Ethan's Nursery

Theme: Noah's Ark - Two-by-Two

Floor Rug

Crib - Given to us by shower hosts:
Doris Santarone, Jen Garner, Traci Rollins and Jamie Steinmeyer. Thanks so much, Ya'll!

Old chest-of-drawers of Sajid's that my dad sanded and stained. I think Sajid said he has had this since he was in either elementary or middle school. I can't believe it made it all the way through his "college" years. I am so proud of it. I think my dad did such a wonderful job. Thanks, Daddy!
I also need to thank my mom since it was her idea. I had forgotten that we even had it. It's been at her house since we move out - since we married in July 2005.
Thanks, mama!

Changing Table
We purchased this with the gift cards that we received.

Rocking Chair-I bought off the GCSU sale list for only $5
Quilt-Given to us by "Nana B" (Sajid's mom); quilted by Mrs. Few (brother-in-law's mom)

Cozy As Can Be

First, let me say - a very dear friend of mine, Tracy Norris, was due to deliver her precious little Abigail on July 27th. Another 'hunch' I've had was that she was going to deliver this week. Yesterday morning (July 23rd), I texted her, "Just checking on ya", as I've done every day this week. And sure enough, she replied, "We've been at the hospital since 3AM". I couldn't believe it. Person #2 who was due after me, has now delivered before me. It's just the way it's supposed to be though. As ready as any 9 month-pregnant woman is to deliver, I was comforted after we saw Dr. Brown yesterday.

According to him, Ethan is "a happy baby". His heart rate was perfect. Dr. Brown said that from a physician's viewpoint, I have a perfect exam. He realizes that it's hard for me to understand, seeing that I'm past my due date and still haven't dilated beyond 1 centimeter - which I've been for 3 weeks now. But he assures me that everything is great. He did say that my cervix had thinned quite a bit. And, he said he slightly stripped my membranes which could move things along a little bit, but of course, there's no guarantee.

Basically, we just wait to see what happens. If nothing changes before Monday, we will have a stress test and sonogram Monday morning to monitor Ethan and see where we need to go from there. I REALLY do not want to have to be induced. I want Ethan to come when he's ready.

For now, I just like to think I've provided a cozy little home for him, and he's content right where he is :) I also tell myself that he's already a mama's boy :)

The most amazing thing is how amazing I feel. Most people wonder what in the world am I doing still at work. I just don't see any reason to use up my time, when I feel there's no real reason to stay home. I would love to be at home. But I also know having the extra time at home after Ethan's born will be much more important.

Well, until next time...

Bathroom - Check

Okay the bathroom is cleaned and still no Ethan. Guess it was silly of me to think the LORD would 'contain' Ethan until a bathroom was cleaned. Anyway - at least I feel better about it. Sajid probably wanted to kill me, but we both survived. I had him go to Wal-mart at 8:30 to get a swifter mop and a new broom. Then, as I was wiping counters, cleaning out cabinets, folding clothes and towels, vacuuming (the bathroom floor, chair railing, and ceiling), I had him mopping the kitchen and bathroom floors. It wasn't all that funny that night (Tuesday, July 22nd), but now I get chuckled up thinking about it. I was definitely on a mission - feeling like I was running out of time. Now, I just have to make sure we maintain what we've accomplished.

One Day Away

Well - only one day until my due date and I'm at work. I sort of had a hunch that I would be late though. I know there is still time, but I feel my patience is probably being tested. I'm too anxious!

I went from thinking I was in labor about 2 weeks ago to feeling the best I've felt in the last 6-8 weeks. Especially, Thursday (July 17) - I felt like I could go run a couple of miles. I had so much energy; no cramping; no back pains; no nothing. It's really weird. My feet are pretty much swollen all the time, but it's not painful unless I'm on them for a really long time.

I wonder what these sudden changes mean. Some people said that they felt wonderful just before going into labor. So, does this mean I'm about to go into labor? I mean, I know it can't be too far away, but is it going to be soon? With everything little thing now, I wonder, "is this it?" Like last night. As I was trying (very very hard) to go to sleep. I started having those cramping/contraction feelings again. They weren't unbearable like before, but I wondered, "Is this it?" Everyone says, "oh - you'll know!" And, I'm sure I will. I'm just really horrible at the waiting part. However, as impatient as I'm being, I truly don't want anything to take place before the LORD intends for it too. I know HE has a plan - a perfect plan. HE knows the day, the time, and how it's all going to happen. And, I need to be reminded of that every moment.

