Room for the Rookie

Yesterday, Wade and I spend about 15 hours rearranging our house to make room for the Rook. We really didn't stop until after 10:00 last night. I must say that about 11:00 that morning when our living room was full of pieces of furniture, trash, and laundry, I was quite pessimistic about what we'd gotten ourselves into. However, by around 5:00pm, it started to look like we were making progress. For those of us that are close, you know how sad we've been to get rid of our desk/computer area in our office. Well, we made it all work by taking the side off of the massive desk we have. Sorry to our future guests but you'll have to share your room with our "work space." Don't worry, you'll have internet so what you desire to Google is up to you. Here's how it all went down in the guest room. It's a bit tight on space, I know, but it's the best we can do for now!

The nursery is finally starting to come together. We have art to add for the walls and a few other final touches but at least there's now room for the Rookie. It's still so strange to walk by that room and see a crib.

Here's the chest/changing table and mirror that we (read: Wade) refinished. We (Wade) still have to hang the mirror but apparently that's going to be a big deal because it's so heavy.

I have a doctor's appt. Tuesday. Everything has been going well so far and I hope my vitals stay stable because I have seen too many preemie babies and know I'd rather not deal with that. Now, that Rook has a room, I hope he/she wards off the desire to come early and "take Mom and Dad by surprise."

Last trimester and more projects...

We finally started (what should be) our final project for the nursery. I'm not sure why we opted to do it this week as Wade has been busy at work and I just finished working 7 days out of 8 but it's done. This chest and mirror have been mine since I was a little girl. I wish I'd gotten a true before shot because it was a strange blue color. Anyway, this was after the primer coat of brown. I know it's not the prettiest brown color but it's a process so just go with it...


Next, you add the "crackle" which is basically glue. It's supposed to make it look distressed a bit once you put on the top coat. Here goes the cracklin'...



I mostly watched but I also took pictures and gave Homet constructive criticism as he went. He appreciated it so much. Here's Hom putting on the top coat. We were so determined to finish this step that day. Notice it's now dark outside and probably about 10:00 (both of us having to work in the morning.) We're a hard-headed bunch in this Watts' home.



This is what the top looks like. This will be our chest/changing table. It's not quite complete yet. Wade sealed it last night and I have to get the pulls for it today. I'll have to take a pic of the completely finished project but I think it's going to look good in the nursery. Regardless, we just keep thinking, "All this work and then all the baby's going to do is poop on it." Oh well, Rook will have the most hard earned pooping station on the block.


Another thing this week that's been fun has been that we've received a few gifts from friends and it's like Christmas but for my belly. We keep showing the Rook (aka my stomach) all the gifts and I'm pretty sure he/she is pretty fired up about getting here to try it all out. These adorable little outfits are from a good friend, Mandy, from my work. We'll always have a story to tell Rookie about Mandy because when I was 5 weeks pregnant and we were not telling a soul (well, except Lindsay but she doesn't count b/c she's basically me but short with lighter hair), I got very sick at work. Hindsight says it was probably the second "flare-up" of the Mexican parasite that came back to haunt several more times. Anyway, I digress, I got real sick and had to be wheeled down to UMC's ER. When they were asking me history questions, Mandy was right by my side (she had worked the night before and offered to take care of me until Wade could get to the hospital.) Well, the nurse asked if there was any chance I could be prego. I just looked up at Mandy and cried, "Oh please don't tell anyone. I haven't even told my Mom yet!" Her mouth hit the floor, she rubbed my back, and quietly said, "My lips are sealed." Y'all she didn't tell a soul and we didn't tell work people until I was about 10-12 weeks. Therefore, sweet, lips sealed Mandy is only the second person in the world to know we were preggers! Here's what she gave me last week. I can't believe we'll have a person that size soon!



A few days later, I get home after a crappy day at work and Wade tells me that there's a surprise in the nursery. I cautiously walked back there to find this...

Yeah, one of my best friends, Mollie (aka Aunt Buff to the Rookie), with Lindsay's help, snuck into our house and left us the stroller that goes with our carseat. Lindsay, Mollie, and I walk alot(and used to run alot 'fore I gained a baby) and she decided I needed something to hold our crap (cell phones, money, sunglasses) in when we go walking post-baby so she got our stroller. Next, came putting it together.

Let me tell you. I was fired up but my Hubs, oh man, was he excited. He "strolled" all over the house and stated (to the invisible baby in the stroller), "Mom's at work and we need to go to the grocery. Let's go get some cream of chicken soup." He then proceeded to walk around and reach up for the invisible c of c soup. I could NOT stop laughing. Here's him just a strollin' with our invisible Rookie...

He's trying to pop it up so that it folds up and is smaller to store. However, don't let this fool you. He wanted it to stay in the corner of the living room. A few minutes later, I was wheeling it back to the nursery to try and fit it in the closet and he shouted, "Hey, where are you going with our stroller? I want it to stay in the living room for a while. You get to look at your stomach all the time and think about a baby but I don't. I want to look at the stroller and get used to the idea." That was 3 days ago and the stroller still sits in the corner of our living room. The invisible baby loves it.

Last pic is the 29 week shot. Y'all an outie belly button is just around the corner for this stomach. I kid you not.

