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11.30.2010

New Blog Look/Layout

I've changed up the layout a bit and changed the background (sadly, the one I had before this was not made for a 3 columned blog... so I had to find a different one.... bah humbug! ). I've added some various tabs, one with pictures of the 3 of us... or soon to be 3 of us lol, one about our TTC journey, and etc. I'm sure I'll keep changing it a bit until I am completely satisfied with the look and layout of the site. Let me know what you think!

Project 365: Day 61

Jonathan was all grump today....


And James was all smiles... 





11.29.2010

Project 365: Day 60

I received our Black Friday order of diapers today! I highly recommend Sweet Bottoms Baby... she is super quick and is wonderful to work with!

I ordered 4 peach Kawaii Pure & Naturals, 2 white Kawaii Pure & Naturals, and I got a free Kawaii Snazzy Minky.... all came w/2 inserts! :)


11.28.2010

Project 365: Day 59 (Picture Heavy)

Do you remember that post called Books Books, Books! where I said that I never get rid of my books because I love them so much?!?!? Well... after writing that post and discovering all of the amazing children's books that are out there I decided to compromise on my book collection. We have a store in town called Mr. K's that will buy used books and give you credit to buy more used books. Sometimes you can take bags upon bags of books and they will only take a few... or they may take them all. It just depends on what they already have in stock, and what the book demand is for your area. We took in SIX bags of books... yes you read that correctly. Out of those 6 bags, Justin donated maybe 5 books? LOL. Well, they only took 2 bags, so we came home with a good portion (and to be honest it made my heart smile just a little to be able to keep some of those books ha!). Amazingly, we received just under $70 worth of credit... and I went to town in the children's section!

I was most excited about these board books... Goodnight Moon is one of my favorites!
 These are some sweet little board books with googly eyes and a puppy book that I know JoyAnn will love reading to Elah!
 Lots of itty bitty bible story board books (these were only 20 cents a piece!)
 More board books of bible stories... again 20 cents a piece
 Justin found this big book of bible stories, and it's incredibly colorful!
 This one has beautiful pictures.
 More bible stories... love those Dear God books!
 I used to have a ton of these Golden Books... I had the Precious Moments one... and I couldn't resist buying one about postmen since Elah's papaw (my dad) worked for the post office for a really really long time!
                               
 Some Beatrix Potter books... who doesn't love Peter Rabbit?
 Disney...
 Classic Pooh... Elah's nana (Justin's mom) will love reading these to her... she's a huge Eeyore fan.
 Tigger books...
 Cute little board book... each page has a different tab with something for her to touch and feel.
 And ofcourse mommy and daddy got a few books as well. Justin got 2 books by 2 authors he likes and I got this Baby's First Year book... same authors that wrote my favorite Pregnancy book!


My Achy Breaky Body

Ask my momma... and she'll tell you how obsessed I was with Billy Ray Cyrus's song, Achy Breaky Heart. I would dance and sing until I couldn't dance and sing anymore... definately different from my taste in music now! The reason I titled it that was because when I finally got a bit of sleep last night I dreamt or I guess I "remembered" a day when mom had it blasting from her speakers in the house and she was video taping me dancing! Never had a dream where I just remembered something from my past! It also got me thinking about how achy and breaky my body is feeling lately!

To begin with, I usually get in the bed (if I'm not there already) around 8 or 9pm. Some days I don't get out of bed, and I realize that that is completely insane, but there are some days that I just can't. Haven't been many of those days lately, but when I had days where I couldn't stand up without feeling nauseus and pukey... I chose to stay in bed! (I did manage to get a lot of homework done on those days though!) Once I'm comfortable, Justin and I will watch some of our favorite tv shows, watch some movies on Netflix, or we'll cuddle up and read a good book. Before I got pregnant, I would be ready to go to sleep by atleast 11ish. Not so much anymore... but not because I'm not tired. If I've been up and about all day, by the time 11 comes around and I'm in the bed, my body is so sore that I can't get comfortable. So I toss and turn, toss and turn. And sometimes, rarely, but sometimes I'll manage to toss so much that I find a sleeping position that comforts my body... even for just a little while. Unless you have a night like last night.

