Baby Bear's Birth Story

There's so many things I want to catch up on from the past few months. Of course the most important of all is Bear's birth story. It's already been over a month since he was born, and I know I've forgotten details, so I want to make sure to get this written down now before I forget anything else!

28 Weeks - The Last Bump Photo from Our Old HouseWith Elley I didn't dilate until I went into labor, which happened on my due date, so I assumed things would be similar this time. At my 39 week appointment, not too surprisingly, I still hadn't dilated at all. They scheduled an induction for when I'd be 41 weeks and 4 days, but I was sure I wouldn't get anywhere near that.

We got to my due date, and I was pretty sure I'd go into labor, but it didn't happen. I'd feel contractions randomly, especially at night, but nothing consistent. Each night I'd feel contractions before bed and think maybe I'll be woken up in the middle of the night. But instead, somewhat depressingly, each morning I'd wake up and realize I was heading into work.

I went to my 41 weeks appointment and again, still no progress. At this point I was still really hoping I'd go into labor over the weekend. I absolutely loved my birth with Elley and was really afraid of what would happen with an induction. I was sure my labor would be long and hard, that I'd need an epidural to cope with the pain, that I wouldn't progress, and I'd wind up needing a c-section. Talk about thinking the worst possible outcome!

Of course my induction date arrived without me going into labor. We called the hospital at 2am to make sure they had room and then left the house to arrive at 3am. (Elley stayed with my mother and father-in-law since we knew we'd be leaving in the middle of the night.)

One Last Bump Shot Before Heading to the HospitalFunny enough when we got to the hospital the guy at the security check-in desk was one of the boy's former students. Then as we walked back to our room we ran into one of the boy's baseball teammates. We made it to our room and they went through all their questions, started an iv, and of course checked me. I still wasn't dilated at all, so it seemed like we were in for a long day. My doctor was planning on coming by between 7 and 8 to break my water, so we guessed the baby would arrive around early afternoon.

Around 4 or 4:30, the nurse came in to start the pitocin. She also realized that she hadn't positioned my monitor correctly, so the machine wasn't tracking contractions. Once that was repositioned she realized that even without the pitocin in my system I was already contracting fairly regularly. She came back to once or twice more, each time contractions were getting closer together. At one point I remember her saying they were around 5 minutes apart.

Around 6:30 I had two nurses rush in fairly concerned since the baby's heart rate had dropped. They checked me again, and I was already 4 centimeters. Almost halfway there in barely two hours! They asked me how quickly my delivery went with Elley, and hearing that along with how quickly things had already gone they seemed, not quite concerned, but definitely surprised at how quickly things were developing.

Around 20 minutes later, around 6:50, they came in again. They asked me to let them know when I started feeling the urge to push and they'd check me again. I didn't want them to check me and be disappointed by my progress, but before they left again, I thought it might be better if they checked. Good thing too since I was at a 9, with a bulging bag of water.

They called my doctor to let her know she needed to be there know. She was a little confused at first at who they were calling about. After all, I arrived at 3am, not dilated at all, and now not even 4 hours later I was practically ready to go. She told them she was getting dressed and would be there shortly, and the nurses turned the pitocin off since clearly I didn't really need anymore.

You could tell at this point the nurses started getting worried. They started getting everything set up and the baby nurses arrived. At one point the nurse in charge told the other that if the baby started coming to call a certain code and everyone would rush to the room. They told me not too push, which I did my best at, but wasn't the easiest. It was one of those times while trying not to push that I felt my water break. The nurses called my doctor again, who said she'd be there shortly.

Around 7:20 my doctor made it to the room. They already had everything set up and ready to go, so she basically walked over to me and told me to start pushing. Barely 10 minutes later at 7:30, Bear made his way into the world! (Coincidentally Elley was born at 7:42 in the morning, almost the exact same time.)
Everything is little blurry from this point on. I do remember the doctor holding him up asking me to check the gender. While I was holding him I remember asking the doctor if I could see my placenta. I was a little disappointed I never got to see it with Elley, and wanted to be sure that didn't happen this time.

It's funny after Elley's birth, I was sure that another could never be nearly as picture perfect, but once again I had a pretty amazing birth experience, so much so that I can't call one better, they were equally amazing. I managed to deliver without an epidural each time, which I'm really proud about. With Elley I did receive a stadol, a narcotic, so while I didn't have an epidural I felt like I couldn't quite say I delivered naturally as silly as it may sound. But now I can officially say I did deliver naturally, which I think is pretty awesome.

For anyone who did manage to make it through this far, here's your reward with a few more photos from our hospital stay.



