Christmas Eve and Day

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. On Christmas Eve, Scott worked a half day, while I hung out at the house enjoying the quiet. We did make it over to the Birch house around 3 to exchange presents with the kids. Always a fun time to watch them open the gifts.

Scott and I walked up the alley, like I did many years growing up, to St. Gabriel's for 4 o'clock mass on Christmas Eve. We arrived later than I wanted to, but we still managed to get seats. They weren't decent, but they worked. While it wasn't the kids mass there was a brief reading of the nativity where children came up on the altar dressed up. I was surprised that it went as quickly as it did. It was fun to see people who I grew up with at mass and still singing in the choir. I can't wait for this tradition to continue.

After mass we headed home for some dinner and Christmas movies. We watch Miracle on 34th Street and A Christmas Carol. For some reason, growing up my brother and I would watch A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott version) all the time. It didn't have to even be close to Christmas and we would watch it. Now that I've re-watched it as an adult, I don't know why I really liked that movie. It's really dark.

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Christmas Day, Scott and I took our time opening presents. We had a lot of presents from the baby to us. It was nice to have a few more necessities bought in case the baby comes early (which I don't think will happen).

We had our traditional eggs benedict for breakfast and it turned out rather good. Then we had a few hours to just relax and enjoy our last quiet Christmas morning for years to come.

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Early afternoon we headed down to Scott's parents house for late lunch, presents and a few round of Dirty Neighbor. We got even more gifts for the baby and even Reily got some goodies, a new bed and rope. The poor pup was so exhausted by mid afternoon she couldn't even keep her head up. The new bed came in handy for her.

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Overall, it was a great Christmas, although I'm even more excited for the Christmas's to come.

George Washington

During my Christmas vacation we headed over to the Missouri History Museum to check out the Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon, exhibit that they currently have.  It was a great exhibit.  There a more information about his life prior to becoming President and during his youth.  There isn't much information or pictures of him as a young man and we were able to see how they created likenesses of him.

There was information about his childhood and how Mount Vernon became his home and the pride he took in owning the land.  There was background information on how he made his way into the army and became a great leader.

We even got to see his fake teeth.  It was a little creepy to see dentures that were a couple hundred years old.

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Photography

Scott and I got a camera as a wedding gift to ourselves. We use it every now and then, but it's big and we don't know all the bells and whistles that go with it. So about a month ago we found a Groupon for a photography class. We quickly jumped on that and then had to find a Saturday or Sunday morning to attend.

We finally found a date to go and we picked a great time. Even though it's December and it's usually cloudy and cold we picked a day where it was sunny and somewhat warm (50s). We met up with the class at the St. Louis Zoo. Why not use all the animals as our subjects in the pictures?

We had about an hour or so of explaining what each option on our camera is used for and why some modes are just ok to use and why you want to really experiment with the camera as much as possible. Afterwards we headed out to see what animals wanted to be our subjects for the day. We managed to get some great one on one time with the teacher as we walked around the zoo. Of course, what trip to the zoo wouldn't be complete without a kangaroo fight?

Here are some our best shots:

It's all about cribs

We picked up the crib two weekends ago and Scott put it together Friday night.  And in Scott's words, "it's getting real."  Scott did a great job of being handy man around the house this weekend.  And putting the crib together was no small feat.  The whole thing took about 3 hours for him to put together and it looks great.  Now, to find shelves and pictures for the walls and the room is complete.

Here are a few pictures of the crib building process.  

 



 



 



[caption id="attachment_2523" align="aligncenter" width="225"] We have a changing table![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2524" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Almost 4 sides.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2525" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Ta Da![/caption]

I'm very impressed with how the crib turned out.  So now we just need a mattress and some bedding and maybe we can put the kid in here.

 

 

 

Christmas Vacation

I haven't had a real Christmas vacation since high school.  The kind where you aren't working, no school and just having fun or relaxing.  Thanks to my HR department and my timely start I have 60 hours that I have to burn by December 31st.  Of course our office is closed the week of Christmas so I have to use the time before December 21st.



Oh what to do with myself for the 8 work days I have off?!  So far, I've managed to get some shopping in and cleaning.  I think these few days off are really going to kick start my nesting desires.  I believe a few batches of cookies will be made and most of all, I'll be enjoying afternoon naps!

Merry Christmas to me!

32 weeks, 8 left

Seriously, where is the time going?  I'm really only thinking about getting through the next week or so and then it's Christmas.    I have recently accrued a ridiculous amount of vacation time and I'm really only work maybe 2 days till the end of the year.  It's going to be nice to be home and get things done and just relax!

I'm starting to feel like I'm pregnant.  I feel that I'm slower to get up and moving.  I'm getting a few aches and pains in the middle of the night.  Still no Braxton Hicks contractions or painful kicks/jabs from the kid.  I am waking up with pain in my hips from all my weight being on them when I sleep.  But the good news is that I am sleeping.  I'm falling asleep around 9:30 and sleeping till Reily wakes me around 1 to go out and again at 5:30 with my alarm.

Reily has become the world's best shadow.  When I'm getting ready in the morning or moving around the house, she has to be right next to me.  It makes for some close falls for Scott and I.  She seems to be in protective mode now and hopefully that will ease up a bit after the baby arrives.

How your baby's growing:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, it'll gain a third to half of its birth weight during the next 7 weeks as it fattens up for survival outside the womb. It now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Its skin is becoming soft and smooth as it plumps up in preparation for birth.

