The to do (wish) list.

I gather all first-time-parents-to-be make one - a prep list for the house at any rate.  I mean, you kinda have to in order to keep up on crap before the wee one forces you to live in a hoarders dream.  Am I right?  Or well that's one of the many "scary realities" I hear about from various sites and human beings even.  I occasionally talk to one or two.

Well, as much as I'd love to say I'm the type who LOVES making lists, I'm so not.  But I'm trying to be that type, so I'm gonna start one here.  I've decided it's probably best to break it down by sections, similar to this blogger.  What can I say, I'm not one to reinvent the wheel.

(All photos are clearly before/in the process photos, so they ain't pretty and all photos were taken with my iPhone, so my apologies for the quality.  Of course I never said I was Annie "effin" Leibovitz now did I?)


NURSERY/OFFICE
(yeah, we rent an ok sized 2 bedroom duplex so we're making do)

Paint walls a more neutral color (I'm leaning toward this color)
Build dual desk along wall (idea from here)
Move elliptical out
Put up wall shelves
Buy crib
Buy mid-century modern dresser and refinish it
Box up and/or discard stuff (my man's gonna have to pack up his Lego collection)
Organize the poop-a-doops outta the closet
Add Rocking/Slider chair (although this may go in our bedroom)
Put up wall art (when we get it - here's our inspiration and theme)
Equip room with proper lighting
Clean and then clean some more

BATHROOM

Clean (or hire someone to do a super deep clean)
Remove shower doors (we're renting, so shhh! don't tell our prop managers - but seems easy enough)
Organize cabinets
Put up towel holders
Paint patchy areas
Fix baseboards (may involve recaulking? although the board has started to chip)
Recaulk tub (looked up tips here)

OUR BEDROOM

Clean
Organize our closets
Fix up vanity area
Cover glass doors of bookcase (now used to store sweaters and other random items)
Finish framed jewelry holder
Paint patchy areas
Hang mirror and other art pieces

LIVING ROOM

Clean
Organize and better decorate media center
Sell chair and get a new sleeker one
Fix up mantle area better
Do something where our fireplace should be

DINING ROOM

Clean
Refinish mid-century dresser to a buffet
Buy chairs
Add tablecloth or decal (I think I'm more in favor of the decal; specifically this one or this one)
Figure out best place for the cats food/water bowls
Hang up art

KITCHEN

Clean
Organize counters and cabinets
Label jars
Fix stove burners
Hang up art

Wow.  Looking at this list it all seems ridiculously DAUNTING.  Thankfully some (a little, really) of the stuff we've already started (hence the crossed out areas).  Still, I think it's best for me to look at this more as "wishlist" than an "actually all gonna happen list."  But my fingers are crossed nonetheless...

The bloat, the zipper battle, & the piddling.

Other than the all day queasiness in my first trimester this here pregnancy has been pretty easy.  But by week 24 the easiness eased up and I started feeling bloated...like all the time.  Come to find out my normal meal portions were filling me up, so I cut back.

Then, my clothes stopped fitting.  I mean, I knew that would happen but ugh, so uncomfortable.  I first did the hair tie method, but that didn't last long.  I invested in some leggings (a size up) + a belly band = lifesavers.  I'm bummed I didn't invest sooner, like before I even thought of having a baby.  Dude, I can wear pants without buttoning them!  Sign me up for LIFE.

And finally, the best for last, I piss my pants.  Ok, maybe not like full blown it's running down my leg piss, but so effin' gross nonetheless.  Well, now I'm buying what I like to call "puppy pads" in the same section as Depends.  Thankfully it's not much, but I was looking forward to NOT wearing sanitary napkins for the next 9 months.

I guess I should sort of consider myself lucky in this pregnancy game - I mean at least I don't have burning nipples like my sister, am I right?!  Or hemorrhoids and rashy boobs.  Yikes.  Although peepee pants ain't anything to be thankful for either.  Oh well, it's all part of the process that I openly signed up for, so I just gotta deal and know there's more uncomfortableness to come...yippee!

Belly watch 2013.

Creative growing belly photos or some other multi-media progression seems to be, like, the thing to do when you're knocked up.  There are loads of jealousy-inducing baby bump tracking methods all over the place (well, specifically on the ol' interwebs)!

I mean something as simple as this to something a little more juiced up like this and then finally something so amazing as THIS that the friggin' Huffington Post does a write up about it - heck no could I compete!  Shit, I barely can keep up with this blog.

Well in an effort to track my belly growth, I had my man take some photos of me and let's just say it's pretty clear I don't have the talent as the badass mommies in the links above do.

I like to call this series: Photo Flub.  Why, well let me tell you...

Here's the first one.  Notice how I'm wearing a loose-fitting shirt and you can't even see my legs to get an idea if there are any changes in my body?  Yeah, my youngest sister (who is also pregnant) gave me such shit for this photo flub and really, I couldn't blame her.  Talk about palm to face, am I right?

So, I tried again at 16 weeks, but she still shook her head in shame.  I mean the photo ain't the best as I should have cleaned up the clutter at my feet first, but that might just be my minor OCD flairing up.  However, my sister informed me that my shirt is still way too loose...?  I thought it was pretty form-fitting though.  She then proceeded to tell me that I need a tight tank that cups my boobs -- uh, what?!  I guess she means it should be so tight that my breasts are more pronounced?  Well at any rate, apparently this too was  a flub.

