21 weeks already!

My Baby
By the end of this week, your baby will measure about 7 inches from crown to rump and tip the scales at nearly a pound. Not too shabby for someone who barely weighed an ounce 10 weeks ago! Part of her growth spurt is likely because her stomach is now equipped to start absorbing energy-boosting nutrients from the amniotic fluid she's swallowing in there. (But most of your baby's nourishment is still coming directly from the placenta.)
Your baby's hearing is becoming even more fine-tuned now. In addition to making out your heartbeat, stomach rumblings, pulsing blood vessels, and your voice resonating inside the uterus, she can also hear sounds and conversations coming from the world outside of Mama. So have your partner chat her up regularly, too! This doesn't have to be nightly renditions of Goodnight Moon, by the way. You can each read regular books or mags aloud, sing along with the radio, or even just give baby a brief recap of your day -- especially all the parts where you couldn't stop thinking about her!

I can't believe I've passed the halfway mark already! It's amazing, and very exciting! It's starting to really hit me that there is a little life that I'm building, and everything! I'm still trying to get the bedroom organized, and there is still some stuff I know I need for the bedroom, but I'm trying not to stress about it yet. The baby it still a ways off from coming, so I don't need it all tomorrow. I'd just like to be able to get the room organized, so the biggest thing I'd like to get soon would be a bookcase and a little table to go in the room to put my lamp on. I'll probably check freecycle for both of those, which will save some money!

News from home

A random mid-week post that has nothing to do with babies or knitting! Go figure!

I figured I should probably give an update of just things here at home!

This week has been pretty quiet. John went back to school on Tuesday for his teacher days. Today is his last one, then he has a 4 day weekend for the holiday, and he's back to school on Tuesday with students. It's nice for him, they get to ease back into it - 3 days without students, 4 days with students, 4 1/2 days with students (they have a half day the second week of school), 5 days with students.

Second, John had an audition for the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra on Monday. The PSO is a semi-professional orchestra that rehearses (obviously) in Portsmouth, but performs all over the Seacoast. He just heard yesterday that he got the trumpet spot that was open. He was surprised, he thought for sure it would go to someone else that was there, but he was happy, and I think he is excited too. I am excited for him!

I am still off for another week before starting my new job - I don't go in until the 6th. It will be nice to get out of the house and go to work for 12 hours a week. I was thinking that it's a great way to "ease" back into the workforce too, since I've been off for the last month, and have been out of social work for almost 9 months!

Did anyone see the story on Good Morning America about the blog that bashed Elizabeth Edwards for taking their kids on the road with them? I just looked up the blog online, and read the post and Elizabeth Edward's response. I don't know how I feel about it - frankly, I figure their parenting choices are their own, so long as they're not denying their children and education, or fostering any other form of abuse or neglect while on the road.

I guess that about wraps up this post for the time being. I guess I'm going to go knit :-)

Much awaited ultrasound photos

Oh my goodness, the ultrasound was just the coolest thing ever! John couldn't go because of work, but my mom came, and it was amazing! We were able to see the baby opening and closing it's mouth, stretching, kicking, moving it's hands and arms... I was glad I decided not to find out the sex of the baby, because the sonographer wasn't able to determine anyway. The heartbeat was good and strong, at about 144 beats per minute, which is down from 160 at my last appointment. It was just the most amazing thing! So without further ado, here are the photos:

Good news!

I definitely did get the case manager job I was hoping for! The downside is that the hours have been cut from 20 to 12 for the time being (Seacoast Interfaith Hospitality Network is a non-profit and is all grant driven) because the money for my position is being split between me and the new position the woman who had my job is creating. We're hoping come 2008 that I'll be able to be back up to 20 hours. In the meantime, I'm going to sub at John's school again for the three days I won't be working at the shelter.

