Big updates regarding Hannah's haven!

We have purchased baby room furniture! Hallelujah.

The crib is the espresso colored Cocoon 2000 Series from Baby's Dream Furniture. We paid for the goods last Friday at Goodnite Rooms, and they were running a sweet little deal that landed us a free mattress (a Simmons ComforPedic dual-sided $250-value mattress, to be precise!). Here is a little look-see for you:

Hannah's nest

Double dresser that serves as changing table

While I was there, I may have also purchased a cute owl mobile:

Cute owl mobile

And now it is time to begin painting and decorating and figuring out what bedding and accessories we want! Pumped.

My papaya

Introducing: Hannah Sophia Papaya...

Hi-ya, papaya!

Pretty much looks just like a mango (which we should all remember because we had that fruit two weeks in a row when the app decided to be flawed). Only difference is the seed action in the middle. In fact, papayas, mangoes, spaghetti squash...they all kind of look the same to me in those photos I posted. Snooze. If I had an app to show baby sizes, I would venture beyond fruits and veggies. My app would tell people that their babies were sizes like steering wheels, coasters, Butterfingers, spoons, size 5 running shoes, venti-sized Starbucks cups, or bagels.

Here's a belly shot:

12 weeks vs. 22 weeks

Poor yellow tank top. You will never be the same.

Thankful

Thanksgiving has just passed, and I think it's about time I showed some gratitude. Here's a list of obvious things I'm thankful for:

• Babies. The bun in my oven, the buns in my friends' and family members' ovens, the buns that have already baked and are out of the ovens, and the buns that will someday make an appearance in an oven near you.
• The great hubster, Jason. He makes me so happy. We have a dumb amount of fun together, and he does too many amazing things for me to list here. Such a great husband and father.
• My beloved family. I couldn't imagine a world without my favorite people in it. I am blessed to have a group of people that I can trust with my life and count on for a laugh. Even though God has taken some of my family home, I am grateful to have even had a chance to know the sweetness of my Grandpa and Grandma Walter and the comfort and leadership of my Grandpa Thro.
• Tremendous friends. My non-blood extended family. Also good when I need support or a ridiculously fun time.
• All of God's blessings. Things I take for granted, like my house, job, vehicles, music, art, wine (again, someday), groceries, bills that are always paid, even my stupid dog who somehow both makes me nuts and brings me joy.

And here's a list of unobvious things I'm thankful for:

• Water heaters. I love nothing more than a good, hot shower.
• Coffee. I've given it up for Hannah, but still love the smell of it and I really can't wait to get back into drinking my daily cup(s) of wake-up juice post-pregnancy.
• Maternity pants. They may look ridiculous from the waist up, but God bless the person who invented them. Not sure I'll ever return to regular pants.
• Qdoba's chicken queso burrito. My mouth is thankful, my thighs are not.
• Christmas music. Sure, there hasn't been a new song introduced to the mix that's worth a damn since 1962, but I am cool with recycling all of the old holiday tunes. Turn on the instant nostalgia.
• Naps. Both the ones I take during the day and the really long ones I take each night.

This is not a comprehensive list by any means, just a few things off the top of my head. I am truly grateful to be alive, well, and part of God's grand plan.

MISSING: Belly button and normal human body

Pregnant bodies are weird.

I started off feeling sick...nauseous, fatigued, crampy, puny. Then a few weeks later, I was energetic and hungry, but the glory of leg cramps, sciatic nerve issues, and backaches kicked into high gear, making it hard to be mobile. In fact, one night I was rocked out of a deep sleep by an insane charlie horse in my right leg. I got the calf muscle to stop balling up but the pain in my leg crippled me for three days. Yes, I ate bananas. About 7 of them.

The other thing about my body that's weird is my belly button. It has officially disappeared. Nope, not an outie yet. Just flat space where a crater used to exist. And the adorable mole that used to do it's Cindy Crawford thing next to my button has now enlarged and headed west.

