SPECIAL DELIVERY

Our sweet Raya Grace Altbaum FINALLY arrived on Tuesday night at 8:03 PM weighing in at 6 pounds 10 ounces and just 19" long. 

Welcome to the family Raya, we LOVE you!

Distractions

My mom got to San Diego on the 18th, partially thinking Raya was waiting for HER to get here to make her welcome into the world, BUT Raya had different plans.  Instead she decided to sleep in a few days more so that Mom and I could spend some time together before her big debut!

From the minute my mom got here we have been on the go!!  We have been walking, walking, walking, to try to get this girl to move her way out, but NOPE she must just like the rocking motion but at least it has given us some good exercise.  On Thursday we went to see a preview of the movie Five Year Engagement, which was pretty funny. 

We got to the Safari Park on Friday for more walking with a view at least!  The elephants and hippos were fighting over whose team I could join :( What happened to black being a slimming color???  GEESH!!!

After the Safari Park we went to Orfila Vineyards which is just down the road.  We stumbled upon their Friday afternoon concert, it was a BEAUTIFUL day so Tim and mom tasted the wines and we sat outside and listened to the band play, I had a few sips of some of the yummy wine too...hey at this point I don't think it will effect her at all except to put her to sleep more!

Sadly my stomach actually worked as a shelf for the wine glass!!

Saturday we got to enjoy the nice weather and headed to the pool...I did a few laps and squats in the water again to try to move the baby along but nada!  Sunday we headed to Tim's baseball game then the Hillcrest Farmers Market for some fresh produce.

So although nothing has brought the baby any quicker, I have at least had some fun distractions while we wait, wait and wait some more!

NST

So I went to see my doctor on Thursday and good news was things are FINALLY progressing "down there", bad news is that if this little baby doesn't get things moving along on her own by Wednesday I will be induced.  I guess it's not a bad thing because we know she will be here this week, but I am just worried about the induction process, drugs involved and it having a negative effect on me.

Since she is sleeping in late my doctor called for me to have NST (non stress test) performed. I had my first one on Friday and I had to go over to Mary Birch and get an ultrasound which measured my fluids then I went to triage and had heart rate monitoring for ~45 minutes, all checked out good!  I just wanted to say "OK Raya, I realize you are comfy in there BUT it is TIME TO COME OUT", I know she can't understand that, so just trying to be patient is what I am doing (not very well I should add :().

I go back again tomorrow morning for another NST unless something happens overnight...I keep saying every night maybe tonight will be the night and it's not, so I'm not too confident that anything will be different tonight.  I know I am not being a good mom by having any negativity, I realize there has been progression BUT is it enough to get here here on her own before Wednesday??  We shall see!

Sigh!!!  

Taurus Baby

Well this little girl is overbaking and has passed the date of being an Aries and will now be a Taurus.  So what are the characteristics of a Taurus baby...

Babies/Toddlers

• stubborn with a capital S-T-U-B-B-O-R-N
• loving
• flirty
• daddy's little girl and momma's boy
• sweet
• charming
• well-behaved
• shy (they don't want or expect to be the center of attention)
• artistic and musical

How ironic she is STUBBORN, well heck I knew that already by her lack of appearance in this world thus far!

It's just an estimated due date, right??

I was hoping little Raya would have joined us already but with 2 hours left in the day, I am pretty confident she is not coming out on her EDD. Momma is always fashionably late whereas daddy is an always early kinda guy, so looks like little lady will be following in my footsteps. Which is all fine and good as long as she is Not TOO late!

To distract myself today I had a little retail therapy. I picked up slippers (comfy plush grey flip flop sandals with a little flowerette) and pillowcases (in a blush pink color) for the hospital. I also got a new pair of sneakers to prepare for post baby workout! Shopping always helps :)

Tim had a wedding tonight so I am having a couch night with little Zara...one of our last nights just the two of us. We enjoy watching reality shows, lifetime movies or taking a walk up to Redbox to see what chick flicks we can rent when we stay in for Saturday nights together :) I mostly enjoy watching her snuggled sleeping next to me, soon little Raya will join us on the couch on those nights when daddy has to work - cant wait!!

Double DIY

 I am super proud and excited of a mobile I made for the nursery last night!!!  At my SD shower my friend Amber had made these really cute DIY paper cutout decorations that hung from ribbon (of course the the paper cut outs were color coordinated with the nursery, pink damask pattern, grey damask pattern, blush pink and white) and at the end of the shower she asked what I wanted and what she could throw away.  I realized I didn't have a mobile for the nursery and a light bulb clicked with these ribbon/paper cut out decorations and I said "I want these, I'll make a mobile or something". 

