Wednesday, May 30, 2012

And soon we'll be 3....

Today we took a tour of the hospital where this little bean is going to be hatched.
It pretty much feels real now. 
I'm at 36 weeks (and a half- but who's counting). 37 is considered full term and 41 is post term and they won't usually let you get past 42. Let's just hope he's on time.
The only thing I have to say is that I felt more lost walking around in there than I did before I went. The maternity ward is one big circle. I almost feel like we should have just tried our luck when I finally go into labor. (that sounds grammatically incorrect, but I'm okay with it)
We were walked around by a nurse (and I cannot remember her name for the life of me) and although she was very nice, the "tour" felt disjointed. We were shown the "birthing room" and although we made it there with her, I could not tell you for the life of me how I would go about getting there. There are two sets of elevators, she said, you can use either set, she said, but one is better than the other, she said, so let's see if we chose the right set. Really? I'm going to be in labor and you want me to remember which set of elevators is "better" to use? Well alright, I guess we'll wing it.
No biggie.
Other than that, the "tour" was fine, but it puts things in perspective. In less than a month, this little guy could be here. Less than a month?!? 
We're totally ready though. Totally. Plus, I get 12 weeks paid off of work- so, that's pretty awesome.

 Baby.
Will.
Be. 
Here.
Soon.

Wish us luck. I'll keep this updated on the progress. I'm just hoping that we'll get some good news at the next doctor's appointment that things are progressing nicely (although I did get that news last time- yesterday) but I'd like to know that I could go any time now. :)

Two more work days and then it's the weekend again- how exciting!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

36 Weeks

So apparently I'm doing what they call "nesting."
From Parenting Weekly they describe nesting in their first paragraph as "This is an uncontrollable urge to clean one's house brought on by a desire to prepare a nest for the new baby, to tie up loose ends of old projects and to organize your world."
Yeah. That's me. Yesterday I spent the entire morning cleaning the bathroom and reorganizing the cabinet under the bathroom sink. And the fact that I didn't get to clean the floor bothered me, so clearly that will be a task for today. Along with cleaning the kitchen and the "office." I feel like I have stuff EVERYWHERE and that I'm no where near as organized as I should be.
This could also be the result of knowing that I probably won't get any time to do all this stuff in the first few months of having Baby Miller.
So then panic sets in. A little. I don't want the house to look like I don't care about it. I care. I'm just tired. And hot. And pregnant. And apparently full of excuses. I figure since it's a 3 day weekend, I can use this time to tidy. And most people think I'll have him early, so I'm mentally planning that I'll probably only have a good 3 more weeks to get things done, if I'm mobile enough, because this little boy is shifting further down every day.

Anyway, I was talking to Eric the other day and I was saying that I want to be the kind of mom, that when my little boy wants to create something, I'll have all the tools available. If he says, "Mom, I drew this monster and I want to make him out of ____", I want to be able to go get the fabric, yarn, paper etc and make it with him.

I was reading an article in response to an article written in Time Magazine which showed a mother breast feeding her pre-school aged son. It was called "Are you Mom enough?" Personally, breast feeding or not breast feeding doesn't make you a good mom or a bad mom. Some women want to breast feed and can't. Some women can, but choose not to. There have been so many advances in formula that the choice is now in our hands and it won't affect our children if we don't let it. There are always going to be people who want to sway you one way or the other, but ultimately, the choice is your own.

Anyway, the response article was written by Kara Baskin, a blogger for the Boston Globe. She wrote a wish list of hopes for son. I feel exactly the same.

"Here’s my wish list.
I hope I raise a child who says “thank you” to the bus driver when he gets off the bus, “please” to the waiter taking his order at the restaurant, and holds the elevator doors when someone’s rushing to get in.
I hope I raise a child who loses graciously and wins without bragging. I hope he learns that disappointments are fleeting and so are triumphs, and if he comes home at night to people who love him, neither one matter. Nobody is keeping score, except sometimes on Facebook.
I hope I raise a child who is kind to old people.
I hope I raise a child who realizes that life is unfair: Some people are born rich or gorgeous. Some people really are handed things that they don’t deserve. Some people luck into jobs or wealth that they don’t earn. Tough.
I hope I raise a child who gets what he wants just often enough to keep him optimistic but not enough to make him spoiled.
I hope I raise a child who knows that he’s loved and special but that he’s not the center of the universe and never, ever will be.
I hope I raise a child who will stick up for a kid who’s being bullied on the playground. I also hope I raise a child who, if he’s the one being bullied, fights back. Hard. Oh, and if he’s the bully? I hope he realizes that his mother, who once wore brown plastic glasses and read the phonebook on the school bus, will cause him more pain than a bully ever could.
I hope I raise a child who relishes life’s tiny pleasures—whether it’s a piece of music, or the color of a gorgeous flower, or Chinese takeout on a rainy Sunday night.
I hope I raise a child who is open-minded and curious about the world without being reckless.
I hope I raise a child who doesn’t need to affirm his self-worth through bigotry, snobbery, materialism, or violence.
I hope I raise a child who likes to read.
I hope I raise a child who is courageous when sick and grateful when healthy.
I hope I raise a child who begins and ends all relationships straightforwardly and honorably.
I hope I raise a child who can spot superficiality and artifice from a mile away and spends his time with people and things that feel authentic to him.
I hope I raise a child who makes quality friends and keeps them.
I hope I raise a child who realizes that his parents are flawed but loves them anyway.
And I hope that if my child turns out to be a colossal screw-up, I take it in stride. I hope I remember that he’s his own person, and there’s only so much I can do. He is not an appendage to be dangled from my breasts on the cover of a magazine, his success is not my ego’s accessory, and I am not Super Mom.
I hope for all of these things, but I know this: None of these wishes has a thing to do with how I feed him or sleep-train him or god-knows-what-else him. Which is how I know that these fabricated “wars” are phony every step of the way. I do not need the expensive stroller. I do not need to go into mourning if my "sleep-training method" is actually a "prayer ritual" that involves tiptoeing around the house in the dark. This is not a test. It’s a game called Extreme Parenting, and you can’t lose if you don’t play. And, really, why would you play? You have children to raise."

