Baby Essentials: The Diaper Bag

I've been avoiding looking at anything baby for a long time, knowing that once I started, I wouldn't be able to stop! But, with all this extra time I have for Thanksgiving Break, I've given in. Last night I stayed up past Jed (this NEVER happens) and I put a lot of things on our Target Baby Registry. I love the registry. I can save the things I want the most, whether for my own use or for when it's baby shower time. So now I know what crib we're getting, what bedding (I'm not crafty enough, nor do I have the time to sew the baby bedding....), the play pen/bassinet for when our baby is still teeny enough to sleep in our room, what mattress to get, even which diaper pail we're getting. Want to know what the bedding will look like? I love it.

 

 

I love green and brown together. I have to admit too, it will work for both our boy and any future girls to come. I keep telling Jed I will want something girly when we have a girl, but he does not like the idea of spending more money on baby bedding.... so I may just have to wait on that.

So today, all I've been looking at is diaper bags. Wow, they are not cheap! The cute ones are all over $50. Terrible! Especially because I want two.... perhaps this is greedy of me, but I want a super cute bag for me to use, but then I think we need one for Jed. Why you ask? Because of this commercial:

Apparently this is how Jed feels when I ask him to carry my purse. Ridiculous ha ha. So, Jed requests that for whenever he has to take the baby (I'm thinking every Sunday for church), he wants one that's more of a messenger bag style so that he can still feel manly despite carrying a bag around with baby things.

So here are some of the bags I'm thinking we should get Jed:

Nice? Manly? All these are available at Target. On the other hand, what about me? There are so many super cute bags. I want one that doesn't have a major pattern because I can't have a different diaper bag for every day of the week when they cost over $50 each! So I've decided I need one that will go with many outfits. So here are the ones I was thinking of:

So which one should I buy??? I can't decide!

The first one is from Target and the rest are on Etsy. I love Etsy! Several of the bags they say I could make bigger, too, and knowing myself, I will pack these bags full of half of our baby's stuff so I could use a big one. You can never be too prepared! Who knows, our baby may become the blowout master and I'll need more than a few changes of clothing. (Please say no.) But back to the bags, do you love them all like I do? For some reason the third one, the brown one, is a favorite of mine. I think the fact that on Etsy it was described as "waterproof," that sold me. But, seriously, I think they are all adorable, and they could be worn with just about any outfit. It's going to be a hard decision to figure out which one of these I want....

There's also one last thing I will mention because it is like the sweetest thing ever! I guarantee it will be one of my most favorite diaper bag accessories. I can see my best friend Natalie laughing at this because she'll know instantly that in all honestly it will be my favorite diaper bag accessory, hands down.

There you have it. Little bags to take on the go to put in soiled diapers, dirty clothes, anything! I was first introduced to this when my sister in law was visiting in October and I was in shock and awe. My first thought was actually, is that one of those things you take when you take your dog on a walk so that you can pick up their poop? Perhaps that is where the inspiration comes from, but seriously, isn't this a great idea? Contain the odors and smells, contain the mess, all in a cute little on the go package; it's a dream come true for the organized neat freak in me.

So, I'll continue to update you on the cute things I find and hopefully the cute things I buy! I'm going to be smart and wait on some of the things until after Christmas, and some even until I've had a baby shower, so that some of the things can be given as gifts (because giving baby things as gifts is honestly one of the best gifts ever to give. Am I right? Aren't baby shower so much more fun to shop for than bridal showers?) but anyways, the moral of the story is, I love baby things and I can't wait to use these things I am going to get! Can our little boy come yet? All these cute things makes me want to have him here with us so I can see him in them! 133 more days to go!

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 20

For those that didn't hear our announcement, we're having a baby boy! We're very excited. It's crazy though... knowing the gender of the baby definitely makes this all seem more real.

Baby Stats:

Length: 6 1/2 inches
Weight: 10 ounces
If HE were a fruit he would be a: small cantaloupe

So this week... things really seemed the same! We've been anticipating our ultrasound on Friday to find out the gender, so I've hardly paid attention to anything else! Symptoms have continued: nails growing fast, baby kicking, back hurting at times, cravings, migraines, etc. etc!

The ultrasound was great! We got there a little early, and somehow got in only a couple of minutes after we arrived. The ultrasound tech had lots of things to look at in the brain, then looked at things like the cervix, ovaries, and kidneys. During all of this, Jed and I were waiting and waiting for her to finally say, this is the sex of your baby! Finally, she asked one more time if we wanted to know the gender, which we did, and she showed us his little bum, legs, and as she put it, "his little boy part" so we knew it was a boy! After that it was just a little surreal looking at our little boy's arms, face, spine, legs, and even a foot. It's crazy that first of all, the ultrasound tech can find all of those things, and second of all that we were able to find out the gender of our baby! Oh and it was so cool: she can turn on this heat/motion sensor so that on the screen, wherever it is especially hot (like at the umbilical cord) or when there is movement, you can see it. So, at one point, I felt an especially big kick, and we saw half of the screen light up red because of the movement! It was really cool to see what I felt. Also, I have to say one of my favorite things to see was the heart. We saw all four chambers and could see it beating. Overall, it was really cool. We were definitely in shock for the next little while, but the excitement grew as the shock wore off.

