brett video

He's here!

I'll need to catch up on a few more details, but here's the official announcement (created with photography and design by Uncle Jason while he was visiting Brett):

ON OUR WAY!

My water broke around 5:15ish this morning! We are on our way to the hospital!!!!!

Updates and cute baby Brett photos to come!!

The countdown says 0!

Today's the big day! I can't believe it's April 14th. This could be the first day of the rest of Brett's life!!! (if he comes on time) It's only 9:20 a.m. but I'm hoping that today will be the day. This is the date that's been etched in our minds since October. He may have other plans but everyone is excited for his arrival. I can't believe that the 14th is already here! :)

Happy Easter!

(Our "dust bunny" that we received yesterday.)

Happy Easter! We went to church this morning and it was packed! We ended up standing for the hour-long service.

No Brett, yet.

We had a filling dinner that I made at home...ham (with ginger ale/pineapple juice/orange juice/brown sugar/cloves and pineapple rings) and green bean casserole...two of my favorites that Mom makes for Easter dinner. I also made a pistachio pudding with pineapple, marshmallows and bananas in it for dessert.

with 3 days to go...

Today we went to have Don's car windows tinted. If we like the final results, we'll have mine tinted by the same company. He's been wanting to do this for quite some time now and it should provide little Brett with some protection from the intense desert sun out here when he's riding in his car seat.

We also went to a local casino and had 10 dollars each in free slot play. We kept cashing out when we got ahead, even if it was a few cents. We ended up turning in lots of tickets for a total of just over$17.oo in free money. Then, we turned around and used it for a lunch at Johnny Rocket's. We split an original hamburger, fries/onion rings, and a strawberry shake. Yum! (It is good that we discovered Johnny Rocket's late in my pregnancy instead of having cravings for it for nine months!) :) We also received a promotional gift - a cute little bunny that doubles as a static-remover/dusting cloth for computer screens. I told the guy who was handing them out that they should be called "dust bunnies"! We also looked around the huge Bass Pro Shop store.

I felt a few more "twinges" this morning in my stomach - kind of a heartburn-type-of-squeezy feel. Just practicing for the real thing, I guess.

Last night I felt truly pregnant...who else would wake up in the middle of the night at 2:55 a.m. soooo hungry...AND go downstairs to actually get something to eat...just a pregnant woman, I'd say. I was so wide awake and couldn't get back to sleep. Brett was moving around and my stomach was growling so loudly, I had to go downstairs to satisfy my hunger. I hadn't been too hungry at dinner. So, at about 3 a.m. I ate not one, but two raspberry toaster strudles. I think my "bad" cravings have saved themselves for this last month! Mostly throughout my pregnancy the cravings have been "healthy"...baked potatoes, grapefruits, grapefruit juice and other juices, etc.

Off to take an afternoon nap...he's zapping my energy night and day.

Only 3 more days 'til our due date...

pickles and ice cream

Well, still no baby...but the counter says FOUR days to go. I can hardly believe it! I remember when it was in the 100's of days. We had our weekly doctor's appointment today and I am just barely dialated to 1 cm. Our doctor does not let his patients go over a week beyond their due date, so we know that little Brett Michael will be arriving sometime on or before the 21st of April. We are hoping that he will arrive naturally. However, if he is not here by the 20th, the induction process will begin (with a little balloon being inserted to help me dialate). Then, on the next day, we would start the oxytocin/pitocin, which is a chemical that a woman's body makes naturally but would be administered in a synthetic form. It sounds like it can be started and stopped as necessary and takes a very short time to be eliminated from the body by the liver so it shouldn't have negative effects on mom or baby.

After our doctor's appointment, Don and I stopped for lunch at Jason's Deli. We had very yummy sandwiches and I saved my pickle for a picture after lunch. Jason's Deli has free ice cream for dessert. We couldn't resist taking a stereo-typical pregnancy craving picture of me with a pickle and ice cream after lunch.

Pickles and ice cream! :) Ha!

We're in the home stretch!

We are packed and ready for the hospital.

One week to go! These 9 months have flown by and our lives are about to change in a great way! We can't wait to meet our little Brett Michael!

