Well I started on it, but it isn’t nowhere close to finished.
Earlier today I retreated down to the lower parts of the house because our air conditioner was broken. It was too hot upstairs, the job search was done, the blogs were updated, too hot to work on my latest novel. I thought, why not go downstairs and try to work on the crib and changing table.
Here’s the reason why that last part of the statement is so odd. If you know me. I’m no handy man. I’m a buyer not a builder.
However, I just felt like today I wanted to work on the three boxes we’ve had sitting in the nursery for a few weeks now.
I opened the box (the crib and changing table came in two – the glider in one) and thought if the instructions were too much I would stop there. I honestly looked at it and thought, this doesn’t look too bad. I dove into it and what I found surprised me. I actually enjoyed doing this and what I thought would be a stress inducing nightmare, wasn’t. It actually took my mind off of the broken air conditioner and the other things floating around inside my brain.
I still have some work to do on it as you see, but the bulk of it is done. The rest of it looks a little more challenging and the glider is going to have its own share of difficulties, but it will get done.
By the way – the air conditioner is now fixed and we are enjoying some sweet cool air. Refreshing – ahhhhhhhhh!
Happy Mother’s Day to all mother’s reading this post. Here’s a little poem I wrote to help celebrate the day.
+++
How to describe a mom?
Well,
it may be too hard to do,
without leaving out,
too many things,
that are true.
For a mom is a blessing,
a true gift from God,
her patience and virtue,
is something,
you could never prod?
+++
We are up to Week 21 on this side of the screen. That is just over half way. I can’t believe it.
There hasn’t been a lot to comment on this week when it comes to mom to be and baby. The biggest thing has to be the movement. Mom to be is starting feel the baby moving around a lot more inside. It seems like humus of all things is a big catalyst to get him moving. We found out pizza does it as well. That’s my boy. Not even out of the womb and he already loves pizza.
All in all things are getting back to a sense of normal around here. I think now it is time for growing and showing with the occasional doctor’s check up to make sure everything is okay.
Chances are good you’re feeling someone performing a round-off back handspring in your uterus by now. Is there any other feeling this cool? Other highlights this week:
By now your baby looks like a mini-version of what she’ll look like when she’s born. All her facial features are formed and hair is growing on her head. She’s even acting like a baby and will occasionally suck her thumb or yawn. Aww …
Baby’s heartbeat is getting stronger and can be heard using a good old-fashioned stethoscope. Ask for a listen at your next prenatal visit! By 21 weeks, fetal bone marrow starts making blood cells—previously done by the liver and spleen. This may not sound that exciting, but it’s good news.
The amniotic fluid that has been cushioning your little bean now serves another purpose: Your baby uses it to “practice” chowing down. Yes, it sounds gross (as many aspects of pregnancy do), but it’s an important step for your baby toward being able to chow down in the real world. Your baby has been swallowing amniotic fluid for a while now, but now the intestines are finally developed enough that she’s absorbing small amounts of sugars from it. And let’s face it, being able to effectively digest sugar is important at every stage of life.
Your baby now weighs between 10 and 11 ounces and is approximately 7 inches long—the size of a delicious, cold, frothy bottle of root beer. Float anyone?
Well after taking last Monday off, my dad and I were back at it again today – Monday the 7th of May.
Today’s work included putting up the white trellis in front of my trash can – that’s at the start of the video, planting the two plants, and laying down some fresh mulch. As far as work days go it wasn’t all that bad.
Next week is finishing up the deck and that will about do it.
Then we wait out the Summer and get everything ready for Winter this Fall.
This is the week most women get that ever-important gender-revealing ultrasound. If your baby isn’t shy, the genitals can be clearly seen at this point. Will the baby pee standing up or sitting down? Well, that depends on how you potty train—but if you’re interested, you could leave the appointment knowing if you’re carrying a boy or a girl. Other highlights this week:
Your baby has established sleep patterns akin to a newborn now. Many babies even have a favorite sleep position already. Some snooze with their chins resting on their chests, while others nap with their head flung back. Many babies at this age fall into noticeable cycles of sleep and activity, so you may know before she arrives whether you have a night owl or an early bird.
