I'm not Irish or anything...but Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!! And yes...still no baby!! I've taken long walks, gotten a foot massage, eaten spicy chicken and hot wings, did lunges and squats, bounced on an exercise ball for 45 min, drank red raspberry leaf tea, and other things of a more personal nature ;) and STILL NO BABY!!! It's getting really uncomfortable little buddy, and we really want to see your face, so please come out soon!!!
On to other things, non-baby related...saw this great post on Design*Sponge this morning on organizing and displaying your notions!
Now, I don't really know that I'd want to make these for that purpose, to be honest. I just think it would be a great little crafting art piece. Man I wish I had a little craft room!! I mean, not to complain, cause I LOVE our little house, but all crafting and arts are squished into a small space in this back room/hall of our house. I think that will definitely be on my list whenever it's time to move into a new house...Must have a craft room!
Enjoy your St. Patty's Day everyone...and drink a green beer for me :)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
And the wait continues...
As you have probably guessed...no baby just yet. Russ and I have tried pretty much everything over the weekend to get this baby boy moving...but he doesn't seem that interested. Thanks to my dear friend Ms Holly, I have something else to try...Raspberry Leaf tea! Hopefully this will speed up the process...I guess we'll see!
This little boy could come any day now, so Russ and I are really trying to nail down exactly how we feel about all of those procedures hospitals have for newborns...Here's kinda what we're thinking:
Eye Ointment: Although there really isn't harm in getting the ointment (besides the fact that your little one will have goopy eyes, and may not be able to focus well at first), for us, it's just unnecessary. Eye ointment is strictly to prevent infant blindness in little ones whose mothers have tested positive for chlamydia, syphilis, or gonorrhea. So if you don't have any of those STDs, there really is no point in getting the goop.
Vitamin K: This is the one that Russ and I are still battling over. There is a rare (5 in 100,000 births) genetic disorder where bleeding in the brain can occur in newborns. Because of this, it's pretty routine for hospitals to administer a vitamin K shot within the first hours of birth. Now, it would seem like this would be a great preventative measure to take, but there are also some risks. Because the vitamin K shot that is given is so high in concentration, there have been some links to childhood cancer. The statistics on this are very low as wel, which makes the decision even harder to make. Do we get the shot to prevent a disease that little guy may not even have? Or do we not give the shot to lower his chances of childhood cancer? To add to these questions, we do plan on circumcising (which could cause this rare disease to flare up if he were to have it). However after talking to our midwife, I think we've come up with a good middle of the ground solution. As of right now, our plan is to wait until he is a week or so old before we get little man circumcised. Mavis suggested going this route for a couple reasons. First, Addi will be able to get all of the vitamin K he will need by me taking a Vitamin K supplement, and breastfeeding. This way he gets the vitamin K he needs gradually and in a smaller more manageable dose, before he gets circumcised, lowering the risk of bleeding. Also, being a first time mom, and he obviously being a first time baby (hehe), neither of us really have a clue how this whole breast feeding thing works. Mavis suggested it could be beneficial to get used to the whole breast feeding thing before introducing something traumatic such as a circumcision. Our pediatrician also does circumcisions in their office, so no worries there. So as of right now, and pending a relatively normal non-tramatic birth, that's kind of our plan on the vitamin K subject. There are lots of great resources out there though. One article I read that I thought was really fair and balanced can be found Here.
PKU Test: We are ok with doing these tests. The procedure consists of a small prick to the heel to collect a blood sample. They use that blood sample to detect conditions that can possibly be prevented or treated. Other then the pain of the prick, I haven't found any other reason to decline this procedure.
Hep B: Vanderbilt doesn't do routine Hep B shots anymore for newborns. If they did though, we probably wouldn't be doing this. It is virtually impossible for newborns to contract this disease unless their mothers are infected with the Hep B virus...and being that I'm not, I think we're in the clear here.
I think that's it on the newborn procedures at Vanderbilt. These are just our personal choices, which we are still thinking and praying about.
Would love to know your thoughts as well!
This little boy could come any day now, so Russ and I are really trying to nail down exactly how we feel about all of those procedures hospitals have for newborns...Here's kinda what we're thinking:
Eye Ointment: Although there really isn't harm in getting the ointment (besides the fact that your little one will have goopy eyes, and may not be able to focus well at first), for us, it's just unnecessary. Eye ointment is strictly to prevent infant blindness in little ones whose mothers have tested positive for chlamydia, syphilis, or gonorrhea. So if you don't have any of those STDs, there really is no point in getting the goop.