I was tired and exhausted, despite having done absolutely nothing yesterday, and all day my body just hurt. The more I relaxed, the more I hurt. So I turned on Netflix and started watching some tv shows they have on instant stream and prayed that I might fall asleep while watching it. Not the case. I would start drifting off to sleep, but then BAM! My leg and hip would start aching and getting numb... so I'd have to get up, walk around, and then come back to bed. I'd find another position to lay down... start drifting off to sleep and WHAM! My back would start aching like crazy. Seriously? It's getting old. Once I finally get to sleep and my body stops freaking out on me and just relaxes... I still have to get up to pee every 2-3 hours. And then I end up sleeping super late in the day! I hate that! I'm so ready for Elah to be here, and to have a better reason to get up every few hours in the middle of the night, instead of it being because my body hurts or because I have to pee for the millionth time!

Now, with all that said, I realize that I am blessed... I have had an almost 100% complication free pregnancy. Elah is healthy, she is growing, and she will be here really soon! Yes, I've been sick almost the entire pregnancy, and my body feels like it is falling apart... but I realize how lucky I am. I'm not complaining, well I guess I am, but not because I don't know how blessed I am. Things could be a lot LOT worse... but sometimes you just have to vent! Everytime my body aches today I'll be praying for a friend of mine who is in the hospital on complete bed rest with marginal placental abruption. Because like I said... it could be a lot worse.

Project 365: Day 58

Yesterday was a lazy day in the Massey household... I took these pictures at 3pm...

11.27.2010

Simply Saturday

Didn't sleep well last night... slept pretty late... and now I don't really feel like doing anything but sit in the bed and stay warm (because its flipping freezing despite having the heat on!). So after browsing through some various blogspot blogs I came across this survey and thought it might be fun and take up a little bit of my time... so here you go!

About the mommy:
Name: Sarah
Age: 22
Is this the first child?: Yes!

About the daddy:
Name: Justin
Age: 23 (he'll be 24 next Thursday!)
Is this the first child?: Yes!

Finding out:
What day did you find out you were pregnant?: A week before Mother's Day, on Sunday, 5-2-10
How did you feel when you found out?: Shocked, excited, blessed.... I wasn't expecting to be pregnant that month because we had taken a break from trying!
Who was with you?: Snickers and Mudgett lol
How did the daddy react?: I think he was terrified at first... and once that wore off he was thrilled!

Telling the grandparents:
How did you parents react?: We gave my mom a mother's day card for "Nana"... she read it and said, "REALLY?!?!" and handed it to my dad... he looked over it (didn't get it) and said, "Let's eat!" After we made him look at it again he was thrilled! They are very excited!
How did his parents react?: We gave Rita a similar card and she was ecstatic and once we told Jerry he was pretty thrilled as well!
How often do they call to check on you?: They don't really call to check on me, but anytime either set of parents see us they ask how I'm doing.

About the pregnancy:
When is your due date?: January 1, 2011
How far along are you right now?: 35 weeks
Have you had an ultra sound?: Yes, 4 of them.
Have you heard the heartbeat?: At every appointment :)
Sex of the baby: Girl
What do you want. Boy or Girl?: I really wanted a boy at first and J wanted a girl... but we are BOTH thrilled to be having a baby girl!
Do you know what you are having now?: Girl...
Are you happy with what you are having?: Thrilled!

About the birth:
Who is going to be with you?: Justin and Janelle
Are you going to video tape it?: Uh no.
Natural or medicated?: Hoping to do it naturally!
Do you think you will have a c-section?: I hope not!
Do you think you will cry when you first hold your baby?: I'm not sure! I might... my hormones will be going crazy, but I might be too shocked to cry lol!
Do you know what you will say to the baby when you first hold it?: No idea!
Are you scared about the labor?: No actually... I'm pretty at peace with the idea right now

Names:
Do you have a name picked out?: Elah Moriah
Is your baby going to be named after anyone?: No
Did the daddy help pick the name?: Ofcourse!

Other random questions:
Where was your baby conceived?: LOL at home....
Have you felt the baby move?: YES... she is definately a gymnast!
What was your first symptom?: I was supposed to help set up the reception at a friend's wedding... however I was feeling really yucky and went home... started puking... and Janelle suggested taking a pregnancy test the next morning. I thought there was no way... apparently I was wrong and continued to feel pukey and nauseus up until a few weeks ago lol!
Will you have godparents?: Yes
Who will be the god mommy?: Janelle
Who will be the god daddy?: Nathan
What is the baby's room theme?: Flowers and butterflies... the colors are green, pink, and purple
Are you ready to be a mommy?:SO incredibly ready!
What do you think the baby will be a "daddys girl/boy" or a "mommys girl/boy"?: Daddy's girl for sure!

