Week 34

Six weeks to go; unless, of course, little baby Alexander decides he'd like to come a little early and meet our New Years' house guests... Jenny Brown & Stretch are visiting from Oklahoma, Blake & Will will be driving up from Baton Rouge and D's parents will be in from Brooklyn to ring in the New Year with us. I'm not sure who we'll have to kick out to make room for Baby Boris if he comes early!

(I am actually 33 weeks prego in this picture, but it is all we have for now...)

D & I spent this short week putting the finishing touches on the nursery... don't I say that every week? But this time I actually mean it... I think!

The painting is officially finished, as well as my cell phone... long story... but let's just say that you should ALWAYS hammer gallon paint can lids in place before setting them down on the kitchen table & accidentally knocking them over onto your cell phone & charger. And Emily, I hope you really DIDN'T want that Longenberger Basket back, cause I'm positive you don't want it now...

Despite my renewed hate for painting, I did manage to paint the new closet door & quarter round that D installed earlier this week. As well as the yard sale rocker we bought last summer.


Daddy D did a wonderful, drunken job hanging the best shelving unit ever in the nursery closet. They are just so awesome, the shelves that is, that I couldn't sleep! So I woke up early Monday morning to wash all 200 pounds of 0-6 month hand-me-down clothes, bibs and blankets, just so I could hang them all in the baby's closet! The simple pleasures in life...


But my excitement didn't stop there. After I moved all of Alexander's hand-me-downs & shower gifts out of our bedroom, I figured "why stop there?" So D moved our spring cleanup dresser, which is actually a great looking antique that my parents' neighbors put out a few years ago, into the nursery. He is going to screw the changing pad that Jenn gave us to the top & viola, we saved ourselves $69 bucks on a changing table! Only problem now is that our TV had to find a new home on the floor now, which doesn't make for easy bedtime viewing.


I am pretty sure that the only task left to complete the nursery is a new ceiling fan. We bought a fan last weekend, BUT the deliciously smart couple who lived here before us never installed an ever-important & code-required "box" in the ceiling to support a light fixture, let alone a ceiling fan... Blake, don't forget to bring your work gloves when you visit next month! :)

Baby Boris is also getting "his house in order" for delivery. This week he should have rotated to the head-down position, and he will be dropping lower each week now, preparing for his New Years vacation. The little guy still weighs about 5 pounds & is almost 20 inches long. Although he is moving less, Baby Boris seems to be making the most of his kicks these days... I am definitely getting more bang for my buck!

Your Tunes. My Tunes?

I stopped by the library earlier this week & picked up a couple Simon & Garfunkel CDs and the best of The Smith's, but they just aren't cutting it...

So, if any of you feel like flashing back to 11th grade & want to burn a "mix tape" for Baby Boris & I to jam out to, or for Baby B to snooze to, we sure would like it!

New music. Old music. Anything but new country; we'll get enough of that blaring out of truck window here in the Mountain State! Although the old "Country Gold Saturday Night" classic, folky country-type Country is pretty good stuff!

I have such giggly memories of walking down the stairs and finding my mama dancing around the living room with the Woodstock soundtrack cranking out; and of dancing with Molly and the trees as we hiked through the woods of Somerset County with an old tape player strapped to our backpack; and of Dylan & Audrey twirling around the living room to the rhythms of a Phish instrumental; and Ethan & Sarah dancing circles around the family room with intricately choreographed moves to Mary Poppin's "Step In Time."

And dancing with my dad's whole family to Sister Sledge's "We are Family," at every family wedding since I was six, and everyone belting out "I got all my sisters with me"; And driving up 219 to Rochester with Jenny Brown making up new lyrics to every song on the radio... mostly about the Russian... while Moyni, Stretch & D trailed us in a gas guzzling crew cab filled with bottles & cans that we planned to return for the deposit, as soon as we crossed the NY state border. I could go on, and on, but then you might stop reading and decide not to share...

OK, one more... sitting on Daddy D's lap in our Baton Rouge apartment, rolling through every song on our computer trying to find the perfect "first dance" song, before Blake suggested Louis Armstrong's "Putting all my Eggs in One Basket," ... Perfect! And boy could D dance to that song! He was twirling me, and swirling me... where did he learn all that?

So, if anyone has any suggestions for a soundtrack for Baby Boris' youth, I'm all ears!

