Nursery Progress

Boy, am I ever glad that Doug and I started working on the nursery early!  I am the opposite of a procrastinator.  I like to start projects as soon as they are assigned.  If there is something hanging over my head, I can't relax until I've finished it.  This drives Doug bonkers.  It has taken a lot of compromise on both sides in order for the two of us to adjust to each other's styles of completing tasks.  Sometimes I just have to let things go and spend time sitting on the couch with my hubby when I all I want to do is scrub the toilet.  Sometimes Doug has to kick his butt into gear and help me finish something before he can relax with his book (which b. t. dub is Harry Potter at the moment!  He's finally reading them.  He's on the 4th one right now, my personal favorite!)

When Doug and I first started planning the nursery, I went to the source for all things beautiful.  I started a pinterest board.  The nurseries that I was drawn were vintage style and had an aqua and yellow color scheme with pops of pink like this one:

photo credit

The first decision that we had to make was whether or not to paint the walls.  Since we live in an apartment and would have to repaint before we moved out, we decided to add color to the room by painting the furniture rather than the walls.

Our first project was a baby wardrobe that has been in Doug's family since before he was born.  It even has a little hanging area in it which was essential for us because the closet in the bedroom is completely full with diva Doug's clothing collection.  Ok...and a few select articles of mine in the back...  The inside of this wardrobe is my favorite part of the room, so we'll start there.  And yes.  That is her shoe collection on in the little cubby hole.

Since the wardrobe was, obviously, free, I figured that I could splurge a little bit on the hardware.  If you don't know where the best knobs on the planet are found, you need to go to anthro.  It is a treasure trove of the cutest vintage style hardware ever!

Doug and I went back and forth on whether to purchase a changing table or just get a dresser and put a changing pad on top of it.  I found a changing table that I loved on craigslist for $20 and decided to go for it.  I figure, we can use it for multiple kids, (hah.haha. this might be it for us) and I can probably sell it for the same price when we're finished with it.  

When I picked up the changing table, I discovered that it had been painted sparkly gold by it's previous owner.  I mean, I love gold, but this was not going to work.  Doug spray painted it yellow to add some more color to the room, and my mom and I made a changing pad cover for it.  (P.S. Making a contoured changing pad cover is SUPER HARD.  I tried following a tutorial that I found online, but we ended up just winging it.)

The prints above the changing table were made by me.  My girlfriend, Sarah, gave me a bunch of silver frames that we spray painted pink and yellow.  The pictures were made using scrap book paper.

The room is filled with sweet gifts from friends and family that already love little K Birdy so much.  The  bunting was made by Leigha (aw man, how I love bunting), the cradle by her Grandpa Hulse, and the quilt by my Aunt Beth.  I know that our baby could live in a cardboard box and be perfectly content, but when she grows up and sees pictures of her room, I hope she realizes how excited we were for her!

Oh, in case you were wondering, we don't have a crib.  There is just no room at this point.  Once she outgrows the cradle, one of our friends has a hand-me-down that we can use.

Best Resting Continued

When Doug and I arrived at the hospital, they hooked me up to a couple of machines to check me out.  Baby K was fine, but I was having some contractions.  The nurse asked me if I could feel them, and I really couldn't.  At all.  After being monitored for a few hours, the nurse decided that I could go home and got my discharge papers all ready to go.  The last thing she was going to do was check me out to make sure that I wasn't dilated.  I was.

The next thing I know, I'm getting an IV, an ultrasound, and being told that they're admitting me.  Uh...what?  The scariest part of the day was when they handed me a bunch of paperwork to sign, and I had to sign a paper authorizing an epidural.  Ummm...was I going to have the baby?  Like right now?

I was around 75% effaced, and my cervix was opening up from the inside.  Also, I was having contractions that were 1-2 minutes apart.  They were magical contractions though because I still couldn't feel them.  I firmly believe that all my contractions are going to be invisible and painless.  Trust me.

