So we're in the final stretch of this pregnancy! It has somehow gone by quickly & slowly all at the same time. I sort of feel like it has snuck up on us & yet every day seems to drag on, making it seem like the actual day is never going to be here.
But here we are! 39 weeks & 2 days! Beyond ready to meet our little girl. Everything is ready - nursery good to go, car seat installed, bags packed & living in the car. Greg is sure everytime I leave the house I'm going to go into labor & frequently tries to convince me not to leave.
Had a growth scan a couple of weeks ago just to make sure everything was looking good - and it was! It was cool because I didn't get anything similar with Greyson so I went from 18 weeks until he was born not seeing him on an ultrasound. So to get to see her hanging out just 2 weeks ago made me even more excited to meet her!
I keep wondering what she will look like. Greyson was born looking exactly like Greg but shifted to looking more like me as he grew. I can't help but think she has a similar profile as Greyson when he was born. Either way - I'm sure she's going to be adorable & we will know shortly!
Greyson is gearing up to be a big brother too! He's practicing carrying his baby doll on his shoulders & making coffee with the new toy coffee maker he got for his birthday. Clearly it's training to learn how to make mommy coffee! He's got the whole "creamer with a little coffee" thing down already when he makes my pretend coffee!
So we shall try to rest, relax & enjoy this last bit of time as a family of 3! And anxiously await our Little Miss whenever she decides to make her arrival!
This weekend, we celebrated Greyson's 3rd birthday! We had a little party at our house to keep it simple. Because honestly, I don't have the most energy these days to put into anything tooo crazy!
We did a Pete the Cat theme because Greyson is obsessed with the books! I mean he has several of them completely memorized & has to read them over & over! So it was the perfect theme for his party!
We invited some friends we hang out/play with on our own & a few little friends that he has made at school. It was a cute little group of 2-4 year olds for sure!
Because Greyson has so many of the books, I decided to use them as decorations! I checked a few extras out at the library so we had even more!
And of course there was food! I went with a mixture of finger foods & healthy fruits to keep everything simple. Plus I drew a little inspiration from the books - in Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes, he walks through strawberries, blueberries & mud so of course it played perfectly into the food selection!
We even found some Pete the Cat videos on YouTube that read & sing through the books. The books at school have a CD with them that have the songs so he was crazy about the videos! It was a good little touch!
And of course can't forget this! Greg drew it himself on the chalkboard for the gift table. It looks so much like the Pete in the books. Perfect touch to add & of course Greyson was excited about his Pete the Cat!
Birthday cake time was my favorite! He was with us when we got the cake & was upset he didn't get to eat it then. So he was thrilled when we finally got it out & everyone sang to him. He even tried super hard to blow out the candles [which worked with a little help from daddy].
It was such a fun afternoon! Greyson had a blast playing with his friends, getting some new toys, & just being loved by so many people.
Birthdays are some of my favorite days! I think everyone should feel extra special on their birthday so we always make sure to do as much as we can for him every year.
Here are thoughts I have on an almost daily basis...
How can my belly possibly get any bigger?
It's 1 am.. Do I really need to pee? No, I need sleep... Kidding! Must pee now!
One, two, three roll over! Ahh still not comfy. Damn
Didn't I just pee?!
My feet are so far down there. I wonder if I can just manage not tying my shoes today
What can I eat that won't give me heartburn? Oh yeah, Rolaids..
I have so much to do. Better check on the nursery just in case there's something that needs done there first
Leggings count as real pants, right?
This baby better come out with as much hair as Chewbacca
Hey! I stayed awake until 8:Zzzzzzz...
I can't wait for her to be here! I wonder what she'll be like!?
Greyson will be a good big brother. Even if he wants to name her Batman & says she's a baby brother
With Little Miss being our second baby, I have a little better of an idea of what to pack to head to the hospital. I sort of guessed the first time around with Greyson & ended up taking a bunch of stuff that I didn't touch. Minimization is my key this time around.
And of course this time, we have Greyson to think about as well. We will have someone in place [hopefully before I go into labor] to watch him or get him to/from school when we're in the hospital. But I hadn't thought much about how it will work if I go into labor in the middle of the night, like I did with him. My mom gave me a great idea - have a little bag packed for him as well!
For Baby:
- 2 outfits - one NB size & one 0-3 months
- cute headband
- hat
- crib moccasins
- swaddle blanket
- car seat
- Boppy pillow
For Mommy & Daddy:
- robe
- socks
- slip on slippers
- maternity leggings
- nursing tanks - I have 2 packed
- lanolin
- flip flops
- toiletries - dry shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, lotion
- Chapstick
- iPad & charger
- phones & chargers
- snacks
For Greyson:
- clothes
- pajamas
- comfort items - he has 2 favorite blankets & always has at least one for bed
- tooth brush & tooth paste
- a few favorite toys
Most is all packed. Of course, those things we use everyday haven't been packed & will just have to be thrown in when we are heading out for the hospital.
Just over three weeks until my due date & we're anxiously & impatiently waiting! Ready when you are little miss!
Any second (or more) time moms have any other hospital bag or general advice? I would love to hear it! I am more prepared for the actual labor this time around but having Greyson & not just us whose lives are changing has me all sorts of nervous!
We are on our second snow day here. Winter storm Kayla rolled through & dropped about 2 feet of snow all over & brought some crazy wind that has led to high snow drifts. So we have spent the better part of our Monday & Tuesday at home. Grey & I are working on getting over colds so we haven't (yet) ventured out to play in the snow & were getting a little crazy.
I had Greg stick a bowl outside yesterday amongst all of the non-stop snow falling to collect lots of fresh snow. I planned to use it for a treat last night, but we were a little under the weather so I held off & it made a perfect snow day activity & treat!