11.26.2010

John 16:21

And to add to my previous post...

John 16:21: "Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world."

Preparing for the Big Day...

I know I say this frequently, but this pregnancy is going by incredibly quickly! Tomorrow I will be 35 weeks... yea you read that right. 35 weeks! We're getting closer and closer to Elah's birthday, whenever that may be, and since it's drawing near I've been doing a lot of preparation for the big day. Again, I've posted a little about this I believe, about packing my bag for the hospital and etc. My bag is still packed and stored in Elah's room temporarily, all it's lacking is my homemade rice heating pack (aka Justin's sock w/rice in it), toiletries, and snacks. I'm sure we've packed more than we'll need or want, but I'd rather be over prepared then under prepared. I even had to use my huge orange adidas sports bag that I used for soccer in high school... my robe took up the entire suitcase I was planning on using! We also have Elah's diaper bag packed to keep in the car in case we have to stop anywhere on the way home, HOPEFULLY that won't be necessary. Her car seat base is installed and her car seat itself is waiting patiently in her room. Now I just have to prepare myself!

Mentally, I think I'm pretty ready... I obviously don't know what to expect with this being my first, but I have confidence knowing that not only will I have my husband's support during labor, but I'll have Janelle's support as well. It's nice knowing that someone with 3 pregnancies (which produced FIVE children) and lots of experience in a natural vaginal birth, a c-section with an epidural, and a c-section with a spinal will be there to encourage, pray, and support me. I'm actually looking forward to this new experience, as crazy as that sounds. Honestly, I'm not all that great with pain, I'm really a big baby! I also have a definate fear of needles... which is something I've done pretty well with considering how many times you have to get stuck during a pregnancy! With that said, I am planning on having a natural vaginal birth... meaning no pain meds! I know I can do it, my body was MADE to do this. Unfortunately the majority of friends and family in my life don't have a lot of confidence in me doing this... BUT I am hoping to prove them wrong!

Physically, I'm not so sure I'm ready. One of my biggest fears after reading many birth stories on babycenter.com is tearing or having an episiotomy. Just thinking about it makes me cringe MORE than thinking about a baby being pushed out of my body! I'm a little afraid of the pain and contractions and am still thinking and learning about how I might plan to work through that. The thing is, is there are so many different opinions and options out there that are supposed to help you through labor... but everyone is different, so at this point I don't know what will help me until I start physically feeling the pain. One thing I do know is that my hips are definately spreading and preparing for Elah coming into the world... they absolutely KILL! My yoga ball helps a little bit, but even that makes my hips sore after a while!

I'm also trying to decide if Justin is ready for this huge change or not. I think in a way he is completely ready, but at the same time he has no idea what to expect and is completely unprepared. I've been with Justin for close to 5 years now and I still have a hard time deciphering his emotions and inner thoughts sometimes. He's really good at bottling up his emotions, he's only cried infront of me 3 times the ENTIRE time we've been together. So I'm not sure if he will get emotional, if he'll be shocked and not know what to do, or if he'll just jump in and just know what to do as a father! What I do know is that he's going to be an amazing daddy, even if he botches a diaper change or puts Elah in an outfit that doesn't match (that really bugs me lol)... he's going to be great. I have no fear when it comes to that!

This post ended up being a little longer than usual, but hey, I'm excited! I'm so ready to feel Elah kicking on the OUTSIDE of my body and get to finally be a mommy! Do you hear me Miss Elah? Don't be stubborn and be late alright? Mommy is ready to meet you!

Project 365: Day 57

Today I worked on making some prefolds for Elah's diapers... I am making them out of old tshirts and they are turning out surprisingly (sp?) better than I thought! I'm still not super great at sewing straight, but I'm getting there. Each prefold takes me about 30-45 minutes to do. This includes cutting the tshirts, pinning them, sewing them, etc. So far I've only made 2, right now it's hard for me to sit behind the sewing machine, it really just kills my back!

