28 WEEKS

 I was going to just take a picture of my naked tummy, but I was not sure if that would be gross to anyone...personally I think it is amazing how my body is changing to grow a new life :)

How far along?  28 weeks!! I have started my third trimester :) wooohooo
Maternity clothes?  It's still a mix....
Sleep?  Well I would still say good, however there have been increased trips to the bathroom, luckily it is attached so I don’t have to go far!
Best moment last week? Due to Justin refinishing the floors I spent the weekend with my parents and they did spoil me and baby.... :)
Movement?  It’s been pretty consistent for me. She is also getting big enough that I can just feel her move inside even when she is not kicking or poking me.
Food cravings? FOOD
Labor signs? None!
Belly button in/out? In, but out far enough that I was able to remove some lint that has been really bothering me...tmi, I know
What I miss: Really not missing anything right now
What I am looking forward to: Passing my glucose test
My thoughts: Wednesday (weather permitting) I have my 28 week visit and will be completing my glucose tolerance test at this appointment. Honestly I would be really surprised if I didn’t pass this test. Besides some runny noses and a couple bouts of eating something the baby didn’t like, I have felt really good this entire time. IF I do end up failing this test and then the 3 hour test, I am planning on trying really hard to just use diet to control the GD and not have to go on medicine...I will post more on this as soon as I find out the results!

27 Weeks

How far along?  27 weeks
Maternity clothes?  It's still a mix....this is a regular sweater, but as you can see, on it's own it really wouldn't cover this bump!!
Sleep?  Mostly good, no real complaints
Best moment last week? Being home all weekend :)
Movement?  Connie and Kate finally got to feel Baby S move around!!!
Food cravings? Just food in general
Labor signs? None!
Belly button in/out? She’s still in, but I don’t know how much longer
What I miss: Helping more with house projects...
What I am looking forward to: My third trimester will start on FRIDAY!!!
My thoughts: I was really happy when my MIL and SIL got to feel the baby move; I feel her throughout the day, but it seems like when I want other people to feel a kick she takes a nap :) Although how she is napping while Justin is sanding the floors I don’t know, but hopefully, this means she will be a good sleeper later on with the vacuum, dogs, train....and other crazy noises!

I have also really enjoyed my first free weekend!! Let’s see: I washed diapers, towels, jeans, whites, and more diapers :), baked brownies and mini pumpkin loaves, spent time with both sets of grandparents-to-be, had my yearly eye exam and ordered new glasses, bathed two dogs, took a nap :), watched football (both teams I predicted would win did...I'm gonna cheer for the Steelers in the Super Bowl), and supervised Justin sanding floors!!!!! woooohooooo :) and I don’t think I’m even nesting yet!

Sometime between now and Friday I will officially start my third trimester (there is some debate among books and websites, but the one I usually go with says 28 weeks...) either way the finish line is getting closer and closer. I have *completed* my registries...this has been really hard, because I work with parents and therapists who all have great advice on what are the BEST baby products, but I can’t just register for everything ;), I can’t help but think a baby doesn’t really need soooo much stuff...some food, sleep, and love! Anyway I have added, deleted, and updated my registries since about November...BUT my mom would like the shower to be a surprise, so I have promised not to check my registries from now until whenever the shower is... I registered at Target, Buy Buy Baby (they are owned by BBB and really a friendly store, but you can also use BBB and Babies R Us coupons at the stores or order at any BBB, sorry I guess I am still brainwashed by BBB), and The Nappy Shoppe (www.nappyshoppe.com). SOOOO we’ll see what happens :) I am sure I have probably left something crucial off the registries, so hopefully a kind friend will just pick that item up for me! 

26 weeks

 

How far along?  26 weeks

Maternity clothes?  It's still a mix....

Sleep?  Mostly good

Best moment last week? Last shift at BBB!

Movement?  It’s very easy to feel now...

Food cravings? Donuts...again...

Labor signs? None!

Belly button in/out? In!! It's holding out as long as it can :)

What I miss: My third trimester is just around the corner!!
My thoughts: Not a lot to report this week...which I guess is good since it means everything is going well.