Again, I feel like the cropping ain't the best.  But who's fault is that really???  My baby's daddy that's who!  That being said, I wore the right shirt - WIN!  I'm not too sure if I'm showing yet or if that's just after dinner gut.

I've yet to take another one because I wanted to actually show and not question whether it's just a bloated belly or actual preggy bump.  Maybe I'll do one tonight because at 22 weeks it's pretty clear I got bump action - FINALLY. 

It's also pretty clear there's no rhyme or reason to when I take these photos.  I mean women usually do it weekly, right?  But I'm just all over the place.  You know what though?  Works for me.

UPDATE PHOTO:

     
So here I am at 23 weeks and FINALLY showing.  I even text messaged this photo to my persnickety sister and she agreed it was a definite win.  The shirt works, the cropping ain't too shabby, and of course HELLO BUMP.  I think (to use business speak) going forward, I'll take just 4 more bump photos and then collage 'em at the end for a post just before the wee one is due.  I think my sister will be happy I'm actually keeping up with the growth of my belly...I guess I am too.  

Falling back.

I use the BabyCenter app on my phone to track the ol' growing fetus and one of the suggestions they make is to keep a preggo journal. This here blog is just that. So although I'm 18 weeks now, I'm gonna go back in time to reflect on my early pregnancy weeks:

Week One
Not to be too graphic, but that's when the magic happened...am I right?

Week Two
Ridiculously sore boobs. I mean wow, yikes. Not that I minded the growth spurt, well except for the pain.

Week Three
Found out I was pregnant. Thank you Dollar Tree store pregnancy tests. Of course the line was super faint and when I showed the daddy-to-be he was like, "No, I think it's gotta look exactly like the picture."  So, I went online and found out a line is a line. 

Week Four - Five
Took another pregnancy test. I was excited and I guess a part of me didn't quite believe it yet.  Line was still there. At this point I'm wearing a bra to bed because when I turn over I cry out in pain. It'd be quite comical actually if it didn't hurt so much.

Week Six - Ten
I go to the doctor to confirm pregnancy and have my first transvaginal ultrasound. My doc was super excited for us, so she gave us one this early.

Nausea. All. Day. No vomiting, but I felt like I had to eat all the time. It was annoying, especially because I'd become addicted to one thing one week only to despise it the next week. Also, certain smells made me very angry. The cat's food was number one on the funk-o-meter. Gagtastic!

Some foods/drinks I had a hate/love relationship with during that time: Naked Green Machine Juice, tea, coffee (I thought it would be hard to give up my 2 cups a day. Nope.), crackers, pita chips, hummus, and Daiya cheese. I suddenly had cravings for orange juice, which is my least favorite juice, and orange soda. Still crave 'em. Although now I'm obsessed with Arnold Palmers:

     
Week Twelve
Baby's first trip to Paris! Beignets, baguettes, macaroons, cheese (no soft cheeses of course), and delicious food galore. Baby ate well that week...well, baby mama and daddy ate well. ;) 

Note the cans of orange juice. And I know it sounds bizarre, but it seriously tasted fresh squeezed!

Week Thirteen
We get back home and I immediately think something's wrong with the baking bun. I guess I was at that weird stage where you're no longer feeling sick, which is great except that was your barometer letting you know you're pregnant.  Now that it's gone and you aren't at the feeling your kid move in ya stage, the uncertainty and worry sets in.  Thankfully, I had a doc appointment and I got to hear the heartbeat. Phew.

Week Fourteen - Seventeen
Finally started telling peeps we're knocked up. I interviewed for a new job and then got said new job (still haven't started yet). People are shocked that I'm pregnant because I don't look it.

I start freakin' out about insurance and when to tell new job about being pregnant (I'm still freakin' about it).

I start feeling weird flutters in the same spot. No, it's not gas. On my BabyCenter app it's described as popping popcorn and I can get behind that.

 
We find out we're having a BOY! I was up for either, but my guy really wanted a boy. He felt he'd have to go through major therapy if we had a girl - ha! Of course he would have been happy with a girl too.

After finding out we're having a boy, we subsequently get into a car accident. Wasn't our fault, a guy ran a stop sign and we ran right into him. Thankfully it was Midtown so we were going about 25-30 mph. Impact was minor, but I burst into tears and was extremely worried. Went to the ER and all was well. It was a crazy, good/bad stressful day.

Week Eighteen
I start this blog and write this post. Oh, and I think I'm finally showing or I'm super bloated - which really wouldn't surprise me either.

All right, I'm all caught up!  


Popcorn image

Why, hello.

I'm a lazy librarian (well not lazy on the job just at home) and I'm knocked up.  I have a lot of big plans now that I'm joining the parenting masses and although my baby's daddy is quite the handyman, he kinda drags his feet as well.  But, the goal of this blog is to track this pregnancy and keep on track with our to do list.  Part of this process will be to record all our embarrassing fumbles and stumbles along the way.  Should be a gas.

That being said, I also hope to spruce up this virtual space as well.  Unfortunately, I'm not a graphic designer (gods, those folks are so cool!), but my hunk of a man does dabble.  Hopefully with some poking and prodding I can get him to add some hip creative crap to this space, like a banner with a stylish vector image or a snazzy patterned background that says: now here's a totally artistic, super cool ma to be!  You know, we'll see.

Well, let the preggy bloggin' commence.