That night was spent in the hospital on some weird drugs that made me feel bizarre.  My blood was drawn every 6 hours which is rather unpleasant in the middle of the night.  I got steroid shots to strengthen the baby's lungs, antibiotics, and a few different medications to stop the contractions.

At 6 pm the next day, I was free!  Well...free is a relative term.  I was discharged from the hospital to go home to bed rest.  I can get up to go to the bathroom, and I can take a shower every other day.  Tomorrow will be 3 weeks, and I can't believe that it's been that long!

Bed Resting

So, here's the scoop:  It was two weeks ago today.  I was driving to work and talking to my mom and Cliff on the phone on speakerphone.  I was miiiiserable.  Getting to work every day was a huge struggle; I felt terrible, and I was seriously considering quitting my job.  This is what we were talking about.

Truly, I thought that this was normal.  I was 30 weeks pregnant.  Doesn't everyone just feel terrible by this point?  I started to feel extremely light headed, so I pulled over at a gas station.  I got out of the car to see if changing my positions and getting some fresh air would help.  When I stood up, I started seeing spots in my vision, so I put my head between my legs.  Maybe it's because we live in LA and everyone minds their own business, but I remember looking around as things started to go black and wondering if anyone was going to help me.  There was a man walking by who I silently cried out to, but I think I was too out of it by that point to actually verbalize my panic.  I sat down on the ground and the gas station because I knew that I would fall over if I didn't.

When I was able to get up, I got back in the car and called Doug.  He was on his way to get me.  I ordered him to call the doctor to ask if we should go into the office or straight to the hospital.  Honestly, I was hoping that if I made a big deal out of this, the doctor would let me get off work early.  I had no idea  at the time how grateful I would be that we ended up going to the hospital.

To add some drama and because this is getting long, TO BE CONTINUED...

And just for fun, a picture of my belly at 28 weeks...in Hawaii...soo glad this trip happened before our big adventure.

Mallory's Shower

One of my best friends, Mallory is getting married in October!  I can't wait to stand up with her (at 8 months pregnant) and watch her say her vows.  Mallory has a very special relationship with her dad, and I'm going to bawl like a baby when he walks her down the aisle.

Her bridal shower was last weekend, and it was perfect.  The food was delicious, she was beautiful, and her sister made bunting.  It doesn't get any better than that.

Isn't he delicious?

Weird Pregnancy Symptoms

So, I have "What to Expect When You're Expecting," and I've read a lot of it.  I also get weekly emails from babycenter.com, but some of the symptoms that I've had during my pregnancy have not been listed in any book.  They're just weird.

1. Ear zits.  You know when you get a zit in your ear, and it's really annoying?  Well, I've consistently had at least one throughout my pregnancy.  At this moment, I have one in each ear.  My face?  Still clear, like normal.  Just my ears.  What?

2. Sneezing.  I sneeze all the time.  I don't feel like I have terrible allergies or anything (except for one week of torture,) but the sneezing never stops.

3. Hair loss.  In my first trimester, my hair fell out in clumps!  I thought that your hair was supposed to be thick and luxurious during pregnancy...  It actually stopped after about 14 weeks, but it was so weird.

Although I've had a rough pregnancy in some ways (yes, I'm still barfing occasionally despite my prescription,) I consider myself very lucky not to have had the following symptoms:

1. Heartburn.  Bring on the spicy food.

2. Constipation.  Enough said.

3. Ravenous hunger.  I definitely eat more, but I'm not starving all the time like I expected to be.

And now I just jinxed myself.  By the time I get back from Hawaii (we leave tomorrow morning!) I will have experienced all of these.  Awesome.

The Delta

Doug and I had the privilege of getting to spend a week house boating on the Sacramento Delta with our high school students.  We didn't shower for a whole week, ate ridiculous food like brownie mix mixed with water with cookies for dipping in it, slept on the roof, and had the time of our lives!  I (and I think everyone else) was a little bit wary of going on the trip 6 months pregnant.  You have to climb a ladder to get up to the roof, and I didn't know if I would get sea sick, but I wanted to be there for my girls and experience the trip before Miss K comes and it isn't even an option anymore.

