Finally!

I'm the worst. blogger. in. the. world. Things over here are awesome and amazing. Little D is 3 months old and I will show a progression of pictures during this post. But I don't even know where to begin with an update.

Let's start with the end of 2012 was a true whirlwind. DH graced us with his presence four days before Thanksgiving. A week later we moved out of the condo and into my parents house. Lucky for me, we got packers and movers and J orchestrated it all while I took care of little D. A week after that we closed on the condo. It was so sad for me! I lived there 12 years. I did a lot of growing up there, got engaged there and lived with J there. And now we are technically homeless. Still living at my parents. More on that in a minute. On the day we closed on the condo, J's parents came in from Denmark. The day after that was J's 40th and the day after that was my b-day.  At this point we are in mid December. J's parents headed to the east coast and this lil guy turned one month old.

The holidays then came. J's parents came back from the east coast for Christmas. It was kind of a hard time and kind of a blessing. So nice to have help from parents and have J's parents here for the holidays but it was so hard being a new mom with all of these people around telling me what to do. And not really being in our own space. Up until last week, J and I were sleeping in twin beds with the bassinet in the room with us too. It took me about a month to unpack our clothes and I still have a suitcase I never unpacked.  After Christmas, J's parents headed home and my parents headed south to Florida to their home there. New Years was peaceful and quiet. We just cooked, sipped champagne and went to bed at 12:08.

January brought home shopping. We found a house in the burbs. The burbs? I couldn't believe we were not going to be in the city. I have lived in the city my whole life (with the exception of during college when my parents moved to the burbs but I jetted back to the city promptly after graduation). And I just kept reminding myself I was doing what was best for DH because the schools are good. We never did come to an agreement with the seller on price (the house was over priced and still on the market now AND they just decreased the price ha!) so we continued our search and found a cute, foreclosed, updated home, in the city, made an offer and they accepted. It was just a perfect fit. And we even like the school options. Right before this happy(?) fellow turned 2 months old. 

So easy enough the house owned by the bank, can close on 3/20 but what do we do? We make it harder! We decide we should renovate. This house is totally move in ready but we have a few changes we want to make. We want to knock down the wall between the kitchen and the family room to make it one space, we want to update the first floor bathroom, we need to remove all the paneling from DH's room and another bedroom, we want to make one of the bedrooms our walk in closet, maybe move the laundry upstairs. Fix the layout upstairs and update the master bath. In order to afford doing this we are applying for a 203K loan. For those of you who may not know, this is a mortgage loan where you can borrow over the purchase price of your home and put the money towards renovations. But you have to have a contractor. Who has to provide plans, and a bid, and line item every single item they are doing and price out every piece of material they will use. So now we are waiting to get the final bid, hopefully this week to submit to the bank to get the loan processed. Which now has us closing the earliest 4/30. 

GRRR. Did I mention my son is humungous? Like 15 pound, 25 inch humungous at his 2 month appointment. We finally got a crib. Just this week in time for our 3 month celebration whoop whoop!

So we will continue to live here in my parents house until our house is finished. But we are out of the twin beds and moved into my parents room. So now we are all sleeping in there as the crib would not fit into the other room and their third bedroom is an office. It's another adjustment. DH is taking it in stride. But I cannot get over that we will still be here 4 more long months or more until the renovations are complete. 

So there's an update. I have so much to say about motherhood. And little DH as a baby. And our future regarding other babies. But I'll save it for a different time. My next post will be my birth story. I feel like if I do not document it soon, I may forget. Which I don't want to at all. Cause it pretty much was the best day of my life. Cause this kid rocks. 

I swear I am still here

I cannot even believe I have been neglecting this blog for as long as I have. I mean this is my first post of 2013 and it is February? Really? I need it to get it together out here in the cyber world.

So many updates I need to give! On our lil babe boy DH, our current living situation and apparently I still owe a birth story. And I got a blog award. I'm on it stat this week I swear. Is it too late to say Happy New Year?

I have been keeping up as best I can on your blogs. (Now much easier to do while nursing since we got the hang of it). I'll post a bit more later. We are amidst sleep training. DH is 11 weeks and it is actually working!!! So Mama has now a bit more time to be online.

Hope all of you are well!

Thanksgiving Announcement

Sorry I have been MIA, I've been busy celebrating Thanksgiving with this turkey.

My beautiful, healthy son, decided to make his appearance last Sunday evening. Let's just call him baby D on this blog. He was 9 lbs., 9 oz and 24 inches long. I was in labor for almost a full 24 hours and pushed for almost 3 hours. Getting this lil one (or big one) out was no small task but so worth it!

