A name is a good thing

Every person is different, but for me, knowing my baby has a name is a good thing. I don't think I would ever engrave or embroider the name of my unborn child just in case we changed our minds. But with each of our children, we've had a pretty good idea what their name would be--and we were right.

I remember that after Miss Rose was born, Bean immediately began to refer to her by her name (even though he had preferred a different name for her). I was in a slightly drugged state of mind and thought--but we didn't talk about it to make sure that was her name. But there was no doubt, it was her name. We didn't even have a second girl's name when Gracie was born, so there was no question about her name.

As I've shared before, it's taken SO long to arrive at a name for this little bean sprout should it be a girl. Both our daughter's names end in the short "a" sound and I didn't want a third girl's name ending with the same sound. Silly I know, but it's just one of my oddities. But SO many names we like end in that letter or sound.

Finally though, we have a front runner for a girl name and I can even imagine calling a new baby girl by this name. And it fits, it works. It feels right. Just in case, we do have a runner up.

With moving this weekend, nothing is set up or ready for the baby, although after next week it will be. I've waited to make some last purchases. But if it's a girl, I think she has a name. And to this un-nested mama, that feels good!

I am SUPPOSED to get huge

People are delighting in telling me how big my belly is getting, how I've really popped or that I'm really looking like I'm going to have this baby soon.

These are people who see me on a regular basis.

Um, I'm about to be 36 weeks pregnant. I am SUPPOSED to look like I'm ready to have a baby, because I am. I'm not quite sure what they think I should look like or why they are acting so surprised. Haven't you seen a 9-month pregnant lady before?

I feel like I have this conversation about 10 times a week. Many are the same people who watched me go through my last pregnancy, so it's not like my pregnant bod is some surprise.

Honestly, I don't get it. Are they looking for something to conversate about? Am I like a train wreck that you just can't avoid staring at and commenting on?

I am not offended, truly I'm not. I realize my belly is pretty big. It means my baby is growing healthy and strong. I'm on the shorter side and I have good-sized babies, so my belly should be big. I don't mind people commenting on it. I simply don't quite get how they phrase their comments.

Yes people, I'm huge. It's okay. You can tell me that. Just quit acting like it's some shock or abnormality. I probably have a 7lb baby inside me right now, who will perhaps be close to 8lbs by the time he or she arrives.

I'm growing a baby, and I'm proud.

And the car laughed...

Have you ever heard a vehicle laugh? I swear mine just did.

With all of the expense (i.e. debt) associated with a new house and moving, we've decided to wait a bit on a larger vehicle. After we see what our tax return is and get used to mortgage payments and the bills at the new place, we'll see if it's in our budget.

Many figure out how to put three carseats across one bench seat, so certainly we can too. Easy, probably not. Possible, yes.

I decided to experiment a bit with our current seats. It became quickly clear that Miss Rose and Gracie's seats are not compatible next to each other. New baby needs to be on the outside for ease of buckling and also taking the infant seat out when desired. Miss Rose is the obvious choice for the middle as she is the most self-sufficient in her seat.

As I scooted Miss Rose's seat to the middle spot, the car began to titter. And then began to just laugh right out loud. I even tried unscrewing the armrest from one seat to see if it helped. The car just laughed even louder.

I may have lost the battle, but I'm still determined to win the war! I guess we'll start with a booster for Miss Rose. My hopes of 5-point harnessing her until age 6 probably need to end. She's the size of a 6 or 7 year old, so she should be safe. If a new booster doesn't fit next to Gracie's seat--she'll have to get a new one too.

Cheaper than a car payment we perhaps can't afford, right?

And hey, CRV of mine, SHUT UP! I can still hear you laughing out in the driveway. It was worth a try alright.

Pregnancy IS a workout

Last week after a 2.5 mile brisk walk my body felt as if I'd run 5 miles. And I know what it feels like to run 5 miles, because 4 miles was my standard run until I was around 6 months pregnant--and I would do 5-6 miles if I had extra time or was training for a race.

