Baby's coming! Not today...but soon!

The reality that we will probably have the baby early is surreal. My due date is Jan. 28th and this whole pregnancy I had made up in my mind that the baby was going to be born in February. After all, most first time mom's go late rather than early. So when the possibility of having a premature baby came into reality two weeks ago, I was slightly very freaked out. Obviously about the health of the baby, but also because in my mind I still had a full+ month before the little girl was going to grace us with her presence and I wasn't ready. It was too soon!

We've made it two weeks since then, now we only have one more week and she'll be full-term! I will be able to breathe easier next Thursday. Even though I've progressed my midwife doesn't think I'll have a problem making it full-term, that gives me a great deal of comfort. Her prediction is week 38. So we'll see! For all we know maybe I still won't have a baby until February.

Thirteen days ago when we went to the hospital for our little scare I found out that the baby was 1/2 in. away from being engaged and my cervix was close to dilating, but nothing at that time. Five days later at my appointment I was about 1.5 cm dilated and nearly 25% effaced. We got the okay from my midwife and decided to travel to my parents for Christmas, which is two-hours away, we just knew I'd have to relax and take it easy. On Christmas Eve something felt different, I was having a lot of pressure and abdominal soreness/cramping, among some other symptoms. I was also getting a lot of braxton-hicks, nothing consistent though. On Christmas morning I made the mistake of doing a little reading online and totally freaked myself out. I read about all these things I was feeling and the results said it could be pre-term labor. I was very worried and couldn't relax, after all, I wasn't at home and the reality that my doctor was a couple hours away (not to mention the fact that we were experiencing the biggest snowstorm MN has seen in years,) was quite disturbing. But I knew I wasn't actually in labor and I had good enough reason to know that if you have signs of pre-term labor to drink a ton of water and lay down for awhile on my left side. After I relaxed and realized I wasn't going to have the baby that day things got a little better. I rationally tried to figure out the causes of my symptoms and to remember that several things were very quite normal to experience. I figured the baby must've dropped further, hence all the pressure and soreness. The only thing I could do was wait and take it easy.

I had an appointment with my midwife yesterday, anxious to see what my progress was, but scared too because of the ever-possibility of a preemie. I learned that I definitely progressed. The baby did drop and is past the engagement point. I am dilated 3cm and my cervix is 50% effaced. Crazy! To me that seems like a lot of progress in a short amount of time, but I also know that every woman is different and progresses differently. Some woman aren't dilated to 3cm until they're in active labor, some women are at 3cm for 3 weeks before they go into labor. Same goes for effacement. So obviously it all just depends. As I mentioned, my midwife thinks I won't have an issue making it full-term, she thinks this is just my body's way of preparing, so we will see what the progress is in a week. One week goes by fast, and after that the little angel can come anytime she pleases. It's all very exciting :) and even though the probability of her coming before the due date is likely, I don't want to get my hopes set on going early because if I do that'll just make the days miserable as I approach my due date. And the new discomfort added from the baby being so low, among all the other pregnancy discomforts is miserable enough. So, my spirits are good and now that I'm home and so close to the 37-week-mark, I feel very relaxed, excited and peaceful. It'll happen when it happens!

Just what the doctor ordered

This last weekend took a turn for a change that we weren't expecting, but turned out to be just what I needed. Wednesday night we had a little scare and had to go to the hospital, which resulted in getting instructions by my midwife to "rest." I was suppose to be getting my nieces that evening as I was going to watch them for the weekend, but when I asked her about this she advised me it wasn't a good idea - so I had to cancel on my sister and brother-in-law. I felt bad, for their sake, but I also wanted to listen to my doctor. Andy and I were both bummed about not spending time with two of the most adorable little girls on the planet, we had thought of some fun things to do while they stayed with us and were looking forward to it. I even bought all the supplies needed to make sugar cookies to frost and sprinkle, knowing it would've made a mess but thinking the girls would have fun doing it. (Side note: I actually bought shortening. Odd as that may sound my husband understood me when I declared this. I don't ever have shortening in my house. I don't cook or bake with it, for some reason it just grosses me out. Call me a weirdo, it's okay.) Anyways. I obeyed my instructions from my midwife and took it easy... which is something I haven't done in a long time.

I literally feel like I have been go-go-go since we moved back to MN in August. I can't even remember the last time Andy and I had a weekend with nothing to do. And during the week there was always something to keep me busy. So it was kind of a challenge for me just to sit still for a few days, but it turned out to be great.

Lets make it clear that I wasn't ordered on bed rest - my midwife told me if she could write a prescription to watch a Christmas movie every morning and night, she would. I asked her if she could include not cooking supper in the same prescription. :) I was just instructed to take it really easy and rest.

