Officially Overdue!

Yesterday was my due date and yep I'm still pregnant! No due date baby again in this house!

We're SOOO ready for him to make his appearance it's getting ridiculous! Everyone has been checking on me daily, friends and family and strangers are constantly asking "how are you feeling?"

While I'm loving the fact that they are so attentive and so ready to meet him too, seriously I'm over being pregnant. I'm uncomfortable and I'm ready for my discomfort to be progressive. I want that baby in my arms already!

I really don't want to be induced, I'd much rather go in labor on my own naturally so hopefully it will happen soon and we won't have to worry about it. I have a doctor appointment today which bums me out because for the longest time he was measuring big (both on the outside and with an ultrasound). I honestly didn't think I would make it this far, much less out of August. And now I'm heading to an "past my due date appointment". 

Let's go baby! Any day now!!

Ready or Not

The past few weeks people have been eyeballing my big pregnant belly and announcing triumphantly that "it's a girl". Not one person, not two, but several. And some of them have even taken to rubbing my belly without asking. When I say people, I mean cashiers at checkout, teachers at summer camp. Complete strangers.

Little Mister is due to make is arrival in a little over 3 weeks. September 8th is creeping up on us. Are we ready?

His little clothes are washed and put away. We've got a bassinet set up in our room. The swing and bouncer from Ariana are cleaned and waiting. We've got diapers and wipes. If he came now, we'd be ready, but if he waited a little longer we'd be more organized and my house would be cleaner. But who needs organization right?

I've only got 1 thing in my hospital bag. It's crazy how quickly you forget what you need to take with you. And I still have to pack his items and Ariana's bag for her sleepover with her friend when the time comes.

I don't feel ready. I still want a few more weeks. But if he came now I know we could do it. 

My hips are starting to ache. I have no room to breathe. I feel like I can't stretch any further. Sleep has been difficult and painful. I move so slow.  And every now and then I'll get a really bad Braxton Hicks contraction that takes my breath away and I think "Let's do this, I'm over being pregnant, I'm ready"

I find myself staring at his ultrasound photo, trying to picture what he's really going to look like. And I can't wait to hold him on my chest and cuddle him close. Watch his little hands open and close and stare into his eyes and meet him for the first time. Nurse him, and wrap him up in those soft blankets and smell his little head and pat his little butt.

Then I get a little overwhelmed with how perfect I want things to be. How I'd love to vacuum out the car and how I'm struggling with enough energy to keep the house moderately clean when my brain is telling me I need to scrub the windows. And I feel his little kicks and hiccups and I want him to stay in there a little bit longer and I think "Nope, I'm not ready, I need a few more weeks, stay put little guy" I want a little bit more time to focus solely on Ariana. To be able to make it through open house and the first day of school and not be in the hospital or with a baby who is days old. Because I know those first few days/weeks are hard. Emotionally, physically, hormonally stressful and it takes some time to get into the swing of things and how our family dynamics are going to change.

But whether he comes tomorrow, on his due date (like his sister) or 3 days late (I really hope not) it will all work out.

However it happens, whenever it happens. It will be right. We are ready. 

A Quilt for Little Mister! (& 34 weeks)

I'm not a seamstress y'all. I don't really sew, but...

I MADE A QUILT! 

I'm pretty proud of this project! I know it's the biggest sewing project I've done, and I'm pretty sure it's the biggest craft project I've EVER taken on.

I knew I wanted a pretty triangle quilt for the little mister when I found the first thing (a print) that inspired the nursery. I kept finding all these pretty quilts on Etsy but man were they pricy and none of them were exactly what I wanted. 

I knew I wanted to make my own triangle quilt when I thought about how simple it would be and how much I (and hopefully he) would love it. 

I haven't shared the nursery yet. It's still a work in progress but I'd say I'm 90% done. Just waiting on a few things to arrive in the mail and finding a rug has been frustrating to say the least. This quilt really brings it all together and I smile everytime I see it in there.

This truly was a labor of love. Hours upon hours of cutting, measuring, pinning, sewing, work. It was both harder than I thought it would be, and easier than I thought it would be at the same time. 

My blood, sweat and tears went into this quilt. Literally.

Blood - I pricked myself several times and cut myself once with my rotary cutter.

Sweat - I've been working on this on and off for the past month and a half in the 90 degree heat (with no air conditioning)

Tears - Ok so no as many tears but a few hot mad tears when I made a simple mistake and had to fix it and giddy tears when I got so close to the end and I was still in love with it.

