bring on the pink

Highlights of the fourth and fifth months.

Over Labor Day weekend, we traveled south to meet our first niece four days after her entrance into the world. I half expected the baby in my womb to leap when I met Giana, but I guess the cousins aren’t quite that bonded (or spiritual) yet. While we were there, my sisters-in-law and mother-in-law threw us a surprise shower with all the extended family, and we got our first onesies and plush toy and blanket. Not to mention the petit fours.

The most eye-opening aspect of our trip was watching Jack with his 20 month old nephew. Jack was totally taken with him. I’ll show you the video to prove it. I’m now a little worried that after our baby is born, I’m never going to get any attention from him because he’s going to be so enthralled with baby girl!

A few days after our trip, we saw our baby for the first time. The ultrasound was way more interesting than I thought, from my vast knowledge of ultrasound scenes in movies, that it would be. And, the moment I had been dreading — the moment of shockingly cold goo squirted on my stomach – wasn’t dreadful at all. The goo was warm.

You don’t just get to see your baby. You get to see every part of your baby. There’s the head, the spine, the heart pumping away. There’s the stomach, the bladder, the arms, the legs, the hands, the feet, the nose, the mouth. And then there it all is again from a different angle. And see those three dots? That means you’ve got a girl.

We didn’t cry, we just smiled and felt happy and nervous and made Juno references.

Two nights ago, we were in bed, probably eating frozen blueberries – either that or cookie dough – and probably watching the first season of Get Smart – either that or the new JJ Abrams show – and baby girl was kicking up a storm (she moves a lot when I eat chocolate, so it was probably the cookie dough). I put Jack’s hand on my belly, and a few minutes later she gave one of her hardest kicks to date, shocking both of us a little bit. His first chance to feel her move.

Yesterday I made what was, I think, my first purchase for the girl. A cradle. A wooden craig’s list cradle. Baby girl will sleep in it in our room for the first couple of months. I probably didn’t bargain hard enough for it, but I still saved at least fifty percent off the price of a new one. Here’s the craig’s list picture:

And, I’ve found my inspiration for any nursery decorating we do. I’ll admit, I’m not proud that it’s a pottery barn inspiration, but there you have it.

But I’m not buying this. Jack and I are taking it on as our next arts and crafts project. We’re going to make it, and we’re going to make it better. For instance, check out the bird in their tree. It’s got horns! Our tree is going to have an owl instead. And no apples. Maybe pears. We’ll see. Apples are soooo one hundred years ago.

I’ll try to scan the ultrasound pic, and post it as well as a picture of my little belly soon.

for checklist lovers

I love this book. I love this book, which I picked up by chance at the library last week, so much that I have even considered purchasing it.  It’s one of the most practical, simple books I’ve seen.

It begins with two checklists: the To Do and the To Buy or Borrow.  The following chapters use an annotated checklist style to brief you on what you will need in the weeks before and after giving birth.  Besides the practicality and accessibility of the style, what I appreciated most was Huggins’s willingness to say, “You don’t need to buy {whatever}.”  It’s so refreshing to read something (anything) that isn’t pushing a product, that takes a simpler tack to preparing.  She even suggests that you might not need a “nursery”. !

A second book I plan to keep on hand once the baby is here is The Moms On Call Guide to Basic Baby Care.  It’s got a similarly usable format, and includes a dvd.

baby kicks?

I might have felt the baby move this morning.  It was about 6:45, and I was laying on my left side, half awake.  I felt something like a tiny muscle spasm, or just a twinge, in my lower left abdomen.  And maybe that’s all it was.  But maybe it was baby.

sixteen weeks and two days

I’m disappointed that the second trimester hasn’t felt like a major change. Maybe it’s just because my first trimester was so easy. My appetite has slowed down now, but I still have occasional upset stomachs and fairly frequent headaches. Fatigue sets in every couple of days. Today, for just the second time, I’m wearing actual maternity clothes. Yikes.