Last night we actually called the hospital. I was getting some feelings that kept coming and going in waves quite regularly. I think they must have been Braxton Hicks contractions or false labor pains. They weren't too intense but were regular enough that we thought we'd better call and check to see what we should do. It felt like heartburn that kept coming and going in waves but a bit different than heartburn and down lower in my stomach area, too. (It could have been the homemade salsa I made for our taco salads for lunch yesterday. :) The books and emails I've been reading say spicy foods and raw pineapple may help speed labor along or induce labor. I've had both in the past day or so. It doesn't hurt to try at this point! I'm ready for him to pop out at any time now!) Needless to say, we waited it out and even Tums didn't take away the pains. After sleeping all night, I haven't felt anything this morning, but I'm sure all of the feelings were just preparing me for the real thing.

Some wives' tales say that there are more births when there is a full moon. There is one on the 9th of this month. We'll see if it affects him in any way. (Interesting article below)

The Moon's Effect on Natural Childbirth online article is located here:

http://www.firsttimepregnancy.com/176.html

A full moon? A basketball? A watermelon?

I thought it'd be funny to take a picture of my view of Brett as I see it. I can no longer see my toes, but can see a basketball-shaped belly for sure!

15 days and counting! :)

Beautiful roses from my awesome hubby!

Wow! Time is flying by so quickly. I didn't realize I hadn't posted in this long.

Only FIFTEEN days to go...or maybe sooner...or later...

I am done teaching for right now, since I am at a year-round school and am on my "track break." There are five schedules for teachers and kids at my school and I'm happy to be on the one that I'm on since I get two weeks off and then Spring Break right before the baby's due date. He could not have planned himself any better!

Things we've been doing lately:

• I've been finishing up report cards and getting my things ready for the long-term substitute.





• Grandpa-to-be Ross is out here for a SURPRISE visit! He's been visiting, sightseeing with me, and helping out. We got the one carseat base installed and the car seat set up for little Brett-to-be. Here's Grandpa-to-be watching a tumbleweed cross the road. :) He had a fun time climbing mountains, chasing tumbleweeds and looking out for wild donkeys!

• Talking to relatives and friends on the phone who are excited for our little arrival.






• Going for doctor's appointments. Everything looks great and is on schedule. I almost passed out at the last Dr.'s appt. though! I was laying on my back too long and sat up fast. At this point in the pregnancy, the weight of the baby can cut off circulation if you are on your back too long. I was feeling light-headed and queasy. My face got flushed and I started feeling very clammy. Our doctor let me lay on my side for a while until I was feeling back to normal.

Helen and Jack, my mom's cousins were in town and I had them over for dinner. I made a chicken casserole with stuffing, chicken, celery, cream of chicken and mushroom soup. We also had corn and rolls. Then, for dessert, we had a Marie Callender's "Razzleberry Pie". Yum! Don and I sure enjoy getting together with them. Don, however, was not in town for this dinner since he was at a football clinic. My dad was able to see them while he was here, though.

They were able to "tour" the nursery and brought over a very cute outfit for our little guy.

27 days and counting...

Only 27 days and counting...

Things I've been doing:

• finishing up the nursery/organizing
• getting our birth plan created
• crocheting dishcloths for customers (http://www.scrapsnthings.etsy.com/)
• daydreaming about baby stuff
• getting ready for vacation from work
• getting sub plans together
• making a list of what to pack and things to do before we head to the hospital

Grandma-to-be was here!

My mom flew out to see us this weekend and was able to go to a baby shower while she was here. It was great to see her and I hated to see her leave. We had a great time and also got the baby's clothes organized by months/sizes.

room updates

(A cute little rolling sheep from Aunt Sue from the family shower at Christmas - isn't he cute?)

It's starting to look more and more finished. Now, all we need is a baby! :) We are jealous because his room seems more finished than any room in our house!

Over the weekend, we got a 9-cube organizer in an espresso finish which matches our furniture nicely and will give us more storage in the small room. The khaki colored ottoman (not pictured here) also has a top that comes off for storage. Now, we just need a few paint touch-ups, a few more decorations/frames on the wall, and a lamp and nightlight and we'll be set!

baby shower gifts

Baby Shower Gifts

We received so many wonderful things at our baby shower!

