Holy Awesome Decals!

I had some fun decorating Lima Bean's nursery this weekend! I wanted something playful and fun to spice up the nursery. I went looking at decals, thinking that I wanted a tree or at least something with birds!

I first started thinking about wall decals after I saw this Land of Nod tree decal (below). It was in the catalog and later we saw it in a baby's nursery at an open house. I love the bright colors!


I then saw this wall decal from Baby Gap (below). But the colors weren't bright enough and I wasn't crazy about the round tree.

There are tons of places where you can get wall decals.... Walltat, Wall Sticker Shop and Modern Nursery. Naturally, I turned to my favorite place for creative nursery items: Etsy! There are a ton of wall decal options on Etsy, and most are customizable, so you choose the colors you want.

After looking at several options, I decided on this one (below). The branch would fit perfectly on the wall behind the chocolate brown rocker glider! I ordered the decal, requesting to have the branch in chocolate brown, the leaves in light pink and the birds in hot pink.

On Saturday, when we got home from all our errands, the shipment arrived! Excited, I opened up the box and watched a YouTube video on how to install the decal. It wasn't as hard as you'd think!


Here is how it came out! I love it! It adds just the fun whimsical touch that I wanted... Lima Bean will love it!

Let's talk details!

How far along: 37 weeks/1 day

Total weight gain: 30 pounds (Down a pound since last week! My doctor says this is normal in the final weeks...)

Maternity clothes: Anything that fits... Dresses, skirts, yoga pants and maternity tops. Oh how I can't wait to have a waistline again!

Main symptoms: Very tired. Forgetful. Gassy. Can't eat much food at one sitting. Hard to pick things up. Belly is ridiculously HUGE!

Exercise: Stretching, bouncing on exercise ball, kegels, walking.

Best moment: Enjoying a nice dinner with friends on our new patio furniture last Friday night!

Movement: Still VERY active in there! I am told she is head down, so it's her butt that is moving. I feel her moving mostly all day. And she gets the hiccups all the time too!

Food cravings: Chocolate. Cake. Cookies. 

Gender: Girl... Plan to ask for another check at our ultrasound next Wednesday. Just to be sure! 

Labor signs: Still none. And at my doctor appointment Tuesday, I was told still no progress. 

Belly button in or out? I think it's out but it's not as bad as I thought it would be. It is completely gone and you can see it through my clothes. But it's not sticking out, per se. 

What I miss: Being able to fit in small spaces and pick up things that I drop.

What I am looking forward to: Will we ever get to the end of our To-Do list? Can't wait to finish the nursery and get all the rest of the furniture that we need for guests! 

Weekly wisdom: Hospital tours are very useful and helpful to take! 

Milestones: We took a hospital tour last Sunday and got a bed for the basement. We also wrote a short birth plan and have started putting together stuff for our hospital bag!

37 weeks and one more White House visit!

I think this is the last one... My 9th trip to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue this year, since Obama took office and since I have been carrying a little Lima Bean in my belly!

Today I had routine White House pool duty. So I arrived for pool call time at 8:30 a.m. (thanks Papa Bean for the ride!) and attended an East Room reception honoring new U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Here is my Week 37 bump photo, in front of the East Wing entrance:

In his remarks, President Obama made this statement, which I hope Lima Bean heard and paid attention to. He said: "While this is Justice Sotomayor's achievement, the result of her ability and determination, this moment is not just about her. It's about every child who will grow up thinking to him- or herself, 'If Sonia Sotomayor can make it, then maybe I can too.'"

So whatever name we choose for Baby Lima Bean, it must be able to work with the titles "Justice," "Congresswoman," "Senator" and "President." You know, just in case. :-)

According to my pregnancy books, Lima Bean should be about 6 pounds and fully developed. But although she is now considered "full term," she will continue to grow and develop the longer she stays in her utero home.

And, finally, what you have all been waiting for... I have finally achieved watermelon status. Behold, my final fruit picture!

Lima Bean is "full term"!!

That's right folks, pack your bags and stay by the phone... As of this week, Lima Bean is considered "full term" and welcome to join us in the real world anytime she wants! 