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Heading Home From the Hospital

One Couple's Journey from Embryo Mix-Up to Miracle Baby

Misconception by Paul and Shannon Morell with Angela Hunt
Published: May 4, 2010 by Howard Books
Earlier this year I read Inconceivable a book about a couple, the Savages, whose fertility doctor mistakenly implanted them with another couple's baby. I loved that book and since then I've been looking forward to reading the other side of the story. This book about the other couple, the one who instead kept the baby after the first gave birth.

I was obviously a bit biased about the Morell's since I read the Savage's book first. They didn't come off in the best light, but I figured reading the story from their words I'd understand them a bit better. Even so, I still didn't fall in love with the Morell's the way I did with the Savages.

I think part of it is due to the private nature of the Morells. Through the whole book there's a constant feel that they are getting dragged into a media circus of no wish of their own. I get the feeling that they didn't necessarily want to write this book either, but since the Savages were writing a book felt they needed to as well. It's almost like you're reading about them at an arms length and never really get to know the Morell's or the rest of their family.

From the title the book is written by both Paul and Shannon, but that wasn't really the case. Instead the majority of the book is from Shannon's point of view, and there's a few quotes from Paul throughout. As little as I felt like I knew Shannon by the end, it was like a friendly acquaintance compared to a complete stranger with Paul.

This book tells about such a heartbreaking situation, and I'm impressed that the Morells were willing to relive it and tell their story. I think it's a bit inspiring reading memoirs from others who were dealt with such unimaginable circumstances. While I may not have loved reading the Morell's book, I still think their story is amazing and I'm grateful they offered this little look into their lives.

3.5/5

Be Blessed Lovelies

Last week much of the blogging world was rocked by the death of Leslie from A Blonde Ambition. It's actually a blog I never read myself, but the more I hear about her the more I wish I did.

Leslie met her husband through the Show Us Your Single link-up at Kelly's Korner. She was the mother of two baby girls, only 22 months old and 7 months old. 7 months. As in the same age as Elley. In fact her baby is only one day older than mine.

I lost my mom almost 4 years ago, when I was 27 years old. It's way too young to loose your mother, and yet compared to Leslie's two little girls it really is a lifetime.

So often in movies after someone passing a character finds some hidden journal or gift from the loved one they lost for one final bit of closure. Except that's made up, and doesn't happen in real life, at least not often. But as a blogger Leslie's words are ready for her daughters to find one day. There's a line in her daughter's 7 month update, the last one she wrote, "Lord willing, I'll be around for many more milestones to come."

I'm not quite sure I'm ready to write down my hopes and dreams for Elley articulately, but Leslie's death has made me realize that you never really know how much time you have. I just hope that one day she's able to be her true self and be happy. I want her to have a solid family around her, not just those she's related to by blood but the friends she chose to let into her circle. And I want her to know that I love her so much, and that I would be there for every single milestones to come.
I can't imagine what Leslie's family is going through. I know that nothing can replace a loved one, but if you looking for something to do, there's a college fund that's been set up for Leslie's two girl at http://www.gofundme.com/d53bgd5p8s.

So ending this post with the words Leslie used to end hers, Be Blessed Lovelies.

A Medical Mistake, the Baby We Couldn't Keep, and Our Choice to Deliver the Ultimate Gift

Inconceivable by Carolyn and Sean Savage
Published: February 14, 2011 by HarperOne
I remember seeing this book when it first came out and being slightly heartbroken by the idea of it. It's about a couple who gets pregnancy with IVF only to find that the wrong baby was implanted. At the time I wasn't even married but was deadly afraid about getting pregnant in the future and the idea that something like that could happen absolutely horrified me.

Clearly this book left an impression, which is why 4 years later I remembered it and decided to read it. Turns out that this was a book I couldn't put down and sped through because I had to know exactly how everything developed.

At several parts through the book Carolyn mentions the support she received from her online friends. Maybe it's something a lot of people wouldn't get, but knowing the friendships I've made through blogging I really appreciated hearing this experience.

This book prompted interesting discussions between the boy and I something I wouldn't have expected. It's definitely a book that makes you think how you'd react in a similar situation. But also one that makes you grateful for all the little blessings you currently have.

Out of curiosity I did google to couple the find that they have a blog of their own. But even more impressive is that since this book has been published they've gone on to have twins through surrogacy, plus another baby boy conceived naturally who is about the age of Elley.

There is also a book written by the other family involved in the medical mishap, and while I imagine that one will have a different feel, I've already ordered my copy and can't wait to read it as well.

5/5

Today I'm linking up with Blonde Undercover Blonde for Book Club Friday!

I'm the Nurturing Type

For a while now I've always been jealous of everyone else's Influenster boxes. Except now I can finally join the crowd, since I received my first complimentary box from them for review. Of course, it's the perfect box for me since it's a Nurture box for moms, something that's still fairly new to me as well.
First for the smaller items there were coupons for Uncle Ben's flavored rice and OreIda potatoes. I haven't had a chance to use these yet, as you'll see is the theme for most things here, but since they expire somewhat soon, I'll need to get on that!