I found a few different recipes online for snow ice cream. We went with basic vanilla since we had all of the ingredients on hand. I combined a few & worked it to how much we wanted to make:
- 1 cup 2% milk - any will work
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 8 cups of dense snow - more if it's thinner snow fall
Mix the milk, sugar, vanilla & salt together in a bowl. Add to the snow, slowly while stirring. It should be a thicker consistency. When it reaches the consistency you want, put some in a bowl & add some colorful sprinkles for a fun treat! Enjoy soon after making since it will melt fairly quickly.
I have finally made some much needed progress on Greyson's room. I have been so focused on work, school, & getting things ready for Little Miss that I have put off decorating Greyson's room for far longer than I had hoped I would.
I found some wall decor awhile ago & it has been sitting on his dresser, collecting dust like a champ, just waiting to be hung. Well this long, 3-day weekend was great for making a To-Do list & making ourselves get to everything done that we've been putting off [aka huge pile of laundry].
Greyson used to have a chair in his room but never sat it in, until we brought it downstairs. So we left it down there and I added some big stuffed animals in his book corner to make a little reading area for his books. I actually need to get another shelf because he has way too many books now to fit on the 3 we have.
I have had a car decor theme in mind for awhile. Greyson is obsessed with all sorts of vehicles, so it only seems natural to decorate his room with car things. I found some signs & wall art at Hobby Lobby [50% off - score!]. I re-painted the letters we had hanging on his wall in his German room & threw in some old license plates I've held onto from places we've lived before.
I still have a bit more I want to do. The blank canvas will eventually have a car of some sort on it once I decide on what I want. Plus, I am trying to gather more license plates to add to the wall, the more the merrier. Also, I am thinking of getting a floating shelf to add some decorative cars as well, but I worry he will just end up wanting to play with them & they won't stay on the shelf long.
Now to get ready to jump back into the grind with Monday just around the corner. Lots of new things starting & obviously coming up in the near future! And of course plenty to still do before our world changes forever in just 5-ish short weeks!
A little update on life lately as its been in the Greathouse home!
Mr. Greyson has an imagination that just loves to run wild. He is constantly copying things that are far beyond his years. & he comes up with the silliest things to say out of nowhere!
Oh & he's been super interested in dressing himself recently. Although he insists most of the time that we do it, he picks out his outfits. Favorites usually include either a car, truck or sports. And of course "ginger man socks!"
Slowly making progress on the nursery. Baby girl is slowly acquiring clothes & has a million accessories of course! I've grabbed some headbands & bows here & there and some I've made myself from old shirts. My obsession with baby shoes is real!
And finally started hanging a few things on the walls! This print is an old one I've had for years that says "Always Kiss Me Goodnight." It matches her room perfectly & adds a great touch above her bed. And can't forget the wood banner from Target that I'm obsessed with! I made the pillow cover in the crib that says "Hello Beautiful" and the others are also from Target, what a surprise!
I have an adorable set up for a gallery wall planned for each her room & Greysons that are awaiting being hung.
Less than 6 weeks until my due date & can't believe we're getting so close already! Better get on finishing my to-do list asap!
I have not done a stellar job keeping track of this pregnancy. Poor Little Miss is already getting the shaft & she isn't even here yet! I just get busy & preoccupied & completely forget when Friday rolls around.
Here are a few mirror selfies I have managed to take over the last few weeks! Just shows the bump & how it has grown!
How far along: 33 weeks & 4 days
Weight gain: About 24 pounds
Maternity clothes: Of course! Leggings all day everyday! haha
Stretch marks: Not yet! & hopefully none at all!
Belly button in or out: In
Sleep: Oh, like, not really much at all! I am up several times a night to pee & adjust in bed to get comfortable. & then I lay there imaging what it is going to be like when she's here & get too excited to sleep
Best moment this week: Getting the dresser up to her room & finishing the baby registry
Worst moment this week: heartburn is so intense these days!
Miss anything: Margaritas! Ha I have already asked for one for my birthday, or as soon as she's here whichever is second!
Movement: All the time! She's a little ninja for sure!
Cravings: Granola, bananas, fruity things, brownies..
Queasy or sick: Not really any more!
Looking forward to: Finishing the wall decor I have started for her room & get everything hung or washed & put away
I found out before the start of the NBA season that the Cleveland Cavs were playing the Denver Nuggets right here in Denver on December 29. I had a plan in place for awhile & had to cleverly navigate Greg saying we should get tickets to the game. Luckily, he forgot & didn't really pay attention to when they were playing & I was able to fulfill my plan - tickets for him for Christmas!
Some friends of ours watched Greyson for us & we were able to get dinner before the game at Rockyard American Grill & Brewing Company, which was delicious.
When I bough the tickets, they were these Flashseat tickets, which basically attaches your tickets to your credit card that you pay with. So they just swipe your card at the arena & print out your tickets there. A slight error in their system resulted in them printing tickets for the wrong seats, which we found out when the real ticket holders arrived & told us we needed to go to Guest Relations.
We got to see the players come in & the tip off from the much better seats, which was pretty cool!
It was fun to be surrounded by a bunch of Cavs fans, despite being in Denver. Of course, most people are LeBron fans, but still fun nontheless!
I am not a basketball person by any means. Greg watches it & I usually find something else to do. But it was such a fun game! Much warmer than the NFL game & of course it didn't hurt to be rooting for the winning team! A final score of 87-93 brought our fun night to a close!
We don't get many nights to ourselves & this was definitely a great one! I think we will be trying to go to another Cavs game at some point, hopefully back in Cleveland next time! I'm sure they're even more energetic & exciting than on the road games.
