Baby Shower

My friend, Shelley, threw me a "Before" Baby Shower (I say "before" because I will be having a couple "after-the-baby's-born" showers) on February 13 for my friends and family in the Pocatello area and it turned out really nice! I had a great turnout of about 20 people and Shelley had some fun games picked out for us to play! Unfortunately I didn't win in the game that I participated in and I hope that it doesn't reflect on how good of a mom I'm going to be! :-)

Below I was pulling baby items out of paper bags that everyone had to guess what they were. The item I had just pulled out was what I call a "booger-sucker-outer-thingy". Unfortunately that's not it's real name--it's called a Baby Nasal Aspirator. I got that one wrong on my paper...

My Grandma Logan always crochets a white afghan for the baby to be blessed in.

These two triangle pieces are called Peepee Teepees. My friend, Jessica, made them and they are for if we have a boy--you use them to cover him up when changing his diaper so you don't get a shot of urine in the face. Clever? Yes!

Below is my friend Dana demonstrating how a Snoogle pillow works. She lent this to me so I can sleep better at night. It supports your neck, around your back, between the knees, and under the belly. It has been soooo nice to sleep with! Dana is going to be our doula for when the baby's born. For those of you who don't know what a doula is, it is a birth assistant. She has had two babies all naturally with midwives so she knows the routine. She will come to my house and talk me through the contractions until it is time to go to the birth center in Rigby, and then she will go with us and help there. She can also help Kenny know what to do when he feels lost in how to help when I'm in labor! :)

Here's me with all the gifts I got at my shower, most of which were diapers and wipes (yea)! Everyone was so generous and I'm so glad Shelley put this together for me. My mom was even able to make it from Glendive, Montana (about 10 hrs away), so I was excited about that. :)

Here is a picture of the yummy refreshments we had: Meatballs, Veggie Tray, and Mini Carrot Cupcakes (a delicious Pampered Chef recipe).

And this is how much fun I had! Thanks Shelley for putting this together for me and thanks everyone for coming and for their wonderful gifts!

Maternity pics--for real this time

I was finally able to upload the actual pictures so you don't have to go into Photobucket to view them. Below are some of my favorites:

Kenny forgot his wedding band and the ring I wore was the only one that fit me.

Suzanne (my photographer) was so proud of this ribbon that she picked out, and she was excited to scrapbook with it when we were done. :)

For those of you who don't know what I'm trying to do here with my short, stubby fingers, I am trying to form a heart. Unfortunately, to me, it looks more like Batman.

This one is one of my absolute favorites. Yes, I was actually lying in the snow!

We had to get a picture of how wet I got from lying down in the snow. Suzanne was soaked from the waist down as well.

If you want to see all of my maternity pictures, let me know.

Picture Posting Difficulty

I have been trying to post my maternity pictures and my baby shower pictures and blogger will not post pictures for me. Is anyone else experiencing this? I have a lot of pictures I would like to post, so if anyone has any solutions to this problem please let me know!

PREGNANCY--A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP

What I love about pregnancy:

• Feeling the baby moving around and knowing everything is okay. The baby becomes especially active when I take baths--maybe it will love the water!

• Not having to worry about sucking in my stomach to look skinnier. If I've overeaten it's okay to just relax because, hey, my stomach is supposed to look that big!
  

• I get to wear an entire new wardrobe of super cute clothes. Maternity clothes have to to be some of the most comfortable clothes I've ever worn! Plus the ones I have are very cute and stylish.
  

• I'm allowed to eat a little extra of everything...well almost everything. I'm supposed to be eating lots of protein and fresh/frozen fruits and veggies. This gives me an excuse to buy fresh fruits and veggies and not feel guilty about it since canned foods are usually cheaper.
  

• Being pregnant is a very popular conversation starter. You know those awkward moments you have with people you don't know very well after you've already said, "Hi' and asked how each other are doing? Well, being pregnant is usually a good way to start a conversation with most people and keep the conversation rolling.

• Extra special attention from Kenny, family, and friends. Kenny has been very sweet and understanding through this entire pregnancy. If I need my back rubbed, he will rub it; if I need a bath drawn, he will draw it; if I can't remember to take my daily vitamins, he will remind me; if I don't feel like doing my walk and yoga, he will encourage me; and if I'm irrational or hysterical, he will handle the situation beautifully. Friends and family have also been very concerned in how I'm feeling and very sympathetic.

• I crave fresh, steamed broccoli. Yep, that's right! Not chocolate or potato chips or pickles, I crave fresh, steamed broccoli! And, if nothing else sounds good to eat, I can always eat cereal. I try to eat the healthier ones--the ones with less sugar/carbs and a little more protein.

What I dislike about being pregnant (especially right now):

• The nausea gets really old after a while. The first trimester I was nauseous all the time--I was lucky enough to not throw up (and it's still a running record)--the second trimester was okay, and the third trimester has its ups and downs. It doesn't help when the baby pushes up on my stomach.

• The back pain! Oh man, the back pain is excruciating sometimes. I try to do a 20-30 minute walk and pre-natal yoga each night, and then apply a heating pad to my back when I go to bed. However, my back is still stiff when I wake up in the mornings, so in order to be halfway limber during the day I have to take a 15-20 minute bath every morning before work.

• Steak and pork chops aren't very appealing to me right now. Normally I love steak and pork chops, but every time Kenny suggests is for dinner I say, "No way." I also don't like pickles very much right now either.

• Not being able to sleep. Between the back pain, the peeing every few hours, and just plain being uncomfortable I don't sleep very well. As soon as I hit my third trimester I just started dragging anyway, and the the "no sleep" part came, and then working 40 hours per week with no naps really doesn't help resolve the tiredness issue.

• The dreaded swelling. I officially can't wear my rings anymore which makes me feel sad (and naked). I also had to buy a different pair of shoes for work (one's without heels) and I had to go to a size 6W--yep, WIDE--my dainty little feet are no longer dainty and little. :::sigh::: However I've been lucky that my ankles haven't swollen...yet.

• The extra sebaceous oil and acne. As if I don't already have to deal with that all the time anyway, pregnancy has made it so that you could hook up and oil rig to my face and pump enough oil for the entire state. And of course the acne that comes with that is always fun.