I know it’s been over a month since I’ve posted a blog – but I swear I’m not ignoring it!  Our beautiful daughter was born March 16th, and has taken up quite a bit of our time lately.  :)  Also, I’ve just been informed that I have Mono.  Again.  So when I’m not feeding the baby or changing diapers or doing laundry or running errands, I’m trying to sleep – or I’m sitting on the couch half-comatose.

Anyway, I’ve got plenty of blog material – just no time to type it up.  I’ll catch up soon, since our daughter is now five weeks old and starting to sleep for slightly longer periods, but between being sick and recovering from labor, the internet is just not my highest priority right now.  I’m behind on a lot of things, but enjoying the whole motherhood thing, so – for probably the first time ever – I barely even notice that days at a time go by during which I don’t check my emails or even touch my computer.  Which is, strangely, kind of nice.

I spent some time today creating a page on Facebook for The Precious Baby Collection store on Zazzle!  This is the badge they gave me – click on it to check out the page!

The Precious Baby Collection

Promote Your Page Too

Well, she’s not late yet. I don’t know why, but I don’t think I ever assumed she’d be late, so with my due date fast approaching, it suddenly occurs to me that it’s still considered normal for her to arrive two weeks after that date.

And I have to keep reminding myself that my due date is a whole five days away. The 15th seems much closer than that. The main reason, though, that I keep expecting to suddenly go into labor is that my body has changed in the last week. I’ve now been having false labor, or Braxton Hicks contractions, for a week now, on and off, though mostly in the evenings. She suddenly feels much heavier, although she doesn’t appear to have dropped any more, I’ve been having cramps, which my doctor says is a sign the cervix is opening, and I lost the mucus plug. I kinda thought labor would be imminent after that last factor, but, obviously, it is not.

A week ago I was a centimeter dilated, which isn’t much the way I hear it. But tomorrow is another doctor’s appointment (I feel like I’m always at the doctor’s now – what with the pregnancy and sinus infection) so we’ll see what she says.

Now that I’m no longer sick, I’ve been trying to move around more. I have absolutely no desire to exercise, especially since my last clumsy attempt at Yoga, so even the Pilates I used to enjoy so much has no appeal right now. Exercise comes in the form of walking around the block after dinner, or going to Publix with my husband to grab a few things. But these things are about as much as I want to do because then she feels very heavy and my feet start to feel more swollen and I find I’d like to sit down again.

It’s nice to get some fresh air, though, but as I wait for the baby I feel a little edgier every day. I think it may be that I’m bored – and I already know what all the veteran moms out there are going to say, because it’s been said to me over and over – enjoy the peace and quiet while you can. I get that. But I’ve been so excited about this baby for so long now, that I just can’t wait to meet her, and I can’t seem to focus on anything at all because my mind’s always on her.

I’m excited to announce that I’ve just completely reorganized my original Zazzle store: Roaming Rosie Designs!

Roaming Rosie Designs is my first Zazzle store (I now have three) and so it’s been with me for awhile. Since March of 2009, anyway. That marks a year, though, so it seemed like time for an upgrade.

I’ve reorganized all the products that were there and created brand new banners for the storefront, which should make everything easier to find. I had noticed that some very nice designs seemed hidden in obscure categories and I’ve tried to help fix that, partially by creating the banners which give shoppers an idea of the products they’ll find in that category when they click on those banners.

I’ve also added over 150 new products to the store in the last week. One reason for this was because I had some designs that were not on many products; for example, the design might be featured on a t-shirt, but now it’s also on a mug, mouse pad and keychain, too.

I’ve put many, many (many, many, many!) hours of labor and love into the store over the past year, and taught myself a great deal about html and Photoshop in the process, but it’s been an amazing journey and a great creative outlet for me. And, hopefully, all the time I’ve put into reorganizing it will make it a great resource for others!

Click on the banner below to visit the shop, and please feel free to leave comments!

The last few days have been a little rough – the tissue supply around here has certainly been hit hard. Just as I’m starting to recover from a nagging sinus infection, and just as all that nasty sinus pressure starts to fade and the headaches lessen, that’s when I suddenly realize that I now have a cold as well.

I think the sinus infection is completely gone, as far as I can tell, but now my head is just full of snot that’s in a constant state of drainage. Not cool. Of all the things that had crossed my mind about how labor might progress, I have to admit that it never, ever occurred to me that I might be sick when delivering the baby and, consequently, when bringing home and caring for our newborn.