EXHAUSTED after 15 glorious days off

I love my job for so many reasons. One of them happens to be the ease at which we can take vacation time. I am completing 15 days off and only took one week (3 days) of vacation time. That's right. Ain't it great? Well, here's the thing. I was so excited about my two weeks off that I kept telling Wade, "Oh boy, I'm gonna spoil you rotten on all my days off!" I should have kept my mouth shut but a hard-headed girl, I am. I was determined to make his life bliss while I was off. He did have last week off for the beach but the surrounding days were all mine. Y'all, he had dinner (and lunch) cooked everyday, a spotless house, clean/dry cleaned clothes, errands run, etc. He ATE IT UP and I loved it. However, now I've realized I am exhausted and, that's right, I go back to work tomorrow. I'm actually looking forward to working because then all household duties are all his again.

He jokes that when I have my 12 weeks off with the baby, he'll be pampered again but we know that I'll be plenty busy enough just caring for myself and the Rookie. Maybe I need to clarify the fact that he's JOKING about that???

Family Vacation and 27 weeks

Last week was our family vacation to Blue Mountain Beach, Florida. I can describe it as nothing less than 8 days of sun, laughing, games, loving, and food! We had a ball and it was really hard to return to the real world. While we were there, we welcomed week 27 with the Rookie. Rook is really moving alot now and you can just watch my stomach move all over. It's bizarre. I have no control over my torso anymore! The family got to see Rookie really kicking good and hear the heartbeat with the Doppler. Camille (will be 9 years old in December) has really started realizing that there will be a baby here and she is fired up about babysitting. She's forever giving my stomach some love and hoping/praying it's a girl because "Sara, boy's just cry all the time when they're little." Her experience happens to hail from her brother Reid, 2 1/2 years her junior, that had colic. Wade's been obsessed with Dr. Suess' Wocket in My Pocket lately. That's, bar none, his fave to read to us. He especially loves the Jertain in the Curtain. That cracks him up everytime. Here's some pics from our trip and my 27 week belly shot...

The last trip with just us as the Home Team

Giving that baldie some love


Most of the crew

27 week side shot

The girls (minus Grammy)

Next year, I guess there will be two little flip flops also!

After returning to the real world, we had our monthly OB appt. Everything checked out fine. I had to do my gestational diabetes screen. I should hear something soon about that but I've had no complications so far. My blood pressure was really good despite the fact that I've recently been waking with dull headaches every morning. Dr. Shiflett said we'd just follow that. I've now gained about 14 pounds and am suprised it's actually that low considering my eating habits in Florida! I read somewhere that if the baby's heartrate is below 140, it's probably a girl; if it's above 140, a boy. Guess what Rookie's heartrate was this appt??? 140. Guess we just gotta keep guessing! I shouldn't have to have anymore ultrasounds which relieves me because I'm always scared we're going to see a little anatomy down low that will give away what the sex is. My belly is measuring spot-on. Also, we now start every 2 week appts. I can't believe how fast the time has flown. I don't know if I've updated our names in a while but here they are: Girl- Riley Clairain and call her Riley Claire; Boy-Everitt Wade and call him Everitt. Hope everyone likes the names, but honestly, if you don't too bad... It's our baby, and we do! Ha!

Arts, crafts, and 26 weeks

So I have now reached 26 weeks. According to my books, the Rookie is about 10 inches long (crown to rump-rump is actually what they call it and I just think that's too funny) and over 2 pounds. I have started looking at ex-preemies that were discharged from the NICU and, soon after, admitted to my work and thought, "Oh my gosh. My baby is about that big now. It could actually survive without me albeit lots of issues!" I say keep growing because 2 pounds is no way to enter the world especially when the bearer of the child (read:ME) was 9 1/2 pounds. I would be okay if it was somewhere between the 2 and 9 pound mark.



I went to a breastfeeding class yesterday at UMC and loved it. It was so informative and gave us some confidence that it's actually might work. I must insert here a serious shout out to my unbelievable husband...he has not missed a single OB appt. and has attempted to stay as informed as myself. This includes reading my pregnancy books to me, reading Dr. Suess to Rookie, and dopplering my belly (with Mom's doppler) every chance he gets. However, yesterday he went so far above the call of duty for pending Fatherhood. He went to my breastfeeding class with me. Some might think this is weird and he was, indeed, the only man there. The instructor was so delighted he was there (as was I.) We were each asked what we'd heard about breastfeeding. This was Wade's statement, "I know it will benefit our baby. I know it's very important to Sara and if it's important to her, then it is a priority for me as well." Maybe it's the hormones, but I almost cried right there. Anyway, enough of that sappy stuff. After bf class, I was all geared up to do baby things so I headed to Michael's to try to find some DIY frames that I could work on for the nursery. I didn't find them but I was inspired to paint a little pic for Rookie. I ended up spending over $100 and came home with lots of little projects. I, then, worked for about 6 hours on them and had a ball. I didn't even work out at all! Anyway, I had fallen in love with this wall art a few weeks back that I found by blog stalking this incredible photographer lady in Alabama. It's on her son's nursery wall...



Okay, I'm not a big "themed nursery" person but I just fell in love with those little counting sheep. I was too scared to actually paint on the wall but I figured I'd try my hand at a little canvas that I could either throw away or easily paint over. So here's my rendition...

Not too shabby, eh? Now, I need a few more pieces for the wall but I'm too scared to push my luck. I feel like it was a fluke that this turned out pretty well!

Anyway, that's all that's going on in the Watts' home. We leave for 8 days at the beach Saturday so I will be sure to post pics. Until then, hope everyone has a great weekend!

Fear not.

A quote from my 5-year-old nephew, Reid, while cautiously checking out my baby bump:

"Don't worry, Sara, after you have the baby, you won't be so fat anymore."

Thanks, buddy. Wonder what he'll think of me after another 3 months of growing this child. I probably won't put that quote on the blog. Sorry.