Traveling....with a baby

Um, yeah. What was supposed to be a 3.5 hour trip from Nashville turned into more like 7 hours, as the bug had to eat....twice. Which means that my lady parts have now been spotted all up and down I-75.

When I have regained my sanity, I'll post more about Christmas. Highlights include a cappucino maker, a new puppy (not mine, my dad's), the Rockettes, and many hours of Rock Band.....where I exhibited my mad drumming skillz. If set to easy mode, while playing an easy song. Don't hate.

Two Months

Well, actually more like 2 and a half months, but I tend to be a little less than organized about things like documenting what my baby was like at 2 months. Or about most things in general.

Anyway, here's a little word picture of AG at 2 months. Also known as a run-on sentence....my apologies.

Smiley, super active/always in motion, miraculous little sleeper (11-12 hours at night!), BIG "talker," found her tongue and LOVES sticking it out, also loves when mommy sticks hers out back (uh-oh, possible bad habit?), happy, rarely fussy, loves smiling at her stuffed Santa, has ROLLED OVER, still hates tummy time, starting to like bathtime (praise the Lord), loves her swing & bouncy seat, hates her carseat (or being restricted in general), wakes up early and talks to herself, size 1 diapers, size 3 month clothes, 10lbs 5oz at 2 month appointment, still has blue eyes, & totally ROCKS the baby mullet.

And in case that word picture didn't really do it for ya, here's a real one of AG. (Also at 2 months, mommy has finally gotten back into real clothes and makeup. Nice.)

(Her ear is not deformed, I'm just squashing it. Also, not sure why her hair looks red?)

I've Been Had

AG=Master Manipulator at the age of 10 weeks. I'm serious. This girl has skillz. (Yes, with a z.)

As mentioned before, she is on napping strike. And mommy has had to get some tough love going on up in here. (Wow, how dorky did that sound? I promise not to say that ever again).

Anyway, baby girl will scream like she's in severe pain, until the moment I enter the room. Then she's all, look how cute I am mommy! I'm smiling at you. Don't you want to pick me up and play with me, or better yet, feed me? And I'm all, "Okay, I'm gonna be strong.....oh LOOK at my precious girl smiling at me....baby talk, baby talk, baby talk."

I'm telling ya....she's good. Watch out dad, you are in SUCH trouble with this one.

(Yes, that IS a dirty diaper in the corner. Just for you, readers, just for you.)

We just went on a serious kamikaze shopping experience at the mall--I basically ran around trying to grab presents for everyone on my list in less than an hour. Now I am recovering with some iced sugar cookies that I BOUGHT FOR MYSELF (who does this?) from Cheryl & Co. Betsy, this is your fault girl, b/c when I read about them on your blog, I immediately browsed on over to their website and sent myself a little present. In the form of more cellulite on my thighs.

Are you SERIOUS??

Can someone please tell me why my baby has decided that A) she hates her carseat, and B) she will not tolerate a nap?

Seriously, we were doing so well! WHAT is the problem? I need mommy-advice ASAP!

Christmas!!

**Um, I just found this post in my list of unpublished posts....oops. So yes. I am posting about Christmas.....on January 18th. Why not, my Christmas tree's STILL up, so clearly I am living in denial about Christmas being over.**

Christmas is pretty much my FAVORITE time of year. For lots of reasons, obviously first and foremost being Jesus....And, now that I don't have to worry that you'll think I'm not really a Christian, or that I forgot why we celebrate Christmas in the first place, let me tell you a few of my other reasons too.



1. Because I LOVE giving gifts. Love it! And I am so not about to be the person who gives you something practical either. In my opinion, gifts should be something fun that you wouldn't buy yourself. John and I have very different approaches on this, as illustrated by his response when I asked him what he wanted for Christmas and he said "nothing." Say what?! Do you not know me at all? To which he replied, "Okay, then get me some diapers." Hmmmm, I wasn't aware you were wearing diapers these days, honey. And then my favorite response...."Why don't you just make me something?" Since we know that I am A) not crafty, and B) not culinary, you are taking a BIG RISK with that one, babe.



Clearly, you can see our problem. I like to make it easy by compiling a wish list, complete with links, sizes, and order of preference. I'm kidding. Or not.



2. Christmas decorations! I seriously love putting them up, and completely hate taking them down. They may or may not have stayed up until February last year. We got started on them yesterday, and in assembling our pre-lit tree, found out that about half of the lights don't work. John suggested getting another strand of lights and filling in the gaps. Lazy Sherri is wondering if some creative ornament arranging might cover up some of the un-lit spaces.



3. Peppermint Lattes. Needs no explanation.



4. Christmas parties! I feel like we usually go through about 3 solid weeks of nonstop parties. This year's been a little trickier with the baby though, since apparently most people don't have parties that last from 6-7:30pm.



5. Christmas cards! How fun is it to see pictures of your favorite people, along with any new additions (babies, puppies, etc) from the past year? Unfortunately, this falls into my "good intentions, but" category. As in, I had good intentions of doing a Christmas card, but it just didn't happen this year. Or last year. Or the year before that. Actually, I'm pretty sure we've only managed one Christmas card in the last five years. Oops. It was a good one though, we were even wearing red and green.



Now, to be grinch-like, and tell you the (very) few things I don't like about this time of year:



Lenox Mall

Traffic

My tv shows going on break til January

Eggnog

Fruitcake (I tried some the other day, and am pretty sure I threw up in my mouth a little bit.)

Oh Crap.....Literally.

So, I COULD write about how Ally Grace weighed 10lbs and 5oz at her 2 month checkup the other day. Or, how sad it was to watch her get her shots (worse for mommy than it was for baby). Or maybe I should write about how she ROLLED OVER yesterday during tummy time! Yes! And I could write about how cute it was to watch her get stuck halfway, and how I sat and cheered her on until she finally got it.

But, I'm not actually going to talk about any of those things today. Instead I'm going to write about how I was just standing in one of my favorite home stores, minding my own dang business, when I literally got showered with poop water. Showered. With. Poop. Water. And yes, I have washed my entire body approximately 57 times to make sure that I'm not gonna get a parasite or some other nasty funk from who knows what was in that water. (But, I'm pretty sure it was poop, so yeah. Good times.)

