mea culpa

I wish I could just blame pregnancy brain on today's mea culpa...so I'm going to...because I'd feel more terrible than I already do if I didn't....

I missed my Scoutie's birthday.

Say what????

Yes.  It was yesterday.

True....I'm not really sure if it's her real birthday because we "rescued" her from some random college kids off of Craigslist.  Yes, we got her off of Craigslist...we love Craigslist...I even found our piano on Craigslist.

But I digress.

Scout is 2 (or thereabouts).  When we adopted her, the random college kids (who were probably trying to scam us, but whatevs) told us she was born sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving.  That's all they could tell me.  So I picked 11/11 because I thought it'd be a date I would never forget.

Uh yeah...good one, Tina.

I am so sorry, my Scout.

If I weren't on this darned bedrest, I'd take you down to the fancy dog bakery like we did last year and buy you a delicious, overpriced birthday biscuit.  And maybe stop by the cupcake bakery and pick up a cupcake for me...it's not fun to eat sweets by yourself, after all! ;)

Thanks for being such a great puppy.  Sure, we've had our "differences"--but you are a really good dog.  We couldn't have asked for a better puppy. 

You've gotten me through some rough times.

You allowed me to be a "mother" while we were waiting to have a human child.

You are always happy to see me, no matter what...and you can make a bad mood disappear instantly...well...most of the time, anyway....:)

You will always have a special place in my heart, 'cause you're my first doggie ever.

I only have one wish for your 2nd birthday...um...now that you're a big girl...could you calm down some?  I heard some dogs calm down at 2.  Not holding my breath or anything, but it would be oh so nice.

Then again, your silly puppy ways are what make me love you most.  :)

I love you, my baby girl.  As soon as Grant comes, we'll celebrate your belated birthday, and his birth day together.  Complete with yummy biscuits.  Promise.

happy veterans day!

Happy Veterans Day!  I have nothing but the utmost respect and gratitude to all the servicemen and women, and their families who serve or have served our country with such dedication and at such a great sacrifice.  I'm so thankful for you!

As you can see, I'm still here.  I'm not sure if anything is progressing, but it would be so nice if we could meet this little guy like...this weekend. :)

Samantha asked for my hospital list...so I thought I'd include it here.  Note, it is a 5 column spreadsheet...but I don't know how to put a spreadsheet on here, so I just broke it down by column and pasted it below.  The hospital tour guide suggested we pack a backpack with essentials so we have portability before the baby is born, and a suitcase for all the stuff we'll need after delivery.  Hope it's helpful! :)

Things to remember to pack on the day of
insurance card
phone charger
snacks
figure out scout
backpack/suitcase
ped business card
call ped to alert
driver's license
roll of quarters
phones
credit card
pack tom/tina clothes

Backpack
Laptop
toiletry bag
snacks
chargers (phone/ipod)
portable fan
chapstick
ipod/ipod player
Tom's bathing suit
hard candy
camera
Tom's sweatshirt
Wooden massager
Flip-flops for shower

SuitcaseGrant's outfit
2 receiving blankets
Tina's home outfit
Tom's clothes
hairdryer brush
underwear
boppy pillow
depends
nursing bra/pads
towels
cardstock for foot prints
pillows (green case)

Toiletry bag
facewash
moisturizer
toothpaste
toothbrushes
contact solution
contact case
makeup
hair gel
extra hairbands
hairbrush
glasses
shampoo/cond
razor/shaving cream
lotion
stretchy headband

Important Phone Numbers
OBs
Pediatrician
Parents
Siblings
Work
Etc.

checklists

Anyone who knows Tom well knows how much he loves lists.  No...he LOVES lists.  I've never met anyone who loved crossing tasks off as he completes them as much as he does.

So, whenever we have something to do, or I ask him to do something, he puts it into list form.  We have post-its and notepads, as well as electronic Google docs, with lists everywhere that cover just about everything in our lives.  Naturally, when we were talking about packing our hospital bags several weeks ago, Tom sent me a Google docs spreadsheet with all of the stuff we need.

