What We've Bought So Far

This post is mostly so my Mom can see some of the things I have gotten so far for the baby, but maybe you will enjoy it too.

This is baby's first outfit. Well, the first one purchased by his parents at least. I wanted to wait until we knew for sure what sex baby we were having so I could appropriately buy pink or blue. But when I got to Baby Bungalow in Concord, what really got my attention was this green Kushies play suit because of the cute sheep on it. And it is such as soft cotton. So baby boy's first outfit is gender neutral. It's a 6 month size but looks like it will be wearable for a while since the cuffs all are long and fold over. And the little feet even can be made into feetie pajamas when the baby is on the smaller side.

I also fell in love with this bag while shopping at the PowerHouse mall with Kimi in West Lebanon. So after thinking about it a while when I got home and wishing I had purchased the bag, and checking that Michael was okay carrying a light teal/aqua bag, I found the same Timbuk2 bag on eBay and plan to use it as a diaper bag.

The very first purchase made for the baby was this stuffed dog. Way too big to play with initially but we will let it sit on the floor in the baby's room. We thought everyone of the humans in the family should have their very own Boston Terrier. Another find from Baby Bungalow. Can you tell which ones are the real Bostons in the photo below? Hint, the impostor dog is the one with the least disgusted expression.
And then at the PowerHouse mall with Kimi again, I did find this little Boston Terrier that the baby will be able to snuggle and play with. This little dog is actually very interesting to Luke and Elleigh, so it lives in hiding for the time being. We have a lot of family adjustment ahead of us.
And I found this interesting handmade product that I found at Etsy.com. It's a very pretty wet bag. They sell it as a bag to put wet diapers and clothes in when you are out and about. I am currently using it as yarn storage for a little project bag and have once used it as a wet swimsuit bag.

And I certainly have bought yarn with baby in mind.

Zen Baby

This is the crib set that we have decided on for the baby. Well, Nana and I finalized the decision this morning, and Mike is indifferent. It is Zen Baby by Kimberly Grant, available through both Target and Babies R Us, as well as other on-line sources. The Kimberly Grant line gets a good review in the Baby Bargains book. And I saw some good reviews on-line by people who had already purchased the set. I like that this has boy colors, but it is not so predominently blue that I can't pull in the sage green and browns. At this point, we are still thinking about painting the walls in the baby's room sage green and getting a lot of green accessories. There are also a number of blues in there, so I can do slate blue, light blue, medium blue, teal, maybe even an aqua color. I don't think there will be any trouble finding baby things to coordinate. And I like the shapes on it. Nana is on a mission now and hopes to maybe find the set in Burlington or New York this weekend.

Another Glimpse At Our Baby

Michael joined me this morning for a second attempt at our 2nd trimester screening ultrasound. We don't have the results from the ultrasound yet, but the technician congratulated us a few times and just seemed too peppy to have seen any horrific problems on the ultrasound. I counted 2 feet and 2 hands myself, and saw a lot of fingers and toes. We also clearly saw little boy parts, so we are quite confident now that we are having a boy. IT'S A BOY! We have posted one of our ultrasound photos so you can try your own hand at gender determination. It is amazing how much change we could see just since the last ultrasound 2 weeks ago. The technician said our boy weighs 1 pound and 3 ounces now. Elleigh gets to maintain her reign as the princess, but Lucas is now our big boy.

Memory Walk

My high school friend Kristie will be participating again in the annual Alzheimer's Association's Memory Walk in Bangor, Maine Walk on Saturday, October 4th. This will be Kristie's 3rd consecutive year as chairperson for the Bangor walk. She participates in this event in memory of her grandmother. I just went to Kristie's fundraising page and made a donation to support her. I thought I would list her fundraising sight on my blog as well to help her network for her good cause. Just click on the highlighted words and it should take you to her page.

Pregnancy Acknowledgement

A man at the hospital handed me paper work today and then immediately looked down at my stomach and announced, "You must be pregnant!" He's an acquaintance at best. I haven't seen him in months, and even then it was just in passing at the hospital. And his wife was in toe and she looked mortified at the acknowledgement until I confirmed that I was in fact pregnant. So I believe I must have enough sticking out now that I don't just look heavy anymore. Even Mike agreed that it was a pretty risky thing for a guy to say unless he knew for sure I was pregnant. So I am soon going to be able to start taking advantage of the bump with the general public and perfect strangers. I should be invited to the front of the line soon and have my waiting time for restaurant tables cut down. Isn't that the way it works? There has to be some perks to pregnancy, right?!

