Putting together the nursery

We finally got the crib put together and started setting up the nursery this weekend. We picked up a few packs of baby hangars for the items we've been receiving. We hung those in the closet along with several of my old baby clothes and folded up a few blankets on the shelf. We moved the end table and rocking chair to the other side of the room and made room for the crib and changing table. The crib looks great! It went together very easily and makes it look very official in the room. I put my quilt rack in the room too and hung up a few rag quilts I made along with an old afghan that looks so pretty in there. We will eventually paint the room, and put up shelves, we are just waiting for the sales coming up over labor day to buy the paint. The color will be a soft butter yellow to tie everything together. The shelves are oak planks and we found some great wrought iron brackets to hang the shelves on. It should add to the rustic cowboy look and I cant wait to see it!

We also got a few magazine boxes this weekend and some large storage boxes in bright orange and green for my sewing/crafts room. I am organizing one side of the shelf for a wrapping paper station and so I set up the large boxes on the floor and filled them with all the gift bags and packaging boxes that have been stored in big bins in the back of the closet downstairs that I could never find. I set up the magazine boxes on the shelf and folded up all the tissue paper, flat wrapping paper and tiny gift bags and sorted them each in their own box. I am really happy with it so far. I still have a few roles of wrap to figure out but have put together an elastic band on hooks to stretch over the front of the rolls that also stand on the shelf and holds them in place.

Now I just need to get started on some of the other small projects I have going so that the rooms can start to come together. I am really excited about all of it, and of course as I sit here typing all of this I realize that there is really a lot left to do. It is a bit overwhelming but if I do a bit every week then it should all come together soon enough. well my little eyelids are drooping and Im starting to spell every other word wrong and re- type it, so it looks like beddy-bye time for Ally.

Have a great week, I'll write again soon.

xoxo

Big Project... tired girl

Hi again,

So I have this HUGE project I am working on at work right now. I am doing a personalized email mailing to 200 potential customers per week for the next 4 weeks. It is very time consuming and tedious work and I will be very happy when I get it all finished. It means that I am getting done late most days and not getting much of a chance to get up and move around during the day. My hands a sore from the repeated motion of typing and my eyes are blurry from both the screen and the miniscule print on the directory that I am copying the addresses down from.

I finally was able to book an appt with the specialist for Thursday of next week. It is a long way away, and Im trying very hard to choose the right things to eat and drink without really knowing what that means. I will feel much better after having met and spoken with the doctor and knowing what is best for us for the duration.

The baby is about the size of a turnip this week. Should be about 5 inches from the head to the bum not including the length of the legs, I am curious to know how long the legs are since there is supposedly a lot of movement now. I am not really feeling anything as far as movement goes yet. Maybe a flutter here or there, but it is hard to tell whether it is my tummy digesting or if it is the baby moving. They say that the baby's bones are hardening now so there should be more substance to the kicks soon. I'll keep you posted, as this is something I am really looking forward to!

We got rain again today... everywhere but near our house! It is almost as though we live in this little bubble and the rain comes straight at us then splits, goes around and forms again, just south! I dont know why, but its the craziest thing you've ever seen. Amazing thunder and lightning though, just not nearly long enough.

Well, My eyes have just about had it for today. Have a great night. Ill write more again soon.

xoxo Ally

The results are in :(

Well,

bad news I got my results back today. I am gestationally diabetic. I have to make an appt with a specialist this week and go over my blood sugar levels, a new diet plan, and have the baby checked up on. There will be very regular checks for the baby and for me to be sure the growth rate is not too fast and my levels are in check. This whole thing is very sureal for me, I feel great, I dont feel like there is anything wrong with me at all and that makes it seem like there shouldnt be anything wrong. There are rarely ever symptoms with this however so it makes sense it just seems icky if you ask me!