I practically flew through the last of it once I got the quilt top put together. I could barely stand it I loved it so much. 

Sewing around each triangle was pretty time consuming but I love the way it looks and hopefully this will hold up nicely.

He's going to be very cozy this winter with his quilt and the baby blanket I crocheted a few months ago.

I'm working on a post to share my progress through the quilt and the methods/tutorials I used etc. But the colors are greens, aquas, turquoise, gray and white.

Not all my lines are straight but it's made with love and it's perfectly imperfect. I'm in love with it!

And since I'm feeling pretty round and pregnant these days, here is a photo of me from yesterday at 34 weeks. Technically I still have 6 weeks until my due date but I'm guessing he's going to come earlier than that. I have a growth ultrasound later this week to measure how big he is getting!

(34 weeks)

Reflections on this Pregnancy

I haven't shared a lot about this pregnancy on my blog. 

I haven't posted ultrasound pictures, dear baby letters, maternity wardrobe photos, or even shared bits and pieces of his nursery yet.

In a way, this surprises me. 

While we are beyond excited and giddy with his impeding arrival, there has been some worrying too. Some fears. Some concerns. I've kept it all close to my heart.

I find it curious that people have asked me if this baby was planned...like I'm over 40 or working on my 11th child. I answer a simple yes with a smile, but in my heart I want to say you will never know how long this baby has been planned for, waited on, and dreamed of. You will never truly know the struggle and heartache we have been through to get to this point. So yes, this baby was most definitely planned. 

2012 wasn't an easy year.

Autumn wasn't the best season.

2013 started out rocky.

June was a bit of a struggle.

July is teetering back and forth.

And with it all I guess I've taken a step back and needed time to process it all instead of immediately sharing it all here. Some of it I didn't (and still don't) know if I was ready to put into words. I'm not sure if I'm waiting until the delivery and then will breath a sigh of relief and share our story or if I'll just be glad to be through it and make it part of the past.

Sometimes people who you are close to shock you by their words and actions. And you think to yourself if that person, that I was so close to responded that way, how would people who don't really know me react? Would they be supportive? Or would they be negative? What comments would they have? Could I handle it?

So for now, I've decided to keep it private.

We are so blessed and can't wait to hold our little love. We love you baby boy!

*I am currently 32 weeks pregnant. This photograph was taken last week in Sardinia at sunset by my wonderful husband. I was 31 weeks pregnant.

Hello Third Trimester!

This past weekend I hit my 28 week mark. This means I'm officially in my third trimester with this Little Mister! Hooray! It's exciting to be here again and I'm starting to really look pregnant and I love it!

What's going on with baby?

He is measuring 30 weeks and his heart-rate is 144.

He is growing a lot lately and starting to add some fat so he'll have those cute baby cheeks! His eyesight is developing and he will start being able to see the light filtering through the womb. He's also been getting to taste to foods I've been eating and his sense of smell is developing. Billions of neurons are developing in his brain right now! He's about the size of an eggplant according to the bump. He weights around 2.5 pounds and measures between 13.6 to 14.8 inches from head to heel!

What's going on with Mommy?

It's been sunny and hot this week. By hot I mean in the 90's which has been just horrible. Not to mention the fact that (most) houses in Germany don't have air conditioning and I've been a bit miserable! Other than that I've actually been feeling my best lately. Some of my other pregnancy complaints have gone away. We've had a few bumps in the road but my doctors are monitoring me and all is still on track. I still wake up to pee several times a night and have been having noticeable Braxton Hicks since at least 16 weeks. Some days are worse than others but I've been trying to rest a lot and drink lots of water.

What's going on with big sister?

She's still SUPER excited! She loves to shop for baby - whether it's a new cute onsie or a rattle, she wants to buy it. She happily helps me around the house, especially picking things up off the floor that are harder for me to reach now. She loves rubbing my belly, reading and singing to her brother, and feeling the kicks. She is always talking about all the things she's going to teach him and help him with.

More Nursery Inspiration

I am having way too much fun working with The Shopping Mama and finding fun, funky, modern, and precious pieces that would work for a nursery. I recently created a Colorful Nursery Board and a super sweet Aqua and Elephant Nursery Board.