Tio Juan's Margaritas

One of my long time favorite places to eat in Concord is Tio Juan's Margaritas in Bicentennial Square. I have enjoyed the Mexican food there for well over a decade. I use to frequent it much more often except that it was so popular that the wait for a table could be long. And as I have gotten older I have opted for other places with faster seating or gone searching for unique dinning experiences elsewhere. But nothing quite compares to Margaritas' Mexican. The prices are fair and I always go home with a tin container of leftovers.

The baby wanted spicy last night, so we went to Margaritas before grocery shopping. Michael started off with a yummy strawberry margarita. We of course got the complimentary big plate of warmed hand-cut tortilla chips and the restaurant's own salsa. Michael went with the steak Burrito Supreme: chunks of sirloin rolled with refritos in a flour tortilla and topped with cheese, home-made red chile sauce and sour cream. So big that half of it came home. I got my old stand by, the fajita grill! Mmmm! It comes to the table sizzling on a cast iron pan. I got the Chipotle Barbecue Steak Fajitas with hot smoky flavor just for the baby. The fajitas come with all of the fixings: grilled onions, grilled peppers, grilled zucchini, Spanish rice, black beans, shredded cheese, guacamole, pico de galo, diced tomatoes, and sour cream. I had to assemble the ingredients myself into warmed flour tortillas, and the fajitas were so juicy they dripped down my arms. I should not have worn a white T-shirt.

We had dessert too! Mike got a whole quarter of a strawberry margarita pie. Luckily, it was a light cool whip texture and not a cheese cake consistency, so he actually was able to finish it. I forget the name of my dessert, but it was all chocolate! It had an Oreo cookie crust and layers of chocolate on top of that, and the dessert was shaped like a Reese's peanut butter cup. It was very tasty and half of that came home with me to go along with a big pile of leftovers from the fajitas.

Our plan worked because we were so stuffed by the time we made it to the grocery store that we didn't linger long on anything. Unfortunately, having not been grocery shopping for just under two weeks, our bill was too low to actually have made an effective trip to the grocery store.

Quickening

According to Wikipedia, quickening refers to the initial motion of the fetus in the uterus as it is perceived or felt by the pregnant woman. The first natural sensation of quickening may feel like a light tapping, or the fluttering of a butterfly. These sensations eventually become stronger and more regular as the pregnancy progresses. Sometimes, the first movements are misattributed to gas or hunger pangs. A woman pregnant for the first time typically feels fetal movements at about 20-21 weeks.

I recognized what I thought might be baby movement for the first time on Sunday afternoon at 19 weeks and 6 days. It wasn't a flutter or light tapping, or bubbles, tickling or anything else gentle like I had read about. It was a full out kick on a full bladder. I definitely noticed it. But there was only one solid hit, so I couldn't convince myself it was movement from the baby since I expected there to be a series of movements.

I went to work early on Thursday morning and so treated myself to some ice coffee at Dunkin' Donuts on the ride in for my 7 am start. I asked for decaf iced coffee, but by the time I got most of the way through my coffee, it became clear I got regular coffee. I had given up caffeinated drinks for pregnancy, so it's been a while since I had a drink with caffeine in it. And even when I was drinking caffeinated beverages, one a day was about my limit.

So not only was I jittery, but apparently the baby was jittery too! I was trying to do a presentation and a hands on learning demonstration all the while I could feel the baby thumping away low in my abdomen. And after taking a nap just before lunch, I had an hour or more of movement after lunch time too. I felt a little more motion about the time I was winding down to go to bed last night also.

Other than a stray bump or thump here and there, I haven't felt much today.

I won't be getting anything from Dunkin' Donuts for the rest of the pregnancy.

3000

When I checked the blog counter early this morning before work, I had 2999 visitors. Some time today while I was at work, the site had its 3000th visitor. And even if you figure my Mom may check the blog every day, that's still 2635 other hits from people who thought I might have something interesting to say too. And next month will be the one year anniversary of the blog.

Meeting Half Way

Kimi and I split the drive exactly half way and met up for Saturday afternoon in West Lebanon. We had a lovely lunch at Lui Lui's at the PowerHouse Mall. Lui Lui's specializes in brick oven pizza and authentic Tuscan Italian cuisine. They bottle their own olive oil for dipping and it may very well be the best dipping oil I've ever had since it is full of flavor, including garlic. For lunch, I had their lasagna with layers of ricotta, romano and mozzarella cheese and covered with meat sauce. It was just the right size for lunch. And Kimi and I shared a piece of caramel cheese cake.