I was reminded how much work it is on a body to be pregnant. Especially 8 or 9 months pregnant. Not only am I carrying around extra weight, but it's concentrated in one area--throwing me off balance and making my muscles have to compensate.

Throw in the 5-yr old and 21-month old trainers that are always challenging my body, my pregnancy workout is ramped up even more. I don't need daily exercise, in fact I can't quite handle daily exercise, with the demands of life and children on my pregnant body.

I am still trying to get in 3 days of exercise a week. I do feel like my body is different with this pregnancy due to more exercise. I'm hoping it means it will bounce back a bit quicker than in the past. But I've offically retired the running shoes and am having to settle for a brisk walk.

As always, I try to find the good points in requiring a c-section--and one of them is that I won't be able to exercise for a few weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to do some walking after 3-4 weeks and then back to more exercise after 6 weeks. So I'm trying to keep it up until my c-section (which is in THREE weeks) and I'll enjoy the break as I recover and cuddle with my new baby.

Cyber-nesting

Nesting is almost like a God-given right for expectant mothers! This phenomena peaks its head out every once in while through the entire pregnancy (and I'm sure in the waiting period for adoptive moms) but really rears its head towards the end.

Every fiber of my being wants to nest and prepare for this baby. Since its our third time around, I realize that what you actually do need for the first several weeks isn't as much as one might think. Baby doesn't need a complete nursery or even wardrobe. Baby needs a place to sleep (which can also be your bed!), some onsies to wear and blankets to keep warm. Of course things like swings and bouncers make life a bit easier.

Moving just weeks before birth doesn't really compliment this nesting instinct. Especially moving two weeks before the impending delivery! I can't nest in much of a physical sense. I've made a few purchases here and there, usually when I find a deal I can't pass up. (like a $20 My Breast Friend nursing pillow from the closing store at www.babycenter.com) But for the most part, I've had to wait and to resist. It's pointless to stock up on basics, even diapers, when they are just going to have to be moved.

Thing is, not only do I want to nest for the baby, but I want to nest for our entire new house. Since the girls will be sharing a room for the first time, and have "new" bunkbeds--I want new bedding for them. We may need to purchase another dresser. We may need more toy storage and organization. We may need some end tables for the living room since we've been using a coffee table in a corner as an end table and a kids table at another end to hold our lamps (which don't have functioning switches and require plugging/unplugging for the desired function).

Bean has been laughing at me because I spend time almost every evening "cyber nesting." I'm browsing Babies r Us and Target online for random baby stuff. I'm checking out clothing at Gap and Gymboree. I'm trying to find a steal on Pottery Barn quilts on ebay. (For the record though, he has spent his share of time researching some appliances we need).

Cyber-nesting isn't all that bad. In fact, I would guess that I'm spending LESS money than I would if we weren't moving. Partially because there are things I just haven't purchased yet, and also because I am haunting ebay and other sites for the best deals. I got a changing pad cover on ebay tonight for $7 (including shipping) that was probably $20 new. Somehow I also purchased a new pair of shoes for myself. Not sure how that benefits the baby, but it was a deal I couldn't pass up!!

It will be fun to go out and get the little things the week before the baby is born. I guess it gives me something to look forward to. And hopefully I'll find the perfect bedding for the girls' new room--I just can't decide! I keep saying in some ways, it's good I don't know the baby's gender because I would probably even want to do more in preparation for the baby.

I've yet to find the perfect "take home" outfits though. I like to buy a special outfit for both genders and then return whatever I don't need. For some reason the "take home" outfit has been really important to me for each child. I'm on the hunt.

Off for more cyber-nesting!

The Latest

Here's what's going on lately...

Miss Rose started school today! She did fabulous. She's in a 5-day program called Early Admit Kindergarten (EAK) that meets each morning from 8-11:20. Yesterday we went to an orientation where she played outside while the teacher met with the parents. It was a great introduction to the facility and children for her. I was a bit concerned because she recently bragged about crying for a year and a half each time I dropped her at daycare. But no tears this morning! And she was so excited when I picked her up. It's going to be wonderful for her.


