A few short weeks after finding out we were pregnant, I felt my arms extending out on each side, feathers beginning to grow on them, and the invigorating sensation burn inside my chest that…I had a mission to fulfill. Suddenly, I was a great mother bird and the only thing set before me was the need to NEST. To prepare for a baby. And to make a house ready for…

my baby.

So I introduce to you, my simple Nesting Plan - as inspired by one of my favorite online moms, { Sarah Hau }. My Nesting Plan has many parts, and this is just one of them; and it’s all about Honor. By posting and sharing my plans on this blog, I hope to gain productivity, personal accountability, and certainly some feedback from my friends who are or aren’t moms already. With my pregnancy brain literally feeling like a scattered bucket of grain, I need this. I think this method of planning will help me nest in big ways. And as items are purchased or completed, I’ll post updates!

Layette

[ ] 4-8 bodysuits or onesies (wide head openings and loose legs)

[ ] 4-8 undershirts or vests (snaps at neck or wide head openings, snaps under crotch)*

[ ] 4-8 one-piece pajamas*

[ ] 2 blanket sleepers for winter baby

[ ] 1-3 sweaters or jackets (front buttoned)

[ ] 1-3 rompers or other dress-up outfits*

[ ] 4-7 socks or booties (shoes are unnecessary until baby walks)*

[ ] 1-3 hats (broad-brimmed for summer baby, soft cap that covers ears for winter baby)*

[ ] No-scratch mittens

[ ] Gentle laundry detergent

Nursery

[ ] Crib, cradle or bassinet*
• Slats no more than 2 3/8 inches apart
• Corner posts no more than 1/16 of an inch above frame
• No cutouts in headboard or footboard
• Top rails at least 26 inches above mattress

[ ] Firm, flat mattress fit snugly in crib (less than two fingers should fit between mattress and crib)*

[ ] 1-3 washable crib mattress pads - already have 1!

[ ] 2-4 fitted crib sheets*

[ ] 4-6 soft, light receiving blankets*

[ ] Rocking or arm chair

[ ] Music box, sound machine or CD player

[ ] Crib mobile with black and white images (remove when baby can support self on hands and knees) —> what the heck is this?!

[ ] Baby monitor

[ ] Nightlight

[ ] Dresser - currently searching for this on Craigslist.

[ ] Toy basket

[ ] Swing or bouncy chair

Changing

[ ] Changing table or cushioned changing pad for low dresser or bureau, with safety strap or railing*

[ ] Changing table pad*

[ ] Changing table pad cover

[ ] Diaper pail

[ ] Diaper pail liners

[x] Diaper cream*

[ ] Unscented baby wipes (causes less irritation)*

[ ] Soft washcloths*

[ ] 6-10 dozen cloth diapers and 6-8 diaper covers, or 2-3 large boxes of disposable newborn-size diapers*

Bath

[ ] Baby bathtub

[x] Baby soap*

[x] Baby shampoo

[ ] 2-4 soft towels or hooded baby towels

[ ] Baby hairbrush

[ ] Soft washcloths (use a different color or pattern than your diaper washcloths!)

Feeding

[ ] 10-16 bottles and nipples, both four and eight ounce 

[ ] Liners, for disposable bottles

[ ] Bottle warmer (cuts down on nighttime trips to and from the kitchen)

[ ] Bottle sterilizer (if your dishwasher doesn’t have one)

[ ] Bottle brush

[ ] Dishwasher basket for small items

[ ] 4-8 bibs

[ ] Burp cloths (or cloth diapers)*

[ ] High chair

[ ] 2-4 pacifiers

Medicine Cabinet

[ ] Baby nail clippers or blunt scissors*

[x] Cotton balls (don’t use swabs to clean baby’s nose or ears) - I wonder if the safe baby swabs OK? 