(And if you're not technologically inclined, if you want to just suggest a play list, I can ask Daddy D to download the songs & burn a CD for us!)

xoxo
e

33 weeks @ 3:30am

Let's see... It's 3:30am and I'm watching Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock; but I'm not so sure Baby Boris is enjoying it. I know I'm not!

Anyway, I am 33 weeks prego, with less than 7 weeks until my due date! Whoa Hoo! I finished painting the nursery this week, and now Daddy D just has to finish the quarter round, hang some shelving and install a new ceiling fan & light fixture. I think it seems like we've been "almost" finished with the nursery for a month now!

Although progress seems slow on the nursery, Baby Boris is growing at warp speed. At my 33 week appointment yesterday my belly measured 34 weeks... which, if you are crazy like I am, you'd figure this meant mean that the baby is actually 34 weeks developed. WHICH would move my due date up seven days. WHICH would be January 1. WHICH, although this would be hectic, would also be ideal for the freebie queen (AKA- me!). I think I will have to look into what WV does for the first baby of the year, just in case :). "Push him out, push him out, waaaaay out! Go team!"

Baby Boris is about 5 pounds and around 17 inches this week. He is moving less, but his twirls & swirls are much stronger. He's also had quite a few cases of the hiccups; so cute! D thought it was his heartbeat, a rhythmic pulsing pusHing my belly up & down. I should take a video!

I've gained 23 pounds so far, but I know I can do better! A girl I volunteer with at the Soup Kitchen gained 75 pounds for her first baby; and I cant let her out-do me! So in the next seven weeks I plan to gain approximately 8 pounds/week. That will beat her 75 for sure! Tub-o-lard here I come!

Of course, the 20* weather & daily snow showers here in WV will definitely help me reach my goal. Cause who wants to go outside in this bitter cold? Really, who wants to get out from under the fleece blankets & the 20 pound cat to even move around this old drafty house? Brrrrr!

(Note: Don't forget to bring your long johns & fleece socks when you come to visit this winter. As a matter-of-fact, you might also want to bring an extra snow shovel, some rock salt & a Russian Ushanka Hat. Brrr!)

Unfortunately, I still haven't taken a Belly Shot... but hopefully we'll get one this week! But since I don't have any pictures of my own baby, I'll leave you with two other mother's "special deliveries" this week!

My high school friend Jessie had little Topher this week; don't you love this picture?

No, Jenny Brown didn't pack off to Oklahoma to birth this cutie. Handsome little Eli is Stretch's sister's first little baby. But wouldn't JB make the perfect Episiotomy victim?

And, of course adorable little Galina; Jeanette & Vasya's little girl! She is probably about 3 months now & so far away in Germany. Come home Galina! I promise to turn up the heat!

Illegal Drugs

Eight hundred, or five percent, of women who gave birth in West Virginia in the last year have admitted to doing street drugs while pregnant, according to questionnaires completed by new mothers, shortly after giving birth. And unfortunately, I don't think these ladies were talking about the epidural.

http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/517059.html?nav=511

Yes, 800 mothers in the Wild & Wonderful state of West Virginia. Can I get a hoy vey?

D says maybe they were addicted before getting pregnant. I wonder if there is any correlation between the seemingly high number of teen girls in our prenatal class & WV's pregnant drug problem?

What do WV teens learn in sex education? West Virginia has the 35th highest teenage pregnancy rate of any state, and rising. http://dailymail.com/News/statenews/200807150165. Although the state seems so be focusing on abstinence education, the head of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy says that there is no evidence that abstinence education works.

Another troubling WV pregnancy tale came from my OBGYN. She told D & I a story at our last visit about one of her patients who drinks a pot of coffee & smokes a pack-a-day. And the doc said that this lady isn't an isolated case, but that numerous pregnant ladies have left the practice because the doctor told them that their behavior would hurt their fetus. And that the doctor wouldn't let these pregnant ladies cry on her shoulder when their baby died.

Harsh, yes. But not as harsh as a pack-a-day smokers voice!

Anyway, I really would love a glass of wine & some Russian cheese & maybe a Coors Light during today's Steeler's game, but I think I might just wait until next season!

8 Months and sleeping like a baby (up evey 2 hours)

What a great week! D and I spent my 32nd week of pregnancy working on the nursery, shopping for a crib and visiting with old friends!

