Decal drama

So not really drama but having second thoughts about the decal I ordered =( I received the decal today in the mail, and it's a lot smaller then what I thought it was going to be and looked in the picture. So now I'm debating about putting it over the window in Dakota's nursery and doing something different over her crib... Any suggestions? Good news is that I bought the paint for her room today =) So one more thing checked off on my to do list! YAY!

According to traditional wisdom in rural France, a baby in the womb should be compared to fruit on the tree. Not all the fruit on the same tree is ripe at the same time…we must accept that some babies need a much longer time than others before they are ready to be born.

-Michel Odent

Shall I try?

Have been eyeing these tissue pom poms for awhile now for Dakota's nursery and can't decide whether or not to buy them already made or try to be crafty and make them. I found these instructions and it seems pretty easy, but almost too easy!

1. 
   
   I will need 8 sheets of tissue paper. Unfold and line up all the edges.
2. 
   
   On the SHORTER edge do an accordion fold.
3. 
   
   Smooth out the folds so the creases are nice and crisp!
4. 
   
   Cut each corner (you can cut to a round end or make into a point... the point is easier : )
5. 
   
   Make cuts on both ends of the tissue paper stack.
6. 
   
   Fold stack in half to mark the middle.
7. 
   
    Use about a 4 inch piece of wire (floral wire would work best) and twist around the middle.
8. 
   
   Fan out the stack of paper a bit.

9.  Begin pulling individual sheets up (be VERY careful because the pieces can rip easy!

10.   Pull from each end and begin to shape the flower/pom pom,

11.  After half are pulled, turn over and pull from the other side.

12.   Mess with it a bit until you get the shape you want.

So happy!

Whew... am I relieved to see you, week 24. Viability. It's a milestone that every pregnant woman yearns to reach.



What is viability, you may ask? It's the moment in your pregnancy when your baby actually has a fighting chance to survive {with medical intervention} outside of the womb if he/she were to be born early.


The chances of a baby surviving are 50/50 at 24 weeks, but every day/week of pregnancy that passes only increases a baby's chance of surviving a premature birth. I've heard of babies that have survived at 24-week birth and babies who haven't {warning, very sad.} It's just something that I can not imagine going through... watching my baby fight to survive.
So thankful to be here!

Decor

Can't wait to start putting up all the decor we have bought for Dakota's room! Still looking for some random things, such as this adorable coat hanger for the wall in a "D" of course ;)

Just Because....

Pregnancy: 24 weeks! Can you believe 6 months already! Will have a six month belly shot soon!
Weight Gain: 7 pound total! Still shocked that all I'm gaining is belly weight. Actually when you look at me it's sort of weird because everything else is the same, and then I just have this adorable belly =)
Sleep: Much better, thanks to David! Sometimes I do have trouble falling back asleep, but lately I've been so tired that hasn't been a problem. I hope it stays this way!
Gender: Girl
Name: Dakota Rae
Feeling: Feeling great, overall. My lower back has been a little stubborn but I have been trying to stay positive because I have been so lucky not to have any major prego symptoms so far!
Health: My blood pressure always amazes the midwifes and I'm healthy as a horse!  
Movement: All the time! After I eat she is kicking, when loud noises are around she is kicking, when I'm laying down she's kicking! She has had the hiccups a couple times also =) So far David, Katie, Erin, Lisa, Jason, and Jen have felt her kick.
Belly: No stretch marks {yet}. Belly button is out, and I officially look pregnant!
Next Appointment: October 6th. We will be going over some tests and then about birth classes too!

Thought for the Day

Time to Register!

David and I are going to Target to get registered tonight! We are already registered with Amazon, which may I tell you has amazing deals and most items ship free; however we also wanted to register somewhere local so if people didn't want to buy online then they have the option not to. This does bring a problem though because should I register for the same things I'm registered on Amazon for or all different? Also what should we register for? We have the basic stuff down but what items would we not think of but you mamas have found useful?

6 MONTHS!!!

I can not believe that I am 6 months today! I have no idea where the past months have gone but I'm glad that I was so proactive on getting things done earlier because I would be way behind on things if I hadn't! What is even more crazy is in four weeks I will be starting my third and last trimester! Baby Dakota is going to be here before we know it!!

At 24 weeks Baby Dakota is:

• Growing rapidly now and she about 11 inches long with a weight of 1.25 to 1.5 pounds!
• Her brain is developing rapidly during this period and so are the lungs and the taste buds. The main lungs are developing branches as well as special cells that produce surfactant needed to inflate the air sacs.
• She will continue gaining muscle weight and deposit of brown fat on the skin which will help the baby later to retain body heat.
• Her beautiful, tiny face is complete now with the features well developed and in the right place though the eyes are still shut. Hair will continue to grow on the head and the eyelashes are well formed.
• She is just a thinner version of how she would look when born.

