Day 31! 3/31/21

 This month of blogging has flown by! It has been nice to write down my thoughts each day this month.  Today is sunny but chilly, so I think I will keep going on my laundry/organization for the day.  I actually slept in this morning, which was amazing! And I'm happy to share that I finally found a K-cup that I really like, its Starbucks 'Spring Day Blend' from Target. It says limited edition so I will stock up on it while its around!  I know with the baby coming soon I will need that coffee.  There is one thing that I keep putting off in preparation for the baby, and that is moving our dog Rocky's cage from our bedroom where it has been since he passed away last summer.  The pack n play will go in that spot, which I know needs to happen but it is just so hard. I still get sad and cry sometimes when I think about him, he really was my first 'baby', but now it is time to make room for the new one.  Thanks for all the supportive comments this month fellow Slicers! 

Ultrasound 3/30/21

 Today I had an ultrasound to check up on the baby and it was crazy how much bigger he looks!  They estimated that he is 6 pounds, and I am 33 1/2 weeks...so I think he is going to be a big baby. My husband is 6'2 so I was kind of expecting that already.  The baby is super active all the time, so I wasn't surprised that at one point he had his foot up on his face during the ultrasound. We got a pretty funny picture of it too, I think that one will definitely be put in a frame. Yesterday with the help of my mom I was able to sort all of the baby clothes I have been given so I can see exactly what I have and still need.  It was a huge help and I feel a lot better knowing things are more organized.  What he will actually fit into when he arrives is another story!

3:30 am 3/29/21

I've been awake since 3:30am.  Blah. I think its from a mix of anxiety about all of the things I need to get done and the Braxton Hicks contractions I keep having. I definitely did too much yesterday and this is the side effect.  My mom and sister are coming over today to help me sort baby stuff and get some things cleaned around the house, which will definitely be a great help. Time for some coffee.

Grocery Shopping While Pregnant 3/28/21

 Today my husband and I went to return some things from BuyBuy Baby and then stopped at Meijer to do some grocery shopping. Lately I have been just doing car side pickup but we went in the actual store.  I had a list, but of course got wayyy more than what was on it because, well, I am 8 months pregnant.  I was hungry too, which is never good when grocery shopping.  Also, walking around a store while this pregnant wasn't so fun and I did of course take some of my irritation out on my husband who was taking his sweet time looking around.  Ugh.  We made it home and put everything away...is 5:30 pm too early for bed??? 

Jurassic Park & Pizza 3/27/21

 My night last night consisted of watching Jurassic Park and eating pizza with my husband, and it was perfect. Its nice not to have to cook dinner and to just relax and watch a movie.  I've seen the movie about 30 times over the years, but its always a good one to re-watch. In the last few years my husband has upgraded the TV and sound system in our family room, so he is always excited to watch a movie that will show that off. I have no idea what 4K, ULED, ect. ect. means, but apparently its great stuff. 😆

Fridayyyyyyyy 3/26/21

 I couldn't think of a creative title for my blog post this morning. It's Friday, woo! My last day at work before spring break. I have high hopes for alllll of the things that I said I would get done during break. I feel like my energy level has been pretty good lately despite being 33 weeks pregnant, so hopefully that keeps going into next week so I can get a lot done! My mom and sister volunteered to come over one day to help clean the house, which is definitely appreciated. I'm at the point now where I can barely reach down to get socks out of my top load washing machine, so I think I will leave that job for them. My husband does help some, but he usually works until 7 or so at night.. so during the week its up to me to get the household stuff done. At this point, if it doesn't get done, it doesn't get done! 

Gloomy Days 3/25/21

 Gloomy days are tough.  I woke up this morning and immediately felt it. I just feel blah. I miss the sunshine. It definitely helps get me moving and motivated to start the day. Apparently my baby doesn't mind the gloomy days in his cramped space because he is doing some flips and kicks as I type. I am sure those will get even more active once I get some much needed caffeine in me! 