I felt great, and it was one of the best weeks of my life.  I saw God move in my girl's hearts in big ways.  These girls are one of the true joys of my life; I love them so much.  I pray that my daughter will grow up and seek God the way that they do.

Also awesome?  My company gave me 3 free days of vacation for being a volunteer!  Find out if your company offers something like this, and if they do, take advantage of it!

24 Weeks

Dang.  I'm 24 weeks already?  I've been trying to do regular(ish) pregnancy updates, but it's not working out.  Doug and I spent the last week on houseboats with our high schoolers.  It was amazing.  It deserves it's own post, but I am definitely glad to be back home after a week away.

An update on my pregnancy:

How Far Along: 24 weeks, 1 day

Size of baby: Over a pound!

Total Weight Gain: 12 lbs...and feeling every ounce of it...Movement: Our little lady is a kicking machine.  I feel her moving around constantly now, and Doug feels her kick every day.  It doesn't hurt at all, but there is a certain amount of unpleasantness about it.  Sometimes it feels like she is getting all up in the bid'ness of my vital organs.

What I miss: Fitting into my skinny jeans...  Oh, vanity...

Cravings: Airheads!  Seriously, where have they been all my life?

Symptoms: Allergies like I've never had before!  I tried to power through them for two days without any drugs, but I finally had to call my Ob and ask her what I could take.  She said that I could take a Benadryl.  I took one and didn't feel the Little Lady move for over 24 hours!  I drugged her.  It totally freaked me out, and I will not be taking it again.

Maternity Clothes: Let's see.  I seem to be collecting them at an alarming rate.  I bought a bella band (meh), black maternity pants, got a GIANT bag of maternity pants from my sweet friend Holly, and the most amazing striped maxi skirt. 

Best Moment this week: Well, this was a few weeks ago, but the first time that Doug felt her kick was pretty awesome.  Oh, and discovering that there were Airheads in the Target dollar section...


Here I am at 22 Weeks:

And here I am at 24 Weeks:

Drawing a line.

Has anyone else seen these?  Now, I'm all for covering up a baby's baldness with a giant bow or headband but fake hair?  That's my limit.

Ultrasoundy Goodness

We had our, errrr, 5th ultrasound yesterday.  Yay for whacked out hormone levels...  I must say though, there is a major silver lining to my body's inability to produce hormones at the right levels.  We get to see our sweet baby girl (in 4-D no less) every 4 weeks!  AND my insurance has to pay for it.  So maybe my body knows what it's doing after all...

Shopping

In the past 2 days, I've ordered an Ergo Baby and a Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag.  I think I'm getting the hand of this 'shopping for baby' thing...

Ergo Baby?  Bought off Babysteals.com for 50% off!

Diaper bag?  Nordstrom anniversary sale!

Anniversary Trip

Our trip to Las Vegas was perfect.  In the past when we've gone to Vegas, we've always stayed at the cheapest hotel that we could find.  Some of the winners we've stayed at include Circus Circus, Motel 6, Hooters, well, you get the picture...  We decided that since it was our anniversary, and we would probably be spending a lot more time in our hotel room since I loooove to sleep, we would stay somewhere nice.  Doug did a lot of internet searching and calling hotel promotional desks trying to find the best deal, and we got a great deal at Aria.

The hotel was nicer than I imagined it would be.  Our room had floor to ceiling windows, a pillow top mattress, and a giant soaking tub.  Ahhh, heaven.  The highlight of the room was a remote control that controlled everrrrything in the room.  She was our own personal robot maid.  We could use it to open and close the curtains, change the temperature in the room, turn on and off the lights, turn on the privacy sign; it was awesome.

We hung out at the pool all day on Saturday and even managed to find two chairs next to each other in the shade.

