Baby girl is taking her time to make her appearance. Here's to waiting the weekend out to see if she decides to come join the party...
Friday, July 27, 2012
40 weeks!
So due date didn't turn into birthday so we made the day special by preparing and cooking a special spread for our Olympic opening ceremony viewing. On the menu- veggies and dill dip, chips and bean salad dip, and veggie pot stickers with homemade ginger sauce followed by stuffed peppers and corn on the cob. For dessert- mandarin orange cake with almond and whipped cream pudding icing, Matthew's favorite. Yes, we ate too much. But it was worth it!
Baby girl is taking her time to make her appearance. Here's to waiting the weekend out to see if she decides to come join the party...
Baby girl is taking her time to make her appearance. Here's to waiting the weekend out to see if she decides to come join the party...
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Trouble sleeping
The itching on my belly is always more intense at night- and the past few weeks have seen some very long nights with short sleep sessions in between hours of intense discomfort. The coconut oil that originally worked wonders has turned out to be not so grand and I am now sporting several rash spots on my baby bump. The thing that gets me through each long wakeful night is that this will all soon be over and I'll have a reward so precious that all these discomforts will fade in memory. I am looking forward to that more than I can express with words.
In the meantime, I try to spend the waking hours of the night bonding with sweet pea rather than focusing on the agony. It's not very easy. Last night I broke down in tears in the bath and sobbed for relief. Two hours later it finally came once I could take more Benadryl. As much as I hate taking it, it's the only thing that remotely touches it and allows my exhausted self to get some sleep.
Here's to hoping that DDay is soon so that I can lose sleep for different reasons... :)
In the meantime, I try to spend the waking hours of the night bonding with sweet pea rather than focusing on the agony. It's not very easy. Last night I broke down in tears in the bath and sobbed for relief. Two hours later it finally came once I could take more Benadryl. As much as I hate taking it, it's the only thing that remotely touches it and allows my exhausted self to get some sleep.
Here's to hoping that DDay is soon so that I can lose sleep for different reasons... :)
Monday, July 23, 2012
Things I'm looking forward to: Part 2
In a non-food related way...
- sleeping on my stomach
- running
- bending over without a big belly in the way
- strapping my own sandals/tying my own shoelaces
- hugging my hubby
- hot baths/showers
- wearing my cute pre-pregnancy clothes again
- holding my baby girl in my arms and kissing her little cheeks
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Things I'm looking forward to:
The following have been a major source of heartburn or have not been a part of a healthy pregnancy diet, meaning I've had to give them up. Looking forward to having them once again after labor...
- Orange juice
- Coffee
- Smoothies
- Spicy food
- Ketchup
- Spaghetti
- Pineapple
- Sushi
- Garlic
- Pizza
- Cranberry Grape juice
Saturday, July 21, 2012
The nursery unveiled
Baby girl's nursery has been an act of love since the beginning. We love how it turned out and are excited to share it! The theme will be pretty obvious from the after pictures...
Before:
After:
The changing table was a $15 Goodwill buy - Matthew painted it and turned it into a shabby chic piece of furniture that matches her crib and dresser.
The most expensive buy was probably the Ikea system above the changing table - it was my personal splurge.
The glider rocker was a hand-me-down from a friend - we recovered the green and white checkered gingham with this striking coral, ivory, and blue striped upholstery fabric from Joann's.
The crib came from my parents, a classic Jenny Lind crib that Matthew refinished in our robin's egg blue.
The bedskirt was probably the most time-consuming of my projects (Matthew would definitely argue that the furniture took longer, which I'd have to agree, but this took longer than I thought it would...). I bought a sewing machine for myself and went to work. The ruffles got very old very quickly but they sure turned out nice!
The dresser is possibly my favorite piece of furniture, simply because it was mine as a little girl. Of course, it helps that it turned out so striking thanks to Matthew's perfectionist skills...
We had fun with the bird accents - we did everything ourselves, from various sources. My creative side took off with all sorts of ideas and resulted in some lovely results, with lots of help and suggestions from Matthew. The bird prints came from NYPL's website (free!), Zulily (super cheap with matting and frames completed by Matthew), and TJ Maxx, Etsy, and Michaels (a fun craft project that I spent many fun hours on).
The mobile was put together from a wood-carving shop on Etsy, two branches from our back yard, and fishing wire and eye hooks.
The hanging birdhouses and door decoration we picked up for $5.50 total at Michaels; we used the three paint colors that currently decorate the walls and furniture to finish them.
I found this card in a little shop on the boardwalk in Long Branch, NJ. I couldn't resist...
So now it waits... for sweet little baby cries and coos, for kisses and hugs at nighttime, for rocking with mommy and daddy, for very special memories.
Before:
After:
The changing table was a $15 Goodwill buy - Matthew painted it and turned it into a shabby chic piece of furniture that matches her crib and dresser.
The most expensive buy was probably the Ikea system above the changing table - it was my personal splurge.
The glider rocker was a hand-me-down from a friend - we recovered the green and white checkered gingham with this striking coral, ivory, and blue striped upholstery fabric from Joann's.
