Happy March!

I can't believe it's March 1st today! I've never really felt any extremely positive nor negative feelings towards March. I mean, sure, the start of spring is nice. Sometimes Easter is in March. And I do love that extra hour of daylight that comes back. But these days, March might just be one of my favorite months. Graeme will be born this month! (Well, it's highly likely that he will...if he came so late that he wasn't born until April, I would be a wreck...)

Obviously, the fact that we are just 18 days away from our due date on March 19th means that most everything we are looking forward to this month centers around that. Also, we've hardly made any plans this month because obviously they could be cancelled at any moment. But, I'll try to come up with some other things as not to neglect my monthly "here's what's happening around here" post...

1. Pediatrician tour.   (You see, I'm really struggling for "exciting things" here...) This week, we are checking out a local pediatrician for Graeme. They give a tour and you get to meet some of the doctors. I am excited about this because I love being prepared ahead of time, and having this taken care of is one less thing to deal with after Graeme is born. I have a pretty good feeling that we will like them because we know someone who worked there for years and still goes there. (I figure if you don't work for someone anymore and would still recommend them, they must be good!)
2. Sarah's shower.    Assuming that we are not in the hospital or something, next Saturday is my future sister-in-law's bridal shower. She and my brother are getting married in just three months!
3. Time change.   I know it kind of sucks to lose an hour of sleep when we "spring forward" an hour, but I think the extra daylight trumps any slight feeling of tiredness. I love when it doesn't get dark so early. It just makes me happier.
4. Spring.   At this point, I am ready for warmer weather badly. I don't mind winter so much, but I am looking forward to walks outside with my husband and our baby and our Penny. The pollen, however, can die with winter.
5. Graeme Grayson.   We are so ready for Graeme to be here! Every day we wonder if it will be today. It's hard to believe that by the end of the month he will be here with us. We are praying for a safe, uneventful delivery whenever it may be.

Well, like I said, it's a sparse month looking ahead, but we know at any point this month our world will be thrown into (hopefully somewhat organized) chaos. Stay tuned. March will be a great month!

with no end in mind (just a lot of random)

So my being super prepared for Graeme has maybe backfired a tiny bit. I mean, I'm definitely glad to be prepared and wouldn't change it. But, you see, for instance, this afternoon, I have nothing to do. It was the same scenario yesterday afternoon.

I can't work at work (Journey) because I'm caught up to our curriculum. The next month they will release (May) will come out on Saturday. Thank goodness I will have that to keep me busy for awhile, assuming Graeme continues to stay where he is.

As you know, his room is ready and everything else to do with him is ready to go.

I cleaned the house on Monday and Tuesday, so that's done. Dinner is in the crock pot so that's done.

I did throw in some laundry this afternoon, so I felt semi-productive.

That leaves us here. I'm sitting on the couch with no real agenda for this blog in mind. So here's a bunch of random things...

1. Aaron and I had an appointment with the guy that does our taxes this morning. I may handle the budget and pay the bills, but taxes are simply flabbergasting to me. I have no idea how any of that works. But I went along and I helped Aaron gather some of the stuff we needed from the abyss that is our filing cabinet. At the end, the very nice tax man asked Aaron if he had any questions. Then he asked me if I had any. Blank stare. "Yeah...I don't even know how to ask a question here."
2. Last week Aaron and I had a dinner date with Renee and Derrick in downtown Raleigh. We arrived about ten minutes early, so we thought we'd "just go browse" the baby/children's clothing boutique across the street from the restaurant. Yeah right. It's a super cute store called Nuvonivo. It's a bit pricey, but the clearance items are reasonable. We walked out with a couple onesies and the softest baby blanket ever. The nice owner lady also gave us a bunch of coupons and a coloring page if I wanted a "comforting activity" in the coming days.
   
   It did pass some time this afternoon...
3. Aaron and I are on a kick of watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune at night these days. Did anyone see Wheel of Fortune last night? There was this lady, Kathy, who had apparently no clue how to play. She kept forgetting to spin before she called out a letter, she used a "Free Play" to say a consonant, and at one point she wanted to "Buy a 'B'." I think she just kept getting more and more flustered. We laughed so hard.
4. Last weekend we went to see two movies. I'm not sure we've ever seen two movies in the same weekend. On Friday night we saw The Lego Movie (at no charge to our bank account, thanks to our babysitting gig that day!). It was great. And now I wish I could afford Legos to build things. They are so expensive. On Saturday, Aaron wanted to go see Robocop at the IMAX. I wasn't too keen on it at first, but I actually liked it pretty well. Thanks to our IMAX PowerPasses, it's cheaper for us to see movies there then at a normal theater. We are getting in the movie dates while we can, I suppose! 
   