Jamie being wonderful as ever printed up some new recipes for me just for this so that I can try new things and be healthy. I think that is going to be the hardest part for me, cooking and amazing food are such a huge part of my life that I cant imagine giving up some of the things I love best. my greatest fear is not being able to eat fruit, or at least not when Im craving it or just a snack any time I feel like it. I know it is natural sugar, but it can add up quickly.

There is not much I can do right now until I meet with the doctor and find a plan that is right for me. I have done some reading but there really is not a lot of detailed info because it is a case by case basis. As I said before it is just another challenge, I just worry so much that the baby will be at risk. I can deal with me, but knowing that something I am or am not doing might hurt our baby just makes me miserable. I hope that when we meet with the doctor we will be able to have a better understanding of how the baby is so far and what steps to take to keep things in the green.

This has just been one of those weeks again, I hope things start looking up as the week continues.

Until I know more, have a great night. I hope you all are well and happy.

Much love,

Ally and baby

Photos to Share

Hi,

Just thought before I did my daily blog that I'd share a few photos with you of the items Ive been writing about. First the shower curtain in the nursery bathroom. This is the top strip with two of the cute duckie hangers and the super cute fabric. There is an identical strip at the bottom of the curtain. There is also a picture of my first tomato from my new plant. it is the tiny one in the middle. It has a great flavor, but since it is soooo hot here it had to ripen off the vine and

also has tough skin. I am hoping that there are more this fall that are a bit better, but it is so cute, I just had to share. I'll send more soon. ttyl.

Just catching up

Sorry I missed a few days. I wanted to give an update on how my test went.

No results yet, but I made it through without getting sick so I feel it was as successful as it could have been. I got quite dizzy at about the first hour and needed to lie down, but being super hungry, only having sugary syrup in your tummy and then having blood taken out will do that to a person. Once I was able to lie down I felt a bit better, Jamie got quite worried as I looked very pale. I got to at least close my eyes and try to rest a bit. As well as you can in a doctors office anyways.

Jamie was amazing though, the whole time. Not that I expected any less, but after I let him know I was getting cold, he went to the car to find a blanket or something, and after thinking that he had gotten lost he'd been gone so long, in he walked with a brand new blankee for the baby from our registry at Target, for me to cuddle up in plus a pair of snuggly lounge pants and a pair of super soft slippers with grippies on the bottom so if I wanted to get up to walk around, Id be safe. If that is not enough to make a preggie woman feel totally care free I dont know what is! He is so wonderful and thoughtful and it makes me so happy!

We finally got through all four vampire bites, the last one was super painful, not sure why but it was. Then it was all, ok you're good to go, call you in a few days. It seemed a bit abrupt after lying there for so long and having all my blood taken and everything, but then after sitting for a minute waiting for the pain to subside, I realized, I can go eat now, and then I was starving!! We went to a little fresh mexican place just across the street that is soo good. It was nice because the food had a lot of protein and fresh veggies so it felt like I was getting some good nourishment after all that yuck!

The rest of the day I was kind of out of it. I never thought that I would be so tired after that but really was. and my arms hurt like crazy from the pokes and prods. Jamie did take me to a movie for a bit of a treat that night after work. We saw GI Joe. very fun movie, action packed! Not so great for me though, was the theatre we went to, Alamo draft house. Neat concept, but the greatness stopped there. They are a full service restaurant while you watch your movie. A whole menu of lots of good options, but I thought the food was not great, at least not mine. Add that to a theatre that is mostly flat and pretty much all near the screen, which was huge and the sound being up WAY too loud even for an action flick and you might understand where the migraine came from. things moved across that screen way too fast and trying to eat anything but finger food, just proved too much for me. But I did enjoy the show so that was a plus and after a relaxing car ride home with a beautiful lightning show, I felt totally better, headache gone! yeah.