We had our Week 37 doctor's appointment this morning and that's what our doctor said. Eeek! Working feverishly to pack our bags and get things ready! 

Here is a picture from this morning:

Some details from today's appointment: 

• I weighed in at one pound less than last week, so +30 total. 
  
• My test from last week came back good. 
  
• My belly is measuring on track. 
  
• When our doctor went to listen to baby Lima Bean's heartbeat, she decided to stick her butt out, causing my stomach to lurch and our doctor to exclaim that we don't even need to hear her heartbeat if we can see her move that much! 
  
• We still did and her heartbeat was strong and steady. 
  
• Baby Bean is head down, so at this point I'm told there is a 95% chance that she'll stay that way. She has not "dropped," however. Not as far as I can tell at least...
  
• Not dialated at all. 
  

Our next doctor's appointment is Wednesday, Aug. 19th. We'll get our last ultrasound then too!

Exercise ball - For labor?

You might have noticed in my last post that one of my questions had to do with bringing an exercise ball with me to the hospital. No, I'm not planning to exercise while in labor!

I've read that using an exercise ball can be helpful for not only exercise (I've done abs on them before) but also for active labor. You can sit on them or kneel with your arms over the ball. You can also use them after birth to rock the baby - and get back into shape!

The nurse who taught our birth class a couple months ago recommended using one. Sibley hospital has several for use by women in labor, but you can also bring your own to make sure you have one to use and so you can use it both before and after labor.

Read more about using a "birth ball" during labor here and here and here. For pictures of the different positions, click here and here.

A while ago, I ordered a Valeo exercise ball from Amazon.com for $24.99. Now that we're moved into our new house and have more room, I asked Papa Bean to blow it up! Here is my beautiful pink ball, waiting to be labored on!

Tour of Sibley Memorial Hospital

We took a tour of Sibley Memorial Hospital today! The next time we go there, it'll be go-time and baby Lima Bean will be on her way! How exciting!

We already took a birth class, which was held at Sibley and included a tour of the maternity ward. But the class was two months ago, and we wanted to refresh our memory and ask some more questions that have come up as we start packing our hospital bag and preparing for the big day.

It was definitely a good call to take the tour! I'm so glad we did it! On our first visit to Sibley, we were only able to see a labor room. On today's tour, we got to see a different labor room plus two postpartum rooms, a semi-private room and a private room. Plus, we saw the nursery and a kitchenette for use by spouses.

Here is what the labor rooms look like:

Naturally, I prepared for the tour by making a list of questions. I looked at this list from iVillage to get some ideas. I also checked out this list from the Huggies Baby Network.

I thought it would be helpful for our family and friends to know more about the hospital and what to expect... So here are my questions and the answers. Enjoy!

QUESTION: During labor, I understand that you are not allowed to eat anything except ice chips. Could I could bring popsicles and hard candy to use with or instead of the ice chips? Also, do the rooms come with a mini fridge? Where can we put snacks and drinks for my husband?

ANSWER: Yes, you can bring popsicles and hard candy. But having them during labor is really up to your doctor, so check with them. You can also bring snacks and drinks for your labor partner. There are no mini fridges in the rooms but there is a full-size fridge in a shared kitchenette and you are free to use that fridge, sink and microwave. Also, there is a cafe downstairs that sells coffee and pastries. And there is also a cafeteria.

QUESTION: Is there wireless in the rooms? Outlet plugs? Can you bring an exercise ball for birthing? What else should you bring?

ANSWER: Not sure if there is wireless in the rooms, but there is free wireless in the Windows Cafe. Technically, you are not allowed to use your cell phone in the labor rooms, but... You also can't take any video or pictures during labor or of the staff. There are outlet plugs in the room and a TV with some stations. However, if you want to watch DVDs then you need to bring your own DVD player or a laptop to watch them on. You can bring an exercise ball.

QUESTION: How long should I expect to be in the hospital?

ANSWER: For vaginal deliveries, expect to stay two nights. For c-section deliveries, you'll stay for four nights.

QUESTION: What about my spouse, can he stay over and if so, where does he sleep?