Here are some more photos. I set them up in the crib for a little photo shoot of all the cute items. Mom did this with the gifts from her school shower when I was born, too. The shark hooded towel came with our new Fisher Price aquarium bathtub. Every time I look at him, he cracks me up! Can't wait to see our little guy bundled up in him after a bath - so funny!

baby shower

Today, my co-workers hosted a baby shower. How fun! We received lots of cute baby items, including clothes, a booster chair, vibrating baby seat, bath tub, bathrobes, etc. So many cute, cute things! Here are a couple of photos...will have to write more later since it's past my bedtime. :) The snacks and cake were extremely tasty!

future mommy and daddy

Well, we only have 44 days to go until our little guy arrives. We've been trying to take advantage of the time we have now before we are "mommy" and "daddy". This was a fun weekend. Don's friends, Russ and Mickey, were in town and we went out to dinner at a great steakhouse last night. Today, we went to the Nascar Race at the Speedway. We are not really Nascar fans, but received free tickets through our school district. We stayed for more than 1/2 of the race, but the sun was pretty intense and hot. We decided it was time to go so the baby and I didn't get overheated. Don and I both have pink cheeks from being in the sun - good thing we remembered to take sunblock even though it's March. We thought he'd be moving around a lot from the loud noise, but he didn't seem to mind.

earth "shakes"

Brett survived his first earthquake. (small one)

I was sitting at my computer this morning (actually, just before I did the last post on here) when I heard the windows rattle and saw and heard some things, including my printer shaking and rattling on the filing cabinet next to this desk. The dogs next door had started barking loudly and differently than normal right before this happened, too. Anyway, it was a really bizarre feeling and it seemed like more than just a jet flying overhead or a large truck rumbling by...

Come to find out, it was an earthquake! It was upgraded from a 2.7 to a 3.0 and only lasted 4 or 5 seconds. We had our taxes done tonight and heard the Airforce jets flying and rumbling loudly. I told the H&R Block lady and Don about what I'd experienced this morning (not knowing it was an earthquake) and she said, "It was an earthquake - I saw it on the news tonight!" And, she knew which area of town we lived in, just from hearing about it on the news.

Here's a link to the news story online:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/feb/27/reports-las-vegas-hit-27-magnitude-earthquake/

around the nursery

Little shoes for tiny feet...
In the crib...

Tiny bunny slippers for little toes...

(I finally found a blue pair. These are like the pink ones in our very first post. I've given out many pairs of these over the years to friends when they've had babies. )

and a hand-made blanket by a friend and former co-worker, Emily...such a soft blankie for our little guy!

We have been taking childbirth classes at our hospital. Tonight is our third week. During the first week, we received an overview of the birthing process, learned some relaxation techniques, and the husbands got to try on a backpack full of 35lbs. of "stuff" equivalent to what the wives may gain in pregnancy. They even made one husband lay on the floor and try to get up...not such an easy task. Last week was the tour of the hospital. We saw a labor and delivery room, recovery room, and viewed some newborns. These were preemies and one was 34 weeks along - so cute and small...kind of gave us an idea of the size that our little guy is right now!

Kids' advice...out of the mouths of babes...

I had my students write some advice for us, since we are going to be brand new parents.

Here are some exerpts from their writing:

"Make Mr. Johnson change Baby Johnson's diapers. When the baby comes out it mite cry. Give it a toy." -M.M.

"Feed him macrony-and-cheese. If it crys sing Lullaby Baby. Giv it toys. Giv it a crib. Giv it drinks. Let it have naps - 3 naps every day. Let it woch Sestemy Street. Hold it for 5 minutes. Reed books. If you go to the store, poot it in a cart. For a drink, give it milk." - T.B.

"You need a crib. The color should be green. You need 9815700581 diapers and some toys."

- A.O.

"If the baby crys give it a bottle. If you smell something that reaks it's your baby. You'll need 100 diapers. It's a boy. It should take a nap at 1:00." -M.F.

"If you have a baby you will have to feed him apple baby food. They cry alot so be careful and they have a pacifier to make them stop crying. You will buy him 2 or 3 bottles and you will have to buy him lots of diapers." - M.V.