I discovered that I loved this sweet modern color combo and even though it could be gender neutral I feel a pull towards boy on this one. To see more and shop the goodies in this board click here. I love those elephant touches and I already bought one of these lovely items!

These fun colors would really pop for a funky baby nursery! I really love that multi-colored rug and of course that modern crib is so hip. For more info about this nursery board click here. Babies will love to grow and play in a room this fun!

And in case you missed it I also share my other nursery inspiration boards on the blog a few weeks ago. Be sure to check them out too.

Naming a baby in Germany

Choosing a name for a baby is a big deal. I mean it's what they will be called for life. That's huge, and scary, and can be overwhelming at times. Some people use classic family names that have been around for generations while others choose something more unique and trendy. There are the people that know the name they are going to use before they are even pregnant, and some people wait until they meet their child before choosing a name. 

Whenever people find out you're pregnant everyone wants to chat about baby names. Everyone has their favorite names or names they absolutely hate. Everyone has an opinion.

Thinking about nicknames, initials, meanings behind a name, all of those things are things you think about when talking baby names. Naming someone for life is hard.

And  if you have older children, you have to worry about how it will sound along side each other. Do they sound nice together? Because, let's face it, you'll probably be saying them together a lot, calling them for dinner, talking about them in general.

But, if all of that isn't stressful enough, in the USA you can name your child pretty much anything you want, but imagine if you lived in Germany and had to deal with baby-naming laws.

Yes, you read that right. 

Germany has laws on baby-naming! 

You better think twice before naming your Junge (boys) and Mädchen (girls)

I know you are wondering what these restrictions are and here are some of them:

• Names must be gender specific, except for Maria which can be used as a second boy's name.


• Names must follow order and decency. 


• No biblical names with negative connections or negative names in general  (Cain, Lucifer, Adolph)


• No names of products or brands. (Nike, Apple)


• A child can have up to 5 names, but only 28 characters in a name. 


• Surnames can not be used as first names.


• No geographical names. (Berlin, Paris, River)


• No titles of nobility. (Princess, Duke)


• No names that will “negatively affect the well-being of the child.”
  

Here are some interesting facts I found when researching this:

Huckleberry was turned down because the character Huckleberry Finn was an outsider in the Mark Twain novel.

Miatt was denied because it wasn't known whether or not it was male or female.

The name Whoppi (to honor Whoppi Goldberg) was denied because of the expression "making whoopee". 

Your name has to be approved by the office of vital statistics, the Standesamt, in your region. Each name you submit costs a fine. If you name is denied, you can submit a new name for another fee.

So what DO Germans name their children?

My landlord told me two popular boy names now are Max and Otto. Seems right.

I also found boy and girl name lists for the top 5 German names in 2012.

Boys:

1. Luca

2. Maximilian

3. Alexander

4. Paul

5. Ben

Girls:

1. Sophie

2. Marie

3. Maria

4. Sophia

5. Mia

Pretty average names huh? 

Luckily, for our family, none of these baby naming laws are a problem because we don't fall under these restrictions. We get to pick a name that suits us and our family without having to check with the local law. And for now we're still debating. Like I said, it's hard naming someone for life. But, we think we have it down to 2 names. For now we're keeping them under wraps.

So, would you have a problem with name restrictions? 

Would a name you love be denied? 

Or do you think naming laws are a good idea?

Resources: gfds.de,  babble.com, bbc.co.uk, huffingtonpost.com, about.com

MY Nursery Inspiration Boards

I'm 26 weeks pregnant (as of yesterday) and I've started to think about designing the nursery for this new little bundle. I'm so excited to be sharing what I've been doing on the The Shopping Mama lately. 

I've been having so much fun searching the internet to create these unique nursery inspiration boards.

Richard really loves this space and exploration themed nursery I came up with. Green, orange, grays, and blues and lots of rockets and stars pull this all together. I love the modern rocker and crib too! If you like this nursery board, see more about my starstruck baby inspiration board here. There you can find all the links to the goodies I've featured in this dream nursery.

This was the first one I came up with. Rustic, warm colors with some cute forest critters and you've got a woodland themed nursery for your little one. Seriously how cute is the plush fox and that mushroom lamp!? If this is more your fancy, you can find out more by checking out my woodland friends inspiration board. All the links to these warm and cozy nursery decor can be found there.

Pregnancy Patrol

I live with the pregnancy patrol. Yep, that's what we call our four year old who feels like she's in charge. She can be pretty bossy at times and now it's double the fun now that I'm pregnant and she is always being on the lookout for me and baby brother.

