Carseat Safety 101

R and I went to the carseat safety class tonight that's offered at the hospital. We went in wondering what on earth they could possibly talk about for a whole two hours and left feeling like we need to tell the world about all the things we learned that we had no idea about before the class. There's so much more to it than just putting the carseat in correctly!!

One of the biggest surprises was the after-market products that simply aren't safe for our babies! I decided I had to share some of what we learned on here in case someone reading this didn't get to go to a carseat safety class.

So, those mirrors that you can get to put on the back window or attach to the headrest so that you can look in your rearview mirror and see your baby? Yeah. Those aren't safe apparently. The ones that attach by suction to the back window are known to come off or even break during a crash and they end up hitting the baby in the face at the speed the car is traveling at the time. The kind that attach to the headrest are dangerous during a crash because when the carseat raises up the baby's head strikes the mirror rather than the soft seat. Our instructor told us about a baby in the Dallas area who now has brain damage after the corner of a kleenex box that was in the back window struck the baby between the eyes. In other words, don't have loose items in the car that could fly around.

By the way, the back of the rear-facing car seat (the part closest to the front of the car) is actually supposed to be able to raise up and move in the event of a crash. This is to keep the baby from absorbing the impact the way that someone does when they tense up in anticipation of a crash. Car bumpers are now designed to cave in during a crash for the same reason 'cause stationary objects are what absorb the crash impact and the movement helps to alleviate some of this. For the same reason, it's important that the carseat is not wedged against the back of the front seat. Also, if your car has a latch system you should use either the latch system or the seatbelt pass-through, but not both because use of both has not been crash tested

Those cute little things that wrap around the straps and look like they'd make the baby more comfortable? Well, they're not considered safe because they come down too far and make it so that the strap that connects the two side straps can't come up far enough and so there's too much room around the baby's head and the baby could fly out of the seat during a crash.

The comfort pillows that keep the baby's head from moving from side to side are dangerous if they're too long and come down under the baby's butt. The danger is that the pillows can work down too far as the baby wiggles around, or just over time, pushing the baby's head forward which can cause the baby not to be able to breathe. A good rule of thumb is that if it came with the carseat it has been safety tested for use with the carseat.

The window screens that attach by suction are dangerous because, as with the mirrors, these can come off during a crash and strike the baby. Our instructor said that the force of an object is the weight of that object multiplied by how fast the car is traveling. So, if an item is 10 pounds and the car is traveling at 50mph, the impact of that object would be as if it were 500 pounds. Thus, even if the item doesn't weigh much all by itself, when combined with speed it can be really deadly.

For older children using booster seats that don't have a back, they could be killed by the shoulder strap of the seatbelt, or seriously injured by the lap belt because the shoulder strap is not in use. Our instructor recommended the booster seats that have a back on them that keep the shoulder strap at the right level so that it goes across the shoulder like it's supposed to rather than going along the side of the neck. When the shoulder strap goes along the neck, a child could actually be decapitated in a crash because the seatbelt is designed to lock, but the force of the impact and speed of the car still throws the child forward into the seatbelt. If the seatbelt is at the shoulder where it's supposed to be, then it's not a problem, but when it's against the neck, or soft tissue, it can be dangerous. The same thing with the lap belt. It's meant to go around the hips, but when worn up too high where the soft tissue is, injury can occur to the vital organs. This can happen in a backless booster seat because the child can scooch down causing the belt to hit at the wrong spot.

I'm sure there's more I'm probably forgetting, but I had to pass along what we learned. I'm certainly not intending to put fear into anyone, but I know I'm really glad to have learned about this stuff now so that these preventable injuries can be avoided. Who knew carseat safety could be so involved!!! We now have our carseat properly installed and ready for the little man! Yay!!!!

It's a Jungle Out There!!!!!

Finally! I'm posting house pictures!!! Here's the mostly finished nursery!! We went with a jungle theme as you can tell! R. made the tree in the corner and I made the curtains and quilt...I'll have to post a more detailed picture of the quilt later. The room was already that color when we moved in so it was ready for us! Now I can't wait for the sweet baby boy who gets to live there!!!!!!