Adios, b.button

Additional pregnant body weirdnesses include super long talons (great for aesthetic reasons, bad for guitar playing), extra sensitive sniffer (good for cake, bad for dog butts), and hair that sheds easily because I'm anemic (good for bathroom floor tumbleweeds if you're into that, bad for already fine hair). Otherwise, glowing.

The best part of having a pregnant body? Hannah calamity. Baby girl is pretty good about letting me know she's there these days. I wouldn't trade that feeling for a fully functioning set of legs.

Sightings: Sasquatch and Squash!

Two phenomenal events this week...

1) We have SPOTTED Sasquatch:

Week 21 aka Sasquatch sighting


OK, maybe not the real bigfoot (because I believe in the real bigfoot!) but rather a big bellied woman who took a really bad picture in the face spot this week.

2) We have become a sPaGhEtTi SqUaSh this week (and by "we" I mean "Hannah"). Our little button has grown into an 8" piece of goodness:

Hannah the spaghetti squash

And in BIG measurement news, Hannah has now graduated from ounce measurements to POUNDS! She is now at the 1 lb. mark and growing like a weed. 

Photos inside a fallopian utopia

At last! The long awaited baby-in-womb pics. These portraits were taken on 11/7/11 but I have been a very busy oven lately so I'm just now getting around to scanning and posting them. Enjoy!

For the cover of Petite Vogue

Naturally, the jazz hand came out. That's so Hannah.

Side mug

The Thinker

Looks like 5 toes from this POV

Sleep Z's - growing exponentially is exhausting!

A little poem for my little unborn baby girl

My favorite thing I've never met

Our eyes have not connected yet

Our hearts have crossed at times, a beat

That sounds so soft, and real, and sweet

I know your dance, my voice - the song

Your fight to grow, your will is strong

Beyond desire to do my best 

The greatest gift with which I'm blessed



Crib crazy

Just because a mom-to-be makes an excel spreadsheet to compare cribs in terms of color, shape, size, brand, features, accompanying dressers or changing tables, and, of course, price - that doesn't make her crazy, does it?
Don't answer.

me thinking about cribs

So maybe I've gotten a little intense about the search for the perfect furniture set, but there are around 20 million cribs out there and I can't seem to narrow it all down. You've got cribs that convert to day beds/toddler beds/full size beds, regular non-convertible cribs, circle shaped cribs, wood cribs in every possible color, iron cribs, ornate cribs, sleek cribs, compact cribs...the list goes on. Couple that with the accompanying furniture - solo changing table or double dresser that serves as a changer? 4-drawer or 5-drawer dresser? with or without the hutch? - and I am exhausted.

And don't get me started on the price. When it comes to cribs, do you really get what you pay for? If that's the case, then Hannah's college fund just became her bedroom set. There are only about 5 places in St. Louis where you can pay a personal visit to a good number of cribs; otherwise, you're ordering online. But I like to open/close drawers and see where all the screw holes are, so I just don't know if online purchasing sight unseen is my style here. Seems risky.

Hannah accouterment

In what will go down in the books as one of the best days I've experienced in my pregnancy history, my gal pal Emily and I went shopping last Saturday for baby clothes. Emily is a fellow impregnated person, due January 4th, planning to have a girl, too! I had a lot of pent up need to purchase because so far I've been on my best behavior and not purchased a single unnecessary item. The theme of the day was 'baby girl sock shopping' but that all changed when the socks were on racks next to clothes. It became a day of many clothes purchases, and it felt so very good.

Here's a sample of what's now in Hannah's developing closet:

Monkey sleepwear

This fantastic monkey sleepwear puts the p-eautiful in pajamas. With easy-access snap-infused bottoms and a sock monkey emblem offering the illusion that slumber can be fun, this fabulous evening wear is sure to keep it hip in the crib.

Lamb head decor

To add some flare to the tiny little Hannah head, we've selected this faux wool hat complete with faux striped animal cloth. Sure, there's a lot of faux here, but I'm not going to put dead animals on my fragile baby's head, for pete's sake. This darling yet functional noggin decor will keep her looking sweet in the spring and feeling warm in the winter.