[ ] Baby thermometer*

[ ] Bulb syringe/nasal aspirator

[ ] Medicine dropper or spoon with measurements

[ ] Infant acetaminophen (Tylenol)

[ ] Antibiotic cream

[ ] Saline nasal drops

[ ] Baby gas drops

Travel

[ ] Infant or convertible car seat*

[ ] Stroller (reclining to almost flat for infants)

[ ] Diaper bag

[ ] Changing pad

[ ] Baby carrier/sling

[x] : on the registry

Happy 2013, everyone! To start off the new year, I thought I would start posting more updates on the growth of our little Honor. Truth be told, I thought I would be the kind of pregnant woman who would be updating the world all the time - blog posts, bump pictures, status updates… Instead, I have been more immersed in the world of simply being pregnant - absorbed in all the wonderful changes that have and continue to take place in my body, mind and heart. Even now as I type this, every 5 minutes Honor does a tiny karate punch/kick in my tummy. Pregnancy has pulled me deep into the world of amazed fascination. 

This week’s update: Honor is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound, about as much as a large mango! Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing and loud noises that become familiar now — such as our dog barking or me singing my heart out — probably won’t faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Observations this week: + Honor feels about as big as a bag of frozen peas! I love feeling her through my belly early in the morning and right before I sleep at night when I’m laying flat on my bed. During these times, everything other than baby in my stomach flattens out, leaving Honor to stick out on her own! It is the neatest thing to see her form and be able to feel and rub only her. It is my daily mommy-to-daughter bonding time. + I am beginning to not be able to get out of bed normally. This is because I am beginning to have to ROLL out of bed, either because my balance is off or my back feels like it is about to give out. Kind of makes me feel like an old lady! + My mother-in-law pointed out the other day that I now walk like I am pregnant. This is true. I am now beginning to walk consistently like a penguin. With a little wobble. Hopefully, a cute wobble! + This week, being pregnant started to feel normal. That’s it…normal.

Favorite thing(s): Seeing adorable babies/toddlers and being able to smile and think, “Gosh I’m so thankful to be pregnant! Soon I’m going to have one of those!”, late night “anticipating Honor” talks with Matt, wondering what Honor’s going to look like (she already has her daddy’s nose and mouth!), when strangers on the street look at my belly before my face.

Difficult thing(s) to pray through: Pregnancy-induced asthma has been an on-and-off challenge with this pregnancy. Thankfully, the attacks have only taken place in environments where my allergies are being set off. Still, the inability to breathe in these certain moments have been the roughest part of this pregnancy.

Movement? Little karate punches/kicks throughout the day! They feel like little pops in my belly and make me smile every time. No trends with the movements yet!

Reflections: The gift it is to be pregnant. I was reminded this week of one couple’s long and difficult journey towards pregnancy. What a gift it is that God gave us Honor so soon upon our asking Him. Honor is God’s gift, and I never want to forget this or stop thanking Him for her. In addition, I am reminded to be sensitive towards couples who are newly married or have been married for years. The question of “when are you guys going to have a baby?” and baby jokes need to be handled with great sensitivity. One can never know if a couple is indeed having difficulty with this very thing.

Now here’s to a wonderful new year!

Honor, we cannot wait to welcome you into our lives this year.

-Mommy

Minus avocados and Asian food, my cravings with this baby have been grease-filled, salty junk foods (SALT has been KEY). What can ya do when that’s all that calms your sick stomach? On a positive note, Trimester 2 has me back to my regular diet. Nowadays all I crave everyday is FRUIT - mountains and mountains of fruit! 

Thanks for playing!

Rules: Take a guess at my Top 5 Food Cravings from Trimester 1 of pregnancy. I limit this game to Trimester 1 because that was when control was out of the question and making myself feel un-nauseous became priority. Now, take a guess! And the right answer will be given in my next post!

Cravings A) ice cream, mcdonald’s french fries, fruit, ice cubes, candy.

Cravings B) avocado, asian food, mcdonald’s mcdoubles, pizza, slim jims.

Cravings C) chocolate milk, arby’s beef & cheddar, pickles, baby corn, chips.

Cravings D) wings, chicken, orange juice, cheesecake, hot sauce.

What’s your guess?

