Last Ultrasound and 29 Week Midwife Appointment

Today was an exciting appointment for Ava and I. We got to see little Nathan on ultrasound. The tech verified that he is infact still a boy, and that all his parts are completely normal and healthy. He is head down, and my cervix looks great. It was nice to get a final glimpse of him before he is born! I thought about splurging on a 3d/4d scan because I had one with Ava, and I kind of feel like it would be cheating Nathan if I didn't, but the tech confirmed my worry that we wouldn't be able to get good photos due to my placenta placement. His little faced is all smooshed up into it, basically blocking a good view of his face.

I was able to ask about my birthing questions. She assured me that as long as everything is normal and uncomplicated I won't need to be continuously monitored for our heart rate. This was a particularly big question for me because after my research I found that the statistics of having an unaugmented birth drop a lot once the monitor is in place. It's much too easy to jump to conclusions and fear when the baby's heart rate drops, but it is actually fairly normal during childbirth, within reason. I am planning to labor as long as possible at home, and going without an epidural, as well as other intricates that I won't go into. I wouldn't want to bore you that much!

I am looking into hypnobirthing and I am very excited to learn more about it. I am fairly certain that this is the technique I would like to use for my childbirth. It makes the most sense to me.

I was also able to get some fantastic antacid medicine from my midwife. It is a once-a-day, and so far it has been miracle inducing. I even made fajitas for dinner and NO heartburn! Woohoo!

Nathan is measuring exactly on with my due date, and I cannot wait until April 25th!

29 Weeks!

I thought I would share my 29 week baby bump photo! It's getting closer to D-Day! Woohoo!

So Excited! Phil & Teds Highpod!

Being a fan on facebook has it's priviledges! I happen to be a fan of Phil and Teds products, so when they had a "messy face" contest, I knew I had some great photos to enter! By simply posting this photo on their facebook wall, I was chosen to win a $300 value Highpod! It is pretty sweet looking, and I cannot wait to test it out with Nathan (Ava is over the weight limit)!

Don't worry, I will be sure to post my review once it arrives!

Ava's New Room Decor

With all the hoopla surrounding a new baby, I felt like Ava had been kind of taking a back seat to the excitement. So, with the help of her father, Ava and I went to Target and did a little bit of shopping for her room! Right now she has it all to herself, and for a while Nathan will be rooming in with me, but in time I expect them to share a room (unless I get lucky and am able to live in a place with more bedrooms). Ava loved this Owl theme, and with Nathan having an owl theme already, I felt it could not be more fitting. So, she will have the pink version and Nathan will have the green version!

isn't this the cutest lamp?!

We needed a place to store all her toys and books, as a tupperware bucket in the closet just wasn't cutting it anymore, and I had been eyeing the cube shelf idea, so that's what we went with. I will probably get another of these shelves for Nathan's belongings sometime down the line, assuming we don't change our minds before then.

It just isn't as cute as it could be with the white walls, but apartment living has its downsides, and that is definately one of them. In time, I hope to be able to fully decorate a home. Until then, this will do!

Find the Bedding set and accesories here: http://www.target.com/Circo-Love-Nature-4-pc-Toddler/dp/B002Q22Y8Q/ref=br_1_5?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&searchView=grid5&searchNodeID=16313661&searchRank=salesrank&searchPage=4&searchSize=30&AFID=Performics_Baby%20Gaga&LNM=Baby%20Category

Sunshine Kids Radian XTSL

Ava has been growing like a weed, so I knew it was going to be soon that we would need to invest in a carseat with higher rear-facing limits. It is recommended that children stay rear-facing as long as possible, up to the height and weight limits of the carseat they are using. Ava's previous carseat rear-faced up to 35 pounds, and she has been teetering around 30 lbs now for a while. I want her and Nathan to have the same carseat (once he is out of the Mico) and I knew I wanted to RF as long as possible, so I went with the Sunshine Kids Radian XT because it rearfaces up to 45 pounts, and even allows the 5 point harness up to 80 pounds (which is also a great thing). It's at the top of the price point for carseats, but totally worth it for the safety of my child!

So far, we both absolutely love it. Ava loves the fact that she can get in and out of it without help. There are no arm rests or things to climb over, and the seat is very close to the actual carseat. The seat is a bit deceiving, because it quite honestly doesn't look all that comfortable, but Ava seems to find it very comfortable and has fallen asleep in it quite a few times. I love it because of the security and safety- knowing that my life is in great hands while we are in the car.

Other pros to this carseat are that it is very narrow. You can easily fit 3 of these bad boys in the back seat! I love that there is now enough room in the back seat for an additional person even with Nathan's seat installed, if necessary. I have yet to get some great photos of Ava enjoying her seat, but they will come soon!

Quinny Zapp

I recently made the executive decision on a stroller for my little man. I had originally wanted to go back to the Quinny Buzz 4, after having the Buzz 3 when Ava was smaller, but after pushing it around the store for quite some time, I decided it was just too much for my evolving needs.

The Zapp is a super lightweight stroller with an ultracompact fold, unlike any other on the market. It doesn't recline, but that's ok with me. My Maxi-Cosi Mico fits right on it with the included adapters, so I will be able to use it from birth!

I can't wait for Nathan to be here! The clock is ticking!!