Curious Cat

Look who just had to check on baby Shelby during nap time today! He took one look and decided he was not interested.

First Walk Outside

Shelby and I took advantage of the nice weather today and went for a walk outside. The cherry trees, forsythia and daffodils were in bloom and it was gorgeous!

Chunky Monkey

Shelby had a weight check today and weighed in at 6 pounds and 8 ounces. She gained 10 ounces since her last visit on Friday and is up 3 ounces over her birth weight. She's a happy, chubby baby!

Happy One Week Birthday!

We survived the first week!

First Pediatrician's Visit

Shelby had her first visit to the pediatrician today. She fussed a little bit on the way over but did great with the doctor. She gained 2 ounces since leaving the hospital and will get another weight check on Tuesday.

First Bath at Home

Shelby survived her first bath at home this morning. She was a champ! She's now conked out in her bouncer and being soothed by the sounds of the washer and dryer.

Baby Girl is Here!

Shelby Elaine Hartman was born on March 22 at 1:34 pm. 6 lbs, 5 oz. and 18.5 inches. Doing great after a natural birth. Her middle name is in honor of her late great grandma - a wonderful woman who's smiling on us from heaven. Today is the happiest day of our life!

Counting Down and Making Her Count

Come on, Baby Girl! Don't you want to be counted in the 2010 Census?

It's exactly one week until my due date and we are still waiting. This part at the end is the hardest!

38 Week Checkup

We had a rather dramatic day today! At my checkup this morning, my doctor checked me and I was measuring 4-5 centimeters dilated and 70% effaced. Since it's unusual for first-time moms to be progressing that far along without contractions or active labor, my doctor sent me to the hospital for monitoring. Scott and I came home, finished packing our bag just in case we wouldn't be back home and I went to wait at the hospital while Scott went to wrap some things up at work.

After waiting for a while, I was admitted to the triage/assessment area. I put on the hospital gown and got hooked up to two monitor belts - one to monitor contractions and one to monitor fetal heartbeat. The fetal heartbeat was good and I was experiencing small contractions about 30 seconds apart but they were very mild. They were so mild, I could not even feel them. The on call doctor didn't think it was necessary for me to be admitted or to induce labor since I am still a little under two weeks out from my due date and not experiencing strong contractions. It was a bit stressful for a few minutes, but ultimately a good experience. My biggest concern was that I had not eaten lunch and if I was admitted I would be starving and could not eat - seriously! All I could think about was food!

It was a good "practice" day for when the big day does arrive and hopefully when I do go into active labor things will progress quickly and without complication. Mental note: EAT before you go to the hospital!

From Telegrams to Tweets

I was cleaning out an old email folder this morning and came across something interesting that a relative sent me: a scan of a Western Union telegram announcing my mother's birth in 1953. (Sorry to reveal your age, Mom!) In an age where you can practically live blog your entire labor (don't worry... I won't be doing that) it's interesting to think about how this was the quickest way to alert family members about a baby's birth just a few short decades ago. What a long way technology has come!

St. Patrick's Day, the Pregnant Way

We had a really fun afternoon. Scott wanted to go check out Mac McGee, a fairly new Irish pub in Decatur in case Baby Girl is born early and we don't get to celebrate St. Patrick's Day next week. You might think it's cruel to drag an almost 9 1/2 months pregnant woman to an Irish pub around St. Patrick's Day, but there was plenty to keep me entertained, including delicious fish and chips, an Irish musician and even a bagpiper! There were also quite a few kids and babies in there (probably because it was the middle of the day) so I didn't feel so weird sitting in a bar with my giant belly.

Here's a picture of Scott enjoying a perfectly poured Guinness and fish and chips. We came home afterwards and took an embarrassingly long nap. I blame being almost 9 1/2 months pregnant. Scott blames the Guinness in the middle of the day!

37 Week Checkup

The waiting game has officially begun. At my checkup this morning, I found out that I am now three centimeters dilated and 50% effaced. (Sorry if that's TMI) It really could be any day now!

I feel like we are ready. Everything is done - car seat installed, nursery complete, suitcase packed, clothes washed. I feel surprisingly calm. I guess it's because there is no point to fearing the unknown.

I even feel good despite the lack of sleep lately. I'm wide awake from about 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. and usually fall back asleep for a few minutes, just in time for my alarm clock to go off. I guess my body is preparing for those middle-of-the-night feedings! Scott has slept for a few hours in the nursery for the past two nights to preserve his sanity and work productivity. I've turned into a sniffly, snoring, tossing, turning bed hog - it's not pretty! O'Malley even joined him and you know it's pretty bad when your cuddly-almost-to-the-point-of-being-annoying cat won't even sleep at your feet anymore! Everyone's having a slumber party in there while I'm all alone in our room, piled on a mountain of pillows and going to the bathroom every 30 minutes! Boo!

