I need your help

So you know that I must feel comfortable with you guys to be soliciting your help because I hate asking people for help in general.  Yes, so this means that we are officially..... cool :).  Kidding.  

Anyway, I've been obsessing over reading up about delivery and newborn care information for the past week (especially this weekend).  I feel like a procrastinator that's playing catch up.  I haven't been reading/read a ton of books like most women do.  I figure I would just go with the flow.  But now that it's close to crunch time, I'm trying to take in all the information I can get.  It reminds me of my old self--cramming studying sessions in because I waited too long to start studying.  So this weekend I've watched a million videos and read 10 million articles on "baby stuff."  

Also, I bought another baby book this weekend.  We got one as a gift at one of our baby showers but I wanted a different one.  The one below goes up to the first day of school and I like how it's organized better.  The color also matches the nursery better (kind of).  Here's what the memory book and photo album look like:


 Ok, so about the favor.  The memory book asks some questions that I don't know the answer to, so I was hoping I could get some ideas from you.  Ok, maybe I know the answer to some of the questions but I'd like your input too.  So here are the questions: (what was going on around me [babyK] when I was born?)

1) Hit movies and popular actors

2) Popular TV shows

3) Popular songs and musicians

4) Best selling books

5) Fashion trends (male and female)

6) Famous sport figures

7) technological advances

It also asks about price of gallon of gas, house, car, computer, movie ticket, babysitting rates, gallon of mild, diapers, stamps.  Isn't that interesting.  I know the answer to these questions for the most part and the answers to these will vary depending on where you live.   I like these questions and I never thought about recording these events before seeing this baby book.

So there you go!  Thanks for the input in advance :).  Also I appreciate all your comments from my last post.  They were very helpful and encouraging.

Mrs. K

Pregnancy Ramblings and Queries

I forgot to mention in my last post that we are having....... a boy!!!  We are excited.  But of course we'd be just as excited if we were having a girl too.  We just want a healthy, happy baby :).  I'm at the point now where I'm so ready to have this baby (for a million reasons) that I'm less anxious about the delivery process.

Hubby has been so awesome.  Everyone at work tells me that I look so happy and unstressed and I give him all the credit.  I joke that he allows me to be grumpy and whiny at home (and sometimes a complete mess) so that I can put my best foot forward at work.  Kidding.  But he's been very sweet and supportive and I really appreciate him!

RE: Pregnancy

-- So I can't say that I'm one of those women who ENJOY being pregnant but I don't detest it (well, at least not everyday).  Just kidding.  My body definitely has not felt "normal" or like it's in homeostasis.  However, the joy of knowing that I have a precious being growing inside me makes it worth all the challenges.  I love feeling him kick around, doing somersaults, poking around, having hiccups.  I love dreaming (day and night) about what he's going to be like.  So how many of you actually liked being pregnant? (honestly)

-- I've only worked out intermittently and it's showing but who cares.  I just don't feel like it and besides I'm working hard at work.  When I get home, I just want to be a bum.  Hehe!  BTW, since I'm talking about body I'll just mention that I have no stretchmarks (yet).  I have gained the right amount of weight based on my initial pregnancy weight.  This is great for baby but of course I'm already thinking about my post pregnancy workout plans.

-- I haven't had too many food cravings per se.  Here were some of my food likes and dislikes.  Dislikes:  For a while there I couldn't stand eating meat but this has been better.  I'm normally a sweet tooth but until recently I had no desire to eat anything sweet.  OK, so the list is very short. LOL.  Likes: sour, spicy and salty things.  I was introduced to wasabi and soy covered almonds and I love those things.  I'm loving potstickers (especially from Noodles and Company) with the sesame ginger sauce. Yum!  I had a 5 day period where I wanted nothing but black beans and rice.  I had a few weeks period where I wanted nothing but 3 soft tacos from Chipotle (very unusual for me because I'm not a big fan of Mexican or Tex-Mex food).  I was craving corned beef and cabbage for a while but I had to get over it because I could not find corned beef anywhere.

-- Nursery is pretty much done.  The colors are brown, beige, tan, ivory with green accents.  I think it's cute but also practical.  I think we have pretty much everything we need.  Everything is set up.  Some of which I did because I'm impatient.  We bought the stroller (well travel system) a few weeks ago and I was so excited to set it up that I cut it out of the box and set it up myself.  Hubby thinks I'm nuts. LOL.  What can I say.  I'm a woman on a mission.

RE: Delivery

-- I only want hubby in the room + our doula.  I am in the process of creating our Birth Plan.  I guarantee it wont be anything elaborate--just some ideas of how I would like things to go (if possible).  I definitely want to deliver vaginally.  When I asked my ob gyn about how I can reduce my chances of getting a c-section, she said to use the midwives service offered at the hospital.  LOL.  I'm still using the ob gyn because it's my first pregnancy and I just want to.  

-- I'm definitely getting an epidural.  I'm deathly afraid of pain.  I hate pain.  I'm a punk when it comes to pain.  I know that the epidural may not completely remove the pain but I'm ok with it dampening it.