30 weeks!!?!?!

When we first got pregnant it seriously felt like I was going to be pregnant FOREVER! Now I cannot believe that we've already reached 30 weeks!!! Yikes! It's kinda scary thinking how quickly the time has gone and to realize that the time that's left is going to be over in a hiccup! Speaking of hiccups, little man gets them now almost every day! I can't help but feel sorry for him! I hate the hiccups! It's a miserable feeling!!! His movements are getting so much stronger and more pronounced now! It's wild to look down at my belly and watch it move in a wave as he moves inside of me! I can hardly wait to hold my sweet son!!!!

My sweet mom-in-law sent me clothes shopping so last week a friend and I went to get me a few more maternity dresses. I'm wearing one of them in this picture! Dresses seem to fit the most comfortably 'cause some of my shirts don't seem long enough and I find myself pulling on them to make sure they're covering all of me!!!

A Little Relaxation

Thursday night was the first night R. and I have just hung out together doing nothing since we closed on the house on July 1st!!! Why we push ourselves so hard I can't really say...I mean it's not like we have a deadline for getting everything settled in, but we both tend to be over-achievers so I guess that explains it a little. So we relaxed and finished watching "The Four Feathers". R. hadn't seen it so it was fun to get a movie that I had seen and for him to like it! Then last night we just chilled and I showed him what I'd been working on in the nursery! The nursery is really coming together! I can't wait to bring my little boy home to his pad!!! He's spoiled already! Smile.

Today I caught up on some much needed sleep!!! I've been having trouble sleeping long enough! I wake up early with my mind running a top speed and so I end up just getting up and doing what needs doing. This morning I woke up early again and ate breakfast, but then went back to sleep and was shocked to wake up and realize it was 11am!!! And I feel so much better!!!! Thanks to my sweet husband for encouraging me to go back to sleep!!!

Tonight we're having friends over for burgers! And I baked a rhubarb pie! Yum! It's our first time to host anyone at our new place! Yay!!!

Making Preparations

Today I washed all the sweet, little outfits and blankets and sheets, etc to get ready for our little boy. Laundry was never so much fun! Holding those little socks and onesies and hats made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! I can't wait to dress our little boy in all the cute outfits and to wrap him up in the soft blankets! So beyond adorable!!!

Friday night we were TOTALLY blessed by R's co-workers!! They threw us a baby shower and literally showered us with gifts!!! We got the most adorable outfits and toys and stuffed animals, and then to top it all off, the office pooled their funds and got us the crib and changing table we were hoping for!! WOW!!! We were simply blown away by their generosity!! We never expected so much and it's a HUGE blessing!!!

I can't wait to put everything together so I can actually post nursery pics!!! It's coming together but it's still a ways away from being done. But we're much closer now then we were before. He's coming soon!!! I can hardly wait!

3D

We had our doctor visit and 3D ultrasound today!!! It's so amazing to get to see facial features! Getting a glimpse of what he looks like just makes it all the more real that we're really having a sweet little baby!!!! As far as the Tech. Nurse can tell, he weighs 2 pounds, 10 ounces right now. This puts him right on track!! We got to see him stick out his tongue, yawn a few times, and suck on his upper lip! I think we were disturbing his nap time, so he wasn't as active as he was for our last ultrasound. But it's obvious that he's gonna be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cute!!!!!

Conspicuous

Last night we had another child-birth class. After the lecture part of the class in which we discussed pain medications and medical reasons for inducing, we had a practical exercise. Sondra, our instructor, had four stations set up where we tried different pain management techniques. To experience pain we had to hold ice cubes in our hand for a full 60 seconds. I've decided I like the birth ball while R. massages my back and tells me I'm doing a great job. We'll see what actually works on the big day, but it's nice to get an idea of what helps take my mind off the pain.