Sorry for the longest post ever. But I guess it's that kind of day.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day everyone!!!

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Bump Pictures

Today we went to the park down the street and took some Maternity Photos. It's so hard for me to let someone else take them when I know what I want but it's in my head because I can't be behind the camera. I think they came out cute though!





 
We're just so excited for his arrival! 

Another month, give or take a few days!!!!!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

34 Weeks- Baby checkup

Eric and I went to the doctor today and we got to see our little boy :) How excited are we?!


I'm so excited that we got a 4D picture of his little face! Look at all that hair! Totally makes sense why I have heartburn every day of my life- for real- actually contemplating taking some tums soon. The ultrasound tech tried to get a good picture of his face in the beginning, but he was sleeping (just like his Daddy- mind you) with his arm across his face. So she jostled him a bit and he was a cranky boy at first, but then he decided to cooperate and gave us a really cute view of his little pretty face. She said he's about 5 lbs now and he'll gain maybe 2- 2 1/2 more pounds. I said "So no 10lb baby?" And she responded "Ohhhh no. Definitely not." Thank you Lori, the ultrasound tech, for making me less paranoid about having a massive baby.

I just can't get over how precious he is. AAHH! I just can't wait to meet him!

Anyway, away from baby news (kind of). My best friend started working at the company I work for. It has definitely been nice seeing her every day at work! And she'll be one more person that can drive me to the hospital if my water breaks at work! (I told you, away from baby news, kind of).

That's about all that's going on. We opened all the gifts from the baby shower, Eric put the high chair together, I have to wash up a bunch of his clothes... But now it's getting hotter outside, so it feels like the last thing I want to do is work around the house because it's so warm in here all the time. Hopefully things will go well and I'll learn to deal with the heat until this little bean arrives!

Have a wonderful night!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Prom and a baby shower (not related, thankfully)

Feeling like an old lady today- My little brother went to the prom last night.
Doesn't he look handsome!

Still it's crazy. Time is flying by. It doesn't feel like he's going to be graduating high school in 2013. I remember laughing about it when I graduated high school saying "Oh, Josh won't be graduating til 2013, that's so far away!" Except not. At all. It's here before we know it and I think we've all been taken aback by it.I'll have to do his Senior Pictures this summer!

Likewise with my little sister. I went to her orientation for high school on Wednesday- Class of 2016! High School! She's still that little terror to me even though she's now 14 years old. Ugh!

All of this 'time-flying-by' stuff makes me realize that I need to take more pictures. Clearly I don't take enough and I need to capture things as they are happening. Especially when Little Baby M gets here. I mean, my camera bag will be right next to my hospital bag so I better remember to grab it! Speaking of hospital bag, I should probably pack that soon.

Anyway, this baby's arrival is getting so close. Work threw me a baby shower yesterday.
Everyone has their own name for Baby Miller- since we're not telling til he's here!


My friend Alicia made a 'diaper cake' that looks like a motorcycle. It's SO cute!
  It was so cute and we definitely felt so loved. It was a really nice thing they did for us. (P.S.- Note the Star Wars bag- My boss clearly knows us- hahaha) It definitely started to feel real. Side note: I'm so awkward when it comes to those kinds of things where I need to be the center of attention. I hate when people have to read my reaction when I open gifts. I appreciate them so much, but my face never seems to convey how much I actually do. Honestly, though, I really appreciate everything that anyone does for me. I try to say it, but somehow I always feel like people will think I'm not being sincere. So that's a little about my awkwardness.

Anyway, off to celebrate my best friend and owner of ProSportsChick.com's graduation!
Then off to buy thank you cards.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Another rainy day...

I wish I had something to post about, but nothing much is going on. 

