2 Months Old!!

Wordless Wednesday

Maternity Test....

Is she my daughter???

Nicknames...

We all have embarrassing or odd nicknames from our childhood...or at least I do. Maybe I'm in the minority here. My nickname growing up was Toefuzz. From what I know, it was given to me by a family friend of ours and I believe it was because I literally had fuzz between my toes. Anyway, it stuck and I was called either Toefuzz or Fuzz most of my childhood years ( I still am called this on occasion ). I am now officially passing the nickname on. My child has this problem. Fuzz between her toes everytime I take off her socks :) This nickname was so prominent that I even had a t-shirt. Ignore the display of nudity.



Now wouldn't you know, my wonderful mother held onto this shirt and I now get to pass it on. It's slightly stained and a little worn but full of memories!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

In the spirit of the season, here are a few of my favorite baby things...these things have literally saved us in some tough situations with Jani. I always love reading these posts and I am sold on all of these items!!!


1. This is a toy from Discovery Toys. It's like a little rain stick. When J is screaming her head off, this will calm her down. Diaper changes? Great distraction! We can't leave home without it!!2. The Ocean Wonders Tub....J loves bath time and this tub is awesome. She sits a lounges in it like it's a hot tub!! Bath time is wonderful in our house!!

3. Aveeno Bath Wash and Lotion...Jani has super sensitive skin and this stuff works awesome on her. It calms her eczema and keeps her skin super smooth! It's natural and free of any fragrances. The kid was blessed with my skin...lucky her!

4. Hooter Hider....the breastfeeding mother's best friend! I found this cover on BabySteals.com for cheap, cheap, cheap! It is so much better than using a blanket out in public. Jani would pull one of those off in about 3 seconds. Now, I'm not shy and will breastfeed about anywhere. If you are one to lock yourself in a room to feed, this may not be something high on your list :)

5. Bumbo....Jani just started using this and she loves it! She feels so grown up and will sit in it for quite awhile! I can even put her on the counter in the bathroom in it while I blowdry my hair. This combines her love of the hair dryer and being in the Bumbo....total bliss for a baby!

6. Car Seat...now I know you have to have one of these to even take a baby home from the hospital but ours gets us through naps and nighttime. She will sleep for hours in it!

7. Sleep Sheep....I got this at a shower and it is one of Jani's favorite things. It is a fuzzy sheep that makes different white noises. I believe they are ocean, whales, nature, and rain. It is a nice way to keep her asleep while we are getting ready for bed...I'm actually enjoying it as well and will probably need to invest in my own when she transitions to her crib :)

Tummy Time

Jani doesn't particularly enjoy tummy time so we adjusted and put her on the boppy. She lasts much longer and loves it...at least for a little while. Then she lets us know who is boss!

Christmas Cards

We got a wild hair tonight to try and get a picture for our Christmas card. My creative juices were flowing and we put Jani through some serious stress trying to get the perfect picture. I was frustrated...Doug was frustrated....Jani was frustrated. It was an all around disaster!! But we came out with one picture to use on the card. Am I completely satisfied with it? No...but it will do. I won't disclose the picture but here is a look at just how frustrated our little girl was....

What a drama queen :) She better get used to posing....it's in her blood!

Sleep Aid

From day one, Jani has hated the bassinet, crib, and pack n play. All she wanted to do was sleep on one of us. Obviously, this is not a good idea....especially for sleep deprived parents! Suggestions started coming in from people to try different things and we found out, while staying at my mom and dad's, that she likes to sleep in her car seat. We zip up the cover and put her on top all swaddled in. It then goes in the pack n play. It's perfect....and it has gotten us through the nights. She has been sleeping 5 - 7 hours every night.
A - MAZ - ING!

Our Little Panther

Jani attended her 1st UNI game on Nov 14th. She did great! We strapped her in the Moby and went about our business. It was a blow out but at least it was a win.....more than I can say for the last game. Next year should be much more interesting! Our little cheerleader will be out in full force!!

ONE MONTH OLD!!!

I'm one month old today!! Can you believe it??

Happy Thanksgiving!

Doug and I are so very thankful for so many things this year...especially our beautiful baby girl. She is bringing us so much joy!! It has been so nice to be off work and get to go do some things. The girl goes shopping with me and my mom at least once a week...Christmas season is upon us! She's had a few minor melt downs while we were out and about but nothing that a quick bite to eat in a dressing room can't fix :). Doug and I have found that Jani has more than enough stuff...our house is puking pink!! Now, I love pink as much as anyone but this girl has so much STUFF!! We are currently trying to purge a little to make room for all her clothes, toys, etc. If anyone is wondering what to get her this Christmas, she would ask you to donate something to a child in need :).