If your baby is a boy, the testes have begun descending from the pelvis into the scrotum. If it’s a girl, her uterus is completely formed and the rest of her “parts” are in development. (Is that TMI?)
From this point forward, your baby will put most of her energy into gaining weight and, not coincidentally, so will you! Right now your baby weighs approximately 10½ ounces and is about 6½ inches long, about the size of a can of Red Bull (which has way too much caffeine for a pregnant woman to be drinking).
It’s funny how nervous you get just waiting for something like this today. I think the nervousness came from the fact that we were not only going to know the sex of our baby, but this was the first time we would see it. See it from head to toe and see if everything was all right.
Well folks, so far so good.
They scanned every inch of the baby and they said everything is developing normally. When I say everything, I mean everything. That went up the arms, across the back, down the sides, across the head, everything that could be seen was seen – inside and out.
Amazing what you can see from some warm jelly and a little white wand.
This has to be the best visit so far. We got to know the sex, hear the heartbeat, and see the baby. It was just awesome.
Then we were off to Target to register for baby stuff and again – wow! I honestly just can’t believe what there is for people to buy for kids these days. What happened to the simple stuff we had back in the Seventies when I was a baby – cough – cough – early Seventies.
Tuesday is going to be a big day for us. That is the day we learn the sex of our baby. So in honor of that day I want to post this poem because we both need some prayers for that day.
The Lord’s Poem
Love and sorrow,
you will partake,
faith in the Lord,
you must not forsake.
For life is short,
each day is dear,
but within his heart,
you’re always near.
I wrote that some time ago and I thought it might be best to post it now. It’s nice to read that when you have something big coming up in your life.
How are mom to be and baby?
They are both doing well. Mom to be is starting to get back to a normal schedule when it comes to food and sleep. Gone are the 1st trimester symptoms. The headaches have also started to pass as well.
I have been thinking about this since she got pregnant – nobody seems to talk much about the pregnancy itself. What it will be like? Maybe I’m out of the loop since I don’t read as much as mom to be. I read the dad stuff, sure, but not the stuff that women read.
Did anyone know you can’t have honey or cold cuts when you are pregnant? I had no idea until mom to be told me about it. It’s those kinds of little things you have to be on your game about during this time.
There are all kinds of little things like that you got to be aware of before the baby even gets here. Then that is another set of things you got to think about. It can be overwhelming if you let it get to you.
Anyway, all is well over here. We are all hanging in there.
This week your baby starts bulking up and packing on the grossly named “brown fat” he’ll need to keep warm when he gets evicted from his comfortable uterine home. Other highlights this week:
Vernix, a milky white coating that protects your baby’s skin, appears all over your baby’s body to keep his skin from getting pickled in the amniotic fluid. Think of it as if your baby has been dipped in yogurt, like those delicious but fake-healthy yogurt-covered raisins and pretzels. Ooh, we feel another craving comin’ on. … Under the vernix, a fuzzy layer of hair called lanugo now covers baby’s body. Don’t worry, your Mini won’t look like Cousin It when he’s born. Most of the fuzz will fall off before baby makes his grand entrance.
Good news: Your baby’s kidneys are fully functioning and producing urine this week. Bad news: That means there will be lots of diapers in your future. But so far you’re safe—at the moment the pee just passes into the amniotic fluid.
He or she now weighs about 8½ ounces and measures 6 inches, as long as a turkey sub from Subway on warm, delicious Italian Herbs and Cheese bread (or Honey Oat bread, or Oregano bread or …)
My dad and I spent the day working on staining the deck. I think it turned out pretty well.