Plus, I keep forgetting about the 'signs' to look for. One is the hardening of my upper stomach. Dr. Palmer says I won't be able to push it in. The second - is that the cramping/contractions will be above my bell button not below it like they were last night. There is a third sign (other than my water breaking), but I won't mention it.

It's hard to go about my day the same though. I have a really hard time concentrating and staying on task. Everything about labor, delivery, nursing, and raising a child consumes my every thought. My world - our world - is about to be changed forever. It's going to be the greatest change of our lives though.

PROCRASTINATION UPDATE
You know I think the LORD is also giving us more time b/c HE knows we still have some preparation work to do. Let's see -

The nursey is almost complete. We have the crib, the changing table, and the bedding decor in place. It is so beautiful, if I may say so myself. I am an admitted procrastinator, but nine out of ten times, I love the end result. I wouldn 't change it for nothing. I am so proud of the funiture and decor Sajid and I chose.

The only thing we're waiting on (which really isn't a big deal) is the small chest of drawers (of Sajid's) that my dad sanded and is currently staining and replacing the handles. I'm sure we'll get that either today (July 21) or tomorrow.

The Pack-n-Play and the Co-Sleeper are assembled and in place.

I washed some of Ethan's bedding sheets and his going home outfit. This evening I plan to wash more of his things (wash cloths, towels, sheets, clothes, bibs, blankets, etc.)

And, the biggest project I'm most proud of (next to the nursery and the upstairs) is our bedroom! Sajid and I worked very hard in there yesterday for about 2 hours. It is clean as a whistle. So clean it looks like we just moved in. A clean (and dust-free) room is such a wonderful feeling. Now that we've tackled our bedroom, if nothing else in the house gets done before I go into labor, I'll be just fine.

But - I'd love to get our bathroom clean as a whistle. That's going to take some real elbow grease though. And, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to talk Sajid into doing it. Our bedroom was a big-enough project for him. I do hope the LORD isn't waiting on us to clean the bathroom before HE initiates labor. Ethan may never get here.

Labor? Nope - Not Yet.

As I near the end of my pregnancy, I've often thought/worried about going into labor - where will I be (work or home)? -will I know what labor pains really feel like? -what if it's those Braxton Hicks Contractions I've read/heard about? -how will I know the difference between Braxton Contractions and real contractions? -what if don't watch the clock and count contractions right? -will my water break? -if I I'm at work, can I drive myself to the hospital? -and so on. I think all my worries are pretty natural for a first-time pregnancy. And, I know that no one knows the answers to my questions; every pregnancy is truly different.

However, I feel a little more at ease about knowing the difference between Braxton and the real thing. Wednesday (July 9), I started having terrible pains. I mean stop-you-in-your-tracks, take-your-breath-away pains. They lasted for a few seconds; then they stopped. A minute later, it happened again. After about the third time I started watching the clock and counting 'pains'. Within a 15-minute time period, this 'pain' occurred 10 times. So, my wonderful Nana picked me up and took me to the doctor's office. I didn't even call Sajid b/c I had a gut feeling that it was too good to be true that I'd be in labor 2 weeks early. (I didn't want to worry him for no reason. I called him after I left the doctor's office.) And, I was right. Dr. Palmer found no change in my cervix - still only dilated 1 centimeter and only 20% effaced. She said my body was just 'practicing' for labor. (OMG - if practice hurts that bad, what on earth is the 'real thing' going to feel like?) "These are Braxton Hicks Contractions," she informed me. So - I asked how I'd know the difference, and she said where all my pain is below the belly button right now, real labor pains will be above the belly button. That was totally new info to me. Out of all the books and websites I've read and people I've talk to, none have mentioned that my labor pains would be above my belly button. It was all I needed to hear though to ease my worries about labor.

