Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the Wallace Girls!

I have a feeling that next year, my dogs are going to be so excited that I have a real baby to play dress up with!

Dr Appt Update: 32 weeks

I just got home from my 32 week doctor appointment and everything is still looking good! I've gained 1 lb since my last appt (which is a shocker considering all of the Halloween candy I've consumed this week). My belly is measuring right on schedule for being as far along as I am, and the doctor says that Autumn weighs about 3 1/2 lbs now! At this point, she will gain approx. 1/2 lb each week, which is absolutely mind-blowing to me! I got to hear her little strong heartbeat again. I just can't get enough of that sound.

Here is the obligatory belly shot from today...

This weekend should be fun! Kate will be taking professional belly pics of me on Friday, so that should be interesting! I hope they turn out good and I hope that I don't look like a beached whale, which is how I feel most days.

Here's a picture of my great CL purchase yesterday. I can't wait to see it in my nursery! It's currently being stored in the hallway next to the half-bath. It looks like I have a ladies lounge downstairs... It's just like being in the bathroom at Nordstroms! The cushions are extra smooshy and the glider is extra glide-y, so I think that the chair will definitely serve its purpose.

Yay for Craigs List!

Let me just say, I have had some great luck with Craigs List lately! A couple of weeks ago, I was able to find a high-quality crib for a low-quality price. When Felicia was visiting, we assembled the crib so she could sleep in it and I'm very happy with the result. The crib is beautiful and I think it's going to look great in the nursery.

I have been wanting a glider that looks like a real chair for a while now, but have not been able to find one in my price range (aka CHEAP). I've been keeping my eye on Craigs List, but really haven't seen anything that was going to work. This morning, I saw a posting for a glider that caught my eye so I emailed the lady who posted the ad. I went over to her house this afternoon to take a look at what she had and took all of my swatches and a paint sample. I sat in the chair and it's so comfy! So I paid for the chair and when Jeremy gets off work, we'll be going back over to pick it up. I think it's going to be perfect in the nursery!

I think that CL can be hit or miss. But I swear, I have had the best luck! Both of the purchases I've made over the last couple of months have been great deals coming from really great places. The furniture has been in excellent condition, and the people that I've dealt with have been fabulous as well! I think that says a little about the community that I live in :)

31 weeks!!

This past weekend, Elizabeth and Felicia came to stay with us! We had way too much fun eating, shopping and playing with Felicia (who is a little ball of fire!). She is now 11 months old and is such a good baby! She loved our high ceilings which made her voice echo so she just yelled out because it was so much fun! When she yelled, the dogs barked because they aren't used to hearing a baby yell yet. But Felicia just thought they were talking to her so she'd throw back her own little version of a bark which was precious. While I loved every minute of it, I now know why God does not just give you an 11 month old off the bat. It was a lot of work, but I can't wait until I have one of my own to spoil rotten!

This week marks week 31 of my pregnancy! I cannot believe how fast these last few weeks have flown by! I have a feeling, though, that time is about to come to a virtual stand-still because the closer I get, the more anxious I get and the more I want her here! I feel Autumn constantly now which is absolutely wonderful (except when she gets right up under my ribs). I took a picture of my 31 week belly today and am just shocked at how big it looks from the other side of the camera! When I bought the shirt I'm wearing in this picture, I swear I thought it would be slimming because of the diagonal stripes. I think I'm waaaaay past anything slimming these days. I am really just looking for things that cover the belly so the bottom doesn't stick out. Believe me, I do not want to be like Rachel on Friends when she was sporting half-shirts towards the end of her pregnancy!

The nursery is coming along wonderfully! Jeremy has finished putting in the floors and the new ceiling fan. I will take a picture very soon to show the progress. Currently he is working on the baseboards. Once those are finished, I think we'll be able to start moving in furniture!!

Theoretically, we have 9 more weeks to go! Right now, according to the pregnancy websites and books that I've been reading, I need to be studying up on knowing when labor begins (yikes) and birth plans (double yikes). I'm still not planning on taking any birthing classes. I've seen enough episodes of a Baby Story that I think I know what to expect! Those words may very well come back to bite me square in the ass...

Dr Appt Update: 30 weeks

I had my 30 week doctor appointment yesterday! I have gained 1 pound and my belly has grown 1 inch since my last appointment. I am now seeing the doctor every 2 weeks and the appointments are short, sweet, and predictable... get on the scale, pee in a cup, measure the belly, listen to the heartbeat, and I'll see you in 2 weeks! Autumn is measuring perfectly and everything is right on track for my Dec 23 due date.

Here's my belly at 30 weeks and 1 day.



I cannot believe we're so close! 10 weeks may sound like a long time, but it's really not. Especially when my remaining weekends are filling up with things to do. These last 2 months or so have really flown by, and I imagine the next 2 will fly by as well. My only complaints are the achy joints and the heartburn. I hear it's not going to get any better, so I will have to tough it out.

For some more exciting news, yesterday was our 2 year wedding anniversary! We had planned on going out to dinner, but I had a tummy ache so that has been postponed to this weekend. I did get a thoughtful card and some beautiful flowers from my wonderful husband! I did cry a little, but I suspect that had something to do with my raging hormones :) I bought the same cakes that we had on our wedding day (the lady who made them distributes her cakes to Whole Foods) and after dining on a romantic dinner of Subway Sandwiches, we indulged in dessert. These last 2 years have really flown by. The next year is going to bring so much change, but we are completely looking forward to it. I feel so blessed to be in a happy, healthy marriage to a man that I am still head over heels in love with.