On our back patio...

She specifically wanted to wear her "High School Musical" shirt. What's amusing is that she has seen the movie maybe one time and it only holds novelty because her cousin is super into the movie and talks about it all the time. This shirt was a hand me down from a friend, but Miss Rose got all excited about it.


Getting ready to go into class

Our move has been postponed by a week in order to be able to complete the wood floors. In the long run, it won't matter too much. But right now it just feels like we are living in limbo. Much of the house is packed and there are boxes everywhere. I'm not motivated to clean or organize anything because I know eventually it ALL will be moved.

Did I share that I found GREAT bunkbeds on craigslist? I cannot wait to see them set up in the girls' room.

I am just about 35 weeks pregnant and feeling it!! This baby is so out in front that many of my shirts are about to be too short...they aren't going to cover the bottom of my belly soon. I see my doctor tomorrow and maybe I'll get an official c-section date. We shall see! We've had our boy name picked out for a while now and I think we're pretty sure about a girl name. But...you'll have to wait to find out the names!! It feels good to have some solid options that I like though. It's taken so long the third time around.

Gracie seems to sense the impending change. She is quite attached to mama these days and just loves to climb all over me and be held. It's probably going to be a good thing that Miss Rose is in school in the mornings because while I'm on maternity leave because while the baby is sleeping, I'll be able to have some one on one time with Gracie.

So, that's the latest!!

Living Within Our Means

When people hear that we are moving, that we have purchased a house, we hear some common questions.

Is the house bigger? Are there more bedrooms? Big yard?

The answer to each of those questions is, NO. To some it may seem odd, but it's living within our means.

Granted, the main reason we have bought a house and are moving is to provide my parents with a place to live. The reason we were even able to buy it is because my parents provided the down payment. For reasons it would take too long to explain, they can't own a house on their own, nor should they. It's better for all of us to be together.

Of course Bean and I had to make this decision not only because it was good for my parents, but also because it was good for us. We are losing square footage in comparison to our current home and as would be expected, the bedrooms are smaller. Because the garage will be expanded and converted to a granny flat for my parents, there really isn't much backyard.

BUT...it's a fantastic neighborhood with good schools. It's central to most everything in our city. Hopefully Bean's commute will be a bit shorter. And we will be paying ourselves by paying the mortgage, investing in our future.

Most importantly, it's within our means. Sure, we qualified for a home with a higher purchase price, but the mortgage would have been a big stretch. Someday it would be nice if Bean can quit his 12-hr a week part-time custodial gig at the church.

We want our children to have a bit more than we had growing up, if possible. But we aren't willing to give them so much that we live in debt forever or are house-poor. Our kids are young and small. Having a small house works now much better than when they are growing teenagers. Hopefully by then, maybe we'll be able to afford a larger home.

Along those same lines, we'll be squeezing our three children onto one bench in our Honda CRV for a while. We've talked a lot about getting a minivan and eventually I assume we will. But it makes more sense, it is living within our means, to not make a purchase that increases our monthly payment. Once we're settled and used to the mortgage and the expense of a baby and having 2 in diapers for the first time, we'll see if a minivan is in our future. I actually LOVE our CRV, so I don't mind continuing to drive it. I just have to find the right carseat combination to fit in the back. The expense of 1 or 2 new seats is equal to one or two months of higher car payments, so very little in comparison.

I feel good about this. About living within our means. There will be challenges. We have to downsize a bit and be creative with storage and belongings, but it will be good for us. Especially me. I have a bit of pack-rat tendency that I am trying to conquer!

So yes, our house is smaller, and so is our yard. But our hearts are full and hopefully there is a tiny bit of padding left in our bank account at the end of the month. And by padding, I mean, we'll be happy with $20!