Bohemian baby dress

This bohemian baby dress is going to make Hannah look like she's nothing but peace, love, and binkies whether she's sitting in a rattle circle or simply crawling around amongst Mother Nature. When Emily saw this on the hanger, she said "That's so Hannah." Clearly, I agreed.

Evening ensemble

Every girl needs something chic to toss on when heading out for a late night bottle, and this gorgeous red-and-white polka dot cocktail dress just screams "It's 5 o'clock (a.m. or p.m.) somewhere." Pair this with a hot set of booties and she's sure to have some baby boys droolin'.

Casual crawl-wear

You never know what the day may bring, so you'd better be prepared if that day includes tennis, golf, napping, or enjoying a carseat sightseeing adventure. For that reason, Hannah will stay appropriately dressed in this gloriously dotted skirt with flirty layers, topped off with a plum polo inspired by her father (who happens to love himself some polos). What's not to love?

3D owl booties

As the grand finale to our runway show, here is the last but perhaps most critical element: owl socks. Owl designs are all the rage among both born and soon-to-be born babies, and these bold booties with fun, poofy owls will surely draw the eye right to her sweet tiny toes.

Granted, this is not the full depiction of all that was purchased, but this should serve as a quality sampling.

Hannah Banana!

You know how when you're naming a baby you start thinking about how other kids could use the name against your child? I was juuuust talking to my friend Emily about how the only nickname I could come up with for Hannah was Hannah Banana...I'm positive there will be a few kids calling her that, but if that's as bad as it gets, then so be it. At least we're not naming her Wenus.

So then - what d'ya know? - I check my phone app for the highly anticipated baby-in-fruit/vegetable size and it's a banana! Hannah freakin' Banana! Too funny.

Hannah Banana...har har har

I'm going to embrace it for a week. And I think you should too. And I think you should get it out of your system, because if you ever call my daughter Hannah Banana and it bothers her I'm going to nickname you and you're NOT going to like it. Trust me, I am good at rhyming, palindromes, and alliteration, and I will come up with a name for you and probably start a Facebook un-fan club page with your mean picture on it and rally millions of Facebookers behind the terrible nickname I've given you. Scared? You should be. You just made me make a crazy mom face and it's not pretty. Don't MESS with my baby.

OK, ok. Whew. Caaaalm down. Caaaalm down. Happy place. Beaches. Clouds. Kittens. Comfy socks and fireplaces.

Sorry you had to see me like that. I just got a little protective for a minute.

Good news is she's now 7" and 11 oz. Practically a toddler!

Halfway there!

halfway to the end zone

Today marks the midway point in my pregnancy! I probably should have spruced it up a bit for this milestone photograph, but give me a break, I'm pregnant!

20 weeks = halfway there

The 20-week point marks the perfect time to reflect on a few things I've learned in the past several months:

1. Your body is not your body. Mine is on loan to me from God and to be used for magnificent things...getting from one good place to the next, schlepping around a soul that needs to stay gentle yet resilient, and - most importantly - providing a safe place for one precious Hannah Sophia Rutherford to begin her path into this scary and amazing world.
2. It's OK to feel uncomfortable in your clothes when discomfort is happily outdone by the reason you feel it.
3. Appetites can consume you, both when you're too nauseous to tolerate food or craving something that you have to have rightnow.
4. Prenatal vitamins really do give you super long talons.
5. There are no boundaries to strangers when you're pregnant. Talking to a pregnant woman removes a person's filter that would have otherwise prevented them from telling you about their terrible labor stories, their unsolicited opinions about the names you're considering, how BIG you're getting, and how you should go about your pregnancy or parenting. Everyone is an expert.
6. Maternity clothes are expensive, so it's a great fortune to have friends who are willing to share theirs with yours so all you have to concern yourself with is a few pairs of paints early on.
7. Unless you are having a high risk pregnancy, you might only get a total of two ultrasounds during your entire pregnancy. It's hard not to be able to see your baby and probably one of the most amazing gifts in the world when you do get to.
8. Staying home and crawling into bed before 9 p.m. is a bit of heaven.
9. Hormones own you both mentally and physically. Take it from my tears during touching TV commercials and the crippling ache in my lower right back.
10. I am not in control.