Seriously, this would ONLY happen to me. Because out of the 15 people in the store when it happened, I was the one standing near the pipe that burst in the ceiling from the condos above the store. The pipe that then proceeded to shower down brown water with even browner particles in it. Which splashed all over the right side of my body. Thank the good Lord that I wasn't standing directly underneath it, because I might have had a nervous breakdown right then and there.

Several ladies (who were watching me with "better you than me, sister" looks) offered to get me some antibacterial wipes from their car. And the shop owner was sweet, and offered to let me go scrub myself in their bathroom. Which I took him up on. (Although I'm thinking it would've been sweeter to offer me a big fat credit at their store, or maybe free shopping for life).

In summary, I am pretty sure that, no matter what, your day is better than mine. Unless you've been hit in the face with poop.

Serious Cuteness

I mean, really? Are you not melting into a big puddle right now? We've been trying to catch her in a smile for weeks, and yesterday, John JUST managed to get one of her with my cell phone. I am IN LOVE with this little girl. I just know that this little face will NEVER do anything wrong. She will always be sweet and respectful, and I'm sure we'll never fight about anything, right?

Riiiiiiight.

So last week, we had a couple of firsts: Ally Grace had her very first shopping trip. A girl's gotta learn early! And mommy had her very first nursing in public experience. And by public, I mean in the ladies lounge in Macy's, wearing a Hooter Hider. But still. I felt pretty hardcore. A lady approached me and asked me about my nursing cover, saying that she needed to get one for her daughter (who just had a baby). I told her to google Hooter Hider, and she could probably find one that way.

I also told her I am not to be held responsible for anything else she might find when googling Hooter Hiders.

Ally Grace hit 8 weeks old on Thursday! I can't believe that it's been 8 weeks already. (I also can't believe she was ever curled up inside my belly. It seems like a weird and slightly horrifying fairy tale).

Anyway, she's getting so big! We've gotten to watch little chins (yes, chins) and fat rolls pop up, which is so adorable. At her last pediatrician appointment, she weighed 9lbs and 5oz, so I'm excited to see what she weighs when we go to her 2 month appointment today.

I'm sure you're all on the edge of your seats. Or not.

I'll leave you with a couple of photos from the last week or two....enjoy!

Look at this little bear.....how adorable is this outfit? Her face is telling me that she may or may not completely love it.

I think she's starting to feel a little sassier here. But who wouldn't feel super sassy in paw print booties? Or maybe she's just about to cry. I can already envision the fights we'll have about her outfits. On a side note, I am totally the type of mom who can't wait to say "Because I said so."

Um, why is she already as tall as we are?

Her "Jim Halpert face."

Have a great Monday!

Thankful (This May or May Not Be Mushy....You Were Warned)

For my husband, who loves me even when I spend all of 2009 in a state of hormonal crazy. Who gives me kisses and brings me flowers for no reason at all. Who told me he loved me and wanted to marry me after 6 weeks of knowing each other. You are without a doubt the best part of God's plan for me, and I literally have no words to describe my thankfulness.

For my little bug, who has completely rocked my entire world....in the absolute best way possible. Who spent nine months making me uncomfortable, but was so, so worth it. Who smiles at us and takes our breath away. Who gets bigger every minute. I am completely in love.

For parents who took a chance on a little blond girl who loved Mickey Mouse and her "tenny shoes." Who showed me about loving Jesus. Who have given me a roadmap for parenthood. I hope I can give Ally Grace the kind of unconditional love that you have given me.

For in-laws who raised John to love Jesus. Who taught him how to be a leader, a gentleman, and most importantly, a godly man. I am so thankful that you made me a part of your family 5 years ago.

For a brother-in-law who is the brother I never had, but always wanted. Who is a man of God that I admire. Who loves to come visit his niece, hold her, and even change her diapers! You are already a fabulous Uncle!

For amazing girlfriends (it would take too many pictures to show all of you!) who have supported & encouraged me throughout the years. Who brought fabulous dinners to us after AG was born for a month straight! Who have been by my side during the different stages of life. I love you girls like crazy!

Most of all, for Jesus. Who gave me the gift of salvation. Who loves me every moment, even when I am a heinous sinner (which is always). Who doesn't stop giving me chances. Who is there for me, even when I'm too busy for him. You are the entire reason for my life.

And just in case you thought this post was too serious, I'm also thankful for my puppy, Jackson--who really should've been given his own bullet point now that I think about it, people who actually read this blog, people who comment on this blog (you make my day!), tivo, The Office, pumpkin spice lattes, Starbucks in general, the chance to sleep in, Anthropologie, People magazine, candy corn, the Twilight series (yes, REALLY), a good run on a gorgeous fall day, sweatpants, and hair colorists.

On the other hand, I am NOT thankful for having to clean up dog vomit, which is what I just had to do when Jackson threw up his heartworm pill.

My life is so glamorous.

Weekend

So, here's my weekend in list form......a) because I am a nerd and I love a good list, and b) I may or may not be moderately lazy and this is easier.

1. NEW MOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That could really be the entire list, as it is easily the most anticipated event of my year. Oh wait, I meant AFTER having a baby. Kristin and I went Friday night, along with every 15 year old girl in Atlanta.....it was quite the experience. From the almost fight that we had with some girls who tried to cut in front of us in line (Really. Don't. Mess.), to the girls who screamed every time Jacob had his shirt off (I promise that wasn't us.....maybe.), it was well worth the wait. In true Sherri form, I had assembled the perfect trifecta of snacks--Reese's Pieces, Mike 'n Ikes, and (what else) candy corn. Delightful.

2. Feeding AG--this has to be included simply because of the sheer amount of time it takes up in a given day. Although I do get to cuddle with my little frog, so it's all good.

3. Going running.....I have REALLY missed running, and just started back a couple of weeks ago. It feels amazing to run on a gorgeous fall day....even when I am having to run the pace of an 85 year old.

4. Doing some work--actually have missed this too, and am easing back into it.....it's amazing how you can be forced into productivity when you have only an hour-long window during a certain little monster's nap.

5. Coffee with Eryn--yay for coffee with a fun friend.....we even let AG come too, although she didn't seem to like the latte I ordered for her. Hmmmm, strange.