I'm actually not really a list maker; I'm more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants and do things as I remember them type of gal, but I must say that I've grown to really appreciate Tom's lists.  So, when Tom sent me that hospital bag list, I obliged and happily added random things that I've read online as helpful items....like Depends.

Yes.  I said Depends.  As in, the adult diapers.  It was humiliating packing those last night.  But I've read that there's quite a bit of bleeding after delivery, and sometimes it's easier to just wear depends than wear big pads with uncomfortable undies.  Sorry if that was TMI.

Anyhoo...while we're on the topic of lists, you can see that we've checked off a big to-do: pack the hospital bag. :)  We were putting that off because I just figured we could.  But the reason why we decided to do it last night was because, at my appointment yesterday, it was evident that my body is completing its own checklist on its road to labor.

I'm a full centimeter dilated!

So, the doc wanted to help things along and he stripped my membranes.  Ouch.

And last night I passed my "bloody show" or mucus plug.

In the meantime, the occasional contractions continue.  But nothing constant or anything....so nothing to get hyped up about.

All signs of labor.  Or not.  Dr. Google indicates that some women have these symptoms for hours and give birth, while others wait weeks.  So I'm not holding my breath.

Oh...and the pre-scheduled induction date is 11/24...the eve of Thanksgiving, so maybe my initial thinking about eating turkey in the hospital was right on!

Although...Dr. H. did say, "See you next week, unless something happens before then!"  Yikes.

So...I went and checked something else off my list.  I got a pedicure.  'Cause I know that it ain't gonna be a pretty sight anyway, but I felt like I shouldn't subject my poor nurse, doctors, and Tom to ugly feet during labor. :)

So, I'm still here.  Still on bedrest.  Still waiting to cross off more of these labor signs off the list.

37 weeks: thank-full term

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

I have a couple of reasons to be full of thanks today.

First, it's my daddy's birthday.  He's the best dad ever.

Here's a pic of him and his oldest sister before I was even born.  Aren't they so cool and adorable???

And a pic of him, with his oldest daughter (that's me!) and his son. Nice face, Joshy.

Don't I have a really handsome daddy?  Happy birthday, Appah!  I love you!!!!

Second, Grant is officially full term!  Hooray!  This means that he can come out now and I can breathe a sigh of relief. :)  I have an appointment tomorrow, so we'll see what the doctor says about induction or continued bedrest.

I love all the men in my life....and can't wait to introduce my new little man to all of them!

Thank you, Lord, for bringing us to full term! :)

the nursery

The nursery is finally done!  Hooray!  Okay...well, it's done on the superficial level.  I still need to clean out one of the closets.  But I don't think we'll be needing that closet for a while yet. :) Anyway...I promised some pics....so here they are!

Here's Grant's crib, complete with the Pottery Barn Kids train sheets and blankie that I adore....and my steal of a deal Baby Gap bedding. :)

Here's the dresser and the changing table.

\

This is what the top of the dresser looks like...on the left is a special friend that my cousin Jeannie brought back from her world travels to Jordan.

The closets...don't open those...you just don't know what might pop out at you! ;)

Our book racks from PBK!  These were the final touches on our room and I love them!

The glider, lambie, and blankie!  And guard doggie. :)

And I wanted to mention two special pieces in the room...

This is the name plaque that Auntie Grace made for Grant.  She and her hubs is a special couple that God placed in our lives a couple of years ago.  We've walked this infertility journey together, and they have been a great source of comfort, encouragement, and joy.  They are waiting to bring their little boy home from Korea, and I think Grant and Choi Boy might come home around the same time!  We are so thrilled for them!  In the meantime, Grace has started her very own Etsy shop making plaques like the one she made for Grant...so if you're interested, here's the link to her site, Waiting With Grace! 