Late last week Emily stopped in on her way to a wedding in Ohio. We spent the evening glowing in the Obama victory and guzzling wine. Of course, I had the pre-transformed wine, in the form of water... not nearly as tasty! Unfortunately, the visit was WAY too short!

Then, on Saturday my mama called and said she was headed out to see my gramps, so we decided to head that way also. After stopping at every Sheetz between Wheeling and Johnstown for a burrito, pretzels, coffee, chocolate milk, diet coke and some more burritos, we had a great visit with Bingo Bob. Although Bingo Bob has slowed down on the bingo lately, he is back in his apartment (after a building fire sent him packing for a few weeks) and he is no longer a diabetic! Send in the Sugar!

After a few hours with gramps, we headed over to Jackie's. I cant believe how big Dylan, Audrey and Liam are; and they are so cute! It's like I didnt miss a beat at their house. Audrey & Liam were little "cling-ons" (Denny's word); It was so cute, Liam just wanted me to hold him & Audrey sat as close as she could get. All D got was Emmy the dog in his lap (trying to escape Liam's grasp:).

And Jackie gave us bags of Liam's hand-me-downs for little Alexander, along with a Bumbo Seat. Although, I'm not sure Liam was ready to part with it yet! Jack also gave us an awesome baby present and a bunch of her maternity clothes (that I've worn EVERY day since we got home!).

My belly is growing like a watermellon in a well-watered garden! Even some of my maternity pants dont fit anymore! Hoy vey!

Little baby Alexander is about 19 inches long, head to toe, and about 4 pounds. He's big enough now that he almost fills the whole uterus; leaving my guts very little room for dinner or it's biproducts... In other words, I have lots of indegestion & I think I got up 10 times last night to pee. Hoy vey & grrr!

Daddy D & I didnt enjoy our birthing class any more this week; although we did get to watch a very graphic video of 3 women giving birth. I think D gave the film a big 2 thumbs up :); and did all the teen, single mothers in our class! Yep, I might actually stop lying about my age, becuase I am actually happy that I was able to vote before my first child was born! hoy vey. That might have been to harsh...

Anyway, I will post a belly shot, as soon as I get one, along with some nursery pictures, as soon as I finish painting!

31 weeks

Only 9 more weeks until we meet little Baby Boris (still definitely not his real name)! D & I have decided on a first name, and we've narrowed our middle name list down to just four family names... Good things we still have 9 weeks to make a final decision!

This week the little guy weighs about 4 pounds and is almost 17 inches long. The little chubby checker probably wont get much longer in the next few weeks, BUT as long as I keep sprinkling chocolate coated Miracle-Gro on him, he will be on track to gain another 4 or 5 pounds before he sprouts. Hoy vey, he could be a BIG baby; but I wont think about that! (Target had all their Halloween Candy on sale this week & I bought about 20 bags of miniatures & fun size candy for just .57 cents a bag! You k now I cant pass up a deal that good!)

Daddy D went to my OB appointment today and got to hear the official 137 beats/minute heartbeat. Unfortunately, D also got to see how close I am to weighing 200 pounds; I think I might stop lying about my age now & start lying about my weight!

I gained almost 2 pounds since my visit 2 weeks ago, and my belly is measuring 32 cm. (Yep, Jeanette, the doc measures in cm & measures from the top of the pelvic bone to the top of the fundus *bump*).

Although Baby Z (the name Jenn has decided to call the baby) could hear sounds before, his hearing should be fully developed this week. He can distinguish voices, and he can even move to the rhythm of our favorite music. (Luckily, D & I stumbled upon some young Louisiana natives, new to WV, who seem to share many of our ideals and have a full collection of current music that they are willing to share with us! Baby Z will finally have something new to dance to!)

While listening to some Simon & Garfunkle this week, Baby Boris' brain will enter another period of rapid growth. D will have to feed me Omega-3 rich salmon 3 times this week; you know, for the sake of the baby's brain!

D & I are also going to torture ourselves with the flu shot on Friday, all for the sake of Baby Boris. Supposedly, my shot will protect the little guy for the first 6 months of his life. The munchkin's immune system is in hyper-drive from now until the end of his incubation, so hopefully this shot makes him the healthiest baby ever!

Hoy vey!

Also this week, D & I attended our second Lamaze class; unfortunately, I couldn't concentration on their breathing techniques at all, because the class was Tuesday night, at the same time the first election returns were coming back. I cant tell you how excited I am to have my baby born under Obama's administration; and then have him spend his first 8 years thriving under Obamas leadership! Yippee! I just cant loose the smile!

