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Baby #3: 23 weeks (nursery inspiration board, baby names)

3.11.14: I'm 23 weeks pregnant today! And wearing a tank top because it was 50 degrees yesterday when I snapped this picture. Yessssss.


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I still feel good overall and am fully recovered from strep throat, but I definitely felt a lot more tired last week in general. A little grumpy, exhausted, annoyed that I couldn't be go-go-going all of the time. I'm not sure if it was just the post-sickness fatigue or a big let down after our visitors left and life returned to normal, but I was tired and out of sorts for a bit there. I'm sure catching up on 6 loads of laundry, grocery shopping, MAD cleaning the entire house, and working a busy week didn't help either. I'm mentally better now but didn't like feeling so worn down---kind of makes me nervous for the end of the third trimester when I really do have to slow down a lot and pull the pregnancy card more often. I still can't really imagine a time when it's 70 degrees outside, sunny, hot, and I'm big and hugely pregnant but I guess it's coming! It will be wonderful but I forget how tired and pregnant I will be at that point, too.

On another pitiful 'sickness' note: Truman was complaining of being achey and 'sick' all day on Sunday, but Ibuprofen helped a lot. Then Sunday night around 10:30pm, as soon as we finished Dexter season 4 (!!), I heard him call out for me and he barfed all over his top bunk bed. And then onto me. Uggggghhhhhhh. Glad Nate was home to help with the clean up this time, but poor boy! I stayed home with him on Monday and moved all of my patients to Friday, hoping that everyone else is spared this bug. We had such a great winter for healthiness until recently with CC's stomach bug, then my strep, and now T's bug. I truly despise being a working mom with a sick kid--hate feeling pulled in all directions of responsibility! But I am very grateful for the flexibility with my job and hope my immune system is made of steel right now.

(Side note about Dexter:  So, we finished watching season 4 and holy man, it's intense and so good! I think we will continue on past season 4 although some people say it's the best of all seasons and there is no reason to go beyond. But I just love this show and have to see how it ends, even though I hear it's awful. Obviously, a show about a serial killer probably won't end on a high note but much like Breaking Bad--he is a bad guy who is sort of 'good' and very likable. And lots of blood/murder in this show, too, but without the drugs a la BB. I sure do hope this baby doesn't mind the intensity of these shows he is hearing in utero.)

Baby boy is still very active especially in the evenings. Truman even felt him kicking when we were home together and was so excited! He said, 'I hear him kicking!' (not quite but whatever). And then proceeded to ask me what he should do if the baby wrecks his train tracks someday. And he asked if I knew what color the baby's eyes are. Gah, I love this kid.

I'm sleeping well, not getting up to pee, and generally don't like to wake up in the mornings at all;) My limited coffee consumption is absolutely key to my sanity and I'm trying not to go too crazy with the diet soda, but it seems to replace the alcohol taste in my mouth during pregnancy. I like the sweet taste of something other than water (especially in the evenings) and since I can't really have wine or anything 'fun', soda seems to be my treat to myself almost daily. At least I'm doing decaff Root Beer?

Food in general is amazing and I'm reaching the point when I need to reign in the appetite a bit, fearing a huge, out of control weight gain. I love food though, and occasionally I will crave healthy things like fruit and veggies and WATER….but more often I am craving sugar and salt and junky food. Again, once it's warmer outside maybe I will get my butt in gear and be more inspired to focus on my diet? I did exercise a few times last week but am really looking forward to taking some warm weather walks, too. I guess I'm starting to marvel at the changes in my growing body, not feeling *quite* like I'm in my own skin anymore. I realize I'm not 'fat' but I'm certainly feeling bigger than my norm---which, duh, right? I'm almost 6 months pregnant. I wish I was a girl that only gained my pregnancy weight in my belly, but alas--I gain it in my face, arms, and hips, too (boo!). It's odd to feel both large (compared to my pre-pregnancy self) and small (compared to how I will be in a few more months). I'm both happy with and weirded out by my new body. At least I found a long enough top that makes me feel less boxy.

