Well, it's been a few weeks so I thought I would update on how things are going so far.
I will be 24 weeks on Tuesday and I feel like time has now slowed down. Of course. Since it was flying by, now it's come to a screeching halt. Even when I think about the fact that I only have 14 (or less) weeks left, it's still crawling by.
My boss keeps asking if I'm completely ready for her to be here. I don't see how that's possible since I haven't had any showers yet, but I guess it's just something for her to ask. She keeps asking about the nursery, which has a crib and a changing table (that I've had for 3 years because I bought it from a friend for $30 and is piled high with things we've been storing in that room for the last 3 years), but other than that, it's not ready. There's still things that need to be cleaned out (that can't be until the garage is cleaned out so I have a place to put these things) and furniture that I have to find another place for somewhere in the house. I'm only panicking a little bit.
If my house were about 200sq ft. bigger I could think I could handle this. But at just over 1,000sq ft. my house is already starting to get a lot smaller than it already was, and there's nothing for the baby in the house except the crib (which is still missing a mattress, BTW). But I'm not really planning on having very much in the way of big things (like pack-n-plays, exersaucer, swing, etc..). We got a free pack-n-play that went to my in-laws so there's a place to put her down while we're there (and it has a changing table attachment, so that's helpful) and my older sister said that I can borrow her exercaucer, and that can be stored in the garage until she's big enough for it. My mother-in-law wants to buy us a really nice swing, so I'm not going to say no to that. I figure by the time she's big enough for the exersaucer, she'll be too big for the swing, so we can trade them out and store the swing. But other than that, nothing that will take up much room or can't be stored in her closet. Thankfully, as small as this house is, the bedroom closets are big.
We finally finished registering today. We decided to do an Amazon registry since we have a lot of friends and family that live out of town (and Amazon can be pretty cheap when it comes to most things [and so many people do Amazon Prime]) and Target. I've heard some not so great things about Target registries and their return policies, so if we get double of anything, Amazon's return policy is amazing and easy, so we'll just return it to Amazon instead. And the closest Babies-R-Us is in Lewisville, and most of the people buying stuff for us will be in the Sanger/Denton/(maybe)Gainesville area, so Target is easier to get to. That, and it's only down the street from us, not down the highway and across the bridge (yuck). And after looking at our Walmart baby selection...it's just gross. I'm sure it's fine in other peoples stores, but ours is just nasty and small. There's another Walmart across town, but it's always so busy. And I'm too tired to deal with people being in my way. HA! The Target baby section was pretty empty today.
I haven't bought Baby Girl much, but there's a few things I couldn't pass up. There were some onesies at Target that I had to have and didn't want to miss getting them, so I bought them when they were on sale. I've bought a few handband bows, too. But mostly it's just been clothes, and it hasn't been much. Some I got right after Christmas for super cheap that will fit her next winter (hopefully) and some Christmas onesies and sleepers that were marked way down.
We also got the car seat and stroller already. I had narrowed it down to two different travel systems, but had chosen one over the other due to price. We had a coupon for a store in Frisco that we could get the travel system, so we had plans to get it over Spring Break. Then I mentioned the other travel system to my older sister and one day a couple of weeks ago she calls and says that she can get an extra 20% off the too expensive travel system using her Amazon Prime+Amazon Mom, but I had to decide that day because the sale was ending that day. Amazon already had the travel system marked down 20% (as per usual with Amazon), so basically I was getting 40% off of it. So I told her to do it. I didn't even wait to ask Derek, I didn't care what he had to say. I got a $400 car seat/stroller system for $255. The stroller alone at Target is $219. YEAH. I win with that one. Unfortunately, I was going to be changed $20 in tax if she had it shipped to me, and no tax if it was shipped to her. So it's in Colorado at the moment. We're all headed to Kansas next month, so she's going to bring it to me then. I can't wait. I hadn't actually seen the stroller in person, so I messed with it at Target today. It's really light (which a friend who has one told me, and changed my mind about which travel system I wanted and ultimately made my mind up) which is awesome. Getting it in and out of the trunk of the Civic should be pretty easy.
Other than that, Baby Girl is doing good. She's been kicking away at my bladder for the last few weeks, and that's about the only place she likes to kick and punch. Sometimes I'll feel her higher up, but for the most part, she's still facing downwards like she was during the 20 week ultrasound. I'm okay with that. Hopefully she'll stay head-down the whole time and I won't have to have a c-section. I've been going to the doctor every 4 weeks since my first visit and I've had 4 ultrasounds so far. At my last appointment (at 22 weeks) she told me she wants me to have another ultrasound at 28 weeks, so I have an appointment with her next week at 25 weeks, then I'll have the ultrasound at 28 weeks and then after that I'll start my weekly visits. I knew that was different from everyone else since I'm high risk, but I really had no idea how often other people went to the doctor until I got on a forum this week. Apparently, most women don't go every 4 weeks until right about now and don't start weekly visits until around 36 weeks. HA! I'll be close to giving birth by 36 weeks. Sometimes, and this is really rare, it pays off to be diabetic. My family (sisters and cousin) have had such a hard time getting and staying pregnant, that if I didn't get to hear her heartbeat every 4 weeks, I don't think I could make it. It's making it easier, now that I can feel her, to stay calm in between appointments, but it's still nerve wracking. I won't be 100% comfortable with being pregnant until she's actually here and I can see and hold her. And even then it's hard, but at least no one in my family has lost a baby once it's been born (My grandparents are hanging out with a lot of unborn great-grandbabies in heaven right now).
Alrighty, this was long, but I think I've covered just about everything that needed be updating tonight.
