Our Nursery

Yea! We've finished the nursery!

20 Days to Go--Yikes!

It's funny, the closer I get to the due date, the more at peace I feel with the delivery. Maybe it's because the nursery's complete, and we have all the equipment that we could possibly need, more actually. Maybe it's that what's coming is just inevitable and I'm just resolving to sit back, do what I can, and let it happen. Or maybe it's that I'm tired of my back hurting every single day and this 25 pounds of stomach protrusion. Last night my mom-in-law came over for dinner and witnessed me coming dangerously close to setting my stomach on fire when I leaned over our gas stove, seriously.



Last Sunday my old girlfriends from Charlie Brown's got together to give me a little shower. It was relaxing to kick it with the girls, just like old times, but without all the beer and bull blasters.

A Picture Perfect Shower

Candy shows the cake

Last Sunday my mother-in-law, Candy, and sister-in-law Sara, gave me a beautiful baby shower. It was held at Candy's house here in San Antonio, and Sara came all the way from Louisiana to help out. We had quiche, salad greens, and assorted fruit as well as a beautiful cake that said "Welcome Baby White." And we played several games, but for me the most fun was definitely the attributes game. Everyone is given a list of attributes and they check off whether they think the baby will have Mom's or Dad's nose, eyes, intelligence, etc. Then the player that matches mine the closest wins a prize. Some of my answers included Travis' eyes, my organization, and Travis' feet (he has a crooked toe, Mady has it as well, and I hope our baby has it too, it would be too cute). We were blessed withe the presence of old and new friends, as well as family.

Sara and Me

Megan, Mary, and Andi

Homemade Diaper Dresses

in the hippest fabric

Emery holds Boog the Bear

while I show off my beautiful

new curtain fabric

Daddy and Mommy

A Hometown Baby Shower

Last Saturday my two aunts, Laurie and Janelle, threw me a fabulous baby shower in Corpus. It was so much fun, I got to see friends and family that I haven't seen in a long time and it was so good to catch up a little. There were all kinds of delicious goodies including finger sandwiches, chocolate covered strawberries, punch, and a wonderfully delicious cake made by my famous Aunt Gorgeous (Estelle Havelka, see picture). Travis and I were both thrilled and grateful to receive such a multitude of beautiful baby gifts. I know I'm certainly starting to feel a little better about being prepared for the arrival of our little girl.

Aunt Gorgeous and me.

Coleen, Melissa, Janna, and Ms. Pat taste baby food.

McKenzie helps with the gifts.

Our Hospital

Last night we took a tour of the hospital. This is something I didn't really feel like we needed to do, just something that we would fit in if we could. But I must say that taking the tour made me feel really good. We know exactly where to go during different times of day, we got to meet the nurses, see the Labor and Delivery rooms and the Recovery rooms as well as the nursery. All the rooms are really nice, they look almost like hotel rooms. Our tour nurse pointed out that there's a couch that folds out into a bed for Dad, and then I pointed out that Daddy can sleep when Mommy sleeps. And she also showed us how each room has it's own thermostat that MOMMY gets to control, so bring a sweater (or a parka), Mom and Travis!

I also got pre-registered while we were there and that's a bit of a load off also. All the nurses seem really nice and they appear to be flexible about letting your baby "room in," and they said that Dad can pick up and drop off the baby at the nursery pretty much whenever we like during our stay. And I'll also receive a post delivery massage, hell yes!

There's also a Starbucks downstairs in the atrium. Travis noted that we'll probably have to peel my mom out of there a few times a day, like he won't be right next to her downing espressos.

Here's a link to the website of the hospital that we'll be delivering at, ("we'll" ha, that's funny). There are maps, virtual tours of the maternity floor, etc. if anyone wants to come see me!!!

http://www.baptisthealthsystem.com/facilities_ncbh.aspx

And meet my OB, Dr. Evangeline Ramos-Gonzales (don't you just love that name, Evangeline?) She's spunky, and she don't take no sass. Nick and Marie, you'll be glad to know that I'll be in the capable hands of an Aggie. And what makes me feel better is that she's got three kids of her own, so she's been through this before.

Okay, I'm Done.

This isn't fun anymore. My lower back hurts all day and everyday, and I can't seem to be comfortable in ANY position longer than about ten minutes. The waist of my pants will not stay up and many of my favorite maternity shirts don't quite cover the bottom of my belly like I'd like 'em to. I have found some beautiful dresses that may just solve the latter problem...

Happy Holidays!

So I made it through the holidays with only some minor swelling of the feet (this is the first time that's happened and I'm contributing it to extra salt in holiday food...like the thirty olive cheese balls that I ate on Christmas Eve. Come on, it's any pregnant girls dream food: salty, crusty, and cheesy, and warm right out of the oven), and a heinous cold that I'm still battling. When your not pregnant, you can medicate yourself with whatever you want and sleep through the sickness. But when you are pregnant you work yourself into a panic when you're in the medicine aisle of Wal-Mart at 12:30 a.m. and trying to decide if the doctor telling you that it's okay to take "Tylenol Cold" means that any of the dozen different Tylenol Cold concoctions are okay. Then finally you break down and call the nurse that's on call that night to ask her, and then feel horribly guilty because you clearly woke the poor woman up.


Other than that we had a fantastic Christmas! We spent Christmas Eve with my family in Corpus and then my mother-in-law, Carla, came down from Lake Charles to spend New Year's with us in San Antonio.

We have taken some time in December to start getting the nursery going. Travis has got the walls painted, the pictures really don't do the color justice. It's the most beautiful rich peacock teal! And we received the crib for Christmas from Travis' very generous mom, and were so excited to get it! (Travis threw his back out that night assembling it...love to say that I had sympathy for the poor guy, but I think my back's been "out" for like the last two months. Is that mean?) And we've got some awesome curtain fabric on the way that's being provided, also very generously, by my other mom-in-law, Candy. It's a very hip and modern pattern of foliage and birds, sort of in a damask style print--white field and gold pattern. We'll be sure and post some pictures when we're finished.






My cousin Libby feels the baby...and is all about it.