I must admit that I feel really conspicuous these days with my belly size. And class is probably the worst. There are 4 pregnant mommies in the class. All the other women are expecting girls...I don't know if that makes it different, but seriously, I'm the biggest one there and my due date is that latest of all of them!!! One girl only has 5 weeks to go!! Ah! I keep telling myself it's okay and not to let it bother me, but it's really hard not to feel like people are looking and commenting about me. And it's hard not to panic when I think about the fact that I'm only going to get bigger! Yikes!!! I'm already thinking about my getting-back-in-shape strategy after "George" is born! Thankfully we now live just 5 minutes away from the gym so I should be able to go in the mornings while R. is getting ready for work and can be home with the little man. And I went this morning just to feel better about myself...it helped.

And I'm Back

We're finally moved into our house! Well...we're getting moved into our house!! All of our stuff is here and we're living here, but we still have some major organizing to do! The big move happened on Saturday and we were so blessed to have lots of help from friends and family! I think there were around 18 people helping us! We were super blessed!!! The truck was loaded and unloaded before noon! Praise the Lord!!!

Now we're just trying to get everything together and I'm learning that I have to pace myself much more than I have been lately. Yesterday I finished organizing the kitchen and my back promptly let me know it would be taking a break! Ouch!! Back pain is no fun! So I read and took a nap and let R. make dinner. I don't sit around very well, though. And especially not when there's so much to do! AH!

We're very happy with our new home, however. It's great to be in a neighborhood and to have our own yard. We took the doggies for a walk last night and didn't have to load them up in the car to get somewhere to walk! It was great!

On the baby front...I'm at 28 weeks now!!! 7 months pregnant! It really is going fast now and I'm so excited to meet the little man!!! He's moving so much these days and getting stronger. Sometimes I catch my breath with his little kicks!!! That makes me think of last week's birthing class!!! The instructor brought a fake belly/boob suit for all the Dad's-To-Be to wear. It weighed 32 pounds and they all got strapped into it and then had to perform a task that the mother requested. I made R. turn over in bed 'cause I think that's one of the hardest things to do. We all laughed so much!!! I think it was good for the guys to realize how difficult carrying a bowling ball around in the belly can be!!!

The sweetest thing on the baby front, is that little "george" recognizes his Daddy's voice!!! He can be completely still and when R. leans down to my belly and calls his name he starts moving and kicking!!! It's so sweet!!! I can't wait to meet the little guy!!!

I better post this before it gets any longer! Pictures to come of our little house and growing belly!

A Home of Our Very Own

After over a year of house searching, we have finally found a home!! Next month we'll do the big move! I can't wait! It's so perfect for us! Sweet wood floors, a fenced yard for the puppies, huge shade trees and most importantly, more room for our growing family!!! The baby room is even painted the perfect color for our own nursery decor!! The Lord really outdid Himself on this one! And the timing couldn't be better!!! Yippy!!!!!!!

Dancin'

So I woke up at 2 something this morning. I'm not exactly sure what actually woke me, but as I lay there trying to fall back to sleep I got to enjoy a little dancing party on the inside. Little "George" has gotten so active and last night...or really early this morning it totally felt like he was dancing in my belly!!! It's so sweet to feel him and to have that tangible reminder that there really is a baby in there!!!

6 Months

Saturday marked 24 weeks and thus 6 months of pregnancy!!! I can't say how great it feels to see the end in sight!!! It's getting better all the time and even though I'm growing I'm actually feeling less awkward. I told R. I'll probably just figure out how to get up and negotiate myself around and our little boy will be born! Smile.

"George" is moving every day now and his little jabs are getting stronger. My favorite part is that R. can feel him. It's such a joy to share that together and know this is our little baby! I saw a woman at church on Sunday holding a new baby boy and my heart squeezed thinking of when we'll get to hold our own!!!

Babymoon 2008

Destination: Puerto Rico!!!

R. and I have been wanting to go on an international trip together ever since we were married. So, we decided to just go ahead and do it as our last little romantic getaway before the little man arrives. We decided on Puerto Rico because it's actually pretty close and inexpensive to travel there from Texas. And we're so glad we did!!! It was WONDERFUL!!!

We left on the 30th of May and got to the island late that night. Our first flight was late because of some mechanical problems so we were worried we would miss our connecting flight. But, even though we got to the gate 30 minutes after departure time, we were just in time to board the plane! Praise the Lord!!! It was the last flight out that night so we would have been stuck in Miami!!

