Showered with Love

During November, Matt and I visited a total of 4 airports: Raleigh-Durham (RDU), Baltimore-Washington (BWI), Reagan National (DCA), and Nashville (BNA). The main reason for our airport tour was a good one: Matt and I traveled to our hometowns for baby showers attended by both of our families and many dear friends. All of our travel was tiring, to be sure, but it was worth it.

Our first trip was to Catonsville, Maryland, for a shower hosted by Matt's sister-in-law Michele. We were blessed to receive lots of great things for Bunky, including plenty of clothes to outfit him or her during the first few weeks of life, several blankets, and tons of children's books to add to our library. It was great to see so many people, including those from as far away as Schenectady, New York. Here are just a few photos from that event:

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" was the theme for the Catonsville shower.

Me with Michele, Denise, and the great food they made for the shower.

A quick photo op with the shower attendees.

Matt and I posing for a quick photo once he returned from his guys' lunch during the shower.

The very next weekend, we flew from Raleigh to Nashville, Tennessee, for a baby shower hosted by my sister and cousin. It was another great event at which we received lots of other great items to jump start our life with Bunky, including our stroller, high chair, and swing. Once again, it was great to see so many people there, including some from as far away as Chicago, Illinois. Just a few photos from our Nashville shower are below:

Me with my sister and cousin Karen (the hosts) as well as my cousin Darlene (who was a big help before the event).

Me and My Mom at the great table of shower goodies.

Me with my cousin Kayla who is having a little girl a few weeks after me (in February 2011)!

Guess who's excited about getting a bottle set?

Coming off of both weekends, I was a bit overwhelmed by the generosity that so many people showed us. As I looked around the room at both showers, I couldn't help but think of how blessed our little Bunky is to be surrounded by SO many people that love him or her already. Matt and I count ourselves thankful to be bringing our child into an environment like that and know that he or she will be all the better for it.

Bunky's Room is Ready

Lessons learned while transforming the office at our home into a nursery.

1. It helps to have help. (Thanks, Dad & Denise.)

2. Putting together a crib is not as difficult as I imagined.

3. Putting together a changing table is considerably more difficult than I imagined.

So now our child has his/her own room. I can't even say as much.
 

Dad hard at work.

Notice the false sense of optimism.

I also learned what an "accent wall" is.

Dad loves the pictures over the crib.

The glider. No assembly required.

Showing off the monkey clock from Spain.

Catching Up: Weeks 26 - 30

Well, it's clear that things have gotten a little busier lately. I've had less time to do lots of things, including updating the blog. Today marks Week 30 of my pregnancy. I still remember the days of Weeks 8 and 9 when Matt and I were getting excited about getting close to double digit weeks. Now, it seems crazy that we have experienced 30 weeks and only have 10 left to go.

Based on ultrasounds and what I'm feeling, Bunky looks really healthy and is extremely active. So, we feel blessed. And overall, I have been doing pretty well, which is another blessing. I've definitely started to feel the physical effects of the third trimester, but those things are annoyances at this point rather than setbacks. Here's an attempt at getting all caught up:

Weeks 25 - 29:

• Bunky had the hiccups for the first time (and it definitely wasn't his or her last time!)
• We registered at Babies R Us. What an overwhelming experience!
• I discovered that I couldn't see my feet when standing straight up
• We visited Nashville to have some fall fun with my family
  
• We went to our first baby class (which Matt posted about below)
• I hit my third trimester!
  
• We finished getting the basics for Bunky's room with a crib mattress and changing table
• We had two ultrasounds with good reports
• We found out that Bunky was in the 80th percentile for weight (as of Week 28)
• We took a tour of the Labor & Delivery unit at the hospital

What's happening with Bunky in Week 30:

• His or her eyes are fully formed and are blue in color (they may or may not change after birth)
• The eyes are also gaining the ability to track light from inside the womb
  
• About 1 1/2 pints of amniotic fluid surrounds Bunky, but as he or she grows in the coming weeks, that amount will decrease
  
• Baby is around 16 inches long (about the length of a laptop computer) and weighs nearly three pounds.
  

As I write this, Matt is busy painting Bunky's room with his dad and Denise. Crib and changing table assembly will be next on the list. By the end of the weekend, we should have Bunky's room painted and set up with furniture.

Things are getting VERY real for us these days. My belly is much bigger (photos to come), and we're able to feel Bunky much more now. It's also November, which sounds lots closer to January than previous months have. We're trying to soak in our last few weeks before Bunky's arrival, but we're also looking forward to the day when we get to see that precious face for the first time.

More to come!