Something that's more for me than Elley, is the Hada Labo Anti-Aging Facial Mask. I can't remember the last time I used a face mask (maybe in high school?), but I'm looking forward to making the time to relax a little and try this out.

Then there's something definitely more for Elley than me, skinfix diaper cream, the perfect size to throw in the diaper bag.

Next up is something that we can both use, Blue Lizard sunscreen in sensitive and sport versions. Sadly, I've yet to be in a bathing suit this summer. But we'll be heading out to California next month so not only will I hopefully get to spend time in one, it will also be Elley first trip to the beach. (And first plane ride too, but I'm trying not to think about that!)

There is one more item best geared for Elley, or at least her in a few years, and that's Attitude hair detangler. I remember how awful it was having my mom brush my hair when I was little, but hopefully this is able to make that process a little smoother for Elley.

Last but certainly not least, were my Red Vines. Out of everything in the box this is what I was most excited about which is a little silly since I buy them all the time. But seriously, I think there's Red Vine people in the world and then people who have only tried Twizzlers! I made quick work of these though and devoured them the last time the boy and I went to the movies.
All in all a package worth waiting for and I'm excited to see what else makes it my way from Influenster!

Mailbox Monday (114)

It's Father's Day! Not only that, it's the boy's first Father's Day. We going to be heading to dinner with my in-laws shortly, but first I'm sharing the books I've recently picked up with Mailbox Monday.
Purchased
A Walk in London by Salvatore Rubbino
I was purchasing a book as a baby shower gift recently, and since I was already ordering books decided to order one for Elley as well. After loving A Walk in Paris which my Dad gave us recently, I decided to buy another in the series. This one is about a mother and daughter who take a walk in London.

From Paperback Swap
The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers
I've actually already read this one, although still need to review it. It's about what happens to two girls after their father murders their mother. Not necessarily the type of book I was expecting, but still interesting.

Inconceivable by Carolyn & Sean Savage
I remember when this book came out being fascinated by the idea of it. It's a memoir about a couple who gets pregnant by IVF only to discover that the embryo implanted belonged to another couple. You can tell from the subtitle what they decided to do, but I'm still really curious to read their story.

For Review from TLC Book Tours
In a Dark Wood by Joseph Luzzi
Yet, another one I've already read, although this one I've reviewed. (You, can tell I'm a bit behind posting these books.) This one is also a heartbreaking memoir where the author's pregnant wife gets into a car accident and he becomes a widower and single father. I actually wasn't that big of a fan of this one, though, but still appreciated ths story.

What did you find in your mailbox this week?

Essentials for Months 0-3 For Moms and Babies

Back before Elley arrived, or if I'm being honest before I was even pregnant, I read a ton of must-have lists. Which meant when it came to registering I had a pretty good idea what I needed (i.e. Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets which have been my go-to baby shower gift for a few years). Except as I'm learning what someone says is a necessity, others may find obsolete (sleep gowns were that for us). Which means that even if you've read posts on newborn essentials before, this one is still unique because it's what worked for us. So with that, here are the items we couldn't have done without for the first three months.
Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets
As I started out by mentioning these were the item I was most excited about. We wound up with 2 sets of these (thankfully different designs), plus another set from the Swaddle Designs brand. While I do think the Swaddle Designs are softer, I still like the A&A blankets better since they hold a swaddle better and they don't have a gigantic tag. After 3 months we're still going strong using two of these blankets to double swaddle at night. Plus they wind up draped over her car seat in the morning or over her while she's napping in the RockNPlay during the day.

RockNPlay
Speaking of the RockNPlay, this is where she's taken all of her naps. It's easy to move around, which means I've been able to drag it to the bathroom to keep an eye on her during a bath or back and forth between when mine and my in-laws house when they watched her for 3 weeks. One aspect I love about it is that when she starts to wake up from a nap and begins moving, her movement will get the RockNPlay going and sometimes she'll rock herself back to sleep. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much longer she'll fit in it, but once she does outgrow it, it folds up pretty nicely for storage.

Side-Snap Shirts
While we're on the sleeping topic, I was sure Elley was going to sleep in sleep gowns after hearing how convenient they were. But since we kept her swaddled in two blankets a long gown on top of them felt a little too warm to me. So instead she started sleeping in these side-snap shirts, which had the convenience of keeping her diaper accessible without the excess fabric. We originally had a set of newborn shirts and then bought some in 0-3 months size. Plus I'm guessing pretty soon I'm going to want to add some 3-6 months to her wardrobe as well.