Farewell Bed Bath and Beyond

Tomorrow is my last shift at Bed Bath and Beyond!! Although I am really happy to now have my weekends back, I will really miss my awesome co-workers and the great products I got at such good prices. In tribute to my over two years collecting Bed Bath and Beyond products here are my top 10 (in no particular order):

Down Comforter: This is SOOOOO much better then any synthetic material. I am a really warm sleeper and under other comforters I would get too hot; but with Down I stay warm, but my skin can breathe. Justin also loves the weight of the comforter and how cozy it is :)

Miele: I got this in one of my first incentives, so we have had it over two years now. We have had up to 5 large hairy dogs in our home at a time and this vacuum has NO problem keeping up! I like that it is a canister vac and that is is very light to carry up and down the stairs.

Kitchen Gadgets/Utensils: What can I say...during my time at BBB I have collected just about everything! My favorites are my: garlic press, cookie scoops, and icing spreader.

Tassimo: I did not buy this for myself, but as last year’s Christmas present for my parents. I was a bit unsure if they would really use it or not, but they LOVE it and use it everyday :)

Food Processor: I got a freebie from my parents to use about a year ago...I used it all the time and then it died :( So, Justin bought me a new one and it works great for pie dough, shredding cheese, and making lots of yummy stuff.

Curtains: I never really paid much attention to this home decorative accessory, UNTIL working at BBB. Now I know all about different fabrics, types, and uses...and I got some good deals for my own home.

Silpat Mats: THIS IS MY FAVORITE COOKIE ACCESSORY!!!!! No more spraying cookie sheets or having cookies stick to pans...and clean-up is quick and easy. These mats are the best :)

Electric Toothbrush: During the beginning of my pregnancy the only time I would feel nauseous was when brushing my teeth. I thought maybe if instead of a manual brush I used an electric this would help...well it didn’t, BUT Justin and I both love the toothbrush anyway!

OXO containers: This was one of my best buys, it was an ‘as is’ item because of the box....and THEN I got my discount on top! Besides being functional, it is really fun to pop the tops :)

Steam Mop: I was never a fan of the sponge mop and bucket, so when this Shark was on incentive I got one. We both love to use it and now with the baby coming we feel it is a great way to keep our floors clean without chemicals.

SO there you have it, now I will just have to save my 20% off coupons like everyone else!!!

25 Weeks

 (This is a regular size small shirt so you can appreciate just how HUGE this bump is getting!)

How far along?  25 weeks

Maternity clothes?  It's still a mix...but people don’t have to guess that I am pregnant anymore...

Sleep?  Still good, I just want to do it more and more!

Best moment last week? All the home projects we (mostly Justin) got done :)

Movement?  It’s very consistent and easy to feel, when she cooperates!

Food cravings? Chocolate, I mean in large quantities :)

Labor signs? None!

Belly button in/out? In!! (although not as much as it once was)

What I miss: Contacts...not sure if it has anything to do with being pregnant, but my eyes seem to dry out sooner, so I have been wearing my glasses more...not a bad thing really, just different.

What I am looking forward to: We start our birth classes next month

My thoughts: I had my 24 week appointment and everything is excellent! I am measuring exactly for my gestation and I have gained a few pounds and should gain around another 15 to be in the typical weight gain range...I will just have to keep eating :) However, luckily (SO FAR) the weight seems to just be in my baby area...and even redistributing my body weight to put more there! As seen in the picture below I have been wearing my wedding band on my middle finger because it slips off my ring finger and I have gone diving after it a couple times in the shower, NOT a recommended activity when pregnant :)

Ok, I have been totally obsessed the past two weeks with researching cloth diapers, Justin would probably say crazed even! But for multiple reasons we agree that this is the option we would like to try and so I want to do it well. I have spoken with several friends, e-mailed store owners, and joined a couple blogs and now feel much aware of options; although until I try some stuff out I won’t really know what will work for us. I have bought a very small amount of diapers to try and I have also created a registry on a cloth diaper website, so when the baby arrives I should have some options to try and see what works and then go from there. I do have my hopes on one of the diaper systems that can also use disposables, but we’ll just have to wait for the baby and see what works!

Also I cannot believe how fast this is going...25 weeks...15 or fewer to go! At first it seemed like I would be pregnant forever, but now it seems like the baby will be here before I can blink! Again since this was kind of a surprise and I just changed jobs in April, I will be taking about 8 weeks off when the baby comes. I don’t think I have had 8 weeks of not being employed since I was 16 and I got my first job...probably for more of those years then not I have worked more than one job at a time too! I think being a mom will by far be the best job I will ever have and while it doesn’t pay monetarily, its benefits will be far beyond what I can even imagine. I am really looking forward to starting my new job!