6. Cookies! Not just for me, I made a bunch of homemade double doozies for a party at Rod and Kristin's tonight. I may or may not have eaten a few along the way. Taste-testing, that's all.

7. Panahar & the Georgia game. If you watched the Georgia game, you know that Panahar was the more enjoyable part of that combo.

That's it......that hour-long nap window just turned into more like a 30-minute window, and I have a squirmy little baby that needs to be tricked into waiting another hour to eat.

Hallelujah for Naptime

It's a little scary how the highlight of my day is now the fact that the bug went down for her nap without lots of screaming & squirming. She definitely does NOT enjoy naptime. To be fair, her mommy has never really mastered the art of napping either. Mommy would prefer to read People and eat chocolate......hmmmm, perhaps a fun baby friendly activity when naptime just isn't happening?

Anyway, it's been a big week for AG! She's smiling ALOT, and very definitely on purpose. Like when I smile at her, she smiles back. And my heart? Turns into a big fat puddle. I would give her just about anything, including my clothing budget, which, for those of you who know me, should tell you quite a bit.

(Okay, let's not be rash, maybe I'd split it 70/30 with her. Mama's gotta have something to wear, right? Something that isn't sweatpants and my one favorite white t-shirt. Or my maternity jeans, which embarrassingly, I'm still wearing. Turns out, I have a deep love of elastic waistbands.)

In the last 5 weeks, she has changed SO much! She's getting bigger, and more aware of what's going on around her....plus, like I said, she's totally smiling for REAL, and even trying to reach for toys (sometimes). My favorite thing is taking her out of her swaddle, and watching her look all grumpy while she stretches those long legs.....too, too cute. If I were really cool, I'd put a video on here, so you could enjoy the cuteness, but a) we are very likely the one family on the planet that doesn't have a video camera, and b) I don't actually know how to post a video anyway.

Here are a few photos from the past few weeks instead.....enjoy!

We HATE tummy time!

(This picture does nothing to truly relate the hatred she feels for bathtime. This is actually pre-major gremlin meltdown.)

Happy Halloween from our little Pirate!

Don't be jealous of my Twilight onesie......yes, it does say "I'd rather be drinking blood." I know, I know, my obsession with Twilight is creepy. And, I don't really care.

Daddy loves his little girl!

And Finally, What I Know You've Been Waiting For.....

The birth story is finally here! Try not to get overly excited. I honestly hope I can even remember the details, because I feel a little bit braindead after the last 3.5 weeks of trying to figure out how to raise a newborn.

At any rate, I had an OB appointment when I was 6 days overdue, and the fabulous midwife who saw me (who later ended up delivering Ally Grace) was basically like, are you ready to have this baby tomorrow? And I said, yes, please. So, she told me Northside Hospital would be calling me later that day, and letting me know what time to come in to be induced. All very different from the mad dash to the hospital that I envisioned. Which is probably a good thing for every driver on the road between my house and Northside.

We ended up getting the call around 5, and were told to be there between 5:30 and 6pm. Good thing I had (mostly) packed my bag. John and I left the house, and I had this crazy moment where I realized that it was the last time I would see my house without a little one in tow. Which of course made me tear up. No surprise there, since anything and everything was making me cry at that point.

We had a quick minute to take a picture:

(in which my belly is totally trying to push John out of the way)


Then, we were on our way to have a baby! I think the whole way there I freaked out, saying OMG, I can't believe we are having a baby RIGHT NOW. Clearly not, but anyway.

We get there, get signed in, and head to our room. It honestly felt like checking into a hotel--a weird hotel, with hospital beds and bedpans, that is. I was hooked up to a fetal heartbeat monitor, and then another monitor to track my contractions. The nurse came in and said that they were going to give me some medicine to "soften my cervix." Mmmmm, sounds great.

(Yes, I am super classy and only read really respectable publications like In Touch. And no, the "I'm Going to Be a Mom" headline wasn't even on purpose. I was just trying to show off my reading choice.)



It turns out, I was far enough along that I didn't even need the "cervix-softening" medicine, so they decided to wait and induce me the next morning by breaking my water and giving me some Pitocin. Which apparently is supposed to really ramp up those contractions. So, yay.

The next morning, they started the Pitocin, and my midwife (who hereafter shall be referred to as Awesome Christine) broke my water. I was ready for contractions that were going to make me want to punch someone in the face, as I have clearly learned how this process works from shows like Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, and the ever popular (at least on this blog) I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant.

Well, I never really had contractions like I expected. I mean, yes, I got to a point where I wasn't super comfortable, but that's when Awesome Christine stepped in and encouraged me to get my epidural. She pointed out very wisely that I could either "labor in comfort" or "labor in pain."

Hmmmm, let me think. I believe I'll take the comfortable option, please.

So, I got my epidural around 11 that morning. And I'm so glad I did, despite the fact that I literally could not feel/move my legs from that point forward. And I may or may not have asked the nurse 96 times if she was absolutely SURE that I hadn't accidentally been paralyzed.

Clearly I was her favorite patient that day.

Here I am "laboring in comfort" with John, awesome Christine, and my cup of ice chips. I think I could've been even more comfortable, had I been able to enjoy some cupcakes with my ice chips. Hallelujah for epidurals, is all I have to say.

And here is where I may potentially make some of you hate me. The rest of the labor and delivery was just not that hard. Seriously. And yes, I was clearly super medicated, and must have had WAY over the top fears of what it would be like. But, after 40 minutes of pushing, AG came out, and I honestly felt like, wow that was it? And please don't virtually slap me down for saying that if your own labor and delivery were difficult. I know that's the case for lots of women, and, thanks to all the really terrible stories I heard beforehand, I had really mentally prepared myself for something truly awful. In fact, the worst part of it all was after my epidural wore off. Yay for Percocet.

All I can say is that I am beyond thankful for the experience that God gave me, not to mention the fabulous nurses and awesome Christine....they were definitely part of His plan as well.

Anyway, Ally Grace was born at 5:03pm on October 8th. She weighed 7lbs and 15oz, and was 22 inches long. In my admittedly biased opinion, she is the most beautiful baby I've ever seen! Immediately after her birth, she had to be taken to the transition nursery for a few hours, as her breathing was faster than they wanted it to be. But, after about 4 hours of monitoring her, they brought her down to our room, where we finally got to spend time with our precious girl.

