meet blaire

Blaire Harper was born on August 23, 2011, at 11:50am. She weighed 8 pounds 4.5 ounces and is 21 inches long. She has the most beautiful golden hair and blue eyes. She has completely stolen our hearts.

 

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to let you know of Blaire's arrival but this mommy thing is hard work! I've been so absorbed in loving Blaire and taking care of her that it was hard to find the time to sit down and write this post. In fact, I've written this entire post one handed, as B is sleeping in my other arm. I will try not to stay away so long next time, but my daughter is a beautiful distraction.

update on le bebe

I'll spare you any details on the status of my cervix. (You're welcome.) Let's leave it at this: there has been no progress since the last appointment.  Little missy is apparently very comfortable where she is and appears to have no intention of budging anytime soon. In fact, she is so far from ready that the doctor was making jokes about her being born with a driver's license. That might sound insensitive but I appreciated his sense of humor. What else can you do but laugh when your child takes up permanent residence in your uterus?  The sense of humor was appreciated even more so when he said "Let's give this kid her eviction notice."  Music to my ears. 

He tried to get us in tonight but it was a no go. We are scheduled for an induction Sunday evening. Because there has been no progress, this is not a standard induction and may take a little longer. We're hoping to welcome Blaire into the world on Monday, possibly (pleaseohpleaseno) Tuesday. 

I'll probably blog again soon because, well let's face it, I've got plenty of time on my hands. But if not, I'll be back next week with news and pictures of Blaire! 

41 weeks & a post-pregnancy list

I've made it to a milestone I never thought or hoped I'd reach - 41 weeks pregnant. Miss Blaire has now been cooking for a full week past her due date. I have to be honest and tell you that I am beyond ready to meet my little girl.  It feels like I have been pregnant forever.

But no one wants to hear from Debbie Downer.

To keep my mind off the fact that I'm still pregnant, I thought I'd put together a list of things I'm looking forward to post-pregnancy.  (My pre-baby bucket list is here.)  Other than spending time with Blaire, of course, I can't wait to...

...enjoy my first cocktail since November. I've been dreaming of a glass of cold, white wine since the weather started turning warm. I've already got a bottle of vinho verde chilling in the fridge.

...wear heels again. And really, every other pair of shoes I own. I can't wait to slip my feet into something other than the same pair of silver J. Crew flip flops I've been wearing for weeks. (They're all that fits. Seriously.)

...rejoin the Y. It's been so long since I've exercised. At this point, rolling over in bed is physically challenging. And painful. I can't wait to start working some of these pounds off.

...get back on the Weight Watchers wagon. I know the Weight Watchers program works for me so I'll be counting points again soon.

...wear my wedding rings. It might be a few weeks before the swelling is gone but I am so excited to wear my rings again.

...get back into my old jeans by Christmas. This might be a pipe dream considering how much weight I have to lose, but it's good to set goals. 

...drink a giant, guilt-free fountain Diet Coke with lemon. And then maybe drink another. (I should clarify - I have not stopped drinking Diet Coke altogether - just cut way back. I look forward to over-indulging in a ridiculous amount of DC.)

I have a doctor's appointment this morning. Last week we were told that they'd schedule an induction if we made it to 41 weeks, so I'm expecting to get an induction date at the appointment. Hopefully we'll know Blaire's birthday very soon! I'll keep you posted!

"It's too damn hot for a penguin to be just walking around here."

Now that it's over, I can laugh about it.

Allow me to set the scene. Florida. August. Heat index of 100+ degrees every day. Me, 40.5 weeks pregnant.

Saturday night the house started to get warm. I told Brian I thought we might be having a problem with our AC. He told me it was just me "being pregnant." You can imagine how well that went over. By the time the temperature inside the house reached 84 degrees at 10pm, I knew we had a problem. The AC unit in my college apartment used to run low on Freon and ice over frequently, causing the same problem so I assumed that's what we were dealing with. However, our AC unit is in the attic crawl space so I couldn't get up there to verify for myself. (At this point, Brian is still operating under the assumption that I'm a crazy pregnant lady. I didn't bother to ask him to climb up there to take a look.)