Wedding fun!

My oldest sister Kate got married yesterday! The wedding was so incredibly beautiful. It was perfect! Kate was a beautiful bride. Congratulations Ron and Kate!!

They are off on their way to Guanajuato, Mexico for a week of R&R. While I'm so happy for them, I can't help but be a little jealous! This also has made me realize that it's probably going to be a long time before I get to take another real vacation. Oh well, Autumn will be worth it for sure!

nesting...

Long ago, when I was first pregnant, I read about a phenomenon called nesting. Pregnancy Weekly.com says the following about it:

"Around the fifth month of pregnancy, the "nesting" instinct can set in. This is an uncontrollable urge to clean one's house brought on by a desire to prepare a nest for the new baby, to tie up loose ends of old projects and to organize your world."

I may have thought during either of the two times in the last 4 months that I was nesting when I tore apart my house to participate in 2 separate garage sales. The thought definitely crossed my mind.

After last night, however, I am pretty positive that I have got the nesting bug. While making dinner, I came across an expired box of food in my pantry. No big deal, I just threw it away. I walked away, and could not stop thinking about that expired box of food in my pantry!! I went back and 2 huge garbage bags later, I actually felt that I had accomplished something productive. It's not that everything that was disposed of was expired, either. I just did not think that we needed these things anymore. My pantry was just too cluttered. It was at 10pm when I was filling another bag from our refrigerator that I realized that I was obsessed.

I feel a little better this morning, but I'm still thinking about it. Just a couple of minutes ago, I went to the pantry and a smile came across my face when I saw the work that I had done. Throwing things out truly is a cleansing process. I wonder how long this feeling will last...

Nursery!

Today, I made up up for being lazy yesterday! Sunday was a day of work for sure. Jeremy and I worked on the turning my ex-office into the soon-to-be nursery. Here is a good representation of what we started with!

We started with clearing out the room (which was a task in itself) and then Jeremy ripped up all of the baseboards. We painted the walls, and while that might not sound like much, it took the majority of the day. The color is beautiful and it really brightens up the room.

There is still a lot of work to be done, but I really feel like we got a great start. Jeremy painted my belly with Autumn's face so she could watch what we were doing. I thought she had a good view and ended up liking what she saw...

This week we're planning on finishing the trim putting in the new floors, so I'll keep the progress updated!

for Autumn

I am currently 28 weeks and 5 days pregnant. It has been a looooong journey! I do not think of myself as a good pregnant woman. I am not going to miss most things about being pregnant! What I do love, however, is being able to just be with Autumn 24 hours a day. I love being able to feel her move and know that she is ours. I cannot wait to meet her. I cannot wait to see what she looks like and to get to know her personality.

Right now, we are being lazy on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. There are a million things that I should be doing, but we're just going to take it easy today.

Here is my belly at 28 weeks and 5 days!

Well here goes nothing!

My very first post on my very first blog! How exciting!

This blog is dedicated to our first daughter, Autumn Leigh Wallace. She is due December 23, 2008. This whole pregnancy has been such a whirlwind process and there has been so much that I've already forgotten. These days are precious, and not only do I want to remember them, but I would love for Autumn to be able to know what I've gone through to bring her in to this world.

We had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday at which my doctor told me that my glucose screening came back with high blood sugar levels and that she recommended a more intense 3 hour test. The only thing that was going through my mind the horror of not being able to eat sweets for the next 3 months!

Yesterday, I headed to the hospital as early as possible to get the process started. Since I knew I had to fast for this thing, I wanted to get there as soon as possible. I arrived at the hospital at about 730am. It took about 45 minutes to get me registered into the hospital's system and another 15 to get back to see the lab tech. I first had to go give a blood sample so they could do a fasting glucose level and then had to wait for those results to come back. At 9, I was finally able to drink the dreaded "orange drink"! They then they took my blood at 930, 10, 11, and 12 to test the glucose levels. I was so hungry, since the last time I had eaten was 9pm the night before! Believe me, these days, I'm more hungry than I've ever been so this was a true test of patience. One of the worst parts of the whole thing was that where I had to wait was out in the main lobby next to the cafeteria where everyone passed with their breakfast and lunches :( The waiting was honestly not that bad though (besides the hunger). I took magazines and chatted with people at the hospital.

After the 12:00 draw, I had to go upstairs to the maternity ward to get a shot of Rhogam. The nurses were so incredibly nice. I told them what I had just done and they gave me some juice and crackers to tide me over until I could leave! I was then given a tour of the maternity ward and birthing rooms. I was also able to talk to the nurse and ask her questions about the birthing process that I was wondering about.

2 good things actually came out of my miserable morning, though. First off, after speaking with everyone that I came in contact with, I am 100% confident that this is the hospital that I am supposed to give birth at. The staff is wonderful, welcoming, friendly, and accommodating. The second thing (and the thing that is a little bit intimidating) is that I am now pre-registered. This means that if I were to go in to labor, I can run to the hospital and not worry about having to fill out any paperwork. All I have to do is yell my name as I'm running to the maternity ward.

Today, I got a voice mail from my doctor saying that my test results came back fine. This process has once again reminded me of how blessed I have been to have had such a healthy pregnancy. I may bitch about aches and pains, but I think I've got it pretty easy compared to others that I know.