We had LOTS of visitors during our 2-day stay, and I was going to try to upload photos of each and every one. But, it's taking WAY too long to do that, and I am way too impatient to sit here for that long. Plus, did I mention that I have a new baby to take care of?

We finally did make it back home though. Here we are leaving the hospital with our little bundle of joy:

And most importantly, here's Jackson meeting his new little sister. Funny how they look nothing alike.

So, that's pretty much it for the birth story. Fascinating, wasn't it? In my next post, maybe we can talk about how I may or may not have sent out some pictures from the birth that may or may not have accidentally shown my lady parts. Yeah.......good times.

Is That a Baby In Your Pants?

NO joke, that was the title of the most recent episode of I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant. Now, I'm no expert by any means, but after having been through childbirth, I am pretty positive that it's incredibly difficult to just have a baby FALL OUT INTO YOUR PANTS LEG. Which leads me to wonder several things:

A) What kind of pants was this person WEARING? I'm thinking trouser jeans, or some type of wide leg pant for this to occur. Certainly not skinny jeans....(btw, do NOT try to wear your skinny jeans 3 weeks after having a baby, no matter how much smaller you feel. Your self-esteem will take a hit, just trust me on this.)

B) I'm just a LITTLE curious about this woman's underwear choice. Or, should I say, lack thereof. Ew.

C) Are you kidding me that a baby could just fall out of someone? Hardly seems fair for the rest of us who had to take an active part in the process. I'm just sayin.

D) How many people actually thought that would be the title of my birth story? Although after being an avid viewer of IDKIWP (I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant....I'm so cool), I feel that I should have had an experience that would have been worthy of the show. Oh well. There's always next time.

Anyway, birth story is next, for real this time. I promise. No, seriously. It is. If I can even remember it in my new mommy delirium. In the meantime, here are a few things I've learned about Ally Grace during the last 3 weeks:

1. When she cries really hard, it makes her snort. And we laugh. Yes, we are mean.
2. She has more poopy diapers than I ever believed possible. I know you wanted to know that.
3. She definitely knows my voice, which is awesome!
4. She loves, loves her stroller. And I love getting outside in this awesome weather. Win-win. Win.
5. She likes for me to watch Arrested Development on Hulu while I feed her. Okay, really I just like to do that. But she would totally laugh if she knew how funny it was. And if she could actually laugh yet.
6. She HATES bathtime. Screams like a little gremlin baby. We just get in, and get out as fast as we can!
7. She likes to cry when we put her down for a nap.
8. She enjoys dirtying as many new diapers as she can. For example, she waits until she has a clean one, and then pees in it immediately. Then, we put her in another clean one and she poops. It's REALLY fun....for her.
9. She smiles alot.....and like every other mommy out there, I believe that she is actually smiling at me, instead of having gas. It's pretty adorable.
10. She hates the Baby Bjorn. It may or may not have something to do with our awkwardness when trying to get her in it.

Spit Up, Baby Wipes, and Dirty Diapers

Well, 2 of the 5 people who read this blog have "strongly encouraged" me to come back from blogging maternity leave, so I PROMISE the birth story is coming soon! In the meantime, I am up to my elbows in dirty diapers, and trying not to cry myself every time the little bug cries for no apparent reason at all.

Motherhood has been amazing, scary, frustrating, and wonderful all at the same time! We're working on getting on a schedule, and once that happens, I have a feeling that I'll be posting a lot more often....bear with me until then.

Here are some pictures of AG to tide you over in the meantime. I know I am biased, but I think she's pretty darn amazing! (My friend Kerie, of Kerie Cleveland Photography took these, and they are incredible....thank you, Kerie! Interesting side note: On the day she took these photos, John and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary....and guess who was our super talented wedding photographer? Kerie, did you ever think 5 years to the DAY later, you would be taking pictures of our baby girl?)

And now I feel old. Anyway...........

Are you dying at this cuteness? I mean, really.

I adore her......

Our new little family......

Unbelievable

Our sweet baby girl is here! We are still in a whirlwind, so I'll do the birth story later, but Ally Grace is PERFECT (yes, I am clearly biased), and we are so in love with her already!

She was born Thursday, October 8th at 5:03pm, and weighed 7lbs, 15oz. She's 22 inches long, which apparently, is a pretty long baby! No wonder the belly was so out of control!

She was worth absolutely every single minute of pregnancy torture.....here are a couple of photos of our little bug until I can post all 5000 that we took in the hospital!

Excuse my sassy hospital gown....I know, it's super fashionable.

How can you not fall in love with that little face? More to come, I promise!

Goodbye, Floating Baby Widget

Did you notice that I took the Widget of Creepiness off my blog? Well, I did. Mainly because it was making me upset, as it began counting UP once I hit my due date. As in, you have "5 Days To Go." Excuse me, but I DO NOT have 5 days to go, and you are upsetting me, little widget!
I am already teetering on the brink of insanity, so I do not need to see you over there with your false information!

Because I am actually FIVE DAYS OVERDUE. Oh my word. I don't even think pumpkin cupcakes could help me right now. Okay, who am I kidding, they totally could.

I was reading up on some ways of inducing labor naturally, most of which fall squarely in the category of "Last Thing I Feel Like Doing Right Now." But, one of the methods I found was to go get a pregnancy massage. So, I called John, and was like, honey, the internet says that a pregnancy massage could help me go into labor. I think it's a necessity. And you KNOW that everything on the internet is true. I could make an appointment at the little spa around the corner today!

And John (aka, Mr. Responsible) is all, why don't you just print some instructions off the internet and I'll give you one when I get home! Awwww, thanks babe, that's actually very sweet. Except, what I meant to say is that it has to be a professional pregnancy massage for it to work. It says so, right here on the message board I'm reading. Darn!

Yeah. It didn't work, ladies. Let's be honest, husbands are smart, and tend to prefer the free methods, like skipping, squatting, and jumping jacks.

Let me finish off this post with a list of my least favorite words on the planet. Random, I know, but I am super bored right now, so indulge me.