First thing Sunday morning I called out an AC repairman and he was at the house by 10am. I assumed he'd pump in some Freon, de-ice the unit and save the day. Instead, he dropped a bomb.  Our compressor was fried. If you're like me and don't speak air conditioning, this is bad news. Very bad news. He recommended we get an entirely new A/C unit to the tune of $6,000-$8,000.  I recommended he get his head examined. Plan B was to replace the fried compressor for about a third of that.  Yes, please!

Unfortunately, the parts suppliers are all closed on weekends. We were told we'd have no air until at least Monday when they could get the part and come out to repair the unit. At this point it's about 85 degrees in the house and I'm starting to panic.  Luckily, I have the best sister ever who let us crash at her place on Sunday night to escape the heat.

Yesterday, the company said they couldn't be out to start repairs until 2-4pm, so I spent the day running errands and shopping for things I didn't need. (Sure, why not buy more outfits for the kid who has more clothes than she can ever wear?!?)  Of course, the repairman had to send me to the brink of panic and didn't show until 4:10pm.  At this point the house was an unbearable 91 degrees. I thought I would literally melt sitting in there waiting for them to complete the repairs. The Wicked Witch of the West "I'm melting, I'm melting" scene from Wizard of Oz kept running through my head. If not delirious, I was certainly dramatic!

Four hours later, the AC was fixed. Sort of. We turned on the air and left to grab dinner. When we got home it was down to 84 degrees. And honestly, it felt fabulous. When I woke up at 4am, it was 76 degrees. I nearly cried tears of joy. 

They came back out this morning to do godknowswhat to the unit but we seem to be in business. It's still a heavenly 76 degrees in the house and I am no longer on the verge of an overheated pregnant lady nervous breakdown. 

Despite the heat and unexpected repair bill, I can't help but think how lucky we are. What if Blaire had been born on time and we'd had a brand new baby in a house without air? I can't even imagine the nightmare of packing up everything we'd have needed for her and trying to learn the ins and outs of a newborn at a hotel. Thank you Blaire for being late! The house is cool now so feel free to join us when you're ready.

*I'm sure my tales of air conditioning woe aren't of much interest to most of you, but I just had to get this down for our own memories. Not that I'll ever forget it! 

**Bonus points if you know where the quote in the blog title comes from. Actually, strike that. You lose points if you don't know. It's a classic, people!

baby update

No baby yet!

My due date was Thursday but that date didn't work for Blaire. She's quite happy where she's at and seems to have no interest in coming out anytime soon.  The doctor said we hadn't made much progress so we're going to give Blaire another week to decide if she'd like to come on her own terms. If she hasn't arrived by next Thursday, we'll schedule an induction.

At this point, every morning feels like Christmas morning. I wake up full of excitement, wondering whether today is the day.  I'm so excited to meet Blaire but not upset that she's not here yet. I know she'll come when she's ready. 

That said, I have tried many of the old wives' tales said to induce labor. I've had a pedicure, ate spicy food, walked and walked and walked... all to no avail.  I've had other suggestions which I don't plan to try, including castor oil (definitely not that desperate), macaroni & cheese with A-1 (eww), jumping on a trampoline (more likely to break the trampoline than go into labor) and a special salad at a local restaurant (not objectionable, but they have the world's best pancakes so I'd probably get those instead).  A woman at my office is convinced I'd go into labor if I would just vacuum the floor. People have lots of ideas about labor!

I'm looking forward to meeting my daughter but until that happens I'm going to keep busy and enjoy the weekend. Brian and I had a great dinner at a local Mexican restaurant last night (for the locals, Cocina 214) and I'm going to see The Help with my sister this afternoon. I've got a stack of books and magazines to read, research to do for my fantasy football team, and Brian and I may just go out to dinner again tonight while we still have the opportunity.

Hope you all have a great weekend! Happy Saturday!

new look

How adorable is the new blog design Lindsey of Sweet Simplicity Blog Designs made for me?  I loved my old design (also by Lindsey) but thought it might be fun to make a change. I'm loving the new colors and roomier layout. Hope you do too! 

Thanks Lindsey!

what's cookin'

There are so many good recipes on Pinterest. Here are two of the latest I've tried.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

Source: penniesonaplatter.com via Melissa on Pinterest

I knew these would be a hit even before I made them. Brian will eat anything I make but it's the simple, unpretentious recipes that always make him the happiest. And if it resembles fried food or anything that would be served at a bar? Bonus points. Just as expected, these were a hit with him. They aren't fancy but they are tasty and relatively healthy. (I used light cheddar and cream cheese and white meat chicken to cut out a few extra calories.)

