2 week update!

little bunny today was your 2 week pediatrician's appointment, even though you technically turned 2 weeks yesterday.  i know it sounds so trite, but i seriously cannot believe it's been 2 weeks already - you are mesmerizing to watch every single day.

we took a few 2 week pics of you last night, but we waited a little late, so you weren't in the best mood for your photo shoot.  i still think they're adorable and they reflect a certain bit of your funny little personality.  shortly after your photo shoot, you had what my mom likes to call "the crise" (cajun term for crisis, pronounced like criz).  you were basically inconsolable for about an hour from 11:15 to shortly after 12.  finally, dad swaddled you super tight and we plopped you in bed between us and you settled down (i think you just wore yourself out, honestly).  you rewarded us by sleeping for 5 straight hours - it was amazing!!

this morning you did great at your appointment!  you weighed 8 lbs 13 oz, which means you gained 11 oz in 6 days.  incredible.  you also grew a little more than 2 cm in head circumference and half an inch in length.  i am so proud of what a great little eater you are and that you seem to be very satisfied with what i've got for you :)  you also got your second heel stick today and you cried a little bit, but they let me nurse you while they were doing it, so that soothed you.

when i woke up this morning, i felt like total crap and it has been getting worse throughout the day.  i am achy and have a headache and i just took my temp and have a fever of 102.3.  yuck.  it was a rough day for my first solo day, but you were awesome and slept a TON (i think you were really worn out from the doctor's appt).  fortunately, your dad is awesome and he has been entertaining you since he got home so i could rest.  you even had your first bottle tonight since i got the go-ahead to pump from the doctor.  you had no issues whatsoever and i think you really enjoyed having dad feed you.

i'm really hoping that i feel better for your first thanksgiving, but as my mom just reminded me, everyone is coming to see you, not me, anyway.  haha!

new toy.

jb has been getting more and more into photography and videography over the past months/years, and [if i do say so myself] he's got quite the talent for it.  he recently decided he wanted to learn how to do time lapse photography, so yesterday he headed down to the pedestrian bridge at town lake to give it a whirl.  here is his first time lapse attempt - i think it looks super rad.

gratitude.

people are really nice.  i have been consistently overwhelmed by the love and support we've received since we found out we were expecting, and it's just gotten more incredible since emme was born.  people have brought food and sent amazing gifts and we just feel so blessed and loved.  i can't say that i'm surprised at all - we have some really amazing family and friends - but i am just completely humbled.

emme cakes....every day you are more alert and interactive with your environment.  fortunately, this is happening in small bits because i am very very happy spending hours on end in a little cocoon nursing and napping with you.  i don't know if i've written about this yet, but when you're hungry, you bob your little head and root around on whomever is holding you and make the cutest little "eh" sound.  it's very adorable and it cracks me and your dad up, especially when you do it to him.  it's ultra sweet for us with nighttime feedings because you don't cry and wake up dad - you just make your little squeaks enough for me to wake up and feed you.  our baby books say that you have periods of sleep, quiet alertness, and active alertness now.  we are definitely noticing this.  there are several times a day where you like to chill in your bouncy chair or on mom or dad and just look around.

thursday night, ashley and laurie brought dinner and mike came over to help daddy put up some shelves.  it was fun to catch up and introduce you to some good friends you hadn't met yet, and the spaghetti pie was super tasty.  friday, we went for a nice stroll with the dogs and everything.  the dogs are behaving so unbelievably well.  they have had to deal with a lot of change including no longer being allowed in certain rooms of the house (we're trying to keep the dog hair to a minimum in the bedrooms), but they totally love you and are so so sweet.  they both like to give your feet quick kisses when they can get close enough and they always check to see where you are and make sure you're ok when they come back inside from being outside playing.  here are a couple of pics of them on their beds - i don't think their lives are too rough with your arrival....(most of the pics from this post were taken with my phone, so i apologize for the quality)

friday night, derek came to visit, and the neighbors stopped by for a few minutes as well.  dad grilled steaks and derek made some delicious potatoes.  we are certainly not lacking for delicious meals these days and you seem to be just fine with everything i've eaten so far.  you're still loving your bath, and here's another pic of you in the cute monkey towel a work friend gave you.

saturday was another great day.  it was super warm outside, so you wore your first dress that our friends mike and kim brought you on the day you were born.  we have some mary jane socks that match the dress perfectly.  there are pants that go with this outfit and make it a little more modest, but they are still kind of big for you and i think your little thighs are too cute to cover up when it's warm enough outside.  i didn't get a great picture, but i think you can tell how sweet you looked... (by the way, you were in your crib for like 20 minutes yesterday.  not interested in being there at all...).

finally, i have to post a few pictures of the ridiculous quilt and pillow that aunt denise and my cousin lindsay sent to you.  i could not have picked cuter fabrics.  they have so much talent, it is insane, and these items will be treasured forever i'm sure.  i also love that you're getting sweet little girly accents in your room.

today you are two weeks old and i cannot believe it's only been two weeks since we met you.  we'll take some 2-week portraits tonight and post those.  we also have your two-week doctor's appointment tomorrow and i can't wait to see how big you've gotten...

colorful bunz.

we've been having a good week with dad being at home to take care of us.  i honestly am not totally sure where the days go (they go SO fast), but you are getting more alert and interactive every hour it seems, so that has been a blast to watch.  monday night you were a little fussy and fighting your sleep a lot (you were awake for like 5 hours in a row i think - mostly just looking around, but sometimes you seemed sleepy and a little upset).  you were also spitting up more than you had been and i was a little worried about that, so tuesday (nov. 16) i called the pediatrician's office just to see if everything was normal.  they advised us to come in just to check you out, so dad and i loaded you up in the car and brought you back to the doctor.