Vitamin K: This is the one that Russ and I are still battling over. There is a rare (5 in 100,000 births) genetic disorder where bleeding in the brain can occur in newborns. Because of this, it's pretty routine for hospitals to administer a vitamin K shot within the first hours of birth. Now, it would seem like this would be a great preventative measure to take, but there are also some risks. Because the vitamin K shot that is given is so high in concentration, there have been some links to childhood cancer. The statistics on this are very low as wel, which makes the decision even harder to make. Do we get the shot to prevent a disease that little guy may not even have? Or do we not give the shot to lower his chances of childhood cancer? To add to these questions, we do plan on circumcising (which could cause this rare disease to flare up if he were to have it). However after talking to our midwife, I think we've come up with a good middle of the ground solution. As of right now, our plan is to wait until he is a week or so old before we get little man circumcised. Mavis suggested going this route for a couple reasons. First, Addi will be able to get all of the vitamin K he will need by me taking a Vitamin K supplement, and breastfeeding. This way he gets the vitamin K he needs gradually and in a smaller more manageable dose, before he gets circumcised, lowering the risk of bleeding. Also, being a first time mom, and he obviously being a first time baby (hehe), neither of us really have a clue how this whole breast feeding thing works. Mavis suggested it could be beneficial to get used to the whole breast feeding thing before introducing something traumatic such as a circumcision. Our pediatrician also does circumcisions in their office, so no worries there. So as of right now, and pending a relatively normal non-tramatic birth, that's kind of our plan on the vitamin K subject. There are lots of great resources out there though. One article I read that I thought was really fair and balanced can be found Here.
PKU Test: We are ok with doing these tests. The procedure consists of a small prick to the heel to collect a blood sample. They use that blood sample to detect conditions that can possibly be prevented or treated. Other then the pain of the prick, I haven't found any other reason to decline this procedure.
Hep B: Vanderbilt doesn't do routine Hep B shots anymore for newborns. If they did though, we probably wouldn't be doing this. It is virtually impossible for newborns to contract this disease unless their mothers are infected with the Hep B virus...and being that I'm not, I think we're in the clear here.
I think that's it on the newborn procedures at Vanderbilt. These are just our personal choices, which we are still thinking and praying about.
Would love to know your thoughts as well!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Baby Day...
So...we've reached the end of the countdown, and still no baby :(
All good though. Little Addi will get here whenever he decides it's time...let's just hope it's sooner rather then later...ha.
Hope you guys are getting a chance to relax this weekend!
All good though. Little Addi will get here whenever he decides it's time...let's just hope it's sooner rather then later...ha.
Hope you guys are getting a chance to relax this weekend!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Un Giorno!
One Day!
One day till the weekend (much needed at that), and one day til we've reached baby's due date! Russ is pretty convinced that this baby is coming tomorrow...but as we all know, baby will come when baby wants to :)
As promised I have a little tutorial to share with you (the pictures aren't great...I really need a new camera...haha.)
Step 2: Cut out a rectangle from your fabric. Because there are different sized changing pads, be sure to measure you’re changing pad and jot down the measurements…
L + Hx2 + 4 inches
W + Hx2 + 4 inches
Most contour changing pads are approximately 16”W x 32”L x 4”H, so the piece you will cut should be 44” x 28”.
Step 3: Cut out a 6” square from each corner (the 6” measurement comes from the height of your changing pad + 2”). You can save the squares for another fun project :)
Step 4: Take the two 6” sides at the corner and pin them right sides together then sew ¼ inch seam from corner to end.
Zig zag along the edge to prevent fraying
Repeat at each corner
Step 6: Fold the edges under about a ¼ of an inch and iron. Fold ironed edges under again, about ¼ inch, then sew a ¼ inch seam around entire edge
Step 7: Take one of your 6" pieces of elastic, and fold in half. Pin the middle of it to the bottom of the corner seam you just made.
Stretch the elastic as far as you can along edge of cover and pin elastic to fabric. (when you let go, the fabric will be all bunched up. Repeat with the other side of the elastic
Step 8: Set your machine to a stretch stitch, or if you don't have that, a zig zag stitch will do just fine.
Put the pinned end of the elastic and fabric into your machine, lower the presser foot and turn the wheel to get the needle into it to hold it in place.
Now stretch the elastic all the way out so it is flush with the fabric, and hold it taught as you sew it in place.
When you're finished sewing across the entire piece of elastic, your corner should look like this...
Repeat on all 4 corners.