The best part - this recipe makes a ton of chicken bites, so I froze most of them for later.  Instead of baking them, just spread them on a tray and flash freeze for about thirty minutes, then transfer to a freezer bag.  

Easy peasy.  I love cooking once and getting three meals.

Tonight's dinner was also found on Pinterest and originally from Cooking Light. It was a great weeknight meal - quick and healthy.

Chicken Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

Source: myrecipes.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Of course, I can't leave well enough alone and had to tinker with the recipe a little. This time, I ended up making it less healthy and doubled the dressing and goat cheese called for in the recipe. But honestly, what's not better with more goat cheese?  I also subbed out the orzo for bowtie pasta because I had it in the pantry. I think the leftovers will be great for lunch tomorrow served cold.

My food photos are proof that a fancy camera does not mean great photographs.

Have you found any great recipes on Pinterest? If so, please share!

39 weeks

Another pregnancy update. I know what you're thinking.

I love it. So true, right? But you try growing a human. It's hard not to let it consume your thoughts. Something about the repetitive punches and kicks to the gut from the inside tend to keep that baby on your brain. But we're in the home stretch so the end is in sight. However, pregnancy updates will soon be replaced by gratuitous baby picture postings so really...nevermind. It will never end. Consider yourselves warned.

I had Brian take a couple pictures of me this weekend to document the progress of "the bump." OH MY WORD. It was not pretty. So, you don't get to see those. But I did snap a couple pictures in the bathroom mirror last night and I will share those. Something about the grainy, crappy bathroom pictures seem to hide the full horror of just how big, swollen and puffy I am. (I hope.)

Okay, on second thought, those pictures aren't hiding a thing. But there it is. The ugly truth. Pregnancy isn't glamorous people. But my reward is coming!

How Far Along: 39 weeks

Gender: A girl! Blaire Harper

Size of baby: Who knows! My guess is 8lbs + but what do I know?  We'll find out soon.

Total Weight Gained: Ha! At this point, I wish I didn't know the answer to this question. I'll admit the shameful truth tell you after I lose it all.

Maternity Clothes: Over them. The yoga pants you see pictured above? I wish I could live in them. I just might for the few weeks after she's born.

Movement: She's moving quite a bit. And rearranging my internal organs, from what I'm feeling. Poor thing is running out of room so she has to make room. Sure feels strange!

Sleep: Sleep is getting tough. I wake up many times a night to turn over and try to get comfortable.  More nights than not, I'll wake up for a couple hours in the middle of the night. I almost always get back to sleep after so it's not so bad. Certainly nothing compared to what lies ahead!

What I miss: I wouldn't trade a thing I'm missing for Baby B! But I do miss my face. It's buried under three chins and puffy cheeks. Looking forward to getting that back. And ankles too. Oh how I miss having ankles. And wearing my wedding rings. Can't wait until they fit again.

Cravings: I had been craving Jeremiah's Italian Ice for a while. Brian and I went last Friday and it was sooo good. I might just go again this weekend.

Aversions: Humidity!

Symptoms: The usual - swollen hands and feet, achy legs and the inability to get up or roll over in bed without groaning like an old man.

Best Moment this Week: The excitement that comes each day with knowing that this could be the day we meet our daughter!

I'm heading to the doctor's office this afternoon. Hopefully they'll have an update for me on what progress, if any, we're making toward Blaire's arrival.

etsy love

Thanks to Etsy, my mailman and UPS guy have been working overtime lately. Coming home and finding a package on my doorstep just makes my day and getting pregnant has only intensified my Etsy obsession. There are just so many adorable, hand crafted baby items out there. I've found some really great things (not just baby items) and wanted to share some of my favorite finds with you.

If you're looking for custom stationery, you have to check out Preppy Paper Girl. She made the thank you notes I sent out after Blaire's baby shower and I absolutely loved them! The design was perfect and the notes are made from thick, high quality card stock. And oh my goodness, PPG could not be any sweeter to work with. She's such a doll. I cannot recommend Preppy Paper Girl enough.