"When a baby crys give the baby milk, his rattle, or read him a book and call the baby Little Johnson. Buy the baby diapers. Give the baby sleep at 8:00."

- D. A. (illustrator of baby picture above)

"The babey needs 14 diapers so you don't run out of um for a log time. And a quib with a blakit so hes not cold." - L.F.

"If the baby is cold you can buy the baby booties. If the baby crys you should give the baby a bottle. If the baby crys you can give the baby a diaper change." - S.H.

"He can have a pacifier. Het can have a bottle. He can have a crib. He can have a stuffed animal. He'll need blue covers. He should eat applesauce. You should buy 4 . . . actually, 8 diapers."

- R.M.

Cute, huh?

50 days to go!

The countdown says, "50 days to go!"

We can hardly wait! I only have about 20 days of work left because of my "track break" and Spring Break.

I can't believe it's alreay the last week in February.

Brett made a really big move in my belly when it was our read-aloud time in class. I kind of interrupted a student's story by saying, "Whoa!" It was one of the biggest movements I've felt. My whole belly was in motion. I told the student that the baby must have liked the book he was reading. Then, the kids were keeping their eyes on my belly from time to time. One actually saw it move! How fun!

A look at my belly with 50 days to go:

Don as a baby

First Birthday (celebrating Mom's birthday, too) - 1972

Look at the frosting on his cheek - cute! :)

March 19, 1971

Don was born at 4:05 p.m. and was 9 lbs. 11.5 oz. and 21 inches long.

Here are some baby photos of Don. We received his baby book at Christmas time. It's been fun to look through baby pictures and documents! He had long footprints (see bottom picture). In one of our ultrasounds, the nurse said our little guy had long feet, so it sounds like he'll take after Daddy in that area! :)

Brett in 3D again

We were able to go in for a complimentary session for our 3D/4D ultrasound (still photos and a video) of Brett on Friday. Even though it was Friday the 13th, he cooperated this time! He didn't have his hands in front of his face...though he does like to keep them close to his face. We were able to see him sucking on some fingers AND on his toes! :) His nose appears wider/smushed in some of the photos because he was smushed against my walls the technician told us.

bassinet

Here's a little movie of the movement and sound of the bassinet:



It can play nature sounds and songs.

nursery notes

Here are a few more photos from around the nursery. Here's our changing table/storage cart. We have some clothes, toys, diapering items, and books stored there for now. We have three or four disposable diapers in one of the diaper stackers...cute, tiny samples that we have received in the mail and at our childbirth class. Flat changing pad covers seem hard to find, as most are using the contoured pads. Our changing table came with a flat pad and I found one cover at Burlington Coat Factory. I also registered for a contour pad and covers so it can be switched out if need be.

Also, we picked out a mattress at Babies 'R' Us yesterday and brought it home. We have a mattress pad and new sheet on it already, too.

Today I'm working on the block frame...so far so good. I am using some Martha Stewart craft glue that seems to be holding the blocks on really well!

alphabet frame

I am currently working on a little craft project for the baby's room. Inspired by the alphabet block mirror in a previous post, I am making an alphabet block frame. I had wanted to do a mirror, but couldn't find the type of mirror that I wanted. The blocks fit perfectly around this frame, with one block to spare!

I haven't finished washing all of the blocks and have not begun to glue them on. I think it's going to match the bedding/color scheme perfectly. Can't wait to get it done and up on the wall!

Speaking of hanging things on the wall. I finally got the curtain rod and valance hung today. Our electric drill/screwdriver wasn't cooperating with me, but I still got them up!

barefoot and pregnant

This is one of my new 39 cent shirts (from that great $5.00 bag sale)! A great bargain and it's one of my new favorites! And, if you look closely in this photo, I truly am "barefoot and pregnant." Just the other day I tried on a brown pair of slip on shoes that I used to wear all the time. They don't fit any more. I don't feel like my feet are swollen, but they feel like they have spread out/widened a bit. I only have a couple of pairs of shoes that are comfortable right now.

better photos

The other photos were from online sites. Here are some real photos of our "new" high chair, the toys on the high chair tray (detachable) and the bassinet.

You can pull the fly out of the frog's mouth and it vibrates back into place.