After the baby 3/24/21

I have been thinking a lot lately about what my husband and I will be doing after the baby arrives as far as having visitors and going out into the world.  I am definitely apprehensive about having anyone over to the house who is not vaccinated, and even those who are I am going to ask they wear a mask inside.  My in-laws live two states away, so whenever they do come to visit they will most likely be staying with us, which presents a whole slew of issues I don't even want to begin to think about! Hopefully they will be able to follow the 'rules' that I set before they come. For me, even with my own parents, I think early on visits will need to be somewhat short. I want my husband and I to be able to get the hang of being first time parents before other people are around a lot. I know babies in general have weak immune systems for the first several months, so I would much rather be overly cautious! 

Spring Break 3/23/21

I am SO looking forward to having next week off of work for Spring break. Not that I am traveling anywhere fun and exciting, but just to have a week to do whatever I want to do is something that I am grateful for. The weather is supposed to be pretty nice, so I will spend time outside for sure. I will definitely be catching up on household things like laundry and cleaning, which isn't the most fun thing to do, but knowing I have a week to space it out is a great feeling.  When I go back to work after break, I only have about 3 more weeks until my maternity leave starts! That is both exciting and scary at the same time. 

Virtual Shower Success! 3/22/21

 I had my virtual baby shower yesterday and it was a success! It was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be to talk to everyone who attended.  We played a few games and then just talked about babies and what has been going on in other peoples lives lately. I was so happy to be able to see some of my friends and family members that I have not physically seen in a year or more.  My mom brought over some cute decorations for our background so that it looked more like a baby shower.  She also brought a few treats from 'Nothing Bundt Cakes' which I obviously devoured in one day. 😄

Spring? 3/21/21

 The weather is warming up here, and for the next week the forecast shows 50's/60's...has Spring finally sprung? I can't wait to start shopping for flowers for my yard and smelling the freshly cut grass. I love just sitting outside on my patio and looking out into the yard, listening to the birds chirping. Its amazing how just doing this for a few minutes completely calms my mind and body. I think I eventually need to move somewhere where the weather is like this year-round.  Hopefully the nice weather continues and is here to stay. I do not want to jinx it though, I do live in the Chicago area.....

K-Cups 3/20/21

 Does anyone have a favorite brand of K-Cups that they always use? I feel like after years of using a Keurig I still can't find that perfect one.  Maybe its because I think the Keurig in general kind of waters down the coffee. I usually go between the Mcafe' Medium roast and Starbucks Blonde roast K-cups. Its just not the same as getting coffee from somewhere outside my house. I recently tried one of the GirlScout cookie flavored K-cups from Bed Bath & Beyond, and they were not good. Super disappointing! 

Made it to Friday! 3/19/21

 We made it to Friday! This weekend is my 'virtual' baby shower so I am excited to be able to see my friends and family through Zoom on Sunday. I feel like I am starting to catch up on some household things that have been piling up lately so that is a great relief. I have to say that Trader Joe's frozen and refrigerated meals have been a lifesaver for me these past couple months when I am too tired to figure out what to make for dinner! My top picks have been the orange chicken, chimichurri rice and verde chicken enchiladas.  They are all super easy/quick to prepare and taste good too! 

Easter Candy 3/18/21

 I did a spur of the moment 'Target run', which ended in me buying several bags of Easter candy that I should NOT be eating. I don't even feel good after eating sweets anymore since I have been pregnant, but still bought up half the aisle. When I was growing up, my mom never let my sister and I have candy, sugary cereal, or anything 'unhealthy'.  I partially blame that for why as an adult I will buy those types of things occasionally when I 'feel' like it. My husband doesn't like sweets at all really, so it will 100% be me eating all of this candy.  Yikes. Unless my sister happens to come over, in that case I will give it away to her.  

Daycare Costs 3/17/21

 I started looking at daycares recently for the fall for my new baby....and wow...it is expensive!  My mom said she would watch the baby two days per week, so in my mind I was thinking "3 days per week won't be too expensive".  Clearly I was wrong. I've heard back from four places so far and they are all pretty similar in price. I can see now why some people quit their jobs and just stay home instead of paying for daycare! A few of the places had the option for part time programs, others said full time only. I also spoke with one of my friends who said her daycare provider does not allow for flexibility with days during the summer, which is sad considering we are off of work and will not want to be sending a baby to daycare every day.  I understand it is a business and they need to make money, I was just caught off guard with all that daycare entails! 

