39 Weeks: Time for a Hike!

The first vista on
the trail seemed like
a good place to experiment
with our seldom used
phone cams.

After what seems like countless weeks of rain and thunderstorms, the weather finally let up today to reveal a brief hint of summer.  Consequently, Bryan and I took a break from our usual weekend chores (unpacking boxes, pre-washing diapers and baby clothes, and generally getting our new home in working condition) in order to enjoy a rare respite in the great outdoors.

We headed out of town (but not too far out) to check out a small portion of the ~35 mile-long Rachel Carson Trail.  It was lovely.  Ferns growing proliferously over the forest floor.  Sun dappling through the trees.  The recent rains babbling noisily through trail-side creeks and gutters.  We enjoyed one or two vistas of the Pennsylvania hills, but mostly this section of the trail passed through picturesque forest.

This was an excursion full of "one day we'll have to's".

One day we'll have to go back and continue where we left off--as the trail as a whole is said to traverse a much wider variety of landscapes, though, for today, we thought just a handful of miles was ambitious enough.

Some horseback riders, moving
too quickly away for me to
catch a shot of anything but
their distant rear ends.

One day we'll have to go back with some horses (we'll figure out the details later) so that we can complete at least part of the trail on horseback.  We passed several groups who had opted for that mode of transportation, making us feel pretty ill-equipped on our old-fashioned feet.

And, of course, one day--hopefully one day soon--we'll have to take our little Archie hiking with us on a trail like this one.  We're really looking forward to that.

For now, however, an incomplete trail hike, on feet, without a baby (though with a fetus) will have to do.  And who knows?  Maybe this hike will bring us a little bit closer to at least one of those "one days".  (They say that walking is a great way to get baby into a good position and jump start labor.  We shall see...)

On the trail @ 39 weeks.

Waiting

The theme this week is vigilance.

These days, for instance, each new symptom (and even some old ones) seems to merit an internet search.  Feeling unusually tired?  I had better Google it because it might be a sign that labor is on its way.  And those occasional cramps?  Baby's just gotta be coming soon, the whole Web seems to agree.  Dreaming about Baby's arrival?  According to one website or another, I just might be in labor by morning.  Hmm, and why is Khan being so quiet and attentive today?  Maybe he knows something I don't.  In short, every sign needs to be checked and double-checked.  Otherwise, all I can do is wait, which, frankly, I feel I've been doing long enough already.

As I mentioned in my last post, my discomforts have been increasing this week.  Braxton Hicks seem to be occurring more and more frequently (though, honestly, I still sometimes have difficulty telling the difference between contractions and Archie's flexing, which can feel to me a bit like abdominal tightening, too).  Sleep is becoming increasingly elusive, as late night bathroom trips become increasingly frequent and the pressure under my ribs becomes decreasingly bearable.  Of course, that also means that I'm more and more easily tired over the course of the day.  Most days, just a few chores and trips to the grocery store can leave me reeling for a nap.  A few mornings--especially those following a late night and marred by atypically plentiful disturbances--just waking up and eating breakfast are all it takes before I feel the need to curl back up in bed.

That said, I still can't complain too much.  At this point, most of my desire to get this baby out is still simply a matter of wanting to finally meet the little person.  We're so close.  We know it's going to happen one of these days.  Why can't it be sooner than later?

Well, for now I'm still playing the waiting game, so I think I'll go restock my energy supplies with a little yoghurt lunch.  Hmm.  Mild hunger.  Could it be a sign that labor is around the corner?  I had better Google it...

38 Weeks

Well, it's happened.  Thirty-eight weeks, and I am now uncomfortable decidedly more often than I am comfortable.  Goodbye, sleep.  As of this week, the real countdown to "Hello, Baby" begins.  :-)

The Nursery

Last night, Bryan and I put some finishing touches on the baby's room, and--though I'm sure that we'll eventually come up with a few more projects and decorative elements to add (actually, I have one or two already in mind)--we're finally comfortable calling the room "complete".