Yesterday, I felt much better all around and was able to get a few things done around the house. I finished the shower curtain in the nursery bathroom, it looks soooo cute! and makes the room so much brighter! I also got to start clearing out the closet in the nursery of all of our winter clothes and found a few things that will fit me a while longer. I hung up a few of the baby's layette pieces and was able to stack up the blankets and afghans in the top of the closet so we can start to see what we have. Still a lot of work left, but any progress is good!

Well Im just about to make pancakes for breakfast so I should get headed out. Hopefully you are all caught up now. Have a wonderful weekend!

Ally

Anticipation

Tomorrow is the big glucose test and so far Im doing ok with the waiting. Im sure things will be fine, it will hurt yes and be gross yes, but its only a few hours. It's not really any of that, it is just the though that there is a great possibility that I will have the gestational diabetes and to be totally honest, that scares me to death.

I dont really know anyone close anyway that has diabetes and so I hear things about how bad it can be and going into shock and having to carry shots around for emergencies. I dont tend to do so well in situations where from one minute to the next things can change so quickly. And too with the exception of during the pregnancy, I have not always been so great about eating on a regular schedule, some days I would be out running errands and look up at 4pm and realize I hadnt eaten all day and end up with a migraine. What happens if I have a day like that especially with my extremely forgetful preggie brain, will I be ok, what will hapen??

So many things that I really just dont know. I know its a lot of years ago but I always think of that scene with julia roberts in Steele Magnolias where she has these terrible episodes and doesnt know who she is or what terrible things she is doing, and then she get so sick and dies and its just awful! Again I know, Im sure its not as bad as all that anymore and it was an extreme case, but still extremes of fears right?

Well now that I have managed to depress everyone including myself, I really must move on to other things. There are some things I am looking forward to getting done this weekend, hopefully finishing the shower curtain for the nursery bathroom and the black out curtains for the nursery to go behind the cowboys on the range cafe curtains that grandma and I made earlier this year. There are so many things I am working on it will just be a matter of time and weekends of little chores to get them all done. I really am so excited to be doing all of this. It means so much to me that I can come from a family that is so creative. Nani taught me so many things growing up and now I get to put them all to good use making things for our baby to enjoy or use. Being able to fill our home with things made from my hands and my heart is so important to me. I cant wait till I actually get a few things done so I can share them with you!

I'll sign off for now. A very exciting episode of Gilmore awaits and Im already getting sleepy :)

Have a great night, and wish me luck tomorrow!

Strange Week

So far this has just been one of those weeks. All the little things see to pile up, things get thrown at you that you don't expect and everything else just seems to be a blur of craziness.

I am working with my boss regarding my work up until the baby and the maternity leave after. He is of course very supportive but it is still a topic that is difficult for me. I am such a people pleaser that when it comes time to let someone down it makes me stressed and flustered. I know that it will mean a lot of work and searching to find someone that meshes well with him and can live up to his expectations. Not that I think Im super great, but there is a very specific personality type that can guide him just the way that's needed as well as anticipate needs and do most things before him, as he tends to put too much on his plate at once.

We talked for quite some time today about some of the things I want to accomplish before I cut my hours back in November and what that will entail. By the end of the conversation of course I felt much better, but I am still wary of the few months ahead. I do not want my leave to cause more work or problems so most of the time I shoulder that burden and take it on myself to do everything for everyone.

Typically I would not consider stepping back my hours but I feel it is the best for me and the baby and our family in general. I am working very hard to not stress myself out too much and to not internalize things that go on as my fault or issue, when they may just be the result of miscommunication or someone else's way of handling things in their life. This is a very important time for me and I don't want to make things difficult or miss anything that is important to me.

Jamie and I took a few minutes out today when we got home to sit in our Favorite chair together, and just be. We talked a bit and snuggled a bit, but just really slowed down and spent some time together. We try to slow down at the end of the day, but its not always possible. The phone rings or dinner's on the table. But every few days things just come together and we get to take a moment out from everything else and focus on each other. To focus on how much we love each other, how happy we are and how excited we are about the baby. Sometimes even for just a second forgetting the rest of the world. Its our magic time and nothing in the world is better. Especially when he puts his ear to my tummy to see if he can hear the baby's heartbeat. These are the moments I wouldnt trade for anything else, or give up for anything at all.