A Tylenol kind of night 3/16/21

Last night was a Tylenol kind of night.  I haven't been taking much of anything throughout this whole pregnancy, despite being sick for the first 5 months. But last night I had a headache that I could not shake! It started mid-day and was still throbbing before bed. I finally broke down and took the Tylenol. Did it help? Kind of. I at least was able to fall asleep for a little while!  I think it was probably from the weather being so up and down here lately. No coat one week and snow boots the next! 

The hospital bag already?? 3/15/21

I have an app on my phone for my pregnancy that gives a daily 'tip'. Usually they are really helpful and I learn something, however, the tip for today was a bit alarming. It said to start packing my hospital bag now! I am 31 weeks, and the thought of packing "The Bag" is terrifying for some reason.  It seems like I have a lot more time than I actually do! I know things can happen and babies can be born early, I just hope my little guy stays put until his due date. 😀

The wrong shade of blue 3/14/21

 Well, we picked the wrong shade of blue for the nursery accent wall. Totally learned a lesson about buying a sample first! We usually do, but this time the paint color card seemed great, it was more of a 'grayish blue'...but once on the wall it was more of a 'baby boy blue' which we didn't really want.  So off we went back to Menards to get a darker color.  Luckily my husband agreed with the color gone wrong and is more than happy to re-paint the accent wall today! 

Virtual Shower - 3/13/21

Next weekend I am having my 'virtual' baby shower.  I wish it could be in person but there are just too many risks right now, and with the unpredictable weather in Chicago it was just the best choice. We are playing a few short games and I *hopefully* will be able to show some of the nursery if the furniture can be put together by then! The gift card prizes for games will just have to be mailed/emailed, and I know people will be fine with that. It will be nice to see the faces of some of my friends and family that I have not seen in over a year! I figured that hopefully by next spring things will be safer and I can have the same people over for a get together to meet the baby and have a 'real' gathering. 

Friday! 3/12/21

 Woo it's finally Friday! I don't have any real plans this weekend but it is just nice to know that I have two days to do whatever I feel like doing. This week has seemed like a long one.  It might be because spring break is coming up soon and all of us want and need that week off asap. It might also be because I have had a lot of work to do to get ready for my maternity leave.  Several co-workers have told me not to over-work myself trying to get things done, but it is just kind of in my nature to make sure I have everything organized and completed before I leave.  Even though someone is taking over for me I still feel like I need to do as much as possible before then. 

Missing my pup 3/11/21

I saw my neighbor today when I was going out to my car and he asked if we still had our dog Rocky. I had to tell him that over the summer he passed away. I thought I was ok at this point but clearly not because after I got into my car I burst into tears. Losing Rocky was sudden and traumatic, it happened in the middle of the night and my husband was out of state working in Boston.  I had to rush him to the emergency vet and the following day had to make the decision to put him to sleep because there was little chance of recovery from the stroke that he had. It was devastating. The vet happens to be my sisters best friend from childhood, so I trusted her guidance, which helped a lot. It still isn't easy and I miss my best bud Rocky every day. Hopefully in the future we are able to adopt another dog and give them a loving home, just not quite yet. 

Laundry Woes 3/10/21

 Does anyone else hate doing laundry? I cannot stand it.  Its all fine to throw the clothes in the washer and then the dryer, but the final step of hanging/folding is what gets me.  Being pregnant has significantly reduced my motivation to keep up with it lately. But even prior to that it was something that I never wanted to do.  I'll be completely honest, I have wayyyy too many clothes. So I can definitely go a while before I absolutely have to do laundry, which in and of itself makes the task even more overwhelming when I look at the large piles of clothes! If I had endless money I would pay someone to do it for me. 

Another beautiful day 3/9/21

 It is yet another beautiful day here with some warmer weather and sunshine! I will definitely be opening up the windows in my house to get some fresh air in there. I just love the smell of warmer weather in the spring, it brings a calm over me. The snow is almost melted in my backyard, which has revealed to us that a mole was moving through at some point and eating whatever they eat underground! To say my husband is upset is an understatement.....he prides himself in taking care of the yard and has worked hard to get it where it was prior to this critter infestation.  Its incredible how much damage a little animal can make. Hopefully when the ground thaws the grass will start to grow back in the series of tunnels that have collapsed. 