Here's the nursery from its entry. We lucked
out when a neighbor gave us the rocking chair they
only recently finished using with their son.

So far we love our crib, made of solid, sustainably-
harvested wood with a non-toxic finish. We completed its look
with an all-organic, non-toxic mattress and matching linens
and with a colorful crib skirt that I stitched together
myself using my mom's old sewing machine.

Our old dresser transformed into the perfect
changing table when topped with an organic
changing pad. We also love the mobile we
designed and constructed to hang over it.

We found the bracket from which we're
hanging the mobile in the garden center
at Home Depot. Adore it!

But, don't worry.  Baby's isn't the only arrival for which we've been preparing.  Anticipating a few visits from out-of-town friends and family, we've also put our guest room (mostly) together.  Here's a preview, which we hope will help motivate your visit (or at least not de-incentivize it).  We can assure you it's quite comfortable; Bryan and I have been using the guest room while we wait for the new mattress for our own room to arrive.

There are still a few details, like wall art and curtains,
to work out, but all the basics are in place.

So far, thanks to some fortuitous choices by the previous owners, decorating the house has been a surprisingly simple task. We haven't had to paint even a single wall, for instance (which is fabulous because I have no idea where we'd find the time to do so anyway).  Each room seems almost bizarrely suited to the things we want to put in it.

There's still lots to unpack, but considering we almost never have to go down to the basement to retrieve something from a box, I'm inclined to believe that most of the high-priority items are all-set-to-go.  Truly, with thought to that quick progress, I have to give at least one last shout-out to all the friends and family who chipped in hauling boxes and furniture from our apartment just over a week ago.  You lovely people are the best of the best--and have made our lives so much easier (in the short term) and richer (speaking more generally and in the long)!  Thank you.

Full term!

37 weeks today!  That means we're now full term.  Baby is welcome to arrive any time now, according to the docs and books.

Fittingly, Bryan and I spent the day prepping for Baby's arrival:  filling our freezer with good food, searching for furniture to fill out our guest room (it's almost ready, parents and siblings!), and planning the final touches for the nursery (today we picked up a comfy rocking chair, generously passed down to us by an old friend whom we just happened across while taking an evening walk yesterday).  We're so close to done! 

Our hope at this point is to have everything that needs to be done (I use the term "needs" a bit loosely, admittedly) before the baby's born actually done by the end of next weekend, when we're only two weeks from "due". That means, for instance, that if Baby arrives "early", moving boxes still awaiting unpacking in the basement may have to wait a while longer.  On the other hand, our diaper stash will almost certainly be pre-washed and ready to use with time to spare, and our closets will be in some kind of working order so that they aren't driving us insane while we're on a newborn's sleep schedule.

That said, we'd really be pleased to make Baby's formal acquiantance any day now.  Mentally, we're ready, and in practical terms, we're close enough.  So here's hoping that Baby doesn't decide to wait it out until the absolute deadline!  Come on, little darling.  Mama's excited to meet you.

Clued in on cloth!

Now that Bryan and I are settling into our new home, we're finally ready to gear up--in a serious way--for Baby's arrival.  That means that Baby's nursery is finally coming together (pictures to come soon), with a new crib, changing table, layette, and, yes, our cloth diaper stash.

Over the past few months, we've received a lot of feedback and advice regarding our decision to go with cloth.  And, after weighing extensive options, we think we've put together a cloth stash that's practical and convenient, in addition to being relatively eco-, baby-, and budget-friendly.  Here's the rundown:

Our diaper stash is composed of three types of diapers:  fitted diapers with wraps (upper right and bottom left in the picture below), pocket diapers (upper left), and prefolds (that traditional-looking cloth diaper underneath everything else).  Each offers different advantages and drawbacks, but, between them, we hope to have all our bases covered.

Our diaper stash:  The Basics.