i am not an alarmist (well, i'm trying not to be), so i didn't really think i needed to take you in, but the nurse said so, so that's what we did.  it was a relatively uneventful visit - you weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz. which means you're gaining about an ounce a day!  dr. treybig said that my milk supply just probably wasn't regulated yet, so you were likely just overfeeding a little bit and that was causing the spit up.  she recommended that we try to burp you more frequently and keep you mostly upright for about 30 minutes after feeding.  this seems to be working, as the spit up the past couple of days has been normal.  you do get the hiccups all the time, but you don't seem to struggle with them too badly.

tuesday afternoon, alison brought over your friend cameron.  alison and i were pregnant together and we were so excited when we found out you were a girl - you and cam are only 13 days apart and we think y'all will be great friends.  you look much tinier than her in this picture, but she's got about a pound and a half and 2 weeks on you, so i think you will catch up!

tuesday night, our friend rae brought over some delicious dinner and you slept for 4 hours in a row!  it was amazing.  wednesday you were a perfect angel all day and we brought out the cloth diapers for the first time.  these were the gift from kk's "office children" and i LOVE them.  we have been using disposables while your cord healed and while we were getting used to the laundry situation, etc.  i imagine we won't be 100% cloth for a couple more weeks, but our first day was very successful!  not only do you seem to love how warm and soft the diapers are, but i have never seen a cuter tush than yours in your colorful duds.

another great night wednesday night - you get a little restless in the evenings sometimes, i think because you just want to look around and see what's up in the world.  but even your little crying fits last about 2 minutes and then you calm right down.  i worry if i feel like you're not sleeping enough, but i am learning that you're just growing and figuring out what's up, so i am working on not being too stressed about it all.

i think today is going to be another great day with you!  perhaps we'll go for a little ride adventure to buy some stamps....

saying goodbye and one week old.

my sweet little monkey you continue to get bigger and cuter and more alert and interactive every day.  on saturday, the 13th, jj came back into town with arlo (arlo was much more excited about his other niece and nephew, but that was ok).  he said you had gotten even prettier since he saw you on the day you were born, and i agree.  all day saturday, we hung out and took turns holding you.  you even spent a two and a half hour nap in your crib while dad and jj watched you and kk and i ran an errand.  i was gone for a whole hour and managed to not cry and only texted your dad once to check on you.  mike and kim came by to see you again and mike wondered if it was normal for a baby's skin to be so pink!

saturday night you got bathed by me and kk while jj took pictures and dad grilled steaks and made dinner.  you did great and hardly cried at all.  i am pretty sure you're really going to like baths eventually.  dad and jj smoked cigars out by a fire in the backyard to celebrate your arrival, and saturday night was the first night you and dad and i spent together (while kk was here, she slept with you and me and dad slept on the couch since he had to go to work).  you did really well!  you decided you weren't interested in sleeping for a little while, but eventually settled in and we all got a tiny bit of rest, which was great.  

sunday was a very hard day for me, even though you seemed to take it all in stride.  kk and jj left, which was really rough for me and kk.  i am pretty sure you miss having her burp and rock you, but you're adapting well to being with just your parents.  mandy and justin and kristina tajchman came to visit you on your one-week birthday and they all said that you were just beautiful.  you slept quite a bit but also had some really good awake time during the day, which was fun.  dad and i bathed you and you didn't cry a bit and actually seemed to really enjoy it.  we went much more slowly, which was good for everyone involved.  you are generally just so happy and you love being talked to and having your belly and your hands and feet kissed.  you're still eating a ton, which is awesome.  you like to stalk your food and attack it a little bit, which i find to be hilarious.  i also love your little milk drunk face at the end of a meal.  you still refuse to be swaddled, so we're not even really trying anymore.  you're happiest when you're naked and near your family and we can always gauge how relaxed you are by the status of your feet.  you love to kick them free and spread your long toes.  we know you're sleeping really hard when your feet are relaxed.  

i am obsessed with how you insist on rolling over to your side to sleep.  and how cuddly you are (you reach your hands out toward me and nuzzle your little face up to me and it pretty much kills me).  and the little rolls on your legs and arms.  and the fuzzy hair on your ears.  and your little mouth is the cutest thing i have ever seen in my life.  you had a great night last night - you and i both slept almost four hours in a row!  granted, that was after the fussiest you've been yet (which i can't really complain about because it was hardly anything and you calmed right down when i started singing to you and rocking you), but it was amazing.  when you woke up this morning, you just looked around and cooed and hung out for a while.  your eyes are so big and focusing so well.  you also lost your cord this morning, so that is a big event.  i kind of want to save it and your dad thinks that's kind of weird, so we'll see who wins that battle....

your daddy is off of work this whole week which is going to be awesome.  he is taking really good care of us and i think we'll be able to get some little projects done and also have lots of time for relaxing and staring at you.  

the first week.

oh, emme kay.  what a week it has been with you.  i have had every intention of writing every day to memorialize this time as much as i could, but i get very caught up in starting at your fuzzy little ears and your long monkey toes and your ever-changing expressions.  so there has not been as much time for writing.

