Another update on the to do list.

Refinance our home mortgage.  - We signed the paper work on 12/15.  Yay for a cheaper payment and the ability to pay off our mortgage in half the time!

Tour the maternity ward of our hospital  Read about it here. 

Take a breastfeeding class  Read about it here

Put up the wall decal in the nursery Read about it here.

Purchase a breast pump  Purchased and picked up already!

Purchase all the remaining baby items we need - Done.  We took our completion coupon to target last week and bought everything we thought we still needed. 

Tour several daycares near us - Done.  I toured my last daycare on the 14th.

Pick a daycare for the baby.  Done.  I took Neil to the daycare I like the most on the 15th and he liked it too.  We signed up on the spot. 

Iron out the details of my maternity leave.  Done.  I just need to call and let them know when the baby is born.  

Figure out how to add the baby to Neil's health insurance.  Done.  Neil called the insurance company and we have prices and a plan picked out.  He just needs to call when the baby is born. 

Read the breast feeding book I have at home

Install the paper lanterns in the nursery  Read about it here. 

Enjoy time with Neil

Install the car seat base in both cars.  

Have the car seats checked

Have all (okay, most) of my Christmas shopping done by the beginning of December  Shopping is done, wrapped and opened.

Make the name basket for the baby's room  Read about it here. 

Finish the repair of the kitchen ceiling

Paint around the new thermostat

Sand, finish and paint around the light switch in the basement stairwell

Paint the skylight in the bathroom  Neil finished painting this last week. 

Finish and order the photo books for Alaska

Make and freeze several meals in December  I made lasagna, meatballs and baked ziti for the freezer

Create an alphabet wall in the nursery Read about it here. 

Clean out kitchen cabinet(s)... Make room for bottles!  I spent way to many hours completely cleaning out our entire kitchen.  Yay for a sparkling kitchen.

Sand and paint the living room ceiling

Wash the baby clothes  Done!

Shampoo the living room carpet

Figure out how to make the living room windows foggy.  Read about it here. 

Fix the blinds in the living room

My Pregnancy Journal: Week 37

So again this is late this week...

About the Baby 

How Far Along:  37 weeks.  Anytime now. 

Size of baby: Baby Rudiger is over 19 inches long and around 6 1/3 lbs. According to babycenter he is the size of a stalk of swiss chard... Seriously, where do they come up with these things?

Gender: Baby Rudiger is a boy!

Movement: Yup.  Randomly throughout the day.  I have stopped feeling major kicks but can feel him move a lot.  Guess he is running out of room. 

How I'm Changing: My belly is definitely getting bigger.  I am getting exhausted a lot.  

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  I am up over 40lbs.  Ugh!

Maternity Clothes: Of course.  However, the shirts are starting to get to short also.   

How I'm Feeling: Exhausted.  I am so ready to be done with work.  I can't get up in the morning and am exhausted all day.  Oh and the heart burn is killer.  Same as last week.

Sleep: As long as I can fall asleep before Neil starts snoring, I am sleeping okay.  

What I miss: Sitting comfortably.

What I'm Eating: Absolutely nothing sounds good. 

Cravings: No cravings still.

Best Moment this week: Having my family down for Christmas and all those fun festivities. 

Check out all my pregnancy/baby posts here.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Cookies

I  love, love, love peanut butter cookies.  Here is my tried and true recipe...

Ingredients:
1 1/4 C flour
3/4 Tsp baking soda
1/4 Tsp salt
1/2 C butter
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C peanut butter
1/2 C brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 Tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F
2. Cream the butter, sugar, peanut butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla together
3. Mix the flour, soda and salt into the peanut butter mixture

4.  Shape the mixture into 1 - 1 1/2 inch balls

5.  Flatten with a fork on a baking sheet
6.  Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Is the nursery ready?

Guess not.  Must clean!!!

Christmas Dogs

Happy Holidays!

Shiloh was lass than cooperative, so this is all I got. 

Baby Classes

We finished the last of our baby classes this week.  We ended up not taking a birthing class as I figured the nurses and doctors in the hospital will tell me what to do.  We took a nurturing your newborn, happiest baby on the block and a breastfeeding class.  On to my thoughts...