Super Productive Sunday

I think turbo nesting has kicked in. With three weeks left, I've been in overdrive trying to get things done and organized before Baby Girl arrives... which could be any day now. Or not. Who knows!

On Friday night, I washed and put away the last of her tiny clothes, sheets, burp cloths, towels and washcloths. Today, I picked up a stroller frame that I found on Craigslist (a barely used Maclaren Easy Traveller for $30 - score!), ate lunch, went to dance class for the second day in a row, picked up the twin bed frame from the furniture refinisher and put the bed together. It was the last thing we were waiting on for the nursery to be complete.

But of course, nothing can be accomplished without minor challenges! I guess they make mattresses and box springs a lot taller than they used to, because when we put the bed together and stacked the mattresses on top, the bed was WAY too tall. Like, comically Princess and the Pea too tall. After tying the box spring to the roof of the SUV (because the car seat has already been installed and we can't lower the seats anymore) we took it back to the store, and Scott will pick up a flatter, wooden slat bed spring from Ikea this week.

Now, I'm going to go veg out on the couch and watch the Academy Awards red carpet and show. Ahhh... the perfect mindless entertainment for a well-deserved relaxing evening!

A Motherhood Rite of Passage

Last night, I attended my first ever church mega consignment sale. Twice a year, our local church's preschool holds a huge baby and kid consignment sale to raise money and give parents an opportunity to sell their old baby stuff. I didn't really know what to expect, but apparently it's like a monstrous indoor yard sale combined with the frenzy of Black Friday.

I got lucky and got a preview pass from a friend, which allowed me to shop a day earlier than everyone else. Preview pass shoppers began lining up an hour before the doors opened, armed with huge shopping bags and laundry baskets, ready to sprint around to scoop up the best bargains. Since I didn't really know what to expect and I already have most of the large items on my baby check list (not to mention I am not exactly in sprinting condition right now) I just went to scope it out, see what it was all about and pick up some cute outfits or whatever else caught my eye.

It was way bigger than anything I had imagined - entire rooms devoted only to toys, strollers, books, etc. The largest part of the sale was definitely the baby clothing and I scored some super cute, fun brand name and high end outfits. Nothing was over $3-4 and most of it was new or barely worn. I am already stocked up on the basics - onesies, playwear, etc. - so it was fun to get some cute little dresses (and even a teeny tiny swimsuit!) for super cheap because I won't feel too bad if Baby Girl doesn't even get a chance to wear them.

These consignment sales usually go on in the spring and fall and if you're a new mom and haven't heard about these kinds of sales before, I'd definitely recommend checking them out. Check this website for an updated list of consignment sales in the metro Atlanta area.

Moms: are you a fan 0f consignment sales and stores? What have some of your best "steals" been at these types of sales?

36 Week Checkup

I had a doctor's appointment today and will have one every Tuesday until the baby comes. The doctor said she could come any time now and that it would be OK - they would not try to stop the labor from progressing. That's crazy to think about! I will now wake up every morning thinking if today will be the day, although if I had to guess I would say she will come after mid-month.

The doctor estimated her to be a normal size and said she was still in the head down position and will probably not move or flip before delivery, so a breech presentation is unlikely. I also think she has "dropped" in the past couple of days because I've recently felt a lot more movement in my lower abdomen.

A minor downside to the appointment is that I found out that I tested positive for Group B Strep. However, with proper treatment, it is not that serious and just means that I will get an IV with antibiotics during labor. You can read more about it here.

"March"-ing Toward New Beginnings

Today I turned the page on my calendar to the month of March - the month Baby Girl is due. I can't believe the end of the pregnancy and the beginning of her life outside the womb is almost here. These 30+ weeks have gone by so fast. This Sunday she will be considered "full term" which means her lungs should be mature and developed enough for her to breathe without complications.

I had my third and final baby shower on Sunday with my neighborhood friends. What an amazing group of women! I feel so blessed to live in such an amazing neighborhood and I've made some wonderful new friends. Everyone guessed her due date. Almost everyone guessed she would come before March 28 and a lot of people picked March 17 - St. Patrick's Day.

As I admired my fresh new calendar page and looked over the month to come, I saw so many great dates to look forward to. St. Patrick's Day. Daylight Saving Time. The first day of spring. Palm Sunday. Passover. Easter in April. Days that symbolize luck, new beginnings, atonement, rebirth, longer days and SPRING! Baby Girl will be born just as the azaleas, cherry trees and dogwoods begin to bloom and the days stretch on a little longer. It's my favorite time of year.

In anticipation of the big day, I'm taking a poll:

• What day do you think Baby Girl will be born?
• How much do you think she will weigh?
• How long do you think she will be?