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Further elaboration/over-analyzation:  I feel like I'm in a great but interesting spot of this pregnancy---somehow being really far along but also really far away from the actual birth. Part of me wants to be 33 weeks instead of 23 because I'm just so excited to meet this kid, but the other part of me feels shocked that so much time has already passed. A few times this week I even felt sad about this being my final pregnancy. Where did this come from? I don't know that I TRULY want four kids but I really love being pregnant so much and love my kids so much it's a shift to know that this.is.it. Nate is 100% against four kids which really plays with my head a bit (one of those stupid 'I can't have more so that is all I want'--things. But I really don't want four! #headcase #hormones #dramatic).

It's just a very odd feeling to know that we are done. It kind of makes me feel old, I guess, which is ridiculous. At the ripe old age of 32---hardly OLD but certainly not very young anymore, either. Maybe I'm just being overly hormonal and need to realize that three kids will be a fantastic number. Our lives will be full of amazing little personalities and memories and I cannot even let my brain 'go there' to think about anything more than three. I'm just coming to terms with this concept, I guess, realizing that this is really it for us and I'm trying to savor it as much as possible. We have to stop sometime, find contentedness in our family of five, and move on from the child bearing years. What blessings we've had during these past 4+ years! And at least I'm not on a walker just yet. This old dog has a lot more excitement ahead of her, even if another pregnancy is not one of them.

Speaking of other pregnancies, here is my 23 week post from Cecelia's pregnancy. I'm so glad I blogged then because I barely remember anything I said. But feeling super low kicks, accidentally sleeping on my stomach, being ravenous and kind of hating it, and general comments about how small I am? Deja vu! It was also really weird to scroll down through my 'second trimester' posts to find the 23 week one from CC, and I only have 3-4 more posts in this trimester? Woah.

Here is the post from Truman's 23 week of pregnancy. I am very glad to have an actual round bump this time around and vividly remember that feeling of 'chunkiness' instead of being pregnant. I mean, I don't feel stick thin right now or anything but at least I look pregnant! Way to go, uterus, for giving me a bump much earlier than my first rodeo.

The biggest thing on my pregnant brain this week? Baby boy's nursery. I am a Pinterest addict and feel a little bit overwhelmed with all of my ideas. I am awaiting the nursery rug to arrive, my mom is going to work on the Roman Shades and quilt---all three of which are pretty big 'foundations' for the nursery. So it's a little hard for me to know which area to tackle next. I have been going back and forth over re-painting CC's pink crib versus buying a new (or Craigslisted) wood one and painting from scratch. I guess a part of me is having a really hard time letting go of Cecelia's pink crib---but I am either going to repaint it mustard yellow or sell it and buy a different one, so I need to suck it up.  I told Nate that her pink crib is by FAR the most popular pin of mine on Pinterest and also the most popular post on this blog--35,000 hits on that post alone? Crazy! That's 10x more hits than the rest of my 'big' posts, certainly just from Pinterest. I wonder if I could sell it for a decent price to recoup the cost of a new crib? It was a lot of work to paint it and it pains me to think about covering up that pink. But I don't really feel like buying a new one, either.

I'm also considering selling her pink high chair, pink pom poms and maybe even the awesome Pottery Barn dollhouse bookshelf we got on Craigslist about a year ago. Can't let go of the rug just yet (or any of her clothes) but maybe the other girlie stuff can go towards paying for baby boy's nursery? We will see. I guess let me know if you are somewhat local to Milwaukee and want some girlie nursery items. Otherwise I will probably drag my feet on this one for a good while.

Onto a fresh nursery though! No looking back now! Baby boy!

I finally sat down and made an official inspiration board for baby boy's nursery. As I said before, I'm going with my first ever theme: woodland, outdoorsy, mountains, nature, and Wisconsin/Colorado. I will use dark gray, turquoise, mustard yellow, and orange for the main colors---can't ever be too bright around here;) So many ideas, so little time. Observe:



inspirationboard

1. Name with different letters on the wall (source)
2. Adventure Awaits print (source)
3. Paint sticks on the wall (source)
4. Chalkboard frame for wall (source)
5. Sticks framed for wall (source)
6. Forest friends sewing pattern (source)
7. Triangle quilt pattern (source)
8. Fabrics for quilt
9. Fabric for Roman Shades (source)
10. Snips and snails print (source)
11. Birch tree wall decals (source) and painted turquoise dresser (source)
12. Yellow painted crib (source)
13. Shoot for the moon print (source)
14. Fox print (source)
15. Orange rug (source)
16. Wood plank wall art (source)
17. I Heart Colorado print (source)
18. Mountain painted wall with a long shelf (source)
19. Tall, painted bookshelves (source)
20. Handmade wall boxes (source)


Now you see why I'm spinning my wheels and pinning like a crazy person, but I can't quite decide what to actually DO next. I just did the first coat of turquoise paint on the changing table/dresser we have and LOVE it. This was actually a fantastic Craigslist find from my Truman pregnancy days and it was time to repaint/refresh it anyway, so I just used the 'Harbor' color of paint we already had from painting our half-bathroom. Perfect!


