May 2011 - Bare Feet on the Dashboard

28
May
2011

Pregnancy Update – 40 Weeks

So, here we are, at our due date and still waiting. You might be saying, “Becca, it is totally normal to go past your due date. Chill out.” True, but there are a few updates I’ve kept out of the blog until now that made me really think this baby was going to be here weeks ago. Consider this fair warning if you don’t want TMI about my cervix and come back later.

The picture above was taken at 36 weeks, and I was already 2 cm dilated and 70% effaced. My doctor gave me orders to slow down, take it easy, don’t do anything that could cause labor for 2 more weeks. I tried my best to follow those orders, but also had a huge fundraiser and a ton of other work stuff to do in the meantime. At 37 weeks I was between 2-3 cm, and at 38 weeks I was at a 3. I started having real contractions mixed in with Braxton Hicks (wow, there’s a major difference) at 38 weeks. A few days before I reached 39 weeks, we had a major false alarm. I had been having pretty powerful contractions all day, and they were anywhere between 4-7 minutes apart. Because I was already so dilated and had a nightmare about delivering the baby myself the night before, I called the doctor. She told me to come in to get checked around 8 pm. We waited a little while longer, then headed to the hospital thinking we might be coming home with a baby. The strapped me down to the monitors for 3 hours, but I wasn’t progressing at all so they sent us home. It was awful. That was 9 days ago.

My sweet mama couldn’t stand it anymore, so she and my daddy headed here the next morning. That night I woke up with horrible contractions about 10 minutes apart from about 3:30 am to 5 am. I didn’t wake anyone up (so nice of me, right?) and just coped by bouncing on the birthing ball, walking around, etc. I thought that once again, it might be time. Around 5 am I was able to go back to sleep in between, and woke up 4 hours later like nothing had ever happened. We spent the rest of the weekend with my parents helping us get stuff done around the house, going on walks twice a day, and eating lots of spicy food. Still nothing…

My parents went back home (5 hours away) on Sunday morning, and we went back to waiting.

This past week was Jed’s last week of teaching, so we were glad to get through it. He is also in graduate school, so he used this week to get a little ahead. I’ve had BH contractions all week, and at my 39 week appointment I was between 3-4 cm dilated and 80% effaced. I’ve had several friends tell me that I’m lucky, because they spent hours in hard labor to get to 3-4 cm. I’m so grateful things are progressing, but I’m just ready for this labor to start in earnest.

I plan to post on Twitter when things get going, so follow along if you’re curious. To keep yourself entertained in the interim, go HERE and enter to win a $100 giftcard for party and wedding supplies from Ann’s Bridal Bargains.

How do you keep yourself entertained while waiting for a big, much anticipated event (like labor) to start?

24
May
2011

The Top Ten Things I’ll Miss About Being Pregnant

categories: baby, pregnancy

I’m so ready for Baby Bun to arrive, but there are a few things I’ll miss about being pregnant. Here are the top ten.

10) Sleeping with a giant body pillow
It has become the 3rd person in our marriage and Jed likes to use it as an arm rest.

9) Asking people to fetch things for me
I told Jed the other day that sometimes getting up or rolling over feels like trying to move a mountain. I have to make a decision about how much I really want that glass of water or to pick up that thing I dropped. Now I just ask someone else to get it for me.

8) Setting the thermostat as I see fit
I have a built in space heater right now. I am normally cold natured, so much so that I will sleep with a down comforter while Jed has just a sheet. Now we have totally reversed roles. Will I go back to normal?

7) A million craft ideas inspired by pregnancy
Mobiles and onesies and decorating…

6) Wearing very stretchy, comfy clothes 24/7
Stretchy pants rock and flowy skirts rock. Let’s be honest, I wear a lot of flowy skirts normally.

5) Feeling my baby move inside me
I know I will miss this feeling, but I can’t wait to see my sweet baby moving around on the outside.

4) Constantly asking other people to carry things for me
Usually I just tough it out and tote things myself, but I’ve had to give in and ask for help. Sometimes I think that 80% of my job is loading and unloading my car for events. I will definitely miss people helping me all the time.