Here's a few pictures... laid out, and folded!

Black Friday!

Why go into crazy crowds to find deals when there are some amazing deals online? Some of the deals are even the exact deals you could get in stores! I took advantage of these sales... didn't spend much because we didn't have the funds for much... but I got some great deals!

I waited until midnight for the best deals and Old Navy was my first stop online. I got J and I both a pair of $5 pj's, a warm fleece bear suit thing for Elah, a few long sleeve onsies (the majority of onsies we have newborn-3 months are short sleeves) and a tshirt for J.

My second, and LAST stop, was sweetbabybottoms.com to find a few things for Elah. I'm being blessed by a friend of mine with 2 Thirsties diaper covers (newborn sized) and so I decided to also purchase a different kind of newborn diaper that I passed over when making my major diaper purchase in October. These diapers are called Kawaii Baby Pure and Natural Diapers. You can fold them down to avoid irritating the umbilical cord stump, and they can fit approx. 6-22lbs, so hopefully we'll get longer use out of them then the Thirsties (which only fit up to about 12lbs). Each diaper comes w/2 inserts and I ordered 6. I used a Black Friday coupon code that was only useful between midnight and 2am for 20% off, AND I got free shipping, AND I got to pick a Kawaii Minky diaper for FREE.... all for $40. Oh yea. 7 diapers for $40... CANNOT beat that!

Project 365: Day 56

I have a bit of an obsession with owls... I've found a few super cute articles of clothing for Elah that have owls on them.... and then I found a onsie for $2 at Walmart today! STEAL!

So here's J modeling it for you... doesn' the look cute? LOL I'm sure Elah will look MUCH better in this!

11.25.2010

Thankful Thursday

  • I am thankful for a husband who supports me through everything I do... that includes being a SAHM, a full time student, and a wife who hates to do the dishes ;-)
  • I am thankful for this little blessing in my tummy... we tried off and on for SO long to get pregnant, and when we decided to stop trying for a while.... God blessed us with our beautiful baby girl!
  • I am thankful for parents who stick by through thick and thin. A dad who never stops smiling and never fails to make me laugh. A mom who is crafty and willing to create beautiful things for her granddaughter.
  • I am thankful for a friend who is willing to drop what she's doing and spend time with me, who finds babysitters to care for her children when I need someone to be there for me during appointments and classes... what a blessing she is!
  • I am thankful for two little fur balls who drive me insane!!!! However... they know when mommy doesn't feel well and are always willing to cuddle and comfort me.
  • I am thankful for a roof over my head, to shelter my growing family.
  • I am thankful that Justin has a steady job and paycheck that pays our bills and puts food on our table.
  • I am thankful that I live in a place where I, as a woman, can attend school and get an education.
  • I am thankful to be alive... to be a child of God... and to know that I am forgiven!

11.24.2010

A Project for Next Christmas

When I was little my mom made an advent calendar for Christmas, and we used it EVERY year... and as far as I can remember she still hangs it up. It's definately worn and loved, and the sticky glue stuff she put on the back of the ornaments doesn't stick as well... but I remember fighting with Dylan EVERY day in December to be the one that got to put the next ornament up to count down til Christmas. So next year, probably starting in the spring so that I don't get overwhelmed with school, Elah, and another sewing project, I am going to start making an advent calendar for our family. I love this blog called Homemade by Jill... not only does she have two beautiful children (I love to see her update with pictures of them, they have the best eyes!)but she is a crafty momma! She posts some of the coolest tutorials and pictures of things she's made for her home, gifts and for her children. Recently I posted about some burp cloths that I made for Elah (as well as some I made last year for Janelle), well I found that tutorial on Jill's blog! Well... check THIS out! That is something she's been working on for her family! I LOVE it! So that is what I will be working on next year, with a little help from my mom. I still have lots to learn about sewing, but now that Elah is going to be here soon, it makes me want to learn that much more! I can't wait to get started!

Project 365: Day 55

Ok... so Justin is a bit of wierdo. He loves to cook, but when he cooks with chicken, he prefers to use gloves. Janelle passed on an entire box of gloves... that I'm pretty sure Nathan "borrowed" from the hospital when James and Jonathan were born. So here you go folks... my strange, but wonderful husband preparing the chicken for HOT WINGS! WOO!!!!!