1. Jiggle
2. Ointment
3. Moist
4. Plug
5. Snot
6. Plump
7. Bean (that's just because I hate beans, so I can't really like the word either).
8. Tiny (because I'm not)
9. Toot
10. Crusty
11. Pick


Any great ones that I missed? For the record, one of my favorite words is "satchel." Aren't you so glad you know that about me?

Still Pregnant.....Are You Kidding Me?

Let's see, what do I have to show for this weekend? One raging cold, and no baby. Oh, and a lot of irritation that I am still pregnant.

And a bunch of cookies that are technically supposed to be for the hospital, but that may or may not end up in my belly before we get there.

It's totally weird to be waiting on such a huge event, and yet have no idea when it will actually happen. Every day I wake up and wonder if today will be Ally Grace's birthday.....so, MAYBE today? At this point, if I haven't had her by my doctor's appt on Wednesday, we will go ahead and induce....at the latest, she should be here by Thursday!

(John is convinced that she is in there blowdrying her hair, putting on makeup, and checking herself out in the mirror 3000 times before she can leave....now WHERE would he ever get that idea? Strange.)

By the way, THANK YOU for all the texts, sweet messages, and phone calls.....it's fun to know that so many are anxiously awaiting her arrival with us! John and I have been praying for God's will to be done in her delivery, and we believe that He has specifically ordained the day, the nurses, and the midwife who will deliver her. Which honestly really helps when I want to start drinking castor oil or eating eggplant parmesan.

They Determine Our Worth By Putting Beans on Our Faces

Who watched the Office last night? SO GOOD! Dwight was hilarious. And next week's going to be the best episode EVER.....if you've never watched it before, I highly recommend going to Blockbuster, renting ALL seasons, and spending the weekend at home watching. Possibly while eating candy corn, smores, or cupcakes. You will not regret it!

So, still pregnant. Yes, I'm officially overdue now. Yesterday, my parents came to town and we went to dinner at FLIP....fabulous hamburgers and even more fabulous pumpkin pie milkshakes! Oh my word, what a way to spend a due date. I actually probably convinced Ally Grace to stay in there longer, so she can continue to get delicious milkshakes and treats. I'm thinking there's no way boring milk is going to live up to all the fun-ness she's been having in my belly.

Also, I made John take an official 40 week belly shot before we left for dinner. Here's the full-term belly, in all it's glory!

I highly doubt I'll be organized enough to take a picture on the way to the hospital, so I decided to get one while I was thinking about it. Besides, after watching too much "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant," I am now convinced that I will probably have my baby on the side of 285, in the middle of rush hour. Or something equally insane.

Not in Labor Yet......

The countdown is on.....okay it's been on for awhile actually. Since about mid-January really.....which definitely doesn't mean that I'm impatient or anything. Stop judging me.



I'm clearly not in labor yet, and I'm thinking that maybe I've made Ally Grace a little too comfortable in there. I've tried bribing her with candy, presents, clothes....all of which would work for me, but nope.....nothing.




I did find myself rashly making banana bread today, which is something I do often. Except not at all. I thought to myself, oh, maybe this is that crazy nesting thing you do right before you give birth......except that's RIGHT, I've had a little bit of crazy going on the whole time.





(Btw, John is threatening to make me skip up and down our street to try to jiggle her out, but I had to tell him that's not exactly how it works. And if it DID work, I would have a completely horrifying birth story, on par with the ones you see on I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant. So, no. Not happening.)




Also, the word "jiggle" is kind of completely horrifying.





Last night, we decided to take advantage of the AWESOME fall weather and build a fire.....and what goes better with a fire than SMORES???? Definitely in my top 5 favorite foods. We had 3 different kinds: the Original Smore (if you don't know what this is, we have a serious problem),the "Symphony Smore" (substitute a Symphony Bar w/ toffee chips for the regular Hershey's milk chocolate), and the "Most Fabulous Smore of All Time" (using a TWIX bar instead of the boring milk chocolate one....is this not the greatest idea ever? Thank you, thank you, totally made that one up myself).




Here we are, about to s'more it up. Ew.

John and Jamey, gettin' their s'more on. And yes, I promise I won't ever say that again.


Finally, a list to sum up the rest of my random day:

1. Why are crock-pots such a nightmare to clean up? They're totally all "I'm a crock-pot, and it'll be so easy to make dinner if you use me," and then they kill you on the back end, when you are relentlessly scrubbing away at piles of caked on mess.

2. Leggings=a pregnant girls best friend. Especially a pregnant girl who wants to live in sweatpants at all times.

3. Also, if you're going to wear leggings, PLEASE make sure your shirt covers your rear end. Seriously. Not a good look on ANYONE if it doesn't.

4. Pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks=heaven.

5. I am BEYOND excited about Jim and Pam's wedding on The Office! I have only been waiting 4 and a half years for this. http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/09/30/video-behind-the-scenes-of-the-office-wedding/


Hopefully my next blog post will involve a BABY! If anyone has any great tips for bringing on labor, send them my way!

39 Weeks, Nursery Update, and Nostril Fun

Yesterday, I had my 39 week appointment.....holy cow, I can't even believe I am here already! John got to come with me for what is (hopefully) my last appointment. And yes, he re-enacted the "q-tips in the nostrils" moment while we waited for the midwife to see us. We considered having John dress up in the gown and get on the table as a joke, but I decided that it might not be a good move to annoy someone (yet!) who could potentially be delivering my baby in a few days.






Clearly, we are super-mature and ready to be parents.



According to the midwife, nothing much has changed with my labor status.....as in, I'm not actually IN labor yet. Apparently, I am now measuring at 34 weeks, when I am actually 39.5 weeks......SO, guess who got another ultrasound?! Fine with me, I love seeing the little monster!





She was just relaxing in there, sucking her thumb again. And if the ultrasound tech is right, she's got some chubby cheeks going on!






Perfect, we'll match.







This weekend, John and I went on dates and just relaxed.....we decided that since it could be our last weekend as just the two of us, we would make it all about what WE wanted to do. We stayed up late, slept in, ate out, watched GA football, and went on walks....it was pretty much perfect! And as much as this will make some of you throw up in your mouth just a little, John is my favorite person on the planet, so I literally never get tired of him.....







I mean, how could you get tired of THIS?