On this Thanksgiving weekend, be thankful for your family, friends, and everything God has given you. I know we are :)

Newborn Photo Shoot

A week after Jani was born, we had the photographer who did our maternity pics come to our house to do J's newborn pics. She had been on the bili blanket but we were able to take her off in order to do these amazing shots. Ashley Schrage was the photographer again and I have to give her mad props for the amazing things she can do with newborns. Pretty sure we're going to have to get her to do her 6 month or one year photos as well. I could stare at them for hours!! Here are just a couple of our favorites....



We may be biased...but she sure is cute :)

Things We've Learned So Far....

1. Always have a diaper under a newborn (Doug learned this first hand...even little girls can pee all over you!).
2. You cannot hold a baby all day long....even though you may want to. You have to put them down at some point :)
3. Newborn babies love their mamas....or should I say milk machines.
4. Showers become amazing getaways.
5. It's easy to forget to eat when you spend all day with your baby.
6. You see trips, driving, shopping, eating out, having visitors, and the holiday season in a whole new light.

Those are just a few...I'm sure there will be more to come. We are having a ton of fun with our little girl! I am slacking on blogging and posting pictures....if she sleeps for a long enough chunk I'll try and get some up. :)

Our Little Princess...

The transition to home has gone very well!! Labor was a little rough on me but I'm beginning to feel a little normal again. Doug had Monday and Tuesday off with us and on Tuesday we ended up taking Jani to the doc because she was looking yellow. Turns out she is jaundice. Poor little thing had to get her blood drawn and everything. Now, she's on a little pad that glows until her levels come down. She looks like a little glowworm! My mom has been staying with us since Wednesday and it has been such a huge help. She cooks, she cleans, I think I'm going to hire her as my live in maid!! We're hoping her levels are low enough today for her to come off the pad. She can only move within about two feet of the machine and the poor thing never got to explore her house!! Here's a few more pics to keep you entertained :)

Our Newest Addition!!!

Jani Sue was born on Saturday, October 31st at 6:13 am. She was 8 lbs, 13 oz, and 21 inches long. She has a head full of dark hair and is a great little baby!! Here's a teaser photo...I'll post more later!

Eviction Notice

Okay LP...your time is up. You need to decide to make your appearance. There are too many people just waiting for your arrival and I am running out of room at the inn. What do we need to do to convince you that it's time?? Diamonds? New clothes? A promise that I will always think about yes instead of saying no when you ask for something? You got it...now come out!! :)

Cue the Jeopardy Theme Song...

Doug and I are patiently waiting. No...we have not had the baby. No...we do not know when she's coming. We both hear this song constantly in our head. Doug was also saying today that everything he has read in his baby books has proven to be true. All the questions, comments, and stares we get when we're out. We haven't reached our due date yet so we're not going too crazy. I think it's bothering everyone else more than it's bothering us!! But we know she will come eventually....until then....do do do do do do dooooooo! (it's really hard to write out that song!!!)

Tailgating Panther Style

This weekend was UNI's Homecoming. While the football game didn't quite end up the way we had hoped (it was pathetic to say the least) we had a great time tailgating!! Doug and I really wanted to be able to do it right because it was the last tailgate we would be having without carting a child along!! Though we were missing a few friends, a lot of us came out to brave the cold and enjoy some yummy chili, courtesy of my dad, and other yummy snacks!! Doug and I are actually excited to bring LP tailgating in the future....though Mom says she'll just stay home with her because it could be too cold :) Here are a few pictures to document our fun!

Did you swallow a pumpkin??

I sure look like it!!! Doug and I wanted some pics with a pumpkin because LP will be born so close to Halloween (or hopefully not too close!!). Here are a few of our pics...

The countdown is on...

We are past full term. We are days away from having our baby! Our days as just us are numbered in the teens! Can you believe that? Now we wait.....and wonder when this baby is going to make her entrance into the world. To keep you entertained while we wait...here are a few of our belly pics that weren't on the blog :)

Shopping Online...

is deadly when you have a baby on the way. Everything is so cute!! When Doug and I were walking through the mall the other day, he switched from my right side to my left. I questioned him (confused because he usually does this if we're out walking, to get between me and the road so he'd get hit first if a car came at us!!) and he told me that his baby book told him to do it at the mall so that I wouldn't be tempted to walk into the stores!! Well, I'll show him...he can't get between me and my laptop :). Here is my latest purchase...