We walked around the PowerHouse Mall and leisurely checked out some of the shops. In Ellistar, a children's boutique, I ended up buying a little Boston Terrier bean bag type stuffed animal. It has really soft plush fur and is small enough for a little one to play with, plus it looked like our babies at home. The same store had a bunch of cute outfits, but there wasn't much neutral. You had to know you were having a boy or a girl, which our child has not cooperated with that yet. So I didn't buy any outfits. There was the cutest pair of little light turquoise blue Keen sandals that I would have purchased if I even remotely knew what size shoe our kiddo would wear next summer. I think that color could have gone boy or girl.

Kimi brought with her to West Lebanon the cross stitched picture she made for our wedding. It's all framed now and looks beautiful. It will reside in our bedroom for a little while until we get the living room refinished.

The Fisher Cats Game Was A Wet One

We had tickets to the Fisher Cats game on Friday night, but the sky looked ominous and scattered thunder storms were predicted. So, we decided not to take our chances at the game and instead went out to dinner with Denise and Shawn instead. It was a wise choice since the game didn't get canceled, but it did have over an hour rain delay right in the middle. It didn't sound like a pleasant time. And then the Fisher Cats got slaughtered.

I haven't been to the India Palace Restaurant on South Willow Street in Manchester in a long time. In fact, I think it was well before they had the small fire there and had to repair that. And of course, this baby loves anything spicy just so I will have heartburn, so India Palace hit the spot. I had the Non-Vegetarian Thali combination meal. It's a traditional Indian meal served in a silver platter with Lamb Curry, Chicken Tikka Masala, Tandoori Chicken, Dal, Rice, Raita, Naan bread, and Kheer for dessert. I brought home left overs and had a little for breakfast on Saturday morning and I finished it for dinner the same day. I love the smell of the spices of Indian food. The India Palace always has something a little spicy and tasty that seems unique to me since I rarely get it. I did order my meal with only medium spice this time and I didn't end up with any heartburn.

After dinner, Michael and I took a quick stop at Babies R Us in Manchester. That's when the hard rain kicked in. We heard one really loud thunder clap that sounded like an explosion and set alarms off on the Babies R Us building and cars in the parking lot. We didn't buy anything at Babies R Us, just did some more looking around. Saw lots of cute clothes, but we are still waiting until to see if we will find out if we are having a boy or girl for sure.

We're Getting Another Chance

Michael and I will get another chance to find out the gender of the baby. My obstetrician called on Wednesday evening and said he had a chance to review the ultrasound results from Monday himself. He was not happy with the clarity of the ultrasound and felt that the ultrasound technician didn't get a great view of some of the baby parts, especially of the heart and spine. I think those are pretty important baby parts. He didn't indicate there were any problems, just that he wanted clearer photos to make sure there still weren't any problems with good views. So, we have a second ultrasound scheduled for Friday morning, August 29th. Let's hope the baby cooperates better this time. This means there will probably be more ultrasound photos posted soon.

IT'S A...

...normally gestating baby. Michael and I went to an ultrasound today that took 45 minutes (on a full bladder, I might add) to look at all of the baby parts and measure them. Our little crumb is 11 ounces now. Michael got a good view of most of the scan from his vantage point in the dark room. The baby's arms are longer now, so Mike could see that it moved the hands over the face quite a bit. It wasn't until the end that the sonographer tilted the screen to show me some of views. We are very pleased that our baby is right on track with the original due date and the growth in all of the body parts is equal, which is a good sign that nothing chromosomal is wrong. It is so reassuring to know that everything seems healthy and well developed so far.

The sonographer thought she saw a little boy, and showed us the snapshot she took with evidence of a boy. But she wasn't able to get a second glimpse as confirmation, so she said she wouldn't paint the room blue yet. We were hoping to know for sure if it would be a boy or a girl, but I guess healthy really is the important thing. We will just have to wait longer to find out if our household is going to be 3 girls and 2 boys, or 3 boys and Miss Elleigh May and Mommy. I had hoped to go and buy something gender specific for the baby today after the ultrasound, but I didn't end up getting anything. It just wasn't as fun thinking I might end up having to return what I was buying.

I have completed 19 full weeks of pregnancy today and as of this coming Sunday, I will be half way through the pregnancy, assuming I deliver on my due date of January 5th.