ANSWER: In the labor rooms, there is a recliner chair for your partner to sleep on. In the postpartum wing, your spouse can only stay overnight in the private rooms -- not the semi-private rooms. In those rooms, there is a chair that converts into a bed. Insurance only covers semi-private rooms, so if you want a private room you need to request one upon check-in and expect to be billed $215/night. Note that private rooms include your own shower. Semi-private rooms share a shower across the hall. (We are SO GETTING a private room!!!)

QUESTION: What is the rooming-in policy with babies? Do they stay in the room with you the whole time?

ANSWER: Yes. Each room has a bassinet for the baby to sleep in and the baby is kept with you at all times. If you do need to sleep, you can ask the nursery to take the baby and give them instructions as to whether to bring them back to breastfeed or give them a bottle.

QUESTION: Speaking of breastfeeding, is there a lactation consultant on staff? What are their hours? What if you give birth in the middle of the night, is there someone who can help you try breastfeeding for the first time? Also, do you have breastfeeding classes for new moms? Rent pumps, provide equipment?

ANSWER: Yes, there is a lactation consultant on staff. If they are not working when you deliver, the labor nurses should be able to help you breastfeed. The hospital offers a free breastfeeding class every morning at 11 a.m. You can rent hospital-grade breast pumps. You can also get fitted for a nursing bra and purchase other nursing equipment and products at the hospital.

QUESTION: What about visitors? Where do they wait during labor and when can they visit?

ANSWER: Each patient is allowed one partner who gets a wrist band that allows them to be at the hospital 24/7. Otherwise, visiting hours are 1 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. During labor, family members can hang out in a comfortable waiting area with couches on the 3rd Floor, which is down the hall from where the labor rooms are.

QUESTION: What else should I know?

ANSWER: If you arrive after 9 p.m. or before 5:30 a.m., go to the Emergency Entrance. After you register, you and your partner will get bracelets and then proceed to the birthing floor, which is located on the 3rd level. Note that all labor and delivery nurses wear green scrubs and green ID tags, for security. When your baby is born, they will get a bracelet like yours.

Bring your baby book because after the nurse takes their footprint, they can also make a print in your book!

There is a free discharge class available to new parents the night before you leave where you learn baby skills like bathing, etc.

An American Girl doll for my daughter

When the American Girl collection debuted in 1986, I was 10 years old. I remember getting the catalog in the mail and falling in love with the gorgeous dolls!

At the time, the company offered just three choices: Kirsten (pioneer girl from 1854), Samantha (Victorian Era girl from 1904) and Molly (World War II girl from 1944). I loved Samantha the most. She was classy and sophisticated. And she had brown hair and brown eyes - like me!

Even then, the dolls weren't cheap. So I saved up my money - allowances, doing chores, holding garage sales. And then I ordered my Samantha doll. She was perfect! I remember wanting to order her a trunk and other outfits, but I held off. Too expensive. Instead, my mom sewed me dresses for Samantha to wear, including a red Christmas dress with lace!

Eventually I grew too old to play with dolls and Samantha was packed away in her box. She stayed there for two decades as I graduated from high school, college and got married. Now that I am expecting a daughter, I wondered... What ever happened to my Samantha doll? I asked my mom, and she did some digging in the attic and sent me this picture of all my dolls and toys that she had in storage!

Excited, I went to the American Girls' Web site to check on how Samantha had been doing. Since the company's founding in 1986, it had grown into a huge corporation with stores all over the place and dolls in nearly every little girl's bedroom. In fact, Papa Bean's niece has her own Samantha doll! But I couldn't find any listing for Samantha. Then, I found out she had just been discontinued!

While that is sad news, it could make my doll more valuable. I quickly checked on eBay to see how much I could get for my doll! But most of the dolls for sale were in pristine condition and still in unopened boxes. My doll was old. And played with. She was not perfect. Even so, I think the best place for her is in the arms of my daughter. After all, dolls are meant to be played with, not kept as collectibles!

But Samantha was still old - 20 years old! And she needed a makeover.

First, I found an adorable doll clothing shop on Etsy called DollCloset that offered this beautiful skirt in the Amy Butler fabric that coordinates with Lima Bean's nursery for only $7 (pictured below)! Then I found a white blouse and white patent mary janes from NecessaryExtras.com for $6.99 each!