Hope this tutorial has been helpful! I'd love to see how your changing pad covers turn out!! If you're not very sew savvy, but would like a cute unique cover for your little munchkin, I'd love to make one for you! Just shoot an email to justdandyjill@gmail.com.
Happy Friday my friends...Fingers crossed I won't be blogging tomorrow, and will be having a baby instead ;)
One day till the weekend (much needed at that), and one day til we've reached baby's due date! Russ is pretty convinced that this baby is coming tomorrow...but as we all know, baby will come when baby wants to :)
As promised I have a little tutorial to share with you (the pictures aren't great...I really need a new camera...haha.)
Contour Changing Pad Cover Tutorial!
Here's what you'll need:
1 yd fabric comfy cozy fabric that is at least 44" wide. I chose flannel for the softness and durability. Most fabric is 44/45" wide, but to be on the safe side, I'd check the bolt your fabric is on to make sure. If your fabric is not at least 44" wide, get 1 1/4 yds of fabric.
Four 6” pieces of ¾ “ elastic
Sewing thread
Scissors
Pins
Step 1: Prewash and iron your fabric!Here's what you'll need:
1 yd fabric comfy cozy fabric that is at least 44" wide. I chose flannel for the softness and durability. Most fabric is 44/45" wide, but to be on the safe side, I'd check the bolt your fabric is on to make sure. If your fabric is not at least 44" wide, get 1 1/4 yds of fabric.
Four 6” pieces of ¾ “ elastic
Sewing thread
Scissors
Pins
Step 2: Cut out a rectangle from your fabric. Because there are different sized changing pads, be sure to measure you’re changing pad and jot down the measurements…
L + Hx2 + 4 inches
W + Hx2 + 4 inches
Most contour changing pads are approximately 16”W x 32”L x 4”H, so the piece you will cut should be 44” x 28”.
Step 3: Cut out a 6” square from each corner (the 6” measurement comes from the height of your changing pad + 2”). You can save the squares for another fun project :)
Step 4: Take the two 6” sides at the corner and pin them right sides together then sew ¼ inch seam from corner to end.
Zig zag along the edge to prevent fraying
Repeat at each corner
Step 7: Take one of your 6" pieces of elastic, and fold in half. Pin the middle of it to the bottom of the corner seam you just made.
Stretch the elastic as far as you can along edge of cover and pin elastic to fabric. (when you let go, the fabric will be all bunched up. Repeat with the other side of the elastic
Step 8: Set your machine to a stretch stitch, or if you don't have that, a zig zag stitch will do just fine.
Put the pinned end of the elastic and fabric into your machine, lower the presser foot and turn the wheel to get the needle into it to hold it in place.
Now stretch the elastic all the way out so it is flush with the fabric, and hold it taught as you sew it in place.
When you're finished sewing across the entire piece of elastic, your corner should look like this...
Repeat on all 4 corners.Voila…you’ve finished your custom changing pad cover!!
Hope this tutorial has been helpful! I'd love to see how your changing pad covers turn out!! If you're not very sew savvy, but would like a cute unique cover for your little munchkin, I'd love to make one for you! Just shoot an email to justdandyjill@gmail.com.
Happy Friday my friends...Fingers crossed I won't be blogging tomorrow, and will be having a baby instead ;)
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Strangers...
...are really friendly and talkative when you're pregnant. I've found that people in the South are generally nicer then the North. They usually will smile back at you or say hey, but when you're pregnant, they actually talk to you, ask you when you're due, what you're having, etc, and then say super nice and encouraging things as well! Although this pregnancy really has been relatively easy, I wouldn't say that I've loved being pregnant. Gaining weight, and the limited mobility is no fun. But the kind words from strangers, and awesome friends have definitely been a huge bright spot for me. So thanks to all of you for your encouragement and sweet words...they have been more appreciated then you could possibly know!!!
Deux jours!
Ok folks, we're getting REALLY close to this baby's due date...just 2 days! I went and saw Mavis, our midwife, this morning, and everything is looking great! I'm measuring at 40 weeks, baby boy is still "in position" and his little heart beat is just where it should be (I just love the sound of his little thumping heart!). Only bummer is that there is no dilation...boo!! Now, I know that's just information, and anything can happen, but I couldn't help but be slightly disappointed about the news. On an encouraging note, my dear sister Tamara called me right before my appointment to tell me that even if I'm not dialated, anything can happen. With her little boy Drew, she wasn't dialated at all when she went to her last appointment before her due date, and then went into labor the very next day! That's definitely what I'm going for...I've got my fingers crossed ;)
My top 5 reasons for wanting to go into labor this weekend are...