How your life's changing:

To accommodate you and your baby's growing needs, your blood volume has increased 40 to 50 percent since you got pregnant. With your uterus pushing up near your diaphragm and crowding your stomach, the consequences may be shortness of breath and heartburn. To help relieve your discomfort, try sleeping propped up with pillows and eating smaller meals more often.  I do feel the shortness of breath and needing to sit up straight more often.  I'm always hungry and need to eat more.  

You may have lower-back pain as your pregnancy advances.  If you do, let your caregiver know right away, particularly if you haven't had back pain before, since it can be a sign of preterm labor.  I've had a little tightness in my back but that's due to how I have to sit at work.

Assuming it's not preterm labor that's ailing you, you can probably blame your growing uterus and hormonal changes for your aching back. Your expanding uterus shifts your center of gravity and stretches out and weakens your abdominal muscles, changing your posture and putting a strain on your back. Hormonal changes in pregnancy loosen your joints and the ligaments that attach your pelvic bones to your spine. This can make you feel less stable and cause pain when you walk, stand, sit for long periods, roll over in bed, get out of a low chair or the tub, bend, or lift things.

Oh Christmas Tree

I'm pretty impressed with how our tree turned out this year.  I did add the silver bells that my mom gets me every year to the tree and the lights reflex off them nicely.  I would love to keep this tree up year round if it was socially acceptable.  I think our living room looks rather boring 11 months out of the year.  I do think Reily is ready for me to either have something else to take pictures of or the tree to be taken down.

[caption id="attachment_2510" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The artsy blurred picture[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_2511" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Who is over tree pictures? This dog.[/caption]

 

 

31 weeks

No signs of Braxton Hicks yet.  I may have over done it last weekend and pulled a muscle in my lower left side.  I've been taking it rather easy once I get home from work and lounge around until bed at 9-9:30.  The pain seems to be easing as the week goes on.  I guess I'm going to have to realize that I need to pace myself more in the final weeks.  The kid is moving around and feels like a full soccer game is going on.  Somehow it will know when Scott's hand is on my stomach and stop moving completely, then start-up again when his hand is removed.  It's the weirdest thing.

We started prepping the baby's room and we found a crib.  The room will look a little more complete after this weekend's painting session.  Here is the crib we decided on.  We do have the jungle theme but not this design that was on display.

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. It weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. It can turn its head from side to side, and its arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath its skin. It's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy

How your life's changing:

Have you noticed the muscles in your uterus tightening now and then? Many women feel these random contractions — called Braxton Hicks contractions — in the second half of pregnancy. Often lasting about 30 seconds, they're irregular, and at this point, they should be infrequent and painless. Frequent contractions, on the other hand — even those that don't hurt — may be a sign of preterm labor. Call your practitioner immediately if you have more than four contractions in an hour or any other signs of preterm labor: an increase in vaginal discharge or a change in the type of discharge (if it becomes watery, mucus-like, or bloody — even if it's pink or just tinged with blood); abdominal pain or menstrual-like cramping; an increase in pressure in the pelvic area; or low back pain, especially if you didn't have it before

Activity in the Womb

As far as growth goes, your baby's still on a roll, measuring an impressive 18 inches and weighing in at more than three pounds. At 31 weeks pregnant, you can still expect your baby to gain at least three to five pounds, possibly more, before you two meet.   Your baby's brain is working overtime these days, developing faster than ever.   Connections between individual nerve cells are growing at a frenetic clip, and your baby can now perceive information from all five senses. Sure, your baby can't smell anything right now, but that's only because he or she is still submerged in amniotic fluid and needs to be breathing air to get a whiff of anything. Lucky for you — and your baby — yours will be one of the very first scents your baby breathes in, a scent that will quickly become his or her very favorite.

So what's your little dove doing all day while you're busy feathering your nest for his or her arrival? Making faces, hiccupping, swallowing, breathing, pedaling with little hands and feet along your uterine wall, and even sucking his or her thumb. In fact, some babies suck their thumbs so vigorously while in the womb that they're born with a callus on their thumb (what a little sucker!).

Tree Time!

It was beautiful this weekend.  70s in December in St. Louis?  Who is going to complain when it's this nice and you have to go cut your Christmas tree down?

We met Scott's parents at Starbucks and then headed to Fetus to Meert's Tree Farm to pick out our tree.  This is the third year we've gone to Meert's.  They have a great selection and it's easy to find a tree in our price range.



Clearly, we were not the only ones with this great idea.  The parking lot was packed.  The good news is that we were able to get a tractor ride over to the trees pretty quick.  We took our time going up and down the aisles and finally found our tree.



It's a Canaan Fur and it's a lot wider than the trees we are used to getting.



Not to mention, a little more sappy and prickly.  I didn't know it was as sticky as it was until we got home.  I'm impressed Scott didn't say anything while he was cutting it down.



Once our tree was cut down we had the tractor bring it back to be cleaned and wrapped and then it was time to do a little shopping.  They have a decent assortment of ornaments, decorations and wreaths to pick from. We did get a new ornament for the tree this time.  When the tree was ready Scott and his dad did a great job of securing it to the top of the car and off we went.



And here is the tree once it's pushed back in its place.  It's much wider than we are used to, but the smell it gives off is well worth it.



 

It's beginning to look like Christmas

I finally started putting up our Christmas decorations.  I am a day behind on putting up decorations around the house, but better late than never.  I feel that December goes by so fast and there are so many Christmas decorations to put up, why not get them up as soon as possible.

I did miss the annual Francis Park Tree Lighting since I am fighting a cold, so it doesn't quite feel like Christmas until we get our tree.   We are planning on getting it this weekend.  I do enjoy going up and down rows of trees and finding the perfect one for Scott to cut down.

But here are a few of the decorations we have up around the house.