So this must be nesting???

At my last doctors appointment last Wendesday he decided to go ahead and induce me a week early! I was thirlled because I feel ready to be done with pregnancy, and I've been horribly uncomfortable. The cute little flutters that were so much fun to feel have turned into jabs and jams from knees and elbows, my bladder barely holds an ounce of liquid anymore, and sleep has become near impossible. I'm ready to give her an eviction notice! He checked his schedule and we decided to induce on Tuedsay October 6th. Now that I know for sure her arrivial is 8 days away, I find myself in this crazy frenzy to make everything perfect. Last week I stripped all the sheets and pads off her crib and got them washed. I put all the 0-3 month clothes in her dresser and the rest I organized in three rubbermaid pink bins that I stacked in her closet. So now I have all of her clothes organized by sizes 6-9 months, 10-12 months, and 12-18 months. I combined the 12-18 month stuff because I have less of it. Let me tell you between this baby girl's Grandma's she is going to be a very well dressed child! I think clothes is an expense Raynor and I won't be worrying about too much. This week I have organized my days by things I need to get done on which day. I will share:
Monday- Finish folding and putting away her clothes and blankets that I just washed. Organize her bathroom and find spots for everything like towels, washcloths, soap, medicine first aid kit, ect. I also need to find spots for things like extra crib sheets. Thank goodness she has a walk in closet!
Tuesday- Catch up on our laundry. I would like the have all the hampers empty when we come home because they will fill up again soon enough. Raynor also needs to finish putting the bouncer together. I got it maybe 1/4 of the way there, but I am terrible at putting things together. Even with instructions, stupid me doesn't understand them half the time!
Wendesday- Scour the bathrooms so they are squeaky clean. I'm only doing toilets, sinks and showers though floors will be Friday or Saturday! I also need to remind Raynor to install all the safety latches and stuff. Although she won't be very mobile for a while, it will be nice to know they are already installed.
Thursday- Put the clean sheets on her crib, the pad on the changing table, and hang the letters above her crib that I painted. I will need to go to Michaels Craft store to find something to hang them with. I also have a few things that I need to take to Goodwill. The coat closet is driving me crazy. I'm going to Target to buy some storage things to go in there.
Friday/Saturday- Make sure we have everything we need for the hospital, double check our bags and the diaper bag. Raynor also will be installing the carseat sometime this weekend. Mop all the floors so they are clean, I know she won't care but we will probably be having company coming over to see the baby for a while and I like to have a clean house when people come over. Also the kitchen cupboards are driving my crazy. The tops of them are covered with cluttery things which I need to find a home for. I have cute little docorations to put up there, I just haven't got around to it yet. Also vacume, but I do that pretty much every day anyhow because of pet hair. Saturday night Raynor and I are going out for a nice dinner together, maybe a movie we'll see. Sitting for a long period of time isn't very comfortable for me right now. But we thought it would be nice to slurge on one last date night, since we probably won't be leaving her with a sitter for a while.
Sunday- I'm hoping we can just relax (more that I can relax, Raynor is doing great) and just enjoy eachother's company. Raynor might go fish for a little bit that day, which is totally fine with me. After that we will probably head over to my parent's house for dinner.
Monday- Run the vacume and make sure that all the dishes are done, and laundry is put away. Also I think I will wash our sheets. It would be nice to come home to clean sheets. Put any final touches on her room, make sure we have everything ready like diapers, wipes, blankets, bottles, extra changes of clothes ready for when we get home. Also, packing Ozzy his little bag with as Raynor's mom was nice enough to take care of him for us while we will be gone. We'll be taking him over there when we Raynor gets home from work.
Raynor and I are going to Babies R Us tonight to get the last few things we need. If anyone has any suggestions on anything that is a "must have" for when you get home let me know! I know it sounds like enough to keep me busy, but I still think its going to be the longest week of my life. I'm so excited, but I'm also really nervous. I've never really been a patient in a hospital before. But I really trust my doctor, and I know women have been doing this since there have been women. If they all got through it then I most certainly will too.