sunday, after you were born, we spent the majority of the day in the l&d room where you were born because the hospital was kind of crazy with lots of births and discharges and our post-partum room wasn't ready quite yet.  some nurses and a lactation consultant came in to help you latch, and you and i started to get the hang of that, albeit slowly.  you had a few visitors - jj & kk of course, and then erin and derek, mike and kim, elissa and antonio, and wendy and david all came by.  by the evening, i was super tired and you were too.  we finally got into the recovery room around 5 and we had two great nurses - jan for the day and theresa for the night.  they both liked you a lot and were super helpful.  sunday night was a little restless.  i was nervous about making sure you were eating frequently enough, but you were super sleepy and so we had a little bit of a battle, but not bad at all considering how new the whole experience was for both of us.  your dad stayed in the room with us and helped call the nurse when i couldn't get you to latch and needed some help at 2 or so in the morning.  they took you around 10:30 or so for about an hour to weigh you again and make sure everything was a-ok with you.  you only lost about 2% of your body weight and came back quickly enough that i didn't have to miss you for that long.

monday was a big day for you.  your great uncle bill came to visit, as did joel, eric, will, and david - some friends of your dad's from work.  the pediatrician came by to check you and you weren't jaundiced at all and you were looking awesome.  you got your hearing test and passed on both ears (yay!) and you didn't even cry during your heel stick to do the metabolic screening thing.  the breastfeeding got much better on monday too, and we got the ok to take you home monday evening after only 36 or so hours in the hospital!  you passed out in the car on the way to your house and seem to love your car seat.  we got home and the dogs were very interested in you, but behaved exceptionally well.  monday night was pretty good.  you had absolutely no interest in being in your bed, but you really didn't get upset about anything and just spent the majority of the night on me or near me.

tuesday was our first full day at home and everything went great.  you were basically only interested in eating and sleeping and we focused on that.  kk kept on top of feeding me so i could stay on top of feeding you.  kk did all our laundry and dad made grocery store runs and we all took turns holding and rocking you.  tuesday afternoon/evening wendy and david came by to visit again and that was fun.  tuesday night was even better than the night before and we spent a lot of cuddle time.  also, my milk started coming in tuesday night, which was awesome for both of us.  you are still eating every 2-3 hours or so and don't cry much at all.  oh!  tuesday night was your first bath and it wasn't a huge success.  your dad and i tried bathing you at the kitchen counter and i think it was just too cold and too much stimulation, but you got over it quickly, you just cried a bit.

wednesday was your first doctor's appointment and you were a total champ!  dad and i loaded you up in your car seat and you slept the whole way there.  you were only a little mad when we had to undress you to weigh you and the nurse was amazed that you were already back at 7 lbs. 12 oz on just breast milk.  we met your pediatrician, dr. treybig, for the first time, and she was super nice.  she said you had lots of bragging rights because of how healthy and perfect you are.  needless to say, your dad and i were very excited about that.  when we got back from the doctor, kirsty and morgan came by to visit and bring some treats for us.  then, dad headed to work and you and kk and i had a great afternoon.  wednesday night was another good night.  amber came by to visit and bring you some cute knitted wares.  by the end of the night, i was pretty worn out, but fortunately you are so good that i can get 2 hours of sleep in a row here and there.

thursday, dad went to work for the whole day and you and kk and i had another great day.  you slept a lot and ate fabulously and i was able to do a little bit of organizing here and there.  fortunately, kk has been around to keep everything clean, and i just try to de-clutter as much as i can.  it's astounding how much laundry you can generate.  apparently, you went through 5 outfits in 24 hours and no one had any recollection of that many wardrobe changes....you also went for your first stroll on thursday.  we made it a little over a block and you seemed to enjoy it a lot in that you passed out instantly.  anyway, thursday night was your best night.  you slept for almost 4 straight hours at one point, which was awesome.  we bathed you in the bathroom on wednesday and thursday night and those baths went much better than your first.  you actually seemed to like the one on thursday night quite a bit....

friday was an amazing day.  you spent the whole day sleeping and eating and looking around.  you are getting more and more alert every day.  erin and derek came to visit you and you loved being held by both of them.  you refuse to be swaddled and only really settle down to sleep if you can kick your feet out.  you also don't really like being on your back, so you pike your feet over to the side, which the doctor said was ok as long as you stayed off your tummy unless you're on one of us.  you adore your bouncy chair that amy and patrick gave you - the vibrations are your favorite part and knock you out.  you spent a lot more time in your crib on friday and are getting very comfortable and secure in there.  friday night was sort of a rough night.  you were so restful the whole day and then when mom and dad bathed you, it was rough.  your little stand thing collapsed and scared you and you got pretty upset.  i picked you up to console you and it knocked your poor cord a little bit.  everything ended up being just fine, it just scared and upset both of us.  anyway....friday night you fought your sleep quite a bit.  it's hilarious because you don't really cry or fuss, you just fidget and squeak and have a lot to say about it all.  it wasn't really bad at all, considering, but you were not interested in sleep until about 5 a.m.

this morning, saturday, is going great again.  you're tired from your nighttime battles and totally laid back today.  a cold front came in during the night, so we're going to have you bundled up and warm today.  jj just came back into town to see you and he said you're so much bigger already!

i can't believe last week at this time we hadn't even met you yet.  you are such an easy and wonderful baby.  i just want to sniff you and kiss every inch of you all day long.

and without further ado....

let me introduce miss emmeline kay browne.  and let me just say wow.  i could go on and on about how incredible this whole thing has been, but i think the little lady may wake up soon, so i want to write the story of her birth really quickly.