And, finally, a sign that my sweet cousin, Uno, made for us in remembrance of our little Elioenai.  Her sister, Jeannie, was wise enough to let me open this gift in private after the baby shower....because I just about lost it when I opened it.  Thanks, Uno.  You are da bomb and I love you!!! :)

daycare

I have some exciting news...we have found a daycare provider for Grant!  Hip hip hooray!

I've always known that I would be a working mom.  I knew it wouldn't be easy to leave my kids with someone else, but I don't think I knew *how* hard it would be until I conducted my first two interviews with a daycare center and a home daycare provider. 

I won't go into the details, but let's just say I felt a bit uneasy after the appointments for a few reasons.

BUT, my friend Grace, who is a fabulous teacher in a nearby neighborhood, referred us to F, whose daughter she taught a few years back.  The only thing that gave me pause was the fact that I kind of wanted Grant to be nearer to where Tom and I work, rather than where we live, because of our long commute.

Well, we finally met with F this past week...and we both felt comfortable with her immediately.  She is so sweet and wonderful, and I feel like we can trust her -- especially because Grace has raved about her as a mother, as well as her daughter. 

What a relief...what an answered prayer!  During our search, I never felt even remotely comfortable about the people I met or emailed...but to meet someone that both Tom and I love is just a huge huge blessing.

Speaking of daycare...did you know that there is a whole daycare industry for doggies?

Yup.

It's not cheap. 

But your pup comes home reallllllly tired.

Scoutie's been pretty neglected since this bedrest began.  And stinky, because I'm not supposed to be doing things like washing my dog.

So...today, I took her to our local doggie daycare and added a bath.  And now she's home.  Wiped out.  Out for the count.  And NOT stinky.  Hip hip hooray!

It's funny...I was thinking...when I dropped her off, she just happily went with the lady into the daycare room.  She didn't even think about turning around to look at me wistfully.

That made me kind of sad...and, yet, I felt reassured because I know they're not abusing her or that she's not anxious about being there.  And...really, daycare is good for her--she gets to play with other doggies and socialize.

But when I came back, she was SO happy to see me.  Why?  Because no matter how much fun she has at daycare, I am her mommy.  And she knows she's supposed to be with me.

It may sound silly, but I feel like it's a preview for daycare and Grant...at least, I hope it is.  And that makes me a little sad, but a whole lot reassured.

holiday birth announcements

Hi everyone!

One of the things that I'm looking forward to this year is sending out Grant's birth announcement.  Since it's so close to Christmas, I've decided to combine it with our Christmas card, partly because I'm not sure I could do both and partly because it's the green thing to do. :)

I just received a promo offer from http://www.shutterfly.com to review their holiday cards in exchange for some free cards, so I thought, why not?  (Yeah...I'm a cheapskate...but I prefer the term "frugal.")

I had been looking through a bunch of websites to find some good holiday/birth announcements.  There are some really cute announcements out there, but I noticed that a lot of them can be pretty expensive, or there aren't a lot of good holiday themed birth announcements, or a combination of both issues.

I like Shutterfly's site overall because I think they have some pretty great options if you're looking for any type of photo card, whether it's simply a holiday card or a birth announcement or, if you're like me, and hoping to combine the two.  Bonus?  It's one of the most affordable sites I've found, too, without sacrificing the style factor!  There are over 700 designs and they range from classic to modern, from sophisticated to cute, and from simple to fancy.  I think they have something that could satisfy most preferences and budgets.  And, I tried customizing some cards and found it fast and easy. 

I've found a few different designs that I really love here: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery.  I'm not going to share which one I've narrowed it down to, 'cause if you're going to get one, that would spoil the surprise, right?  But I will tell you that it will include a pic of Grant and Scoutie, provided, of course, that they both cooperate!!! :)  I'm excited and can't wait for Grant to get here so I can get started on ordering our cards.

So...check out the link below if you're in the market for photo cards for the holidays!!!


http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards

Oh, and if you're a blogger and want to participate in Shutterfly's promo, here's the link for that: http://bit.ly/sfly2010 
:)