Here are some of the conversations we've had around here lately.

 I give you The Pregnancy Patrol.

--------------------------------------------

(At dinner, I couldn't eat all of what I dipped)

Me: "Ugh, I'm full"

Ariana: "Well even if you aren't hungry, you still need to eat so your baby can grow up."

+

(Driving in the car doing errands and she's getting mints out of my purse in the backseat)

Me: "Can you pass me a mint tic-tac, please?"

Ariana: "I don't think you should have one, mint isn't good for babies."

+

(Me commenting on my growing belly one night to Richard)

Me: "Oh my belly button is starting to feel weird.

Ariana: "BECAUSE YOU'RE PREGNANT!"

+

(While shopping for baby clothes, Ariana pointing out an outfit)

Me: "No, let's don't buy that one, I don't think it's very cute."

Ariana: "Mommy, that's because boy clothes aren't as cute. We just have to buy it anyways."

+

and finally I hear this all the time. Randomly. All the time. It makes me laugh.

Ariana: "That's not good for pregnants"

I should state that the way she says pregnant sounds more like preg-ah-nents. It's all hilariously funny to me and I'm happy that she's so sweet and wants me to stay safe and healthy, although sometimes a mama just wants to do what a mama wants to do. 

(photos from our backyard on Mother's Day, 23 weeks pregnant)

Baby's First Blanket

When we found out we were pregnant, I knew I was going to want to make some things for this baby. I waited to find out if it was a boy or a girl before I started anything.

My first project that I've completed is this crocheted baby blanket.

I found these gorgeous and soft yarns at our BX one day and knew these were the colors I wanted. 

They are Red Heart Soft Baby Steps in Baby Blue, Baby Green and White.

I bought 2 skeins of each color, 6 skeins of yarn total and used it all.

I did a simple single crochet using all three yarns at the same time using a large size P crochet needle. The effect was really pretty and created a really bulky warm blanket for our September baby.

It came together pretty quickly when I actually had time to sit down and crochet it (usually while I was catching up on some of my favorite shows. Anybody else love Scandal!? Addicted! I have 2 more episodes left.)

It ended up being pretty large, measuring 52x42 inches but it's perfect.

 I can't wait for our little boy to be snuggled up with it!

It's a....(gender reveal)

Me at 22 weeks.

 A sweet little BOY!!!!

Pregnancy Favorites (at 20 weeks)

I love being pregnant!

It's hard to believe I'm already 21 weeks (over half way there!) Last week I spent some time thinking of my favorite pregnancy related things that I could share. Here are some of my top favorite maternity favorites.

1. Old Navy Boot Cut Yoga Pants. Yes I actually got these to do yoga in and I actually bought a prenatal yoga video. Sadly the DVD is still in it's plastic wrapper. I never had the energy or motivation to pull out the yoga mat, move our coffee table and try out the prenatal yoga dvd. But! These pants are super comfy and I've worn them many days, both to the gym for some light exercise and also around the house or out and about doing errands. The full band holds them up great and they are the most comfortable pregnancy pants I own.

2. Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy was a book someone gave me during my first pregnancy. It's a pretty funny pregnancy read so I'm reading it again this time around.

3. Boppy Total Body Pregnancy Pillow. This is a life saver for me. I even took it when we went on our Spring Break road trip. I'm usually a stomach sleeper so I have a hard time getting comfortable once the belly starts expanding and I can't sleep on my stomach anymore. I just tuck this baby under my bump and drift off. I've also snuggled the top (meant for your head) up to my belly and wrapped the other side between my legs and created a little nest. Only drawback, these do take up a lot of room in the bed.

4. Avocados. I'm pretty sure I was craving them at one point. Along with spinach. That was the 2 weeks all I wanted to eat was the green goddess grilled cheese sandwich. Avocados are amazing and delicious!

5. Curel Pregnancy Lotion. I use this stuff every night, or at least every time I get out of the shower. I used this my first pregnancy too and no stretch marks. I'm hoping it works as well this time!

6. CamelBak Water Bottle. The best way to stay hydrated. Fill this thing up and you're good on water for a while. I drink the most when I'm in the car or on the computer. I try to always carry this with me throughout the day.

7. Red Hots cinnamon candy. Sweet and spicy! Good for when I wanted to dry heave or just whenever the sweet tooth struck.