Halloween!!

David and I love Halloween and usually always try to pair our costumes. This year it has become a tad bit harder to decide because I would like to incorporate my baby bump with our theme! While searching I did find this shirt which would be really cute for work! Still need some thoughts though for a regular costume!

Goodbye Wilabees!

Today my Mom and Pa had to put down their dog, Wilbur. He was 12 years old and lived every day like a king. Was such a sweetie and will be missed! It's so crazy how much an animal can affect your life, and when they are gone it's truly like loosing a best friend and family member. Love you Wilabees!

Child Care!

I have decided once baby Dakota is born that I will be taking two months maternity leave. I plan on working till the day my water breaks and so far that seems pretty possible but we will see as I'm reaching that tenth month! So today I was thinking we should probably start looking into child care for our sweet angel and holy crap is infant care expensive! Most places I was looking at for four days a week was around $700 and I'm not really even sure what that all includes! Whats a mama to do? Does anyone know of any good places for infant childcare?

Welcome Baby Culbertson!!!

One of my good friends (aka SS/secret sister) had her baby boy yesterday, James Robert Culbertson! So happy for you guys and can't wait to meet him!

James Robert Culbertson!

Fall has arrived!!

Happy first day of Fall everyone! David and I are the biggest fan of the Fall season! Our reasons are similar such as we both love all the colors of fall, changing of leaves, football season, and the freshness of the air. Reasons that differ for us is he loves being outdoors and hunting, and for me I love my fall boots and sweaters! Today I took the opportunity of using some of my birthday gift cards and bought myself a new pair of boots and a cute chunky cable sweater! And for dinner tonight we are bringing the crock pot out for the cold season and having some yummy pulled pork sandwiches! Hall Fall everyone!

Ten things I never thought about before becoming pregnant

1. Saying goodbye to red wine, medium rare steak, caffiene, raw cookie dough, sunny side up eggs, riding on the back of David's motorcycle, and my booty (yes it has slowly been disappering!).
2. Baby bottles have different nipple sizes?
3. The many different kinds of childbirth classes - the Bradley Method, the Morgan Method, Lamaze, The McMoyler Method, the list goes on…. Oh and I also discovered today Hypnobirthing (stay tuned for future post on that).
4. My belly button! Serioulsly on of the most fun things to play with since it has decided to become an outie!  
5. Strollers. Never in my life did I imagine I would be eyeing strangers on the street trying to get a closer look at their kid’s wheels.
6. The whole boob thing. I still can’t wrap my head around it. Apparently they are suppose to be growing, but they haven't. So butt disappering and boobs staying the same.
7. Complete and total loss of modesty. During the process of being pregnant one or more of the following may occur: Having to discuss your sex life in detail, being probed by fingers and objects on a regular basis, losing control of bodily functions during childbirth (I am most afraid of this as I’ve heard stories of women peeing, pooping, and vomiting in the process of delivering), having a big giant spotlight pointed on you with your legs spread and 4 people staring down at your lady business and your boobs may be manhandled by la leche consultants who teaches you how to breastfeed.
8. Germs. They are everywhere!
9. How much people treat you differently when you are pregnant. Random people smile at you. They ask how far along you are. They sometimes pat your belly. And how they love to rub the belly!
10. This baby has to come OUT OF ME. Right now she’s inside but she has to come out. Let me repeat that… she has to COME OUT OF ME. I keep running over this fact in my head, trying to make sense of it. I had the birds and the bees talk a long long time ago - but trying to rationalize and come to terms with what is actually going to happen in a few short months is taking some time. She has to come out… and no matter how it happens, it ain’t going to be a walk in the park….

Got to Love Etsy!!

Etsy never fails and if I was rich I would be on there all day buying stuff! Found this cute gem that I will be buying for Dakota's room after she is born!

Birth Date Print

And this hat is just way too cute not to buy! Wouldn't you say?

Chunky Monkey

Legs Cramps are HE**

Until recently I have had no prego downers such as nausea, back pain, food aversions, etc; however I think my lucky streak has come to an end! K so I may be exaggerating just a tad but my leg cramps I have been getting every night are a nightmare! At the beginning of my leg cramp saga I would think of how much more labor is going to hurt and relax and breath and they would go away pretty fast (David loves how I compare leg cramps to labor but hey it worked). However last night the sudden tightening of my leg muscles were horrible, and this may because there were multiple episodes.