11.23.2010

No Slippy Hair Clippy Giveaway

These hairclips are so cute! I WANT TO WIN! LOL!

Go Long! Go Green! is doing a giveaway for these awesome hair accessories for your little one, a $25 gift certificate to be exact! Click HERE to enter!

Tasty Tuesday

Had our 34 week appointment today! We're getting closer, closer and CLOSER! It was a pretty quick appointment, Elah's growing and she's moving a TON! I go back in 2 weeks, and then I'll be going every week until she decides it's time to meet the world! We swung by our favorite Flint house and visited for a few minutes, got my sweet baby cuddles in, you know I can't resist! When we got home we came home to our amazing Christmas photo cards from Shutterfly! You can see a picture on my previous post for Project 365. So those are filled out and ready to go, we even went ahead and took our parents each one and Justin's nanny... and I got my junk food for dinner at mom's. Gotta love cheese fries and ice cream! I don't usually eat THAT unhealthy... but mom always has great junk food to chow down on... and how could a pregnant woman resist?

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to being kidnapped by the Flint monsters and getting OUT of the house... that is, getting out of the house without having to go to a doctor's appointment or a birthing class! Then J and I have to take all of our Thanksgiving Dinner supplies to mom's. Mom and I decided to conquer dinner together this year, so we're going to prepare some of the stuff tomorrow night and then cook up everything else on Thursday. CAN'T WAIT!

I think that's it... just another typical boring week in the Massey household. :)

Project 365: Day 54

Well... guess what came in the mail today? CHRISTMAS CARDS!!! WOOHOO! I was going to wait until after I mailed them out to share them, but I was too excited. So, if you get one, sorry for spoiling the surprise!

Books... books... books!

If you know me at all... then you know that I'm an avid reader. I have a bookshelf stocked full of some of my favorite books. I never throw away or give away my books... they are a GREAT joy in my life! I love diving into a story and being able to "live" someone else's life... even for just a minute. A great romance, an epic journey... becoming a fictional character. It's grand! Well, I hope to instill that same passion for reading in my children and would love to stock an entire library of books for them as they grow, starting with Elah ofcourse!

Chronicle Books is doing a giveaway for $500 worth of books... here's the assignment for us bloggers:

Post a list of Chronicle Books valued at up to $500 that you’d like to haul in, and you’ll be automatically entered into a drawing to WIN your list of books! And, one of your readers who comments on the post will win the list too!

So I'm going to make a list of children's books... and you can either comment here and hope that I win so that you win as well... or you can post your own blog.... OR you can follow the directions to other blogs to comment on for a chance to win! Just click HERE for more details!


My book list:
Count: Blue Apple Books by DwellStudio
Mommy & Daddy Hugs & Kisses Boxed Set by Anne Gutman & Georg Hallensleben
In My Tree: Finger Puppet Book by Sara Gillingham & Lorena Siminovich
Such a Silly Baby! by Steffanie Lorig, Richard Lorig, and Amanda Shepherd
Hello Baby! Baby Book: A Keepsake Journal for Baby's First Year by Hello! Lucky
Peek-A-Who?: Board Book by Nina Laden
Touch & Feel Zoo: Blue Apple Books by DwellStudio
Butterfly Birthday: Blue Apple Books by Harriet Ziefert & Mark Jones
Stella is a Star!: Blue Apple Books by Bernadette Peters & Liz Murphy
Mommies and Babies: Blue Apple Books by Simms Taback
A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas by Ralph Covert, G. Riley Mills, & Wilson Swain
For Just One Day by Laura Leuck & Marc Boutavant
Over in the Hollow by Rebecca Dickinson & S. Britt
Wrapped in Love: Blue Apple Books by Jan Johnston & Maria Eugenia
Lines That Wiggle: Blue Apple Books by Candace Whitman & Steve Wilson
I Know a Lot of Things by Paul and Ann Rand
Mama's Kiss: Handprint Books by Jane Yolen & Dan Baxter
Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Jen Corace
You Think It's Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? by Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt & David Slonim
Go Back to Sleep: Blue Apple Books by Sylvie Jones & Pascale Constantin
Ook the Book: And Other Silly Rhymes by Lissa Rovetch & Shannon McNeill
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star by Sylvia Long
Undersea Treasure Hunt by Stephanie Boey
Waddle, Waddle, Quack, Quack, Quack by Barbara Anne Skalak & Sylvia Long
PeeWee & Plush: A Park Pals Adventure by Johanna Hurwitz and Patience Brewster
Noah's Ark by Jerry Pinkney
Astronaut PiggyWiggy: Handprint Books by Christyan &  Diane Fox
I Spy in the Ocean by Damon Burnard & Julia Cairns
ABC Block Books by Susan Estelle Kwas
Olive, the Other Reindeer by J.otto Seibold & Vivian Walsh
I Love You the Purplest by Barbara Joosee & Mary Whyte
The Night I Followed the Dog by Nina Laden
Goodnight, Owl: Blue Apple Books by DwellStudio
Emily & Alex: Naughty and Nice: Blue Apple Books by Barroux
Emily & Alex: Plain and Fancy: Blue Apple Books by Barroux
Look: Blue Apple Books by DwellStudio
Bathtime PiggyWiggy: Handprint Books by Christyan & Diane Fox

