Yesterday at work two people asked me if I was pregnant. Which is pretty bold I would say! About three other people said "Awww you look pregnant!" I went to the tailor after work to have some clothes altered. As I was trying on the clothes and telling the lady what I wanted done I said "I'm pregnant so don't take it in too much" and she said "I know" with a big smile. Put all of these incidents together and I guess you'd say I'm officially showing at 22 weeks. I'm now bracing myself for random hands touching my belly.
We had two very productive weekends! Last weekend we ordered Ellery's crib thanks to my Nana. She wants to buy all of her great-grandchildren's cribs and we couldn't be more thankful! We chose a white Jenny Lind stationary crib. It is classic, elegant, very reasonably priced, highly rated for safety and converts to a toddler bed and a day bed. The crib came in this past Friday and we put it together on Saturday night. We only had to "redo" the assembly once so I'd say we're a winning team.
We also went shopping for a glider which the Morthlands are buying for us! We had to make sure it was tall enough for Geoff's long legs. We probably sat in about 30 chairs. In the end we found the perfect one at Cullen's Babyland. It is a Braxton Swivel Glider by Best Chairs, Inc. My mom was out shopping at Target and found the cutest yellow and white ottoman to go in Ellery's room. I think it will go perfectly with the chair and decorations. We are very fortunate to have such a supportive and generous family!
This past weekend we walked in the MS walk in New Orleans for my friend Mia Vick.
I saw a dresser on Craigslist that I fell in love with. It is exactly what I have been looking for with the right measurements and the right price. We were able to look at it after the walk and it was perfect! With some maneuvering it fit in the back seat of the car and we were able to bring it home with us. I love the sea-foam green color and the antique designs on the front. Many diapers will be changed right on top! Geoff even demonstrated his diaper changing technique on top of the dresser for me and the sellers. I wish I had gotten that on video. Lets just say that I am so glad that I signed us up for the ABC (After Baby Comes) class, where we (he) will learn how to properly change a diaper.
We are in the middle of the daycare search. So far we have toured:
Parkview Baptist Preschool (waiting list)
Womans Hospital Child Development Center (waiting list)
Broadmoor Baptist Early Learning Center
Southside Child Development Center
Baton Rouge International Preschool (waiting list)
Kids Count (waiting list)
I cried on the first tour of Parkview. I'm going to blame that ridiculous reaction on hormones. Geoff cried when I told him the weekly cost. His reaction is valid.
I think it's hilarious when the director asks how old my child is and I say "0" as I point at my belly. But I hear that some people who are trying to have a baby get on daycare waiting lists before conception. That is so aggressive! But then again I get it. The idea of being on a waiting list and not knowing for months if you have somewhere for your child to stay when you go back to work is stressful!
My coworkers Courtney Dyer and Nick Foster and my boss Alesia Wilkins-Braxton threw a gender reveal party for me last Friday (2/08/13). It's so awesome to have such huge support from people that I am with every day! After I cut the cake to reveal the pink, everyone went around and said something nice and encouraging. Of course I cried. I have included a few pics and a video below. Of course, this blog is really my journal. I am just sharing with you. So you can watch or not watch, it's up to you!
Sugar and spice and everything nice....Bitty is a GIRL! Always trust a mother's intuition! She weighs 10oz, has all 4 limbs and 20 digits and her vital organs are developing perfectly! We are so happy/relieved/excited! She had her legs crossed during the whole sonogram (Good girl! Keep those legs closed!) but the technician was able to get some shots from below. Geoff said "look its a boy!" and she said noooo its a girl. We were surprised to learn that during the sonogram, you can actually see the girl parts. It's not just determined from the absence of the boy parts. I cried and I asked Geoff if he was excited. He said "Are you kidding me?! Of course I'm excited. Wow we're going to have a daughter! She is going to be so spoiled." I told him that she is going to love her Dad so much.
Bitty's name is Ellery Frances Morthland. I fell for the name Ellery when I saw the Ellery Round Crib from Baby and Child (pic below). Once I saw the name and said it out loud I knew it was THE ONE! Luckily Geoff agreed. It is unique and beautiful, just like Bitty! But I will need to come up with a better name story to tell her! Frances is my middle name and I have always loved it.
We had the name Samuel Brent for a boy, which I fully intend to use if we are ever blessed with a boy. I told Geoff that I am SO happy for a baby girl, but at the same time I felt like I have lost my Sam. I ended up getting attached to both names, as if there were actually 2 babies in there. Dr. Gautreau said "Sam will be here next year!" I said whoaaaa slow your roll.
Ellery is beautiful. She really is. We can already tell. Some of my favorite pictures are below. She is waiving to us in the first picture. Geoff said she could sense that she was being watched. And look at those lips in her third picture!
Dad and Norman before heading to the doctor
Dad waiting on sonogram time
Bitty Boo Ellery
Little Hand
Little Foot
It's a Girl!