Yay us!!!

A huge part of Raynor and my financial issues have always come from eating out. The amount of money we have spent on eating out is just unreal. Our ability to cook is not an issue. I love to cook, and I have gotten quite good, if I might say so myself. Raynor is no dumby in the kitchen either, he is equally as good if not better than I am. The problem is time. Time to grocery shop, time to prepare a meal, time to clean the kitchen ect. And I can't say that I really enjoy cooking after I have worked a nine hour day and neither does Raynor. However, with the baby on her way and the possibility of only living on one income after she is here Raynor and I have been trying to brainstorm as many ways as possible to cut costs. We don't have cable television, we have cut down on cell phone minutes, I no longer have internet on my blackberry, and we have eliminated a lot of unnecessary driving. But of course there was the problem of eating out. I know to some it might sound silly, but that was the hardest thing to let go. Last week when I got taken off work by my doctor I decided enough was enough. Since I will be spending most of my time at home, at least for the next three months there is no excuse to be eating out. We went grocery shopping and got plenty of food to last the week for breaksfasts, lunches and dinners. I have started planning out menus for the week, and actually look forward to making dinner now. And I am proud to say we have gone more than a week without a single meal out!!! That is a huge milestone for us. I am so proud!!!

Stressful times...

Let me just start off by saying, I hate money. I really hate money. I know that sounds funny coming from someone who works with it all day long, but I hate it. Money complicates everything. Its ruins people, it ruins families, it ruins marriages. People get so caught up with how big their bank accounts are, and the things they have. Money drives people to do incredibly stupid things. I'm not saying I am a saint, I am just as caught up in meterialism as everyone else. I like nice things like designer purses, shoes, handbags, and sunglasses. I love adding cute things to my closet and watching it grow. And I would LOVE to have a shiney new car some day and a big beautiful house. But in the end does this make us happy? We certainly don't take it with us when we die.
I am on this rant because for the last 9 months (since I got pregnant) Raynor and I have been sooo excited about becoming parents and our little bundle of joy being in our arms soon. We can't wait to hear that first cry, see the first toothless smile, and whitness those wobbly first steps. We are stoked about the whole thing. We both know (some people keep reminding us) that babies are hard work. They are expensive. They wake up at night. We know this. But people have been getting through it since the beginning of time, and something just tells me that all those sweet little moments make it so worth it. It doesn't seem fair that our excitement is dulled sometimes because we are still not quite sure how this whole little adventure will play out financially. But I stress about it every day and so does he. Raynor wants so bad to be able to take care of his family and make enough money so I don't have to go back to work. It is very important to him to fullfill my wish to be a stay at home mom at least until our child is in school. But it isn't his fault that the job market sucks. The poor guy has been working 3 jobs since we found out we were expecting this baby back in February. On top of that he has been filling out applications and sending out resumes every spare second he gets. But there are so many qualified applicants out there that are unemployed. It is just so sad. But in my opinion it is our meterialistic, need to have everything, living above our means ways that has got America into this mess. As I stated above, I am just as guilty as the next guy.
Basically, we have a few months to make a decision. I get 12 weeks off with pay from the bank. I know those 3 months will fly by though. After that the paychecks will stop and we will have to decide if I will return to work or not. The other problem is with the amount of money I make, compared to the cost of child care we would almost just be turning dollars. The other option is finding someone that does childcare in their home to watch her, sometimes that is cheaper. I just don't trust anyone enough to do that. That may sound a little paranoid, but I personally know someone whos child was molested by the son of his babysitter. To me, that is a huge price to pay for keeping your job. Our other option is to try and work oposite shifts. One of us work while the other stays home with the baby. I can't help but think about the toll that would take on our relationship though. Raynor would work early, early mornings from 3am-9am and then I would work during the day. He would be exhausted, and I would barely get to see the baby because I would pretty much be coming home to put her to bed. So what is the easy solution? Just trust that it will all work itself out? I wish I knew...