This might have been the toughest job we’ve done so far. It wasn’t so much the physical nature of it, which was tough, but it was trying to get all the little posts holding up the rail. That was time-consuming. I think today might have been our longest day so far.
Next week we hope to finish the staining which is mostly underneath the deck and move on to more landscaping once that is done. Getting closer to the end so that is nice.
Your baby’s ears are now facing forward and are completely formed so she can actually hear you talking now. You don’t need to abandon your potty mouth just yet, but you might want to start thinking about it! Other highlights this week:
This week is also the beginning of ossification. And while that sounds like some long and involved paperwork you’ll have to fill out, it’s really a fancy medical term for the hardening of your baby’s miniature bones. And that’s a good thing.
Your baby’s nerves are making more and more complex connections. Her sense of smell, taste, sight and hearing are all developing. A substance called myelin, which makes nerve connections travel faster, is now coating your baby’s nerves.
Your baby now weighs between 5 and 7 ounces and is about 5½ inches long—about the size of a pickle from the corner deli. (You’re familiar with pickles, right? Your regular accompaniment to a big bowl of ice cream?)
The doctor visit went well yesterday for mom and baby.
It was nice to hear the heartbeat so clear this time. Last time I had to decipher it from a bunch of static.
The only bad part was the wait. It took us so long to get in and out of the doctor’s office. I don’t know what was going on. At one point I opened the door and looked out into the hall. I was sure everybody had gone home. It was just crazy. We got done though, mom to be is great, baby’s heart – very strong. I can’t wait for the next visit. We will know the sex of the baby then.
Today, this morning to be exact, the FedEx truck somehow backed down the drive way. Once it did we received our first piece of baby furniture. Now, it begins, the making of the nursery. I will probably do some videos on that once we get it up and running.
I know it looks open, but if you can imagine the white bush on the right, the tree in the middle, and the bush on the left filling in. It should not be as open once that happens.
Three Mondays in and still going strong.
What a day.
Here’s how the third Monday went.
The morning went smooth.
We took out the plants that needed to be out and trimmed the bushes.
Time for the new tree, the one in the middle with the red leaves in the video above. This is going to be an easy day.
NOT!
My dad and I thought this was going to take but a few hours. It turned out to be our longest day so far.
Why?
We honestly didn’t know how much space there was in this one spot. With all the dead stuff, the weeds, and the three overgrown bushes it just looked a lot smaller.
It wasn’t.
Once we got it stripped down to where we wanted it to be we realized it was pretty open.
Another issue we had, the mulch.
Now the journey out begins.
This is why it took us almost 6 and half hours to complete this task today and the reason why I sit here with a small sunburn.
First trip to Home Depot, buy five bags of mulch, a weed killing mat, and the tree in the middle in the video above.
Back home – oops wrong mulch – not enough weed killing mat – tree looks great.
Tree planted – off to the store to return mulch and buy more weed killing mat – stop for lunch on the way.
Return mulch to Home Depot – buy five bags of the right mulch at Lowe’s and help out a customer load mulch who was by himself.
Get home – finish mat – but realize not enough mulch.
Wanting to finish today so we rushed back to Lowe’s.
Just like on the last trip there was someone at the mulch. This time an older couple so my dad and I helped them get loaded up.
We bought five more bags of mulch and hurried home – sun was high – heat was on – getting done early was out of the question.
It took eight bags to mulch that one area and cover the weed killing mat. If you count the first bag of mulch (which was the wrong kind) we put down to hold the mat in place that would make it nine bags to cover it. It was that big a space. It just doesn’t look that big.
Running count on mulch = 15 bags today (5 of the wrong kind (4 returned) and 10 of the right kind)
Now I’m sitting here with a cup off coffee, a small burn on my neck and shoulders, thankful it is all done.
It seems like Emily’s headaches are finally starting to subside and other than some back pain she has been doing pretty well.
We are now back to eating -most- of our regular meals. I think mom to be has crossed that threshold. There are still some hang ups with certain foods, but for the most part all is well.