We decided to go to a nightclub and ended up at Tao.  The three of us (Baby Hulse likes to groove to the music too) got our dance on into the wee hours of the night.

The rest of the weekend was spent playing craps, eating like kings, and taking glorious naps.  Happy Anniversary to my sweet love of 4 years.

19 Weeks

I'm almost half way there, and I'm starting to feel better like woah!  I haven't thrown up in almost a week, *please don't let this jinx it* and I have so much more energy.

Doug and I are going to celebrate our 4 year wedding anniversary this weekend in Las Vegas, and I can't wait!  We're going to lay by the pool, eat lots of delicious food, play craps, see a show, and maybe even go to club if I have the stamina to make it there... and if the bouncer doesn't notice that I'm knocked up.  I'm thinking a loose dress for that night...

An update on my pregnancy:

How Far Along: 19 weeks, 4 days

Size of baby: The size of a large heirloom tomato...um...not a good frame of reference for me...

Total Weight Gain: 7 lbs

Gender: GIRL!!!!  Man oh man, my every dream has come true!!!  I've been going headband crazy; I haven't bought any clothes yet, but I have tons of crafting supplies!  This adorable little dress was a gift from Becca and Kelly.  The headband?  Made by me!!

Movement: I felt her kick on Saturday after a long bike ride to the pier!  It's not really like people described it to me.  It feels more like a muscle twitch than fluttering or tickling, but it's so amazing!  I wish that Doug could feel it, but it's definitely too soft right now to get through the fat layers on my stomach.

Sleep: I've been getting up at least once a night to pee, but I'm actually sleeping pretty well.

What I miss: Stinky cheeses!  I'm going to ask at my Doctors visit this week if I can eat them if they're made with pasteurized milk.  I may or may not have been eating them anyway lately...  Baby wants them...

Cravings: Shave ice!  A few weeks ago Rachel and I went on "Mission Find Shaved Ice."  We found out that they sold it at the Hermosa Beach pier.  Since then, I've discovered that shave ice is the new cupcakes, and there are little shops popping up everywhere!

Symptoms: Huuuuge boobs, shortness of breath after freaking walking across a room, loss of bladder control (tmi? but seriously, I feel like I'm on the verge of peeing my pants at all times...)

Maternity Clothes: I haven't bought any actual maternity clothes, but I have bought some new tops to accommodate my growing bump.  I'll get some pictures of them while we're in Vegas.

Best Moment this week: Feeling her kick!

And now, a bump picture!  I'm showing!  But I have to belt my clothes to clarify that I'm not just a little puffy down there.

P.S. Between the time I started writing this post and actually posted it, I barfed.  

A girl.

A sweet baby girl.  I can't believe that we're actually having a girl.  God is so good.

At our ultrasound appointment, our little lady was taking a nap, and her little body was curled up into a ball.  After poking and prodding at her, the doctor proclaimed that he was not going to be able to determine the gender.  I was sooo bummed.  I looked at the doctor and said dramatically, "Nooo, my worst fear is realized!"

The sweet man took pity on me.  He told me that he would leave the room and come back in a few minutes to try again.  Right before he left, he gave my stomach one final big push, and she stretched out her legs!

For us, finding out the gender of our little nugget has made things a lot more real.  We are thinking about names, how to decorate her room, looking at tiny clothes, and I have already made 3 giant flower headbands.  She's going to need one to match every outfit.  Obviously.

Graduate

I can't believe that my baby sister is a college graduate!  I am so proud of Mimi for this huge accomplishment.

I picked up Jimmy from LAX on Friday night.  We drove up to SLO, obviously stopping at Freebirds on the way for a late night treat.  We were going to split something, buuuuut we didn't.

Saturday was the big day.  Mimi wore her graduation cap all day.  Graduation cap to get coffee in the morning.  Graduation cap to Costco.  Graduation cap at her party.  She's amazing.

On Saturday night, Jimmy and I had to drive back to LA so that he could catch an early morning flight back to his internship training.  We stopped at Freebirds.  Again.  We just can't say no.

