This has been a full month for us. Between people coming and going to work on the basement, Daddy being away for a week for work and traveling to Cincinnati for Christmas, we’ve been a bit all over the place. I wish I could bottle up your energy because I am tired! That could be because I’m growing your little brother or sister inside of me, too. Which, by the way, we think you’re excited about. When we ask you where the baby is, you try to lift Mama’s shirt up to see my belly and often offer a kiss. You are going to be a very sweet big sister.

While Daddy was away, I whisked you away to do something very fun and exciting…

your first haircut! { Please, contain the joy. }

Really, though, you did great, babe.

You probably enjoyed our trip to the mall play area with your friend, A, the day before more. You had so much fun running around, climbing, sliding, hiding…it was a fun day for you.

You love your puppy dog! Parker makes you giggle out of no where. You love retrieving his toys when they get stuck somewhere and he usually has a very willing little person to throw his toys for him to fetch. He’s very appreciative that you now know his name, too!

You stay on guard when there’s food involved, though. Smart girl.

Christmas in Cincinnati was a treat for you. You woke up ready for whatever the day held and greeted everyone by name each morning.

We ate a lot of good food all week long and decorated Nana and Poppa’s Christmas tree.

You went to the grocery store with Nana where you put a smile on everyone’s face when you greeted them up and down the aisles.

You went to the bookstore with Poppa where you “organized” the shelves.

We slowly unwrapped gifts throughout the day so you could enjoy what you had been gifted.

Thank you, Uncle Erik, for the colored bubble launcher. It’s bound to be a favorite. However, it’s hiding until summer.

On our last full day, we went to see the trains at the Museum Center…

…made a gingerbread man with Nana…

…and in the evening took a drive with Nana to see the lights at Sharon Woods in our pj’s. What a fun and festive day that was!

When we returned home, we took advantage of having no plans and hung out with Daddy for the rest of the week. We wore our pj’s a lot. You played with all of your new toys quite contentedly. Some days you entertain yourself so well.

Other days require a project like painting { so focused! } or playing with water at the sink { messier than you may think }.

But you still love to color in your coloring books and are even trying to color specific areas instead of just all over the page. Nana would be proud.

In fact, most evenings before bed, this is what you’re doing:

Butt up. Tongue out.

Love you, Analiese!
Mama & Daddy

I could not have pulled everything together without the help from my two co-hosts–thank you Christy and Kelly! And thank you to my friend, Sally, for taking these amazing pictures. You captured my favorite details perfectly.

I kept meaning to get this post up sooner. The timing seems appropriate right now because Baby B was due yesterday and I have a feeling she will be gracing us with her presence any day now…any hour? Come on, Baby B!

I posted the invitations what seems to be a very long time ago. And now, here are the vintage-feminine details { almost completely inspired by Pinterest discoveries }:

Ross had to drink a LOT of Starbucks frappuccinos for the glass milk bottles to be a success. I had to use a LOT of Goo Gone, which during my first trimester become one of the scents I could not stand anymore! We will use these for many parties to come, I think!

Flowers were done by a local flower shop using blue Ball jars as the vase. It’s a fact that I am a horrible flower arranger.

Aside from the bowl of pita chips, the food was completely gluten-free and included some of K’s favorites. The cake balls were done by my co-hosts and were delicious. They followed this informative, but hilarious video tutorial.

K introduced me to white chocolate drizzled popcorn. It’s amazing. A dash of sea salt over the melted chocolate is essential.

Also on the menu: fruit salad drizzled with coconut balsamic vinegar, peppers and chips with hummus, and three different flavors of cake balls. Drinks included water with lemons and limes, decaf sweet iced tea, decaf coffee and Laura’s hot apple cider.

These amazing { and stackable } metal tins came from Ross’s mom. She was an invaluable resource for me as I planned this shower.

She let me borrow all of the old boxes, too. The antique pink dishes also came from her stash, but I get to keep those!

Don’t you just love a good baby bump?

Once plates were full of food, guests came down to the family room for some mama wisdom, a few games, and gift opening. Although, the shower was held at someone else’s house, I brought almost all of my throw pillows from home to add to the decor. I have many. The window frames were borrowed from a friend–thank you, Jenni!

I had my heart set on creating a fabric strip banner from the very beginning. Actually, it’s this photo that inspired the “sugar & spice” theme, too.

