Wordless Wednesday: Big Boy Seat Edition

(That remote doesn't work anything. Elijah can learn to amuse himself in the car.)

Week 32 Update

We're officially starting the eighth month this week. Just a few more, okay 8, weeks to go! It honestly seems like we were just at Week 20 and halfway through this adventure.

I finally broke down and created an Amazon Baby Registry. It has all the gear I talked about in this post, plus other items I've thought we might need or others have suggested (three guesses on the only two items Eric has added to the registry). You can see what we've got on the list by clicking on the link above or going to Amazon.com and searching for either of our names on the Baby Registry list.

Within the last week I've been really tired all the time. I still get up for my two potty breaks per night, but now it's getting harder to get back to sleep. The smaller bladder and activity usually wakes the Niesling up so he starts moving or hiccuping and then I can't get back to sleep. Thank goodness for weekends and the time to take naps.

Here are pictures for the last two weeks, I'll hopefully have 32's up soon as well.

Week 30

Week 31

Childbirth Prep Class

Today for the next step in our journey towards parenthood, Eric and I went to a childbirth preparation class at Rapid City Regional. (They do not offer the class in our town.) It was very informative and Eric in particular felt he learned a lot. Some of the information covered was:

• Discomforts of pregnancy and how to relieve them ,
• Warning signs of labor,
• Stages of labor,
• Positions for labor,
  
• Pain management, and
  
• Delivery.

We also got a great booklet to read through that will help us.

The part I'm most concerned about at this point (once we get to the hospital) is the pain management. I can freely admit that I am a wimp and will need drugs. But other than that I'm trying to keep an open mind and just see how things proceed before deciding on what to go with. The idea of an epidural worries me a little, but I do feel better today after the class and seeing the small catheter they insert into a woman's back. And learning that it does not actually penetrate the spine.

As we were sitting in this class, Eric kept leaning over and whispering to me with an evil grin, "Are you ready for this?" (He also kept mentioning how glad he is that he's a man. Imagine that.) Well, it's a little late for second thoughts. I used to think I never wanted kids or wanted to adopt (which I would still like to do) because I couldn't handle childbirth. But really, what is there to worry about nowadays? Every person on Earth came into being from a woman. If they can do it, I can. While I am slightly scared and nervous, I know Eric will be with me and I have a great support system beyond him. Just the thought of all those people put me at ease. (But I still don't understand people who choose to give birth at home rather than a hospital. Why not take advantage of medical technology and be where they can take care of you and the baby if something happens?)

Due to weather, Eric and I did not go back to the class after lunch. The roads were not good coming home and we felt we had gotten our money's worth out of the class already. Plus they were doing the tour for half of the afternoon and as we will not be delivering at that hospital, we felt it was unnecessary. However, we can get a tour at the hospital where we will be delivering just about anytime we want.

In other news, we purchased our Pack 'N Play! So really we had two big steps today towards the Niesling. As I have mentioned before, this is what we will be using instead of a crib for the first few months (unless baby decides otherwise of course).

All in all, it was a very educational day and only makes me more excited to meet our baby.

Baby Gear to Get

Like I mentioned before, I really have no idea what a baby needs. So thanks to the advice of friends and family and this great blog (and others), I have some ideas now. Below are the items that Eric and I are looking into getting or what we would love to get if someone wants to give a gift to the Niesling.

Boppy Pillow (& Slipcover or Slipcover)- According to the majority of blogs I have read, this is a great pillow to have. It really helps to position the baby for breastfeeding and also helps the baby with tummy time. I love that you can buy the pillow and multiple fun patterned covers.

Bumpo - Apparently this seat is amazing for helping babies learn to see and keeping them in one spot for a least a little while. It was recommended we get one with a tray.

Activity Gym - Once again, great for tummy time and most babies love them.

Pack 'n Play - Highly recommended. Eric and I are going to buy this one and use it instead of a crib for the first couple months so we don't have to get a crib while we're moving from trailer to house or wherever we may be when the Niesling is born.

Infant Bathtub - I know you can bathe a baby in the kitchen sink or the bathtub, but this tub comes highly recommended and seems safer than letting my baby just sit in the kitchen sink.

Baby Monitor - I don't think the new versions that monitor baby movements (for SIDS) or even with video are strictly necessary, but it would be nice to have a simple audio monitor system to keep track of if the Niesling is crying.

Bjorn Bib - The Niesling won't need this for a while, but we have friends who use these bibs and they are amazing. Their little boy simply eats out of his bib.

