Wow, where did the past 31 weeks go!?! I can not believe I am already EIGHT months pregnant! Not only am I in complete shock, but I am also completely NOT ready!!! Being sick this past few weeks has really put me behind when it comes to getting our house ready for a new baby. I am starting to really stress that it will not get finished before she arrives.
During the past few months we have been working really hard on turning our once overly cluttered basement into a new playroom/family room. With the help of my Dad and another construction worker that we hired, new sheet rock has been hung, plastered, primed and painted. A new ceiling has been put up along with new lighting, the outlets have all been replaced with kid proof ones and new closets for toys have been built. The hold up now is the floor. Because my husband and father also fell victim to the flu, the new flooring has been sitting in boxes in the corner or the room for weeks. I am really hoping that if everyone is finally feeling better, the floor can be started sometime next week.
Once the new playroom is finished, the old playroom upstairs can be converted back into a bedroom and nursery for baby girl. I think I have the colors choosen, but I have been horribly indecisive. I think I am going to go for a pale pink, white and grey room, but I just can't make up my mind. It makes me laugh because with my son, I knew exactly what his room would be the moment I found out I was pregnant. For this little one, well she will be lucky if she has a room to come home to!
Other then her nursery, we are also working on getting a place ready for the baby in our own room. I have been working really hard on cleaning, disinfecting and reorganizing. I have a long way to go, but at least it has been started. After the room is clean, I have to get working on her cradle. Before I was born, my Dad made me a cradle and when I had my son, he fixed it up and gave it to me for him to use. I still have it and really want to use it for our baby girl, but because the cradle was put into storage for many years, its in need of another face lift. That along with the fact that a squirrel decided to make the cradle its home and when we took it out of storage it was filled with paper, sticks, insulation, dirty cloth and squirrel poo. To make sure that it is safe for baby girl, I am going to sand it down, bleach it and then paint it. I have talked to our doctor about using it, just to make sure she thinks it will be safe and she agreed that after it's makeover, it will be perfect.
Other then a place for her to sleep, the rest of the house needs a major overhaul before her arrival. I want to make sure the rugs have been cleaned. the walls have been washed and everything has been disinfected. I am not taking any chances of her getting sick when we bring her home. In fact, I am even forcing my husband to get our car detailed before we leave the hospital! I know I sound paranoid, but I am not taking any chances.
I do have a few things finished and purchased though. As boring as it might be to read, I thought I would list the things we do have for her, and what we still need. If anything, it is a good place for me to write down my list so I know what's left. Please message me if you can think of anything I am missing! I haven't done the new Mom thing for 7 years and I know there is a lot I am forgetting!
HAVE NEED
- Car Seat Crib
- Winter Cover for Car Seat Crib Mattress
- Swing Crib Bedding
- Play Mat Dresser / Changing Table
- Baby Carrier First Aid Kit
- Breast Pump Blankets
- Bottles Pacifiers
- Rocking Chair for the Nursery High Chair (not right away)
- Changing Pad and Covers Shampoo/Body Wash/ Lotion
- Crib Sheets Pack n' Play
- Clothes Burp Cloths
- Onsies Bottle Brushes
- Diaper Bag Wipe Warmer
- Cloth Diapers Swaddle Blankets
- Diaper Pail with Wet Liner Mobile
- Laundry Basket Baby Care Kit
- Video Monitor
- Cradle
- Cradle Mattress
- Blooming Flower Bath for Sink
- Stroller
- Bopy Pillow
- Books and a Few Toys
Other then getting the house ready, I am also trying to get our son ready for the fact that there really is a baby coming. I know he is beyond excited, but at the same time I don't think he realizes what a big change its going to be. I found out that the hospital we will be delivering at also provides sibling classes and even though I am not sure what they teach, I thought it would be a great opportunity for Tyson to feel more involved. I want him to feel that he is just as much apart of this process as possible. I have been talking a lot with him about how much time I will have to spend with the baby, but that I will always have special time to set aside with him. He surprised me a few weeks ago and asked if he would still be my little boy if I had a new baby. After composing myself I told him that he will always be extra special to me because he is the one that made me a Mommy, that before him I was just Ryann, but after he was born I became what I had always wanted most my entire life, a Mommy. Ever since then he has been rubbing my belly at night and saying goodnight to his sister, then he hugs me and tells me that he is glad he is extra special because he was first. I am trying to find a way to tell him that I will love both of my children the same, that I will not love one more than the other, but that yes, he is special. So far that is not as easy as I thought it would be. I am going to go to the library this week and try to find some books to help talk about a new baby coming into the family. Again, if you know of any, please leave a comment below.
As far as pregnancy symptoms now, I don't have much to complain about. I still get occasional morning sickness, but nothing that I can't handle. I am experiencing sever heartburn and acid reflux, but I am hoping the doctor can prescribe something that can help with that. For now I have been watching what I eat, putting more pillows under my head at night and keeping a supply of tums on hand at all times.
Along with the heartburn, I have acquired insomnia. I am up most of the hours of the night, now being 3:00AM, and falling asleep during the day. I am not sure if this is entirely pregnancy related or due to being sick and messing up my internal clock. Either way I know not sleeping is getting me ready to be up all night with a new baby and so I don't mind as much.
I am still leaking colostrum, but now it is in much higher amounts. I am almost to the point where I have to wear a breast pad all the time, day and night. I have had a few people tell me that I should be pumping instead of wasting good colostrum, but I know that nipple stimulation can cause early labor. So as uncomfortable as it may be, I am leaving well enough alone and stalking up in breast pads. This might be TMI, but its the truth.
On a very positive note, I have been experiencing a lot more movement and one of my families favorite evening pass times is to just sit and watch my belly rolling around. She is a very strong little girl and at times contorts my entire stomach into the strangest shapes. Tonight her back was pressed up against my side so much that my husband even got to feel her as she hiccuped. Normally he is able to watch my stomach bouncing with each hiccup, but this time he could even feel her. I can't begin to describe what it feels like when she moves, but I love that feeling so much. I am truly going to miss feeling her move inside my tummy after she is born.
As far as weight gain, so far I have not gained a pound since around 15 weeks. I did gain a lot in the beginning, but I think that was because we had just moved back from Korea and I was enjoying American food a little too much. Since then things have leveled off and I am trying to eat healthy. I did end up loosing almost 10lbs being sick, but my doctor said as long as the baby is still gaining weight, it would not be a problem. It amazes me how much the human body can protect itself, even feeding off another to get what it needs. No other time in life is having a parasite a good thing, but for now, I am happy with her taking all she needs.
From here on out I am going to do my best to make better weekly updates and list my symptoms as well as how thing are coming along with our home. Hopefully next post I will have lots of pictures for you of her nursery, my stomach and even our finished basement. Please continue to read and don't forget to subscribe for more updates.
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