A couple of interesting things this week:
Mom to be made an interesting point. It seems like since she has been pregnant that people are a lot more friendlier to her. People are getting the door for her more and they are making her cut line as well. This happened at Redbox this week when two people in front of her let her go before them.
Mom to be also learned what it means to have a belly this week. She dripped some warm water from the steam fresh corn bag onto her belly and it burned her a bit (nothing severe, minor irritation). She remarked that having this belly is something she’s not use to. She’s never burned herself like that before.
Speaking of packing on the pounds, that what it’s all about for baby this week. He’s adding fat stores that will keep him warm and cozy after he’s born. Your baby’s weight will increase approximately six times over the next four weeks. Good to know you’re not the only one tipping the scale. Also this week:
Your baby is hard at work honing his sucking and swallowing reflexes—all the better for eating that 2 AM (and 5 AM, and 8 AM …) meal in a few months! The finger- and toenails are beginning to grow from their nail beds, which would explain why he’ll need them trimmed almost as soon as he’s born!
Your baby weighs nearly 5 ounces and is a little over 5 inches long—about the size of a baked potato (load on the butter and sour cream, please).
Well another Monday has passed and, yes, more yard work. This time we took care of the area in front of the house.
We dug up a lot of those green things you see in the video, put in some new plants, mulched, and added some grass seed.
Now it’s up to me to keep not only the plants alive, but the grass as well.
Yikes!
To all plants I apologize in advance.
Does it seem like it has quit raining all of a sudden? We get all of this new stuff planted and of course it decides to stop with the constant showers. I couldn’t run last month without dodging at least one shower and now that we need the rain it isn’t here. I guess that’s the way it goes.
Thank you’s go out to my parents who helped me yesterday. My mom has a green thumb and it is always nice to not only get her input, but help as well.
It appears things are starting to get better for mom to be. The headaches are starting to be less and less and a lot of the stuff that goes along with the early parts of the pregnancy are starting to pass.
Sure, there are a few moments that come out of the blue. Friday night after playing two games of Life she got a headache that was about to rip out of her brain. It seems like that if she monitors her sleep and doesn’t push it too hard she is fine, but if she pushes it like Friday night the headache attacks.
All in all things are going pretty well. I think she is now getting to the point where it is going to be more about the growing and showing than anything else. We will see.
Your Baby
Your baby is already mugging for the camera as she practices all sorts of facial expressions, such as squinting, yawning and grimacing, which will come in handy when you introduce her to pureed spinach. Check out what else is happening in utero:
You’re just getting comfortable with being a new mom, but you’re actually on the road to being a grandma. If your baby is a girl, her uterus is fully developed and the ovaries already hold primitive egg cells. Did that just make you feel a thousand years old, or what?
Your baby’s skin is still translucent and wrinkly, not unlike an old man’s, but more fat will soon accumulate under the dermas to plump her out. If you could peer inside right now, you’d be able to see all of her veins under her skin. And speaking of veins, your baby’s heart now pumps about 25 quarts of blood per day, and she hasn’t even seen Orlando Bloom yet! Also, her eyes are now locked and loaded at their final destination, facing forward rather than to the sides. (Whew!)
This is the week women get an amniocentesis, if their doc recommends it. In addition to supplying doctors with a boatload of info about the baby’s health, amnios are also more than 99 percent accurate in determining what version of baby you’ll be having. So if you want to know and you’re getting an amnio, now’s a great time to find out for sure.
Your baby weighs about 3 ounces this week and measures between 4 and 5 inches, about the length of your mascara.
If you don’t remember the game of Life, here you go.
Product Description:
Where will your choices take you?
You made it through high school, so now what’s next? Go to college or start a career -it’s your choice. Think the family life is for you? Take that path and see how many kids you’ll have! Will you venture down the risky road where fortunes can be won… and lost? Do whatever it takes to retire in style with the most wealth at the end of the game.