Crib - This is the style we like, but want it in a light color or unvarnished so that we could finish it in the color we want. We also would like the changing table and dresser to be in the same color/finish.

Changing Table - I'm not sure how terribly necessary a changing table even is. But it would be nice to have one.

Dresser - We have to have someplace to store all the cute clothes and diapers!

Carrier - I don't think I'm a sling kind of girl, but a carrier would be nice to have so I can keep the Niesling with me while I do household chores and such.

Snuzzler - I'm worried about our baby being too small for the car seat after first being born, but this Snuzzler looks like the perfect way to adjust for that. It was appears that this will help support the baby's head and neck even after he/she could fit in the car seat themselves.

Below are a few other pieces that we want but are not as specific as above.

Clothes - Who can resist cute baby clothes? Especially those shoes!
Blankets/Swaddling Blankets
Books
Pacifiers (apparently there is way more controversy over pacifiers than I ever thought possible)
Toiletries
Diapers
Humidifier - I don't know if this will be needed, but I want to keep it in mind just in case.

And of course, anything Packers or Cardinals. But please, no Vikings or Yankees gear.

I do plan to breastfeed so I also want to look into nursing covers and possibly a breast pump. It's probably not a bad idea to have bottles on hand too, just in case.

Any further suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Baby Accessories We Have

As Eric and I are both first time parents, we have been asking plenty of friends and family for advice. They have all been open and wonderful answering our questions and giving us suggestions that work for them. Of course, every baby is different, but it's nice to hear everyone's point of view. Since I have this blog anyway, I thought I would do posts on baby needs and accessories that we already have and are still looking at getting. This way we can keep track of what we still need to get for him and others can see what we already have if they want to buy the Niesling something. I might still do a registry, but I think this will work out just as well.

We have already started receiving gifts for the Niesling, especially since we just had Christmas. Since we found out it's a boy, a majority of the clothes we have received have been specifically for that gender. These include some cute sporty slogans and lots of blue! We also received a beautiful Winnie-the-Pooh fleece blanket from some friends. Eric's brother Jared and his wife also sent some wonderful Christian baby books. We also got a sippy cup from Eric's aunt and uncle that his cousin Cole used. This cup was made by another of Eric's aunt and uncles. The family hopes to start a new tradition of passing it to each new baby!

Thanks to my sweet mother-in-law and her love of garage sales, we also have bigger baby pieces. These she got right after we found out I was pregnant and they have been sitting in our shed since late August/early September. The funny thing is Eric and I recently decided that we wanted to do animals (jungle/African) for our nursery and when I went to check to see exactly what his mom had bought, nearly all of it was animals! It is safe to say that will be what we go with since we already have some pieces and it's gender neutral for our next baby.

The Niesling already has:

1. Evenflo Embrace Car Seat and Base: I pulled it out today to make sure that it is a current model as apparently car seats have expiration dates (which I did not know before). It is the kind that has a base you leave in the car and you can snap and unsnap the carrier. The fabric is adorable with zebras, elephants, alligators, hippos, giraffes, and turtles.

Athena testing out the car seat for the Niesling

2. Instep Jogging Stroller: I wasn't sure about this at first, but I'm looking forward to using it now. Not that I was ever a jogger or runner, but it looks like a good quality stroller that we will be able to use for a long time.

3. Fold Up Stroller: This is a nice little extra stroller that folds up easier and faster than the jogging one. I'm guessing this will be used for Wal-Mart and other store trips when the Niesling gets a little older.

4. Exersaucer: Everyone I've talked to and all the blogs I've read have said they could not live without this. Kris found one that has a circus theme, so it has the animals we are looking at incorporating into the nursery. I'm so glad to have this!

5. High Chair: I'm not sure when most babies start sitting in a high chair, but we have it whenever he's ready! It has adjustable heights not only for the tray, but also for the legs.

6. Bouncy Seat: Another favorite of many moms, I'm hoping our baby loves it as much as others do. Plus it's got cute little animals on it too as well as a removable activity bar with hanging animals.

7. Swing: Another must have. The one Kris found is basic, but what more do you need?

8. Fisher Price Rainforest Mobile: This is so adorable we couldn't resist taking it out and trying it the first time we saw it. Unfortunately, the buttons are marked wrong. Pressing the button for Bach, Beethoven, or Mozart plays the incorrect music. (Not that I would have ever noticed, but Eric the classical music man could tell.) I'm sure we will relabel them so they are correct.

We are so thankful for the amazing friends and family that are giving us gifts for the Niesling. We greatly appreciate it and hope they know how much we love them!