It makes me a little nervous because I don’t want to give her my cold, but it also makes me a little frustrated because I’d like to enjoy these last few days of pregnancy and I instead find myself curled up in bed or zoned out on the couch, unable to concentrate on anything and completely out of energy.

But I suppose these days wouldn’t be exactly “blissful” anyway, what with the swollen extremities and the back pain which contributes to me never being comfortable anymore. Plus, she’s feeling so tight and heavy now that every one of her twists and turns feels sharp and overly strong, which has become another unexpected discomfort, as I usually enjoy feeling her move. I actually suspect that the cold may be the only reason I’ve been sleeping at all the last few days.

I’ve had a few short bursts of energy here and there (nesting instinct?) but mostly I feel like I’m going through life in a daze right now and I just hope it clears up soon, because I know that now matter how I feel, she gonna come when she’s ready!

I had always planned on getting a bassinet to make it easier for the baby to sleep in our room for the first few months, but now that we know we’ll still be living with relatives when she’s born (and, thus, there’s no nursery yet) the bassinet just made sense.

We registered for The First Years Carry-Me-Near 5-in-1 Bassinet (pictured at left). I chose it not only because it’s beautiful in a soothing and elegant way, but also for the functionality. The top basket is removable and can be carried around anywhere, or the handle and canopy can be lowered when sleeping. Under the basket there’s a changing table, though I don’t foresee us using that much. A detachable contraption is supposed to secure the bassinet to the side of the bed, which I haven’t tried yet. There’s a basket underneath that I’ve already filled with toys and blankets and my Boppy pillow, and there’s foldaway wheels that allow you to either roll the bassinet from room to room or rock it in place.

On the handle there’s a light, five different sounds from white noise to music, and vibration controls. I like the audio selections, which seem to be at a good volume. There are three cute toys hanging from the canopy. The photo online shows some color in the toys but the ones I got are monotone – though I like that. She’ll have plenty of other colorful toys to stimulate her anyway.

My husband put the bassinet together, and the finished product is really nice. However, after opening the box and pouring out a million pieces onto the ground, he cursed his way through the construction, labeling the instructions “evil” at one point. And the one thing that really bothered me was that the handles of the basket come with large stickers on each side of the handle. Why do I need stickers on the product advertising the product? I already know what I bought.

These stickers were, well, a bit disagreeable. It took a couple broken nails (as I was afraid tools would scratch the plastic), a lot of Goo Gone, an insane amount of patience, and over half and hour to remove one sticker. I was livid – which forced me to put off removing the other sticker for a few days. I just couldn’t see any reason to cement giant stickers on the bassinet, but once they were off, I was really satisfied with how it looked.

Even with the negative review of the instructions and stickers, I still would recommend this product to others. It’s gorgeous and functions just the way I need (as far as I can tell thus far). I’m really excited about using it, and I hope the baby loves it, too!

It seems I’ve completely lost track of time!  I’ve been writing, but I’ve just noticed that I haven’t updated my blog much at all this month.  I guess my mind’s been busy with baby stuff!  :)

My doctor visits have all been normal and the baby still has a strong heartbeat and I’m gaining the right amount of weight – although every person who finds out how far along I am still feels the need to tell me how “tiny” I look.  It’s getting a little tiring feeling like I have to apologize for appearing small when both the baby and I are actually right on track.  I’m at 36 and a half weeks, but when most people find out my due date they give me a look like they don’t believe me.  It’s exhausting and my forced smile is wearing a little thin; I shouldn’t have to defend myself for being healthy.

Anyway, our (okay, mostly “my”) days have been filled with nesting, which is the main reason I’ve spent less time on the computer lately.  I’ve rearranged closets and dressers to make room for baby in our temporary abode (as it is now quite certain that we won’t get into our own home until after her birth) and we’ve been putting together furniture and I’ve done countless loads of laundry to wash 0-3 month clothes, receiving blankets, burp cloths, towels, washcloths and blankets.  There’s a changing table and bassinet along one wall of the bedroom now, which is, honestly, a little strange to see.  The stroller/travel system has been put together, the car seat base strapped in, and the bouncer assembled just this afternoon.

There’s not much left to do except pack the hospital bag.  Of course, just today the doctor told me I haven’t begun to dilate, so really, I’m not in a huge hurry, but I’ll probably do it soon just so it’s done.  And I have to catch up on my blog – so you should see a few reviews of some of those assembled baby contraptions, among other things.