After a long unplanned and unannounced vacation from blogging, I am back — and more committed than ever to write and share my thoughts…and especially the topics that I keep filing “to write about eventually” at the back of my mind. But this time has arrived at such a transitional period of my life. A transition is among us, readers! First may I point out…the look of this blog. I am rather unhappy with it still, but since my recent upgrade much of the settings and design decisions have yet to be finalized. And there are so many options before me that I might need to ask for help from other more talented and experienced blog enthusiasts. Just wait and see…hopefully things around here continue to change and evolve into something more beautiful and more, me.

Second on the list of transitions, I feel like I stepped into the body of a new woman since I woke up in Trimester 2 of our first pregnancy of our first baby. I will use this blog so much to share the experience that it has been thus far, and of course the journey ahead, of this unreal feeling of carrying our first child. The adventure has been an amazingly humbling one…not to my surprise. I feel like a new woman because this whole experience so far has been obviously new, but also comfortable and familiar in some strange way. If I can describe my thoughts more clearly: I feel like I was made for this all along.

One area in which I feel pregnancy has changed me for the better: a greater carelessness of my performance or of the way people view me. Is that not funny or what? Baby Hux has made my spirit more bold and confident in my skin and in my gifts. Even as I write this, there is less inclination in my perfectionist attitude to turn back and edit or polish to make everything sound and seem perfect. It is relieving…and I thank Baby Hux for that. Another area in which pregnancy has changed me for the better: learning to die to my own will and give in to the will of a growing baby. Trimester 1 was a blur. I recall one time reading a positive pregnancy test, then waking up from a deep sleep 3 months later. I never knew exhaustion or sleepiness like I did in that time. My body refused to sleep after 6:00pm, refused to cook or clean, refused to eat the foods I thought would benefit the baby most (and that topic will be a whole separate post!)… And at first I refused to lose, until I did. Thankfully, my own parents encouraged me to give in (“You are making a baby! Take care of my baby!”)…making the impact of the situation a little less pride-breaking. 

Then there was the day we received our precious news. Matt and I had been praying for about a month for God to bless us with a child. This was an exhilarating time because we knew that God would ultimately decide on the perfect moment to answer our prayer. For a 2-week period however, I grew incredibly impatient and frustrated over several mixed signs related to a potential pregnancy. Many negative pregnancy tests later, these feelings only increased. August 20th, 2012 being one of these days, I came home from work and decided that I was going to take one more pregnancy test. I remember marching through our apartment - aimed for the bathroom - and passing Matt who made some last comment similar to: “Are you sure this is a good idea/are you sure you should be doing this in light of your crummy attitude?”

After reluctantly taking one more test, I could see a line forming a negative sign. So quickly, out of rising emotion, I threw the test in the garbage - very dramatically. Then the Spirit must have overcome my ridiculous response, because He moved me immediately to my knees to surrender again - perhaps for the 87th time that month. I confessed that my attitude was garbage (or literally in the garbage!) and that I hated the fact that waiting for His gift was turning me into a whiny 5-year-old. I re-surrendered my desire for a child, and asked that God be glorified in my attitude from that point on. Then the Spirit must have moved me again…only to do a quick double-check of that pregnancy test I just violently threw away. And I realized that I must have been so impatient that I never allowed the results to fully unveil…and for the first time, the sign I saw before me was POSITIVE. 

I broke into tears of joy and humbleness, that in combination, was an overwhelming feeling. God’s grace and goodness, and His presence…overwhelmed my sorry spirit, but I was accepting of it all. In this moment of shock I had no time to come up with some cute, creative way of telling Matt, so I just paced back and forth in the bathroom until he came in to check on me. No clever words would come from my mouth when he stepped in, nothing but “Matt…we’re pregnant!” And no memorable, sweet words would respond from his mouth either. My husband did not even believe me at first, and the first thing that shot from his mouth was “Wait…let me see those two lines!”

Here is a picture to document that moment on August 20th, 2012.

God did it, and you can see the joy that He gave us on Matt’s face.

Love, Mel