The Fitteds

Our Kissaluvs fitted diapers, together with gusseted diaper wraps, are reputed to be the hands-down best option out there for preventing diaper blowouts--particularly for newborns.  That's why they're our diaper of choice for infancy.  And, despite what you may have heard about cloth diapers, they're pretty darn easy to use:

A Kissaluvs newborn fitted diaper.

Wrap around Baby.

Snap diaper in place.

Place diaper wrap under Baby.

Snap in place, completely covering cloth.

Leg gussets provide extra protection
against blowouts.

The Pockets

If the fitted diapers didn't look easy enough for you, these pocket diapers will be your go-to option.  We plan to keep these around for babysitters who want the simplest option possible.  From what we've heard, they're also a great diaper option when traveling and--perhaps because they wick away moisture better than your standard cloth diaper--for overnight use at home.

Place the diaper under Baby.

Wrap and snap.

The trick to pocket diapers is the "pocket", of course, into which Mom and Dad can stuff inserts, as needed, to absorb wetness.  Here's a disassembled pocket diaper with a standard insert and a newborn insert.

Pocket diaper with inserts removed.

The Prefolds

And now for the ever-intimidating prefold diaper.  Really, it's not that complicated.  Though there are lots of ways to fold a prefold, I'll show you the simplest:

Fold the cloth into thirds.

Place folded diaper in wrap.

Place Baby on top of diaper.

Fold up and snap the wrap into place.

That's not so bad, right?

So now you're ready to babysit for us!

But, wait. What do you do once the diapers dirty, you ask.  Fair question.  Luckily, the answer is pretty straightforward.  As our babysitter, you pretty much just throw the used diaper in the diaper pail.  Then, every day or two, we'll throw the contents of the diaper pail into the washing machine.  At least for the first six months.  After Baby starts solid foods, things get a little more complicated--but not much; at that point, there are lots of tools out there to make any additional cleaning a breeze.

Growing, Growing, (Almost) Grown

Another good doctor's appointment yesterday.  The latest ultrasound estimated Baby currently weighs 6 pounds 3 ounces (but those measurements can be as much as a pound off!).  That sounds pretty huge to me, but the doctors assure me it's right smack dab at the 50th percentile.  I guess we must be further along than I thought; this little stinker is almost ripe!

When it rains...

Another whirlwind week has left little time for blogging, but I thought I'd take a little time this afternoon to post at least a quick update.

First, last Friday we finally closed on our new house.  That's f-i-n-a-l-l-y.  Yes, it was a difficult road to homeownership this time, but, with patience and perseverance, we've at last made it, and now we're already enjoying the spoils of that effort.  The house is beautiful (that's b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l if you didn't read the emphasis) and seems well worth the wait--particularly compared to all the other places we could have ended up trying to make our home.  As it is, we are thrilled to know we'll be introducing Archimedes to such a welcoming place in only about one more month!  Here are just a couple of previews of what awaits Archie's arrival:

Our front door welcomes visitors and little babies!

The view from the kitchen window.  I know this photo isn't
of the highest quality, but if you have any idea what those shameless
pink and white blooms outside might be, please let me know.

We're still in the process of moving in, so I don't have a whole lot to show off yet, but I think that probably gives you at least a vague idea of how country-cute our new digs are.

Shortly after signing the paperwork to finalize our home purchase last Friday, we also made a second major change in preparation for Archie's arrival.  Despite our best efforts to make do with the sporty little coupe we've been driving for years, I can't say we're sorry to have moved on to this family-friendly little number:

Welcome, trusty Subaru Impreza, to our also only-just-signed-over driveway.  We're very much looking forward to enjoying the luxury of your four doors and (relatively) ample cargo space as our little twosome becomes three.

That's it for this post, but, there's more to come soon.  In the meantime, I've got to get back to packing/unpacking.  Still lots to do before we can call this move complete, and then we can talk about baby shower barbecues, progress with nursery projects, and more!