He looks just like my husband (legit they can be twins) but with my coloring. It is still a debate if his eyes will be brown or blue as they are bluish grey right now but I just melt when he looks at me. They are like lil candy drops.

We are so in love. I cannot even tell you how wonderful of a father my husband J is. A real natural! At times he gets nervous about doing something but once I show him how to do something he does it no problem. And he has just been such a supportive husband. Helping me with breastfeeding and just overall encouragement. The hormones are off the chain. I've been crying nearly every day. It really is overwhelming. But in the best way possible.

I'll save his birth story for another post. It was slightly scary due to the fact I probably should have gone to the hospital a day earlier but I thank God every day for DH's safe delivery.

We got home late Tuesday night. Tues and Wed were exhausting but yesterday and today have been good. For Thanksgiving, my parents just came over and brought food and we cooked here. Very relaxing.

I'm gonna sleep right now cause D just went down.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Still pregnant

Tomorrow is my due date and I am still pregnant. No hopes in site for this baby coming on its own. No signs.  My cervix is still closed, plug in tact and I am barely having Braxton Hicks. My body just will not cooperate right now. Figures. Tried everything, walking, sex, acupuncture, raspberry leaf tea. And nada.

I think it is looking like an induction for me. Hopefully but I will not even know until Monday at my next appointment. Looks like I'll be in the hospital for Thanksgiving assuming they even schedule it for next week. The best thing is the baby is healthy and I passed my stress test. I think the thing that I feel frustrated about is I'm due tomorrow. I'm measuring at like 42 weeks. Why do I have to wait to schedule this thing? I want to meet my baby. I want to smell it and kiss it. I've been waiting for this for three years. I know you are all thinking what's one more week and to a degree I agree, but every day longer I do worry about it being in there. I just will feel better when it is out and I know that it is ok. At times I slap its lil butt through my stomach just so it will give me a kick to let me know all is good.

On top of that, we sold the condo just this past Monday. Let me rephrase. We got a contract again. It is for a little less than last time but at this point, we need to move so we took it. With all the baby stuff, it is tight. Doable but tight. And they are doing construction on the exterior of our building which really is not very peaceful for a new baby and parents who are adjusting. The deal is cash so they wanted a quick closing. 11/26! Lucky for me I pushed it off until 12/7 which gives us time to have a baby, be home for a week, and orchestrate a move to my mom's. Then J's parents come to visit on 12/10. I refuse to even think about houses and additional moves until January. Or even beyond.

Everything is just up in the air right now so I am trying to remain calm. The planner in me is having a very hard time. I just remind myself a raise in blood pressure or worrying is not good for my sweet baby still living inside of me. And this situation is not detrimental. And with this time of year, I am just thankful and that is what matters. Thankful for this beautiful baby and that it will come on its own time even if Mommy is panicking. Thankful for my loving and supportive husband, family and friends. Thankful my husband has a good job so I can be home and enjoy this pregnancy and baby. For having a roof over our heads, even if it temporarily is not ours. For selling the condo so we can build our new life with our baby in a peaceful home. Thankful for our health and just our good life. We are very lucky.

The last

I think I am the last of those I follow on the blogs who have gotten pregnant at the same time who has not had their baby yet. Oh well. This baby just is not ready to reveal itself to the world.

Today I am 38 weeks. 20 pounds gained. (Apparently this week I lost 2 lbs.) and a baby that they think is approximately 8 pounds. My cervix is about 80% effaced but closed for business. I'm hoping at my appointment on Monday it decides to at least open up. I'm not even having any contractions. Pubic bone pain after walking and some cramps here and there but no contractions.

Looks as though although I could have this baby at any time, my gut is telling me I'm going full term with probably an induction in my future. I will say I would rather wait it out than be induced. I think I may need to start bribing this baby to come out. My sleeping has been good on some nights but others I am usually up for two hours then have to nap during the day.

I found a few stretch marks under my belly yesterday. I'll take them. Anything for this baby kid.

Now just waiting

Back to the waiting place I once spoke of here but different in the sense we are waiting for our baby's arrival!  I'm 35 weeks as of tomorrow and know this kid can come every day. My gut tells me it will prob stay in there through October which is fine with me. We are ready to go.