11.22.2010

Mundane Monday

Today has been a pretty typical, boring day in the Massey household. Justin was off today so we decided to start our morning with a trip to the library... and as usual I found several books to read while Justin found zilch. I also needed my Flint Monster cuddles, and I knew Janelle wasn't feeling well... so J and I headed over to kidnap the older 3 for a picnic at the park. They had a blast... and were VERY excited that Justin came to play! He even played on the playground with them! He was a little too big for the slide and tunnel however... I'm thinking he's going to regret that later tonight lol! Other than that... we have our birthing class tonight and then we'll probably come home and watch a movie and go to sleep. Or attempt sleep... which is a typical night for me :-\

Elah is being ornery as ever... running out of room and making sure mommy knows! I thought I was having a painful Braxton Hick contraction this morning... but no. It was Elah. As soon as I put my hand on that spot that felt like my uterus was hard she moved away and kicked the CRAP out of me! Little booger. At the moment she's stretching so my tummy looks like a watermelon, hopefully she'll calm down a bit during our birthing class so I can move around a bit better!

Project 365: Day 53

11.21.2010

Project 365: Day 52

I finally finished the burp cloths! Now they are sitting nice and pretty on Elah's shelf :-D
And I never did share pictures of Elah's diapers all washed and ready in her drawers!

The drawers are both mixed...
 The white ones are Econobums, the pink ones you see in the picture below are Flips, and the rest in both drawers in multiple colors and prints are Kawaii's... which are almost exactly like the diapers I'm going to order in the spring called Go Green Pocket Diapers!
 Here's the drawer of extra inserts - these are Econobum prefolds and Kawaii Bamboo Inserts.
 These are the Kawaii Microfiber and Flip Microfiber inserts...
And that's it for today :-D I'm super primo cleaning mode and sat down long enough to share these pics! Back to organizing and cleaning!

11.20.2010

Go Green Pocket Diaper Giveaway!

If you've seen my previous posts on diapers, then you've seen my love for Kawaii's.... well this brand, Go Green Pocket Diapers is very similar! Click HERE to see all the wonderful prints that Go Green has to offer.... and then head on over to Go Long! Go Green! to enter for a chance to win one of these great diapers!

Good luck!

Project 365: Day 51

34 weeks today! Mom took us out to good ole' Lake Susan to take maternity pictures for our Christmas card... and  a few of them I really like :-D



11.19.2010

Project 365: Day 50

I finally got to a point where I couldn't wear my wedding band  and engagemet ring anymore :( A lot of people told me to just wear them on a chain around my neck, but that made me a little nervous. What if the chain broke and I lost those rings? Justin worked hard to buy those rings for me! So, Justin and I searched high and low for a ring that I liked... and that fit. I have fat fingers to begin with so that was a bit of a challenge considering that my hands swell depending on the temperature and if I've done a lot with my hands during the day. I had to buy a ring a whole size up... so sometimes it's a little lose, and other times it's perfect! We finally found a ring I liked at a little shop in town and I was super relieved. I couldn't just not wear anythign on my finger, it felt naked and I freaked everytime I realized my rings were missing... even though they are in a safe place!