It's also all I needed to hear to get my butt in gear and get things ready for Ethan's arrival. There was no way I could go into work that day, and as bad as I felt, I was determined to get my hospital bag ready, which I did. As for the nursery, it' almost ready too. The bedding arrived Thursday. Sajid and I absolutely love it. I'm so thankful that things worked out the way they did, and that he came across that Noah's Ark pattern. I received an email from Wal-Mart Friday night letting us know that the crib had finally been shipped ('site to store'). So, that was exciting. I was worried that we might have this beautiful bedding assemble and nothing to put it on. We're not even going to have to paint the nursery - it already matches. We also bought the mattress Saturday morning when we picked up the crib. And, a great big 'ole thanks to my mom and dad who spent their weekend at our house organizing and cleaning the entire upstairs. I know it wasn't easy by any means- not to mention how hot it was up there (the air hadn't been turned on this summer yet). They even steam-cleaned all the carpet. Thanks to them, guests can actually use the spare bedroom. The only thing we're waiting on now is the changing table. It too was shipped 'site-to-store'. They said it would arrive to our Wal-Mart within 7-10 business days. If they're right, then we should get it one day this week.

I wanted to say thanks to all of those who gave us Wal-Mart gift cards. I think we ended up with at total of $240 which was used for the changing table, the extra car seat base, the mattress, and some nursing items. I feel like so much weight has been lifted off of me now that things are coming into place. - Okay - No weight jokes, ya'll :)

Belly Photos by Kyle Hitchcock

So, it seems that the running theme during my pregnancy has been...me running late - Me Procrastinating! (Unfortunately, that's not completely out of character for me.) I scheduled our 4D sonogram one week after the preferred time; the nursery still isn't complete (we're only 2 weeks away from the due date). In fact, we haven't even started on the nursery. The bedding should arrive tomorrow (July 10th) which at that time we'll decide on wall color.

Then, on July 4th, Sajid and I had photo shoot with Kyle Hithcock. Keep in mind that these too are typically done between 32 and 35 weeks. I WAS 37 AND 1/2 WEEKS!!!! It was totally my fault - again. In my mind, the 4D experience would replace the professional belly photos. As time (quickly) passed, I quickly realized that I had no photos of my pregnant belly, and even though I wasn't excited about showing off my rather large physique, I knew I would regret not having those memories. Like I wrote on Kyle's blog (http://kylehitchcockphotography.blogspot.com/), being almost 38 weeks pregnant and feeling "photo worthy" don't really go hand-in-hand. I had a lot of hesitations; not about Kyle's abilities, but about my size. It turned out to be one of the best experiences. Kyle is such a wonderful, fun-loving person. She made me feel like I was the most beautiful pregnant person and that Sajid and I were the most adorable couple she'd ever photograph. Now, I realize that I'm not and we're aren't, but it was the atmosphere that she created that made it enjoyable and extremely comfortable. In fact, out of all the pictures I've ever taken - candid and professional - some of my favorite are those Kyle captured (and I'm the biggest I've ever been - obviously and for good reason). All of our pictures can be viewed at: http://khitchcock.photobiz.com/cart/gallery.cfm

Something else I've been toying with is having Kyle "capture" Ethan's birth. I knew I wanted it, but I didn't know how Sajid would feel. I was also timid about asking Kyle. Well, as we were wrapping up the belly shoot, I began flipping through a photo book of The Sappe's ceasarian birth of which Kyle photographed. It was at that time she mentioned photographing Ethan's arrival. She also informed us that she had never done this type of "shoot" before and her services would be free of charge. AWESOME!!! However, since Sajid and I had not discussed this beforehand, I told Kyle, we'd think about it and get back to her. I didn't want to put Sajid on the spot - especially since I thought he wouldn't be comfortable with it. I'm not sure if Sajid could see the glow in my eyes at the thought this possibility or if the thought of him not having to be responsible for taking pictures while in labor and delivery was appealing, but HE said, "Let's do it; let's go ahead and make arrangements for Kyle to be there." I can't explain how excited I was - and still am. I know Kyle is going to do an awesome job. THANKS SO MUCH, KYLE!!! We can't wait.

P.S. Don't worry, Everyone! There will be no "graphic shots." I haven't lost all modesty yet.