I ordered first birthday gifts for two sweet boys from Simply Stella Studio. I got each a custom melamine plate and they came out so cute. These plates made great gifts for the little ones but would also be a really nice hostess or holiday gift.

As soon as we decided on Blaire's name, I ordered a monogrammed gown and hat from Studio MCA Designs. The gown is so soft and the embroidery is beautiful.

Along with everyone else under the sun, I'm loving chevron print. I wanted to incorporate the print into our house but didn't want to invest in anything too expensive in case I grow tired of it once the trend has passed. The chevron pillow I ordered from at Castle Creek Designs was the perfect solution. It was super affordable and well made and looks great in the living room.

I had intended to purchase some onesies and have them embroidered with Blaire's monogram at a local embroidery shop. After calling numerous companies, I realized that embroidery is expensive and very few companies in my area do small embroidery orders. Posh Designs by Marilyn was the solution to my problem. I was able to order custom monogrammed onesies and have them shipped to my house for cheaper than I could have them embroidered locally (and for much less hassle). I love how they turned out and will be ordering more in the future. How cute would a red and green monogram be for Christmas?

Do I really have to say anything about the adorable sunsuit I ordered from JenoaHP? The picture speaks for itself. I can't wait to see Blaire wearing this. The ruffles are too cute!

With all the thank you notes I'm writing and birth announcements we'll soon be sending, I wanted to get a return address stamp to save myself a bit of time. Save the Date has great prices and a wide selection of designs.

Naturally, I plan to torture my daughter with regular photo sessions, so as not to miss a moment of her early days. Would you expect any less from a crazy first time mom? To mark each passing month of Blaire's life, I bought these stickers from Lil' Baby Bumblebee. Hope she's not camera shy!

Bella's Bowtique has a HUGE selection sweet headbands and bows for little ones. I could have ordered 25 but limited myself to two. For now. If you plan to order, I suggest "liking" them on Facebook because they frequently post sales and discount codes.

I wanted ruffled bloomers for Blaire's newborn photographs and found hundreds of options on Etsy. These were among the cheapest I found. I was a little worried the quality would suffer but was really pleased when I received them. They are beautiful and will be so cute in her pictures. If you're looking for something similar, check out Caca Baby.

I love supporting small businesses through Etsy. Hopefully some of you saw something you liked here and will support some of these wonderful Etsy sellers, too. Just think of it as doing your part to stimulate this rotten economy.  :)

*I was not compensated in any way for this post. I purchased all items featured and was not given any discounts or free merchandise in exchange for mentioning any of the Etsy shops.

a room for our girl

Welcome to Blaire's nursery!

I made this flowered "B" for our wedding more than two years ago, so it has such a happy association for me. I love that it now hangs on Blaire's door.

I love this little reading nook in the corner. I can't wait to rock Blaire and read her books in this comfy glider. I think we'll spend lots of time with our sweet girl here.

I found a great Etsy seller to make this seersucker pillow to match the crib bedding.

This dresser was in our guest room before it became the nursery. I switched out the knobs and now it feels new. It's will also double as a changing table - the height is perfect. We've got all the diaper essentials stored in the top drawers within easy reach and the bottom drawers hold clothes, blankets, burp cloths and other baby necessities.

The closet is full of my clothes (old house = very limited closet space), so we got an armoire to hang some of Blaire's clothes. (The diaper cake on top is not a permanent fixture - it's just up there until I dismantle it and put away the diapers.)

I'm so excited to see little B in all the sweet outfits we have for her. Hope our girl likes to play dress up!

At long last - the crib! After all the trouble we went through to get a crib in the nursery, it makes me oh so happy to see it in her room. It's not the dream crib I waited on for months but I know it will work just fine for Blaire.

The frames above the crib are currently filled with patterned paper, but they'll be replaced with pictures of Blaire after she's born and an Etsy print. (Don't worry - they're firmly affixed to the wall and will be taken down before she can stand up to reach them.)

 

A close up of the crib bedding - pink seersucker.

Blaire's grandparents got her this little chair. She's going to love it. And I'm going to love propping her up in it for pictures. Poor thing!

So, there it is, the full tour of Blaire's nursery. I know it's quite pink and girly, maybe a bit more so than I had intended. However, it's sweet, soft, and comfortable and I think Blaire will be very happy in there.  We are so excited bring her home to her nursery. We love her so much already and cannot wait to meet her.