5. We've been leaving Penny out of her crate when we leave the house lately. Unless we're going to be gone more than five hours or so...then we still put her in there. So far, she's been great. Although it's been our experience in the past with her that she'll be so good for like a month and then we come home to a disaster (chewed up ink pen, hole in the wall, etc.) I'm just waiting for her to unleash her next plot. Hopefully, she won't. She's gone about two or three months now with a clean slate still. I'm pretty sure she sits in Aaron's desk chair the entire time we're gone somewhere. That's always where she is when we get back. We feel so bad locking her up anyway...look at her cuteness...
   
6. Growing up, I always had to have a cup of ice water when I went to bed. I used to call it "ice water with ice" when I was little, so that's what my parents would always call it. Sometime around middle school, my mom bought a set of Tupperware cups that became our "ice water cups." They were nothing too special, but they were colorful and had lids. I loved them. 
   
   When I got married and moved out, I was pretty devastated to leave the cups behind. But Aaron said we could get some. And life moved on. Eventually, I forgot about my beloved ice water cups, and became accustomed to just a regular, old drinking glass next to my bedside every night. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago... Aaron said one night, "Can I order something off Amazon that I want you to have before Graeme comes? It's nothing major, but I was thinking about it and want to get it for you." I said, "Sure, as long as it's not something crazy expensive." I really had no idea what it could be. When the package finally arrived after being delayed by the snow, I waited for Aaron to get home to open it. And what do you know, my sweet Aaron got me my own set of "ice water" Tupperware cups! I was completely surprised and excited and wouldn't have guessed that's what he was getting in a million years. Me and my cups are reunited at long last. Thanks, Aaron.

Well, friends, that's all I have for today I suppose. If you made it through all of my rambling, thanks. Have a great weekend!

at full-term!

It's week 37, and we are officially full-term! Now that Graeme can safely come at any point, we are getting pretty antsy. But we know he will come just when he's supposed to, and the longer he stays where he is, the healthier he becomes. In the meantime, I am enjoying every kick, roll, and hiccup.

Aaron asked me if I would miss feeling him in there once he's born. I think I will a little bit, but having him kicking and hiccuping and squirming in my arms will be much more fun!

I am still feeling good, but I definitely feel pregnant. And people definitely notice now. Also within the past week or so, I have to pee so. much. I feel like I have to go again as soon as I stand back up basically. I get up at least four times during the night, sometimes more. I will definitely not miss that feeling.

Graeme is doing great too. We had an appointment this morning. He is head down and his heartbeat is in the 140s, per usual. It looks like he's pretty content in there still and nothing seems to be stirring yet. (That's good, so his Gigi and Pop can get home from Israel before he arrives). We will go back to the doctor next week and see if anything moves along in the next few days.

Now, we just wait! I am definitely nesting and trying to keep up with the cleaning and laundry. I don't want to be caught off guard with a dirty house when we have to leave for the hospital. Aaron has been "nesting" too. He got the very rare urge to clean out his desk this past weekend (to my delight). In the middle of it he said, "Wait...am I nesting?!"

I can't believe March starts on Saturday and we can say, "Hey, we're having a baby this month."

Woah.

(Well, he better come in March...)

about (finally) reaching our Disney movie goal

Sometimes I jot down an idea for a blog post in a random place and then don't see it for quite some time after. This has happened.

I realized that I meant to document a milestone on the blog, but completely forgot to do it.

Some of you may remember when Aaron and I started out on a quest in February of 2012 (two years ago now!) to watch all (then) 51 Disney Animated Features before the 52nd, Wreck it Ralph came out in the fall of 2012. Well, that didn't quite pan out in the time span we had planned. Wreck it Ralph came and went, and we were still making our way through the Disney movies.

We started off strong, and we started off actually blogging the conversation we would have as we watched each movie. You can read our thoughts on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs through Peter Pan on our old blog. We gave up on the blogging after Peter Pan because it was getting to where we didn't look forward to watching the movies as much because it was too much pressure to keep typing up a conversation.

But, we didn't stop watching them. Slowly, but surely, we pressed on. We would usually go through a kick where we would watch a few in a row. But then the next movie would be one that neither of us was necessarily excited to watch. So it would take us awhile to work up the "nerve" to sit through it. Let's face it, Disney has put out some unfortunate movies. Not many, but a few.

It was just two months ago in December of 2013 that we finally finished. We watched Wreck it Ralph, which should have been our last one, but by then of course, the amazing Frozen had come out.

Now, we can officially say that we have watched all 53 Disney Animated Features in order. From Snow White to Frozen. 