I figured since no one is really familiar with SIHN, I'd post a little blurb about it:

Any family can meet with hardships causing loss of income, health, and home. When these crises present themselves, a community shares hospitality and transitional assistance with families facing temporary homelessness. The Seacoast Interfaith Hospitality Network (SIHN) provides a structured path toward self-sufficiency, consistent income, and stable housing. Seacoast IHN relies on hundreds of community volunteers from different faiths. Our mission is to meet the food and shelter needs of guest families while preserving their dignity and privacy. Families with children under 18 years old are admitted to the Seacoast IHN program following an interview process. A case manager designs a custom goal-oriented plan with the family that defines steps to regain self-sufficiency and secure housing. Until that plan is fully executed, usually 8-12 weeks, guest families receive compassion and encouragement from our volunteers.

Local faith-based institutions open their facilities to serve meals, provide private sleeping arrangements, and distribute personal necessities to up to 14 guests at a time. Professional staff operate the Family Resource Center by day where families receive information and advocacy to services including public housing, employment, training, and education. The Center also provides a kitchen, children’s play area, computers, and telephones.

A typical day in the network begins early at the host congregation where families pack lunch, have breakfast and board the agency van or drive themselves to the Family Resource Center, school, work, or training programs. In the evening, guest families return to the host congregation for the evening meal, followed by playing, sharing, and doing homework. Each family then retires to private quarters for the night.

The community rallies to empower and encourage families to become independent and to maintain that independence after leaving the network.

After several years of development, Seacoast Interfaith Hospitality Network opened its doors in November 2003 with 8 faith-based partners and one paid staff person. Each partner in the network provides scores of volunteers to fulfill the mission of the organization, while offering each congregation the opportunity to serve those in the community in need right in the congregation's own building. Congregations that normally would have little interaction are working together as partners to provide this important service to families. No preaching is permitted, but volunteers are able to demonstrate their faith commitment through the example of their good deeds. In 2006, Seacoast IHN had 2 paid staff, more than 400 volunteers, and 13 congregations involved and more are needed.

You can check out the website at www.sihnnh.org and see more about it!

I'm very excited about starting off in this new position, and am looking forward to it gaining more hours! The other nice benefit is that Pati, the director, already knows about me being pregnant, and instead of having to pay for daycare, I can bring the baby to work with me! That will be a huge money saver!

Halfway there!!!

My Baby
Congrats -- you're halfway there! Your baby measures around 6.5 inches from head to rump and weighs between 9 and 10 ounces. The big news this week: He's growing layers of that gorgeous baby-soft skin underneath the protective vernix (a creamy, white moisturizer that's keeping his skin safe and scratch-free). Your baby's happy as a clam in there, as his well-developed limbs continue to explore the womb by curling, flexing, and kicking. And as his hair, nails, and eyebrows continue to sprout, your fetus is looking remarkably more and more like Mom and Dad every day.

My Life
Funny how sometimes all you can think about is being pregnant (I can't believe my boobs! Why are my feet killing me? I really miss sushi...) and then other times, you become completely fixated on the baby herself -- and how her arrival is going to completely rock your world. It's a good idea to check in with your partner to get on the same page when it comes to chore divvying and other new-baby issues. Planning to breastfeed? Maybe it becomes Dad's job to feed you -- so dinner prep is one less thing on your plate. Or if you're waking up three times a night for feeding, maybe your partner takes on diaper duty as often as possible. When it comes to maternity leave and childcare, will your partner be able to take any extended time off? If you're staying home for a while, discuss how you'll get those much-needed baby breaks. Maybe he can re-jigger his work schedule to go in late one or two days a week, for example, so you can sleep in. Of course, you can't plan too much in advance, but you're better off making sure that your partner's well aware of some of the compromises and trade-offs you'll have down the road. This is tag-team parenting, after all!