-- BTW, I've been thinking about how to do my hair for the delivery and post delivery time.  I know I wont have time to spend hours washing, conditioning and styling (twisitng) my hair after the baby gets here.  Do you guys have any ideas about natural hair styles?  Right now it takes me a few hours to twist my hair and I wear it like that for a week (max 2 weeks).  I also wear it untwisted for about 1 week.  I've thought about flat ironing it but I figure I'll sweat it out during labor and I'm also apprehensive because I haven't applied heat to my hair in close to 2 years.

RE: After Baby K comes

-- Can't wait to meet him!  Hubby will take off a week with me (right after he's born).  I'll be off for about 12 weeks.  We'll have tons of family help (from both sides).  After I go back to work, we'll have family help until Baby K is about 6 months old.  This means that we thankfully don't have to worry about childcare until then.  Still not sure what type of childcare we will do after.

-- I'm hearing about all the post delivery stories and I'm a little nervous.  Pain (did I mention I hate pain).  No sleep.  Don't expect much from baby.  Fatigue.  Helplessness.  No sleep.  Tied to glider.  At least I know what to expect (kinda) so I'll be more prepared.  Right?

-- Of course, how I could forget.  BREASTFEEDING.  My goal is to breastfeed for at least 6 months but we'll see.  For now, I plan to only breastfeed for at least 1 month.  Then after that I may introduce the bottle with breast milk.  This may change after a few days of sleep deprivation and being tied to the glider.  I don't plan to formula feed at all and haven't bought any formula.  If I eventually have to I'd be disappointed but it wont be the end of the world for me.  I have a lactation class that I'll be attending soon and I'll try to utilize a lactation consultant also.  My goal is to not introduce the pacifier until after 1 month but once again if I have to before then I wont make a big deal out of it.  These are plans that I have but I realize that the baby will have his own plans too :).  When did you introduce the bottle?  When did you introduce the pacifier?

-- WORKOUT:  I already have my workout schedule/plan.  I figure the best way to get something done is to plan for it.  I'll let you all know how this goes.

Look at me, 2 post in 1 week.  That's a record. LOL.  Thx for stopping by :)

Please feel to leave your pregnancy ideas/suggestions/comments.

Mrs. K

Hey there

Hi ladies,

How are ya?  Happy Thanksgiving.  Merry Christmas.  Happy New Year.  Happy MLK Day.  I figure I'd try to get at least one post in before Baby K gets here.  I know, it's been a while and yes we are still doing well.  Thankfully our family is doing great.  Hubby and are I excited to meet our little one in a a few weeks (well less than 1 month).  I'm still having intermittent nausea.  Good sleep is a thing of the past.  And, hello back pain!  LOL.  Actually things have been good overall and I can't complain too much.  I'm just ready to have this baby (only one week from being considered full term). Yippiee!  

I know I've only done a first trimester recap but here are some pics to make up for my delay.

These are from the second trimester:

9/28/11

9/30/11

10/16/11

The following were taken by our good friend who does photography as a hobby.  These are part of our Maternity Photos and were done at 33 weeks I believe.

I will try to post more over the next few weeks but I'm making no promises :).  Miss you all!

Mrs. K

Life Update

So much has happened since the last time I've blogged.  Although I haven't written a post, I've been thinking about you all.  I've told myself for the past few weeks that I was going to post more often but I haven't.  My bad :).  Hope you all are doing well.  I'm good and growing. LOL.  I know I still have to post preggo pix but I promise they are on their way.

I just wanted to drop by to give you all a brief update:

-- Hubby, Baby K, and I are doing well

-- Our "vacation" went well.  The crabcakes at Koco's Pub in Maryland are to die for.  It was great visiting all the museums, monuments and memorials in DC.  We did the DC by Foot tour, which was great.  Stopped by Philly on the way to NY and had a long (fun) lunch with my cousin.  Cheesesteaks at Ishkabibble's were yummy.  Saw the Liberty Bell in Philly (which was anticlimactic).  Crammed a lot in during the 2-3 days in NY.  We stayed in NJ at a crappy hotel to save money (instead of staying in Manhattan) which was almost a disaster but I was a trooper. :).  Wicked was great!  Spent last 2 days in a cabin Luray, Virginia.  We were unexpectedly snowed in but we needed the time to recuperate from our "vacation."  We basically ate egg and cheese sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner during the 2 days we were snowed in.  We played scrabble and hubby taught me how to play chess.  We just enjoyed each other's company.  The day we left hubby had to dig us out of the snow with the fireplace shovel.  Overall, good experience :).  Oh, how could I forget.  The fall foliage was beautiful (especially in Virginia).

-- I went to my first hockey game: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Tampa Bay Lightenings.  Interesting experience but still not a fan of hockey.

-- We finally started getting prepped for baby stuff.  Created a registry.  Well at least, I started one.  Have 2 showers coming up (late Nov and early Dec).  We bought our first baby item in DC at the National Aquarium.

-- Hosted a dinner at our house that turned out great (with less than a week's notice).  There were 12 adults and 6 kids. 

-- Got a stomach virus that was horrible (not related to the dinner I don't think).  Thankfully that's over.  Had to call in sick for the first time ever.

--Planning to take pregnancy photos within the next few weeks.

So, how are things going with you?  Great, I hope :)

Mrs. K