Definately  not a typical wedding band or even engagement ring... but I like it. I will probably hold on to it for Elah since it's what I'll be wearing until my body gets back to normal after having her. I might even get a new one for my next pregnancy. Perhaps a new tradition?


Today was a pretty uneventful day in the Massey household. I didn't do much this morning except sleep in, and stay under the covers watching movies all morning. My hips are spreading and they're really painful right now... and no matter what I do I hurt. Atleast when I'm lying down I can find a tiny bit of relief. This evening we went to my inlaws and cooked dinner (well... Justin cooked dinner LOL!)... my favorite! Wings, baked french fries and green beans. YUMMO! Needless to say, I was a very very happy pregnant lady :-D

Elah is doing well, she's definately running out of room however. Her movements are much stronger and she makes me rather uncomfortable sometimes. This morning she made herself comfortable on my right side and stayed that way for over an hour! My belly was totally lopsided! This evening she's up between my ribs, and I'm pretty sure her butt is right there against the front of my stomach. I thought I was having a Braxton Hicks contraction because of how hard it felt.... until I realized it wasn't just firm, it was moving. So yea... Elah is enjoying stretching mommy's tummy out!

Tomorrow I'm hoping my mom will be feeling better (her students shared their sicky germs) so that she can take a "family" picture of us for our Christmas cards! You may have seen my post a few days ago about Shutterfly! I received my code to get 50 free cards after writing my post, so now I just need to design them and pay shipping and handling so that we can mail them out! Even more exciting than that.... I'm 34 weeks tomorrow! Elah could be here within a month! How crazy is that?!?!? I love being pregnant, but this pregnancy has definately been a bit miserable, so I will be SUPER excited for Elah to finally get here and to have my body back! I will miss those kicks and nudges and knowing that she's protected in my womb... BUT it would be nice to be able to reach to shave my own legs and tie my own shoes.... ;-)

11.18.2010

Nesting.... eek.

As I posted earlier today, I have been super productive for the first time in months! I have a little bit of energy, not much, but more than I've gotten used too. I didn't have any nausea today and I was able to get out of bed and function like a normal person, with the exception of super sore hips and my ginormous belly! Everything in our house is pretty much ready for Elah, and has been since the week after our baby shower... but there were a few more things I wanted and needed to get accomplished.

This is what I got done today:

  • Washed and sorted all of Elah's cloth diapers (stuffed and put into baskets on her shelf)
  • Worked on the burp cloths that I am making... only have 3 left to do!
  • Sorted and rearranged things in her room to make room for new things
  • Batteries were installed in her bassinet
  • We didn't do this today, but we finished the majority of the pages for Elah's scrapbook yesterday!
  • Packed my bag for the hospital... all I need is to add maternity tanks (which mom just ordered for me!)
  • Packed Elah's diaper bag to stash in the car in case we need to stop anywhere on the way home from the hospital
  • We are doing our birthing classes....
  • Scheduled infant feeding class
  • Scheduled hospital tour
  • Already met with one of Elah's pediatricians
  • Kind of sort of finished my birth "plan"
  • Between Janelle, Justin and myself... we pretty much know how we're going to handle getting in touch with eachother when I go into labor
Things I still need to do:
  • Buy large batteries for bouncy seat and swing
  • Set aside pillows and boppy for the hospital
  • Finish those last 3 burp cloths
  • Get the house CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN
And I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things... but you get the idea ;-)

Project 365: Day 49

I've almost made it to Day 50... and I've kind of sort of kept up with this challenge! Woohoo!

Anyways, today I am being super duper productive. What's wrong with me?! I'm thinking that nesting has seriously set in... so far today I've done 3 loads of laundry, including prewashing Elah's cloth diapers, worked on the burp cloths I'm making, finished a paper for one of my classes, a quiz for another, and started studying for an upcoming exam! That's a lot considering I haven't done much of anything this entire pregnancy!