So why do pregnant women get leg cramps more then normal? Well the reasons for increased leg cramps during pregnancy aren't clear. They may be caused by: Changes in blood circulation during pregnancy, the stress on your leg muscles of carrying the extra weight of pregnancy (which I have only gained five pounds over my regular weight so I doubt that is it), or the pressure of the growing baby on the nerves and blood vessels that go to your legs. So what is a mama to do? Babycenter.com says I should try stretching my legs, avoid sitting or standing in one position for a long period of time, exercise, drink plenty of fluids, and increase my potassium intake. Some foods that are high in potassium are all meats, poultry, fish, apricots, avocados, bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew, kiwi, Lima beans, milk, oranges, potatoes, prunes, spinach, and tomatoes.

So I'm going to increase in all these yummy foods and try exercising more and see if that will help. I do have to say though that I would take a leg cramp every night way over being sick every morning!

Nursing Pads

So what sort of nursing pads have all you mamas used? My friend Gretchen who is about to have her baby next month just purchased Hemp/Organic Cotton Breastpads and I think I may give them a try also. Any thoughts...

23 weeks!!

Holy moly another week gone and one more week less till we meet our Dakota!

At 23 weeks:

• Her sense of movement is well developed by now, and she can feel me dance! 
• Dakota's face that we all our going to "ahhh" over is fully formed!
• She's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you we may be able to see her squirm underneath my clothes.
• Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that her increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Gestational Diabetes Testing

Since we are almost in our third trimester, crazy I know, we have a whole another series of tests that the midwife consults us on and to see if we need to be tested for them. At our next midwife appointment we are going to be talking about the Gestational Diabetes Testing.

The American Diabetes Association recommends testing for gestational diabetes if:

• You are 25 years of age or older (yeppers just turned 27)
• You are a large-bodied woman (nope)
• You have family history of diabetes in first-degree relatives, so your parents or siblings. (So far this is a no, but checking with my parents just to make sure they aren't hiding anything from me!)
• You have had an unexplained stillborn baby (thank god no)
• You have a prior history of gestational diabetes (no)
• You belong to an ethnic/racial group with a higher prevalence of diabetes (i.e., Hispanic-American, Native American, Asian-American, African-American, or Pacific Islander) (Yes to Native American but not enough that it counts for this)
• You are a smoker (nope)

So with those all  being a "no" besides my age, I think that I'm pretty good without getting the test. Which is good because the test involves drinking 50 grams of glucose (“glucola”) and having your blood glucose levels measured after one hour. We will still consult with our midwives to see what they think but I think we are good with saying no to the glucola!

Birth Announcements

Today I realized that we will for sure need to send a cute picture of our little Dakota once she is born to everyone! So that got me on the search for cute birth announcements! There are sooo many out there so if anyone has any ideas of the best place to buy them I would love to know! Here are a couple that I like and that are reasonable priced too!

Baby Yarn

Dotty Design

Dove

Birdie Mobile

Brown and Pink

HEAVEN

David surprised me with one of these amazing pregnancy pillows for my birthday and last night was the first time I used it and it was amazing! Slept like a baby!

Pregnancy Pillow

Football Sundays

Dakota must be a huge Seahawks fan like Daddy and Mommy because yesterday during the game she was kicking like crazy! David also yesterday got to feel Dakota kick for the first time! Was a really cute and special moment!

Flying By!!!

Time has never flown by this fast! I seriously feel like we just found out we were pregnant and now in a week and a day I will already be six months! Lately I have been slacking off on our to-do list due to our crazy schedule, but now that things are finally getting back to normal we should be demolishing that to-do list weekly! Well hopefully at least =) So far these are the things that we really need to get done asap:

1) Clean the garage! Our garage is seriously covered in cardboard from all the new stuff we have been getting, and then with all the new stuff the old stuff has been moved to the garage! So a dump run and Goodwill run are in order! 

2) Plant new fall flowers! K so this isn't really a must but all my flower pots and flower beds are empty now and ready for new fall colors! I'm thinking I should do this before I get too big to bend over ;) 

3) Wash all of Dakota's clothes and bedding! Still debating on whether just using our normal detergent we use or buying special detergent for her stuff.... We already use a type for sensitive skin so I'm pretty sure she would be fine but still debating... any thoughts?

4) Go buy paint for Dakota's room! Thinking that I will go do this on Thursday. We want to do a light beige so really all I need to do is go there and purchase it. 

5) Register at Target with David! Really want to do this before hunting season starts for Daddy so this will also need to be done asap, or at least before October =) Already registered at Amazon, but not sure if people will want to buy online. 

