Nesting!

I've officially entered "nesting" mode. We have 6 months which may seem like a lot of time, but there are so many things that I want to get done before the arrival of the baby and we have a number of out-of-town guests scheduled to come in the next few months (which creates a whole new level of stress).

On 1/19/17, we went to our local 3D U/S place to do a gender determination scan. It was mostly to feel safe before making our official pregnancy announcement, but the tech was able to determine the gender (which we have safely tucked away in a sealed envelope to open later).

I've contacted (and/or visited) ~6 different daycare/pre-school options in town. I knew from watching my friends' experiences with this that I wanted to get a head start, and I'm glad I have. I've found a few options, but am still deciding what works best as far as location, convenience, price, hours, and wait lists. I also finally worked out my birth/bonding FMLA and fall teaching schedule. The plan right now is to take 8 weeks of leave, and teach the 2nd 8 weeks online, which will allow me to stay home with the baby for the entire semester! I'll be working a little from home, but essentially won't have to take the baby to daycare until mid-January (when s/he is nearly 6 months).

Yesterday I went in for my Return OB (ROB) appointment and got to hear the heartbeat on the doppler. Then we drove 2.5 hours to take a look at a new car. I actually hadn't thought about a new vehicle at all during this whole process until David brought it up. He wanted to get a larger, safer, vehicle, with a few other features we've learned we need living in the snowy mountains, like AWD, dual climate control, and roof rails. We originally considered trading in his hatchback for an SUV, but then after talking about it, realized I'd be the one driving the baby around the most, so it'd be better to trade in my sedan. We spent 5 hours at the dealer yesterday (and another 5 hours on on the road), but we walked away with an amazing deal on a Honda CR-V with a handful of extras thrown in. I don't think the car salesman had anticipated what it'd be like negotiating with a pregnant, hungry, former buyer. ;-) I had always told myself I wanted to get a new VW Beetle next, but things can change in a heartbeat!

I have basic plans drawn out for the baby room, including trying to accommodate potential guests, but there are a few things we need to do first including changing out the carpet and repainting the walls. So much to do!

My Tentative To Do List:

• New kitchen table/chairs/barstools
• Trade in car for SUV
• Change carpets
• Figure out maternity leave
• Decide on daycare/pre-school
• Take down picture rail in baby room
• Re-paint baby room
• Furnish baby room

Second Ultrasound

U/S from 12/19/16: Heartbeat (178 bpm) seen,
small SCH superior to (above) fetus; measuring at 8 weeks, 2 days; 

CRL: 17.8 mm, Yolk Sac: 3.7 mm; SCH: 2.2 x 0.7 x 1.9 CM

Yesterday we had our second U/S (at 8 weeks, 2 days). The tech found the baby instantly and we could see the heart beating away (at 178 bpm). The fetus is starting to resemble a baby and we could see the limb buds developing, our little gummy bear. :) The tech showed us the head, and the black circle where the brain is developing. She also showed us the umbilical cord.

It's amazing how much Baby Nelson has grown in just over a week. S/he is still relatively small (the size of a raspberry), but is still bigger than the last U/S (the size of a blueberry)!

The SCH is still there, and is actually a little larger than it was last time. I'm waiting to hear back from my doctor to see if he is at all concerned. If everything looks good, it's possible that he will officially release me into the care of my OB/GYN tomorrow!