Spring Weather

 Today is an absolutely beautiful day outside here.  It is in the 60's and the sun is shining! This is such a great mood booster for a Monday. I am looking forward to more warm weather and sunshine.  I also got a 20% off coupon for Target which is a double bonus for a Monday! 

Painting the nursery

 Today is the day that we finally paint the nursery, and by 'we' I mean my husband. 😊 He has been working 6-7 days a week the past few months for his actual job and this is the first day he has had time to do this, so I am feeling very grateful and relieved! It seems like there is so much to do and so little time. I am 30 weeks now and the time seems to be fast-forwarding. I don't know if you are ever fully ready to become parents, but at least one of the things on the list is getting accomplished today! 

Cupcakes!

 I finally tried a new cupcake place not far from my house today and I was not disappointed!  I was on my way to visit my parents so stopped and I got a dozen cupcakes.  There were sooooo many good flavors to choose from and of course I wanted every one. They had St. Patrick's Day themed ones with little rainbows and green sprinkles, so cute.  Its amazing how something so small can bring happiness. My family was happy as well to get a few special treats. I will for sure be going back there again.

Coffee Orders

 Do you ever have a day when you just know exactly what type of coffee you want to order and cannot get it out of your head?  That was me this morning. I had some extra time before work so I stopped at Dunkin to get exactly what I was thinking of, but when I got to work they had put wayyyyy too much cream in it! I needed the caffeine so I still drank it.  I do have a Keurig at home and could 100% make it myself before work, but there is just something better about coffee from somewhere else like Dunkin or Starbucks. I've been debating about getting one of the Nespresso machines that make both coffee and espresso, but haven't been able to justify that just yet. Although if it makes better coffee I wouldn't be stopping before work and spending money.....it might pay for itself that way! 

Gratitude

This morning I was thinking about how many boxes of baby items are sitting in my front hallway. It is an overwhelming amount since the nursery is not yet finished so I have nowhere else to put it all! But it made me stop and think about how grateful I am to have friends and family who are able to send us gifts for our new little one coming in May. Even the smallest item is so appreciated because it is one less thing that I have to remember to buy as it gets closer to my due date. I can't even imagine what it is like for some families who are not able to have the same level of support.  I've learned that baby items are not cheap by any means. The essentials such as diapers have a price tag that shocked me.  For something that is necessary and that you use a lot of, the price is high.  

We are all doing the best that we can.

 We are all doing the best that we can throughout this whole year of COVID. I can see the aftermath of what a year can bring with nonstop stress and worry.  I can see it in the parents that I work with, the students, the staff and my friends and family. I also can see it in myself. We are all exhausted, annoyed and burnt out. My previous post about 'mental health days' seems like a great way to alleviate those affects, but again with the guilt of "but I just have so much to do".  When will it be acceptable for us to take care of ourselves?  There is so much pressure to get things done, and quickly, and without question. I hope that I am able to raise my future son to be a person who is able to take those moments to stop and take care of his own mental health and well being.  Take a day off, sleep in, do nothing and do not feel bad about that.  We all need it and deserve it. 

Sunshine

 The sun is shining today! That is always something that helps my mood and motivation. It reminds me that the warmth will melt the snow and we will start to feel warmer temperatures soon. I think we all need an early spring and I look forward to being able to sit outside on my patio again. I also look forward to spring break at the end of this month.  I think everyone needs a week off to just re-set and try to relax, especially with the amount of changes that have been thrown our way this school year. It has been exhausting and not easy for people to stay centered. I know for me there is always some sort of guilt for thinking about taking a mental health day, which shouldn't be the case! But we all need them, and deserve them. 

The beginning of no sleep....

 Sleep is something that I have clearly taken for granted all of my life, up until now.  Right now I am 29 1/2 weeks pregnant and had the worst night of sleep last night, which does not make for a very happy Monday!  The tossing and turning, all of which is not easy to do with a large baby bump, is exhausting.  Hip pain and muscle cramps make it impossible to sleep on either side for very long...I think it is finally time to try sleeping downstairs on the recliner!  

I know this is all probably getting me ready for when the baby actually arrives and my sleep is limited from that, but it is definitely a rude awakening right now.  What makes it more frustrating is that my husband is able to sleep, and even snore, all. night. long.  I am sure there are other moms out there who can relate to this!  I just keep telling myself 'I can do this!'.