Congratulations Mimi!!!!!

P.S. Congratulations Dad on your outfit.  It was epic.

Hormones

Last night, I tried on my favorite bathing suit and discovered that my HUGE(r?) boobs no longer fit into it.  Then I sobbed for about half an hour.  Maybe sobbing isn't the right word.  It was more of that hysterical crying mixed in with a lot of "why am I crying?" laughter that turned into more crying.

So why was I trying on my bathing suit?  Because Doug and I are going to try our darndest to take a little babymoon somewhere tropical.  We're thinking Hawaii is most likely at this point just because it's so easy.  I have to say though, Hawaii just doesn't seem right without a Mai Tai.  Mai Tai on the plane.  Mai Tai by the pool.  Mai Tai at a luau.  Mai Tai at dinner.  There's a lot of Mai Tai options.  Sigh.  I'm going to need a lot of Shave Ice to compensate...

And now, a bump picture.  I know that I'm not winning any Bump of the Year awards at this point, but Doug and I can both tell that my stomach sticks out more.  And in the morning, if I have to pee really bad, my bladder pushes my uterus up and I can feel the hard lump that is my amniotic sac.  I guess it could just be my bladder...  I choose option 1.

Obsessing.

I am seriously obsessed with the gender of the baby right now.  I can't think about anything else.  Next Tuesday can not come fast enough.  The funny thing is, I don't really care what it is.  I JUST WANT TO KNOW.

If it's a girl, she must have this party dress.

And don't these shoes just slay you?

And have you ever seen anything cuter than a little boy in a bow tie, newsboy cap, and suspenders?

I die.

15 Weeks

First trimester?  Done.  So, when is the morning sickness going to end?  Ugh.  I went to the Dr. today to try to get some drugs.  She told me to try Ginger pills and Vitamin B6 first.  But I want the goooooood stuff...

Here are the pictures of our little alien baby from the 3-d ultrasound that I had a few weeks ago.  It was the coolest thing ever.  I always thought that 3-d ultrasounds were really bizarre and kind of creepy, but I am converted.

And now, can I just say that I truly have the best husband in the whole wide world?  Doug has been so amazing to me these last few months.  He has made countless trips to the grocery store to try to find something I can eat.  He has cleaned up my barf when I didn't make it all the way to the toilet (TMI?).  He has come home early from work to take care of me when I'm having a particularly bad day.  He has scrubbed the bath tub out.  

See, when Doug and I got married, we made a little deal.  Each of us picked the household job that we hated the very most.  Mine: Putting the sheets on the bed after they have been washed.  (I'm too anal and end up spending like 30 minutes trying to get everything even.)  Doug's: Scrubbing the bath tub.  The deal: Neither of us would have to do our named detested chore.  And now, 4 years later, my handsome husband is scrubbing out the bath tub.  Without complaining.  I've never seen a sexier thing in my whole life.

It's a nice day for a White wedding!

My mom is now Mrs. White!  The wedding was last weekend, and we had the best time ever!  We spent the weekend in Carmel, and the ceremony was at the Carmel Mission in the sweetest little chapel called the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament.

First off, my siblings and I haven't been all together since New Years so that alone was a wonderful treat.  Of course, the only picture that I took of the four of us was in the car...

The rehearsal dinner was at the yummiest French bistro in downtown Carmel, and I finally got to see my cousins!!!

We spent Saturday morning helping my mom get ready, and she looked soooo beautiful!  Everything was perfect.  She was so happy and excited, and my siblings and I pretty much bawled all day.

The new Mr. and Mrs. White surprised all of us!  They had been taking ballroom dancing classes for the past few months and had something special prepared for their first dance.

This little nugget loves to get her dance on.

The highlight of Doug's weekend: Both of our little cousins let Doug hold them, and they danced the night away!

It was a beautiful wedding, and I am so happy for my mom and Cliff!