There were many other mamas of new babies at the shower. I love this picture. Little Allie { on the left } is awake here, but all three of them slept just like this for a long time!

Praying for you, K! You are going to rock your labor. Can’t wait to meet your sweet little girl!

As promised, here’s my list of pregnancy, nursing and baby recommendations. Keep in mind, that we did all of our research on all-things-baby in 2009 when we found out we were expecting Analiese. Most of these items were purchased or gifted to us during that year or in early 2010 before Analiese was born. The baby world is always changing, so I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these items have already been trumped.

As with anything, we put a lot of time into researching what would be best for us and our Baby Girl without breaking the bank. I read books and blogs as well as consulted with friends and family to figure out how to make pregnancy as comfortable as possible, labor as natural as possible, nursing as convenient and efficient as possible, and living life with a baby as easy as possible.

The following is a list of items that I purchased (or received as a gift), used and would recommend to others.

PREGNANGY

1. The Business of Being Born – Watching this solidified my decision to plan (and pray) for a natural birth experience. It’s graphic and powerful.

2. Baby Bargains – My cousin sent this to us immediately after hearing the news that we were expecting. It was such a helpful reference as we registered for some of the bigger, more expensive items. It also served as a real check list when it came to determining what was really necessary and what we could do without. (i.e. does anyone use those diaper stacker things?)

3. Exercise Ball – It was really hard for me to only sleep on my side every night. I tried to favor my left side (like you’re supposed to), but would go on my right side from time to time to change it up. However, I still craved the option to lay on my back. (I think it was more of a mental thing where I knew I couldn’t do it, so I wanted it even more! Pure torture!) I used the exercise ball to stretch my back: kneel on the floor and lay over the ball with your arms and head the way you would if you were laying on your stomach…and stretch! This is also a great position for a massage!

4. Bellaband – There are other brands out there that probably work just as well. Sometimes, I’m just a sucker for a label. I had a deep love for my bellaband…

5. Maternity Underwear – I have no idea why I waited so long to purchase these. Once I did, I didn’t even think about wearing regular underwear for the rest of my pregnancy. They were SO much more comfortable.

Not Pictured:

• Chiropractor – Mine treats tons and tons of pregnant ladies. She has a special table that accommodates the baby belly. Your body moves so much differently when you’re pregnant, so it would be a great time to go on a regular basis throughout your pregnancy if you’re not already.
• Magnesium – My midwife suggested taking magnesium to help with the headaches I started to get.
• Vitamin D – Ask your doctor how much she would recommend you taking. I started taking a lot more than I usually did because I was so deficient and planned to breastfeed.
• Homeopathic supplements: Arnica - to avoid physical trauma associated with childbirth; prevents excess blood loss, shock, and trauma to soft tissues; Caulophyllum – natural source of oxylocin; helps produce effective contractions; can be used to initiate or enhance labor; will not bring on contractions if the woman is not ready to go into labor and may relieve excess pre-labor toning contractions; Cimicifuga – to ease fear of giving birth; aids the uterus to contract in a coordinated and effective way; Red Raspberry Leaf Tea – to tone my uterus; Black Currant Oil – to soften the cervix. You can read more about these items here.
• Thank you cards – My mother-in-law stock piled me with cute packs of thank you note card sets from TJ Maxx and I pretty much used them all between showers and gifts after the baby was born.
• Prenatal yoga – I went to one class and wished I could have made time for more. I did not do a very good job at exercising throughout my pregnancy and it probably would have paid off during labor if I had.

NURSING

6. Lily Padz – I always felt limited with what I could wear from my wardrobe that was nursing friendly. I had two nursing bras and two nursing camisoles that I had to wear under everything. I also have washable nursing pads that get inserted into either the bras or camisoles. They are totally necessary to avoid leaks showing through, but tend to make your chest look lumpy. The disposable pads are thinner and a little smoother looking under clothing, but I don’t find them as comfortable. Lily Padz stick to your breasts and are silicon, so they are lump-free. I got them to wear under a dress with a stretchy knit top for a wedding. You can wear them under anything without a bra or camisole. Works like a charm.

7. Medela Swing Pump – I’m so glad I got this one. Medela is the leading brand for breast pumps. I was tempted to get the more expensive option with two pumps, but opted for the single, electric pump since Iwasn’t going back to work and wouldn’t be as pressed for time to pump throughout the day.