Taking Advantage of Today's Technology

Technology today is absolutely incredible - especially when it comes to sonograms. I had seen the advertisements and read about 4D sonograms, but I didn't have any desire to get one until a friend of our's was telling me about her experience. Even though I still had some hesitations about it, I quickly made an appointment. Thank goodness the sonogram technician was on vacation in Hawaii when I called. Otherwise, she probably would have turned us down. Why you ask? Because after 34 weeks, it's a littel more difficult to get good shots of the baby. At this stage of the pregnancy, the baby is getting bigger and getting into 'position' (head down with back facing outward). I was exactly 35 weeks at our appointment. Apparently, the girl booking the appointments while the technician was out didn't know any better. But, to the technician's surprise, she was able to get some really good pictures of Ethan - even though he had already made his way to the delivery position. Sajid wasn't able to be there because of work, but my mama, sister, and both nieces shared in the experience with me. We ended up with about 60 photos, a CD of all the photos, and a DVD of the entire session (approx 45 minutes). I've debated whether or not to post the sonogram pics, but I am just so proud and excited that I have to share them. I think Ethan looks like his daddy; what do you think?

I thought I'd be a little disappointed that Ethan's physcial appearances wouldn't be a total surprise anymore. But the feelings were quiet the opposite. I am SO MUCH more excited about his arrival. I just want to hold him and love on him that much more. The technicial assured us that there will still be some surprises.

In this picture, Ethan has his 'lil tongue sticking out. The technician measured him at 5.5 lbs, and predicted he would weigh about 8.5 lbs at birth. She said that he has a head full of hair. She measure me about 3 days early, which would be July 19th instead of July 22nd.

My prediction is that I'm going to deliver late. No signs of pre-labor yet, and I'm only 2 weeks away. Only God knows when Ethan will arrive.

Ethan's 1st Trip to Orlando

Blog's are going to be somewhat out of order at this point. I have a lot of catching up to do.

Ethan has officially been to Orlando! And, according to his Daddy, it may be his only trip to Orlando for a long long time.

Rachel Sullivan, friend and co-worker, and I had the opportunity to attend the Amercian College Health Assocation's National Conference which was held at the Orlando World Center Marriott June 3rd (my birthday) through June 7th. The hotel was amazing. It was by far the nicest one I think I've ever stayed in. The miniature soap and shampoo products were not your run-of-the-mill motel samples. They were Bath and Body Works. That's how nice this hotel was. Plus, we could see Downtown Disney from our balcony, and we were only a few miles from Universal Studios and Sea World. Oh yeah - the conference wasn't too bad either. The U.S. Surgeon General and Magic Johnson were keynote speakers. So, that was cool.

Blessed Beyond Belief

Sorry I haven't updated our blog since April. It seems as though I kept waiting for the next 'thing' to happen. And, now every 'thing' is so close together.


Why do I feel that we're Blessed Beyond Belief? Well, for starters, the pregnancy alone has been wonderful. I really don't feel as though I can complain. Certainly, I'm starting to feel those 'end-of-pregnancy' pains like swelling of the feet and ankles, sharp pelvic pains (lightening), and acid indegestion, but even those don't happen on a daily basis. Some days I sleep A LOT (like yesterday) and others I'm awake at 3am. I'm sure Sajid would include in this list - Emotional, Hormonal, and Grouchy. But, Hey - I'm a woman! That's to be expected, right? Everyday is different, but none are unmanageable.

The amount of love that we've been shown by our families, our church, our friends, and even co-workers also reminds me of how Blessed we are. June 29th denoted the last of 4 baby showers. FOUR! Can you believe that? People have just gone above and beyond anything we ever expected. I wish you could see our living room and bedroom. Well, some of you have. They're loaded with diapers, wipes, towels, wash cloths, onesies, socks, bed sheets, bibs, burp cloths, books, blankets, diaper bags, bath tub, bumbo seat, CLOTHES GALORE, co-sleeper, pack-n-play, bouncy, exersaucer, floor gym, swing, car seat, stroller, digital camcorder, and soon - a crib, changing table, and nursery bedding. Not to mention all the maternity clothes, bottles, and nursing necessecities that many of you have let me borrow or handed down to me. The out-pouring of love and support has just been amazing. We can't thank everyone enough.

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Speaking of clothes - I'm pretty sure Ethan has enough clothes to wear a new outfit every day for the entire first year of his life. He's definitely going to be well-dressed. Last Saturday (June 28), Sajid and I finally got up enough courage to sort out all Ethan's clothes. It took us about 3 and 1/2 hours. It even wore Sophie and Clara out!

Keep in mind, the clothes across the top of the sofa are stacks - at least 10 outfits deep. Plus, we hadn't even had the church shower yet. It was the next day (June 29). We now have about 15-20 more outfits to add to his warddrobe.