Suprise!!!

Got an awesome surprise from my Grandma Jean today! She sent us a check to buy our stroller and car seat! Making sure I knew what travel system I wanted I did some further research and decided to go with the Grace Alano Travel System. It's the same one I was looking at before but Greer coloring! I really liked a lot of the features of the tour sport but it only came in the burnt orange color and that just wasn't girlie enough for our Dakota!  So after long thought and research David and I decided on this travel system!

Set includes an Alano stroller, a SnugRide infant car seat and a convenient stay-in-car base. The stroller is made with durable elliptical tubing to stand up to rough handling, and comes fully-loaded with convenience features like a one-hand, self-standing fold, a parent's tray with two deep cup holders, and an easy access drop! Perfect for our baby Dakota Rae!!! Thanks Grandma Jean!

More sweet buys!!

Mommy is having a little too much fun buying stuff for Dakota's room! Scored these two things at Target on lunch today!

Cute Owl Picture to Hang Above Rocking Chair

Big and Cozy Rug for the Nursery!!

Another Great Find!

Loving Etsy today and the fact that I have a theme to shop for now! I purchased this bird house to put on the bookshelf to hold her books up! Cute and simple!

Perfect Dress for Dakota!

Sorry the picture is sort of blurry but the dress is to die for! Auntie Jen suprised me with it yesterday and to make it even better Mommy has a matching shirt!

Decal Ordered!

Debated over what decal to get for about a week and finally made the decision on this one!

I figure that it's simple enough that it will be pretty hard to mess up and if I do it's cheap enough to just buy another! So one more thing checked off on the to do list, and now just need to go buy some paint! We are going to paint he walls a light beige! The crib set is a dark walnut brown so I think all the colors should be very warm and cozy feeling for our baby girl!

5 Month Bump

Slowly making its appearance!

Godparents!!

Dakota is already very blessed with amazing grandparents, aunts, and uncles; however David and I thought we would add to her family with some amazing Godparents! We both wanted to make sure these two lucky individuals would want and love to take interest in Dakota's upbringing and have a good influence on her life.  Here are Dakota's Godparents!

Ms. Katie Linehan

Mr. Nate Crocker

22 weeks

Another week down which mean another week closer to meet our baby girl! My belly for sure looks like a prego belly now and I'm loving it! I have been so blessed with the perfect pregnancy so far and have been feeling amazing!

This week Dakota is:

* At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, she is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her  lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums.

*Hers eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.

* If we could see inside my womb, we would be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily. Such a busy girl!

So are I get farther along I'm anticipating more pregnancy symptoms and here are some that they list for 22 weeks along!

Week 22 Pregnancy Symptoms



Heartburn or indigestion: My growing uterus is starting to take over your abdominal cavity, which can help push gastric acids from your stomach up through your esophagus — resulting in the burning pain I may feel. I have never had heartburn, even pre-pregnancy, so not sure what this is suppose to feel like, but I guess there is a first for everything!

 Constipation: My growing uterus is also putting pressure on my bowels, making it harder to move waste out of your system. I'm a fiber freak so this I'm not too worried about!

 Occasional faintness or dizziness: My ever-expanding uterus can put pressure on your blood vessels, which can reduce blood flow to my brain and cause light-headedness. To avoid this I have been getting enough sleep and drinking tons of water! Before pregnancy I aimed for about 65 ounces of water a day and now my goal is doubled at 130 a day! It's pretty easy though since a lot of liquids I can't drink!

 Leg cramps: Some experts theorize that leg cramps during pregnancy may be caused by a shortage of calcium or magnesium in the diet. And sadly I have got leg cramps at least 3 time a week at night time. I did start on a calcium and magnesium supplement last week though so hopefully that will help! They are so painful, but then I think about giving birth and for some reason the pain seems to go away =)

 Stretch marks: These lovely passages of birthing haven't hit me yet, and I'm hoping and praying that my Bio Oil will help prevent them also!

 Protruding navel: Not loving my new outie belly button? After delivery it will revert back to an innie  =) My belly button has been more of an outie these days, but I sort of like it! It's fun to play with!

Highchair help please!!

Looking at reviews for highchairs so we can narrow them done for our registery. Does anyone have any input or suggestions for highchairs? These are the ones that I have been looking at so far!

Chicco Polly Fabric Highchair

Likes: seven height positions, three reclining positions, and one-hand tray removal. This chair also comes with an extra seat pad and has received really good reviews!

Graco Contempo

Likes: Folds flat to fit in closet, no assembly required, Convertible 3- and 5-point harness grows with your child, and Mix 'n Move toys attach to tray slots to entertain Baby before and after meals.