You can see some of the decorations hanging here from the shower

The ribbons hung out on the dining room table for about 3 weeks and I didn't know where to start with making a mobile, I had never made one before!!  So about a week ago I decided I needed to get moving on this project if I was going to get it done and turned to what else but google.com to find out how to make a mobile.  I found a few websites and just kind of took the ideas and started on my way.

The only thing I needed to pick up was a wood embroidery loop at Michael's  (I used a 12" one), I had the cut outs, I had the ribbon, I had a hot glue gun and glue stick, and I had the spray paint from that lovely frame project I did. 

I decided to take off the cut-offs from the ribbon they were on so I could start over with them and set them on pink ribbon, so I carefully removed them from the ribbon and set them into coordinating piles.  I was going to use pink ribbon and clear thread to hang them but ended up just using the pink ribbon.  Here are all my supplies ready to go.

I first spray painted the wood ring pink.  Then cut various lengths of the pink ribbon to hang the cut outs from about 8", 10", 12" and 14" and decided 12 strands total would be good.  I cut three even pieces of ribbon and made a loop at the end to use as the hanging device and hot glued that  to the wood ring (this I kind of eyeballed and didn't use exact measurements on, it's pretty even that's all I care about).

Then I started on making the strands (this was the most time consuming part).  I used the glue stick to glue two of the same pattern cutouts to the ribbon so it was the same on both sides and decided that the ribbons would have 3, 4 or 5 cutouts on them, depending on the length of the ribbon.  Again not an exact measurement between the cutouts I just eyeballed it, roughly 3" though. 

Once I finished the strands it was time to attach them to the wood ring.  Since there were 6 sections on the ring I hung two per section.  I used the hot glue gun to attach the ribbon strands to the front of the ring.  Then I used a pretty grey glitter ribbon that I had saved from a diaper cake that my friend Michelle had made from my NY shower which was the PERFECT size and length to wrap around the front of the wood ring to hide the hot glue spillover and cut ribbon pieces.  Then I was DONE, yay!!  Since it was my first time making one it took longer than if would do it again but it took about 3 hours total.

I was so excited and really liked how it came out so of course I wanted to hang it right away.  Tim wasn't home and since I am a "I want it done now and I'm going to do it" type person, even at 9 months preggo, I went to the garage and found one of those screw in hooks to twist into the drywall in the nursery ceiling and grabbed the step stool and headed up to the nursery.  I couldn't decide exactly where to place it and after screwing two different holes into the ceiling (whoops...that is what nail hole filler is for though!) I decided she would get the most enjoyment out of viewing it above her crib.  It is high enough that I don't think she will be able to grab at it even when she starts standing in her crib, which is certainly some time from now anyways!

One more thing checked off the nesting to-do list :)

Date night!

Ok, I know celebrating the anniversary of the day you got engaged is a little silly and to be honest I don't think we even did last year.  BUT because Old Venice Restaurant is the place we got engaged and where I took Tim to when I told him I was pregnant, when we were thinking of places we wanted to go to dinner for one of our last date nights, we decided to go to Old Venice!  We made a date for the 11th, in honor of our engagement and because it is a place where we have shared a few special times :) 

We got the magic mushrooms to start they are yummy seafood stuffed mushrooms covered with melted sizzling cheese, SO GOOD (that's coming from not the biggest mushroom fan!) and shared a salad and artichoke heart and asparagus pizza = YUMMMMM!!!  On a cocktail note, I had a boring iced tea to drink and Tim got the yummy blueberry lemondrop martini (which was ordered on behalf of what drink I would like to have a sip of :))

(Doesn't Tim look so tan and healthy...it's like he has a pregnancy "glow"!  Me...I certainly look larger sitting down!)

Earlier in the day my friend Michelle had posted on Facebook a picture of the text I had sent her the night we got engaged!!  I had never seen the text and I really didn't even remember what I had texted her.  I cannot believe she has saved it and still has it THREE years later, I think I am on my third different cell phone since then :)  Regardless...I LOVE that I now have this picture to look back on, thanks Michelle!!



Little pink sausages

In preparation and a little relaxation before the arrival of Raya I went to get a pedicure this week.  I am hoping it lasts before her arrival and I don't have to go back and get another one, but I was thinking ahead and used a color that I own so I can do little touch-ups if needed :)

I have only worn heels maybe 2-3 times in the past few weeks, I have mostly been wearing flip flops...good thing because my toes look like little pink sausages right now I don't think I could even stuff them into shoes if I tried, haha!

Nesting Days

Since it seems like little Raya is comfy cozy in her residence for now, I have been back to nesting and making our residence ready for her arrival.  I thought I had hit a nesting roadblock a few weeks back, guess again!

I figured her room is ready, the bassinet is assembled, the car seat and mirror are in, we passed our parenting classes ;), I arranged a downstairs changing station, my bag is packed for the hospital, what else could I possibly need to do??