Baby Boris is already keeping Daddy D up at night!

D came downstairs this morning all smiles. Last night while I was sleeping, Daddy D was counting the babe's heartbeat.


D said that the way I was sleeping, with my belly laying on our horribly uncomfortable mattress, D could hear Baby Boris' heartbeat pounding through the mattress.


The heartbeat was so strong, D said that he counted 132 beats a minute!


Ironically, I thought I could feel the heartbeat with my palm yesterday evening, but we couldn't find it with the stethoscope. All we needed was a crappy old mattress!



On another note, today I have an interview at the local Kroger. Of course, I have little hope of getting hired. As soon as they see my big ol' belly, they will probably pass, but I'm gonna try anyway! Wish me luck!


Miss you all!

Week 30+

Ten weeks until delivery! Hoy vey!

The little guy spent the week bulking up on yummy Halloween candy (we almost didn't have enough for all the ghosts & goblins who rang the bell!). Baby Boris (I cant believe no one is interested in his REAL name!) is about 17 inches long & weighs about 3 pounds. My belly is really rounding out; just like my butt! However, I still don't have any stretch marks, which my doctor was amazed by!

At my 29 week appointment last week, my belly measured 29.5 cm, which is dead-on where it should be; or at least that is what the doctor said! I've gained a total of 19 pounds; and can expect to gain about 1 pound/week from here on out. I sure hope I can keep it to just 1 pound/week!

(Yes, I am barefoot & pregnant in the kitchen, BUT D was the one cooking!)

Although the nursery floor is installed, neither D or I could motivate to paint or install the quarter round this week; maybe tomorrow!

However, I have been quite motivated to start my baby sewing! And not only Baby Boris sewing, I made extras in hopes that all my girlfriends will get knocked up soon! (Jenny Brown, Emily!) Last weekend when Jenn & the kids were in town, Norah was tugging on a little Grandma-made ribbon blanket. Oh, what an idea! They cost $15-$25 at the store & I can make 10+ with just a half yard of $3/yard discount fleece and flannel! And after a few hours on crafster.com, I found a pattern for little ribbon balls too (And they sell for like $20)!

(Blanket & Ball Pattern: http://www.newconceptions.com/patpdf/TagToyspdf.pdf)

I've already made presents for Norah & the other new babies and I am now thinking of what I can do with all the additional blankets, balls & blocks that I plan to make. But don't worry, I have a few ideas... The church ladies have a committee to take dinners to all the new mothers after delivery, so maybe I could donate some to them; and there are a couple prego ladies that come thru the soup kitchen line; and maybe once they are baby tested, I could sell them to the hippie hemp lady at the farmers market in the spring, so she can turn around & sell them for a profit! That sure would beat working part-time at Kroger!

Although Jenn & Sveta handed down 300 pounds of clothes, bibs and shoes; I am sure I will need some more, so I started making bibs yesterday!

(Bib Pattern: http://nested.typepad.com/blog/2007/07/something-to-ma.html#more)

And I am so excited about my second attempt at a Boppy pillow cover for my $3 yard sale Boppy pillow!

(I Cut the pattern from Jenn's current Boppy cover; and then pinned it; and recut it; and never did come up with a final pattern...)

And today, while Daddy D is at Daddy Bootcamp, I plan to whip up a pair of adorable cloth booties for little Baby Boris!

(Bootie Pattern that I havent made yet: http://www.poopockets.com/free/footies/footies.htm)

Hoy vey, as you can tell, I am way excited about the sewing. It is so cold here, that sewing seems like a warm alternative to going outside!

Although I didn't go outside much this week, I did make the most of my afternoon out with D yesterday; we Early Voted! And as we drove home through the neighborhood after voting I commented on how great it is to live in a neighborhood where 85-90% of the yard signs support Obama. Then we pulled up to our stop sign, and I noticed that our Obama sign was missing! Someone stole our Obama sign, while we were out voting! Hoy vey!

(This picture was completely unscripted. Jenn, Mike, D & I were eating D's famous breakfast in the kitchen & we heard Ethan singing "Obama, Obama, Obama." After 5 minutes or so, Jenn snuck a peak into the living room & found Ethan rallying for Obama! How cute!)