Little Boy never sleeps, he's already raring to go and it's only 6:30 in the morning. No one tells you how exhausted you become when you have a little bean kicking your insides for 16 hours/day. Note to self: let people know this. I don't want this to sound like I'm complaining, I'm just stating what I've experienced and I'm glad he's moving around a lot, it makes me worry a lot less. And me worrying less = awesome.

So we're now 33 weeks. Only 7 weeks left until he's due. Let's hope he arrives on time or a little early, being the Little Miller that he is, I hope he knows we all like to be early for things.

It's going to be another rainy week, hopefully the weather clears up for my brother's prom on Friday, though. No kid wants to go to the prom in the rain, plus, we'd have no outdoor pictures, which I'm slightly relying on, since I don't know how the school will be set up for photos (hopefully they have some sort of backdrop to set up).

Also, Saturday is my best friend's graduation! I'm so excited for her and proud of her. I'm so glad it is held indoors since there's never a guarantee of the weather! Plus, she starts working at my company on Monday, so that will be awesome! I'll get to see her all the time!

That's about all I have for now. Just trying to get used to posting every couple of days- but life here is pretty uneventful at the moment.

Have a great day everyone!

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Jo Totes

Good morning everyone! As I mentioned last time, I thought I would post about this amazing camera bag I got from Jo Totes! Let me start from the beginning. When Eric and I found out we were going to be having a baby, we decided to have some fun with it. We made a bet as to which sex the baby would be. I knew deep in my heart we were having a little boy, so I stuck with my gut. Eric, on the other hand, was completely convinced we were going to be having a little girl. So we each picked a prize that we wanted if we 'won' the bet. But, let's be honest, we're having a Little Baby M, so we both win in the end. At 20 weeks, we went in for an untrasound and BAM! Little Boy. My prize of choice was a new camera bag. I had been using this big bulky Cannon camera bag that I never liked to carry because it was so big, so I never took it anywhere, instead just sticking my camera in my purse at the time. Not ideal for my camera. I had been perusing the internet and stumbled upon this awesome website, JoTotes. They have camera bags for women! AND they're really cute! Woah- my mind was officially blown. That's exactly what I was looking for. Unfortunately, they were out of stock so I had to wait until the end of March to get my bag. Well, okaaaay. Let me tell you, it was worth the wait!
Front of the bag
Side
Front

Back
Inside

Print on the inside of the bag!




Isn't this bag awesome! (Sorry for the terrible lighting in the photos- it was 7:30a.m. when I took them and I didn't want to wake anyone up). This bag might look small, but I assure you it isn't. I was able to fit everything from the huge, chunky Cannon back into this one with no problems. Plus, there's space on top of everything so you could fit your wallet and phone (there's a phone pocket inside the bag, but I'm using it for my memory case). The top zips up and has two snaps so it closes up even further at the top so when you use the two handles and carry it over your shoulder, it's not bulky at all, which will be perfect when Little Bean gets here since I'll have a diaper bag too! It also has an across the body strap too which I'm thinking will come in very useful.
Point of the story, I guess, is if you know a girl that has a ton of photo equipment she has to carry around with her, suggest this site to her. The shipping was so fast I think I even got it the very next day!

As for any happenings around here, not much is going on. The weekends are too short and the work week is too long, which is the same for everyone I suppose. But only 7 more weeks until this little boy is due and I'm (we're) so ready to meet him.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Friday, May 4, 2012

32 Weeks and Counting

~So I feel pretty terrible about how neglectful I have been with this blog. I thought it was going to be a place that I could update about what's going on with Little Baby M and such, but I feel as though I have been pushing it to the back burner lately. Although it might be understandable, you know, with getting this house ready for a new addition, I feel neglectful. So, as I've said so many times before, I'll try to be better.

Eric got me a new computer, so that's pretty sweet. I have to get used to not having the laptop as my main computer, but I think I'll be happier that I can edit pictures (which I have been slacking on due to lack of my computer agreeing with me) and maybe I'll find that this new computer is a little speedier, which I'm already noticing.

I just went to the doctor on Tuesday and found out that we are going to be having an ultrasound at out next appointment (which I'm totally stoked about, because last time I was at the doc, he said he didn't think I'd need another ultrasound because my pregnancy is going so well). Needless to say, I was a little sad about it. But this news perked me up! My doctor's office has the ability to do those 3D ultrasounds, so I'm hoping that the tech will hook us up!

Now that we're so far along and this little bean has been keeping me up at night already, we've all been imagining what Baby M is going to be like when he's born. What color eyes is he going to have? Is he going to look like mumma or daddy? Will he ever sleep? What's he going to be interested in when he gets older? What will his little voice sound like? Oh! All the things to consider. All-in-all, I think all friends and family are pretty pumped about this little guy's arrival to the world, whenever it is he decides to show up ( I'm hoping right before his due date, so let's just encourage him, hm?)

With all that being said, I'm feeling better about this little blog-o-mine. Maybe next time I'll post about the epic camera bag that I 'won' when we found out we were having a boy :) 

Until then, have a wonderful day!!

Oh! And Happy Star Wars Day!