Nurturing Your Newborn
I think in this class we learnt the most.  Obviously some things we already knew but most of the information was quite helpful.  She talked a bit about cord care and care after the little guys circumcision.  That information was the most helpful to me.

Diaper changes, swaddling and feeding was also discussed in class.  She did discuss some aspects of breastfeeding which I found helpful.  The teacher also went over bathing before and after the cord falls off.

I really liked this class and took a bunch of notes that will be helpful once the baby is born.

Happiest Baby on the Block
This was an interesting class.  Apparently Neil and I way underdressed for this class.  We were the only couple in jeans and sneakers.  Everyone else was in shirts and ties and heels.  Strange.

Anyways... The class was interesting. It was basically a series of steps to take to calm your baby.  We learnt and practiced swaddling babies.  Neil and I were good at this.  She also showed us some of the Happiest Baby DVD and sent us home with the DVD.

This was an okay class for us.  Basically we learnt the 5 comforting techniques that are on the DVD or in the book.

Breastfeeding
We headed to this class and on our way Neil was worried that he was going to be the only guy there.  Well pretty much.  One other dad to be was there but the other 15 girls came by themselves.

Overall the class was so-so.  The teacher went over some latch positions and talked mostly about the first month of the babies life and breastfeeding.  I wish that she would have went over pumping and storing milk during the class but her focus was just on the first couple weeks.

Ultimately, I am happy with the classes that we took.  We will see if I truly regret my decision not to take a birthing class sometime within the next month.

My Pregnancy Journal: Week 36

About the Baby

How Far Along:  36 weeks.  Eek.  It is getting real now

Size of baby: Baby Rudiger isover 18 1/2 inches long and around6 lbs... like a crenshaw melon... Umm okay?

Gender: Baby Rudiger is a boy!

Movement: His movements are quite painful and kind of annoying this week.  He hates me sitting still or laying down.  

How I'm Changing: My belly is definitely getting bigger.  I am getting exhausted a lot.  

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  Way too much for my liking at this point.  I have a Dr. appt on Monday so I will update then. 

Maternity Clothes: Of course.  

How I'm Feeling: Exhausted.  I am so ready to be done with work.  I can't get up in the morning and am exhausted all day.  Oh and the heart burn is killer. 

Sleep: Eh.  For being so tired all the time sleep really doesnt make a different. 

What I miss: Being able to reach the floor

What I'm Eating: Whatever really. 

Cravings: No cravings still.

Best Moment this week: Our work Christmas party and winning a $100 giftcard!  Woohoo!

Check out all my pregnancy/baby posts here.

A Christmas Center Peice

After decorating the house for Christmas, I realized that I had no centerpiece for the table.  After searching a few stores for something that would work, Neil suggested that I make my own centerpiece.  Yay, craft time!

I started with a wooden box from Joanne's.  The same wooden box I used to make the name basket for the baby's room.  

I also picked up some random poinsettia's, sparkly things and red balls.  

Then the "fun" began.  Ok, so I just randomly stuck the flowers into the foam and went with it. 

There you have it.  My Christmas centerpiece.

What Did I do???

Somehow all the pictures from my last dozen or so posts are now missing.  Ugh.  What did I do?

My Pregnancy Journal: Week 35

About the Baby

How Far Along:  35 weeks.  Only 35 days left until my due date.  Crazy.

Size of baby: Baby Rudiger isover 18 inches long and around 5 1/4 lbs... like a honey dew melon.  

Gender: Baby Rudiger is a boy!

Movement: His movements have been harder and less frequent lately.

How I'm Changing: My belly is definitely getting bigger.  I am getting exhausted a lot.  

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  Way too much for my liking at this point. 

Maternity Clothes: Of course.  

How I'm Feeling: Exhausted.  I am so ready to be done with work.  I can't get up in the morning and am exhausted all day.  

Sleep: Eh.  For being so tired all the time sleep really doesnt make a different. 

What I miss: Being able to reach the floor

What I'm Eating: Eh.  The morning sickness seems to be coming back.  Ugh!

Cravings: No cravings still.

Best Moment this week: Wrapping up all the Christmas presents I have bought so far.  

Check out all my pregnancy/baby posts here.