Last week an apple, this week, an avocado!!

Ok, so Im sure you're looking at this title thinking alright obsessed with fruit, or what? No, no, though I am craving fruit more than ever, this is the supposed size of the baby right now! Since we have been getting regular updates every few weeks there is a new fruit size for an equivalent to let us know how big the baby is. It really is kind of neat. So far its been pea (I Know, this one is a veggie), olive, fig, plum, apple and avocado. We are left to wonder... which fruit will be next?

Other fun things (but not nearly as fun as the fruit info):

The air conditioner broke at work today, so just as we were reaching the noon hour, it started to get hotter and hotter all day long. It still was not fixed when I left, I hope its fixed tomorrow :D

This week has been VERY high in allergens, I am sneezing and having a runny nose like crazy! It is a bad season for me, we have tree molds out here that do me in every time. It normally doesnt hit me so hard, but not taking medication due to baby, makes it much more evident.

I am making a super yummy quiche for dinner. Crab and broccoli. I love making quiche they are so easy and quick, and so full of good things! This recipe I use is very versatile, I keep the base the same and just add different filler. In case anyone is now craving quiche, here's the recipe I love best.

Base:

4 Eggs

1 Cup Milk

1/2 tsp salt, pepper and dry mustard(can be left out if you dont think it will go with a particular filler)

Whisk together top ingredients before adding cheese and fillers

1 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese

Fillers:

1 1/2 Cup meat

1 Cup Veg

this can be changed any way you like. All meat, all veg. use several kinds of each, however fits your fancy or what you happen to have on hand.

Mix into egg mix along with cheese

1 unbaked pie crust

place pie crust in pie pan, fill with mixture, bake at 350F. for 35-45 minutes. Cover edges of crust for first 30 min. with foil, remove in time to get to a golden brown.

Well I think thats about all the juicy Tidbits I have for you today. Enjoy the quiche!!

much love until tomorrow!

Monday... need I say more?

I cant decide if it is a mental barrier or a real problem, but Mondays are just so much harder than any other day of the week.

I woke up this morning and just could not drag myself out of bed. Dodge and I went out, he ate and we promptly went back up stairs and crawled into bed. If I could have stayed there all day I would have been one very happy camper! It's all snuggly and warm and I was just sleeping there so its just calling to me trying to get me sucked back in and YES, I am so willing to give in!! So after hitting my snooze twice I finally have to get up and go to work.

Well par for the course the rest of the day runs very much the same. The monday meeting which was supposed to be all settled got changed, again, and I had to scramble at the last second to get the different people into the different meetings, since for whatever reason it got split into two different groups today. I finished printing the final packet 30 seconds before I had to hand it over to my boss to sit down at the meeting. My cramming skills really get to kick in on such occasions!

All my daily reports got pushed back as well which meant that at quarter to 5 I was still pulling graphs off line and compiling data to send out. Fortunately no one had any problems as they were all still in the meetings. All the craziness at least made the day go quickly so I shouldnt complain too much.

Then when I got home I had to fight the crowds at the grocery store and find out that they were out of my favorite sandwhich bread, so all and all, Monday's are just plain crazy!!

I did however get to make one of Jamie's and my favorite dinners tonight, which he helped cook while I went to the store. We had Salmon with dill and lemon in a puff pastry and salad. It turned out perfectly and put a nice cap on the day. We are sitting watching Gilmore and will hit the hay early so I'm not quite so tired tomorrow, hopefully!

Hope your Monday ran much smoother and stress free than mine, and if it did not, I will add to my pro column in support that there is just something wrong with Monday's ;)

Happy reading,

Ally

Boppies and crib sets and washclothes, oh my!

