Tick Tock

You know those days you are expecting an important package you have to sign for and you just sit around waiting for UPS to get there so you can go on with your life? It's like that, except the package has about a 3 week arrival window and you may have to stop whatever you are working on for several weeks or at least 2 days. That is how I feel waiting on this baby to get here. It's not just that I don't like having feet pushing on my ribs and a watermelon resting on my bladder. It's that anxious sense of waiting and expectation, of not knowing whether to make plans or go anywhere too far from home.
I tried to read all the information I have on going into labor and searched the internet for information on when that time is getting closer. I found what I thought was helpful advice, such as "Most first pregnancies go a full or even past 40 weeks" and "It's likely you will feel cramps or flu-like symptoms shortly prior to labor." Then, I came across the inevitable and much hated "BUT"- "but I gave birth at 37 weeks my first pregnancy," or "but I felt exactly the same with no contractions until all of the sudden my water broke". So now I'm back where I started, waiting and hoping she doesn't come at a time that is too inconvenient.
I've also come to the conclusion that maybe it is better not to read any of the advice found on online message boards. After reading several posts of how moms felt bad the day before going into labor, I thought I would consider that as a warning sign. I neglected to consider that feeling bad is relative, especially when almost 9 months pregnant. Is it possible to be carrying a 6-7 lb baby around inside you and feel fantastic? For the past couple weeks, I've been feeling a little worse each day, so how much worse do I need to feel to know it really might be the start of labor soon?
I don't know if this inability to know when the baby is coming is to prepare for an inevitable lack of communication between mom and daughter during her teenage years, but I don't like it. I also can't do anything about it. My bags are packed, the nursery is ready and we have all our supplies. I think at this point the best way to combat this ever-looming birth day is to ignore it. So this week, I plan to put up some fun, not necessarily pregnancy-related posts. Maybe I will share some favorite recipes or some fun stories about life lately. Enjoy!

Finally Complete!

The nursery is officially done - vacuumed and everything. I now want to destroy whoever invented styrofoam. A hurricane couldn't rip those stubborn white pellets out of carpet, but I did my best. After my epic struggle, it was photo time!

Dresser/Changing table

If I can avoid being exceedingly frustrated by whatever crazy auto-formatting is putting these photos in all the most terrible places, I will tell you a little about some of my favorite things. I will try to put what I'm talking about next to the text but we will see when my patience runs out.

One of my favorite elements of the nursery is the rocking chair. As soon as I realized rocking chairs were a must-have in any complete nursery, I knew I wanted an old-fashioned beautiful wooden piece. We found this at what has to be the world's largest thrift store. I told Ben it would be a quick run-in, run-out type deal - oops! It was the size of a Super Walmart - HUGE. Hard as it was not to get distracted, we managed to find this pretty quickly and I loved it. Also, that tip about rubbing nuts to get scuffs out of wood that I see on Pinterest all the time actually works. Some almonds, lemon oil and a soap scrub on the upholstery got this chair looking almost new!

This picture also shows off what I like to call my "how to work around rental agreements that don't let you paint the walls" trick. Ours wouldn't let us use decals either and those things can get crazy expensive so that was out. I knew I wanted trees on the wall to tie the room together though. Thanks to a great fabric sale at JoAnn's and a very helpful husband (who got to go to Home Depot as a bonus), I created my own canvases to make trees on. Actually, Ben made the canvases... using electric drills can be tricky and my stomach kept getting in the way. I did spend several nights painting trees though. Getting these guys on the wall proved to be the tricky part. But after some tears (or complete emotional breakdown that I blame on pregnancy), 3M strips, screws, kitchen twine, picture hangers and a very patient and dedicated husband got the job done.

The last handmade touch I wanted to mention was the crib mobile. I wanted something that looked natural and woodsy to blend with the room but the ones I found for sale had so much plastic and bright colors. I decided I could easily make my own for cheaper. I was right about the cheaper part but trying to sew the ribbons to the birds at the right angle and with the end inside the bird proved to be much more challenging than anticipated. But if anyone is up for the challenge, all you need is an embroidery hoop, ribbon, fabric, thread and poly-fill. A sewing machine may or my not be helpful. I used one but it would have been much easier to line up the ribbons properly by hand. Fortunately, once it is all finished and hung, it's very forgiving. After making one bird, I was sure the project was a failure but I'm pretty happy with the end result.

All in all, I really enjoyed putting together my half DIY nursery. There is no way I would have had energy to do all that had I still been working in the restaurant though. But all these fun projects were a great way to fill my time off. One thing I learned, however, is everything is way more complicated than it seems when you set out (especially if you have a pregnant belly to contend with). We really only had a few major projects (and Ben did most of the hard stuff) but it took hours spread out over several weeks to culminate in this. Our baby probably won't even notice the difference but I'm happy I took time to give her such a special place. I really poured my love and excitement for her into this room.

This is my Bathtub

To the untrained eye, it may look like just a normal tub that happens to have claw feet that make it slightly charming. Until today, I saw it as just another inconvenience of my small bathroom. By the time you put two liners in there (whoever designed the bathroom didn't bother to put tile against the shower side wall), it makes for a very cramped shower space. I, in my quite pregnant state, must use the radiator to help me get in and out since it is higher off the ground than your average tub. But I like having a lot of space for relatively low rent so I put up with it... until today.
Today, feeling very pregnant, sleepy and slightly nauseous, I decided to take a bath. Now, that tub may be my favorite thing in the entire house (including my husband). It was designed in an era when baths, not showers, reigned supreme and people were shorter just like me. Actually, I don't know about the short thing but this tub happens to be just my size. The back is the perfect angle for reclining and a towel under my neck makes the perfect pillow in the small space between wall and tub. Best of all, I can move the water controls with my feet so if I'm too hot or cold, I can easily adjust it... or I can reenact that scene from The Notebook.
So if you ever have a choice between two bath tubs, I would highly recommend a claw foot one. The experience is legendary. Of course, if the other option is a jacuzzi tub, jets trump pretty much anything so go with the jacuzzi. I, unfortunately have never been faced with such a choice. More on pregnancy and babies and such tomorrow or later this week, but I though we all could use a break. Speaking of breaks, I might make this bath thing a weekly ritual. I am so relaxed and happy now.

Loved

Yesterday, I had the last of three lovely showers before our daughter arrives. I honestly don't know what we would have done without all the wonderful gifts that were given to us. Our daughter has not only what she needs for the next year of life but perhaps the cutest wardrobe I have ever seen and some great nursery decor to boot. I cannot thank everyone enough for everything. We could never have afforded all that on our own.
Perhaps even more than the physical items, the true gift of these showers has been the reminder of all the people who care about our daughter's health, happiness, and well-being almost as much as we do (special thanks to Teresa yesterday for pointing out that God cares even more). From the cute thumbprint "who loves you" tree picture to the notecards of advice and encouragement, down to every hat and sock that someone picked out especially for our baby, I will be constantly reminded of the community of love and support that I have. That reminder takes a lot of stress off of this soon-to-be parent.
So to all of you who have come to a shower, given a gift, or read this blog "THANK YOU!" You let me know that I can do this because I'm not doing it alone. When I am freaking out because I am running out of clean diapers, have no food in the house, and am trying to calm a screaming baby, I will do my best to remember there are so many people I can talk to or get help from. Taking a few hours off from "mom-duty" does not mean failure. It means I'm blessed enough to have others to help and a whole world outside of baby.