My favorites:  Cinderella (you had to see that coming), Peter Pan, Tangled, Lady and the Tramp, 101 Dalmations, Frozen

My least favorites:  The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Chicken Little, Home on the Range, The Fox and the Hound, The Three Caballeros, Saludos Amigos

Aaron's favorites:  Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Sleeping Beauty, Meet the Robinsons, The Lion King, Lady and the Tramp

Aaron't least favorites:  Saludos Amigos, Melody Time, Chicken Little, Home on the Range, Brother Bear

Number of movies that didn't make me cry:  20ish

Number of movies that did make me cry:  33ish (especially The Fox and the Hound. I cried through the entire movie. The entire thing.)

It was a lot of fun (minus the boring/stupid movies, but even they were still fun to make fun of). It is also amazing to see the evolution of animation and storytelling since 1938 when Snow White was released. I'm not quite as into that as Aaron is. He loved to watch the "Making of" Bonus Feature on EVERY movie. Plus every other Bonus Feature. And then he read more about each movie beyond that. I just asked for the highlights.

We do love Disney and can't wait to share it's magical-ness with Graeme. We are seriously pumped to take him to Disney World sometime this year, Lord willing. Obviously he won't remember or care yet. But we will remember and enjoy taking him for the first time. Plus, he's still free!

with just one month left! (also, here's how to spell and say my baby's name correctly...)

We have made it to the beginning of the ninth month! I can't believe that we have reached 36 weeks. Just 4 left until our due date. That's only 28 days! I thank God every day for this baby boy and bringing us to this point. I trust His timing and even though it's getting hard to be patient now, I know Graeme will make his appearance at just the right time.

Sometimes, this pregnancy feels like it has been looong. Not because I'm miserable or anything. Just because we are SO. EXCITED. It's kind of like how it was waiting for our wedding. We had a ten month engagement. By the end, we were extremely ready to just be married. Now, at the end of this pregnancy, we are extremely ready to meet Graeme.

Speaking of Graeme, I just have to do this one more time. Actually, I know I'll have to do this many times in his life. We join the other parents who give their children "unusual" names that people have trouble saying and spelling. It's not the people's fault. They try their best. We chose the name. We knew it was different. It's our own fault. So Aaron reminds me to be gracious. But, again, if you're reading this, please take note:

His name, which is a form of the name "Graham," is a spelling that we thought more people would have seen or heard. We didn't make it up. It is a more popular spelling in Europe I believe. We saw it spelled that way because Aaron owns several children's books by the author Graeme Base. His website is here. There are other Graemes in the world too, according to Google. At least when our Graeme complains about how no one spells his name right one day we can show him that he's not alone. We just really liked that spelling.

Now, his name is NOT pronounced "Gray-mee."  

It IS pronounced "Gray-em." (Silent "e" at the end). It's kind of like how "Graham" is pronounced. We didn't want that spelling for his name though, and we also wanted it to lean towards a two-syllable pronunciation instead of saying it like you would say "This weighs one 'gram.'"

So, I hope that helps anyone that was or is confused. We have other friends who just posted a video of how to pronounce their baby's name, so we might follow suit and do that as well. Here, however is this helpful little YouTube video that I found for now:

Here's the link if your phone or tablet wouldn't play it:  http://youtu.be/FzprmTs6d1Y

Ok, my rant is over. We love the name of our little Graeme Grayson Bauer.

Back to the weekly update.

With just one month left, I have little to complain about still. I feel very blessed to have had such an easy pregnancy. I barely remember my "sick days," even though back then I know they felt long and awful. I know every pregnancy is different, and I will remember this one with fondness should I not be so lucky the next time!

It is getting a tad tricky to maneuver these days. I feel like I drop things all the time now that it's such a pain to bend over. I am sleeping pretty well at night, but if I stay in one position too long, I wake up quite uncomfortable.

I've also been experiencing some contractions. The first night I really noticed them, I wasn't sure if that's what they were. I went to the most reliable source we have these days:  the internet. (Yeah right!) It was basically useless because apparently everyone has a different opinion of how a contraction feels. But, I did deduce that I was having them. They were still pretty inconsistent, so no worries yet.

Now that we are in "the zone" where he could come anytime soon, I am a little more on edge about symptoms again. Like in my first trimester when every little pain or ache totally freaked me out, now at the end of the third trimester I'm all like "What if my water broke in the shower?! How would I know?!" and "Are these contractions the real thing or was it just because I cleaned the entire house and then gave the dog a bath and now I'm paying for it?" (it was the latter of course)

We had an appointment yesterday morning. Since we were one day off of 36 weeks, they actually didn't measure or do any checking of things besides the normal. Go figure. On the bright side, the doctor said Graeme had turned around and is in the head down position, so that was an answer to prayer! His heartbeat was miraculous and amazing as always. And we go back in just one week. We'll go every week from here on out.