Graco Mealtime

Likes: All the same likes as the other Graco just cheaper!

Thanks Auntie Meisha!

Auntie Meisha gave us this handy video baby monitor!! Have the perfect place to put it too!

Just for Fun

How far along? 22 weeks tomorrow!
Baby’s Size: A spaghetti squash!
Total Weight Gain: As of last Thursday I weighed 132. So that means I have gained my 6 pounds back that I lost plus 2 more!! Midwifes say I'm right on track!
Maternity Clothes: Not needed yet, but I have started to buy larger and longer shirts.
Gender: Baby girl!! Love you Dakota!  
Movement: Mostly after I eat or when I lay down! So far Erin, Katie, and Jason have felt her kick. Daddy still hasn't got lucky =(
Sleep: Sleeping pretty good. Waking up more to go pee, and I think I may need to invest in a pregnancy pillow soon because sleeping on my side isn't as comfortable as before. Have you guys seen those pillows though? They look amazing!
Symptoms: Nothing that is worth complaining about =)
Best Moments this week: Well since it is just Monday nothing amazing has really happen yet, but I'm pretty sure it will be when Auntie Lindsey and Auntie Elena paint the Dakota's room on Thursday =)
Food Cravings: No cravings yet. Loving to eat anything that is good for me and our baby girl!
Food Aversions: Same as before, just smelly people =)
What I miss: Over the weekend I realized what I really miss is being able to get my nails and hair done all the time! So worth the wait though!
What I am Looking forward to: Seeing Dakota's room transform!
Milestones: Half way done and looking prego finally!
Goal this week: Get the garage clean or mainly get Daddy pumped up to clean it! Then also start filling out Dakota's baby book!

Thanks Everyone!

Yesterday was pretty fun! We went to Hop Jacks to watch the Seahawks win their first season game, eat lots of food, and visit with friends! Was a blast! Couldn't of asked for a better Birthday!!! Thanks everyone!!

I do have to say also that I'm another year older and I'm liking it! A lot of people I know complain about getting older, but for me I think recently every year I have turned another higher digit, life has got a lot better! Getting older I'm sure has it's downers but I think I'm at the stage of life where it only is going to get better! Even more exciting is my next birthday we will have our little girl to celebrate with us!

Weekend Recap!

As many of you know this summer for David and I has been "The Summer of Weddings." Our adventures were put on hold and the wedding outfits were pulled out pretty much every weekend! Well that is how it felt at least! We ended "The Summer of Weddings" with two of our best friends, Keith and Shannon, getting married on Saturday. Was an amazing wedding and we both were so thankful to take part in their special day!

Kobe and Me aka Grandma

Bride and Groom to be!!

David, Me, Erin, and Nate hiding

Mommy, Daddy, and Dakota!

Auntie Heather and me

Bride and her Bridal Team!

20 minutes till pictures!!!

 Bride and Groom after tear filled speech by Groom

We are going to have one beautiful baby girl!

Baby Gear

Time to get down to baby gear! We are already registered on Amazon, but want to get all the baby gear registration with Target. Before hand I wanted to do some researching on Travel Systems and I think I have picked out our stroller and car seat! The Graco Quattro Tour Sport Model (Travel System) is the winner so far! It got high rankings from Consumer Reports, with an 83 out of 100 from consumer reports and got the highest rankings in maneuverability, durability and ease of use. It features a one hand gravity fold with storage and a storage latch.

The runner up is the Graco Alano Travel System - Emelia! It's a tad bit cheaper and still has really good reviews! The only thing I don't like about this one is the suggested age is 0-6 months! Is that really true? Not sure I will want to buy another stroller after 6 months!

Recent Purchases!

With Dakota's bedding coming today I have been in super looking mode for other birdie themed items! So far I have purchased these two items below!

Will of course say "Dakota"

21 weeks!

Another week down! Can't believe how quick this pregnancy is going! Last week was full of  fun - David's birthday, finding out we were having a baby girl, and Shannon's bachlerette party in Seatte, where I scored on lots of clothes for Dakota! Will update with some new pictures later, but for now lets see what is going on with little Dakota this week! Love that can call her by a name now and not It!

At 21 weeks:

* Dakota now weighs about three-quarters of a pound (at our last ultrasounds she was around 10 ounces) and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot.

* I may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. She has been super active and actually Grandmother Katie and Auntie Erin got to feel her kick this weekend!

* I may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. So far she is more active after I eat a large meal! 

* In other developments, her eyebrows and lids are present now.