Week 28: Corn syrup anyone?

This little baby is a sugar high (and crash) disguised in a cute little bottle and colored a pretty shade of red. I had to drink it so the doctor could do a standardized test for diabetes. I had heard rumors that it was horrible tasting and likely to cause gagging, but while drinking it I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't much different from Big Red or Koolaid. That is until I finished it and started feeling light-headed and immediately wanted to eat something to balance out the sugar rush, but couldn't because I had to fast for an hour before taking the test.

I know you were feeling its effects as well, because you started bouncing all around in my belly like you were jumping on a trampoline. Even the nurse got a smile on her face when she listened for your heartbeat and you kicked and squirmed as soon as she laid a hand on my stomach. They say kids will bounce off the walls when they are given sweets, but I hadn't realized they meant off the walls of my uterus (evidently, I'm already becoming desensitized in regards to speaking about unpleasant sounding parts of my anatomy - please forgive!). No more sugar for you until you are 18, Little Missy!

I also got my RhoGham shot today (to negate me from making any antibodies if our blood types were to mix) and will have to get another one after your birth. The doctor told me that from now until your birth date I have to do "kick counts" every day. This means that I have to count 10 kicks from you within any two hour increment during the day (best done after eating a meal). You have been pretty active lately, so I don't think this will be a very big challenge for either of us. My next appointment is in two weeks. Evidently I better start getting your nursery decorated, because more frequent trips to the doctor's office means I am in my third trimester and you will soon be here!!

Week 27: Colorado

This week I spent 10 days at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Colorado. The whole trip was a little surreal knowing that this would be the last time I visited before you become a permanent fixture in our lives. Although we can't wait for you to get here, we know that things will never be the same once you do. So I enjoyed:

• taking a couple of peaceful naps while it rained lightly and thunder clouds rolled in;

• taking a walk around the lake with Grandpa and stopping at Java Groove to have a cup of joe as has become our little tradition; 

• shopping with Grandma, leisurely enjoying a fabric store and a scrapbook supply store; 

• meeting several of Grandma's new friends during a journaling session which she held at her house. During one of the exercises, we were supposed to imagine our lives three years from now and write about that day in present tense as if it was happening now. I know you were on both of our minds, envisioning you as a toddler, a whole new dimension added to our lives.

Uncle Jarrett stopped by as well. He is such a family oriented guy, and I'm always amazed at the importance he places on being around while I am there. He is so excited about becoming an Uncle and he really wanted to feel you kick. But every time he tried, you sat as still as could be. Maybe you were just trying to save that special moment for him when he has his own baby on the way (a moment that he hopes is still an eternity away!). 

Lastly, Grandma and I worked on your baby quilt. Grandma has been a long time quilter, but it wasn't until now that I have really taken any interest in the hobby. We spent several days designing the quilt and then cutting fabric and piecing it all together. Now grandma is left with binding and quilting it. I'm glad that it was something we could do together, and it will always be a reminder of your grandmother whether it is hanging in your nursery, folded at the end of your bed or keeping us warm while we watch a movie on the couch. In these technology centric times, there is no better way to show love than spending hours on end, laboring over a one of a kind work of art with the recipient central in our minds. A true labor of love.

You were already a very central part of my trip and you haven't even yet graced us with your unique presence! We love you Julianna.

It's hard to see what the finished quilt will look like, but it will have two columns of birds (one on each side) with pinwheels in the middle. We are also adding a thin raspberry border and a thicker turquoise border around the outside perimeter. More pictures to come when it's all finished!

Week 26: Dressed to Impress

Julianna, do you know what is guaranteed to put a smile on my face? Looking in your future closet and seeing little baby outfits hanging in a row, waiting to be worn. I love to hold them up and see how small they are, but it's still pretty hard to envision what you might look like in them. Anything pink really catches my eye these days. I think it is just a nice reminder that I am about to have a sweet baby girl!

Matt's going to be a Bachelor!

Note reads: Sweetie, Don't forget to eat your veggies so you'll be big & strong when I get home! {heart}, S 

(Broccoli: 2 mins in the micro.)

Don't worry, he knows which container to use and to add a little bit of water to the bottom.

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I'm taking off for a week and a half to visit my parents and brother in Colorado. I am leaving Matt with a large vat of spaghetti, some chicken that he can cook and mix with a bottle of curry from Trader Joe's and some broccoli chopped and divided into daily servings so he has no excuse but to eat it! He also has an immense amount of studying to do, but I'm sure he'll figure out a way to get to the golf course once or twice during the next two weekends. 

Upon my return, I'm hoping to be able to tell you about the baby quilt that my mom and I are going to be planning and (hopefully) starting while I'm in Denver. And we are going to celebrate my dad's 60th BIRTHDAY even though it isn't until June. 

I'm leaving all of Seattle's beautiful huge blooming flowers in hopes of a glimpse of green in Colorado, but I guess my familia is worth it (see how spoiled I am getting after having only been gone from TX for 2 years?!). At least I should be able to enjoy a healthy dose of vitamin D while I'm there!

xoxo,

s

Week 25: Sexy Momma

It's interesting (and somewhat terrifying) turning 30 and becoming a mom all in the same year. There's nothing to make it hit home like a protruding stomach and expanding hips. 