A lot has happened since my last post. Our contract on the condo fell through so it looks as though we are staying. I believe in timing and the gods are telling us it just is not out time to move yet. First we are only about a 7 minute drive to the hospital, not that I am worried but if the baby were to come early and be in the hospital we are very close. Second, my doctor as well as the pediatrician are a 20 minute bus ride away. Which will matter when I start having to see him weekly in a bit. If we would have been at my mom's it is over an hour away and could be more in traffic.

We'll keep the condo on the market until the lil one appears but then it will be taken off of the market until probably March. Although small, I cannot imagine keeping this place clean and showing it with a newborn here. At this point J and I have accepted happily that this is where we will bring our baby home. It will be comfy and cozy while we adjust through the winter.

We ordered a changer/dresser, a storage cube and have found a place for everything right now. We have the Co-Sleeper bassinet where the baby will snooze, will keep a pack n play in the living room and everything else has a place in the dresser, cabinet, closet and under the bed. We actually put the furniture together this weekend and it went fairly well. If this kid for some reason outgrows the bassinet before we get out of here, we'll put the crib together here too. Then it will probably be really crowded.

So I think the only thing left is to order a new dining table in chairs. We are getting a round one (loving this one) which will take up only half of the space our other table is now to give us room for the pack and play. It will be interesting when people come to visit but nothing we can do but make the best of our situation which we are.

I had a doctor appointment this week. Everything on track. I did gain 4 pounds (whoops!) but at this point I know it is all going to the baby. And with only 5 weeks left, and only 20 pounds gain, I am pretty proud of myself.

I am so ready to workout again however. It's a workout in itself carrying my belly around but I know I am so less toned. Which is why I love having the baby now. I am hoping to come out this spring feeling, healed, good and healthy for my baby and my husband and myself.

I will really miss being pregnant, so much anxiety right now about becoming a mom (this is what happens when all you have time to do is think). I just want to always do what's right for the baby.

A Whopper of a kid

33 weeks. 7 to go. Holy cow. This has been a very eventful week. Let me just outline it all.

1) Our shower was sooo much fun. We got many wonderful things and I totally feel prepared. It is always so fun to have everyone you love in the same room. My mom even surprised us with two crocheted blankets. I love them! And she has never done that for any of her other grandkids. I guess that is what retirement does. We did receive everything we need however I will never ever recommend for any to register at Target. They do not update the registry for certain things and I got so many duplicates. Plus I received another gift in the mail with no packing slip. My whole experience there really sucked. Even when initially I went there to register. Anyhow, the returns have been returned and the majority of items are at my mom's now. More on that later.

2) Sunday I had my maternity pics taken. I have not seen any of them yet but we had some really great locations. Down by the harbor and at a park. It took about an hour and half so I am hoping there are at least a few good ones!

3) We sold the condo on Monday. We got the price we wanted and we need to move by 10/28. Great. The baby is told daily its only job is to stay in there until the move is over. Let's hope it cooperates.

4) After we found out we sold the condo, we have a doc appointment. We got the 3D ultrasound! That baby is damn cute and all I kept thinking is I cannot wait to kiss that face. Apparently too this kid has a head of hair. So it makes me soo much more excited than I already am. The baby is very healthy, 143BPM heartbeat, but humungous. 6 lbs! I cannot even believe this. I mean I can because my husband and I are not small people (I'm 5'8", he's 6'3") but already??? This whole month I gained no weight but carting around this huge kid. If the doctor is correct, and I go full term, this baby could be a big one. I cannot imagine laboring a 10 pound kid but I guess I should get comfortable with the idea. Plus I have been told by some that larger babies eat and sleep better. I guess we'll see about that.

Right now my focus has to be packing up this place and moving to my mom's by Oct. 22ish. If the baby can just stay in there until then, it will all be fine. Obviously living at my mom's with my first newborn is not ideal, but the thought of having to move twice is less appealing. Plus depending how long we are there, my parents leave to winter in Florida after Christmas so we only would have them around until then. But we have to find a house. I looked today with my realtor and found one with potential but J needs to see it so we are going to go again tomorrow. I'm just not sold on the location and it is a bit more than we wanted to spend. But it is basically brand new. A well done rehabbed home, that we could move right into. This whole thing is a lot at once and I do not want to be rushed into buying something because I think we need to.

I had a feeling this would happen, we'd sell the condo and the baby would basically be on its way out of me at the closing. But again, this is a problem I want to have. Because I really didn't want to have the baby here at the condo anyway. It's just too loud of a place for a baby, and it is only one bedroom. I mean we could have done it but now we do not have to.

The rest of this year is going to be so interesting....