Gumdrop Pacifiers
For the last of the baby essentials, we have these Gumdrop Pacifiers, which we discovered on after trying several different options and buying these at Target on a whim. Turns out, these were her favorite. If you go back to my 1 Month Update, you'll see that Elley was pretty upset in the late afternoon before bed. It got to the point that whenever she got too upset we put her to sleep, which left us without knowing what time she'd actually go to bed. But with a pacifier we could actually keep her somewhat happy this time of day, which led to our current consistent bedtime of 7:30.

Washable Breast Pads
The first of the mom essentials, like the rest, these have to do with breast feeding. I got a ton of sample disposable breast pads from registering, and probably would have stuck with them without knowing there were other options. Except after shopping at Destination Maternity and getting on their mailing list, I got an e-mail for 10 free breast pads from BreastPads.com. If you talk to the boy these weren't actually free since I had to pay shipping, but still it came out to $1.50 a pair, practically a steal in my book. I loved these so much that when I received a new coupon when Elley was about 1 month I ordered 10 more.

Hands-Free Pumping Bra
The first few times I pumped I did so without a pumping bra, and while it's possible to do, it isn't worth it in my opinion. Not only do you get so much more production when wearing it, but as the name suggests it leaves your hands are free, which for me meant I was able to read while pumping.

Pumping Bag
Something else the boy would say is a waste of money, but I think is completely worth it. After all, I need to transport a pump, cooler with ice pack, pump parts, storage bags, burp clothes, and a pumping bra to and from work each day. Of course I may not have needed to spent the extra money on the Medela version, but this way I was guaranteed it would fit my pump. Plus it already came with a small cooler and ice pack to keep my milk cool.

Milk Storage Bags
Going into pumping I wasn't quite sure how I was going to store all the milk I was freezing, but I happily discovered these which you can pump directly in. I did have some issues figuring out how to freeze them at first, and quickly learned you can't lay them flat till their frozen, but so far I've been really happy with them.

Are there any essentials I've left out? Or are some of our essentials things that didn't work for you?

A Baby Story

I know not everyone is a fan of reading birth stories. But there are also crazy people out there like me who loved reading them long before I was even ready to be pregnant. Although honestly is doesn't really matter, because I want to make sure I get this all written down, especially because a week later it's already starting to get fuzzy. So read on if you're up for it, especially since this is likely to be the longest post I've ever written!

Last Wednesday was my due date and it didn't feel like the baby was coming anytime soon. With my gestational diabetes they didn't want me going to far past my date and I already had an induction scheduled the following Tuesday, December 16th, as well as one final appointment the morning of the 11th, which would likely tell me that I was still just a centimeter dialated. All day at work (since I was planning on working through Friday) people kept asking me how I was feeling, and I felt great, so the verdict was the baby possibly couldn't be coming anytime soon... except we all know how that turned out.

I got home from work, stepped into the house, and almost immediately after felt my muscus plug come out. Not a really a big deal since it can happen weeks before the baby comes, but definitely a step in the right direction. I did my normal work-out of squats and pelvic thrusts, and halfway through realized I had my bloody show. Another great step in the right direction. After a bath and dinner (which I can't even remember what I ate at this point... I guess it got a bit overshadowed), I went to the bedroom to watch Survivor.

Towards the end of episode, around 7:40, I started feeling contractions, starting off about 5 minutes apart. I'd been thinking I had maybe been feeling contractions beforehand, but once the real thing started, there was a noticeable difference. During one of the commercial breaks I went out to the living room to tell the boy that if he wanted to shave before going to the hospital, he'd better do it sooner rather than later.

After my show ended I spend some time getting the last few items into my hospital bag, then some time on my computer looking at my daily blog stats and goodreads. I even thought about writing a book review, but writing one while in labor was a little too crazy even for me. Nashville started at 9, so at that point I was back in the bedroom watching tv.

One last pregnant photo, just before calling the doctorMy doctor said to call once my contractions were 5 minutes apart for two hours lasting for 1 minutes. At this point I met the two hours and 5 minutes, but hadn't really been timing them. I had the boy time a few and they were really only 30 to 45 seconds long, but I figured at that point I should at least call the doctor. I talked to the doctor on call who told me that I could come in now if I wanted. But if I did want to go naturally, and wasn't looking for an epidural or pitocin, I was probably better staying at home till they got closer to a minute in length.

Over the next two hours the boy and I tried to nap on the couch timing each contraction. I remember laying there thinking that maybe I couldn't actually do a natural birth and that maybe an epidural wouldn't actually be that bad. I actually asked the boy at one point if he thought I would be a failure if I wound up having an epidural. As I had my inner monologue the contractions kept getting longer, but never quite made it to a full 60 seconds. The closest we got was 56, but at that point, at 12:30 I was a ready to go.

I went to the bathroom first, and while there I thought my water might have broken. Although didn't have it confirmed to we made it to the hospital and I realized my pants were soaked. And yes, we were of course driving my new car.