Let me introduce you now to the new Samantha, updated for 2009! My gift to my daughter.

Of course by the time Lima Bean's able to play with dolls, she'll probably want different clothes and dunk Samantha in the tub a few times... maybe even cut her hair. Or maybe she'll want her own brand new American Girl doll. That's fine. I'll help her set up and run a lemonade stand so she can earn enough money to buy one. Like mother, like daughter - right?

Our first dinner guests!

Aunts Chimmy Bean and Elizabeth Bean came over Friday night to celebrate the arrival of our fabulous patio furniture! They brought cheese, fruit and wine! Papa Bean supplied the iTunes as we enjoyed the wonderful evening in our new back yard!

Little Lima Bean enjoyed it too! She started dancing in my belly as soon as the eating was over. I think she likes fruit and nice music!

Let's talk details!

How far along: 36 weeks/1 day

Total weight gain: 31 pounds

Maternity clothes: Dresses & skirts for work, yoga pants with comfy tops on weekends! I also recently made a stop at Motherhood Maternity to pick up some nursing nightgowns and tops. Got a great selection of comfy clothes for the hospital and afterward. Plus, I spoiled myself a little by getting some really soft cashmere house shoes from the Restoration Hardware outlet!

Main symptoms: My ever protruding belly continues to be my biggest symptom! I have occasional back pain, but it's not bad. I forget things and am clumsy. I waddle. It's hard to bend over to pick up things on the ground. I am HEAVY! Still sleeping through the night and still no Braxton Hicks contractions or swelling. So... So far so good!

Exercise: Do Kegels count?

Best moment: Relaxing in our amazingly comfortable glider rocker chair in the newly painted nursery, surverying how the room looks and how soon it'll be filled with the sounds of a baby!

Movement: Baby Bean is very active! She thinks she is a gymnist like her Aunt Jen. Because she moves constantly! Sitting at work, she moves around. When I lay down to read at night, she moves some more. And you can SEE her move too! My belly undulates in waves. It's pretty funny to watch!

Food cravings: Popsicles. Fajitas. Bagels. Chocolate-covered toffee mac nuts. Strawberry-banana smoothies. Cereal. Did I mention chocolate?

Gender: Still going on the assumption that we've got a little girl on her way... But now I am starting to second guess it again! What if we get a surprise boy in the delivery room? Well I did an assessment of all the stuff we have and most things are gender neutral... Just the clothes and pink accents that would have to be replaced! But, what an ordeal that would be!

Labor signs: Still none. And at my doctor appointment yesterday, I was told no progress. So that is good. All is well in pregnancy land for now!

Belly button in or out? Still in, but it does show through my clothes a little, which is weird. Is it supposed to actually POP out? Because that would be weird. I'm thinking it's not going to if it hasn't by now?

What I miss: M-A-R-G-A-R-I-T-A-S!!!!!!!!!

What I am looking forward to: Having our crib delivered! Putting up the art on the walls of the nursery... And curtains! The nursery is coming along, just a few more touches and it'll be ready! Excited to finish...

Weekly wisdom: Check out the right side of this blog. I discovered this past week three different sites where you can sign up for daily e-mails alerting you to DEALS on baby stuff! Another way to get good deals is to visit the outlets!

Milestones: Nursery and several other rooms in our house have been cleared of wallpaper and painted! We have our dining room table and chairs! Got a great patio table and umbrella! We have chosen our pediatrician practice! Almost ready...

36 Weeks down, only FOUR to go!

My due date is only FOUR weeks from TODAY! Eeeek! So we are on countdown mode.

We had our Week 36 doctor appointment this morning. From here on out, we'll be seeing the doctor every week to check for dilation. And next week, at 37 weeks, I'll be considered full term. But as of now, no progress. Nada. Nothing. So that is GOOD!

I am not yet at the point where I feel the need to serve Baby Lima Bean with an eviction notice. In fact, I think she's probably MUCH easier to take care of in my tummy than outside, so I think she should stay there for a little while longer. Redecorate, darling. Make yourself at home. But, please, do stop all that squirming around!

