Nursery

After Ben had surprised me with painting the nursery I was so excited to get some ideas flowing. He knew I wanted yellows and grays and he picked out the perfect combo. I knew I wanted some black and turquoise accents I just didn't know how to do it. Well we have had this huge armoire in our garage that was given to us by Ben's old boss and it's just been sitting there. I got the guts to do it turquoise and make it a drastic piece in the room.

Here it is raw and shiny before we started sanding it. It has a shelf to go inside and 3 big drawers beneath.

Now it's all sanded and ready to go. I watched and took pictures as Ben and my mom painted away. I tried not to sniff too many fumes. Ben is worried our kid needs as much smarts as he can get.

Here is a corner of it as my mom and I were distressing it. This part was fun because we got to file off the corners and edges and rough up some random spots. Then with a sponge brush we applied the antiquing gloss onto the same spots we distressed. We got all the crevases and sanded spots and corners that would normally show age over the years. Also we applied it to the basic body of the armoire so it also showed aging. As we apply it we just used a damp cloth and a dry cloth to manipulate how dark or how light we wanted it.

Here it is in the truest form of the color and all ready for the last touches. The lighting was all from the window but the rest of the pictures are in the ceiling light so they look a little different. We love it!

We moved it where we wanted it to stay and added a hanging rod and the knobs. We just painted them black.

This little piece was given to us in Maryland from the Bennetts and was just sitting in the hallway with bills and papers all over it. I measured it and it worked perfectly for a changing table. I just roughed up the edges and decided to keep it black. We'll get some different baskets or buckets for that empty space.

Then these were made by Lori for my shower...which I still need to blog about. I thought they would be good as a cluster above the crib (which we still don't have and can't decide on). I have some frames and hooks for the walls which I think need to be black, yellow or white to pull in those colors. More to come.

People say the darndest things

Here are some exchanges with co-workers that I've had during pregnancy. It's almost worse than strangers because you'll see this person the next day.

Oriental lady: *rubbing my belly and back at the same time* "Wha you 5 mons now?"
Me: "No going on 7"
Oriental lady: "Geh owh! How muh you gain ligh fih-tee pouns?"
Me: *hoping she said fifteen and not fifty*

Random new lady: "Oh my $@! you are huge!"
Me: *awkward laugh* ya I know right? (what do you say to that?)
Random new lady: "Are there twins in there? Oh my #@!."

Same random new lady different day: "I was at my friends baby shower and she is due the same time as you and she is tiny!"
Me: "Oh really is she having a girl? Maybe she is carrying differently" *trying to act interested and not think of swear words*
Same random lady: "I don't know but I told her there is a girl at work that is double her size! I mean I was telling her I don't know how you walk!"
- side note: my boss was so upset at this exchange that she told one of the Vice Presidents of the company - I don't know if anything came of it. I just had to laugh it off. I had my co-worker roll me to the kitchen and to the copy machine just for fun.

Last one:
Co-worker in different dept: "Look at your cheeks getting chubby!" *as she makes the squeezing-the-cheeks motion at me*

Of course with every comment like this there is always a complimentary or wise one to balance it out. Some of the ones that have touched me...

"Having a child is the most beautiful thing. Your heart grows bigger than you ever thought it could"
"There is no sacrifice not worth going through for your children"

So now the short hand version of why I switched doctors:

I was borderline for my glucose test and my doctor wanted to diagnose me with gestational diabetes and have me go straight to a specialist based on my family history of adult diabetes (un-related to gestational by the way). So I see the specialist and she doesn't want to have me diagnosed until I have my 3 hour glucose test...which is normal to do if your 1 hour glucose test is borderline. I take the test and waited for 10 days to get the results! In the meantime I get a call from the hospital saying they want to have me come every 3 days for ultrasounds and a biophysical profile until the baby is born (which is technically called a high risk pregnancy)...each of these appointments being 500$ each. I schedule all these appointments and then call my doctor trying to get someone to explain to me why I am having to have these appointments if I don't even have my blood results back. I could never get anyone to give me an answer. Ben called and nothing. No one could understand why my blood results weren't there but they still wanted me to go to these appointments. I even went in to the doctor's office before work because I couldn't get anyone on the phone. They tell me they are still waiting for the glucose results and that it's "procedure" to have these appointments scheduled with the hospital. I tell her as much as I want this baby to be checked on and make sure everything is okay, I cannot afford 500$ each AND you don't even have my blood results yet. I wasn't a crazy first time pregnant mom I just needed someone to explain this to me or at least tell me "yes we messed up". As I'm leaving there the front desk lady tells me to "just breathe." Thanks lady. So I finally get my results 10ish days later, not only am I okay but I am under and looking really good. So with all this and the emotional wave I had thinking I was doing something bad as a mom by having "fake" gestational diabetes I really had it with my doctor's office. I thought I should just stick it out and change with the next baby. Everyone was telling me to switch and Alisha pushed and even called her old doctor and got me an appointment. I am with that new doctor now and I'm so happy. The staff at the front desk make such a difference. They aren't just girls who are getting their medical assistant degree, they are women who have been in the business for years and one is even an RN. I'm not the type to be reserved when I have a question but I'm also not high-maintenance so when no one was listening to my simple inquires I felt crazy.

My doctor is a spunky 100 lb tan little lady and she is awesome. She has gone through all my tests (old doctor never did) and talks to my baby and in the 2 times I've met with her I feel closer then I EVER was at the last place. She is not taking appointments until May so I am grateful I got in and that Alisha pushed me to do it. I know it was meant to happen.

So that was wasn't really short hand but I did leave a lot out to get the point across.

I am officialy a SAHM

... a "stay at home mom"

These pictures were taken by Aften who has done our family portraits forever. Ben almost didn't make it and I was a wreck thinking I'd be standing there holding my own belly...making hearts with my own hands...and we'd never have a picture of him with my belly. Phew. I'm so glad I had a cutie on my arm.

I promised you some stories so I will fulfill those coming up.

Baby got front

I have a lot I want to write on here like pro/cons of each trimester, best and worst comments received, what I'm excited for, what I'm nervous for, why I changed doctors at 32 weeks (longest story eveeeeer), how to live with fake gestational diabetes (great story, stay tuned), the cankle debacle, and the best moments of all like when Ben has felt this boy kick.

But for now....I will give you some pictures.

31 weeks

33 weeks

Yes I am still due November 18th. I have been asked (especially lately) if I've been moved up. I see my *new* doctor this week so I guess we'll find out. So far I've been measuring right on track but who knows what these last few weeks will bring. Apparently to some people I have "popped", "dropped", but haven't "locked" yet (pun on a rap song, sorry). I have noticed some shirts quietly inching their way up my belly, though. How rude of them. This past weekend I felt my first round of 20 minute hiccups in the womb. It's the cutest and saddest thing. My belly has a constant, rhythmic shake during it which I'm sure can't feel that good for the little boy. Sometimes hiccups hurt ya know!

I had a very generous work shower a couple of weeks ago and get to see friends and family this weekend for another one. We feel so blessed for the people that love this little boy before even meeting him. More pictures and my great stories to come.