Probably my favorite part of the weekend was going to the restaurant where we had our first date (South City Kitchen), for what might have been our last pre-baby date.....it's one of our favorites, and we've celebrated some special events there, so it was definitely fitting.



Here we are, all dressed up and ready to go to South City. These days, I am choosing loose clothing over something tight every time!



(I mean, at least I managed to get out of my sweatpants for a few hours, right?)





So, a quick nursery update: it's FINISHED! Totally ready for AG to move in....huge relief! Here are some final photos of the nursery....enjoy!







What do you think? Will she like it? Who knows, by my next post, she might be living here!
Cross your fingers!

Single Digits, Cankles, and Marshmallow Toes

Excuse me, people, but did you notice that my countdown is now in the SINGLE digits!?!?! I am slightly freaking out at every twinge, wondering if I'm about to go into labor. I've managed to do an excellent job of avoiding all thoughts of labor/delivery for the past 9 months, and suddenly, it's all I CAN think about. Has anyone else experienced that?



I went to the OB the other day, and she said that everything is looking great. She checked to see if I'm dilated and effaced. Since I am prone to oversharing, I will stop myself from a TMI moment, and just say that things are on track. Apparently. Although, from what I understand, I shouldn't get too excited about any numbers that I'm told, b/c the baby's basically gonna come when she wants to come.


Stubborn, just like her dad. Okay, maybe more like her mom.



Anyway, the midwife I saw told me to just expect to be a week late, and that'll make it a nice surprise if I'm early. THANKS SO MUCH for those words of wisdom! That's EXACTLY what I wanted to hear on a day where the entire city is flooded, my power's out, and there's a MASSIVE tree down in my backyard. And I'm having a bad hair day. And, I've just learned that I've now gained 40lbs....and counting. Which incidentally, forced me to go eat a cinnamon roll.



By the way, did I mention that I rolled up to the doctor's office IN MY SWEATPANTS? This is so not okay. I saw the looks of pity that I got from all the cute pregnant girls waiting to see the doctor. Maybe one of them will nominate me for What Not To Wear.



I've really started to have some swelling over the last few days....I'm hoping at least 33 of those 40lbs is from water retention. Unlikely, but I can dream. Regardless, I look like the Michelin Man in my foot and ankle area.....or more accurately, in my cankle area. I call it the Marshmallow Toes look. It's really attractive, especially when I'm wearing flip-flops. Which is always. I'll see if I can get a good photo for your viewing enjoyment. Or, just to make you feel good about your own skinny ankles.

I'm encouraging like that.

Sweet Perfection

Okay, sadly, I'm not talking about my baby right now. Instead, I'm talking about the most perfectly delicious cupcake known to man: the pumpkin cupcake from Little Cake Bakery.

Seriously, stop it. Just stop it right now. It even has a candy corn pumpkin on top......I may or may not have brought half a dozen of them home with me. And I may or may not have eaten one for breakfast today.

Last week, my friend Jessica, brought over some onesies and a bib for Ally Grace. Let me preface by saying that Jessica is as much of a die-hard Twilight fan as I am (or a Twi-fan, if you're really in the know). If you aren't on board with that, then these might be slightly creepy to you.

Regardless, AG will be wearing them with pride, potentially to the New Moon premiere on November 20th. Dressed as Renesmee, while I am dressed as Bella. Okay, really I did not just go there. Except that I did. And now I will stop.

Also, I bought Ally Grace a Halloween outfit......not really a costume, but mainly more of an excuse to allow me to put her in this ridiculously cute skull cap. If they made one in my size, I'd totally rock it.

Under the 2 week mark, and counting down!

Sweatpants & Pregnancy Memories

It's basically an impossibility for me to be in my house at this point without having my sweatpants on. I feel irritated every time I have to actually get dressed in clothes that are remotely fitted, and pretty much run screaming to my closet for my sweatpants the minute I am back home.

I mean, I've always loved my sweats, but nowI have a totally irrational need to be wearing them at all times. And by all times, I mean, wearing them even in public places like my small group. Which I actually did last night....sorry, girls!

I think it has something to do with the fact that I just feel HUGE and uncomfortable 99.9% of the time. Don't be surprised if you see my sweatpants at the grocery store, at church, on a date....I am a straight up What Not To Wear case at this point.

Also, I realized today that I feel more tired than I literally ever have in my life. What's up with that?

Anyway, my friend Caroline did a blog post awhile back about her pregnancy memories, and I loved the idea! Since this pregnancy is in it's last days, AND since I am a shameless copycat, I wanted to document my own pregnancy memories. Here goes:

1. Taking my first pregnancy test, thinking I definitely wasn’t pregnant, finding a VERY faint 2nd line….

2. Quickly pulling out a spare test for round 2……is that really a 2nd line, or am I hallucinating?

3. Giving up my plans for a dramatic way of telling John, in favor of the “OMG, is this really a 2nd line?” approach.

4. Buying 6 more tests at Kroger, just to be SURE.

5. Telling our parents that they were going to be grandparents, and hearing the excitement and joy in their voices.

6. Sharing the good news with our best friends around 6 weeks…..(I’ve never been that great at keeping secrets, so there was no way we could wait til 12 weeks).

7. The YouTube video we did (thanks for helping Rod and Kristin) to announce to our small group....here's a photo of me with Kristin from that night.

8. Feeling super excited (and a little triumphant) that I didn’t have morning sickness at all….

9. Waking up on the first day of my seventh week with raging nausea that didn’t leave until around 14-15 weeks. UGH.

10. Calling Ally Grace my Little Monster the entire first trimester. Then, being reprimanded by my mom for calling her grandbaby a monster!

11. Existing on crackers, mashed potatoes, ramen noodles, French fries, and toast until I regained my appetite for anything non-carb.

12. Not even being able to THINK about salad or chicken until at least 14 weeks.

13. That SMELL in our fridge and freezer that no one else could smell but me…..horrible! Screaming irrationally at John to SHUT THE DOOR the moment he opened either one.

14. My sweet friend Juliane bringing me lime sherbert, because it helped her during her own morning sickness.

15. Our first ultrasound, where we saw the little bean, and her little heartbeat…..tears in both of our eyes.

16. Our Valentine’s day date, at a nice Italian restaurant in midtown, where I drank ginger ale & ate John’s dinner, b/c the moment mine came out, I couldn’t even look at it anymore.