One thing I definitely want to talk about is maternity clothes. I finally tried on every single item of clothing my sister in law gave to me, and we bought a few items at Target. I love maternity tops and dresses! They make me feel very feminine and make me feel like a cute pregnant woman. It's starting to get fun, having a definite baby bump, so having cute tops so that people can tell I have a baby bump and I'm not just fat is nice. On the other hand, I hate maternity pants to death. They don't stay up. Every time I stand up, I have to readjust my pants and tuck in my undershirt. It's really quite annoying. Also, I have several pairs of pants with the huge band of stretchy material, for when I'm much more pregnant, and those really need adjusting. I'm hoping they will improve once I get a bigger belly, but we'll just have to wait and see on that one....

Oh I should tell you about our party! I felt very stressed by the time the party started, because I ran out of time. You see, my whole plan was to color a cake blue, decorate it cute, and then we cut open the cake and everyone knows it's a boy! So I bought a white cake mix, baked it, and it turned out beautifully. It was only when it was almost all cooled off that I realized it was still white--I forgot to color it blue! So I had to make a new cake; the only cake mix we had was a yellow cake mix and so after adding blue food coloring, the cake was green. And then by the time that was cooled off, there was hardly any time to decorate, and so it was not decorated how I wanted. However, it all pulled together with help from several people, and luckily people were late just as I thought they would be. Overall, it was a great party and I think everyone enjoyed the food and the company. So, despite the stressful beginning, it was great and I was so glad to have everyone there that came!

So, there you have it. Pregnancy wise, nothing much has changed, but the exciting news of our little boy coming has been wonderful!

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 19

Almost halfway!

As you can see, I got my hair done!

Baby Stats:

Length: 6 inches
Weight: 8 oz.
If it were a fruit, it would be a: mango

So this week was a hard one. Teaching is tough! I've been busy and stressed, but the last two days of school, my students reminded me why I love teaching. I've also had a great husband who did everything I asked and asked me to do nothing (partially because I had enough to do on my own), and so yet again I am grateful I have such a great husband! I could never get through a pregnancy without him.

Interesting things that happened this week:

1) I've decided on two consistent cravings: breakfast sausage and any sour gummy candy (sour patch kids, sour gummy worms, etc.). 7/11 (you know the gas station) has this thing called the maple pancake sausage roll. It's like a pig in a blanket but instead of a hot dog it's a sausage and instead of biscuit it's a pancake. I've already had three this week. They're only a dollar so that makes it even harder to resist! I don't know what it is about breakfast sausage, but I can't get enough of it! If today wasn't Sunday, I'd be at the store right now getting some frozen sausages because just talking about it is making my stomach growl.....

2) I've felt the baby move even more! Yesterday I had several kicks or something that actually made me make a sound because it was that significant enough of a movement. All this at only 19 weeks. Things are going to be interesting later on in the pregnancy, aren't they? I hope I don't get a broken rib. When I got my hair done, me and Kim (my hairdresser) talked a ton about being pregnant, and she told me that my best bet for feeling my baby kick from the outside was to lay on my back. I still have yet to feel it from the outside, but it's great advice so that I know for future reference.... I can't wait until Jed can feel it!

3) I had my first pregnancy dream about what the gender of the baby is! I have to admit, I've been leaning toward saying the baby's a girl. This dream, however, could change my mind! So, in my dream, I was laying on my bed, trying to feel the baby. So my fingers were pushing down on my stomach to try to find it, and I could feel a little foot! So I followed the foot until I found the leg, and followed the leg, until I found the body. And there on the body, I found something that would distinctly tell you the baby is a boy, not a girl, if you know what I mean. And that was the extent of my dream! Nothing exciting, really, and completely impossible, but it was funny to wake up and think about it!

We find out in FIVE days what the gender is! Or at least we hope we do. I am so nervous that the day will come, we'll go in for the appointment, and all they'll be able to say is that the baby wasn't in the right position, or they think it's a girl but didn't get a clear shot to say for sure. How awful would that be! As many of you may know, we are having a party on Friday night to announce what the gender of the baby is, and it would put a bit of a damper on the mood if we had no idea.... So I am praying that they will be able to tell! And I have to admit, we both hope it's a girl right now. I've tried my hardest not to lean one way or the other because in reality, just having a baby is exciting and either gender would be great. But right now all I can think about is cute little baby Kara, all pretty in her adorable dresses and tights and pretty hair bows and flowers. In the end, it doesn't matter what the gender of this baby is, or the next, but I hope that we get to have at least one of each.

4) Obviously I got my hair colored darker. I wanted to try out a darker blond, and so right now it's rather brown, but my hair dresser Kim has assured me it will lighten up a bit. But along with the color, I got a trim, so with new color and trim, I'm really going to pay attention to how fast my hair is growing! My nails are definitely growing fast, so let's see about this hair. This is the longest it's been in at least two years, so I'm excited to see how long it will get.