Our initial introduction to international travel on our own was a little bumpy and adventuresome! The first thing we learned is this: when booking a hotel on the internet it is advisable to stick with "name-brands" such as the Holiday Inn or Intercontinental or something more familiar. We booked our first two nights at the Beach House Hotel...don't! We got there right around midnight. They had a very loud beach party going on when we arrived and it just so happens that the only room left that they had reserved for us was right next to said party. While the room smelled clean it didn't exactly feel welcoming!! And they were totally out of bar soap for the whole hotel. Oh goody!

We hadn't really had meal since lunch so we decided to go out and find something to eat and see if there was anything else available for accommodations. To make a long story short, after a couple miles of walking and a couple hours later, the Lord totally took care of us and we were able to find a room at the Intercontinental. We had a beautiful view and the MOST comfortable bed ever!! Phew!

Puerto Rico is such a beautiful island and the people are so incredibly friendly!! My absolute favorite part about the whole trip was the fact that there's so much diversity on the island without segregation!! There are lots of mixed marriages and a group of friends would be made up of black, white, latino, all together speaking Spanish. They were simply Puertorican! It made me realize how much tension is present when R. and I are out in public, with the looks we get sometimes. To have this tension completely absent was so wonderful and freeing! So much so that it's kind of been a culture shock to return to the states and see everyone all segregated again. That's not how it's supposed to be and we got a glimpse of what it should look like and it was beautiful.

The island is small, but has a little of everything. Huge palm trees with coconuts, ocean of course, mountains, green everywhere! The architecture is so cool and colorful. The picture below is a city street in Old San Juan! It's so much fun!! Walking around there kinda felt like we'd stepped into a movie!!



R. took me snorkeling for my first time! He was such a patient instructor and it was so COOL! We stayed close to the shore, but we still got to see plenty! As soon as we stuck our faces in the water we saw a beautiful silvery blue fish and then later a papery looking fish that almost blended in with the ocean floor. I'm so glad R. encouraged me to do it!!! Way cool!!!

We spent a lot of time on the beach, walking in the sand and swimming in the ocean. Definitely my idea of a perfect vacation!! And the weather was perfect too!!! Not hot, but warm and comfortable!! It rained a little bit every day, but it never affected our plans.



We did a little exploring and ventured out in our little rental car. One night we went to the Phosphorescent Bay. This was great! There's some kind of algae that grows in the water there and when the water is stirred from swimming or something of that nature, it glows. We took a boat ride out into the bay and a diver got out and swam in the water so we could see it! Then on the way back we saw fish jumping and the water would glow where they landed! SWEETNESS!!

On our last day there we visited an old fort built in the 1500's by the Spaniards. I've never felt this way when visiting historic sites before, but I could really sense the presence of history! I could almost see the soldiers walking across the courtyard and hear the cannon fire over the walls. It was amazing how preserved it was for being so old!!!



I have to say it was the best vacation I've ever had and we so enjoyed our time together! I highly recommend it as a place to visit!! We've even talked about going back again!! I could tell more, but then this post would be REALLY long!!

Thirty Thursday

R. turned 30 on Thursday! I decided to be nice to him; no black balloons or anything like that! Instead we had a group of friends over and ate pizza and tres leches cake (our favorite!) and R. and the guys played video games while us ladies talked. We had a good time!! My husband is so much fun! I'm so glad to share moments like birthdays together!!

Early Arrival

A co-worker asked for prayer for her friend’s grandson. He was born 3 months early. So far the prognosis is good, but if you think of it please pray for little Garrison.

Shopping

It's getting hot here in central TX and my belly is getting bigger! That's a recipe for new summer clothes. But it's becoming more difficult to find clothes that fit right! If I try a medium my belly starts to feel contrained, but a large is too big through the shoulders. Go figure! What on earth am I gonna wear when I'm 6, 7, & 8 months pregnant?!? One would think that since I'm shopping for maternity clothes they would make the belly area big enough for a pregnant belly! Hello!!! Alas. Well, I'm happy to say that from behind you still can't tell I'm pregnant!!! And I hope to keep it that way!!! All BABY!

Half-Way There!!!!!!!