Spin the wheel of fate and take a drive along the twisting roads families have enjoyed for more than 50 years! Do good deeds as you go through the game to earn Life Tiles and more money down the road!
My dad and I started out on this earlier today – around 8:15 A.M.
We finished about noon.
What you see in the video above is the first part of what we want to do to fix up the landscaping around the house.
Since my wife and I moved in we haven’t done a lot on the landscaping. This year – being out of work and having time – I decided to give it the love it deserves.
I hope to document this journey from where it is today to the final completion somewhere far, far, far, far, down the road.
Your energy may have returned but that doesn’t mean you should be hitting the clubs until 4:00 AM every night. With a baby growing inside you, sleep is one thing that you can’t go without. Try these tricks to ensure you beat up the sheets.
If your growing belly is getting in the way of a good night’s sleep, surround yourself with pillows to make for an extra-comfy nest effect. Sometimes room temperature can affect sleep, so make sure that your air conditioner is cranked up if you’re feeling too hot.
Some sleeping positions are more comfortable than others for pregnant woman, like the “I’m just going to pass out on the La-Z-Boy” position. And get comfy sleeping on your left side while you’re preggers: It’s what the docs recommend to keep the blood flowing full steam ahead between you and the tadpole.
Your Baby
Although many women don’t start feeling the baby move until the 17th week (or later), your baby has been having his own party in the amniotic sac he calls home. If you feel a little flutter in your belly this week, don’t discount it as gas or hunger. It could be your babe banging around. Here’s more to look forward to:
Baby’s head is now resting on his well-formed neck instead of directly on his shoulders like Igor. He’s beginning to grow eyebrows and eyelashes this week. (All the better to give you that “Mom, you’re crazy” look when he’s a teenager.) The hair on the head also begins to grow and, with some creative styling, you’ll be able to turn those locks into a Maddox Jolie-Pitt faux-hawk some day.
Although baby’s eyes are sealed shut, he’s now able to sense light. His eyes and ears finally look like real baby features now. As your baby practices sucking and swallowing actions, he may actually hiccup. You’ll know he’s had one too many shots of amniotic fluid by the steady thump-thump you feel.
Over the next month, baby will grow faster than ever, so make sure you load up on enough nutritious food and fluids to support his growth. Your baby now measures nearly 4 inches, about the size of a Kit Kat “finger” (regular-size, not the Big one you get at the movies), and weighs almost 2 ounces.
Mom to be is still having the headaches which according to her is normal. Most women get either those or morning sickness. Headaches are not so bad when you think about it that way.
Heard the heartbeat earlier in the week. I think all of that was in my last post.
Think of it this way: You’re a third of the way through and baby’s a third of the way cooked. Now that the “big stuff” (like skeletal and organ development) is taken care of, your baby starts a period of rapid brain growth, fat buildup and detail work. Highlights this week include:
Your baby now has fingerprints! Book ’em, Danno! Believe it or not, he actually created them himself while swimming around in the amniotic fluid. As he moved his hands, the skin on the tips of his fingers formed unique ridges and folds. That’s why no one on earth has the same fingerprints, not even identical twins! Cool, right? Baby’s arms are now in proportion to his tiny body, but his legs are still on the short size in comparison.
Meconium, that tar-like, sticky first baby poop, is now loading up your baby’s intestines, which means you might want to set aside a bottle of olive oil, one of the few things that will get the gooey poop off of baby’s bottom.
Your baby continues to gain new and impressive skills such as practicing and controlling voluntary muscle movements (this will help him fling food across the room later in life). Your tiny dancer’s movements are no longer the jerky, uncontrollable twitches of yore—he now moves with graceful control.
Your baby is now weighs about an ounce and is the length of a flip phone, or roughly 3.5 inches—he’s tripled in size from a mere three weeks ago! Luckily, you haven’t done the same.