saturday, november 6, we woke up and decided to go to the gypsy picnic fest down at auditorium shores.  basically, austin has a plethora of gourmet food served out of trailers, and they were all in one place with taster menus and stuff.  so we drove to w&d's and walked over (at this point, i was all about walking as much as possible).  well, the fest ended up being kind of a bust (we had to wait in insane lines for food and i was too hungry for that), so we walked over to a restaurant and had a great lunch with w&d.  walked back to their place and by then it was around 2:30 and the lsu vs. bama game was about to come on.  i told justin i would rather be at home as i had started having some pretty painless contractions during lunch, but i wanted to see if they were going to go anywhere and i wanted to be at home for that.

so, we get home and watch some football and hang out.  at 4:30, i sat down on the bed and my water broke in a slow leak.  i wasn't sure that was what it was at first, but i was sure it wasn't pee, so i called my practice.  liane, my favorite midwife, was on call, and she said to just hang out and see what happened.  she said first time moms usually took 10-20 hours once contractions really started and mine hadn't even started at this point, so she advised me to rest and eat and to call if i had questions or if things changed or whatever.

at around 7:30 or 8, jb and i took a ride to pick up sandwiches and an oreo milkshake as well as some snacks for the hospital and gas for the car.  my contractions had started picking up a little, but were still anywhere from 9-20 minutes apart and not super painful, just more present than they had been.  we got home, ate, and i laid down to watch more football and try to rest.  within 30 minutes or so, the contractions started picking up to about 7-12 minutes apart and they were more painful and progressively so with each one.  i got in the tub and that helped with the pain.  at this point, i kind of lost track of time, but i know over the course of the next period of time, my contractions got to about 3-5 minutes apart and i could not even begin to talk through them.  justin called my parents around 9 or 9:30 and we told them to rest up and then come to austin early the next morning because we'd have a baby by sunday afternoon.  at 10:30, i told justin it was time to go to the hospital and i called liane to let her know.

the ride to the hospital was insane.  i hurt so badly and i was clutching justin's arm as he drove us there.  we got to the hospital probably between 11 and 11:30 (it's not that far, but jb had to pack all our stuff in between me needing him to hold me up through pretty much every contraction).  they got us into a room, and i changed into a gown and began pacing back and forth.  liane checked me and i was 4cm and 90% effaced when we got there.  throughout the entire thing, i could not sit still.  i paced and pedaled my feet and shuffled around.  people kept suggesting that i sit on my ball or get in the bed, but i was not interested in that at all.  i did spend about an hour and a half in the shower which was awesome.

the room was dark and peaceful and the nurse or liane would come in intermittently to check emme's heartbeat, etc.  that was the hardest part because i was not interested in being still.  anyway....lots of pain and intensity and swear words later, i am feeling like i have to push and it is insane.  i grabbed justin's chest and told him i couldn't do it and i wanted the epidural.  i was freaking out.  so i climb into the bed and liane comes in a couple minutes later to check me.  and she says "you're all the way there, it's time to start pushing".  so.  at that point, i was so relieved to have something to do and to be able to actually do what i was feeling like doing, so that was awesome.

the pushing lasted about 30 minutes and it was crazy but not as bad as i expected.  it was sort of an out-of-body experience, but i had justin on my right leg and the nurse on my left and liane at the bottom of the bed.  i was on my left side, which was great because my tail bone didn't get in the way.  when she started crowning, the nurse was like oh my gosh look at all that hair!  and then her head was on its way out and jb grabbed my hand so i could feel it.  the nurse tried to stop it because she thought it was too soon, but i got my hand down there and felt her head and then her whole body fly out and justin, liane and i all lifted and put her on my belly.  i thought i could see that she was a boy, but it was the umbilical cord and justin moved it aside and said it's a little girl.  it was insane and amazing.  she got to hang out on my belly until the umbilical cord stopped pulsing, and then while i delivered the placenta and got stitched up.  she was on me really for almost 2 hours before they took her to check her out and bathe her and all that.

mom and dad arrived within about an hour of her birth (thankfully they didn't listen to us and came right away).  so, from the time my water broke until she was born was a total of 11 hours.  insane.  she weighed 7 lbs, 14 oz and was 21 inches long.  her head was 14 inches.  she passed all her tests and we were able to head home within 36 hours, which has been incredible.

anyway...this isn't the most well-written post ever, but i just wanted to get the timeline down.  i need to write about what's been happening since we got home, but i am going to go feed this little monkey.  everything about her is perfect and i cannot believe how much i love her.  she is nursing like a champ and every minute with her is the best thing i've ever experienced.

due date.

well, here we are.  the finish line, or the start of a new race, depending on how you look at it.  i don't think i was really expecting to be one of those statistical 5% who have their babies on their due dates (so not my style, right?), but i don't really think that i thought much past this day.

in any case, i am feeling good and optimistic today.  i went and got acupuncture for the first time and it was awesome.  she inserted the needles and then i took probably the best nap of my life in this ridiculously comfy chair.  i don't know if that's going to do the trick, but i think it's as good a method as any.

last night we went to w&d's house and they cooked delicious homemade pizza and salads.  people have been so awesome about calling to check on me and helping me get out of the house, which i think is a smart idea.  tonight we don't have real plans, so i am thinking we will go see due date and maybe cook or maybe pick up some din before/after depending on how we feel.  i think it's appropriate to go see that movie today, and i also hear that laughter helps induce labour, so zach galifianakis is the best idea ever.

