Girl Bedding Fabric

So after searching through bedding and being very disappointed (why do I want to pay so much money for something I don't love?) and a discussion with my crafty mom, she agreed to make a quilt for the bedding. So, although I know it's really early, I've started looking at fabrics.

For a girl, I wanted something feminine, but not necessarily pink. I found this collection at our local fabric store and fell in love. It's exactly what I wanted, a romantic bird theme, but not in your face. So this is what I'm thinking:

The top 5 fabrics would be quilted in either a baby block or brick pattern. I'm thinking minky dots for the backing. The bottom pink fabric would be used for the curtains and some accents. The bird egg pattern would be a band at the bottom of the curtains and a pillow and perhaps a few other accesories throughout the room.

If it's a boy, we'll use the egg print as inspiration and pick out solid colors that coordinate. I figure this is probably the best bet to keep with the bird theme and still keep it somewhat masculine (hubby will not allow floral in a boys room, haha).

So that's what I'm thinking for bedding. I have a few more things figured out for the nursery, but I think I'll keep them a surprise for another day.

Week 12 Survey

How far along: 12 weeks
Total weight gain: +1 pound
How big is baby: the size of a plum
Maternity clothes: still wearing maternity work pants
Stretch marks: none so far
Sleep: I'm still tired all the time
Best moment this week: Friday... this week was entirely too long
Movement: none so far
Food cravings: Crab legs! Yum!
Belly button in or out: innie
What I miss: still beer. could really use one right about now =(
What I'm looking forward to: our blue and pink party we're planning!
Milestone: My bloat bump is starting to be replaced by the baby bump. Amazing!

Week 11 Survey

I apologize, I do not have a belly pic this week. After finding out abour my friend's passing, it kind of go lost in all the chaos.

How far along: 11 weeks

Total weight gain: Still at pre-pregnancy weight

How big is baby: the size of a lime

Maternity clothes: still wearing maternity work pants

Stretch marks: none so far.

Sleep: still going pretty strong, but not sleeping quite as much.

Best moment this week: a 2 hour nap I took on Wednesday... ah

Movement: none so far.

Food cravings: Chips and onion dip

Belly button in or out: innie

What I miss: beer.

What I'm looking forward to: finding out the sex! It's too far away!

Milestone: heard a strong heart beat (178) for quite a long time on the home doppler!

Saying goodbye to an old friend...

I just found out that one of my old friends passed away this week. He was only 29 years old. I've been thinking about our friendship all day. How it dwindled away after I got married, how it all but disappeared when I moved to another state. I feel so incredibly guilty that we weren't as close as we used to be. I used to look up to him as an older brother.

So after a day of guilt and sadness, I've decided that I will no longer dwell on the negatives. I will remember all the good times we shared (and there were a lot). I'll never forget watching the Superman movies in your basement. I'll always remember that it was you that introduced me to chinchillas (amongst your other exotic pets). I'll remember sitting in the back of your grandpa's station wagon looking out the back window pretending to drive. I'll never, ever forget you trying to teach me how to in-line skate and my balance not cooperating at all. I'll remember that week one summer where our families rented a beach house and we would stay up for hours playing cards. I'll remember all the summers spent in your pool in the backyard. I'll remember always the days you would drive us home from school in your fancy Black Mustang. I'll remember the only date we ever went on... my freshman semi-formal. I'll remember you later apologizing for not dancing with me enough... and admitting you always had a crush on me. I'll never, ever forget you sticking up for me when you thought a guy was treating me wrong. I'll always get teary eyed when someone calls me Miss Danielle. The last time I saw you, you walked out of your room and commented that if someone would have told you such a pretty girl was going to be there, you would have dressed up. That was so long ago.

You were the best big brother I never had, and my only regret at this point is that I never told you that. I don't think you would have known how much your passing has affected me. I did care. I still do.

An observation...

So I am 10 weeks pregnant. Not a big deal when you first look at it, really. 10 is such a low number, but it's still such a huge milestone.