Not Pictured:

• Breakfast items you can eat with one hand – I started baking scones once a week. I’m was typically very hungry when I fed Analiese first thing in the morning (mind you, I’ve never been a big breakfast eater). I needed something to grab quickly and eat while I was feeding her. Breakfast bars are good, too. I had a basket next to the chair in her room that I usually kept stocked with snacks and stuff, too. (Thanks for that, Pamela!)

BABY

8. Uniden Video Monitor – We should really be getting some sort of commission from Uniden for our consistent endorsement of the “Wireless Video Surveillance Portable Security System” monitor. It’s not advertised as a baby monitor, but we LOVE ours and have recommended it to anyone who is in the market. We can count at least four couples who have taken our recommendation and have not been disappointed.

9. UPPAbaby Vista Stroller - We were blessed to have our stroller purchased for us by some very generous family members. But we still did a fair amount of research and visited Buy Buy Baby multiple times to try them all out. There are so many different kinds of strollers–umbrellas, travel systems that accommodate an infant car seat, joggers. Ultimately, we wanted a versatile stroller that wasn’t super bulky to lug around. The UPPAbaby Vista is pricey, but we absolutely love it. It comes with a bassinet (for when they’re itty bitty–you can swaddle them up and lay them right down without having to buckle anything) as well as a reversible (can face you or out) and adjustable (can sit straight up or recline in a few different positions) stroller seat. The front wheels can lock so you could use it as a jogger, but it’s not really meant for that. The foam wheels are also so much better on rougher ground than the typical plastic ones. Another reason we really liked this one is because by the time baby #2 comes along, we can still use it with the rumble seat for A. Really, the only thing I don’t like is that it doesn’t have a “tray” of sorts at the handle bar for carrying cups or water bottles. However, they recently came out with a snack tray attachment for baby which has come in quite handy. The storage underneath is awesome and so much more practical than the ever-popular Bugaboo.

While most travel system strollers can be used with a specific, matching infant car seat, the Vista works with three different infant car seat brands as long as you have the right adapter.

Note: The Baby Jogger City Stroller has recently entered the stroller scene and it seems to have the same versatile features as the UPPAbaby Vista. It’s also a little cheaper, but the bassinet kit is sold separately. Of all of the features of the Vista, the bassinet is probably the one thing we could have done without.

10. Chicco Key Fit 30 Infant Car Seat – Of the three infant car seats that work with the Vista–Chicco, Graco and Peg Perego–we chose the Chicco Key Fit 30. Compared to the other two from a cost perspective, it was right in the middle. It ranked high in our Baby Bargains book and we found a pattern–”cubes”–that was gender neutral and wouldn’t show stains too easily.

11. Chicco Ct. 0.6 Ultra Light Umbrella Stroller – My mom and I took a trip to Florida with Analiese when she was about 10 months old, and we decided to invest in a cheaper, light weight umbrella stroller that would make walking through the airport a little easier.  There are definitely cheaper options out there when it comes to umbrella strollers, but we wanted it to last a while without having to be replaced when future kids enter the picture. Chicco has become a brand we like and trust given our experience with the infant car seat. Although we don’t use it day-to-day, having the smaller option has been helpful when we need to pack a stroller with us for a car trip.

12. Ergo Carrier – This carrier came highly recommended by many baby-wearing friends at church. I would not call us baby-wearing parents at all. Ross always opted to carry Analiese when we were out together. I, on the other hand, liked giving my arms a break and would use the Ergo on walks with the dog or when she was very little and I felt empowered to attempt a “nap on the go” so I could be social during her nap time. Eventually, I committed pretty hardcore to a crib-only nap routine, so my baby-wearing days were short. When I did wear it, I always comfortable and felt that Analiese was very secure.

13. Miracle Blanket – If you plan to swaddle your baby at sleep time, this is the blanket to use! It’s awesome.

14. Comfort Blanket – Pick one style and get 3 or more of them. We introduced a “lovie” when Analiese was around 10 months old. She always has it when she sleeps and it’s a source of comfort when we’re in a new place. Regardless of how often a baby uses a lovie, it is bound to get pretty gross after a while and will need a washing. But what happens when you take the comfort blanket away…or, gasp! it gets misplaced or forgottten? You get a clean one out that looks exactly like the other one!