Pregnancy Dream

I had my first baby delivery dream, that I remember, very early this morning. And in the dream I had a boy. This is in direct opposition with Nana Doaner's prediction. I hope that the ultrasound on August 11th conclusively shows a healthy baby, as well as gives us a good glimpse of the baby's gender. Don't forget to vote on my poll as to whether you think we are having a boy or a girl. The poll will be open until the day before the next ultrasound.

Angora Baby Booties

I finished a pair of angora baby booties last night for little baby Abberton. They should be warm for our new arrival in the dead of January. My fingers get really warm when I put them inside the cuffs. They are a newborn size, so will only fit for a few weeks, if we are lucky. And they are completely hand wash only because of the angora, so that's impractical. But no better time than infancy to instill an appreciation for the fiber arts.

Lucas is 11 months old

Our boy is 11 months old now. Lucas will celebrate his first birthday on September 2nd. It is likely his frame has reached full height. He is a little taller than Elleigh, but he may still bulk out in the chest, face and neck. He is a snugly boy. For his birthday, Lucas wants some more fleece toys from Schnoodleware. (Mommy has already made a birthday order.) They seem to be his favorite, but he eventually shreds them and they have to be thrown away when he gets them all stringy. He also wants some more chicken poppers for his birthday, and a bag of big boy dog food. Oh... and anything with a tag he can chew off. Hopefully this means some of his puppy energy will start to mellow out as he approaches his first birthday.

The Balloons Have Arrived

The 27th annual Pittsfield Balloon Festival is in town this weekend. One of my favorite parts of the weekend is the morning flights of the hot air balloons. The town is quieter and usually the balloons just pop up on the horizon silently. When I saw that the sky looked dark this morning, I assumed there wouldn't be any hot air balloons lifting off. But just before 8:00 am, I noticed a police cruiser parked in the middle of the road in front of the house. When I got to the window to see what the commotion was, I saw this: Apparently the Equinox balloon was having trouble making it up and over the trees behind the neighbors' house across the street. This would be the same bank of trees that are growing so high that they block some of our view of the town fire works as well. After a few tries, the balloon made it over and off the tree tops, cleared the neighbors' house, and landed in the road in front of our yard.

It didn't take long for the balloon to be deflated and pulled down in the middle of the road. I could smell all of the hot gas being pushed out of the balloon top during the deflation process. They wanted to keep the balloon on the dry road rather than letting the material get wet on the lawn. One man grabbed ropes from the top of the balloon and was able to start pulling it down to the pavement using his body weight. A group of people chasing the balloon, as well as some neighbors, and Michael stood along the road side and pushed the balloon fabric away from the lawn so it would stay in the road way. Once the balloon was semi-deflated and laying in a straight line down the road, the balloon team used a metal bar that was bent in a circle to expel the last of the air out the top of the balloon. Finally, everyone grabbed onto the deflated snake of balloon fabric and stuffed it back into the bag.The balloon and the basket were loaded back into the trailer in less than 20 minutes.

The Yarn & Fiber Company

Recently, The Yarn & Fiber Company moved the whole store from Windham to the Clearbrook Center in Derry. I had been to the Y&F Co. a few times at the old location. And I took a lovely sock dying workshop there in 2007 with the owner of Cherry Tree Hill yarn company.

The new location is marvelous! I walked around and around the shelves of yarn, enjoying all of the colors. There is much more room at the new location. And there are two different areas for gathering. One is a sit, knit and chat area with upholstered chairs and couches and then there is a separate class area with a table.

I went Friday night because the Y&F Co. hosts a Friday night knitting event. Fiber enthusiasts can gather, knit and chat together while working on projects. It's a good time and a lot of the ManchVegas knitting members go. I just don't get to see that group as much as I would like since the normal knitting night for ManchVegas is Wednesday and it's too late of an evening for me on a work night.

I bought some new yarn on my visit to Y&F Co. last night, of course. I got some luxury angora in a light green so I could knit up some baby booties. The angora is so soft and I wish that it wasn't so expensive so I could make myself an adult size pair of booties. Lucas seems to be a fan of the angora as well. He stops to snuffle it when he walks by it in my knitting basket. And because my Madeline Tosh sock yarn in the peony colorway has just lasted forever, I bought a new skein in the Baltic colorway. I also got some Soak detergent so I can wash some of my more delicate hand knits in a pretty smelling cleaner.