Where we used to live there’s snow piled up to the thigh (or, for someone short like me, probably the waist), but here it’s still mostly sunny with just a bit of wind and sprinkling rain and in mid-afternoon it’s still in the mid-60s.

So, excursions are still an option, even at 35 weeks pregnant.  If snow were piled up outside, I’d be on the couch curled up in a blanket (hopefully with power), but since it’s relatively nice here, I’m trying to stay active.

Thus, last Saturday we joined friends at the Florida Aquarium.  We were only there a couple hours, but my feet were swollen anyway, so a couple hours was long enough for me.

My camera decided to be a pain and died halfway through, but I managed to get a few photos, so check out my Travelblog to see them all!

I recently joined the Publix Baby Club.  This isn’t something everyone can do since, unfortunately, Publix Supermarkets are only located in a few southeastern states.  But if you live in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama or Tennessee, then you have the opportunity to get involved in this free club.

So, just after moving down from Maryland, I went to the Publix website and gave them my name and address to sign up for the Baby Club.  This is offered to parents who are expecting and with children up to two years old.  But after that, there’s also a Preschool Pals club for older children and even a Family Style magazine that you can sign up for, and it’s all free.

Within days of signing up, I received a package from Publix in the mail.  Inside was a complimentary copy of The American Academy of Pediatrics book, The Complete and Authoritative Guide:  Caring For Your Baby and Young Child, which covers from birth until age five.  A free, 752-page book with useful information from a respected organization – how cool is that?

There was also the first issue of their free newsletter and a whole bunch of coupons.  And even though I signed up for the club back in November, almost all of the coupons are good until May 15 – two months after my due date.  This is great for me because the coupons are for a whole range of products for both mom and baby, ranging from free hand sanitizer and cocoa butter to buy one get one free NUK pacifiers to a dollar off Playtex drop-in bottles or liners, plus deals on diapers and wipes and formula.

I’ve always liked Publix and this is a great benefit that they offer, so I wanted to share it.  If no one had mentioned it to me, I may not have ever realized this club existed and then I’d be missing out on all the great deals.  So if you live in the southeast, I think it’s worth checking out.

When I was making breakfast this morning and reaching in the fridge for my orange juice, I happened to notice the expiration date on the half & half:  03/15/2010.  March fifteenth?  But – that’s my due date!  Did I lose track of time?  Did I sleep away a couple dozen days?

No, nothing so drastic.  It’s just that the half & half is good for quite awhile.  Fifty-three more days to be exact (if left unopened).

But that split second was enough to scare me.  Am I ready for all this?  Is the baby really coming soon?  Why hasn’t the realtor had any new news about the house we’ve put a bid on?  Do short sales always take this long?  Will we be bringing this baby into the world while living out of one bedroom of my parent’s house?  Do I still have time to get all the stuff I really need to have for the baby – somewhere to sleep and a car seat and diapers and Lord-only-know-what-else-because-I-sure-as-hell-don’t-know-what-I’m-doing?

And this afternoon a package arrives bearing a baby gift.  It’s exciting and sweet and I’m flattered that an out-of-state friend would take the time to send something, though it somehow feels awkward to be accepting gifts for a little person who’s still mostly a mystery to me.  I’m thrilled about all the cute baby stuff, but there’s still a little voice way back in my brain asking, “Why are people giving us all these presents?”

I know the answer, of course, but that doesn’t make it any less surreal.

Everything seems to be moving so fast that I’m glad to announce that at least my weight gain has stabilized to a more traditional expectation.  Two weeks ago I had been feeling really heavy and huge and quite a few people had been commenting that I had suddenly “popped” and gotten much bigger, but I was still surprised to hear the OBGYN techs tell me that I had gained nine pounds in four weeks.  Nine pounds?  In four weeks?  No wonder I felt bloated and uncomfortable.  That’s quite a growth spurt.

But after another two weeks, the tech reported a weight-gain of only two pounds.  Two pounds I can handle – that’s a pound a week, which is what the doctors had told me to expect.  But that still leaves me with another seven weeks and potential seven more pounds to look forward to when I’m already growing out of some of my smaller maternity tops and walking into doorframes and countertops because I keep forgetting how much of me (and her) there now is.

It’s scary enough that we’re bringing a new little child into this world, but it’s even scarier that before she’s even arrived, everything else has already changed.