15. IKEA Gulliver Crib – It’s safe and cheap.

AND FINALLY…

There are just a few things that I wish I would have known beforehand or put a little more thought into before the arrival of Miss Analiese:

• Choosing a pediatrician – All of a sudden it was on our to-do list (along with ten thousand other things) and I felt rushed to figure something out.

• How babies sleep – Around week 3 I decided I wanted to have Analiese on a sleeping/eating schedule versus on-demand feeding and sleeping. You may have a different approach, which is totally fine. Ultimately, our method came from a variety of sources: friends, family and a few books: the baby whisperer and it’s counterpart, healthy sleep habits, happy baby and the happiest baby on the block (dvd). I felt like once we decided to do sleep training with Analiese, we were in a rush to figure out exactly what would be best for her. It was super stressful and I started doubting myself a lot. If I had known what a challenge it was going to be, I would have read some of these books while I was pregnant so that I was more prepared and had an idea about what approach I wanted to take. I think I would have felt more confident during the first few weeks of sleep training if I had put more time into the research beforehand. You can read about A’s sleep journey here, here and here.

• Nursing takes a while to get the hang of – Don’t be discouraged! It’s ok that this is ALL you will be doing for the first few weeks…it’s all you’re supposed to be doing during that time. It took me a while to accept that and to stay focused on both teaching Analiese and learning from her.

• Freezer meals are a Godsend – I recommend doing a mega cook session. It was so nice to have homemade meals ready to go in the freezer…that ross could prepare instead of me. If doing a mega cook session seems overwhelming, you could start doubling recipes that freeze well.

I know this is long and opinionated, but I hope it’s helpful to someone!

To aid in that plan, my midwife had me visit Indigo Forest in Ann Arbor to purchase some homeopathics. Homeopathics are not herbal supplements. Rather, they are, in fact, drugs that use natural substances in micro-doses to relieve symptoms. Because of the way they are made, there are no side effects and are completely safe to take with other medications.

So…what did I get??

• Arnica - to avoid physical trauma associated with childbirth; prevents excess blood loss, shock, and trauma to soft tissues
• Caulophyllum – natural source of oxylocin; helps produce effective contractions; can be used to initiate or enhance labor; will not bring on contractions if the woman is not ready to go into labor and may relieve excess pre-labor toning contractions
• Cimicifuga – to ease fear of giving birth; aids the uterus to contract in a coordinated and effective way

In addition, I also got some red raspberry leaf tea (to tone my uterus…did you know you can tone your utuerus??) and Black Currant Oil (to soften the cervix…I apologize if that’s TMI, but that’s exactly what it does!).

I’ve been making the tea 2 quarts at a time using the Mason jars my friend, Katie, used to hold fresh flowers at my shower. I can’t explain why, but it’s been a rather soothing routine for me…packing the leaves in my spice ball, allowing the red raspberry leaf and hibiscus (for flavor and color) to seep for four hours and then drinking 1/2 quart each day; knowing that I’m not just drinking tea, but also preparing my body to give birth to our Analiese…

…in two weeks! Well, give or take, but the reality is that we are very close to having this little miracle enter into our lives and we are so stinkin’ excited!

I follow a lot of blogs – design, food, friends, strangers, parents…they’re all good. One of the blogs I follow is written by Molly Piper, daughter-in-law to John Piper, pastor of preaching at Bethlehem Church in Minneapolis. Ross and I are constantly challenged by John Piper’s preaching. His son and daughter-in-law lost a baby and are now pregnant again. Molly posted this statement on her blog when she announced her pregnancy at 10 weeks:

So whether I have 10 weeks, 10 months, or 10+ years with this baby, today I heard the little heartbeat and know that it is indeed a blessing and a miracle. – Molly Piper

In our excitement, I pray that we will always have this perspective with each other and with our daughter. We are His. She is a blessing and miracle…but first, she is His…and we can’t wait to meet her!

In any event, all is good! Here are a few pictures from the ultrasound:

If you turn your head to the right, you can see her looking right at you! The dark areas in the middle are her eyes and mouth. 