Tomorrow marks 20 weeks of pregnancy and 20 weeks until we meet our little BOY! I’m feeling him move now throughout the day. It’s so sweet to feel his little pokes and know that’s my baby! It also makes it seem so much more real and I feel my love for him growing with that deepening reality.

Yesterday I felt a little poke from him while I was working. Just after his little poke the song “I Get a Kick Out of You” started playing on my computer! He already has good timing! Smile.

Our house is in total flux right now! We’re shifting furniture all around in order to clear out what will be his nursery. Thankfully since a major cleaning spree yesterday, the living room is in order so there’s one room in the house that’s not in total disarray! And I made and hung the curtains in the nursery! They turned out GREAT! We’re doing a jungle theme! R. is making a 3D tree in the corner and we’ll have more stuffed animals than any one child could need…but it will be so cute and it’s so much fun!! And it’s so precious to see how excited R. is to make a fun place for our baby!

If I counted how many times I almost slip and say his name each day…… It’s so fun to have this secret shared between R. and me, but it’s so hard not to tell the whole world the name we’ve already given our son!! But it will be so fun to announce the name when he’s born, so I don’t want to spoil it! Secrets are so much fun!

Old Tricks & New

I may have said this before; I’ve certainly thought it. But I’m glad to be pregnant in this day and age and not 30 years ago! For one, maternity clothes are CUTE! But even better are the little comfort things that some brilliant person took the time to invent and market!!!

Sleep has much improved since I got a pregnancy wedge put out by Boppy! It’s just like it sounds. It is simply a piece of soft foam that starts out about 4 inches think and gradually gets thinner. I tuck it under my belly when laying on my side and it takes away that uncomfortable feeling of the belly leaning off to the side. It gives just the right support without putting any pressure on the belly.

Then there’s the pregnancy belt. I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel like my belly is hanging heavy especially by the end of the day. The belt is an elasticized band that connects with velcro. It’s worn under the belly and around the lower back and supports the belly perfectly!! I can walk farther and do more without getting so tired!!! I’m glad R. got this for me so early in my pregnancy so that I will have the help all along!

Finally the old trick! I thankfully have not had much trouble yet with bloating and retaining water, but occasionally like this morning I will wake up and my wedding ring fits tight. R. shared a trick that his sister S. swears by and it WORKS! Put a little lemon juice in your water. That’s it! It works and it works quickly! And it’s cheap and harmless!!

Our Growing Family

R. and I went to a beautiful, outdoor wedding last night and took the opportunity for a couple family photos! My sweet love is so beautiful!!! I can't wait to see what our little BOY looks like!!

Stay-at-Home-Moms

I heard the following on the radio this morning:

Morning Edition, May 9, 2008 · If stay-at-home moms made a salary, one study estimates that it would be $117,000 — and most of the paycheck would come from overtime.

I’m so thankful to have a husband who not only supports me in staying home with our little boy, but recognizes that staying home is hard work!! A shout out to all of you stay-at-home-moms!!! Keep up the good work!!!

The Moment of Truth

It's the moment of truth! All the votes are cast and counted. 29 said GIRL. 14 said BOY. Today was our ultrasound. It was absolutely AMAZING to watch our little one moving around like crazy and to see the feet and spine and hands and know that's our little baby! And, R. got the priviledge of telling me the big news. WE'RE HAVING A BOY! Surprise!!!! We were so certain it was going to be a girl! But there's no doubt about it! We're having a little man!! And I hope he's just like his Daddy!! The tech-lady says it looks like he weighs about 8oz and projected our due date as October 7th instead of October 2nd. When we first found out we were pregnant I calculated the baby would come around the 9th, so the 7th sounds more accurate to me! Smile.

After we left the office, I headed straight for Target to buy a little outfit! I've been dying to purchase clothes and I definitely think boy clothes are cuter! So, considering the fact that our BOY isn't due until October, I ended up just getting him some little sleep outfits since most of the clothes out now are for summer. But they're so cute and jungle themed like his room will be!!!

And in case you're wondering...yes we have his name picked out....no we're not sharing!!! For that you'll have to wait until he's born!!!!