These are stickers I purchased from Etsy that you put on a onesie as you take pictures throughout the first 12 months. There is one for every month and I am just in love with them!!! The seller is pickysticky and she has some pretty cool stuff. If you haven't shopped on etsy.com, I highly recommend it!!!

And It's Done!!!! (almost)

With very little left to finish, here is the nursery...

Belly Pics Sneak Peek....

Here's a little sneak peek at our belly pics....

http://ashleyschrage.blogspot.com/

Nursery Sneak Peek...

Because I just couldn't resist the cuteness that is the crib skirt my mom made....

And the quilt we made...

And what LP will wake up to every morning...



Honestly, custom bedding is the way to go. There is no way I could have found anything this cute in the store :) Though I am slightly biased....

My First Shower...

This weekend our friends Christy and Brea hosted my very first baby shower at Brea's new house. It was so much fun and was so good to see some great friends! Even Amber traveled from across the state with the girls....a feat in and of itself :) Even though we had some sickness and other obligations come up at the last minute for people, it was still a great time. Doug and I were overwhelmed with the generosity of everyone! LP's room is filling up more than it even was before. Such fun!! Here are some pictures from our excitement...

Opening gifts with Ava's help...

Me and the wonderful hostesses

My niece Lauren helping me out with gifts as well...

Doug and Staci Go Green...

I have so much to post about right now...I may break some records!! This weekend, our friend John sacrificed some time to stand in line and get us a composter at the Environmental Fair. Not only did he get us one, he got one for my mom and my sister! What a guy :) Anyway, they were having a truckload sale and we got a heck of a deal on a really nice one. Doug and I are trying to do all we can to go green at our house and reduce our carbon footprint. We already recycle like crazy, use compact fluorescent bulbs, plan on cloth diapering, got rid of our gas guzzling SUV, and use a reel mower. Why not compost, right?? Anything for Mother Nature :) So here's a picture of our newest family member...until LP gets here!

Photo Shoot

Doug and I had our belly photo shoot last night. We were a little nervous because there was a wind advisory here. It was super windy but our photographer scoped out some calm places in George Wyth. Doug and I really wanted our pics outside in nature and boy were we in nature!! I wish we could have videotaped me crawling around. I got deep in and was up on logs and laying in brush. Doug claims the pics are amazing so I'm hoping this is true!! Whenever we get them back I'll be sure to share!

On labor progress...I have an appointment tomorrow. I've been having tons of contractions every day. Doug and I are just thankful for each additional day we make it because it's one less sick day I have take now and gets us one day closer to Christmas break. I'd like to take as little time as possible with no pay!! Doug is carrying his cell on him now because as the doc says "It could be any day now!" I think that freaks him out more than it excites him!!!

What a difference a year makes....

It was a year ago that I was having an MRI to check on some fertility problems. We'd been trying for months and months and my doc could find nothing. The MRI came up inconclusive and we were left with more questions. More tests, more meds, more waiting.

I can't believe that's where we were just 12 months ago...and now we're here! A few weeks away from having a baby! It almost seems surreal at times and as the days inch closer and closer it's gets even more unbelievable!

Oh, what a day for reflection!

35 and 35

I'm 35 weeks with 35 days left!! I cannot believe that it has come! I kept talking about my 35/35 and it seemed so far off. Doug and I are working on getting everything organized at home. I try to be a big help and then I start to swell and have to sit with my feet up. Then I help some more and repeat the process. It's entertaining to say the least! I had a doc appt. yesterday and have started thinning out. I'm 50% effaced right now. Doug and I are just happy something is happening. Hopefully that means this baby won't be overdue...though I know I could sit here for 5 more weeks at 50% :) Hopefully this weekend we will finish the nursery up. We have our first shower on Sunday so that should add to the chaos! We also have belly pics coming up and baptism class. It's going to be a busy 35 days!!

Baby Hiccups...

just crack me up!! LP has had them so much lately and I laugh everytime she gets them. Doug is totally entertained by the whole situation. Last night, as he was reading one of his pregnancy books, he informed me that when she has the hiccups, it means she practicing breathing. Look at him sharing his baby knowledge!! So at least we know she's practicing breathing a lot...hopefully that doesn't mean she's coming in the next week or two! There's way too much going on...if baby comes, we will definitely have some schedule changes to make!!

On another interesting note, there is speculation that hospitals are going to be restricting visitors to newborn babies due to H1N1. If enforced, only immediate family would be able to visit. Along with that, no children under age 14 and no elderly would be allowed in. I told Doug they better not keep my mom away!! I think I'll have a breakdown if I can't see Mom after I give birth!!