5) As you may/may not know, I teach kindergarten. The teachers sit in the same chairs as the kindergarteners, and these chairs are teeny. It hasn't been a problem until this week; I seriously had some problems gettin down there. I also noticed after some physical things I've done this week (like walking up several flights of stairs) I got majorly tired! Looks like my body is having some more adjustments.

Well, next week will be an exciting post! Come to our house next Friday at 7:30 to find out what the gender of our baby is!

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 18

I don't feel like there's any difference from this and last week in the pictures, but Jed says there is. I've certainly felt more pregnant this week!

By the by, I've decided to stop putting my hand on the top of my belly in the pictures because my belly's getting significant enough that you don't need my hand there to see that I have a little baby bump!

Baby Stats:

Length: 5 1/2 inches
Weight: 5-7 ounces
If it were a veggie, it would be a: sweet potato

There are a few things that have happened this week. The biggest factor in how I've been feeling has been the fact that I've been sick all week. I started the week off not feeling well, got a little better, then got much worse. I've had an awful cough with this cold, and the hardest thing is I'll start coughing in the morning, blow my nose, and between those two things there's some mucus mixed in somewhere and it makes me gag and throw up. Or just dry heave. It's really awful and unpleasant. I've only thrown up a couple of times this week though, so while I am still having morning sickness, it continues to subside.

Some pregnancy symptoms I have had the last few days (because I was sick or because of being pregnant, we don't know), but I've had to go to the bathroom at lot more frequently and I've been a lot hungrier. Friday, I swear I ate like 7 times that day, and each time it was nothing much (burrito, two teeny apples, egg in a basket, etc), but the fact that whenever food was presented, I was hungry, that made me think my stomach is beginning to change for my growing baby. Speaking of food, I'm really hungry....

I've also been feeling more and more pressure down in my abdomen. I think my baby's getting big enough that I can feel it a lot more. I hope that at my next doctor's visit, the doctor can tell me how I can feel where the uterus and baby are from the outside. We'll see!

This last part I'm about to mention you may not want to know, but I find it extremely interesting and surprising. Mostly, I mention this for my friends who have yet to be pregnant because I was surprised to find this symptom at 18 weeks, but it's normal. So read on, but read on cautiously. I've had a new change in my body called colostrum: pre-milk. Yeah, Jed was extremely grossed out to hear me tell him that, and I hope you're not too grossed out, but as a woman, this is something so weird and crazy! I always knew that one day I would have the ability to breastfeed my baby, but now it's getting closer and closer and that is so weird to me (slightly exciting, but more weird). I must say, though, I am not looking forward to milk simply leaking out of me...

Two more weeks until we find out the baby's gender! (Hopefully. I would just about die if the ultrasound technician said they couldn't tell.) And that means we're getting closer and closer to the halfway mark! Technically, if I delivered four weeks early, we'd be at the halfway mark right now! I can't believe it. I seriously cannot wait until we have our baby. I know it's going to be hard and I know it's going to be different than I expect, but what a wonderful thing it is going to be. I've wanted to be a mom for years and years. I was never the girl who dreamed about what her wedding was going to be like, but I have planned baby names since I was 8, playing MASH during church or on car trips. These baby names have changed (for instance, I used to want the names Skye and Lily Rose... no more!), but I just love babies.

We had a baby blessing in church and both Jed and I were thinking the whole time about how it will be in 6 months when we bless our own baby. So crazy. Ha ha it also lead Jed to remember the Modern Family episode where Cam and Mitchell announce they adopted a baby... here's the link to the scene

Modern family - Lion King Moment

(P.S. If you want to know our beliefs on gay marriage, here's a link to what we believe: The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Just so we're clear.)

Well, I still have another 5 months of being pregnant, so I should stop the planning of how it will be. I'm grateful for how my pregnancy has gone so far, it could be so much harder, so I know I (and Jed) have been blessed with a fairly easy pregnancy. Here's hoping it continues that way!

Gratitude Tree

Happy November! It's exciting to be in November, isn't it? The holidays are just around the corner!

So for FHE tonight (yes, we had it a day late. At least we had it!), we talked about gratitude. There are some wonderful talks out there, and I encourage you to go look them up! Search "gratitude" on lds.org and you will find some fantastic ones. After we discussed our talks we studied yesterday, I introduced our newest project: for the next month, we are going to be building a gratitude tree! Someone in our ward at Wymount talked about how for the month of November, they have a little tree on their door and each day they write something they are thankful for on a leaf and put it on the tree. So cute! We are doing this, too, but on a much grander scale. I want us (by the time Thanksgiving comes) to have over 100 leaves on this tree! So that averages to about 2-3 a day from each of us (since we leave the 22nd for California, we have to be done a few days early). Our goal is to never repeat what either of us has said we're grateful for. So, here is the beginnings of our gratitude tree:

I know that as we practice having greater gratitude, we will be happier, have the Spirit more fully in our lives, and be blessed even more!

I'll leave you with a thought from our wonderful prophet, whom Jed and I are so grateful for:

“If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.

“Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days—as much as we can—with those things which matter most.”

President Thomas S. Monson, “Finding Joy in the Journey,” Ensign, Nov. 2008, 87.

Thank you for your love and support! We are grateful for YOU!