Sorry for the long blog post. Who knows how many more of these I'll have to do...one week soon the update will be that he's finally here!

of Valentines gone by...

Aaron and I celebrated our sixth Valentine's Day together yesterday. That was hard to believe. I felt like taking a trip down memory lane...

1. I searched the archives of our old blog to find a post that Aaron had written about our first Valentine's Day together in 2009...

We planned a day on Friday, February 13th to go to the beach.  We couldn’t go on Valentine’s Day because she was singing at Journey on Saturday.  It was a great day.  We went to the beach, cold, yes.  A lot happened that day, but the best thing was we were together and had a fantastic day.  That evening, after explaining a little more about myself, my flaws and defects, letting her know what she’d be in for if we kept this thing going, I told her.  I said, “I love you.” And she couldn’t wait to tell me the same.

Those words are sweet, and sacred.  And I like that I have shared them with my best friend for life.

February 13,2009

2. After much research, I was finally able to remember our second Valentine's Day together in 2010. We were engaged, and Valentine's Day was on a Sunday. So, the day before, we went to Southpoint for dinner and to see the movie Valentine's Day. Aaron found a post on his Facebook Timeline from February 14, 2010 that said we were watching the Winter Olympics and I was commentating (sounds familiar...).

February 14, 2010

3. The next Valentine's Day, we were married, and I distinctly remember this Valentine's Day because I got an awful stomach bug. Thankfully, we had celebrated the weekend before with a trip to the Biltmore House where Aaron gave me my heart necklace that I still wear most days of the week. On actual Valentine's Day, I was so sick that I couldn't eat the special dinner I had planned. I still cooked it for Aaron. It was my first time roasting an entire chicken and the first time I made chocolate mousse (which turned out more like chocolate pudding that time...).

At Biltmore in February 2011, wearing my Valentine's Day necklace.

4. The year after that, 2012, we were in our house. That year we had a low key Valentine's Day at home. We both worked all day, then I made dinner and gave Aaron a band that made his iPod Nano into a watch. He got me beautiful flowers. Oh yeah, Penny was around by then too.

5. Last year, in 2013, I enjoyed my freedom of not having to work anywhere (I hadn't started working at Journey yet and had stopped my nanny job). I sent Aaron off to work after making him a fun breakfast (see picture below), and then I set out on making him a lunch that I thought was quite clever. You can read all about it here. We had dinner at home (which apparently is our tradition...it is such a hassle to go out to eat on actual Valentine's Day), and I made chocolate mousse that turned out WAY better than the first time. My culinary skills had progressed quite a bit.

6. That brings us to this year! We decided to forego presents, but we went out shopping for cards together the weekend before. Aaron struck out on finding a card that he liked, and planned to get his later. I, however, found the most perfect card ever created by a greeting card company. 

The "snowpocalypse" that struck Raleigh ended up foiling Aaron's card and flower plans, but I didn't mind at all. He made me a card that was way better than one he could have bought.

Our sweet neighbors ended up supplying Valentine's Day flowers. They were waiting for us when we got home from the gym.

I made breakfast that included Valentine's Day toast, of course.

We did venture out for a bit in the afternoon. Caribou Coffee was having a BOGO deal. And since we were basically at Crabtree after going to Caribou, we stopped in to walk around. Aaron spent an American Eagle gift card that he still had from his birthday, we traded two Vinylmations (and somehow walked out of the Disney Store without spending any money), and bought pajamas for Graeme that we just couldn't pass up (somehow he and Penny got the only Valentine's Day presents, and I'm pretty sure they don't even know it was a holiday...).

I tried out a new recipe for dinner from my handy Betty Crocker Cookbook that our friend Lisa gave us so long ago. Betty has yet to let me down. It was so tasty.

Herb crusted pork tenderloin, rosemary roasted potatoes, and broccoli.

We had a wonderful, relaxing meal together that ended with chocolate mousse, of course. 

After dinner, we danced in the living room, laughing at the ever-growing bump in between us that makes dancing a little more difficult. We then had the funny, clever idea to dance with a star show around us using our son's swing. Might as well put this swing to use any way we can while it's just sitting here empty!

It was a wonderful Valentine's Day to end six years of celebrating "just the two of us." Next year, we will have another little Valentine to spoil. Although I am sure a homemade dinner and chocolate mousse will still be in order. And probably a date night without the little one on a different night. I have a feeling his grandparents will be more than willing to let us go out...