8. Nameberry. My favorite baby naming website this go round. My favorite part is the currently popular names for that day. You'll find some rare gems on there too. The forums are a fun place to pick up some old classic forgotten names or trendier hipster names. There are so many names to choose from. I've spent hours on here scrolling through names.

Another favorite pregnancy item that I didn't include in my roundup is the Bella Band maternity band. I like the lace ones. Perfect for pants that are getting snug, just unbutton them and layer the Bella Band on there to stretch out your wardrobe. Sometimes, I even wear them with my regular maternity pants to help hold them in place.

BOY or GIRL? A look at old wives tales.

When it comes to pregnancy everyone wants to guess what you are having. I have so much fun playing around with old wives tales and seeing the boy and girl gender results. Here is my list of old wives tales I did for this pregnancy and what they revealed.

Chinese Calendar - GIRL

Mayan Calendar - GIRL

Key theory- BOY

Baking Soda test - BOY, GIRL. I did this twice and it came out different each time.

Ring test - BOY

Cravings theory - BOY, GIRL

Skin theory- BOY

Morning Sickness theory - BOY

Dad's Weight theory - BOY

Baby's heart rate theory - GIRL

Spit in water test - GIRL

In case you aren't familiar with some of the test, here is what they are:

Baking Soda (this was new to me, you pour your pee on baking soda if it fizzes it's a boy, if not it's a girl)

Ring Test (hang your wedding ring over your belly, if it goes in a circle it's a girl, straight line it's a boy)

Key test (whether you pick up a key with the round part or the pointy part) 

Cravings, if it's salty or sour it's a boy, sweet it's a girl.

If your skin is the same or better it's a boy. If it's worse it's a girl.

If you have bad morning sickness it's a girl, if not it's a boy.

If Dad is gaining weight along with you it's a girl, if not it's a boy.

If the babies heart rate is over 140 bpm it's a girl, if it's lower it's a boy.

If you spit in water and it floats it's a girl, if it sinks it's a boy.

Ha! I just realized it's 7 for boy and 6 for girl. So it just proves how much weight you can put into these tests, but they are still fun to do.

When I polled our friends on my personal facebook, the majority of guesses was for another girl.

Check back soon for my gender reveal post!!

Growing and Gardening

It seems that I have fall babies and when this happens I hit my second trimester around spring time. I get the incredible urge to garden. I usually always have some pretty flowers planted outside in the spring/summer but something about pregnancy makes me want to go over the top. So 2 weeks ago or so we bought up a whole bunch of pretty colorful flowers and redid are backyard pot garden.

Ariana had so much fun digging in the dirt with her hands and finding earthworms. She cooed at them and gave them names and put them in our pots after we planted all our flowers.

And of course since it was a nice day out (rare in Germany these days) we took a few outside shots of the 19 week baby belly!

BABY news!!!!

So I've been a little absent from the blog lately and I have good reason. 

We're VERY excited to announce that we're expecting baby #2 in September!!! Ariana is over the moon with excitement that she's going to be a big sister.

I'm officially 13 weeks and 1 day today and although I'm still feeling tired I'm feeling a little more like my normal self. Sleeping is already starting to become uncomfortable and let me tell you fatigue and insomnia isn't a fun mix.

Here's my first belly shot at 12 weeks. Not much to show yet but we're getting there.

How far along? 13 weeks

Baby is the size of a peach! How cute!

Craving? first it was Red Hots (the candy) and then it was salt and vinegar chips, peach cobbler, milk, milk, milk, and while we were in England I adored sticky toffee pudding, oh yum!

Aversions? anything fried, seafood, the smell of cooking butter

Symptoms? dry heaving, gagging, some nausea, congestion, fatigue, insomnia, moodiness, growing pains, back pain, nipple pain and more...

Daddy's thoughts on the pregnancy so far? He's thrilled of course and he's been so helpful since I've been too tired to do much. He encourages napping for me which is great and I try to take advantage of it if he's home. He teared up at our first ultrasound when we heard the heartbeat for the first time. (172 bpm)

Ariana's thoughts on the pregnancy so far? She's been asking for a brother or sister for over a year now I'd say so she's super excited. She talks to "my baby" all the time and she's been requesting Daddy do things "since Mommy has a baby in her belly" which has been sweet. She wants a sister but she's coming around to the fact that it might be a brother and she told me she loves the baby and will love it "even if it's a boy".