31 Weeks Pregnant

7 months down, 2 to go!

I don’t think there’s much new going on with Norah this week. Her brain is developing more rapidly now, and all five senses are in working order. I’m getting so anxious to meet her!

There’s nothing much new with me, either. Things are still going well overall, except that my darn tailbone still hurts from the fall down the stairs, and it’s a little harder to find a comfortable position at night – or rather, it’s hard to GET in a comfortable position because it’s hard to roll over. I’m sure this is just a glimpse of what’s to come. My belly is growing faster now as Norah puts on more weight. The other day it was almost 37 inches.

Last week Travis and I took a trip up to Charlotte to go to Ikea and a baby consignment sale (it’s sort of like a flea market with just baby/kid stuff). I’m so happy with all the stuff we got! We found TONS of amazing deals and ended up with approximately $700 worth of stuff for just $160. Some examples:

· 28 pairs of baby socks for $3 (usually they’re about $1 a pair)

· Bumbo seat for $11 (retail price: $40)

· Two Boppy pillows with covers for $6 each (retail price: $37 each)

· Lansinoh breast pump for $5 (retail price: $32)

o This was only used once, according to the price sticker. Some of the parts were still wrapped in plastic!

· Infantino shopping cart cover for $5 (retail price: $30)

· Crib sheets for $1 each (these are normally about $15)

· Lots of clothes probably averaging $2.50 per item

· And our favorite find: an adorable rustic looking doll house made to look like the inside of a tree, which came with fairies, furniture, etc. for $18 (retail price: $160!!) This was another one of Travis’s strokes of luck. Norah won’t be able to use this for at least two years, of course, but it was just too cute. (Called “Fairy Forest Lodge,” in case you were curious.)

Here’s a picture of some of the stuff:

I wish you could see the details on the clothes. I am in LOVE with the brown flowery corduroy dress!

At Ikea, we bought Norah’s (seventy-dollar) crib. I guess I’m sort of a “clean lines” person – I like plain, not-too-fussy furniture. This crib was perfect. It’s made of solid wood, so it’s nice quality, without too many bells and whistles. It does have an adjustable mattress height, and one side can be removed so the crib can be used as a toddler bed. That’s pretty much the extent of the features. I also like that it’s fairly short, so I won’t have any trouble bending over and reaching into it.

Here’s a picture of what it looks like now. It’s unfinished wood, so I think we’re going to paint it to match the changing table (which we also haven’t gotten around to painting quite yet).

This week’s Bradley class was really interesting, and also very reassuring. We learned about the roles of all of the hormones involved in labor. I don’t want to bore you with too many facts, but it’s pretty amazing how they work together to cause contractions, relax the mother’s body and prepare it for birth, prepare the baby for life outside the womb, cause mother and baby to bond, and much more. The part that I found reassuring is that there is a hormone called beta-endorphin which balances out the oxytocin (the hormone that causes contractions). It prevents the contractions from becoming too strong or too painful to bear. So, the question, “Do I have a high enough pain tolerance to handle a natural birth,” is one that I need not be concerned with. My body cannot create more pain than my body can handle. This is a natural, normal process that has been happening for as long as humans have existed, and it need not be feared. Labor is not some outside force coming to cause you pain – it is your own body doing what it knows how to do. Trust it.

Making Room for Norah

I don’t have too much news to report here – I’ve been slowly working on some projects, but have nothing to show for it yet. I’ve gathered and priced a whole bunch of stuff to take to a flea market, which we plan to do in the next couple of weeks.

Travis was away over the weekend, visiting his dad who is in Utah for work. I tried to be productive while he was gone, and I was, but somehow nothing looked any better by Monday. I did tons of laundry, etc. I was excited to wash Norah’s clothes, sheets, blankets and such, so I spent some time on that, which was fun. It’s hard to know how to fold the little clothes, though!

My current goal is to have the art/computer room cleaned up and converted into the art/computer/piano room (ugh) by next Monday. We’ll see if that’s realistic or not. I’m really sick of trying to keep the piano room looking clean for my students when it’s the only place to stash the baby stuff. It is, after all, going to be the baby’s room. I’m also sick of not being able to use my sewing machine because of the mess all around it. Yes – it’s THAT bad.

Ok, I’m signing off now! It’s been a VERY busy day, and it’s past my bedtime!