We checked into the hospital around 1 am to find that I was still only 2 cms dilated. But being very clearly in labor and with my water broken, I was definitely staying. I was asked by two different nurses about my labor plan, except while I had hoped for a natural birth, never actually wrote anything out, which definitely seem to surprise people. They wheeled me to my room and my nurse started my iv. Or at least she attempted to start my iv, but after not getting the first two called a second nurse to help her with a third. I'm pretty sure this was the first iv I've ever had so while it wasn't the biggest deal to me, the boy was less than pleased.

She did start taking to me about pain meds, and at this point I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I remember telling her my pain was around a 5.5, but asked how much worse it would get. She told me that was well as an epidural there was also a different painkiller they could give me through my iv, and I figured I'd at least start with that. She said most peoples complaints with it were that it made them tired and loopy, but not that big of a deal considering it was already the middle of the night. The normal dose was about 2 portions, but considering my size we started with one. Then when it started to go away, or maybe the pain just got to be greater, I asked for the second half of it.

Honestly this part of the whole night is really pretty fuzy, I'm sure in combination to the fact that it was in the middle of the night, that they had just given me some type of painkiller, and of course the actual pain I was in. There were times where I'd have a contraction and look up to see what time it was and find an hour had gone by from the last time I checked it. Or there were others where it felt like it had been forever since I had one, but the clock said it had only been 10 minutes or so. She also checked me several times throughout, and while I could be wrong, I remember her telling me I was 4, then 5, then 7, and finally 9 cms along.

Just before 7am the nurse asked if I felt like I needed to push. But to be honest for hours now every single contraction made me feel like that. She did tell me that the sign was that I felt like that even between contractions, to which I responded, "Now that you mention it, it is starting to feel like that."

Except 7am was shift change, and when my actual doctor would be getting to the hospital, so I don't think my nurse knew quite what to do. But the new nurse arrived and checked me to see that I was actually fully dilated. They found out my doctor was still about 30 minutes away but the on-call doctor was heading over.

The nurse we had all night was actually really cute and didn't want to leave. She said something along the lines of if "I stay it'll probably be hours still, but if I leave it'll probably come immediately." She even mentioned clocking out and then coming back to check on me, but the new nurse did finally convince her that she should probably head home especially since she was working again at 7 that night.

Anyways the doctor arrived, along with 4 or 5 more nurses and they starting getting everything set up and ready to start pushing. The doctor and nurses kept telling me how impressed they were with me, and how there are women who even with an epidural seem to be in more pain than I was. They also found it hilarious when while pushing through a contraction I started complaining, not about the labor pain, but about a leg cramp. As I started to get close they brought out a mirror so I could see what was going on, which was crazy to see!

The doctor did ask me my thoughts about an episiotomy, which I had really been hoping to avoid. I asked her if she thought I tear anyway and when her response was yes, I figured it made sense to have one. She did tell me that considering the pain I was already in, I wouldn't even notice the cut, but that definitely wasn't the case at all! So they did wind up giving me a shot of novacane first before the actual cut.

At this point my doctor actually arrived. So while the on-call doctor was the one with me the most of the time pushing, my actual doctor was the one who caught our doctor at 7:42, almost exactly 12 hours after I noticed my first contractions and about 8 hours after arriving at the hospital. They showed her to me first so I could tell the room, "It's a girl!" and then took her over the be checked out.

I did pass a bit of meconium so they wanted to check her to make sure she hadn't breathed any in. I asked the boy to get the camera and take photos, except he couldn't figure out how to turn the camera on and neither could one of the nurses, so they handed it to me to get it working. The boy of course took only 4 photos, and decided that was enough. Fortunately one of the nurses kept taking photos at that point.

One of the Boy's 4 photosThankfully while I may have passed meconium, Elley didn't breath any, so less than 10 minutes after she was born a nurse brought her to me to hold for the first time.
We did have skin to skin, and then one of the nurses came over to help me breastfeed. Since I didn't have an epidural, she was more awake than most babies are, which meant in theory she would crawl up my chest to eat. Both the nurses said they had only seen it done in video, never in real life, so they were quite excited when Elley started moving on her own just like they'd always heard would happen. Definitely a pretty miraculous sight to see!

Our first family photoI've read my fair amount of birth stories, and so often you read that it didn't quite go as expected but it still something they're incredibly happy with because its their story. Except with me, I feel like everything went even better than I could have expected. Almost too good to be true even. I feel so lucky and blessed to not only have brought our daughter into this world, but to have had such a practically perfect experience doing so.

If you're still hear reading, I have to say I'm impressed, and as a final reward here's a few final photos from our hospital stay.


With her Cousins

Ready to Head Home

It's a Girl!