The Big Reveals (02/08/2013)
The Guidrys
My mom works at my dad's pharmacy on Fridays. I emailed Mandi Bebee about a month ago and told her my idea. Mandi, her sister Tara Bourgeois and my cousin Leslie Guidry (who all work at my dad's store) have been amazing with helping me put all of this together. Mandi found a box and wrapped it in silver paper. I made a sign that said "He or She? Open to See! Love, Geoff, Sara and Bitty M" and the box was filled with pink balloons. Mandi facetimed (is that a verb?) me so that I could watch my parents open the box. They opened the box and out came the pink balloons! My mom yelled "It's a girl! I would have been happy with a boy too! Awww Ellery!" She apparently already saw some dresses that she wants to buy. Before opening the box my dad said "Do you like to play these games with us?!" He wanted to know yesterday! They both had the biggest smiles on their faces and immediately wanted to know when they could tell people and say something on facebook.
Watch them open the box!
(they are looking to the left because they are talking to me on facetime)
The Morthlands
John and Corliss were in New Orleans from Friday until Monday for Mardi Gras! John rode in the Bacchus parade and we went to the Bacchus ball on Sunday night with Dave Davitt. We drove down to New Orleans after work on Friday. Kelsey and I made this iron on shirt for me to wear:
I asked the bellman to hold the camera while it was recording but to act like he was taking a picture. We told John and Corliss that we wanted to take a picture before we headed to dinner. While posing for the picture, Geoff said "You saw Sara's shirt?" Watch below for their reaction!
I'm so thankful that we were table to get both set of parents' reactions on video!
I finally felt bitty kick me this weekend! Or punch me. It's a little too soft for anyone else to feel and I never know how long it's going to last. So for now it's just between me and bitty. But I know that Geoff is anxious to feel.
We find out the gender on Thursday! We also get to see a picture of bitty. We haven't seen him/her in 12 weeks! The anatomic ultrasound makes sure the baby is developing according to plan. So while it is an exciting time, it is also a stressful time. But Geoff and I know that this whole thing is in God's hands and we will love bitty no matter what.
I took a poll over the past few weeks and here it is! Team Girl is in the lead, but will they be the real winner? Stay tuned!
We went to the LaFamille Mardi Gras Ball (my parent's Mardi Gras Krewe) in Lake Charles this weekend. Anna had her TWIRP dance where the girl asks the boy so we got to watch her get ready in her 80's outfit, poof her hair and wear blue eyeshadow (it was 80's themed). She did it right. As an 80's child, I was proud.
We had such a great time but Cinderalla was ready to come home at 11:30. I definitely turn into a pumpkin at midnight on weekend nights. I think this was the first time that I was really showing but no one was touching my stomach yet because it was iffy. Is she pregnant or losing control of her eating habits? We hope to bring the Morthland's to the ball next year!
Michael D'Angelo was passing through Baton Rouge and stopped to stay with us on Monday night. He brought us our first package of diapers!! We opened them to see how small they are and they smelled just like a baby's bottom (a clean one). We can't wait until they are on little bitty boo!
Norman was very interested in the diapers. He was smelling and licking all over the box. I put the box upstairs in bitty's room. Norman and I were sitting on the couch when his nose shot up in the air and he started aggressively sniffing. He jumped off of the couch and ran upstairs so I followed him. He went straight to the box and stayed up there for about an hour. He didn't tear them up...he was just investigating and hanging out with the box of diapers. We hope this means that he will be protective of the baby!
I'm patting myself on the back for being a clothes hoarder. It's funny what you will consider wearing when you're desperate. I am wearing dresses and shirts that I haven't touched in years! Whatever works.
I finally bought some maternity pieces and I'm super excited about them (as excited as one can be about wearing clothing with extra stretchy material). Wait, after saying that out loud it sounds so comfy! Which is the goal here. Anyway, my friend Emily Bolian (who is due very very soon with a Mardi Gras king cake baby in early February!) recommended the dress below from Old Navy. This maxi dress is made of stretchy jersey material and has ruching on the sides for a comfortable fit to grow into.
I have been told, and it is true, that Gap, Old Navy and Target have cute maternity pieces that are reasonably priced and actually cute! I found a denim tunic from Old Navy to wear casually during the spring and summer and a black swoop neck dress from Gap to wear to work. The black dress will definitely need to be hemmed. I may be pregnant, but I'm still 30 and flirty right?!
My action plan is to find staple pieces and then add fun cardigans, scarves and leggings that I already own to change the entire outfit. This will definitely save the bank account and ease my anxiety over spending money on items that I won't wear for long. Also, my friend Lori Hale offered to let me borrow her maternity clothes! We are picking them up this weekend. I'm so incredibly thankful, for so many reasons, that I have friends who went through this before me.
Now on to finding a swim suit. No way this ends well.
