dropped by earlier from a fundraiser.  Sadly, I ate those, not the whole bags, just some out of each.  I was inviting the allergen-induced headache from meekly tolerating red dye #40, and thus it came.

Sore belly, sore head, bad hair day, no makeup, at work.  Not exactly my best day, especially for those around me, I can imagine.  Not to mention the candy also gave me a stomach ache.

I'm SO tired, and mildly hungry, now that we're finally home from work.  Josh is being a sweetheart and cooking steaks and au gratin potatoes for me - this time he insists that I lay down and relax, and that he WANTS to do it all.

Thanks Josh, I really needed this tonight, I love you.

So I am going to relax now, without a laptop. :o)

22 Weeks Along

My friends and family who don't get to see me every day are insisting that I don't look pregnant, much less 5 months pregnant.  And while that just seems to be how I'm going to go about pregnancy (I was the same way with Aiden), I wish I looked pregnant a lot earlier so I wouldn't get looks like, "Man, that girl should learn to suck in!"  Just thought you may want to know from BabyCenter.com what the BABY looks and feels like at this point, if you don't know.



How your baby's growing:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing: At this point, you may find your belly becoming a hand magnet. It's perfectly okay to tell folks who touch your tummy that you'd rather they didn't. And if people are telling you that you look smaller or bigger than you should at this point, remember that each woman grows — and shows — at her own rate. What's important is that you see your practitioner for regular visits so she can make sure your baby's growth is on track.

You may start to notice stretch marks on your abdomen as it expands to accommodate your growing baby. At least half of all pregnant women will develop stretch marks by the time they give birth. These small streaks of differently textured skin can range from pink to dark brown (depending on your skin color). Although they most commonly appear on your tummy, stretch marks may also show up on your buttocks, thighs, hips, and breasts. There's no proof that lotion helps prevent stretch marks, but keeping your skin moisturized may help with any itching.

Baby "Registry"

My baby registry is a serious wishlist as well as a "guideline" for what direction I'm taking this baby's theme/nursery, etc. I used Amazon because they have a wide variety of things - but the wishlist includes things available on other websites and in local stores.

You can see it here.

I have finally decided on what I'd like to see. Owls are the main ingredient. Other North American native woodland creatures are also a part of the recipe. Build-A-Bear has quite a few of these animals as stuffed animals (on the "registry"), and those are pretty much the limit I want to take when it comes to actual stuffed animals, unless you find one that is even more adorable and equally accurate!

Oh, and I'm not picky when it comes to "feeding" items as far as colors go. It's only the bedroom that has a slight limit. I've got fabric that I'm slowly collecting and am slowly making items (pillows, blankets, pads, etc) for the room.

WAL-MART, TARGET, ETC. ARE JUST FINE! I really hope that just because I've got an odd sense of style, you don't feel that you can't get anything I like. I have seen many things at Wal-Mart, Target, Osh-Kosh (Outlet), Carter's (Outlet), etc. that I really like that aren't available to be seen on the websites. I like kooky/modern/unusual/classic things, but it doesn't mean that I won't dress my daughter in anything! I've been there once, I know that I will use every article of clothing, especially before she turns 2. Babies are messy, this I know.

I've also learned there are always a few things you always need: socks or blankets (many, many), long sleeve onesies, swaddling blankets make great burp rags with many other uses, nipples (because they split after many uses), CLOTHES (babies are messy! even with the best diapers, you'll have leaks, and there's always going to be SOMETHING on the onesies and tops.) And of course, DIAPERS AND WIPES; while all babies grow differently, I used only one pack of newborn diapers with Aiden, we moved quickly to size 1, then size 2 and stayed in 2 the longest.

So, all these things, no matter what they look like, or what brand, are always a great choice. :)

However, if you feel like you want to venture into my specific color realm, the colors are to the left; lime, dark lime, brown, candy apple red, cranberry red, plum purple, deep orange, white/cream and taupe/natural/rattan-ish. The theme is ... well, a hybrid. Maybe the colors blended together will look like a New England fall, but the theme could be labeled as modern eclectic woodland.

Concerns and Explanations

I'm having such a hard time lately. I'm tired of unsolicited input on every thought I have about my baby girl. I have a way of thinking about things, so please don't let me know that you highly dislike one of the names we've considered naming her. And please don't "firmly" suggest pastels and not bold colors - I nearly strongly dislike the use of pastels as the heart of a baby theme - it's just not for us.

I prayed every day for God to hear me and allow me to have this silly selfish desire of my heart - a girl - and he gave her to me. I feel whole, and I thank God every day for allowing me to have another baby - as well as giving me a girl.

I am giving excessive thought into what I want the baby's room to look/feel like based on my experience with Aiden and "outgrowing" things, and how I feel now about the direction I want to take. I'm putting more thought into this theme than I did the last time so it will last a little longer and be more cost-efficient!

BIRDS & OWLS:

Owls have always been my favorite animal, I can think back to Kimberly (Allsbrooks) Wells and me playing in the yard or at the playground and writing stories about Moo-Moo and Who-Who, our favorite animals; hers a cow, mine an owl.