one thing i don't think i've mentioned on here is my newfound (relatively) obsession with coconut oil.  my friend a has been swearing by this stuff forever, but i just bought some a few months ago.  coconut oil is all natural (duh) and is solid at room temp but turns to liquid when it gets warm.  it's kind of bizarro to get used to at first, but then it's amazing.  i was using one brand i bought at this health food store, but just found hope's harvest at another store and it is rocking my world even more.  this one has a slight smell (though lots of them don't so if you don't like to smell amazing, you don't have to), and it's incredible.  i use it as a moisturizer for belly, arms, legs, etc.  even in my hair (at night if i know i'm washing it the next morning) to make it all shiny.  i also use it to cook (it's got a higher heat point than olive oil and similar health benefits). anyway....it's awesome and i cannot recommend its virtues enough for all things.

hopefully there will be some news here before too long, but i'll keep posting semi-regularly until then so y'all can know what's up (or what's not).

pets wearing clothes.

yes, i am still here sans external baby.  we just had our 40-week appointment and everything still looks great.  heartbeat was 145 today, position looks good.  i have made some progress, but not a ton, but i was reassured yet again that even 0 progress could still mean going in to labour at any point.  so.  i am ok with everything right now.  trying to remain in a zen state.  honestly, i am just excited and impatient, but i feel like i can handle it.  we have an appointment next thursday (41 weeks) where we will have an ultrasound and non-stress test and all that to check fluid levels and make sure the placenta is still behaving itself and the baby is a-ok.  at that point, if we make it that far (praying that is not the case and that we have to cancel that appointment because we already have a kid), we will be able to discuss different options in terms of induction, etc etc, if we decide that's what we want to do.  at this point, i am hoping i can hold out and just wait for the baby to come on its own, but if i am still hanging out in eight more days, i may be singing a different tune.  we shall see.

anyway...here are some pictures of our dogs wearing clothes.  i am fundamentally against this practice, but about once a year i find it to be absolutely hilarious.  you'll be pleased to know the dogs receive many treats once the dress up session is over, so i don't think they're too traumatized.

halloween and another pair of booties.

halloween was a total non-event in our house this year.  jb had decided at whatever point that he did not want our baby to be a halloween baby, so that was the only day i shouldn't go into labour.  turns out that was not an issue, ha.  we ended up spending the day around the house, watching football and hanging out. it was nice, just not cold enough.  the saints won (who dat!) and i sewed another pair of booties, this one for our little monkey, should s/he ever decide to show up.  i know my posting every single project might be getting old, but i am having a really good time with the sewing these days, so i apologize.

i used a snap on these instead of velcro, which i think looks cute but might not be as practical as the velcro. we shall see.

we did dress the dogs up last night in ollie's halloween costume from last year (dr. ollie) and random other dog clothes we have accumulated.  i'll post pics of that when i upload them.  i think our pups are very grateful we only put clothes on them once or twice a year.  the dress-up did remind us of last year's holidays when etta was a brand new pup.  we spent christmas in dallas and wichita and got lots of snow both places.  we picked up a little insulated coat for her since she was so little, and the pics are some of our favorites ever.  here are just a couple from our reminiscing session last night.

i guess that's all for now.  jb managed to eek out a victory in his fantasy football league yesterday, after vowing that if he lost another week he would not be playing the rest of the season.  it's hilarious to see how much he struggles with this.  it's his first time playing, and he gets totally consumed on sundays.  i find it endlessly amusing.

i'm working from home now which means i no longer have to wear real clothes!  yay!

cool front is supposedly blowing in tonight...maybe it will bring a baby....

booties project.

well, i messed up the ones i was making with the leftover crib skirt fabric, but the mess up afforded me the chance to learn how to sew with a pattern and understand what the directions meant.  soooo, i sewed another pair for my friend a's new baby girl cameron.  here are some pics.  the pattern is adorable and the booties don't take that long at all, so i am thinking this may be one of my new go-to baby gifts....

post-edit: the pattern is from amy butler's little stitches for little ones book.  my friend amy got it for me for my baby shower (i think there's a pic of the book in some of the baby shower pics), and it really has the cutest projects you've ever seen.  the crib skirt is from there too....

39 weeks. tick. tock.

seven days left, according to the fake math of babies and gestational periods.  i am not convinced this is all going to go down in the next seven days.  hopeful, but not convinced.  it seems the statistics are stacked against me, what with 50% of births happening after the due date.

anyway...not much else to report, other than there is no report right now.  i am trying to stay sort of busy while also getting rest and sleep.  today is my last day in the office, which is awesome.  i'll likely work from home over the next week or however long it takes for nibs to make an appearance.  jb and i are going to do some stuff around the house and the town - try to take advantage of our last few nights as an unhampered couple.  we're in really great spirits, just ready for some action (and overwhelmingly curious).

we're not planning to dress up or go anywhere for halloween (no need since i'm already a pumpkin), but i am sure we'll whip up some costumes for the pets if the spirit moves us.  pics to follow if there's anything good....

what the doc said (10 days left, arbitrarily).

in truth, not a whole lot.  it was a good appointment - the baby is head down, back towards my belly (mostly, though it rolls a bit from side to side).  heartbeat still in the 140s.  the doc said she estimates that nibs weighs about 7.5-7.75 pounds.  yowza!  so i think if i get to 40 or 41 weeks, we will probably be looking at an 8.5 pounder.  maybe a little bigger?  i think 8-8.5 sounds good....

anyway...she also said i should start re-training my brain to think of november 12 (41 weeks) as my due date because that way i won't be so discouraged if the 5th comes and goes with no event.  haha.  i wish they had told me that 2 months ago, because now that i'm in to days left, i don't think there's any way to NOT be at least a teensy bit disappointed if s/he is still in there as the due date comes and goes.