So far pregnancy has been good to me and I pray that parenting is even better. I have a lot to learn still. Perhaps I shall start here?

Mother + birth + day = happy

Today's post is dedicated to my mother as it is her birthday! I only hope I can be as good of a mother to my daughter as she is to me. It's been a blessing to see her as a mother, and I can only imagine what a blessing it will be to see her as a grandmother.

Momma!

There's a napp for that

I think my What to Expect phone app fell asleep. Every week I look so very forward to finding out via the WTE app exactly how big the baby is in fruit/vegetable sizes. This week, according to the app, Hannah has increased size since last week to a whopping 6.5" crown-to-cheeks and 10 oz.,  yet the app still displays the same mango fruit size as last week. At least they could have put "The baby is as big as a: bigger mango." What a rip.

So, here you go...another picture of a mango. Whoop.

repeat mango

Hannah's first rock star outfit

Check out Hannah's first rock star outfit courtesy of my friend Kristine - how great!

rock star outfit from Kristine

My coworkers are so good to me. I was greeted to some very sweet gifts at work this morning. I am so blessed!

lucky pregnant lady

Just when you think you know a fetus

I have been a little curious about when I'd start feeling "quickening" (dumb word that means the pregnant lady feels the baby move) and most women describe it as butterflies or bubbles. But up until yesterday's ultrasound, I felt just the occasional sense that there was a human taking up space in my belly spot. Nothing like butterflies or bubbles...I was beginning to think that maybe tiny dancer was a little too tiny for me to feel her dance.

That is, until literally right after the ultrasound! Now, Hannah is definitely busy moving around. I am beginning to think she likes food (we have this in common) because she's particularly active after I eat. She also practically woke me up at 5:30 a.m. this morning because of her movement...I don't think there's a "fetal savings time" or she would have known better than to wake me up. Sweet little Hannah - she just keeps surprising me already.

fluttering Hannah

It's a...

GIRL!

Can you believe it? Francis is a girl! And here we thought the fortune cookies were trying to tell us otherwise. But at least the fortune cookie from yesterday got it right:

I am going to be a mother. Wise little Chinese cookie paper.

We are so excited to be able to stop calling the baby "it" and "Francis." Let's face it, nobody wants to be called it. And unless your name is really Francis, then you don't want to be called Francis. We will now refer to the baby girl by her name:

Hannah Sophia

Not only is Hannah a beautiful name...it's a palindrome! Palindromes are terrific! Easy to spell and easy on the eyes. Like racecar. Or "Mr. Owl ate my metal worm." That's a biggie. And, Sophia is such a pretty name, too! It could have been a contestant for the number one name spot, but our hearts have been set on Hannah for a long time. I still can't believe we get to have our little Hannah.

Of course, beyond the gender reveal we were blessed to see that everything else was in good working order...musical 155 bpm heartbeat, good spine, a solid noggin with some good brains in there, legs, arms, fingers, toes...all good. Even a face. Hannah has a face! That's fan-tas-tic. She was doing cartwheels and showing off her jazz hands. I'll have to scan in some ultrasound pics and post them soon enough.

By the time I got back to my desk at work after the appointment, I had an email from Jason with the subject line "me" and the following picture attached:

Future Jason and Hannah

Could he be any sweeter? I think he's right. I think he's got a tea party or two in his future. God is very good.

ONE MORE DAY! (and bonus belly shots)

ONE MORE DAY!

one.more.day.

If Francis cooperates tomorrow, there's a good chance we will have a gender to report! I am hoping that when deciding whether or not to cooperate, Francis thinks about all of the nice things I have done for him/her so far...

1. Stopped drinking wine. That was a BIG one. Mommy likes wine.
2. Set down the mic. Put band antics on hiatus to avoid standing next to dangerously loud music. If you can hear me, Francis, you're welcome.
3. Quit eating sushi. The nice people at Nippon Tei might have noticed there is an empty table every Friday night since July. Hope they don't have their feelings hurt.
4. Slept a lot. OK, some of this has been for me. Mommy likes naps.
5. Endured childbirth classes. Jason and I just had this today. I'm slightly traumatized. It might merit it's own post if I can ever close my eyes long enough not to see the doorway to hell in front of me.