Fall cleaning

I guess I never realized how much I could get done if I wasn't working 9 hours a day, and 6 days a week. Last week I was just beside myself because I had no idea how I was going to get everything done before the baby comes. Raynor said that the baby won't care what our house looks like when she comes home from the hospital, but I most certainly do care. I know I will be more relaxed and at ease if everything is nicely organized and not dirty or cluttered. I didn't take any time off when we moved in here, because I was trying to save up as much vacation time as possible for when the baby comes.
I don't mind cleaning, I really dont, but when it gets on my nerves is when I simply feel I don't have the time or energy to do it. I am embarrassed to admit this, but I'm going to anyways. Our floors had not been scrubbed since we moved into this place. I vacume over them a couple times a week, but thats about it. The closets also had not been organized. We had one weekend to move in here, and I actually had to work on that Saturday. So basically we had half of a Saturday and a full day on Sunday to get in here. We lived out of boxes for months! After that I was working 6 days a week every week and by the time Sunday came it was the only day we were able to spend together and it ended up being the "catch up" day. So last week when my doctor pulled me off work, a part of me was actually relieved. I've been able to scrub my floors, organize all the closets, do all the grocery shopping and also prepare a menu for the week, so we won't have to eat out. Not to mention the baby room is all ready to go now, all we are missing is the baby. Its amazing how much better I feel now. Now the only problem will be going back to work when the time comes...

Hair and Makeup

Anyone that has known me for a long time knows that I have always been a pretty girly person. From middle school on I would not leave the house without freshely applied makeup, nicely brushed hair, and a well put together matching outfit. Well for some reason in the last year or so, I have been letting this part of me go. I blame it when I went to work at US Bank. US bank made us wear these horrible ugly polo shirts that were not flattering on anyone along with black pants every day. That was our "uniform". It was like I just stopped caring after that point. I would wake up, take a shower, get dressed in my ugly "uniform" and throw my wet hair up into some kind of bun or ponytail and at best I would put on foundation, and maybe a little blush. I guess after that point I didn't feel like I had anyone to really impress. But it also impacted how I dressed on my personal time too. I traded my feminine blouses for Aeropostale t-shirts, my high heals for sneakers or flip flops, and I just never took the time to mess with my hair and make up. I think part of it was my sleep issues. I would have rather stayed in bed for an extra hour sleeping than spend that hour primping to go out.
Anyways this past week or so, for some reason I have decided to start primping a bit more. Maybe its my pregnancy hormones, I dont know. But I've been wearing eye liner and eye shadow, and I've actually been doing something to my hair for once. I have to say, it has boosted my confidence imensely! Yesterday, I had a baby shower. I didn't want to spend the money and a brand new outfit, well because I'm pregnant and I won't be for much longer therefore I really don't want to invest in more maturnity clothes. Even though Raynor and I will be having more children some day, it won't be for a while and if I get a choice in the matter I do not plan on being pregnant in the third trimester again during summer! Anyways, I got a little off track there. I went through my closet and decided on a pair of white burmuda shorts, and I found a pink and black silky sleeveless empire waisted shirt that I had never wore, and forgot I had! It isn't actually a maturnity top, but because of the way its cut out it fit perfectly. Then came the problem of what to do with my hair. I got a haircut a while back and have been beating myself up over it ever since, because I never know what to do with short hair. Anyways, I clipped my bangs back and sort of flipped the ends out with my flat iron. I did my makeup and put on a cute pair of pearl earings. I finished it off with a cute pair of pink peep toe wedges. Let me tell you, Raynor could not stop complimenting me yesterday! All day, he was telling me how pretty I looked and how much he liked my outfit. And I felt better about myself too. I definitely don't think life is all about looks and I don't think there is anything wrong with lazy days spent in t-shirts and old jeans or sweat pants. But yesterday motivated me to start doing my make up and hair again. It makes me feel so much better about myself.