Last Thursday, the boy and I welcomed our daughter into the world. At 6 lbs 12.6 oz and 20.5 inches long, she's a tiny thing but also incredibly long.
Just like the boy wants to be blog-onymous, she will be as well. So please welcome Baby L.A., or spelled phonetically Baby Elley, to the blogosphere! More to come soon!

Show Us Your... Holiday Decorations {2014}

I know there's a ton of different blogs that holiday decoration link-ups, but I can't help and stick with my favorite (and one of the first blogs I ever really linked up with) Kelly's Korner.

I tend not to go to crazy with holiday decorations, partly because we really don't own very many, and also partly because while my husband is Catholic I'm Jewish so a feel a little conflicted about the whole thing. But it's important for him to have a Christmas tree so if we going to have one, I at least want to it be pretty. Seems, reasonable, right?
Each year we talk about upgrading to a bigger tree. But for now, with just the two of us our little tree works. Plus I'm not quite sure there's room in our house for a huge tree at this point.
Both mine and the boy's stocking are up, and while the baby does have a stocking holder ready, their stocking isn't quite. Not too big of a deal since the baby hasn't yet made their appearance, but by Christmas Eve I can promise you both the baby and the stocking will be hanging out.
I do have the majority of presents wrapped at this point, except for the boy's since he was in the room with me while I was wrapping. Maybe a bit of an overachiever, but really more that I wanted to make sure as much as possible was done before we have a new baby in our house. You can pretty clearly see which presents are for Christmas and which are for Hanukkah by the whole color divide. And yes, I do have a present for each day of Hanukkah for a baby who won't even be a week old. Obviously, they won't remember, but I will. Plus as an October baby I used to give my mom a hard time for not dressing me up for my first Halloween, so I want to make sure I don't fail our child in a similar way!
Speaking of Hanukkah, here's our bit of holiday fun on the dinning room table. It'll definitely need to be rearranged a bit to light the candles, but I think for now it works. Although I'd love to find more cute Hanukkah decorations to put our next year, as impossible as they may be to locate.
Here's one final look at what our living room looks like for our baby's first Christmas. Crazy to think both the holiday and the baby are really only days away from arriving, right?

Curious about our decorations from years past? You can see them here!

If you're stopping by from Kelly's Korner be sure to say hi! And what are your thoughts on celebrating holidays with newborn babies?

From Closet to Nursery

I've figured I've teased you long enough through various mentions, but I'm finally revealing our nursery! The whole room was what we called "The Big Closet" before because we mainly used it as a storage room. So when it came time to make it functional we had to donate a good amount of what was inside it as well as find places from much of it go go. But finally, it's done, and hopefully you think it's worth the wait!
This the the view to the left from when you first walk in the room. The original plan was to do a purple and yellow nursery, and while both colors are there, I found it wasn't the easiest to do. Turns out if you're buying something yellow it most likely has grey in it. And actually the one purple and yellow item I thought I found was actually purple and green when it shipped to my house. But even so I think we made it work, even if it is more of a purple, yellow and grey theme.
The crib was a Sundvik Crib from Ikea. The intent was for it to be white to match the rest of the furniture, but the boy realized once I brought it home to Louisiana that it was in fact black. Thankfully it isn't too much of an eyesore, and it's one of the first things the baby will grow out of. While it isn't the easiest to see, the sheet are purple gingham from Pottery Barn. The mobile was a gift from our registry from Target, and the matching blanket was also a gift from our registry. There's a crib skirt (also from Pottery Barn) that's edged in grey stripes, although this is unfortunately the best picture I took of it. In the corner of the photo you can just see our hand-me-down Mamaroo peaking out.
This is a Kallax shelf from Ikea, which is still pretty empty. One box on the bottom has blankets and extra crib sheets while the other has a few toys. Although I'm sure all four boxes will be full in no time. There's one shelf of stuffed animals, one that has my pump, at least for now, and the box on the top is where I'm putting mementos for now. It's also where our baby book is. Of course since this is a bookshelf, there's definitely a ton of books. There's 3 shelves of children's books, one of parenting book, and one that has our Harry Potter books for the baby to grow into. Also off to the left is our rock n play, and on the right is an empty basket that I'm sure will soon be filled with toys.
The top shelf is home to all type of nostalgia. The picture was a birthday gift to me from my MOH. You can't really tell, but inside each heart is a place I've lived from L.A. to MD (where I went to college) to LA. The train is from the boy's childhood as are the other random wooden toys on top. The teddy bear is the boy's from when he was little, and the cabbage patch doll (a girl named Bernard) is mine from when I was little. The stuffed dinosaur my mom actually made and used to sell versions of back before Etsy was a thing. Then also there's my crown from my baby shower.
While the color is a little off, the curtains are a dark purple, and one of the largest purple elements in the room. The toy chest actually was my FIL's from when he was little.
Now to my favorite part of the room, the little reading corner. The chair is a KACY Collection Morgan glider from Babies R Us gifted from my MIL and FIL. As for the books, I actually took all our board books and have them either in the basket on the floor or on the bottom shelf (which is a Ribba Ledge from Ikea). The top shelf has more of my personal favorites, plus a Hanukkah book since that's the current time of year. I may or may not have unrealistic dreams of changing that book out to reflect the season.
Just for fun, here's a better look at all the books on display, because I know you had to be curious.
To the right of the reading corner is a changing station. It's a Hemnes dresser from Ikea topped with a changing pad, with an attempt to bring in a bit more yellow. There's a pretty big bottle of hand sanitizer on the dresser which was a bit of a gag gift from one of the boy's co-workers since he has a reputation of being a bit of a germaphobe. Although I'm sure it will still come in handy.
This brings us back to the start of the room, where you can see our purple hanging wet back on the door. Our high chair is actually chilling out in a box still, plus there's the closest.
The closest is actually still pretty empty since pretty much all the clothes are in the dresser. I wouldn't get to excited about the hanging dresses revealing a secret, since instead those are my dresses from when I was a baby. If it's a boy we can put them away for the next time, but if it's a girl we're ready, since the gender is still a secret.