So being that we didn't have plans anymore, Andy and I spent a very lovely weekend doing absolutely nothing. It was perfect. The first two days I took my "prescription" very literal since I'm typically one of those people that find it hard to not be doing something - and I don't want to be cause of having our baby prematurely. So I spent the time watching movies, reading and staying in my PJ's. By Friday night I needed some fresh air, so Andy took me to a movie...New Moon, and I think he'll admit that he actually liked it. After the movie we tried a Mexican restaurant in town, it was excellent. Saturday, we did entirely nothing...and it was quite wonderful, though, I didn't stay in my PJ's all day. :) Sunday, we took a quick trip to Target to get all the rest of our baby "essentials" that we still needed, like wipes, gas drops, pacifiers, bouncer, etc. It was fun to pick stuff out. We went home and decided that since I'd already bought all the ingredients for those cookies, we shouldn't let them go to waste! So the two of us rolled out the dough, cut out shapes, baked and then decorated them. By the end we were tired of it - lol - and decided it would've been much more enjoyable with kids.

But regardless it was all very relaxing, peaceful and enjoyable - just spending time together and taking it easy. A weekend of doing nothing of importance really... was actually quite wonderful.

Little visitors

This last weekend we had a couple of little visitors stay at our house. Our nephews, Brendyn and Tyvan. I believe it was the first time they'd ever spent the night without Mommy and Daddy in a strange new house, and they did so well! They were so excited to come over, Brendyn kept calling our spare bathroom and the bedroom he was sleeping in, "My room," and "My bathroom." He unpacked his suitcase in the empty dresser and used every drawer - one for a shirt, one for a sock, one for pants... it was very organized!

We took them outside to hang up a strand of lights on our deck, the boys were very excited to help Andy. We bundled them up in some big-people hats and gloves and tried to keep them warm. It was cold, and so when we came back inside we had hot cocoa to warm up. Brendyn kept calling it "hot tea." Tyvan wasn't sure how to drink from the cup at first, so I helped him. But after he got the hang of it he inhaled it. It was so cute, he hardly came up for a breath of air!

Time sure flies when there are kids around. The day goes by so fast and before we knew it, it was bedtime. (They did an awesome job going to bed and sleeping all night. I didn't hear a peep out of them.)

The kids left Sunday night and when I woke up Monday morning the house was oddly quiet. I kind of missed the pitter-patter of little feet and the constant jabber of little voices. Andy and I talked later that day about the kids being here, he felt like it was a taste of parenthood and I know it got him excited to be a dad. It's funny, when you watch kids and the reality of your own baby is facing you at the door only weeks away, you look at things a little differently. All in all I think we made a pretty good team and even though I'm scared to become a parent, I'm excited out of my mind!

Tree is up, lights are strung, music is playing...it's time!

Time for Christmas! I love Christmas. Have I mentioned that? Well I do. I love everything about Christmas.

We always get a tree right after Thanksgiving and decorate the house so we can enjoy it as long as possible! We pick out a real tree, listen to Christmas music while we decorate, and enjoy a glass of wine or hot cocoa after it's all done! (I had hot cocoa this year... in case you're wondering.)

I love that Christmas means snow. The big fluffy kind is the best. I remember one time specifically there wasn't snow on the ground at Christmas, I almost cried.

I don't think there is anything I don't like about Christmas... And this year is our last Christmas, or Holiday for that matter, alone as a couple! Last Christmas ever without kids. So we are taking extra time to enjoy everything and enjoy being just us.

Apples

My neighbor's - that don't exist yet - have an apple tree in their yard. Since no one lives there we picked a bunch of the apples off the tree before the weather got too cold. Just a couple weeks ago I noticed that there were a few random apples left on the tree that hadn't fallen off yet, and I don't know if it was the lighting outside or the contrast of red apples, blue sky/water and brown deadness that caught my eye, but it looked like a picture. So I went outside and snapped a few pictures and played around with some editing effects.

The Results

If you read my last blog you will remember me mentioning some sewing projects I was starting. I spent a few days at my parents house and my mom helped me with my projects. I am finally getting around to putting up some pictures of the finished results - I am quite happy with the way they turned out!

I finally found a print for curtains! I wanted something simple and "pretty" for the nursery.

It was super tough to make curtains, I think it was the type of fabric - it was very hard to measure and sew, but they turned out in the end! The picture isn't great, but you get the idea.

I absolutely loved this print the minute I saw it and knew I had to make something for our little girl out of it. So I decided on a blanket. And it not only looks cute but feels real nice, it's that soft-stretchy-jersy-type material. I just love it!

I also made two oversized receiving blankets for my nephew, Liam, who was just born in October. I forgot to snap a couple pictures of the blankets before I gave them to my sister-in-law. But they were fun prints and turned out super cute!