And the real spending begins...

We picked out a travel system, and my inlaws bought it for us! We went to a few baby stores to test out the two different models that I narrowed down, and the Chicco brand won by an overwhelming vote. It is completely idiot-proof. The car seat connects to both the car base and the stroller by simply setting it down and listening for a click. We can't possibly screw that up! Plus, it's a lot easier to manage (lift, fold, and unfold) than the Graco model. I found it online (diapers.com) at a considerably less price than the stores, plus searched online for a coupon code- even better!

David and I splurged on some other baby items. We came across a Babies R Us in Addison that was moving to a different location, so everything in the store was 30% off. We had to take a little advantage of that! We stocked up mostly on boring stuff that we knew we would need like wipes, lotions and bath stuff, first aide and hygiene items, and even a contoured changing pad to set on top of a dresser... and then we let ourselves have a few of the "bigger" items!



 

I've heard that these activity gyms get a lot of use, and we went with a baby carrier for the sake of saving our (my) back when I am carrying the little guy around.

I had to buy a little education.  I came across a baby book that gives a brief overview of the last stages of pregnancy/childbirth as well as the baby's first year. Even though all that I hear is to not buy books or read too much info because it comes natural and "instincts kick in," I decided that I tend to have a below average common sense level AND absolutely no experience with human beings under the age of 5, so it may be a smart idea to read up on the basics! I also came across a funny series of kid books with a character named Pookie, which has been David's name for me for as long as I can remember, so I had to get that too!

This week was different from the previous 4 months in the food category! I had my first craving..... pineapples!! I wasn't a big fan previously, but I had a night when I HAD to have it! I've eaten it nearly every day this past week. I also had a horrible aversion to the entire California Pizza Kitchen restaurant on what was supposed to be date-night on Friday. Not only did the whole place smell badly to me, but I couldn't find a single thing that looked good on the menu. Needless to say, it was a very frustrating, short date night.

I have a feeling that my baby bump is just around the corner. It feels like progress is made every morning! People still say that they can't tell with my clothes on, but I definitely can notice! I've been feeling great. No complaints!

It's still in there

Well we had another doctor's appointment today and the heartbeat is still healthy sounding and going strong at 154 bpm! It took longer to find the heartbeat this time and once we got on it, the little guy (i'm already mentally committed that this is a boy!) kept moving. I already get the impression that he's going to be a wild one based on our few interactions. Can't feel him yet though. I got to meet a new doctor today, Dr. Sloan, and she was nice and easy to talk to. The next appt is 3 weeks from today, where they will confirm the sex!!!

I need to be officially cut off from buying any more clothes.  I wanted to go to a few more of the resale stores that are in the area just to see what they are like for future reference, and of course, my mom and I ended up buying another 10-15 outfits. You just can't resist these $1-2 outfits that are so adorable! I avoided the sports theme though, so that was an improvement on my part.

On a more productive note, I have narrowed down 2 different travel systems (stroller + car seat combo) that I like. David and I are planning on going to look at them and maybe even make a decision this weekend. I'm so ready to register and get things going. I have walked around a few of the stores a few times just to mentally pre-register.

On a final note, I'm starting to show a little bit, or maybe it's just the half box of girl scout cookies that I ate the other day. I'm actually halfway sucking in in this pic too! I'm anxious to start showing more! I can feel a few hardened spots starting to protrude so I know that it's not all in my head!

 

Life Lately: Snow days in Texas!

Here are some of the highlights of the past few weeks, both baby and non-baby related!
 

Snowy days = Less work, more play! Morgan loved the snow, and Miley found different pathways to tip-toe around.

 

 

David was having fun of his own, too.

 

 

We had a date night/early Valentine's celebration on Saturday with dinner & a movie. Chef David's main course, steak oscar, was amazing. I'm spoiled.

 

We received a cute "Valentine's" gift from my mom & dad!

 

David and I did a little shopping of our own for the first time together! I have come across a few resale shops in our area with gently used toys, clothing, etc. They are so practical and inexpensive! As we were out and about running errands, I had David stop by Once Upon a Child just for fun. 15-20 outfits later.....

 

 

My mom and I did some browsing on Sunday afternoon in Babies R Us, Buy Buy Baby, and Burlington Coat Factory's Baby Depot. I wanted to compare the stores and start to look at items to register for, rather than mindlessly search for everything online. It was a lot of fun! I felt very productive since I was able to make short lists of certain cribs, carseats, strollers, play yards, etc to choose from. Now we (I!) just need to do some futher research online, plus get David involved, to finalize the picks! We should start the registry in the next month or so. I keep forgetting that we technically aren't sure if it's a boy or not, despite the doctor's confidence, so we should be a little patient!

Lastly, we bought a new car last month! David's Xterra needed a pricy amount of work and it wasn't worth the investment of fixing a worn out car with 115,000 miles on it anyway. We wanted a mid-sized SUV with decent gas mileage and adequate space for our growing family, and we picked a Chevy Equinox!

 

Here's what's going on with our little one for the next 2 weeks:

• He's learned to breathe!
• Bones in the middle ear have formed, so he may be able to hear us talking!
• There's a chance I will start to feel him moving soon.
• Fat is forming underneath the skin.
• Taste buds are forming.
• Fingernails and toenails are growing.
• He can react to light. If we shine a flashlight at him, he'll move away from it- weird!