Registries... and I thought registering for the wedding was a lot, at least with that I knew what I liked and needed after a lot of years forming opinions on cooking and bath linens etc.

Registering for a baby you have never met is much harder. Being a first time momma takes a lot of guessing when it comes to deciding what your baby might like, or need or fit into. I am trying to get good advice from friends and family etc, only problem being, many people are equally ecstatic about the products they used and of course they often differ. Is one really better than another is it based on how the baby reacts to the product or how I like it and what I think it does well. It is much harder to know how things work on others when they cannot tell you what they like or don't. I grew up a Desitin girl and LOVE Johnson baby products, so my first instinct is to got with what I know. does that make them best, or does it just simply make them tried and true, at least for me. Does it really make that big a difference. For instance, I have found through many trials that I like Jergens lotion because it is not greasy, leaves my skin hydrated all day and has a very nice scent, but that does not mean that something like Aveeno is not better, it may just be better for my skin. But how am I to know what to register for, for a baby who is still inside me?

Well my answer to all of this in time for my registry, a few of the items I will register for two brands, try them and decide how I feel, some items I will stick with what I love and if it doesn't work I will try something else. Either way I think both baby and momma will turn out ok ;)

At the point behind all of my musings is the fact that Jamie and I finished our registries today. We decided for the sake of a very far spread family/friends that we would register at both Baby's R Us and Target. This way it is the most convenient. If anyone is interested the registries are listed in both our names and both have lots to choose from, probably far more than we will ever need, but its there to get us started. We have made note that the baby's room will be done in a cowboy/cowgirl theme either way and have found many cute items that go with our theme, but if anyone is having difficulties, our color pallet is in Yellow, Brown, and Green with accents of blue jeans and red corduroy. Farm animals, scenes etc are good as well.

We have also spent some time today getting furniture moved around for the nursery and the guest room as well as sorting through my pre-preggie clothes ... well that was interesting! I have this amazing and huge walk in closet, and now it looks pitiful! I am down to not much that fits and it will continue to shrink by the week. I have two skirts for work that I have to wear the waistband way up at my bra line in order to zip over my tummy, and those will be quick to go. I am down to 1 pair of pants and a pair of jeans a few tops and some sweaters. I will take some time this week to pull out all my fall/winter clothes and see if I cant extend my wardrobe a bit, hopefully my dresses will pull me through. Then I guess I will have to pick up a staple of two from the maternity dept. and add to the items that still fit well and we should be in business :)

Well It is time to start getting ready for the week and then off to bed so I will sign off. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Until tomorrow, sweetest dreams

Quilts and Baby names

Hi again,

So far I've spent the day working on a quilt for the wedding reception we are going to tonight. I would have started long before now, but they didnt remember to send out invites so we got the news at the beginning of this week and of course preggie brain struck again and I totally forgot. Well lucky for me I am a master at jean and rag quilts so I decided to combine them and since I already had a ton of 9 inch jean blocks all I needed was to pick up some flannel, cut some squares and go to town.

I went to the fabric store last night after work and found some super soft blue and green flannel so I got both colors to do alternating squares for the back. After we got home I took about 20 minutes, cut up the flannels into the 9 inch blocks and started laying out the pattern of jeans that I wanted. I needed to be sure that not all the pocket blocks were in the same spot.

I got up this morning and all that was left was sew, cut and wash. I got the whole thing done in about 2 hours give or take a lunch break and its in the laundry now finishing up the dry cycle, plenty of time to get myself prettified and package the quilt in time to go. Not half bad if I do say so myself ;) As soon as its done in the dryer I will take a pic or two to share it with you, hopefully its as cute as I hoped and worthy of gifting.

As for the Baby names, I thought I might share with you, we have chosen our names!!! Since we will not be finding out if the baby is a boy or girl until we give birth, we have chosen one for each and will be all set either way. So for the big reveal...