Her side profile and a hand…going in for the thumb, Missy Miss? Apparently, when I was a baby, I decided to forgo the traditional thumb and instead sucked my pointer and pinky together. I hope she’s quirky like that. :)

We had our last childbirth class on Monday evening so we are officially, 100% ready to give birth to our first child. Ha! I do feel more prepared and aware of what to expect, but I also realize that this is nothing like anything I’ve experienced before. We’re just praying for a healthy baby girl come February 5th.

At our third class, we were given a handout titled, “The Six Suggestions for a Great Birth from the Lamaze Institute”. I found it interesting that it basically sums up our reasons for wanting to deliver at the ABC Unit. So, I thought I’d share them here:

1. Labor begins on its own 
2. Freedom of movement through all of labor
3. Having a partner, and other support people of your choice with you during labor and birth (Ross will be the only one – besides the midwife – in the room with me when I deliver.)
4. No routine interventions (i.e. epidural, pitocin, vacuum, forceps, episiotome, vaginal exams)
5. Be in a comfortable position, and wait until your body is ready for pushing and birth
6. Have the baby with you right after birth, and in your room so that you can breastfeed whenever you and the baby are ready

The ABC Unit has three deliver rooms available. All are equipped with queen size beds, relaxation tubs, showers and exercise balls. I don’t have to use any of these items, but they’re there just in case. I think the tub and shower will be a nice distraction from time to time. The exercise ball will come in handy when I’m struggling to find a comfortable position. It’s also nice to sit or lay on while getting a back massage. I plan to make a playlist, too…if you have suggestions, feel free to comment below! I just love the flexibility and options I’ll have.

My grandmother’s name is Annaliese and I’ve always loved the name. We’re spelling it a little differently (one “n” instead of two), though. We also like the meaning: graced by God’s bounty.

We have not decided on a middle name just yet, but we do really like the idea of reusing names from other members of our families. Too bad we’re not having a boy…there could have been another George Washington Chasey in the world!

We can’t wait to welcome Missy Miss Analiese into the world!

Today is what Ross termed a “pregnancy day”. With the way we’ve had to devote our attention to the house renovation in order to keep things moving along, preparing for Missy Miss’s arrival has taken a back seat. I so wish her future room had a crib, dresser, curtains and a chandelier in it rather than a mattress set on its side and two of our dressers holding them up.

Enough complaining.

My morning started out with a 3-hour glucose tolerance test. My glucose level came back heightened after the 1-hour test last week. This test will determine if I have gestational diabetes. I hope I don’t. And it’s easy for me to pray that I don’t. But really, I know that God is a sovereign God, completely in control of my health, the baby’s health and the delivery. (If I have gestational diabetes, the baby will probably be bigger, which could derail my plan to deliver naturally in the ABC Unit.) So, my prayer is that God’s will would be done and that I would trust him completely with the results. 

In fact, the news of my first results served as a wake up call to me in some ways. We really have been so consumed by getting the upstairs done – both by accommodating the contractor’s needs to have certain items picked out by a certain day and painting which is the one area of renovation we decided to do ourselves – that other areas have suffered: quality time with each other and with God. We’ve spent a lot of time together over the past few weeks…painting together…oh so romantic, right? Once Missy Miss is here, I know our time will not look the same so we need to take advantage of some opportunities to get out together (i.e. not going to Lowe’s). At the same time, I know this baby needs to be covered in the Word of God daily. So, remembering that God is, in fact, the one in control here, is helping to bring me back to him and to rely on him rather than myself to have a healthy baby.

In between the blood tests, which were taken on the hour for three hours, I started to read What to Expect the First Year. (You may remember my review of What to Expect When You’re Expecting.) There were sections I could skip over (i.e. circumcision care), but other sections I found particularly insightful (i.e. sleeping, feeding, bathing, changing, etc.)  and will most likely reference back to once the baby is here.

Then, later today, Ross and I will attend our first childbirth class! Should be fun!

This isn’t the traditional pose for the “Belly Bump” photo. My mother-in-law took this yesterday while we were MOVING INTO OUR NEW HOUSE! More on that later! (Those are treats in the bag…not poop…in case you were wondering…)

Where has the time gone!? I really wish we would have documented my growing belly more consistently. I can’t believe I’m already at 24 weeks…40 seems so close. Which makes me think of everything we have to do before then! Changing the subject to avoid stressing out…here’s the latest belly photo.

Also, my belly button has begun to stick out. How weird! (And it started hurting today…it felt like Missy Miss was pulling on it!)