Below is a photo of what it looks like inside my belly at 36 weeks... So the bumps that I see as Baby Lima Bean moves are probably her butt or heel sticking up at the top of my belly. It's mighty funny to watch my undulating flesh! Plus, she hiccups all the time. So she already has a drinking problem... Hmmmm. Will have to keep an eye on that!

At the appointment today, we learned that she is head down. Good, girl. And that my fibroids look like they'll not get in the way, so more good news. Plus I am only up ONE pound since my appointment TWO weeks ago, so that is very good!

Total weight gain so far is 31 pounds. Naturally, I rewarded myself by having some chocolate.

Then, this evening, our productive day continued with a visit to the pediatric office we are considering. We met with the doctor who founded the practice and got to see the offices and ask questions. We liked him a lot. Very straightforward guy.

The group is a large practice -- about 11,000 patients and 8 doctors. But we liked the facility and the services they offer. Plus, they have a lactation consultant on staff, which will be helpful, and they come to Sibley to check the babies as soon as they are born. And just about everyone we know goes there... And several pregnant moms I know are also planning to go there. Needless to say, the place comes highly recommended.

So, we plan to go with them. Whew. One less thing to worry about!

Up next: Getting our car seat installed and packing our hospital bag! One thing at a time!

We have outdoor furniture!

Speaking of deals, this has got to be one of the biggest yet! Papa Bean found a great set of 6 patio chairs and a glass table for sale on Craigslist for only $50! The woman selling them is moving and just needed to unload them. We paid cash and picked the chairs up last week and the table up on Sunday -- great deal!

But what makes it even sweeter is that while we were at the Leesburg Outlets last Saturday, Papa Bean found this gorgeous Pottery Barn umbrella on clearance for only $124, with 20% off of that price. So for only $100, we got this great umbrella that was originally marked at $449! The stand is regularly $119 and we got ours for only $60!

So for this set you see here (below)... We paid just $210. WOW!


Now all we need is a grill... And probably a rake? And some special Wild Bird Accents' decor? ;)

We are looking forward to some cool Fall days where we can sit outside and relax under our umbrella with our little Lima Bean. We think she'd approve of the color...

Look what I found!

Unpacking has never been so profitable! Digging through some old file folders in our new home, which had previously been stacked up in a storage space, and before that had been in a damp basement, I came up on a patriotic looking envelope...

Inside were two $50 savings bonds, one dated November 1976 and the other December 1976. They were gifts to me months after I was born, one from each set of my grandparents!

The bonds were purchased at $37.50 each, and they matured quite some time ago. We took them to the bank to cash them in, and over the past 32 1/2 years, they earned $476.38 in interest.

With each bond now worth about $275, I ended up with $550 in hand!

We deposited the cash into our new joint savings account -- for the time being. Since they were gifts from my grandparents when I was born, we decided to pass it on to our daughter when she's born. So as soon as she has a name and a Social Security number, we'll use the cash as seed money for her soon-to-be-set-up college fund!

It'll be a little special gift from her great-grandparents. I'm sure they wouldn't want it any other way.

Deals! Deals! Deals!

A few fun finds from the Leesburg Outlets... Yay to baby stuff!

• Chocolate brown play mat from the Restoration Hardware outlet - Only $35! (regularly $79)
• Pink and green plates from Pottery Barn Outlet - only $1.99 each! (regularly $4.99)
• Brown plush blanket from the Restoration Hardware outlet - Only $17! (regularly $40)

I. Am. H-U-G-E!!!

Imagine carrying a 10-pound dumbell in each hand, and having another 10-pound plate duck taped to your stomach. That is about what it feels like every step I take!

Add to that a squirmy baby who likes to do summersaults and stick her butt out and turn my tummy into a lopsided mound of undulating flesh, and it's all I can do to keep from tipping over these days!

Baby Lima Bean... Seriously, if you are running out of room in there, maybe you ought to come out soon? Because trying to stretch my belly to accommodate your acrobatics is not exactly the most comfortable thing for mommy to endure! And the jumping on my bladder doesn't help things!

So anyway.

With one month to go (Week 35, Day 3)... Here is the belly of all belly shots!