Registered

ugh... Jon and I both agree that registering for a wedding is MUCH more fun than registering for a baby. Overwhelming is an understatement. I could barely even get past the bottles! So many to choose from!!!! I talked to my sister after we got home, and she recommended taking all the bottles off the registry since we don't know which kind the baby will like. Both of her boys liked completely different kinds, so you just never know. All that work in the store for nothing!

We first went to Target (our registry is here) and I think we were both disappointed in their selection and the lack of access to test things out. Especially after visiting Babies R Us the next day. But at least we got started on thinking about things we might need (and took a detour to score some fantastic Christmas clearance things afterward!!!). Saturday we went to Babies R Us (our registry is here) and we both appreciated the time they take with the customers, and the access you have to test out the strollers, playpens, highchairs, etc... We were testing a stroller and the associate came right over to help us figure out what the heck we were doing. So we are definitely making Babies R Us our store of choice!

We found a stroller we both really liked, in color and ease of use. We both decided to stick with mostly gender neutral things so that we'll be able to use everything again for baby #2 should it be a boy (we hope!). We weren't thrilled with the choice of colors for the highchair and playpen but we checked online when we got home and found the PERFECT brown paisley pattern. We're so excited!!! The one thing that will definitely be GIRL is the nursery. Jon chose the pattern and we both love it.

Soooo... I guess what's most important is that we registered for the crucial things, as well as a bunch of other goodies. AND - perhaps the best news of all, is that we're pretty sure we've found a crib, changing table and dresser on craigslist.com! Jon's planning on picking it up later this week, so I'll post more when we get it home.

It was definitely a Baby Weekend, and I think we both realize just how much we have to learn!

'til next time...

Crib set. Pink and brown "Pop Daisy" collection.

"Berkshire" pattern for highchair, swing and Pack N Play. We love it!

Pack N Play

Inventory!

I spent the other night going through ALL of the clothes and blankets Amy and Jalynn gave to us. Oh my goodness!!! I had to retake the pictures just to show how much was in those boxes. It's crazy! And I even forgot that my sister had given us two boppies.

Here are the diapers my sister and Amy gave. The plastic bag on top is even full of loose diapers! Now, don't get me wrong - I realize we're going to need tons more diapers than this. But we're still so thankful for people giving us their leftovers.

Receiving blankets, all-purpose blankets and cloth diapers galore!

And then there are the clothes! From left to right are 0-3 month, 3-6 month, and 12 month clothes. In the front are the gowns.

Wylee tried to help me but even he got worn out.

Baby Booty!

FYI - I finally scanned all of the ultrasound pics and have posted them below next to the posts. So scroll down and check 'em out! (Belly pics are coming soon, I promise.)

I wanted to take pictures of all the things that have been given to us so far. We have been blown away by all the clothes and baby items people have been so generous to give us. Most of the clothes and blankets have come from Amy and her baby girl Jalynn (thanks guys!!!). Our little girl will be very well outfitted if we continue getting Jalynn's cast-offs!

And my sister Wendy has given us a play mat, a Johnny Jump-Up, a swing and a baby lounge seat. Oh! And both of them have given us a huge supply of diapers to start us off with.

Jon and I were able to send 3 huge boxes home to us, and pack our suitcases to the brim after our Vegas visit to get most of it home. That's in addition to the big box mom had already sent us of things she picked up from Amy. All that's left at mom's is the swing and seat.

We are really SO THANKFUL for the generosity. Now we need some furniture to put it all in!

This picture isn't great if you're trying to see everything. The boxes barely survived, but they did make it! They were all stuffed full of things. It's crazy!

This was mom's first outfit for the baby. I love it!!! I can't wait to put her in it next Christmas!

Two onesies from Camden and Tobin (Wendy). The first says "I only cry when ugly people hold me" and the second one says "This is how I roll". Love them!!!

And here's Amy and Jalynn! Thanks again guys!

Names

We've been debating a few names for a while now, and we seem to settle on one for a few days, then talk about other options. We have a name we've chosen for now, but I'm keeping it under wraps just in case we change our minds again.

HOWEVER, I'm posting a poll on the blog to see what everyone thinks about names. All of the names we're posting are some that have been discussed. I'll be posting the results in a month or two.

The site I've been using for finding out meanings and origins of names is www.babynamesworld.com. It's great! Check it out.

Have fun voting!

20 Weeks

Thursday I hit the 20 week mark which is the official "halfway point"! I've been feeling great, with the exception of the cold I've got. I feel the baby move all the time now, especially after a meal. She's not big enough to determine actual body parts or feel it on the outside yet, but I definitely feel her doing jumping jacks in there!

We went back for our "sex check" ultrasound on Wednesday and we were able to confirm it's definitely a girl! I made sure to eat lunch beforehand and drank a caffeinated beverage - and she was having a party in there!

We got a few more pictures. I really have to scan all of these and post them. Last week we also got a DVD recording of the ultrasound (it wasn't working this week) but I can't figure out how to post it. I can't upload it to YouTube for some reason, but as soon as I get it up, I will post it. It's so cool!!!

More Ultrasound Pics

From our "sex check" appointment on 12/19.

Okay, now I could explain exactly what you're looking at here, but the truth is I'm not entirely sure. So I'll just take the tech's word for it that this picture proves it's a girl!

Hi sweet baby girl! We see you! Eyes, hands, body and feet!

The results are in!

(This is my favorite ultrasound pic yet! So cool!)

We're having a beautiful baby girl!!!


Well, we're 99% sure we're having a girl at least!! We are going back in a week to find out for sure. After a total of about 15 minutes of searching on the sonogram machine, the Doctor only caught a glimpse of what we were looking for because the cord was in the way! She assured us she was very confident what we're expecting is a little baby girl. However, she realizes that when it takes that long to determine the gender, then the parents don't always leaving feeling 100% confident. So she's invited us back next week for another peek! We feel very fortunate, as there is no requirement for her to do so, and while we are very confident that SHE is very confident, we'll always welcome another look!

Needless to say we are so very excited about a little girl, and now comes the hard part - choosing a name!!

The rest of the appointment went really well. All of the measuring and spotting of necessary body functions looked great, and she was really pleased with how everything looked. We went in to see Dr. White and that went great as well. I managed to keep my blood pressure at a normal level this morning and he was very pleased. Impressed, in fact. He even had to be reminded if he had prescribed me any blood pressure medication the last time because it was so perfect. He said I wasn't out of the woods yet - that blood pressure is usually lower in the second trimester, and tends to creep back up in the 3rd. But as long as I can remain calm before my appointments and not become anxious, then he'll be very happy! yahoo!!! Such a relief!

So we go back next week for another look, and then go see Dr. White in early January. We were also able to schedule a 3rd trimester ultrasound in March!

Getting closer! It will be here before we know it!

This is a shot from below, but it's still not a great picture since the cord was in the way. It's a good picture of her long legs curving around.

Another shot of the baby before she flipped over to the picture at the top. This picture has her spine on the bottom.