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I also bought the birch tree wall decals I'm going to use behind the crib, which was a big step. Check, check!

So what's next? I can buy a new crib and paint it, or paint the pink one.  Or start accumulating things for the wall prints/frames I want to do. Gah! I hate when I have too many ideas and need to edit, it's not my strong suit. I probably won't technically buy all of those things anyway, since I prefer to DIY and make it my own with a little elbow grease. Really into garage sale season coming up, where I hope to find some fun vintage 'woodsy' items, a bookshelf, and anything foxy or with deer. 

Another thing on my mind this week? How much I love my baby boy's name. I still don't want to share it on the internet this time, but a commenter asked me to make up an official list of our name choices. So I did. You will NOT see his name down there, but I made up lists for boys and girls aside from our top pick;) I think Alice or Phoebe would have been our girl and Grant would have been this boy if we didn't choose the other winner. Maybe someone out there can use those names and I can live vicariously through you, instead;)

I love talking baby names and don't mind sharing our runner-ups, so enjoy! (And it should be noted: these were not Nate-approved in the slightest. He liked maybe 2 of these on the list but I couldn't let them go and kept making the list longer and longer on my phone before the ultrasound. Ha!)

girlnames

boynames

You like? Judge away since they aren't the chosen one.

It should be noted that we like names that aren't terribly common. Truman's name ranks in the #900s for popularity, Cecelia is the most common of our choices at around #250. And our baby boy will have a name that is around #450 for popularity. So a little less common than other Cecelia's but not quite as rare as a Truman;)

Oh, and Nate is going to take paternity leave this time after baby boy! We are thinking he might take about 2 or even 3 weeks at 60% pay, which is a lot better than using his PTO. It will also be HUGE compared to him going back to school the day after Truman came home from the hospital, and back to work 4 days after CC came home. I'm really excited about having him home for this big transition and now we are thinking my mom can come and stay for her 2-3 weeks once Nate returns to work. So basically, I will never have to be alone with 3 kids until I'm halfway into my maternity leave. Yes. Accept all of the help with multiple kids! Big key to sanity!

So tiredness, nursery ideas, loving our baby name, Dexter, paternity leave, and puke---that was my week. Gotta love these random weekly updates instead of the strict form, huh?

25 comments:

  1. I have to read again, but had to comment about Dexter :) so glad you are loving it. 4 is the best but 6 is pretty good too. We went back to Homeland after we finished BB

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  2. Love the randomness, too, instead of the form - too hard to stay within those restrictions. LOVE your nursery ideas and think it may just be your best yet - even though C's will be hard to top! Girl, if I'm having a girl, I'd love to buy that girly bookshelf from you. You don't think you'll keep it for Cece?!

    Totally get the feeling of being so far yet so far away. But it'll fly! You look awesome. And being pregnant in the summer is so much better than being pregnant in the winter, I think. I have had zero feelings so far of being sad that this is my last pregnancy - and I thought I would! I'll probably get there still, especially once I'm nearing the end, I'd imagine. But I think it helps that I've just always known three was my number - this is it, man!

    As for being old, oh my gosh, I read the "15 weeks pregnant" chapter in my Pregnancy Week by Week book last night and the author was referencing pregnancy "in the older woman." Then she said "For more on pregnancy as an older woman, read by book 'Your Pregnancy After 30.'" Ha! Guess we're 'older' women, giving birth at the ripe of old ages of 32/33. ;)

    That's so awesome that you're so in love with your baby name. I am not totally in love with any names right now, and I sure hope that once we know what this baby is, we'll decide and then fall in love! It's so important to love the name you're going to give your child! Your name felt 'out there' for me at first, but I've already grown to love it - it just fits!

    Happy 23 weeks!

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  3. Ohh Julia :) Nostalgia now about not having 4 kids?? Hahaha!! Think of all the wine you'll be able to drink not being pregnant anymore! Just focus on that!!