I'm halfway there!!! I can't believe I'm already 20 weeks in! I figured out yesterday that, since a pregnancy is considered full term at 37 weeks, I will be considered full term the week of Christmas, so there is a very distinct chance I could have the baby that week! That would be amazing! I spent a chunk of time yesterday sorting through baby clothes that we've gotten and figuring out what we still need. We actually need quite a bit more than I thought we did, because we keep getting tons of onesies (aka creepers) but not a lot of actual clothing type clothes. So keep that in mind if you feel like buying us clothes at all! We also need a few more things in the "newborn" size department, but not a lot, as the baby won't be in that size very long!

Only 20 more weeks to go!

Knitting projects

Here are the photos of my two most recent completions! The first is my very first attempt at a pair of mittens. Sadly, I can't remember the yarn I used off the top of my head, but it's very soft and very warm. Each ball makes one pair, with a little yarn left over. I made two pairs of these mittens, one for me and one for my mom. She loved them! I'm in the process of making up my own mittens from the same pattern but a thinner yarn (this time I'm just using Lions Brand Wool-Ease Chunky in the same blue as the ruana I knit).

This photo is a baby hat I knit for baby Roo. Roo's due date is January 17th (just a reminder for anyone who forgot) so I wanted to make sure he/she has a warm hat to wear when we have to venture out. Of course, we'll have a snow suit or a bunting for them to wear too, but it can get pretty darn chilly here in New Hampshire!

Job interviews

I've had two job interviews this week, and I have a third one tomorrow. I was turned down for the first job (just as well, I'm sure I would have hated it), I was offered the job for the interview I had today (which is a decent job working as a paraprofessional in Epping) and tomorrow is an interview for a part-time case manager job at a homeless shelter.

I have a history with the case manager job. Let me back track a little: I interviewed for this job in the late spring of this year, after leaving my job at DCYF. The woman doing the interviewing is a woman I know from church, and a group we were in together. The decision wasn't up to her, but she said I was in the top two. The board of directors made the decision to hire someone else. Well, The other day I get an e-mail from her: Melissa, are you working?

Me: No, not yet. I’ve got some interviews, but the more pregnant I look, the harder it is to get hired anywhere. I’m doing some independent contracting for Social Work p.r.n, but I JUST started, and haven’t gotten any assignments yet.
Why, you still have something open at your place? :-)

Her: Yes, The case manager who came here, who is a wonderful woman, really wants to be more out in the field, on the road and following the families when they are out of the program.
I am going to have her look for funding to see if we could facilitate that.
She will be here through the end of the month. Interested in packing up 15 to 20 hours with me? $20.00 an hour.

Me: Definitely still interested!!!

Her: Can you come for one more interview on Friday the 24th and plan on starting after Labor Day?

Me: Absolutely!!!

So, anyway, does that seem to you that she offered me the job? Or just an interview, telling me that I would start after labor day if I get the job? At first I thought she offered it to me, then I wasn't so sure. I don't really know what to think right now, so I figured I'd go through with the other interviews, and see what happens. I can always turn down a job, but I'd rather not have nothing to fall back on if this one doesn't work out.

So, what makes this so ideal? Well, for one, the pay. Second, she already knows I'm pregnant, so that won't be an issue. Third, I can take the baby to work with me! So that will be great - no daycare cost! Johns parents have even offered to help out for a day or so a week, which would be nice.

So that's where I stand right now. I'll update again tomorrow with the final verdict on a job, as well as the latest updates about the baby. I can't belive that I'll be considered full term in just 18 short weeks!

Newest Baby Update

My Baby
Your baby's skin is now covered with vernix, a slippery white coating that protects her birthday suit from getting chapped or scratched. This week, the motor neurons in baby's brain -- the nerves that control muscle movement -- continue to develop, which means if you haven't felt those first kicks yet, you will soon! There's so much going on these days, you may even be able to spot your baby's gymnastics during a mid-pregnancy ultrasound -- usually administered between weeks 18 and 22. This checkup assesses your baby's growth (the technician will begin to ID and measure the bones in her little body), lets your doctor confirm or adjust your due date, and can reveal the million-dollar question: Boy or girl? (If you don't want to know, make sure your doctor and the ultrasound technician are well aware of it in advance!) Bring your partner or best friend -- it's amazing to see baby kick, wave, and even somersault for the camera. You might also catch her sucking her thumb or hiccupping. Plus, you'll get pictures to bring home for the brag book. (Scan these ASAP so you don't lose them!) You may have gotten pics at previous ultrasounds, but now your baby's got clearly identifiable features. This time, you may not need the technician to point out what you're looking at.