The other day I was running some errands at Target, and I had to stop a young, 20-something, male clerk to ask if he knew where I could find a particular item. He gave me a nice smile and pointed me in the right direction with an isle number as my destination. As I walked away, it occurred to me that the smile I had gotten from him was not one of "hi, somewhat-hot-female-also-in-your-20s, how can I be of assistance to you while giving you a flirtatious smile?", but rather, "hi pregnant mom, you are clearly 30, married and no longer of interest to me; how can I politely help you so I can finish restocking these shelves and then run off to happy hour?" 

I know these thoughts I'm having are not an insult to my husband or my marriage, but rather just a realization that I am entering a new stage of my life (the crossing of a threshold to which an enormous steel vault door  slammed shut without my knowledge. And upon turning around I saw that there was not even a tiny crack of hope that I might be able to poke my pinky toe through to again bask in the glory of being 20). 

I know Matt is having similar feelings, because as we signed up for Costco memberships yesterday he admitted to me that there was this dread deep down inside him that somehow this meant he was planning ahead, buying in bulk, nesting - none of which are things a 20-something bachelor with no kids would dream of doing.

So to celebrate this new era of our lives, Matt took Friday off work to spend the day with me as a gift for my first Mother's Day. We went to a maternity consignment sale, stood in line with other new parents, rushed in the doors to grab a large, plastic, colorful "activity center", baby bathtub, umbrella stroller and "boppie" pillow. And driving home, we heard the rattles of Julianna's first toy as it waved a cheery goodbye to our 20s and an anxious and hopeful hello to our 30s - as responsible adults and parents!

Week 23: Feeling You Kick

I've been anxiously awaiting the feeling of your first kick. The nurse asked me at my last appointment if I had felt you yet, and ever since then a little voice in the back of my head has been torturing me with concerns of why I haven't felt the miracle of your movements. 

This week I had another routine check-up scheduled with the doctor. And as I lay in bed, I told your dad about my concerns of not yet feeling you. So daddy put his hand on my belly and said, "let me see..." I knew there was no way he was going to feel you if I hadn't yet, and I laughed at him for thinking that he was going to be so ingenious as to be the first one to feel you kick. But to my surprise, a minute later, there you were. We both looked at each other with shock on our faces. "Did you feel that?!", I asked. "Yep!" he answered. "I guess I just had to step in," he confidently boasted!

Daddy said it felt like a heartbeat, just a soft little bump. But since then I have felt you frequently, after I eat or when I lay down to go to bed. And sometimes it is such a large movement that I think it must be you doing a somersault or practicing your yoga. It's a happy flutter that I now feel in my stomach when normally it would have just been in my heart like  butterflies. It gives me peace, knowing that you are in there growing stronger each day, and your presence comforts me. You are a little creation of God, and soon you will be ready to meet the world!

Week 22: Painting the Nursery

This week Grandpa Jon came to visit. We are so lucky that his office headquarters are in Seattle, so occasionally he gets free trips out of the deal, and this was one of those times. He stayed a whole week and helped me paint both of our extra bedrooms. Initially we were just going to paint what will from now on be the guest/scrapbook room. It was a small chore, just repainting below the chair rail to freshen up the room. But it went so well that I got the bright idea we should go ahead and whip out the nursery too!

Grandpa Jon was great during the whole thing. I had selected a yellow for your room, but after we got one wall painted, we had a lot of doubts that it was the color we wanted. Your room was screaming, "Good Morning Sunshine!!" And although we wanted something cheery, I didn't want it to be sensory overload. So Grandpa and I went to the paint store two more times, looking at paint swatches and fretting over what would be the exact right shade of butter yellow. I was surprised that Grandpa was so concerned and involved in trying to select the color, but I think it was just the first sign (of many to come) that he is willing to do anything for his precious grand daughter! Now your room is glowing warmly, waiting to be filled with decorations to welcome your arrival.

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I've had several questions about what the nursery theme will be. Because I'm not one for themes, it took me a while to decide how I wanted to decorate. But I think I finally have a few ideas. The jumping off point was these adorable numbered bird flash cards. My mom and I found them in one of my favorite areas in Seattle called Ballard. They were in a little store, Clover, that sells handmade wooden toys, dolls and other childrens goods (and of course, I later found out that they are also sold at Land of Nod). My mom and I have plans to make a quilt with small printed fabrics in bright colors (raspberry, tangerine, lime, turquoise) and also possibly make some curtains. I love an eclectic feel, so I'm hoping it will come together slowly but surely. I'm sure I'll post pictures as we get further along. Thanks for your interest and following along on our little baby journey!!

Your Name

Lots of people have been asking us if we know what your name is going to be yet. But honestly, we've had names (boy and girl) decided almost since the first day we were pregnant. I don't know how this decision came so easily, in fact, when daddy and I agreed so quickly I wondered if we were rushing into it (weren't we supposed to have long lists that we fretted over for months, or buy a library full of baby name books, or at least get into one little fight?). 

But I think the simple truth was that your name was meant to be from the start.

Julianna Rachelle George

Julia is my mom's first name (even though she goes by her middle name, Cristy) and Matt's mom's first name is Anna. So we were able to honor them both by putting the names together, Julianna. I loved it from the moment I heard it, and it just seemed meant to be.

Rachelle comes from Matt's grandmother (Ammachy). Her first name is Rachel. So we adapted the name to flow together better with Julianna and made it Rachelle.

I do have to admit that we have had one small dispute over your name - it's pronunciation. I think we have finally settled on it being pronounced Julie-On-Nuh. This doesn't come naturally for me, but it certainly does for your daddy. And we agreed that it has a more ethnic sound to it. So we'll see how it works out... when we are welcoming you into the world, I have a feeling we'll know what feels right.