    I also think you should keep the bookshelf for Cece in the future! I guess it is a bit more "little kid" but do you have plans to eventually put the boys together and give Cece her own room? Then definitely save the rug for sure. My cousin had her opposite sex kids share a room for awhile but she said by the time the older one was 7 it started to get a bit awkward.

    Can't wait to see how the nursery plays out, love the ideas so much!

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  4. Whoever told you to stop watching Dexter after season 4 is straight up crazy. Just do it. We loved the entire series, up until the last 2 episodes. So if anything just skip the series finale haha. But who knows, maybe you'll like how it ends? Only one way to find out!

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  5. Reading on a computer so I get to comment! Congrats again! I LOVE the nursery theme and your name list looks a lot like mine! Evelyn's middle name is June and we're considering Beatrice if we have another girl someday. Wesley was a runner up for Adam!

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  6. Sorry for all the sickness - yuck!

    I had all sorts of comments as I was reading but now that I'm posting a few hours later they all flew out of my head. But basically: yay to the nursery and having a name!

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  7. I say sell the pink crib and get a new (or used, especially if your going to paint it) one for baby boy. But hang onto that doll house bookshelf - she will LOVE that when she gets a little older. Is the finished basement going to be a playroom space? It would be perfect down there!
    I teeter back and forth between being DONE having kids and maybe (but probably not) going for a 4th. Although, unlike you, its the idea of actually BEING pregnant that talks me out of it, lol! If I could skip that part I would definitely have another baby!
    I like your name list- especially June! That's Adelle's middle name. Both of her names are family names, but sometimes I wish we had made her first name June - it's just so simple and lovely :) But Adelle June flows much better than the reverse. Delaney is super cute too - that was on our list for #3 if it had been a girl.

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  8. Okay, so many of your girl names were the same as mine! How funny! I wanted Gwen so bad but my husband didn't like it.

    You are seriously putting my lazy ass to shame on this nursery thing. I love your mood board. Maybe I should go ahead and make one even though I have most of the decor (it's just not up yet). I think you should just repaint the pink crib. I wish I had painted ours but man, all that sickness took away all my plans.

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  9. First, you're not old. I had my 1st when I was your age so I'm definitely ancient. ;) Feeling sad too that this is my last pregnancy, although when I was going through morning sickness I remember saying "So happy this is the last time I'm doing this." But yes, it will fly and next thing you know the your due date will be right around the corner!
    Love the name list! We never had a list and because we are weird had our names picked out before our kids were even conceived. Like you, we like uncommon names, and probably would've picked something less common for our daughter if it wasn't for the fact that Marra is his mother's maiden name. My husband always being the 10th Jason in his class definitely didn't want to have the same thing happen to his kids!
    Can't wait to hear what his name is!

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  10. Your bump is so round and cute! Love the nursery theme, as that is our theme too! I think you should keep CC's dollhouse book shelf. She needs a few super girly things! Plus in a few years the boys will share and CC will be back to having her own room right? Save it in that basement of yours! Alice is our next girl choice if we have another baby and it's a girl, I think we both like the same sorta names. More traditional and less popular! I can't wait to find out what that little boy's name is!!

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  11. The finale of Dexter is terrible...TERRIBLE! I am still angry about it (I watched the entire series in "real time" until we canceled Showtime before the last two seasons so I just finished on Netflix last week). I love Michael C Hall so much and I feel like he personally let me down -- so rude! I might have to rewatch Six Feet Under (for like the 6th time) to feel better about the entire debacle. That said, the rest of the series is good until the last season. I think they were reaching for straws at that point.

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  12. I love the nursery and love all the name choices. We're still debating our name choice, but I think we might be a little bit closer to a compromise we can both live with (which actually, I LOVE). :) Naming a kid is so hard! I can't wait to hear what you're naming your new little guy. Also, I'm going through the whole "this is our last one" boo hoo poor me thing. I'm not ready to say we're done, but Ryan does not want more than 2 and is very adamant about it. Oh, so sad to know this is the last time I'm going to be pregnant. Well, there's always a chance of an "oops baby" right? :)

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  13. I would totally buy that dollhouse bookcase if you were closer :(. I really want to get one for Phoebe since Rowan has one, but I can't find any near us at all! Our boy name choice was Henry. It is SUPER hard to pick out boy names (for us anyway), so I am kind of glad this little one is another girl. This is our second and last, so I feel a little nostalgic about it, but I have been sooooo sick this time that I am ready for it to be over. I know I will miss it when it's over, though.