i didn't get checked for progress at the appointment yesterday.  my practice will check at 38 and a half weeks if i request it or am showing signs of eminent labor, but in general they will wait until my due date to do any internal exams.  the rationale for them is that it doesn't really help anything.  if they check and i'm making progress, i could still be 2 weeks away from going into labor, so it doesn't really help to know that and then have to keep waiting.  alternatively, they could check and i could be nowhere and i could still have a baby within 24 hours, so better to not disappoint me for no reason.  anyway...i am a little curious, but not so curious that i needed to be examined yesterday.  we have our 40 week appointment next wednesday, the third, and i will definitely want to know then.  if i haven't had a baby yet.  fingers crossed.

so that's it for today, i think.  i slept some last night and am trying to make myself take it easy more and more.  today is my last strenuous day of work and i'm hoping to do some working from home for parts of the rest of this week.

staying busy (kind of).

the full moon was ineffective.  but i am ok with that.  i think i am just going to focus on relaxing and knowing that nibs will be here sooner than i can imagine, and the longer s/he stays in there, the bigger and healthier s/he will be.  theoretically.  i am pretty sure i can maintain this attitude until my due date.  my friend a is now 8 days past her due date, so i am seeing first hand how arduous that can be, and just hoping nibs behaves and shows up at a reasonable time.  but really, whenever s/he's ready.  

this weekend, jb and i were both under the weather a little bit.  we woke up on friday with sore throats and congestion (jb blames the flu shot he got - his first ever - but i think he's full of it).  my co-workers threw a shower at work that was super sweet on friday afternoon, so when we got home we put the new stuff away and decided to just lay low.  i ordered take-out eggplant parmesan, having read that it's a helpful dish for moving things along.  apparently not the case for me at this juncture....

saturday we did a few things but didn't go buck wild as i don't have the energy right now to be too hyper-productive.  i did manage to sew a crib skirt for the nursery.  it was a project i sort of had on the back burner because i wasn't sure if i'd have time for an undertaking like that.  but i figured since i wasn't in labour, i might as well get something done.  i think it turned out pretty cute!  it matches the drapes and i think it's a nice color accent and "finishes" the look of the crib a little bit.  

the pattern came out of the amy butler sewing book amy gave me, and i'm using some of the leftover fabric to try my hand at a pair of booties.  i'll post a pic if they turn out ok...i made the first one inside out last night, so it's a little bit of a learning process (never really made anything from a pattern before).  

sunday we had some bbq at m&k's and watched the saints lose (booooo).  straightened up the house a little.  went to the dog park.  i am now working with about an hour or two of sleep and about to head to this week's dr's appt.  hopefully there will be something more exciting to report on soon....

38 weeks.

still here, still growing a human.  i know there is absolutely no reason to expect to have this baby any earlier than my due date, but man.  i am so ready.  my ankle swelling has gone down to almost nothing today (yay!), and my heartburn is back but not with the same vengeance as before, so i am still enjoying that.  i ridiculously expect to have some sort of premonition about when i'm going to go into labour, but i haven't had one yet and i know it's absurd to think i will.  i just don't like not being able to predict the future.  haha.  anyway...as i said to mom this morning, i am happy for nibs to stay in here as long as s/he needs to to be fully ready to make his/her way out.  i just hope the agenda is sooner rather than later.

jb got his flu and pertussis vaccines yesterday, and my parents are vaccinated as well, so we should be covered.  i started getting a sore throat yesterday (the first hint of any kind of illness my whole pregnancy), and jb is feeling under the weather today, too, so we will plan to take it easy and take care of ourselves this weekend.  there will be good football games and maybe some cleaning and yard work to distract us.

last night our friends j&k threw a little fall fest party.  it was super fun - everyone's kids loved being outside and the weather, though not as cold as i want it to be, was really nice.  jb and i have discovered a hidden talent for squash bowling.  we didn't win the entire tournament (long story involving sudden death), but we did post the highest score of the evening.

38 week appointment is on monday, so i'll update with any new news....

happy birthday mom! (and etta).

today is my mom's 60th birthday.  10/20/2010.  awesome day to be born, i think - all those even numbers!

today is also etta james' first birthday.  her maturity level is improving a little bit, i think, but we're hoping to see a lot of progress in the next year.  haha!

anyway...we've been kind of on-and-off celebrating mom's 60th year since the vegas trip in july, and i imagine we'll continue the celebration with the birth of grandchild numero uno (hopefully soon).

if you happen to see this and happen to see my mom at some point today, make sure to tell her happy birthday.  60 is the new 40, after all.