For a boy we will call him Logan Jack Lovell

and for a girl it will be Lorelei May Lovell

We love them both and hope you do too! Now we wait to find out which name will be the one :)

Well I will sign off for now as I need to go check on the quilt.

Until next time, Have a sweet day!

Glucose Testing is Yucky!!

So I took my first glucose test on Wednesday afternoon. Let me tell you that was gross!! They gave me the option of orange and lemon lime. Of course I took the lemon lime as it is clear and not that awful orange color! It tastes just like drinking a glass of cough syrup... literally. Then you have to finish it in 5 minutes and wait around for your blood to be drawn an hour later.

Fortunately in between I had a doctors visit so I didnt have to think about the time passing. Not that the doc appt. was any fun either... dont get me wrong, great doc and very comfortabe rooms etc, but colposcopies are just no fun. Cold forecepts and rough sticks makes for a tense girl!

The doctor did redeem the appt in the end though, we got to hear the baby's heart beat and wow is that ever amazing! He put that little microphone on my tummy and a few seconds later, there it was, thrumping along so quickly, it just takes your breath away! He says the baby is developing well and is healthy so that is great! We will come in next month at 19 weeks and have another ultrasound where we will gt to bring home a DVD of the scan and the heartbeat, I cant wait to post it for you all so you can share this with us!

Well back to the lab for the blood test, my fave part! she took my blood and off I went no problems, right? Wrong.

Fast forward past the great night out seeing Wicked to Thursday morning. The doctors office called me and much to my devistation my results came back, glucose level - High. So what does this mean? It means that I have to go back in next week after 24 hours of no carbs, no sugar (pretty much 24 hours of hungry) and take a 3 hour test, with 4 different blood tests and twice as much of that awful cough syrup on a fasting tummy to see if I have gestational diabetes. oh this is my lucky day! Needless to say I didnt take it well, running on 5+/- hours of sleep and being caught off gaurd with a test result I fugured was just a formality and for the first time I understand how emotional a pregnant woman can be.

So after much reading about it and talking to several people I am beginning to feel a bit better about it now and have decided just to buck up and deal with it. If I have it, I have it and I will make it through, no question. Now all that remains is a week of looking forward to this lovely 4 hours of hunger and sickly sweet drink and oh right the 4 pin pricks in my poor arms.
Well, as they say; this too shall pass.

After all the icky-ness of the day Jamie made me dinner while I got to sit and just be for a few minutes. He made homemade burgers with all the fixin's and then sat me down to a nice relaxing hour of Gilmore Girls. It was so great, he took care of Dodge and the dishes and the garbage and I got to be in bed by 9:15. yeah sleep! He is so good to me, it makes it all better :)

Now its Friday so only a few more hours of work to get through and we get to spend the whole weekend together! Cant wait!

Until next time, have a great day!

:) Ally

Wicked!! Fantastic!

Hi all,

so this will be my first official post. Hopefully I am better at keeping up on this than I usually tend to be, though since it is about the baby, it might stick a bit better ;)

I got a chance to go see Wicked last night, and it was amazing. In case anyone is not familiar, Wicked is a Broadway musical based on the other side of the story of the wizard of oz, the perspective of the Wicked Witch and Glinda. It was so great, the actors had amazing voices and were so funny. It had a great story line and I loved it. Now I dont know about any of you out there in blog world, but I am not huge on Wizard of Oz, I think it is great for its time and has a lot of interesting things, but a lot of it is quite scary and leaves one feeling a bit unhappy. On the opposite end, I think Wicked was Super great!! I would see it over and over! there is a lot better opportunity to relate to the characters and really find out about what happened. It was really a great night, only two downsides, I didnt get to see Jamie at all since I went with some friends and I got home at midnight... WAY past my bed time. Now I am a tired preggie girl who is in desperate need of a nap!

Well until later,

happy reading :)

Be Sweet