I'm sure this is likely far more than you ever wanted to see, but I at least had fun sharing it, and hopefully you enjoyed the little tour as well!

Tiny Wishes

Last week I posted my holiday wish list, so this week I thought it only made sense to post the baby's wish list. After all while they may not be here yet, they'll definitely be here for the holidays and they'll need to presents to open... or well, presents that someone else will open while they're asleep.


During one of my trips shopping for maternity clothes I was swayed to subscribe to Parents magazine for a few extra dollars. I love reading magazines, so it was well worth it to me. Anyways, their December issue had a list of the top toys, and while our baby may not be old enough for most of them, I thought this Skwish Stix is definitely something they could grow into. Plus it looks like a lot of fun.



One thing that I really want to make happen with the baby is cloth diapers. I've already built of a stash of 9 diapers, but I'd love to have at least 15 or so. My original plan was to have a stash of both bumGenius 4.0 and Flips since I've each is better in different situations, but so far I just have 4.0s (as well as one accidental bumGenius Elemental). At this point part of me thinks it may just be easier to stick with the 4.0s, but I'd still love to add either type to my collection.



On a similar note, I know eventually I'm going to need a diaper sprayer. I probably won't need one for several months or so, but I'd definitely love to stock up on one know just so I won't have to worry about it later.



I've posted before about how I recently went through all my children's books and added them to the baby's library. But surprisingly there's a few classics missing that well, I think are pretty mandatory. One of these would be Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.


The second, from a long list actually that I'll likely never complete, is Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt. Although I wouldn't call the stuffed bunny a necessity.



I actually meant to buy our car seat/stroller adapter when I used the completion discount on our registry, but sadly it was out of stock at the time. Definitely something our baby is going to need especially for all those long walks I'll be taking... or I guess when we're out and out, since as much as I may have dreams of walking with the baby around the neighborhood I realize it's not necessarily likely to happen.



The baby doesn't actually have many pacifiers, which means I'm sure we'll be buying a ton in the months to come. But I can't get over how adorable the WubbaNub pacifiers are. Plus I've heard that the stuffed animal actually helps the baby keep hold of them.



While LSU may not have had the best season, they're still on their way to a bowl game, and sadly the baby has nothing to wear while watching it. Honestly, I don't really care what the baby will be wearing as long as it's LSU. And maybe the baby will be LSU's good luck charm for a win?

I do realize it's a little crazy to be writing out this list for a tiny human that may not even exist yet. But at least I had fun doing it. And I'm sure each year from here on out it's only going to get more fun and they express their own opinion on what they're really looking forward to receiving.

Mailbox Monday (98)

I'm thinking I just might get to my 100th Mailbox Monday post before the baby arrives! It'll be close, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. For now though, these are the books I've brought into our home this past week.
Purchased
The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, & Mauren Johnson
Like every other Clare book that comes out I had to go and purchase this as soon as it came out. Now I know these have all be released electronically as short stories, but since I still refuse to own an ereader this is my first chance to read them all.

Borrowed From a Friend
The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Yet another newly released YA book. While these books wound up not being quite what I expected, I did overall enjoy it. Plus the last one ended on quite a cliffhanger, and I can't wait to see how the trilogy ends.

From Paperback Swap
The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvery Karp, M.D.
Out of everything I'm most apprehensive about having a baby, loss of sleep is on the top of my list. I've always been one who needed a ton of sleep, and I'm not quite sure how I'll be able to function without it. But I have heard great things about this book and how it can actually get babies to sleep. I'm really hopeful about it, and hopefully not only do I enjoy reading it, but find it to be useful as well.