10 weeks is obviously the first week where you're in the double digits. My first quarter of pregnancy is over. In these past 70 days, my baby has grown from the size of a poppyseed to the size of a prune. He/she has grown arm and leg buds, then webbed hands and feet, then viable fingers and toes, and now working joints and fingernails. The baby's heart has been beating away for more than 4 weeks. I am one week closer to moving on to 2nd trimester.

I'm not saying it's all roses. I still have that fear that I will somehow lose this pregnancy. I am not out of the woods yet. I actually had a dream the other night that I did miscarry. There's been a lot of loses on my board recently, and it's really bothered me. I've tried using my doppler to hear the heartbeat and last night I finally heard a few minutes of it. Every other time I've tried, I've either been unsuccessful or it was very, very short. So baby is ok, for now. I'm trying to keep positive, but it's extremely hard.

Week 10 Survey

First off, sorry this is a few days late. I went back to work on Wednesday and then the morning sickness made it's self known. So I am just now getting around to posting this week's survey. I am hoping that this tiredness goes away quickly because I just don't know how I'm going to function!

How far along: 10 weeks

Total weight gain: I am back down to my pre-pregnancy weight. My appetite just hasn't been as big as it was.

How big is baby: the size of a prune

Maternity clothes: wearing maternity work pants

Stretch marks: none so far.

Sleep: school started, so I'm back to being tired all the time.

Best moment this week: we got an ultrasound at our first appointment! Saw baby and got to see and hear the heartbeat!

Movement: none so far.

Food cravings: none really.

Belly button in or out: innie

What I miss: beer.

What I'm looking forward to: the next ultrasound in a couple of weeks

Milestone: seeing the baby and his/her heartbeat!

1st Doctor's Appointment

So I made the appointment when I was about 5 weeks along and they didn't schedule me until now. My first ultrasound wasn't supposed to be until next week. I was kind of disappointed that I wouldn't get to see my baby, or even know if there was one in there, while others got to see their's several times. Whatever. Today makes the wait totally worth it.

We answered the usual family history questions. Peed in a cup to confirm the pregnancy. That was a piece of cake. Hit a small bump with blood being drawn. I am scared to death of needles. I'm talking hyperventilating, crying, no control over my limbs, trying to flee kind of scared. It's an actual honest to god phobia that not many people recognize.

Usually nurses and doctors take offense to my charades, take it to heart and generally get pissed off. How can someone at the age of 26 act like a child of 6 whenever a needle is in the room? Not my nurse today. She figured me out. She understood my irrational fear and got me through it. We talked about how twins run in my family, how we were hoping for one baby, but would be overjoyed at two. Before I knew it, she had drawn 5 viles of blood. It was over. My reward for good behavior? My first peek at the baby!

It was nothing like I imagined it. I've seen lots of ultrasound pictures, heard lots of stories about seeing the baby for the first time, but nothing prepared me for what was on the screen. As I prayed and prayed that something was in that egg, a little shadow of a baby appeared. My husband saw the flicker of the heartbeat first. What an amazing moment. It just hits you that there is something actually living inside of you. My heart allows it's heart to beat! I shifted my weight a little and all of a sudden the little gummy bear shape started shaking it's arms and legs and bouncing up and down rapidly. I swear at this point I can see a definition of anose, but the tech just says I have a vivd imagination. I think that with my husband and my huge honkers, it would have been one of the first things to develop! ;)

So here are the pics:

Week 9 Survey

How far along: 9 weeks

Total weight gain: 2.8 pounds

How big is baby: The size of a green olive!

Maternity clothes: Will go shopping tomorrow hopefully, if not, this weekend

Stretch marks: None yet.

Sleep: I'm not quite as tired as I have been in previous weeks. I actually get up at a reasonable time instead of sleeping the day away.

Best moment this week: Finally telling all of our friends and family!

Movement: None yet.

Food cravings: mac n cheese with rotel in it

Belly button in or out: Innie

What I miss: fitting into my skinny jeans =(

What I'm looking forward to: first appointment is tomorrow, but I look forward to the first ultrasound next week hopefully!

Milestone: let the secret out!