On Tuesday, I turned 25 weeks. Just two more until the third trimester!
(For comparison purposes, here's a link to a blog entry showing me at the same point with Kara.)
As I rapidly approach these last few months of pregnancy, I am overcome with the urge to kick it up a notch when it comes to preparing for Baby Brother's arrival, especially since all we've done so far is accept hand-me-downs from generous family and friends. Now it's time for tangible deliverables. I've decided that I want to redo the kids' bedrooms before Easter, get Luke's urologist consult on the calendar, and buy a frickin' onesie, already. Our period of inaction is over. Bring on the nesting!
Speaking of bedrooms, a few decisions have been made in regards to the whole bedroom-redecorating project I mentioned last month, the biggest one being to forgo the painting step altogether. We have been so good at saving our money that at first I thought it would be worth the splurge, but as I evaluate what we have left to save for hospital bills and maternity leave, I'm sadly reminded that every penny still counts. Plus, Kara and Nathan have been really into Winnie-the-Pooh lately, and that theme would totally mesh with a yellow bedroom without completely reeking of girl, so there you go. We'll still budget for some wall hangings and possibly new shelving, but overall those costs will be minimal. As for the baby, well, he certainly won't notice that he's inheriting a completely recycled nursery set-up, so we aren't buying anything new for his room at all. At first I felt guilty about this, until I remembered that my siblings and I never even had our own rooms growing up, let alone a custom nursey, and somehow we all turned out just fine. Also, talk about a middle-class problem if I ever heard one. Perspective, yes?
On the baby names front, while I am still completely satisfied with our front-runner, Luke is feeling a little meh about it these days, so we've been combing through our old copy of The Baby Name Wizard for additional inspiration, just in case. At first I was sad about possibly starting from scratch again, but then I remembered that I initially felt the same way about Kara's name while I was pregnant with her, even though I'm the one who suggested it in the first place. Of course, on the day she was born, it turned out to be the perfect fit, and to this day I'm still over the moon about it, so hopefully it will play out the same way for Luke, too.
As for me? Tired is the name of my game. Last weekend I drove up to Katy's neck of the woods with the kids for a playdate (no locking anyone in the car this time, thank goodness), and two hours of toddler-friendly activity wiped me out for the rest of the afternoon. I am still feeling my size but still do not appreciate having it pointed out to me by others, like on Monday when someone I know through work (who l like very much, by the way) told me that I'm "pooching out" with a wild-eyed stare WHILE ALSO accosting me with an unsolicted belly rub. I saw her again this morning, and she greeted me with a "I swear you've gotten bigger since the last time I saw you! You just keep on growing!" Happy day to you, too!
This pregnancy is progressing so quickly - in a couple of weeks I'll take my gestational diabetes test, can you believe it? - and yet I constantly find myself willing the time to pass even faster. I think about materntiy leave a lot, and spending the summer at home with Luke and our brood of three, and hitting the trail again, and beginning our search for a real estate agent to sell our house, and I'm impatient. On the other hand, I know that this time right now is precious, and I want to soak up every inch of my husband and kids and give them as much attention as I can. I want us to go to the zoo, swing at the park, walk on the trail, and in general just enjoy each other's company right up until the moment our lives are turned upside down with our newest family member. After all, it's the end of an era!
Enjoy the nesting frenzy! For people who enjoy crossing items off of lists, there is very little in the world so gratifying as crossing off nesting to do lists!
Posted by: Parsing Nonsense | March 24, 2011 at 01:19 PM
Your decision about the rooms sounds great. Nathan/Baby Brother's room is very cute. The Kara/Nathan room will look very cute with Winnie-the-Pooh theme.
Even if you stick with the same choice for the name, looking up name choices can be fun.
Posted by: Grandma Molly | March 24, 2011 at 02:14 PM
Thank you for sending me on a half hour youtube Friends-watching binge!
Oh and happy 25 weeks:)
Posted by: eva | March 25, 2011 at 12:02 AM
I'm with you--babies don't care that their nursery stuff is recycled. That stuff gets used for such a short time, it's almost sad if it DOESN"T get re-used. I gave all our crib bedding to a friend.
I can't wait to learn Baby Brother 2.0's name! You guys do names well. You look great!
Posted by: Jen L. | March 25, 2011 at 10:01 AM
I was out with my other 3 today, and had a guy stare at my belly for about ten secs, and say "WOW. You are one brave young lady."
I was too frazzled to be annoyed.
And my mom told me yesterday that she can see me getting pregnant in my face. I'm 28 weeks. I've gained 16lbs. GIVE ME A BREAK. It's my 4th pregnancy. My uterus gave up back in January and pitched forward.
Posted by: Jess | March 25, 2011 at 03:41 PM
The end of one era is the start of another era. They keep coming along with changes. Keep living and loving as we go forward together.
Posted by: daddyd | April 02, 2011 at 02:01 PM