Craft Time!!

I have so many things to post right now....the nursery is very near completion and my mom brought me the crib skirt she made. Let me just say it is the cutest thing ever!!! I've also been saving the quilt for when I post the whole nursery. But for now, I will show you what my mom and I made this weekend. Taggies are all the rage in the baby stores. If you don't know what this is, it's like a soft, little blankie with a bunch of ribbon along the edges to imitate tags. Apparently babies like to chew on tags! So we saw one at a craft store and decided we could do it....and for a fraction of the price. Guess what? We were right :)

34 Weeks!!!

Yes...my belly is big...I'm embracing it :)

Go Panthers!! 33 Weeks!

Another Big Purchase....

I know this isn't as exciting for everyone as it is for me, but I finally decided on a travel system for LP. Who knew this decision would be so difficult!? It is amazing how many options are out there. I was really hoping I would find something that said, "Buy this one...it's the best!" But this does not exist. Hopefully I am happy with my choice!! Best part is that I've had this sitting in my cart on Amazon for a few weeks and went to check it. The price had gone down another twenty dollars! I was pumped! We went with the the Graco Quattro...hopefully it fits in my trunk all folded up...if not...we've got a serious problem!! At least now if baby comes sooner than later, we have a way to get her home!! The only dilemma...my diaper bag doesn't match the stroller...what will I do?! :)

Vegas!!

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go to Vegas with my mom last week for some much needed down time before school started. I could get into all the stories and what we went through but I just don't think I have the time to write it all out!! I did not win big. We played the slots and I played roulette for Doug but that was it. We saw some great shows and spent some fun girl time together...walking around in the 110 degree heat and swelling up :)! Our ankles were definitely cankles at the end of each day!! So instead...I leave you with some pictures....

We saw Bette Midler's show...AMAZING!!!

There were many fountains in our hotel to pose by

The beautiful flowers at Bellagio

That's enough for now....until next time :)

Excitement...

I have a few bits of excitement...first off, the chair for the nursery is in so I can finally finish things up in there! When it's done, I'll be sure to post pics :)

Second, I'm at home babysitting Mitch and Libs for a few days and we had some definite excitement last night that could potentially have thrown me into early labor!! My mom and I heard some noises at the door and thought maybe one of the kids was up. I opened their back door and saw something flying at me. I slammed the door quickly, full and well knowing it was a bat. Now, my childhood was riddled with experiences with this disgusting animal and it has since become one of my worst fears. I slammed the door, hoping to keep it in the entryway and ran upstairs to my nephews room. Mom woke Dad...typical protocol. He went down and low and behold, I had caught the bat in between the door and the wall. I'm not sure how we got so lucky! Dad saved the day and threw it out the back door. Sleep was a little difficult but nonetheless, the bat is gone.

That's my excitement for now....and in honor of the cuties I'm babysitting...a pic for your viewing pleasure :)

29 Week Survey...

So I'm jumping on the survey bandwagon. I've seen this all over other blogs and thought I'd give it a shot!


How far along? 28 weeks, 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: I refuse to divulge this information :)
How big is baby?: 2 1/2 pounds and 15 inches...approximately
Maternity clothes? YES! EVERYTHING! I still wear some other non-maternity shirts but maternity pants are a gift from the heavens!
Stretch marks? not a single one...I hope I'm not jinxing myself here!
Sleep: sleep isn't too bad...I get sore from turning from side to side, though
Best moment this week: hmmm...I'm hoping it will be passing my GD test...that's tomorrow!
Food cravings: anything!
Gender: Girl!
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? I don't think it will pop...it's just stretching out. Maybe I'll get brave and post a bare belly pic :)
What I miss: sleeping on my stomach and wearing my wedding rings
What I am looking forward to: not baby related...going to VEGAS! baby related...getting the nursery finished
Milestones: constant movement. she's making her presence known!

Things are coming along....

Doug and I are slowly making headway on the nursery. Things are really almost complete. We got the breathable crib bumper in today and now we are just waiting on the chair. My mom is binding the quilt we made and then we just wait to get the rest of the stuff!! (i.e. sheets, changing pad, etc.) Her closet is already full. I can see I'm going to have a very difficult time with resisting good bargains!! Look for pictures to come soon. I'm holding off until the chair gets here! I'm crossing my fingers it comes before I go to Vegas next week! Here's hoping!!

27 1/2 week belly...

And in the background...our new car!!

Here's another in honor of my dear husband and his late car....