3) Preparing daily for motherhood
I’ve read so many books and websites, prayed and discussed, and spent so much time and energy getting ready for Baby Bun. The preparation and anticipation has been fun, but I’m ready for it to be over.

2) Giving in to food cravings
Buttered popcorn – yes, please. Garlic bread – absolutely. Fresh fruit by the basket full – bring it on.

1) Knowing my body creates the perfect home for my baby
It is so comforting knowing that my body cares for my baby perfectly, and I hope I can do so once he/she is born.

What do you miss about pregnancy or another phase in life that has recently passed?

Click here to read about the upcoming Baby Bliss event.

19
May
2011

The Nursery Part 4: The End

categories: baby, crafts, decorating, handmade

Remember this? This quilt (made by my great-grandmother) was the inspiration for my bright vintage nursery. You can see the first three installments of the nursery reveal by clicking Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3. Why did I divide it up so much? Because 28 pictures was far too much for one blog post.

I created this ribbon mobile to go over the crib to keep the wee one entertained. You can read about the creation of it here. We got the crib on clearance at Target, and the crib sheets, Sleep Sheep, and sweet turtle blanket were shower gifts. The curtains are also from Target, and I got the Boppy (complete with the organic cover) on clearance at Amazon. Don’t worry, it is only staying in there temporarily. The rugs lived in our bedroom for a while, and came from the Second Saturday Sale in Little Rock. I’ve seen them at boutiques here in town for over $200, but I got them for $20 each. The crib skirt is my favorite. It was made by my grandmother for my crib 32 years ago, and is still in great shape. It is too long, but I just folded it up under the mattress to make it work. I should have taken a close up picture so you could see the lovely eyelet lace.

This “bookcase” was a gold plate holder given to me by Michelle, my sister-in-law. I spray painted it yellow to match the room, and am using it to hold some of the books we’ve received as gifts. Below you can see the ring full of family tradition ideas that my Dallas shower guests wrote down for me.

And finally, here is Jed’s favorite part of the nursery, the Twilight Turtle. When you turn it on it projects stars onto the ceiling using real constellations. He likes to show it off when we bring people back to the nursery.

What is your favorite decorating item?

What do you like to show off to visitors?

I’m sharing this post at some great parties.

Check them out on my right sidebar and join in.

18
May
2011

The Nursery Part 3: More Vintage and Hand Painted Touches

categories: baby, decorating, handmade

Today I’m showing you another little corner of the nursery. You can see part 1 of the nursery reveal here, and part 2 here. I love this little corner. We used a regular dresser that we already owned, and created a diaper station on top of it. The changing pad is waaaay bigger than I though it would be, but I guess it is kind of important. The little canvas basket was a shower gift, and I’m using it to hold diapers, cream, and wipes.

These paintings are my favorite part of the whole nursery. My friend Crystal, who painted the letters and buckets, also did all three of these for me. Bunnies and ducks have been inexplicably irresistible to me throughout the whole pregnancy. These paintings fulfill that craving, but without looking too babyish. I love them so much.

One of my other favorite touches is this retro fan that I found at an estate sale. It is totally vintage, fits the color scheme, and is functional. Isn’t it the cutest?!

Come back tomorrow for more scenes from the nursery.

I’m sharing this post at some fun parties.

Check them out on my right sidebar and join in.

17
May
2011

The Nursery Part 2: Hand Painted Letters

categories: baby, crafts, decorating, handmade

Can you imagine my surprise and delight when my sweet and creative friend Crystal presented me with these hand painted letters at my Little Rock baby shower? She matched the paint colors to the bright, vintage theme of the nursery, and attached matching ribbon for hanging. She even gave me all the leftover ribbon. Amazing. Here’s one of the inspiration quilts to compare the color scheme.

I love how each letter is unique. I hung them above the closet to divert attention from the mirrored door and weird gold trim. Oh, rent house weirdness…

You can see part 1 of the nursery here.

Stay tuned for more tomorrow.

I’m sharing these fun letters at some great parties you can find on my right sidebar. Click away and join the fun.