17. Somehow starting to hate coffee, despite a long-standing love of my morning coffee, all things Starbucks, etc….trying to replace it with hot tea. Not the same, SO not the same.

18. Realizing at the beginning of the 2nd trimester, that I was starting to feel better!

19. Realizing at the beginning of the 2nd trimester that I was starting to get fatter…..

20. Our 3D ultrasound at 14 weeks, where we found out that we were having a GIRL!

21. The way we both instantly knew we never wanted anything else.

22. Moving into our new house, right around 20 weeks……not being allowed to lift anything heavier than a toothpick the whole time.

23. First mother’s day! John gave me the ever-romantic gift of a heart-rate monitor. Which I actually LOVE, and use every time I workout.

24. Babymoon to Naples, FL……first experience in a tankini. We had a fabulous time!

25. Feeling the baby move, but not being totally SURE that’s what it was….

26. The first time John felt the baby move, while we were riding to the airport.

27. The first time we SAW her move. Amazing.

28. 4th of July 5k at Lake Rabun…..Ally Grace’s first road race!

29. Fun hospital tour w/ Kyle and Caroline

30. Baby Essentials class and “the burper”

31. Fabulous baby showers given by such sweet friends……Ally Grace is already so blessed to have so many people who care about her.

32. The looks I get from people in spin class….a mixture of fear (please don’t have your baby on the spin bike) and disbelief (are you sure you should be doing that?!)

33. Literally feeling jealous of any runners that I see out on the streets these days.

34. Great conversations with new mommy friends, who have reassured me that even though my life is about to change drastically, it will be the most amazing thing I’ve ever done.

35. Thinking I can’t possibly get any bigger…..and then I do.

36. Total strangers being nicer to me than I’ve ever imagined. Also, total strangers touching my belly….creepier than I ever imagined.

37. Psycho cravings for apple juice, lucky charms, candy corn, and chocolate milk……I know you’ve all enjoyed hearing about those, right?

38. Organizing the nursery with my sweet mom…..thank you for helping me wash ALL of those baby clothes!

39. These last weeks of waiting, and trying to enjoy a little downtime before AG arrives. Never my strong suit, but I hear that it’s the last downtime I’ll enjoy for, oh, about 18 years. So I'm thinking I'd better make the most of it.

40. The last few weeks with John, trying to soak up every single minute of "just the two of us" time, before we become "the 3 of us." I've loved every second.








Wow, if you're still reading, I'm impressed. That was a long list, and I didn't even touch on the Ritz crackers in the middle of the night, throat burping, or crazy crying episodes for no reason. I think I covered most of it though.

At least I'll remember what pregnancy was REALLY like, should I ever get the crazy urge to do this all over again.

Nesting!

Let me tell you what's NOT a good idea: ordering a king-sized bedding set in a bag. Then leaving it in the bag for 6 months, only to pull it out and find that the wrinkles are now permanent. Like, etched into the bedpsread, never gonna come out. As in, have actually busted out my IRON (who knew I even had one!), and tried to iron the darn thing 14 times. Nope, these wrinkles are determined.

Now let me tell you why this is especially bad.....because I am NESTING, PEOPLE! And this comforter set, although cute in style and color, MAKES MY EYES BLEED! I have to look the other way every time I walk into my bedroom, and pretend that it doesn't exist, or else I get a crazy urge to bust out the iron, and iron the living daylights out of this thing. Again.

As opposed to other crazy urges that have found me on my hands and knees scrubbing our hardwood floors, breaking out the stainless steel wipes every time someone touches our fridge, and let's not even discuss the insanity with bed-making right now. Let's just say, it needs to be right, or mama's doing it over.

Anyway, I've been coveting several beautiful bedding ensembles at Pottery Barn, and I just absolutely know that they would never, ever wrinkle on me.......but when I oh-so-casually mentioned my frustration with the wrinkles to John, he just gave me this, "are you kidding me?" look. He knew right where I was going, and nipped it in the bud with a "we definitely aren't buying new bedding.....RIGHT? Right, Sherri?" Darn it, he knows me so well!

Also, in case you're wondering, I would literally give my right arm for some candy corn pumpkins right now. I went into the grocery store last night, and got way too happy about the fact that Halloween candy is out now....primarily for the candy corn. Well, guess what ONE candy they didn't have? Right. How is it even Halloween without candy corn pumpkins? So, after some desperate pleading, John stopped at the Mom 'n Pops grocery store around the corner from our house....I don't know why I even got my hopes up.....they didn't even have a stale, year-old, off-brand bag to offer me. Which I would've eaten with happiness.

By the way, I am 37 weeks and 4 days pregnant today.....and don't think I'm not counting them down either! I can't wait to meet our sassy little girl! (Yes, I CAN already tell). I know she will have been worth all the nausea, rib-cracking, organ rearranging, heartburn, and every one of the 35 extra lbs that are hanging onto my body right now. Well, most of them, anyway.

Here's my one true belly shot of the torpedo at 37 weeks. Be advised, if the thought of a giant, bare pregnant belly terrifies/makes you gag a little, stop reading now.

This is mainly to document that my skin can stretch in ways I never thought possible. Oh, the joy.

Labor Day Recap

I think I'm hallucinating. Every few minutes, I am CERTAIN that I hear a phone ringing, even though my cell phone is right beside me (not ringing), and no one ever, EVER calls our house phone. Is there a way to blame hallucinations on pregnancy? I've managed to blame various other crazy behaviors on it, so I'm sure I can figure something out.



On the other hand, if you've actually been trying to call me this afternoon, I promise I'm not screening you. I would never, ever do that. Maybe. Unless I'm in the middle of something crucial. Like watching shows on my tivo that I'm at least 10 years too old to be watching.



Or eating an entire Symphony bar, like I'm doing right now.



Since I totally forgot to take my camera with me over Labor Day weekend, I have absolutely no fun pictures to show you. Usually, I steal photos from my friends when I've been too lazy to take any, but sadly, I don't think anyone took a single picture over the weekend. Which is actually fine with me, since I'm far past the "cute" pregnancy stage, and firmly into the "Horrifyingly Puffy/ Wouldn't be Caught Dead in a Bathing Suit or Shorts" stage.