What did you find in your mailbox this week?

Five on Friday (4)

I feel like my blogging has been kind of spotty lately. Yes, I'm still getting posts up, but they're pretty much all reviews or pregnancy updates. I kind of miss some of the more random life updates I used to post. But I figured that this would be a great excuse to link-up with The Good Life to share a few recent happenings.

1. A few weekends ago I had a much needed haircut. I didn't really do anything too extreme, really just cut off a lot of the dead ends, but still, there's nothing like a haircut that gives you an excuse to take selfies.
2. Although really the main reason I had my haircut was because I wanted it to look nice for my maternity photos. I haven't seen them all yet but my photographer, Melissa V Photography, who blogs at Little Mrs. Married, did post a sneak peak and so far I'm in love!
3. Speaking of the baby, the past few weeks I've gone through my old children's books sorting the ones I want to keep or giveaway. (Most of which have wound up as keep.) I'm in the process of tracking them all on goodreads , and while they aren't all listed yet I'm already close to 100. Not too shabby of a library for a baby that isn't born yet. Although considering how much I read, you can't be that surprised.
4.. This past weekend was my nephew's 5th birthday party. It's crazy to think that when I started this blog he wasn't alive yet, and how he's 5. Crazy how quickly time passes. I'm sure I'm going to blink and before you know it we'll have a 5-year-old of our own.
5. While it's been a while since I've mentioned my 101 in 1001 list I have been making progress. I can officially say I've completed 99) Have no dessert/sweets for 7 days, although not necessarily by choice. With my gestational diabetes I've basically cut out all desserts from my diet. Kind of depressing, especially when everyone one expects you to be eating ice cream all the time, but at least I've found a tiny silver lining to it.

What are some of the random happening in your life lately? And if you're here from 5 on Friday, be sure to say hello!

Trendy Tot Tuesday - Gifts

It's time for another week of cute baby clothes! This week all the items I'm sharing we've received as gifts. While I'm sure there's going to be quite a few more that would fit in this photo in a few weeks after my baby shower, these are some of the first few clothes we've received.
The orange onsie is from a friend who couldn't help but poke a little fun at the boy. In case it's a little hard to read it says, "Daddy knows a lot but Mommy knows everything."

The duck sleeper is from my grandmother. It's made of some of the softest material ever. My brother even felt it and said he wished they made something like it in his size! Ha!

The last is a US soccer uniform from my dad. While the baby did just miss this year's world cup, next summer is the women's world cup, so hopefully the baby is able to fit into it then.

Trendy Tot Tuesday - Janie and Jack

I remember hearing about Janie and Jack on various blogs back before I was even pregnant. I thought their stuff was adorable and knew once we had a baby I had to make sure they had some of their items to wear. Which is why on my trip to Houston earlier this year, when I saw there store I had to stop in. Especially since there isn't one in Baton Rouge. Lucky for me we were in there in the middle of a sale, which made me feel far better about picking these things up.
First was the pink sweater from the boy's section. It can definitely be hard to buy unisex clothing but I figured this was perfect. Yes, it's pink which says girl, except technically it is meant for boys, so it could easily work either way.

In the middle is a crab onesie with matching socks. While I realize it may not be the best theme for a winter baby, I figure we can definitely make it work.

Finally on the right there's elephant pajamas with a matching hat, which I have a feeling I'll be making the most use of.

While I love Janie and Jack's clothes, it's expensive enough that I know it likely won't be a common purchase. But I have a feeling every once in a while I won't be able to help myself to bring home an item or two!

Mailbox Monday (93)

It's kind of funny seeing I'm so close to my 100th Mailbox Monday post, and yet realizing if I post every single week, by the time I get there I'll be only a few weeks away from having a baby. Funny how one thing can seem so far away, but another the same distance away feels so close. But till then, here's this week's addition where I'm linking up the new books I've brought into our home.
Borrowed from a Friend
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
The boy is a huge fan of Sanderson, although doesn't normally read his YA books. Which is funny in a way, since he claims to have read this one. Except I don't ever remember seeing it in the house, nor did he offer it to me. But at least I have a friend who did lend me a copy so I can see what he's all about.

For Review from TLC Book Tours
This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash
This is actually the last book I'm going to be reviewing before the baby arrives. I know I'm going to need to cut back significantly on reading after the baby arrives, and wanting to spend the last few months before that trying to whittle down my to-read pile. But knowing how much I enjoyed Wiley Cash's last book I'm excited to have this as my last review book, at least last review for the time being.

Purchased
My Baby Book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
I've spent a lot of time looking through baby books and picked this one since it's a lot more fact than feeling based, which works for me. I've already starting filling parts of it out, and while I realize it likely won't get 100% complete, I'm hoping to have fun with what does get written in it.

What did you find in your mailbox this week?