(one of my favorite pics of my mom and her pal miriam at our rehearsal dinner in 2007)

final details.

jb and i are continuing to wrap stuff up around here and it feels really awesome to be able to cross all this stuff off of our lists.  this week, we switched closets.  since we moved in, my closet has been in our room and jb's closet was the one in the office (now nursery).  our house is minuscule, as i think i've mentioned before, so we don't have big enough closets for us to share the one in our room.  anyway...i am now all moved in to the closet in the nursery and jb has the one in our room.  it was a huge help to organize and eliminate some clutter - full on nesting for both of us, i guess.  while everything was in disarray and being put back together, i dusted the ceilings and walls and door frames throughout the house.  we've also done piles of laundry and gone through mail and paperwork.  super fun.

in baby prep, we have also crossed a bunch off our list.  we installed the car seat, which was a hilarious affair.  i read directions and justin thought he knew how to install it without reading or listening to the directions.  we got attacked by mosquitoes and contemplated how it's possible to make a contraption so complicated.  we've decided apple should design a car seat.  i read that 85% of car seats are installed incorrectly, and after giving it a whirl i am in no way surprised (though i'm fairly confident that after some bouts of hysterical laughter we managed to do it right).

we also filled out our hospital paperwork, made a plaster cast of my belly, and took maternity portraits.  i know none of those (except the paperwork) are necessities, but they were fun and it was stuff i really wanted to have before the baby is born.  if you have never made a cast of your belly, i highly recommend it.  it's fun and messy and super crazy to see once you pull that thing off (again, i am pretty gigantor....).  

this afternoon, i finished sewing throw pillows out of the leftover fabric from the drapes.  i figured they will be nice for propping my feet and back up, and they'll be nice little accents for the glider.  speaking of which, i don't think i ever posted a picture of the glider, so here is that, as well as a close-up of my master work of throw pillows.  haha.  

anyway....even beyond all this list accomplishment, we've had a pretty great week and weekend.  for our anniversary, we took a cooking class at central market.  we got to learn how to make pasta from scratch, hands-on.  it was awesome.  we made goat cheese stuffed ravioli with smoked tomato cream sauce, chicken marsala over fettucine, and marscapone stuffef ravioli with powdered sugar and raspberry coulis.  we would like to be italian, i think.  

also, friday night was our friends' k&r's wedding.  it was a perfect night for an outdoor wedding and we had a blast.  i think it was the first time we've hung out with a large number of our friends all without their kiddos in probably forever, so everyone was in high spirits.  i was beyond exhausted by the end of the night, but it was worth it.  here's a pic of the happy couple and their adorable daughter morgan.  congrats!  

ready...set....

today is officially the full-term mark.  yahoo!  i feel very accomplished but also like the indeterminate amount of time before this monkey is born might be forever.

a few things i wanted to note, for posterity....

• my heartburn went away yesterday.  randomly.  i have had it every day that i can remember since 9 weeks, so this is pretty much the most amazing occurrence of pregnancy for me so far.  haha.  
• my belly button is still in.  like, pretty far in (tip of the finger).  i don't think it's going to pop out, which i find hilarious.  in the beginning, i thought the pop out was creepy and weird, now i feel like a mutant with this innie.  
• i still don't have stretch marks, which is a miracle unto itself.  i credit my cajun skin.  i also weigh the most i have ever weighed in my life.  yikes!  
• my belly's circumference is standing firm at 46 inches.  it's been that way for a few weeks now, even though i feel like i am bigger.  
• the dogs are very clingy now, even more so than they have been earlier in my pregnancy.  especially when we're out walking and other dogs are around - etta pretty much wedges herself between me and any other human/animal.  
• i am surprised by the amount i'm hoping the full moon sends me into labour.  i always thought people were over-dramatizing the situation when they seemed "so ready" at the end, but i am so unbelievably curious, i can't help myself.  

that's all for now, i think.  yay for the weekend!  

tres anos.

three years ago today, justin and i got married.  it was a really really fun day.  i can also honestly say that pretty much every day since then has been fun as well.  this is not to say that we've not had spats here and there, and random trials and tribulations.  of course we have.  but when i look at the whole of our marriage so far, the predominant reaction i have is to smile really big and giggle a little bit.  i hope i can continue to say that for many many more years.  i feel very lucky.

today we had our 37 week appointment and everything is still looking good, thankfully.  i have confirmed that i am having some contractions, which is exciting.  i didn't really think anything was happening, but jb felt my belly last night at one point and was like "dude i think that's a contraction".  we asked the midwife this morning, and she confirmed that that is, indeed, what a contraction feels like.  hilarious that my husband had to tell me....

heartbeat was in the 140s today, and the baby is still head down and cooperating, which is great news.  the midwife is predicting that it weighs about 6 or 6.5 pounds right now, and she's estimating 8-8.5 as the birth weight.  sounds great to me.  i also got a flu shot today, which i wasn't crazy about doing, but i think after weighing all the options it was the right decision.  i've definitely put on more weight than i had hoped, and the swelling has begun in my ankles (as of yesterday), but we are close to d-day, so there is no use crying over spilt milk, i suppose.  our stroller is purchased (thanks mom and dad!) and ready for me to start running again as soon as nibs and i are ready....

so that's it.  appointments are weekly now, so we see one of the OBs next tuesday.  the full moon is also next friday, the 22nd, so we'll see if all these old wives are on the money with that tale.  i would love love love to make it to next friday, and then this monkey can show up any time his/her heart desires....

new bed and wall decor.

a few weeks ago, etta went a little crazy for no particular reason and ate/shredded/destroyed the dog bed.  we have a crate that usually just hangs out with the door open that both dogs love, and then we had just a regular foam dog bed that they would alternate in and out of as well.  if you've read the art of racing in the rain (a super great book if you like dogs at all), you may remember the zebra scene.  i imagine this is exactly what happens to etta's brain in times where she's destroying something random: she is overcome by some sort of fever and forgets all rules and manners.  then she attacks whatever inanimate object is the source of her mania and destroys it.  frequently, this item is a pair of my flip flops (which i should obviously learn not to leave lying around), but on this occasion it was their bed.