I'm not feeling super creative at the moment, so here's my Labor Day weekend recap in list form....because, y'all, I LOVE a good list.



1. Got punched in the stomach by a little kid. Who was in desperate need of a spanking.



2. Almost watched John administer that spanking.....except that other parents don't take too kindly to their kids getting spanked by strangers.



3. Found the same little kid (plus a few tiny cohorts) going through my purse, wearing my lip gloss, pulling underwear out of my suitcase, etc. (Don't ask).



4. Realized that I had the most well-behaved child up at the lake this weekend....and resolved to enjoy that while it lasts. Or at least until she starts going through my purse and stealing my lip gloss.



5. Learned that a lyger is a real animal, and not just bred for it's exceptional skills in magic.


6. Installed our car seat! (Actually John installed it, so that it would be done correctly......you already know about me and instruction manuals.)



7. Mostly, kinda, almost, packed my hospital bag. (At least I made a little progress).



8. Tried to go to 3 different Chick Fil A's for college team logo=free chicken sandwich day....sadly, they were all CLOSED. V. sad.



9. Instead, decided to be super healthy and eat at Wendy's for dinner.



10. Came home and got an awesome foot rub from my even more awesome husband. Who likes to remind me that other husbands don't give foot rubs as freely as he does. And I absolutely believe this to be true.



That's it.....pretty exciting, even without the pictures, right? I did actually have some Braxton Hicks contractions while we were up at the lake....in the middle of the night. Then tried not to hyperventilate about having the baby somewhere other than Northside. I woke John up so that he could exhibit the appropriate amount of husbandly concern, and his response? "Those aren't contractions........your stomach probably just hurts because you don't have your stomach pillow to sleep with." OH, so THAT'S what that was! I feel so much better now, after that super medically sound explanation.

27 Days!

Excuse me, people.....please note the creepy floating baby widget, which says I only have 27 days left til Ally Grace!!! (Also note that I love the word "widget.")

Now that I'm 36 weeks, people are loving to tell me about friends who have had their babies early. And I'm kinda freaking out. We managed to accomplish a lot on Finish Prepping for Baby day last weekend, but I'm being the queen of procrastination on the two things that really NEED to be done right now (packed hospital bag and installed car seat).

Which means that I'll probably go into labor tomorrow.

I will definitely, definitely, absolutely get those things done on Monday. Maybe. After all, it IS Labor Day, which would be appropriate. Actually, it would be more appropriate for me to go into labor on Labor Day, but let's not go there. She needs a few more weeks in her little kangaroo pouch.

Since I've been measuring small at my recent doctor's appointments, they're now monitoring me twice a week: once with an ultrasound and once with a non-stress test. Just to make sure things are good in there. So far, everything has been looking great, and baby girl's getting bigger and bigger. On yesterday's ultrasound, she was even sucking her thumb! As a childhood thumb-sucker (who may or may not have held onto that habit a little too long), I love it! John's already trying to figure out ways to break the habit.

Happy Labor Day weekend, y'all! GO DAWGS!!!!

Dental Date, Gum Charting, and Tylenol

Note to self: if you feel the need to make a “healthier” version of a rice krispy treat using blueberry granola with flax, REFRAIN. It will most certainly not be the same, and you will instead find yourself eating half a bag of mini-marshmallows to get that dessert-taste that you wanted.

Also, whatever you do, do NOT wait 3 years between dentist visits. Unless you want to experience pain, torture, bleeding, and embarrassment. Trust me on this.

So yesterday, John and I had a little “dental date.” I know, we are so exciting. I made the appointment for my cleaning at the same time as his, to give myself a little extra motivation to actually GO to my appointment. We get there, and are seated in adjoining chairs that are basically divided by a partition of sorts….meaning, we can still basically see and hear what’s going on with each other. My sweet little hygienist, Martha, says, “oh, you’re pregnant! Did you know that your gums bleed more, and are more sensitive when you’re pregnant?” I’m thinking, GREAT…..if my gums bleed a lot, yet another thing I can blame on the pregnancy! (As opposed to my poor flossing habits & love of candy).

Since I haven’t been in (okay, let’s be honest) 3 years, I didn’t know that they now do a thing called “gum charting.” Where they basically assign a number to each tooth & gum, based on it’s health. Uh-oh. Sweet Martha tells me that 1’s-3’s are great, 4’s are “reversible damage”, and 5’s & 6’s are stank gums…..(okay, she obviously didn’t say stank gums, but I really wish she had). Basically 5’s and 6’s=GUM DISEASE….I start praying.

We begin the charting, which involves poking each of my gums with that scrape-y thing I hate, and CALLING OUT the numbers to a lady who’s writing them down. Excuse me? I’m sorry. Is it really necessary to call out my numbers, with my husband sitting right there?! He, of the perfect teeth and gums, no cavities, and all 1’s and 2’s? Goody-goody. And I just know he is sitting there listening to my numbers, which was confirmed to me later when he said, “I was totally sitting there listening to your numbers.”

And okay, my numbers weren’t bad….no 5’s or 6’s, so I don’t have gum disease, but I did absolutely get the lecture on flossing…and on coming to the dentist every 6 months. Which I am a hard-core, faithful believer in at this point. ‘Cause it’s not a good thing when Sweet Martha tells you that “you’re gonna want to take some Tylenol when you get home tonight.”

Oh Dear.

This afternoon, I have to do something that I haven't done in an embarrassingly long time. (Like, I'm talking 2-3 years, long time). That's right, I'm going to the DENTIST. I'm pretty sure I might go into labor right there in the chair, mainly due to the awful sound of that little metal hook thing scraping my teeth.

(Really, has there ever been a worse sound in the history of all mankind? Although, what are the chances that Ally Grace would get free braces one day if she were born in the dental chair? Hmmmmmm......)

My friend, Steph, goes to a dentist who actually gives his patients laughing gas during a cleaning. I don't know who came up with that idea, but I love it! If I weren't slightly afraid of the effects of laughing gas on my unborn child, I too, would be visiting the dental awesome-ness that is her dentist.

Sadly, I'm not, and will be trying not to cry (and hoping my water doesn't break), while probably learning that I have approximately 47 cavities that need filling.

Pray for me.