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  14. You look perfect. Glowing and round...just beautiful. :)

    LOVE the nursery! I am so excited to find out what we are having so that I can really get into the planning process. I told Matt to watch out, one day he is going to come home from work and I will have painted every wall in our house! I am definitely curious about your baby name. We are having a nearly impossible time agreeing on a boy name (should we need it).

    Totally having the "I can't believe this is it" feelings. Even though I have stress and anxiety about being pregnant I still love and cherish every minute.

    I watched the first 6 seasons of Dexter on Netflix when I was pregnant with Ben so that show will always remind me of that time in my life...a little weird when you really think about it...haha. Won't comment on the ending but you totally have to keep watching! We are in search of a new show now, might be time to jump on the Downton bandwagon!

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    1. I thought for sure you would have 4! And Downton is good but I didn't even watch the full final season just now. So much more slow paced than these other shows! Love when a show will always remind you of a pregnancy. I think Friday Night Lights will always remind me of my first trimester with this baby!

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  15. Boo to all the sickies! Seriously, what's going on?! It's hitting us too and I do not like it one bit. I'm glad you are all on the mend though and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

    Super awesome progress on the nursery! You are going to put me to shame. I think I'll do some new bedding and change up the decor to be a little more gender neutral but that's about it. Maybe I'll get the motivation but who knows. I should probably just hire you to do our nursery ;) Win/win.

    And girl, you do NOT look like you gain weight any where other than your belly. I understand though…it feels weird having "fluff" in places you aren't used to having "fluff". I had to take a few glances in the mirror tonight too so I feel ya. But as an outsider I can wholeheartedly say you have that perfectly round basketball belly and nothing else. Own it! You look great :)

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    1. Thanks for the pep talk, mama! Changing bodies are just…different, but I really cannot complain. It's all temporary anyway!

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  16. Ugh again to sick Truman. I CANNOT handle puking. Cannot. Even my own puking makes me gag, which is weird. Thank God Isaac has only puked once and my mom was there when it happened. Yuck yuck yuck.

    Root beer sounds so good. I don't think they have it here...

    Talking about your last pregnancy depresses me. Haha! I don't know how I will ever come to terms with that for myself. Don't know if this will be the last or not, but I don't wanna think about it.

    Can't wait to see the nursery outcome. It's gonna be awesome.

    And names!! Love your girl names. Every single one of them. Vivienne would have been Isaac's name, had he been a girl. And my mom's bestie since forever is Beatrice - goes by Bea - and I've always loved that name. The boy names made me LOL just a teeny tiny bit, because many of them remind me of old man names, which for some reason, fits you really well. Maybe cause I know you like old people? Ha, I don't know. I'm excited to hear what name y'all choose!

    And best of all - PATERNITY LEAVE!! Chad will also get a few weeks off after this baby comes and then my mom will also come. Cannot wait, will be the best ever, as our situation after Isaac and Miriam's birth mirrored yours almost exactly. I can't even imagine several weeks of help. Will be glorious.

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    1. LOL, I DO love old people and old names. For sure! Nate mentioned this many times as well;) I thought Violet was your girl name for Isaac? Why do I remember this at all?

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  17. I LOVE your name choices! Alice was a runner up for my girl (who is 6 months old now). I feel like I can really relate to you with this baby being your last one. My husband said three and no more, and we currently have a 4 year old and 6 month old. I HATE the thought of having only one more baby. I love everything that goes along with being pregnant. And then the newborn stage even! I already don't know how I'll do it! Ha!

    I'm a huge fan of your blog, but hardly ever get out of my reader to comment. Keep the posts coming! Can't wait to see more of baby boy's nursery!

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    1. Aw, thanks, Sarah! Love hearing from rare commenters.

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  18. I am so glad I'm not crazy wishing I was further along than 23 weeks but then I stop and think about the fact that I've been pregnant since the fall and that seems crazy too!

    I agree about getting bored with water. Advocare Rehydrate has been my lifesaver this pregnancy! I'd love to send you a sample if you're interested!

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  19. I love the baby names! :-) older names seem to have more depth and meaning! :-)

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