16
May
2011

The Nursery Part 1: Bright and Vintage Inspired

categories: baby, crafts, decorating, handmade

I searched high and low and all over the internet for inspiration for Baby Bun’s nursery. I picked out bedding at Babies R Us, then ditched it in favor of a set from Target. Then I remembered my great grandmother’s quilts and decided to go in a completely different direction.

I used the colors in these quilts for inspiration, and decided to go with a brightly colored vintage theme. One quilt hangs over a spare chair that will be replaced when we move the glider from the living room to the nursery. The other covers the full size guest bed that lives in half the room.

We used a lot of handmade furniture that my husband crafted, including the headboard and two shelves. One of the shelves has several cubbies that are filled with baby things stored in cute buckets painted by my friend Crystal.

The little birdie is a tap nightlight, which will be super handy above the changing table. In another cubby lives Paulo the Piggy Bank that I painted with some of my WyldLife girls, and one of the corsages from my baby shower.

More vintage inspired touches include a trio of mod podged doily paintings that you can read about here, and mason jars filled with brightly colored pinwheels.

Glow in the dark sheep live atop the cubby shelf, while toys and a diaper cake begin to fill the play corner.

OMGiant Belly…

Jackson enjoys the fluffy rugs that used to reside in our bedroom. They help to mask the ugly rent house carpet. We can’t cover up the rent house mirror doors, so I’ll use them to give you a preview of the rest of the room. Come back this week to see the rest.

Where do you find decorating inspiration?

I’m sharing this post at some great parties.

Check them out on my right sidebar and join the fun.

15
May
2011

Verse of the Week – Nehemiah 1:11

categories: jesus

“O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” Nehemiah 1:11

I am reading through Nehemiah right now (random, I know), and this verse came along as I was preparing for our big fundraising golf tournament. I prayed this verse over and over, asking the Lord for favor as we presented the ministry of Young Life to a lot of new faces. Sometimes it is hard to ask for favor from the Lord, because we feel we don’t deserve it or that it is wrong to ask. I think He wants to us to ask, and longs for us to seek out His blessing. Have you asked the Lord for favor in any situations lately?

09
May
2011

My Maternity Photo Shoot – Part 1

categories: baby, pregnancy

37 Weeks

My sweet friends Sydney and Raychel took maternity photos for me, first at the Dallas Arboretum, then with Jed at White Rock Lake and our home. In retrospect we should have done it before I started to resemble a house, but I’m still so glad to have them. Both ladies are super talented and teaching themselves to be photographers. This first round is from Sydney, and are just a few of my favorites. She edited some of them, and then I tweaked some using Picnik.

Looking at pictures of yourself at nine months pregnant is a bit humbling, because you really are as big as you feel. On the other hand, I love having these pictures of our little family before we meet our Baby Bun. We are nervous and excited and waiting patiently for our new addition.

We tried not to be too cheesy. I started to giggle whenever we would strike a goofy pose. I think these all turned our really well. The sun was SUPER bright, so there were some shadows, but these look as natural as you can look posing in a field of wildflowers with your husband.

Do you schedule family photo shoots?

03
May
2011

Counting Down the Days

categories: baby, pregnancy

I am so hugely pregnant right now, and the days are quickly dwindling. We have our OB appointment today, and I’m nervous and excited about it. We will get to see our baby for the first time since the 20 week ultrasound, and Jed is worried that we will accidentally find out the gender. I am just stressed about getting everything done at work so that I can do nothing but adjust to motherhood during maternity leave. I’ve made it through the first of my checklist of big events – the last Young Life club. This Friday is the last WyldLife (middle school) event, a giant crud war. Don’t worry, I’m not participating. I’ll just be the MC. Next week is our big YL golf tournament, a couples wedding shower that we are co-hosting, and a quinceanera we’ve been invited to. Yikes. After that, we are good to go. That means of course that the baby will either be a week late or come right before all the big stuff (or right in the middle). The great news is that I’ll be done with week 37 on Saturday, so the baby will be full term with developed lungs and everything. That is such a huge relief.

When do you think our baby will arrive?

Guess the date and time in the comments section.

I’m so excited to share the my post about Jed’s Solar Powered Hanging Jars was featured by two different blogs.

Check them out below.

Mother Earth News

Month: May 2011