1.) I'm dying to see what this little man looks like, and hold him, kiss him, and love on him!!!
2.) I just want to get the whole labor and delivery over with! ha.
3.) I feel like I'm in a holding pattern in my life right now...I'm ready to get into a routine with this little nugget.
4.) Our midwife is actually on call this weekend...I would LOVE for Mavis to be able to deliver our baby!!
5.) I'm sick of not being able to feel my fingers! ha.
So, I think I've mentioned in the past that I've been obsessing over the silliest things, like the nursery and what to bring our little guy home in. Well, the nursery is done (woohoo!), with the exception of the space above the changing dresser. But we've finally decided what we're doing there and that will hopefully be finished today or tomorrow. I also have picked out little man's going home outfit...
I'm super into stripes and nautically (don't think that's really a word, but I'm goin with it) looking things these days, if you can't tell. I found the uber cute hoodie at BabyGap...on sale!! Then we have his little anchor onesie I made using a freezer paper stencil, some super comfy knit pants, and of course navy and lime green button loafers :) This outfit says, "I'm a sailor, and I like to be comfy"...haha. (wow, I'm ridiculous)
Have any of you pregger mommies been obsessing or have obsessed about little things like a going home outfit?! Please tell me that I'm not crazy!!
My top 5 reasons for wanting to go into labor this weekend are...
1.) I'm dying to see what this little man looks like, and hold him, kiss him, and love on him!!!
2.) I just want to get the whole labor and delivery over with! ha.
3.) I feel like I'm in a holding pattern in my life right now...I'm ready to get into a routine with this little nugget.
4.) Our midwife is actually on call this weekend...I would LOVE for Mavis to be able to deliver our baby!!
5.) I'm sick of not being able to feel my fingers! ha.
So, I think I've mentioned in the past that I've been obsessing over the silliest things, like the nursery and what to bring our little guy home in. Well, the nursery is done (woohoo!), with the exception of the space above the changing dresser. But we've finally decided what we're doing there and that will hopefully be finished today or tomorrow. I also have picked out little man's going home outfit...
I'm super into stripes and nautically (don't think that's really a word, but I'm goin with it) looking things these days, if you can't tell. I found the uber cute hoodie at BabyGap...on sale!! Then we have his little anchor onesie I made using a freezer paper stencil, some super comfy knit pants, and of course navy and lime green button loafers :) This outfit says, "I'm a sailor, and I like to be comfy"...haha. (wow, I'm ridiculous) Have any of you pregger mommies been obsessing or have obsessed about little things like a going home outfit?! Please tell me that I'm not crazy!!
Happy Thursday!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Drei Taga
Anyone guess what language that is?! If you said German...you're right! ha. When we were given the choice to pick what language we wanted to learn in Junior High, I picked German...what was I thinking?!?! I mean, if you love the language, all the more power to you, but unless you plan on moving over there one day, or you have German heritage, it's kinda useless. Looking back I wish I would have taken French! It's such a romantic, beautiful language! Or maybe even Italian. Although, I don't really think they offered that at my school. Oh well, such is life.
So we're just 3 days away from Addison's due date!! I have an appointment with our midwife tomorrow morning, and we'll see if there is any dialation. Man I really hope there is, cause I am definitely ready for this little bean to get here!! We packed up our hospital bag last night, which makes this whole thing even more real. AND I've been having dreams about breastfeeding...haha. Addi wasn't taking to it very well...I really hope that's just me being worried, and not an actual prediction of what's to come!
That's it for this dreary Wednesday morning, but I shall not complain...at least we're in the 60's!!
PS - Love these babies, and their mommas...
Grace Anne Verne
Londyn Zoe Thrasher
Boone Christian Zuehlke
So we're just 3 days away from Addison's due date!! I have an appointment with our midwife tomorrow morning, and we'll see if there is any dialation. Man I really hope there is, cause I am definitely ready for this little bean to get here!! We packed up our hospital bag last night, which makes this whole thing even more real. AND I've been having dreams about breastfeeding...haha. Addi wasn't taking to it very well...I really hope that's just me being worried, and not an actual prediction of what's to come!
That's it for this dreary Wednesday morning, but I shall not complain...at least we're in the 60's!!
PS - Love these babies, and their mommas...
Grace Anne Verne
Londyn Zoe Thrasher
Boone Christian Zuehlke
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