so anyway.  dog beds are pricey.  you go to petco or one of those other dog stores and a dog bed for a biggish pup is at least $50.  this is when costco becomes the greatest place on earth.  we don't have a costco membership, because it's not effective to buy in bulk when your house is the size of a shoebox.  but, our friends w&d do, and they are awesome.  i had asked w if i could trek with her next time she went so i could pick up a dog bed to replace the destroyed one.  the big ones (with cedar in them to eliminate odors) over there are like $17!  it's incredible.  anyway.  she said sure, but then they were just over there one day and decided to pick it up for us and bring it by.  phenomenal.  and the dogs LOVE it.  it's much sturdier than the foam one, so i'm hoping etta doesn't eat it quite as quickly.  they both do this adorable dog thing where they burrow their little faces in it and root around and make cute dog noises.  it's pretty great.  they also both fit on it, and i managed to catch a picture of the two of them relaxing a couple of nights ago.  love this.

in other news, we have made tons of progress on the pre-baby lists.  we packed our hospital bag this weekend, took our last class (breastfeeding class - it was really good), and cleared out an area in the kitchen for bottles, etc.  with a small house, i am trying to make sure we have designated areas for niblet things so it's not completely overwhelming and taking over our space.  the glider came in a couple weeks ago (4 weeks early YAY!), so jb set that up too.  finally, last night we hung up the paintings my friend a did for us for my austin shower.  too cute, really.  i need to take some full pics of the completed nursery (i think we still need a rug, but that's really it), but here are a couple of the crib and the art.

 in case you can't read (the file size of these pics is pretty small), the paintings say: i sleep, i wake, i eat, i play, i love.  

i think we are going to opt out of bumpers for the crib for now, and i am going to try to pick out some fabric to sew the dust ruffle this weekend.  other than that, i am cautiously saying the room is ready to go....

this friday is 37 weeks, which some websites consider full-term (or at least, babies born at 37 weeks and beyond are not considered preemies).  i am psyched to have made it to this point, and getting very excited/anxious to meet this little creature.  we have an appointment tomorrow (and it's also our three year anniversary), so i will post an update and hopefully more pictures soon.  i also need to post about the austin shower, but i haven't gotten any of the pics yet, so i'll do that when i can provide visual aids...

full timing.

for the past year and a half (almost 2), i have been working part time.  kind of.  it has been a job-share situation - i have a "partner" that i divide some responsibilities with and she works every day but wednesday, and i work every day but friday.  it has been a really sweet gig in a lot of ways...i took the part time job because i wanted to get into marketing, and because i was in school and it was phenomenal to have fridays to get homework and house stuff done. it made a huge difference in my stress level and was an awesome arrangement in every way except salary, of course, which obviously suffered a little bit.  fortunately, jb was supportive and we were willing to scrimp a little for a couple of years, thinking that i'd coast right into some awesome, lucrative full-time arrangement upon graduation.

well, graduation came and went, and i was pregnant.  so, i submitted a proposal to my boss (in early may), and i asked to move to full time, but i also felt like i wasn't in a great position to barter with the powers that be at my current job, nor did i feel like i was in a position to look for a new job elsewhere (because you know how everyone is just dying to hire women in the middle of a pregnancy).  so, of course, this has been a source of great anxiety for me.  and jb, i think, but mostly me.  i had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that i wasn't going to be full time, i wasn't going to get to do the job i wanted to do, and even if i did get the move it either a) wouldn't happen until after maternity leave and/or b) would be for not as much money as i was really hoping for/needing.

BUT.  this week, my boss let me know that i'm full time NOW (she said it was up to me and i said now is always better than later).  and i also am in a comfortable place, salary-wise.  oh, and to top it all off, the focus of my role is much more where i was hoping it would be (content development, etc etc).

i cannot possibly begin to express the relief and excitement this news has brought with it.  i feel like i can now be pumped about having this little niblet in a way i was a little bit scared to be before (so many variables and uncertainties....).  of course i will miss my freedom fridays - it's been awesome to be able to play and go to lunch and do projects on fridays every week since school has been out - but i feel like i am back in the adult world that i have tried so hard to be a part of.  and i feel like i can look forward to the job i'll be coming back to after nibs is born.  yay for career satisfaction - so rewarding.

fruit bat.

when my parents were in town a week and a half ago for the austin baby shower, we were watching the pups play and my mom commented on the fact that etta is about 8 different kinds of mutt.  it's true - we really haven't been able to figure out what she is.  but i am pretty sure whatever it is, fruit bat is contained in there in some capacity.  like...really really cute fruit bat.

three years old.

this should have been posted last week, but i am woefully behind on pictures and posts and updates, so you'll have to forgive me....

despite the fact that it's somewhat ridiculous to celebrate pets' birthdays, i'm a big believer in it.  to me, pets (especially dogs) are an essential component in my happiness and fulfillment in life, so i like to celebrate the day they came to be part of the world.  even if that day is sometimes a little made-up because i wasn't actually there.  anyway.  ollie turned three on september 30.  i think that's like 19 or 21 in dog years, but he's super mature for his age.  we celebrated by giving him a rawhide (which etta promptly stole even though she had her own), taking them on 2 or 3 walks, and eating dinner outside where they could romp and have our company.  it was a good day, even by our dogs' standards (where every day is really a good day).  

my favorite thing about dogs is how every small thing is an utter delight to them.  when i get home from work, it's like there could be no greater or more phenomenal gift in the world than me showing up at the place where i live.  when we ask them if they want to go on a walk, you'd swear we were offering them millions of dollars as well as immortality.  i just love the joy they embody at all times and how little it takes to get them totally stoked about the smallest things.  

happy numero tres ollivander!