8 years later....

I remember like it was yesterday my dad coming in my room and waking me up to tell me what was happening in our country that day. At that point, we didn't know exactly what was going on. I poured a bowl of cereal and sat down in front of the TV right as the second plane hit. I remember the look on Katie Couric's face so well. I think the whole country was in shock. My parents never let us go to school that day, because they were unsure about what was going to happen.
Today, eight years later I still can't bring myself to think about anything else than that tragic day. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to be there trapped in one of the towers. Or on the other plane. I can't even imagine what the people on flight 93 went through, or the bravery it must have taken to fight the hijackers and bring the plane to the ground knowing they would never see their loved ones again. I have no idea what it must have been like, to know your husband, wife, mother, brother, sister, or best friend was in one of those towers and not knowing if they would ever make it out. Seeing the TV footage of all the pictures of missing people still makes me cry.
Today our thoughts and prayers are with those brave souls that lost their lives that day.

The final stretch

So yesterday it finally occurred to me that we are in the final home stretch of this pregnancy. I don't know why that came as such a shock to me. I had a doctors appointment yesterday, and the doctor said she could easily be here within a week, if not then probably 2 weeks! I mean, I knew I was pregnant which typically results in an infant at some point. I've had the ultrasounds, I've heard the heavenly heartbeat, and I've DEFINITELY felt the acrobatics of my little sweetpea in my belly. So obviously I had to have known that this day was coming soon. Raynor and I were sitting on the couch last night, both in disbelief about how fast this whole thing has gone. It really feels to us like it was not long ago we found out we would be having a baby. We so shocked and scared, afterall we hadn't seen ourselves with children for another five years or so. But we stuck it out together and started planning our new lives as parents. It helped so much that our families have been so supportive. This will be the first grandchild on both sides, and they are so excited. My mom calls me several times a day now, just to check on me and find out if I'm having any contractions. Its so sweet that she cares so much.
It isn't that we are having second thoughts, or are not excited about this baby coming. We are seriously thrilled and so excited to finally hold her and see what she looks like. Raynor can't wait to see her in the crib he put so much time and effort into putting together. But still, last night as I was putting our stuff together to take to the hospital, I couldn't help but getting butterflies in my stomach. What will it be like when we get home? What about Raynor's job situation? Will we have enough money? These are all questions that keep running through my head. I guess I just have to trust that it will all work itself out?

Pregnancy Update

I have been lucky enough and very, very blessed to have a pretty excellent pregnancy so far. I never had much morning sickness, no major problems or anything. Last night I woke up around 1am to go to the bathroom. My bathroom trips are like clockwork these days, I am usually up at 1, 3, and 5am to pee since the baby likes to lay on my bladder. So anyways after I got back into bed I started getting these awful contractions. I've had the braxton hicks (like practice contractions, but not dangerous) before, but never like this. It felt like period cramps, but like a thousand times stronger. My back was also killing me. I woke up Raynor and we started timing them. At one point they were coming back to back about 2 minutes apart. I decided that we should call the hospital. The doctor on call was really nice, and suggested to take a warm shower to relax my muscles. That certainly made me feel better, and I was able to sleep through the night until my alarm went off at 6:30am. This morning the contractions kept on coming, not quite as painful but nevertheless they were still there. I called the doctor back and this time they wanted me to come to the hospital. I left work and checked into the hospital. The doctors and nurses were super nice. They hooked my up to a fetal monitor and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat (I loved that part). The only problem was the contractions were still there and they were causing the baby to go into stress. They ran some tests to see what the chances were of me going into preterm labor. We haven't got the results back yet, but we should hear back by tomorrow. So for now, I am on bedrest at least until I can get in to see a doctor tomorrow. I am 34 weeks pregnant, but the doctor says even though in the long run the baby would be fine, they don't like to deliver this early unless it is unavoidable. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers!