Spoiler Alert: I'm still pregnant

So last night after dinner I started getting really sharp pains that I was pretty sure were contractions but they just never let up and I had never had contractions that painful before so I was a little confused.  It kept getting more intense and I was contemplating a trip to labor & delivery.  Apparently at some point during my ordeal I told Kyle my stomach hurt (translation: contractions of death) and he took that to mean I had gas or something (note to self: be more specific when relating messages of pain to husband).

I finally convinced him to take me to the hospital and he threw our hospital bags and car seat in the car and I moaned and complained the whole way there.  Kyle even offered to put on some Def Leppard for me while he drove about 85 mph to the hospital (he said he'd always wanted to speed to the hospital with his wife in labor)  Walking into the hospital people kept cheering us on as I hobbled myself up the elevator.

When we finally reached labor & delivery Kyle explained to the nurses, "My wife has a stomach ache that won't go away."  A guy in the lobby chuckled and told me it's going to be a long night and all the nurses were laughing at Kyle's description of my debilitating contractions.  That is why I love him: he makes funny/awkward jokes when he is nervous :)  Although I do feel bad for teasing him about it because he really was concerned and really thought from what I said before that I just had a stomach ache.  Poor husband of mine.

Anyway, I was admitted and monitored and sure enough I was having regular contractions about a minute apart.  I was getting no breaks!  I'm only 35 weeks right now and wasn't dilating anymore during the night so they kept me there 7 hours and gave me meds to stop the contractions.

They couldn't tell why I was having such regular contractions so I had to pee in a cup.  Twice.  Only I was hooked up to IV's and stuff and was shaking from the meds so I had to enlist Kyle to help me.  (Talk about no glamour in pregnancy...)  He tried to be brave but when I handed him my "sample cup" he started dry heaving!  I was laughing so hard.

Through it all though, Kyle was a great labor coach, helping me to breathe and trying to instill confidence in me even though I was convinced I could not do it at all.  I went through 3 hours of intense contractions before we got them to calm down and that was enough to convince me that when I do go into labor for real next time, I want that freaking epidural and I want it as soon as I can freaking get it.

We didn't leave the hospital until 2:30 AM and we were both so exhausted.  On the plus side, the hospital rooms have cable!  I let Kyle watch ESPN and then he endured 2 hours of Toddlers & Tiaras.  That's compromise, people.

So much for that trophy

So I spent a good portion of yesterday puking.  If you must know, (I'm sure you really wanted to) puking is at the very top of the list of things I absolutely hate to ever do.  The fact that I had escaped any pregnancy puking until this point has been my own little trophy.  Now I can no longer say I made it through my 9 months without throwing up. 

Oh well. 

There's some suspicions about why I was sick all day (probably a virus), but the point of the matter is, I'm better today, I am still pregnant, and the sickness caused a barrage of contractions that lasted late into the night.

While this was really unpleasant and somewhat worrisome at times, it was so worth it to see Kyle rush around the house packing hospital bags, shaving, reading birthing books, all in case I went into labor.  He calmly ordered me to first lie down, then drink more water, then walk up and down the halls.  He rubbed my shoulders, brought me ice packs, and helped me time contractions.  His nervous excitement was really more than I could bear without giggling all the way through a few hours worth of false labor. 

At my doctor's appointment today, it was confirmed that I am progressing towards the labor phase (woohoo!) and there is hope that I will go early (but not too early) without needing to be induced (double woo!)  Of course in my life, things pretty much never go as planned.  So I'm trying not to get my hopes up, even though now I'm even more excited than ever to have this baby, dangit!

On Nesting

We have been doing some serious nesting up in here.  The baby showers are over, the gift cards exhausted, and little by little there's hints all over the house that a baby will be joining us soon.

As part of our nesting, we decided to get out the Pack 'n Play we've been storing in our garage for well over a year now.  Kyle's parents acquired it a few years ago and held onto it for us.

Only when we opened the box, we did not find a Pack 'n Play at all.

It was just a box full of junk!  Disgusting old stuffed animals and toys and some kind of a trophy.  Oh, even a disposable camera!  (I'm trying to convince Kyle it's worth the money to develop a stranger's film.  Just for fun)  So much for storing a Pack 'n Play all this time!  At first I was really upset because I thought that my in-laws paid for this box of junk.  But it turned out they got it for free, under the impression it really was a Pack 'n Play, and like us, never opened it!

So this box won't be sticking around.

Honestly the stuffed animals are so gross they kind of freak me out.

A Very Sad Living Room: Part II

Once upon a time I went to the D.I. on my lunch break and returned to work with this darling table!  She was $10 and I tried to barter for a lower price because the top is coming loose, but when they wouldn't budge on the price I knew I had to have it anyway.  You can't tell at all from this terrible picture, but the wood was in sad shape.  It was badly stained and scratched up and I probably could/should have worked hard to restore it to its natural wood beauty...

But I decided to paint it white instead :)

Kyle is always pointing out how I am obsessed with white... probably he is right.

My little table is currently serving as an end table in the not-as-sad-as-it-once-was living room.

I'm no furniture expert, but I'm thinking it was hand carved because there are a lot of irregularities in the details.  And that is what I love about it.  I'm guessing somewhere there is an antiques or furniture guru cursing me for painting over this thing.  Oops.

And here is another sad corner of the house, which is pretty much part of the living room.  The entry way needed help in a bad way.  (The little table was sitting underneath those pictures... still not sure what to do about that right now)

So one day we found the mirror/coat rack thing at a yard sale for $5 and the next week I fell in love with this handmade bench I bargained for $13 (they wanted $17).  The bench looks kind of like something someone made in a 7th grade wood shop class.  But that is why I love it.  The curves at the top aren't perfect and the slats on the seat are wonky.  Kind of like me, if you know what I mean ;)  I especially like how our shoes are slightly less visible tucked under the bench now. 

Here's a view of our not-as-sad-as-it-once-was living room from the front door.  I finally decided on hanging some stuff on the walls and our IKEA money tree is thriving in its new corner.  As I mentioned yesterday, the plan is to sew up slipcovers for the love seat and wing back chairs.  Probably in white (I mean, if I'm going to have an obsession, I might as well do it right, right?)

We're going for a green, white, black and navy theme in here.

Or at least until I change my mind again.

Also I think that floor lamp needs to go...

A Very Sad Living Room

Our living room was having an identity crisis.

I couldn't figure out what to hang where, how I wanted things arranged, and the chairs and sofa are two different color blues.

And then there was the corner shelf.

Over a year ago I attempted to lug this thing home on the roof of my little Toyota.  It subsequently fell off at an intersection, denting the trunk, and hurting my precious feelings.  After I'll we've been through together, this shelf is never leaving me.  Buuut I didn't so much love the oak.  Especially since there's also asphalt marks on the back sides now.  Oops!

I grabbed a quart of Lily Pad by Martha Stewart and had it matched in Glidden.

I painted all of the interior in the Lily Pad green and did the outer trim and back in some spare cream high gloss paint I had on hand.

And now I have a home for all my milk glass!  I love having a place to put my favorite collection.  Kyle was a little nauseated at how much milk glass I've aquired, but I still have no intention of quitting :) 

Now that I've had this corner shelf done for a few weeks though, I'm now contemplating adding a stenciled background to it... you know, just for fun.

So little by little this once very sad living room is coming together.  There's still a few big projects left to work in here (namely new slipcovers) but I'll share some of the other things we changed so far a little later.

Unhealthy Attachment

A dear friend recently gave me this Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag and I cried little tears of love.

I know, I know, I already have a really cool diaper bag that I adore with all my heart, but if a girl can never have too many handbags (also shoes) then can't the same principle apply to diaper bags too?  I mean, a diaper bag is pretty much a handbag anyway.  Only it is doubly equipped to handle both womanly things like lip gloss and baby things like bottles and such. 

When I showed Kyle the darlingness of this new satchel, he asked me if I would be keeping it.  Scowling in response, I instantly clutched it in my arms possessively and declared that it is now part of the family.

I normally don't consider myself a vain person, but my unhealthy attachment to this silly bag is making me think otherwise.  I want to kiss it goodnight and tuck it in bed under my pillow.  And why not?  It's not like I'm getting sleep these days anyway!

Can I get a collective eye-roll please?

"Oh when are you due?!"

"July 31st."

"Twins, right?"

...

"No, just one big one I guess."

Luckily I was in a good mood and mostly laughed it off.  But seriously, can there be an etiquette book written on what not to say to an overly sensitive, hormonal, swollen, grouchy, pregnant woman?  Here are a few others I have received over the last month or so:

"Are you pregnant or did you just eat too many Oreos?"

"Oh you're not due until the end of July?!?  Well I guess you don't look so big from this angle."

"Shame on you for finding out the gender before delivery!"

The nicest thing someone said to me during this pregnancy is if I had lost weight because my face looked thinner.  I laughed and laughed and laughed because really my face is anything but thinner, but I love that person a hundred times over now, even if she was lying to make me happy.

Someone else also said I didn't look pregnant from the back, which I take as a major accomplishment seeing as how the only stretch marks I have thus far procured are on my hips, signifying the fact that even that part of me is getting bigger.

At this point, all of this big-bellied, stretch-marked nonsense is flying low under my radar.  All I care about is every week brings me one week closer to having a baby in my arms instead of under my rib cage.  Even if it is just one big baby that people mistake for twins.

The Secret to a Successful and Happy Marriage

link

I am here today to share with you the secret to a successful and happy marriage: separate tubs of ice cream.  I used to think that when you go to the grocery store, you buy one tub of ice cream and you share it with your spouse because that is the loving and kind thing to do.  Now, I know better. 

Having your own tub of ice cream means:

• You do not ever need to share (I mean really, sometimes sharing gets old)
• You do not need to compromise your ice cream hopes and dreams.  Kyle likes caramel, I like chocolate and chunky stuff.  Separate tubs=we both get what we want.
• You can eat your ice cream whenever you want.  With a shared tub, I always felt like I needed to eat it with Kyle.  But the problem with this is that I prefer my dessert shortly after dinner and Kyle likes to wait until the later moments before bed, long after dinner is good and gone.
• Your ice cream lasts longer.  Kyle is a natural-born Post which means that a serving of ice cream is equal to no less than 1/4 gallon.  Basically as much ice cream as you can cram into a large cereal bowl.  For me this is too much, especially with my delicate condition (read: gestational diabetes).  Remember folks, I have only been a Post for 21 months.  It may take me some time to reach my full ice cream potential as a Post.  Regardless, having my own tub means it lasts 2.4 times longer than Kyle's tub.  Win!

So if you find yourself quarreling over shared ice cream, do yourself a favor and switch to separate tubs. 

You're welcome.

Dad-to-be

Kyle & our niece, Karli

Yesterday we survived an 8 hour childbirth class.  Let me tell you, it was very enlightening (and today I am paying for all that sitting).  At one point during the live birth videos, while I was trying not to throw up, the girl in front of me burst into tears and one an aisle over had her mouth and eyes gaping wide open.  I'm not sure Kyle was even watching the video but we looked at each other and started laughing.  It's just how us Posts deal with uncomfortable situations.  But then we all looked at newborn pictures and high-fived each other for becoming parents.

Kyle has wanted to be a dad his whole life.  Even his mom can attest to that.  At age 11 he had picked out names for his future kids.  I find this to be kind of odd but I also really love it about him. 

I've long heard that dads-to-be often don't get excited or feel bonded to new babies until they are able to play and interact with them more as toddlers.  Either this is a big fat lie or I married an exception to the rule because anytime we are around a new baby, I have to practically claw Kyle away so I can get a chance to hold it.  He loves babies and is great with newborns.  Now, let's just hope he is also great with diapers.

Early in my pregnancy Kyle came to me very solemnly with a question: "Are you going to hog the baby when it's born?  I mean, I know you're the mom and all... but I don't want you to hog it all the time."  You see, I have no choice but to quit my job to stay at home, otherwise I would not ever get baby time to myself :)

I am officially 34 weeks today and the Dr. is talking about inducing me before my due date (July 31st).  Probably only a week or so early, but we still don't know when for sure.  So while we are still 3-6 weeks away from having a newborn in the house, I'd like to wish a Happy Father's Day to my favorite dad-to-be!

To celebrate Father's Day, Kyle requested steaks, banana chocolate chip cake, and that I enthusiastically sit through 3 hours of the Fiesta Bowl DVD wherein Boise State defeated Oklahoma.  Let the record show that I give my man what he wants.  And I even promised not to hog the baby!

Oh is it Friday? I had no idea.

Today is probably the best I've felt in over a month.  To celebrate, I dragged my sorry butt to my sewing room and finished up a couple of nursery projects.  After all, the clock is ticking and this baby is going to be here before I know it.  (Although that clock could tick just a little faster, if you ask me)

I finally fancied up the little lampshade for my beloved milk glass lamp.

With ruffles!

To make the shade, I ripped 2 inch strips of plain white muslin, ruffled each strip and hot glued them onto my yard sale shade.  This was much easier and faster than the coffee filter shade I attempted for the floor lamp not too long ago...  that is still hanging out, unfinished, in the sewing room (aka failed project storage).

And then I dug through some fabric scraps from the baby quilt (which is still not quite finished...  noticing a theme here?) and made some mini buntings!  When the rest of the room is ready, I'll show you where I decided to hang them.

Silver Linings?

Maybe you have noticed that I have been a bit absent lately.

Well, due to unforeseen circumstances, I am pretty much stuck in bed these days.

Baby P and I are doing just fine, no need to worry.

I thought that during this time maybe I would want to catch up on this here blog and write a bit more since I can do just that while lying in bed all day.  But alas, I have little to tell you about but that the ice in my water bottle has melted again.  And daytime TV?  Well, it kind of sucks. (Especially on the weekends)

However, I would like to mention that Kyle wins for Most Doting Husband of the Month as he has been catering to my every whim these days.  Also because I have commandeered every pillow in the house and he voluntarily relocated to one of the guest beds at night.  And he listens to me whine and moan and complain for hours on end.

As for me, being stuck in bed has some perks.  For one, I get ample baby bonding time and spend countless hours staring at my belly, willing Baby P to move.  Usually she complies.  Another perk: it has been many days since I have bothered with makeup and/or hair products, which I'm pretty sure is a good money-saving tactic. 

Perhaps there may be other silver linings to my rain cloud of bed-confinement, but as for now that's all I can come up with.  The really good news is that in 7 weeks or less, we will be a family of 3!  And that is definitely worth all the crap there is to deal with right now.

Over Exuberance

We have been obsessing about strollers for weeks now.

(It's what we do these days, obsess about baby products)

I really wanted a stroller that was compact, lightweight, and durable.

Kyle was hell-bent on getting one with inflatable wheels.

We both did not want to spend $400+

Unfortunately, the only perfect comprises seemed to all come in at over $400 a stroller.

So not happening for us.

And then today I got a call from a little Caribbean island where my longtime friend Jamie now lives to solve my problems (only half true).  She knew of someone in Utah who was selling their high end stroller for a price that fit our budget.

Within 20 minutes that stroller was ours.

Let me tell you, I was excited at first but now that we have it home I am in freaking love.  It's compact, lightweight, durable, has inflatable wheels, and I think it's pretty gosh dang cute if I say so myself.

It looks just like this.

The best part ever?

It came with a little red parasol.

So we can have the hook up like this:

I die.

I'm not sure how effective the parasol really is, but I love it so much I want to carry it around myself.

You guys, this is what my life has come to: over exuberance about strollers and stroller accessories.

Just don't even get me started on baby socks.

(baby socks make me cry)

Kyle's Place: Small Town Childhood

Knowing that my daughter is going to have a childhood it made me think about how awesome my childhood was. I grew up in Middleton, Idaho. I call it Zion. It’s the most amazing place ever! Back then, the population was 1,800 people and when you first drove into the city there was a big sign that said, “Welcome to Middleton! The City with a future.”

Here are some of the fun things I did growing up in wonderful Middleton, Idaho:

• Shot bottle rockets at cars 
• Played hide and go seek in corn fields
• Trapped gophers and made them bit sticks and clumps of dirt
• 4 wheelers pulling sleds around
• Jumping on the trampoline with the sprinkler blasting water underneath
• Diving for golf balls at the golf course ponds at 1am
• Tying fishing line to a Davey Crocket hat filled with fruit and dragging it across the road.  When cars would hit it, I'd start fake crying saying they killed my cat
• Playing sports and pretending to be professional athletes
• Secretly recording friends and family and then listening to the tape to be nosey
• Prank phone calls (until caller ID was invented)
• Riding down the highway in the bucket of a backhoe tractor
• Riding bikes everywhere (including into town to get ice cream)
• Throwing rocks into ditch canals and to see who could get the biggest splash
• Recording songs from the radio and giving that tape to girls I liked
• Throwing snowballs at pedestrians from a nice hiding spot
• Toilet papering people’s homes
• Rolling down hills until I puke
• Trying to sneak candy bought at the dollar store into the movies
• Stomping on pop cans
• Peeing outside
• Digging holes to set traps for “snipes”
• Picking up range balls along the road and turning them into the golf course for a reward of a root beer.
• Swimming in canals or friends pools and having splash fights
• Playing in mud with no shirt on and putting muddy handprints on each other
• Fishing in the canals
• Building forts where girls were not allowed ever!
• Building ramps for bike jumping
• Going hiking with slingshots in case there were bears
• Playing football with random neighbor kids

So much fun! Now days kids want to play with their iPads and listen to Miley freaking Cyrus. How boring! Hopefully my daughter will want to do some of the cool things I did.

Kyle's Place: Spice up Your Day with Movie Quotes

I love movies! It has to be my #2 interest (1st being sports). Life would not be as cool without movies. I love watching movie trailers and getting excited for a movie to come out in theaters. I am usually there opening weekend with my popcorn in hand. Sometimes, I even manage to get popcorn in my underwear from behind. I have no idea how it gets back there.


I am one of those movie quote guys. The one who might quote a movie trying to be funny and no one laughs because no one has seen the movie. But wouldn’t it be cool to use movie quotes all day long in your everyday life? Let me show you. I will point out some things that happened to me yesterday and how I could have responded with movie quotes:

• A guy from Lowes came and installed our new dishwasher. I saw him bump his head on our cabinet. I could have said, “Are you a pothead, Focker?” (Meet the Parents)

• I went to the gas station and saw a guy in a Jeep with 2 bikes on a bike rack. I could have said, “Those bikes yours? Both of them?” (Dumb and Dumber)

• I had a conversation with a guy named Joe about buying a house. I could have said, “Go Joseph! Go get your land!” (Far and Away).

• I took a shower and used shampoo (yes, even I use shampoo). I could have picked up the bottle of shampoo and said, “Shampoo is better. It goes on first and cleans the hair.” (Billy Madison)

• I have been watching out for a snake in my yard when I mow. I want to tell him, “I will look for you. I will find you. And I will kill you.” (Taken)

• I went to Lowes to get fertilizer for our yard and I overheard a lady ask her husband, “Bill it’s too big. Where are we going to plant a tree that big?” And I could have said, “Bend over and I’ll show you.” (Christmas Vacation)

• I saw this stranger walking on the sidewalk and I had this urge to go up to him and say, “Phil? Phil Conners? Is that you? It’s Ned (lift my hat) Ryerson!” (Groundhog Day)

This is why movies are so awesome. Try to put them in your everyday life and it will spice up your day.

-Kyle

Project Breakdown

We had been talking about painting the kitchen cabinets since about the time we moved in last April. 

I was hesitant to go for it for two main reasons: 

1. Money

2.  It looked like a heckuva lot of work (and it was) 

So in review, I just wanted to do a little cost breakdown of the big kitchen project to prove that it doesn't take a lot of money to make a big impact.

1 gallon Zinsser primer: $19

1 gallon Behr Premium Plus high gloss paint (Bleached Linen) with $5 rebate: $25

1 super fancy Purdy 1 1/2" brush for latex paint: $11

6 4" foam roller covers: $15

Medium grit sandpaper: $10

12 IKEA knobs: $24

Other supplies we used that we already had on hand:

1 roll painter's tape

2 4" paint rollers

2 paint trays

4 paint tray liners

drop cloths (or in our case a lot of old sheets)

Not so fancy paint brushes for priming

Grand Total: $104