Pooped Pups

Archie, Lizzie and I have been going for long walks pretty much 4+ times a week since I turned in my resignation at Banfield and today was no exception. Last night I had the hardest time falling asleep so I ended up sleeping in later than usual...so we started our walk later than usual...and it is getting HOT earlier. So today we walked during the 10 o'clock hour and it was 75ish and they are still pooped out! Lizzie was panting like a mad woman almost immediately and a bug ended up flying into her mouth! Archie was too hot to lunge at any possibly threatening people which made the walk much more pleasant.

Baby Bedding

Per Tricia's request...this is the bedding ensemble we chose. It is Kidsline's Jungle Jigsaw. I chose this picture to share with you because you can see the turtle- there is another one on the bumper- I really wanted turtles because they are a big thing down here in turtle sanctuary country but everything I found was blue. So when I saw this with the giraffes, I fell in love :) I also like the mobile in this picture which I can't seem to find the same one anywhere else. I think this will work for a boy or girl.

Furniture

So...Ross and I have finally decided on a baby furniture set. I was torn about my options as far as brand, quality, price, and appearance/features go. I have a very useful book handed down to me called Baby Bargains, which basically progresses through the major baby products available and discusses pros and cons about various aspects and reviews all of the major brands in that category. Some of the concerns they point out about cribs are that they are mainly made of pine (a very soft wood that easily dents/scratches making that lifetime crib less hardy), recall history (some brands have serious quality control issues), customer reviews (usually related to ease of use, durability, and customer service), where the product was made (mostly made in China which can cause unexpected shipping delays), and features (which features are potential safety hazards, etc.). One of the features my sister-in-laws all recommended was the drop side (not the fold side, which is apparently related to one documenteed infant death) which for safety hazard reasons seems to have disappeared from the market.

Another issue I considered is that this crib set needs to make a move, and every large piece of furniture that made the move down here was damaged, so I must be careful how much I invest in this crib (emotionally and financially).

Ross ended up finding the crib (based on visual) when we were on our babymoon and then I checked out it's background. The result: Baby Cache's Uptown set. It is made out of Maple and Baby Cache is a pseudonym for Munire, one of the best brands on the market with an excellent track record. The only major downfall is that it is only sold at Babies 'R' Us which is not my favorite store. For some reason the store will not allow me to add it to my registry online because it is sold in stores only (why?)...so until I have a chance to get to a store and do it there you can check it out at this website or at Babies R Us:
www.babycache.com/site/products_uptown.html

Bump - 18 weeks

Here you go! 18 weeks

A note (or question) about pregnancy clothing...why are the shirts either a crazy print that you otherwise would never wear or gray/brown/black? Alternately they could be the brightest shade of pink or green you have ever seen, causing flashbacks to the 80's. I just want to shout..."Yes, I am pregnant and getting huge, why must you make me wear ugly clothes too?!?!?" Not that I am complaining about the clothing my friends and family passed to me, I am extremely grateful everytime I open the closet. I just wonder how I got 5 gray t-shirts and one t-shirt with alternating dark and light gray lines.

In this picture, I am wearing my most comfortable brown shirt that I got from someone?

Meet Baby Gille, almost 18 weeks :-)

We went to the doctor today for a checkup and ultrasound. The baby is perfectly normal in the development arena and was really active for the ultrasound. 10 fingers and 10 toes! At one point it looked like baby Gille was trying to tell us something or was laughing because he/she was looking at us and moving that mouth like crazy! It is unbelievable the amount of detail already there when the baby is only 1/2 lb- the brain, 4 chambers of the heart, the bladder, kidneys, fingers, toes, spine, eyes, etc. Welcome to the miracle of life :)

Snoogle

I just have to send out a THANK YOU to Natalie for sending me the most amazing present any pregnant woman would like to have....the snoogle!! It is a total body pillow shaped like a 'c' that helps provide support throughout the night. I have never slept so well in my entire life. It actually makes me wonder why all pillows aren't shaped like this!

If you are pregnant....or you like to sleep well supported at night, purchase one for yourself! You will not regret it :)

Weekend Getaway!

We decided to get away for the last weekend of my spring break to Charleston, SC. It was absolutely beautiful there because all of the flowers were in full bloom...and there are a LOT of flowers in Charleston! This city is one of the oldest and largest harbor cities in the US providing a lot of architechture and gardens to admire. We were able to take a historical carriage tour, visit the Exchange (where the Constitution was ratified by SC), and also spent an afternoon at Magnolia Plantation (which was apparently advertised in the early days as a must see stop in America, up there with Niagra Falls and the Grand Canyon).

While we had a great time in the holy city, I couldn't help but feel bad that I was not able to be out walking all day. My lower back was not happy with all the walking I wanted to do, so, we had to head back to the hotel a little earlier than we would have otherwise. I don't think Ross minded though because he was able to catch the Master's and Red's games on the TV while I napped/relaxed. And thankfully I did not over-walk myself to the point of cankles! Let's hope this happens later in pregnancy if it is going to be an issue.

Now we are back to the daily grind and I am back in school! This quarter I am taking Child and Adolescent Counseling and Developmental pupil services. Should be interesting and busy!