The crib came from my parents, a classic Jenny Lind crib that Matthew refinished in our robin's egg blue.
The bedskirt was probably the most time-consuming of my projects (Matthew would definitely argue that the furniture took longer, which I'd have to agree, but this took longer than I thought it would...). I bought a sewing machine for myself and went to work. The ruffles got very old very quickly but they sure turned out nice!
The dresser is possibly my favorite piece of furniture, simply because it was mine as a little girl. Of course, it helps that it turned out so striking thanks to Matthew's perfectionist skills...
We had fun with the bird accents - we did everything ourselves, from various sources. My creative side took off with all sorts of ideas and resulted in some lovely results, with lots of help and suggestions from Matthew. The bird prints came from NYPL's website (free!), Zulily (super cheap with matting and frames completed by Matthew), and TJ Maxx, Etsy, and Michaels (a fun craft project that I spent many fun hours on).
The mobile was put together from a wood-carving shop on Etsy, two branches from our back yard, and fishing wire and eye hooks.
The hanging birdhouses and door decoration we picked up for $5.50 total at Michaels; we used the three paint colors that currently decorate the walls and furniture to finish them.
I found this card in a little shop on the boardwalk in Long Branch, NJ. I couldn't resist...
So now it waits... for sweet little baby cries and coos, for kisses and hugs at nighttime, for rocking with mommy and daddy, for very special memories.
Friday, July 20, 2012
One week
and the anticipation is mounting. Every contraction and abdominal pain brings a heightened sense of awareness. It's only a matter of time before the real thing is here.
Worst symptoms have been a lingering cough, heartburn, and the itch. Oh the itch that is ever present and wakes me up at night feeling like I'll go crazy if it doesn't go away. Thank God for Benadryl and my newfound best friend, coconut oil. Otherwise I'd have to be in chains and a padded room.
The nursery is done! And is the most precious room ever. Pictures coming soon. Everything is in readiness for her, including her cradle with a clean sheet, her changing table, her car seat, her clothes (folded in her dresser and hanging in her closet), her diaper bag (packed and by the door), and her parents :) her name is ready for her too. Cannot wait to see her little self, hold her in my arms, and whisper her name in her ear.
Worst symptoms have been a lingering cough, heartburn, and the itch. Oh the itch that is ever present and wakes me up at night feeling like I'll go crazy if it doesn't go away. Thank God for Benadryl and my newfound best friend, coconut oil. Otherwise I'd have to be in chains and a padded room.
The nursery is done! And is the most precious room ever. Pictures coming soon. Everything is in readiness for her, including her cradle with a clean sheet, her changing table, her car seat, her clothes (folded in her dresser and hanging in her closet), her diaper bag (packed and by the door), and her parents :) her name is ready for her too. Cannot wait to see her little self, hold her in my arms, and whisper her name in her ear.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
The countdown is on...
14 days to go- two weeks is such a short time. It's amazing to me that it is fast approaching after all this waiting and preparing... Bags are packed, nursery is ready, tiny clothes are washed and folded up.
I've been tired a lot lately and am battling itchy skin on my belly and thighs. Not a fun symptom to experience. Contractions come and go- some at a regular pace, others more intermittently. My back has been sensitive, especially my sciatica as she has discovered how to take mommy's breath away with her little jumps and squirmings. Is it worth it? Yes... I remind myself daily; that doesn't mean though that I'm not ready to meet her and have my body back to myself.
I gave a performance last Sunday, July 8, performing Liszt/Bach Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 543 and Chopin's Nocturne in C-sharp Minor. It was a very personal experience performing with my sweet pea - she was quite active right up to when I started playing, but like the good little girl she is, she calmed right down to listen to mommy play. I loved every moment of it. I also accompanied the featured artist on a few pieces, which is shown below.
I've been tired a lot lately and am battling itchy skin on my belly and thighs. Not a fun symptom to experience. Contractions come and go- some at a regular pace, others more intermittently. My back has been sensitive, especially my sciatica as she has discovered how to take mommy's breath away with her little jumps and squirmings. Is it worth it? Yes... I remind myself daily; that doesn't mean though that I'm not ready to meet her and have my body back to myself.
I gave a performance last Sunday, July 8, performing Liszt/Bach Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 543 and Chopin's Nocturne in C-sharp Minor. It was a very personal experience performing with my sweet pea - she was quite active right up to when I started playing, but like the good little girl she is, she calmed right down to listen to mommy play. I loved every moment of it. I also accompanied the featured artist on a few pieces, which is shown below.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
A night in the city
Matthew took me to the symphony last night. We took the train into the city and had dinner at Bella Napoli's then spent some time at the fountain in front of Lincoln Center before the concert began. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed the moments together in the sun. After we heard an amazing performance of some of the best Tchaikovsky symphonic works, including the 1812 Overture, Matthew's favorite :)
Monday, July 9, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Independence Day
July 4 was our last major holiday before baby girl arrives. We lived it up in typical Klein style- lots of yummy food, quality time, and fireworks. Unfortunately due to the heat, most of the day was spent indoors but Matthew was completely supportive and a wonderful companion as always.
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