Happy and Sads

Part of my bedtime routine growing up was "happy and sads". I reported to my mom one happy thing and one sad thing that happened that day. Well, here are some happy and sads for me lately.

Happy:

My mother-in-law sent me a last-month-of-pregnancy care package including, but not limited to a new robe, lotions, and gift cards for good food.

I am still growing but last week my doctor told me my little girlie "is definitely ready to come". I will spare you the details, but things are coming along nicely!

My first nephew will be arriving in December!

A great haircut. David Douglas Salon in Provo does an awesome job. Go there and tell them I sent you. No really. Tell them, it will give me a discount on my next haircut.

Sad:

I haven't seen my baby daddy in 5 days. He will be home from Nashville late late tonight! He has been gone for much of July, but hopefully no more trips until after the baby comes.


Neutral:

I figure I better hurry up and become crafty before the baby comes, right? This is neutral for now because it remains to be seen how it turns out. This project has involved many firsts for me- entering a fabric store (and buying something by the yard), buying both a staple gun and glue gun, burning my finger on said glue gun, and finally, stapling something to our counter.

Baby Advice

I need some advice! I am pretty much finished buying all our baby stuff but there are some things I am a little unsure of. Please let me know if you have any experience with/opinion on the following:

-wipes warmer- do babies really care about their wipes being warm? is it worth the $25?
-bottles- do you notice a big difference in bottle brands? are glass bottles better?
-bottle brush/drying rack- do we need bottle cleaning supplies? all of the bottles we have are dishwasher safe, but does the dishwasher not do the job sufficiently?
-diapers & wipes- which brands do you like the most?
-diaper hygiene- what diaper rash products work the best?
-laundry detergent- are baby-friendly detergents worth the extra money? what is the danger of just using our regular, non-name brand detergent?
-baby first aid- what infant first aid products are actually necessary? we have a baby thermometer, nail clippers, gas drops, and other things, but there are whole aisles of products!

Daniel's Latest

Since most of the time I use this blog to make fun of my husband and he refuses to blog anymore, I thought I would show off the project he finished recently.

I bought a used changing table and informed Daniel he'd be altering it to fit our needs. I forgot to take a before picture, so you'll just have to imagine a cheap, ugly, decrepit changing table magically transformed into this...

Really, it was in good shape when I bought it but Daniel painted it white (from black) and added a closet rod to the cabinet. This mini-closet is perfect for hanging mini-people clothes.

He did a great job and now he can't wait to change all the baby's diapers on it!

New Tricks

Did you know that when you are pregnant your body can do all sorts of new tricks? I mean, besides the obvious- growing and sustaining another human life. Among other things, my body can now do the following: get hit nearly every time I open my car door (that stomach just does not ever get out of the way!), leak pee when I sneeze/laugh hard (TMI, I know Meredith, T...M...I),

and finally....

retain fluid like nobody's business! Pictorial proof below...

The other night when I got back from the gym and took off my sneakers I found this

Since the swelling couldn't go to my feet it found its way to my ankles and lower legs.
What a great trick!


This is my foot today at work.
The fluid really likes to gather at the top of my foot and the inside of my ankle.

Oh, you don't believe me that fluid loves the inside of my ankle?
Watch this!It really is magic. Oh pregnant body, how I love you!

For the few of you who haven't been counting down until MY baby comes...
5 1/2 weeks left

On this day in 1988...

This is a slightly different edition. Not in my words, but those of my awesome grandmother.
My grandmother wrote a letter to her family every week. Since she passed away in April my mom has been typing them up so everyone can have a copy. Because we lived so close to my grandparents, Grammie wrote about us in some of her letters. Here are a few excerpts my mom sent me:

March 3, 1988-"I have to tell you about an experience I had with Carly last week. I tend them on Wednesdays as you know and Wednesday afternoon after they had left when I went to comb out my hair -- which had been washed -- and all my brushes and combs etc. from the holder in my bathroom were gone. Carly had been in there when I was rolling my hair and after I looked around a little, I called Tina and asked her to ask Carly if she knew where they were. She sort of cringed but said no. I continued to look and couldn't find them so I called Tina back and asked if she would bring Carly over here and maybe she could help me find them. They came over and Doug was really hard on Carly and she was crying, etc. We all kept looking but nothing turned up. Tina got Carly quiet and then told her that Grammie needed her brushes and could Carly please help us and she went right upstairs to the small closet in the canopy bedroom and got the brushes which she had stashed in the shoes on the floor of that closet. I don't know how long it would have been before I found them. We thanked her and didn't punish her but it was quite an experience. I think they are going to have fun raising her. She's a bright, stubborn little girl with quite a temper -- but a real doll."

July 26th, 1988- "Last week it was disappointing for the kids because their swimming lessons were canceled two days because of rain and then this week they had another one canceled. I took them to the pool everyday and they really had a good experience when it wasn't raining. Carly went all by herself to the 3 year old class and was quite independent. I took her shopping for a pair of deckers and she wears them proudly. She is certainly a complicated little girl though. I am going to be very interested to watch her grow up. She is an original, believe me.

I have had the kids over here two days this week. I taught Meredith to play Solitaire and I am amazed at her power of concentration. She has a very long attention span and she learned to play it perfectly. I continue to play Chinese Checkers with Anthony and this week we had one tied game which excited him and pleased me. Carly wanted to sing songs so I told her I would play if she would sing. In church she refuses to sing (in primary that is) so I wondered if she would really do it. She obviously knows the songs because she sang them all with my playing. She got mad if I tried to sing with her. She also told me she doesn't love me but she does love Grandma John. Sigh."

What does it mean to be called "complicated" and "an original"? I also enjoy that I was a stubborn little girl with a temper, but I could still be classified as a "real doll". My mom says good luck with our daughter! I think she would love for me have a little girl just like me; first, just to see how I handle it, and second, so I can experience some of the battles she went through with me. (And they were often battles from what I hear. My grandmother was not kidding about my stubbornness.)

I am slightly nervous about the potentially deadly combination of Daniel and myself. Whereas I was a very shy child and would not exercise my extreme stubbornness around anyone but family, Daniel was outgoing. Our daughter could have battles with people other than her parents. Let's just hope this girl gets more of Daniel's personality and less of mine I guess.

**Go here to find out whose fetus is in the ultrasound picture.**

Some Hellos and Goodbyes

We have said hello and goodbye to some important people lately.

First, I said hello to some of my best friends. Jen and Margaret were both in town so we had a girl's day of eating, shopping, and swimming. It truly was a girls only day as Julia (far left) found out that morning she is having a girl in December. More friends for girlie!

I am standing on my tip toes in this picture.
Mel, where are you when I need another shorter person around?

We had a boys-allowed barbeque that night.

Daniel got to reunite with Phil, our long-lost neighbor.

Saying hello to Daniel after ditching him all day.

Margaret and her boys and Jones(er) the dog.

Today I said goodbye to my big sister Meredith. She and her husband are driving to New Hampshire so he can start medical school at Dartmouth. (Yes, Dartmouth is in New Hampshire)
I can't believe I have no siblings left in Utah. Not for the next 6 weeks anyway. Then my 2 younger sisters will be back at BYU. It's weird to have siblings move away when you know you will probably never live in the same place again.

Finally....
We said hello to our first niece/nephew! We are going to be an aunt/uncle!

Girlie's going to have a cousin only 4 months younger! Best cousins forever!