2011 off with a BANG (thud, swish, and other noises...)

While many people were out this past weekend for New Year’s, we were homebodies. Let’s face it we haven’t seen midnight in months and value our sleep while we can get it :) We were, however, very busy starting the New Year off with home projects!!


NEW BATHROOM!!! This is by far the most exciting project that is completed. We added a bathroom between the front two bedrooms, we are using one bedroom and the baby will have the other until the master bedroom and bathroom are completed...not this year.

Justin was supposed to refinish the original wainscoting, but convinced Heather this would save a lot of time and be a better use of time.

Heather found the light while antiquing...to go along with the faux tin ceiling.

We installed a fan/vent/light over the tub...it is absolutely terrific to be taking a shower or bath and have warm air blowing down on you!!

We reused a piece of furniture that was just sitting in the attic, but think the dark wood adds a nice contrast, especially with the vessel sink.

We had enough tile left from the kitchen floor to tile the entire bathroom floor, what a cost saver!!

Other projects we got done:

Justin completed the second floor stair landing

A shelf was hung in the nursery

The dog door was moved from the living room to the kitchen. We do not expect any problems until Baby Stillinger can play with toys at which point Tahnee will take them all and Glacier will bark at Baby Stillinger and Tahnee for playing with them :), but they are large dogs and baby’s are small...so we have no intention of leaving them together without supervision. Also when people come to visit the dogs will not understand why they are not the center of attention. So we moved the dog door to allow for the dogs to have the kitchen area and access to the yard while being able to gate them from the living and dining rooms.

This week some touch ups and little items are getting completed and then it is on to refinishing the dining and living room floors!!!

(this is a before picture...in a couple weeks we'll see how they look!)

24 Weeks

How far along?  24 weeks
Maternity clothes?  It's still a mix...maternity pants or sweatpants and regular and maternity tops
Sleep?  Much better this week! I have two pillows and Justin to snuggle with and I am usually able to find a comfortable position.
Best moment last week? I turned in my resignation at Bed Bath and Beyond...while I am really happy about not working weekends anymore, I will miss the great people!
Movement?  It’s pretty consistent, especially after dinner and bedtime (I hope this doesn’t mean she is going to be a night owl...). Also my mom finally got to feel the baby move today and that was exciting for her!
Food cravings? I had a dream about wine...enough said...
Labor signs? None!
Belly button in/out? In!!
What I miss: Warm weather...people say it is sooo much better to be pregnant in the winter than summer, but I don’t know...
What I am looking forward to: 2011 will now be a very active year for the Bechtel family, besides baby Stillinger in April, there are two cousins planning their weddings (one in July and the other in the fall), so lots of reasons to spend time with family!!
Milestones: Viability Baby ;) I know some places say week 25 is officially viability, but my cousin who spent some years as a NICU nurse said 24 is good to go, not that I want to have the baby right now...
My thoughts: I feel pretty lucky that so far my pregnancy is going very well. I had a little nausea from weeks 7-14 in the morning and a runny nose, but really overall this hasn’t been so bad. My biggest complaint is being tired in the evenings. I am really hoping the last 16 (or fewer) weeks goes just as well!
Justin and I have been working hard on the nursery. The original doors still need to be refinished and curtains hung, but other then that all the big stuff is completed. It has been really fun getting the room ready and it makes us feel even more excited for the baby. We also got the  collection of children’s books from my parent’s home that used to be read to me. Justin and I have been taking turns reading stories to Baby Stillinger to get some practice in :)
Speaking of the baby, although the doctor and Justin feel very confident that baby Stillinger will be a girl, I need to hold her in my arms before I am 100% convinced! So I am still going with mostly neutral items, although some items that can easily be removed or repainted have been of a little girl theme and as I have registered for items, I did select pink...so we’ll see. Don’t get me wrong I will be very happy with a little girl...I would also be very happy with a little boy... Since Justin and I were not trying to have a baby, we didn’t have any pressure about getting pregnant making this is all just a fun experience! So whatever baby Stillinger is, he/she will be loved!