First picture... this is the top of a blanket I started for J's nanny in February... of 2009. Really. So once I finish the burp cloths I think I'm going to start finishing that... MAYBE it will get done for Christmas, but I doubt it. Otherwise my goal is to atleast have it finished to give to her for Mother's Day!
And... introducing Singer. My sewing machine. My mom bought her for me about 2 years ago I believe... yea. I'm slowly but surely learning... I suck at straight lines, and I've only managed to make a few things! When Janelle was pregnant with James and Jonathan I made 2 bibs and a set of burp cloths for them... and I've made a baby blanket, a dog blanket, and several tops for other quilts (including the one above). I really want to make some clothes for Elah and some cute stuffed animals I found on http://www.homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/ . (Check her out, she ROCKS!)
This is what progress I've made on the burp cloths. Compared to the one's I made for Janelle and her boys these are HUGE! But I think they'll be better that way! I have about 6 left to sew and then I have to go back and cut around the edges so that they'll fray. I actually got the pattern from http://www.homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/ !




11.17.2010

Project 365: Day 48

This is what we've done ALL day... work on Elah's first scrapbook. I'm currently working on the pages with baby bump pictures and sonograms...and I think Justin is working on the pages w/his family on them. Exhausted.

11.16.2010

Project 365: Day 47

I went on an adventure today with the Flints... we finished filling 4 Operation Christmas Child boxes, ventured to the mall to eat at Chick Fil A (where about 20 different school buses of kids were JUST leaving... close call!)... and then we stopped at Earth Fare. James and Jonathan were asleep, so Joseph and I stayed in the truck with them while Janelle and Jesse and JoyAnn bought groceries. Just after they went inside this car pulled up beside us and this HUGE dog stuck his head out the window! He (or maybe she?) was gorgeous! I very sneakily caught a picture to share... not a great pic, but he really was beautiful!

Project 365: Day 46


11.15.2010

Shutterfly Christmas Gifts and Cards!

I've never used photo Christmas cards, however, this year being our first year starting a family, and even possibly having our little Miss Elah here for Christmas it sounded like a great idea! Since we don't know for sure when Elah will be here, Justin and I want to create Christmas cards with our "first family photo"... we're going to have my mom take a picture of Justin and myself holding Elah... in my belly. LOL! And then next year, our Christmas card will be all about our little princess all dressed up for the holidays! I think it will make a fun family tradition!

As I was browsing through all the many choices that Shutterfly has to offer, a few of them really caught my eye! This one is fun and a little bit different from your normal red and green traditional Christmas card...

This may be the one we choose, but I won't know for sure until after we get our picture taken! I might even plan our wardrobe to go with this card so that we can use it! Another one I really liked was this one...


I love the little snowmen! This would be a sweet card for our "first family photo!" I can't wait to start really going through and putting our picture into the cards to pick the perfect one! Shutterfly makes it super easy with a step by step process, and with all of their countless choices you should have no problem finding a card to suit your family!

Not only does Shutterfly have cards, but they have an endless supply of gift ideas, invitations, and even wall art! All you have to do is choose the pictures you want printed on the product and order! Here are a few of my favorites that I hope to order for Christmas next year with our daughter's picture on them!

Calendars
Personalized Mugs
Canvas Wall Art



Don't stop reading though! If you are a blogger you can get 50 FREE holiday cards from Shutterfly! Sign up HERE.

11.14.2010

Project 365: Day 45

Well... I had a picture of all the scrapbook pages and stuff I'm using on my phone... and now it has disappeared :( Ugh.

I'm working on Elah's first scrapbook... I'm hoping to make a series of them for her so that she'll have them to look at with her future husband and children and grandchildren! I hope to do the same for any siblings we give her... but who knows. Knowing me, I'll slack off and not get it done :-\

Anyways, this first book starts with pictures of J and I when we first started dating, then it moves on to engagement pictures, wedding pictures, pictures of our families, pictures of Snickers and Mudgett... and then finally onto belly pictures, pregnancy tests (yes I kept them) and baby shower cards, pieces of wrapping paper and punch outs from the gift bags, etc. I can't wait to finish it :)

11.13.2010

Project 365: Day 43 & 44

Ok. So... we decided to put the Christmas tree up a few weeks early, typically, we put it up on Thanksgiving evening... but I wanted it up NOW. After 2 days of putting everything up, which wasn't even everything we usually put up, I'm wishing we had put it up in like June. It took all of my energy, and all of my strength and stamina to just put ornaments on a tree. Seriously? It was awful :( I went to bed SUPER early last night, and after finishing today we went to mom's and I basically collapsed into a chair most of the day. I'm pooped!

And after looking at this picture... my OCDness comes out... the bottom of my tree needs to be fluffed. It's off balance people!