And now for this week's belly shot...

9 weeks vs 19 weeks

Does this baby make me look fat?

TWO (it's not better than one)

TWO days until the ultrasound! While this is exciting, two is not better than one. Here are some examples:

Wanted: Third Stooge

Rebecca, Jason, Francis

THREE more days until we find out what the newest stooge under our roof will be. Now that I've built this up, won't it be just a shame if we aren't able to find out for some reason? What if Francis is sitting in a chair? Or napping with a Snoogle between its legs (as I did last night when UPS dropped off my Snoogle)? Or what if Francis doesn't have a gender part and its just a...Francis? We have just three more days to ponder these compelling questions.

U-terus-topia

Sometimes I think Francis is bored in there. Before it was mango-sized, I liked to think that Francis was doing the backstroke and getting its exercise on. Now, it's a bit crowded.

So here are a few things I'd like to pretend Francis is doing in u-terus-topia:

• Knitting itself booties
• Smoking a cigar whilst reading a Highlights
• Playing a Wii Birth Birth Revolution game
• Practicing the umbilical limbo
• Lipsynching to my shower singing
• Wondering why some of us talk and some of us bark
• Posting status updates on FetusBook
• Talking to an egg it named Wilson

There's a lot you can do when you're growing exponentially! Gotta keep the party alive.

Fun with uterus

FORE!

Heads up! Just four tiny days until we find out if we're having a Francis Mickelson or a Francis Wie. That's just 1.5 business days. 10 or so more mealtimes. 90 full hours, most of which I will sleep through.

And then, of course, I wonder...what if we're having twins? What if we have multiple Franci (pronounced FRANCE-eye)? You would think I'd know by now, but I could see where a second baby could have gone undetected thus far. Plus, if you Google "19 weeks pregnant" and look at the belly pictures, at this point my stomach sticks out much like someone who is carrying twins. I say the more Franci the better. I realize it would be double the work, but I could swing it.

And then there were five.....

Highest of fives for just FIVE more days until we find out the sex of the stomach nugget. I think I know what it is but I'm not telling you. Mostly because there's a 50% chance that I'm wrong and I hate to admit when I'm wrong. But also because anyone who is reading this already knows what I think it is. Either way, I am excited to see Francis again because last time I saw him/her, he/she had grown remarkably since the first time we saw him/her, and I'm sure by now he/she is going to blow my mind. I am starting to actually feel the jazz hands as Francis dances around my stomach, which is pretty unreal.

Just a few more days and I can stop calling the baby "it"...although I will likely continue calling it Francis!

Six days and a saucer stomach

We are down to SIX days until we find out what the gender is, and rather than post another boring number, I'm going to post a photo of a six-legged cow because that is far more fascinating.

Six-legged cow to which my child hopefully bears no resemblance

That's just weird. What's also weird is that I have only had one dream in anticipation of the great gender reveal, and the dream entailed us finding out that our baby's legs were fused together. This was both troubling from a "how will he/she walk" perspective but also a "great, now we can't find out the gender" perspective. Let's pray the baby has two separate, fully functioning little walking sticks and only two of them as opposed to six (although the previously pictured cow might be a hit at pasture parties when it pulls the ol' stand-up-tall-on-my-four-hind-legs stunt...I'd bet cud on it).

On the subject of bizarre body parts, I developed a slight insecurity at work today related to the fact that my belly button now looks like a large saucer. I'm getting to the point where she's starting to flatten out but she's not totally there yet, leading to a crater-like display in the jutted-out front of my shirts. It looks like I'm smuggling a compass and my belly is leading the way. Granted, I am sure most spectators realize that it's par for the pregnancy course, but it's still a bit unsettling considering most passers-by are greeting my stomach these days. I know, I know...embrace the new body. I must embrace the new body.