All dressed up!

For her first public outing. It's a trip to the pediatrician.

Bath time.

Washed her at the kitchen sink yesterday. First bath at home. She loves getting her hair washed.

Happy Valentine's Day.

I asked Scott to pass me a package of saltines. Instead, he set down a little present. I have a new mother necklace. What a sweet surprise!

Pictures to come.

Katie!

We have our girl, all 8 lbs and 8 oz of her!

Everything has been great thus far. The repeat c-section went fine, I had a great team working on Katie and myself, and I even got to walk a little bit by nighttime. Now I'm starting day 3 in the hospital and am feeling good. I'm on pain medication, but I don't feel as limited as I thought I would. Recovery was fairly easy with Jamie, but I think there's something to be said for having already experienced this kind of thing. I have an idea of what to expect!

We're in love with Miss Katie. She's a petite little thing compared to Jamie as a newborn. She's wearing newborn diapers! Those tiny hats fit her head! It's funny, though, because the nurses are claiming that she's the biggest baby in the nursery. Oh, well.

Nursing is easier this time. So much easier. She's a great eater. A nurse commented last night that I was the only mom who wasn't having issues with nursing, but I remember how it was 3 years ago. I'm grateful that I'm not frustrated - I realize I got lucky this time!

I haven't changed a diaper yet. The nurses are quick on that, or Scott takes care of it while he's here. I'm in a room with 2 beds, so as it turns out, Scott is my roommate at night. It's nice. He gets a chance to be more hands-on, but he can still head into work during the day.

Jamie is officially a big brother. He came to visit, and while he was shy, I know that he understood what was going on. He's giving himself time to adjust. No kisses or hugs for Katie yet. Oh, and I miss him while I'm here. Luckily, my mom is staying at the house this week and I know he's well taken care of.

Well, today's Valentine's Day. What a day to be in the hospital! I packed red booties and a red hat for Katie. She'll be dressed up enough for the both of us!

Baby's coming today!

Well, it's 4:30 AM and I'm wide awake. With Jamie, I was awake by 3 AM the night before, so this is progress!

Luckily, my appetite is gone, so fasting doesn't bother me. On the other hand, I couldn't eat much yesterday, so I missed out on any delicious "last meal" Scott was offering up. Dinner was a tiny bowl of rice in the hospital cafeteria (while Scott grabbed a burger) and then some soup at home later on. I couldn't even eat an entire bowl of ice cream for dessert! Katie must be lying on my stomach.

I'm mentally thinking of the morning ahead. I'll go through my packing list again, set my pile of stuff aside, take a strict shower with hospital soap, lounge around with Jamie and my mom (and Scott!), and then it's off to labor and delivery! Gosh, I'm ready to go now...and Katie is kicking up a storm. Wonder if she's excited, too?

Yes, this is much more exciting than Christmas morning!

Stay tuned!!

39 weeks.

I can't believe I'm down to the night before delivery. Wow. It feels like I've been waiting so long and now it's finally happening.

Had my pre-op tonight, met with a nurse and reviewed everything. They sent me home with special soap and strict instructions on how to arrive squeaky clean in the morning.

What on earth will I do all morning? I don't have to show up until 10:30. Hmmm.

Funny things today...literally have been stopped by people all day. At Kroger tonight, an elderly woman stopped her car and said she could tell my baby was on the way, because I was waddling. I ran errands at 2 banks, and the tellers were sure I was on my way to the hospital. At Jamie's preschool, though, I happily got "good luck" and "congratulations" instead. I even ran into the pastor, and she gave me a hug. I much prefer running into people at church!

Crib rail cover!

I realized last night that I needed a cover for the crib rail. You know, something to keep Katie from chewing away at the wood.

I measured the railing and decided I had enough leftover fabric from the crib skirt and valance to make it work. I made a long rectangle, essentially. I then cut up an old receiving blanket to stitch to the other side. I ironed it right side out and did a final top stitch. Then, I took it upstairs with my container of snaps. I inserted snaps every few slats, and voila, it's done.

3 more days until Katie's arrival!
I really should be done sewing by now. I think.

38 weeks.

Feeling hungry, tired (more so), and bigger. Insomnia is back! So much for catching up on sleep.

It's uncomfortable to stand at the sink. This includes washing dishes and washing my face. Oddly enough, sewing doesn't bother me a bit.

I'm still craving lots of fruit, cereal, and dairy. I can't seem to get enough fruit! Especially strawberries. I'm also tearing through cereal like nobody's business. Mostly special k red berries and corn flakes. Absolutely delicious.

Can't believe we only have a week to go! It's getting so close. I have my last OB checkup on Thursday.

More sewing!

I finally made pacifier clips and bibs.

I got lucky at Joann's and found gold suspender clips on clearance. It was meant to be. The clips took some patience. There's a reason that one clip is wide and short and the other is skinny and long -- it's called learning to do something for the first time. Still, I'm happy with the end result. :)

The bibs turned out well and it gets addicting after awhile. I just want to use every cute piece of fabric I have! I also picked up remnants while I was at Joann's (which is then marked down an additional 50%!), and even went daring (wild?) with zebra print. I'm not usually drawn to animal designs, but some are actually pretty cute. I've seen some cute cheetah prints in pink -- would never have given it a second glance before!

I think I should be done with my projects. Of course, I do have 8 days to go. Never say never!

My view.

You know you're big when you have to unbutton your pajama pants in order to feel more comfortable.

I'm starting to get more comments out in public. I thought the Target cashier was going to catch a fly in her open mouth, the way she reacted to my belly. "you're about to have that baby!"

Mostly, though, I run into sweet older ladies who happen to be shopping for their grand kids. I talked to a woman yesterday, looking at baby items, and she not only wished me luck, but said that shopping was just one of the perks to a new baby. I laughed and agreed.

10 days out.

Our to-do list before Katie is born...

Head to Target and get the remaining baby things we need, like infant Tylenol, baby book, and wipes, and a few things I need for the hospital. Maybe buy another pink crib sheet. We still need to order a lamp and butt cream (okay, a big tub of coconut oil) from Amazon.

Wash the last of the baby laundry. Make up the cradle and set some baby gear in the living room.

Install car seat.

Buy a few frozen pizzas for the freezer.

Get the house cleaned up a bit more. This will be more like making a list for Scott. I've given up on most chores. This includes using the dishwasher!

And that's it. My bag is mostly packed (except for what I use on a daily basis), I've even packed a few things for Katie, plans are in place, and even if I went into labor tonight, we're ready.

I'm hoping, though, I can squeeze in a trip to Joann's today and do some sewing tomorrow. I found a great bib template that I want to try!

Life in the last week.

We've gone to the library, had a few playdates, I went shopping at the Goochland Goodwill and picked out new shirts for my husband, and mostly kept Jamie fed and happy. If you look closely in one of the pictures, you'll notice that he's wearing a cape at the table.