As I've grown, I've recognized owls for more than just the superficial attraction; for their symbolism and uniqueness:

Unique Among Birds

Unlike most birds, owls are nocturnal with a large head and forward facing large eyes. Their eyes are fixed in their sockets, and some are able to rotate their head up to 270 degrees.
With exceptional vision, acute hearing, and the ability to fly silently, they are a stealthy and effective hunter.

Solitary Nocturnal Birds

Nocturnal creatures are symbolic of inner-knowing, psychic ability, and intuition. Birds are considered by many cultures to be messengers between earthly creatures and spirit.

Global Reverence for the Owl

The owl is deeply connected with magic, shamanism and heightened senses throughout the ages. Some have thought of the owl as a “cat with wings” as they share similar characteristics of personality.

Middle and Far East

In some middle and far eastern cultures, the owl is a sacred guardian of the afterlife, ruler of the night, a seer and keeper of souls transitioning from one plane of existence to another.

Ancient Greece

The ancient Greeks attributed the owl to Athena, goddess of wisdom and foresight. This symbol was used on Greek coins and therefore also became associated with wealth.

America

Native Americans attributed owls with wisdom and sacred knowledge. The shaman would call upon Owl medicine for insight into the truth of ill-intent. Plains Indians wore owl feathers to protect against evil spirits.

Africa

West African and Aboriginal Australian cultures also saw the owl as a messenger of secrets, and companions to medicine people.

Europe

In the celtic tradition, the owl (cailleach-oidhche), represents wisdom, clairvoyance, stealth, initiation, change and detachment. Always aware of its surroundings, the owl uses intuition courageously, with insight into hidden truth, and a guide between earth creatures and Underworld deities.
During medieval times in Europe, owls were believed to be witches and wizards, shapeshifters in disguise.

Having an Owl Themed baby room, though I'm noticing it's increasing popularity, has always been a desire of mine. I've always felt joy in my alone time, and an Owl is known as strong and patient even when alone. They fascinate me; always watching, honest, wise owls.

To expand the theme, I'm including all birds.

BABY NAMES:

*sigh* Where do I begin here? Josh is excited about this baby girl - when someone asks, he spits out the only names we've even considered so far. I actually had someone tell me that they would make it their point to stop me from naming my child a name from the Victorian Era - the name I will not say, but it is NOT ugly, or offensive and it's only four letters long! So, why the sudden outbursts against every name? And why the interjection of some of the most common and horribly spelled names out there? While the name is cute, Ashlyn is not near the top of my list. I have no desire to make a common name unique by blending it with another common name or changing the spelling to where my daughter would have to carry a cheat sheet with her for the first few years of her writing her name!

Aiden was a desire of both Josh's and mine - separate desires, actually - the one night we sat down to talk about boy names, when I was pregnant with Aiden, we both spat out "Aiden" at the same time. I had heard the name from a missionary couple at church when I was 12 years old, they named their first son Aidan, and I liked it from that moment on. Josh just liked the name a lot! And that was that. As far as his middle name, it was easy for me to envelop a family name that's being carried down from my Dad's side of the family: DeLand (originally DeLaunde, amended for ease of speech a few generations back.)

So, names. If I ask for your opinion, or suggestions, or comments, or ideas - I will mean it! I'm just not welcoming phone calls that start out with, "I am NOT letting you name your baby [that]! How about..." It's bad enough I don't like to answer the phone anyway, don't give me a reason to NEVER answer.

WHAT I AM INTERESTED IN:

Lineage. Josh gives me SO much leeway in choosing things for the baby. I am so grateful to him for that. But I want Josh to enjoy and like the things that I choose - so I focus on things that will last. Names, things, etc. I feel he trusts me to not be rash or biased in my decision making - while my decisions will obviously be motivated by my desires - I strive to think about things before doing them, and getting them. I also possess a highly active creative portion of my mind. So, I desire to create something that can be carried down the lineage. Not something that will stop at fad. The name, the theme, the upbringing.

Just don't worry, okay? So many people are warned to not talk about baby names until the baby is born because it has to come from the heart of the parents, not outside influences. I WANT to talk about them, but I'm afraid everyone will be overly opinionated. You will love her with her name when you see her, right? :) Just don't worry.

I absolutely love this bedding set - it's horribly expensive at $270, so I'm looking for something just as... kooky?  :op

 










 Of course, I love birds - and purple - (obviously)
This goes a LONG way back, back to elementary school, especially about the birds where my favorite animal was the Owl.  Wisdom has never abandoned my desires since. :)

I pretty much like ALL the stylings at www.littokids.com; so that's my starting point.  I won't, and don't expect anyone else to buy their stuff because of how unabashedly expensive they price their products

Love the colors in this mat.  This is the color scheme. + Variants.  I don't mind shades of these colors, too.

Calendar Planning for Baby Girl

This is a calendar I created that ANYONE who has Google Calendar (free, click the button on the bottom right of the calendar) or a Google Account can ADD to the calendar. So, please, POST YOUR SCHEDULE - or your planned schedule - or your dream schedule - whatever! This is to help me out so I don't get confused and forget to tell someone that someone else is helping me!

Things to post on this calendar:

*Anytime you want to come visit me or our family.
*Baby Showers.
*Help times/segments for when the baby comes/has come.