For starters...
Closet clean-out - let's be honest there are some things that just aren't going to fit again or are not going to look pleasant anymore post baby, organize the linen closet, clean the sheets in the guest room for grandma Joan who will be visiting followed by Auntie June, find frames for the beautiful maternity pics that came in the mail today :), organize the cabinets in the laundry room, reorganize my sewing fabric so it wasn't all just clumped in a box in the guest room floor.

Still on the list of to-do's...
Organize items on the top shelf in the master closet, clean master bedroom bedding, pack Tim's items for the hospital (I think this will be tasked for him to do ;)), drop off items at goodwill from closet clean-out, get a car wash, make a mobile for the nursery.

They say the closer you are to onset of labor you may get a nesting splurge, I think in my case I am nesting in hopes that it will help bring on labor :)

39 Weeks!

One week to go until due date (4/14/12) BUT it's looking like it will be at least 2 weeks until baby's arrival date :(  I had my 39 week DR. apt. on Thursday and little one is head down but her head is still sitting high and I am not dilated at all.  I'm not going to lie it was kind of an emotional visit...no dilation? not "dropping"?  is she going to come out on her own or need medical intervention? Of course the doctors job is to be positive and tell me that they see patients all the time and I may drop, start dilating and go into labor all in the same day...blah blah blah.  I KNOW my due date isn't even until Saturday and I shouldn't worry she's going to come when she is ready but it's just such a mental WAITING game at this point.   

Every movement I feel I question if it's something progressing? if she's not moving enough I wonder if she's ok? if I get cramping is that labor starting?  Just a whole lotta mind and body games going on!  Google.com has been one of my BFF's during this pregnancy and certainly is still!

Here's my 39 week pic, doesn't look too different from 37 week pic, either angle of the camera or it's because she really isnt' growing much more at this point...

Belly Shots

At 36 weeks we took some maternity pictures with our friend Merrilee.  She did a fantastic job of capturing this time in our lives and I am so thankful to have these pictures to look back on and show Raya one day when she is older.

Tim has known Merrilee and her husband Brad since their pre-teen years (they were also all in show choir in HS together, they were Glee before Glee was popular, oh how I wish I could have seen them then, but the pictures are amusement enough for me!)  I had the privilege of meeting Merrilee and Brad not long after meeting Tim.  We all lived in the same neighborhood and were involved in marathon running, so we spent a good amount of time together.  A few years ago Merrilee started her photography business, you can see her additional work and find her contact info at, www.photographybymerrilee.com. Between juggling two sons and the building of a custom home, she manages to take amazing photographs and we are so thankful she took the time to spend the afternoon with us to capture these images. 

Most people know that even without carrying 30+ extra pounds on me I am super critical of how I look in pictures, so I am thrilled that she got the right angles and deleted the horrid ones so I didn't even get to see them, haha!  I will admit I was very nervous when she said she wanted to meet about 4-6 weeks prior to my due date to take the pictures, I thought I was going to be an elephant, and although I kinda felt that big she really captured our love and happiness!!  I am proud that I still am stretch mark free and my belly button never popped out (there was just minor photo shopping to my previous belly ring scar above my belly button) :)

THANK YOU THANK YOU MERRILEE!!!  These are just a few of my favorites :)

Tim was feeling a little neglected that my belly was getting all the attention so he wanted a "tummy shot" of his own!!  I certainly hope Raya follows in his footsteps of never getting embarrassed :)

The Final Countdown

I cannot believe that I am less than two weeks 'til due date...as much as the past few weeks have been dragging, it's still surreal that by the end of April, we will be a family of 3 (well 4, we can't forget about our first born via surrogate, Zara)!

I went to an acupuncturist for the first time yesterday, she was great and spent the time to sit and talk to me about my concerns and symptoms and it was so relaxing, if you are looking or somebody I would recommend her, Jutta at the Kuhn Clinic, http://thekuhnclinic.com/ . She placed some needles in my back and on my foot and also used some heat therapy and I will say baby girl was certainly moving around so whatever she did caused some activity inside.  I am going to see her twice a week until my due date and we shall see in the next two weeks if her work pays off and I do not need to be medically induced to get the baby here.  I still have 1.5 weeks to go but this little girl is still sitting up high and I have the birth stories of my friends in the back of my head of being two weeks late, needing to be induced with pitocin, laboring for 25+ hours and pushing unsuccessfully, only to end up exhausted, effected by drugs they were administered and having a C-section.  I DON'T want to be one of them so I am trying what I can to go into labor naturally and hopefully not too late. 

We are enjoying our quiet nights and our last few date nights but I think we are also ready for Raya to join us.  We can't wait to see what and who she looks like, what her personality is going to be, and how we are going to adjust as parents, oh how things are going to change in just a short time!!!