My Life
Smack-dab in the middle of your pregnancy may feel too early to start buying nursery furniture, but trust us, it's not. If you have any intention of getting furniture online or from a specialty store, you'll need to start your search soon, since big items like cribs or rockers with custom fabric can take six to 12 weeks. Some things to keep in mind: All of the big crib makers conform to general safety standards -- no need to tote along your tape measure to check the distance between crib slats. Think about the future before you buy, though. Will you want to transition your crib or rocker to baby #2? (If so, make sure it's not too girly or masculine, because you never know what you'll have next!) If not, know that lots of cribs transform into toddler beds, a great way to get more than a couple years out of it. And while you should definitely browse for styles you like online, make sure to go to the store before you actually order. Cribs are big, and you'll be looking at this one for at least the next two years. You want to be happy with your choice.

One last shameless self promotion: We have baby registries at Target and at Babie's R Us. If you want links to either of them, please e-mail me and I will send them to you!

There was lightnin' last night!

So last night I ran an errand to the mall. There had been a severe thunderstorm watch in effect for a good part of the night, but it didn't look like there was a storm coming. I left Kane loose in the house, and headed out to the mall. When I left the mall, I noticed that it didn't "feel" like thunderstorm weather, so I didn't think much of it. However, by the time I made it to my car, there was lightning off in the distance. So I think "Uh oh" and start racing to get home to my dog and cats, thinking they'd be freaked out if the storm was up in our area. As I'm driving home, I can't keep my eyes off the sky, because the lightning show was just too much to handle! I wanted to watch it just go on and on! (I'd like to note that I did not take the above photo - I borrowed it from an online site to use as an illustration of the lightning that we were seeing in our area. It was taken by someone named Vlado Janzekovic.)

So I am driving home, just watching these streaks of lightning flying through the sky every 15 seconds or less. It was unbelieveable! And it didn't stop! The storm started around 8pm or so, and didn't quit until well after midnight! Everytime you'd think it was going away, it would pop right back up again, and it was unbelieveable.

John and I layed in bed last night, and he was telling me about driving home from his rehearsal in Gilford, and how he was seeing the same type of lightning, almost 2 hours after I was seeing it! We tried to remember storms when we were younger, and all we could rememer was these big flashes of light, but rarely being able to see lightning like that. We always pictured that type of lightning to be something you see out over the mid-west some where.

It was kind of neat while it lasted, and I'm glad that if we were going to get a cool heavenly light show like that, it happened at night so we could truely appreciate the awesome power Mother Nature has. That being said, I'm glad it's over too.

Misc. Update

I feel like that's the only title to give my updates these days, because I feel like I'm ALWAYS updating!



Okay, so here we go:

1. John's car came out of the shop yesterday, so that's good. It wasn't as expensive as we thought it would be either, which is ALSO a good thing. You never realize how much you rely on having two cars until you suddenly don't. Turns out it was the alternator that went, plus he needed an inspection. He still has to get his third break light (the one over the rear window) replaced because some punk kid at his school smashed his to bits, and it doesn't work. My car goes in for its inspection on Monday. I know it will need at least two new tires to pass, but possibly 4. It also might need breaks, but otherwise, it's in good shape. I like my car. :o)



2. I had a "job interview" yesterday which went well. I put the words job interview in quotes, because it wasn't really an interview. It was basically me sitting down with this guy, Arni Swanson, and him telling me all about Social Work p.r.n., which is like the equivalent of a temp agency for social workers. P.R.N. is the medical abbreviation for "as needed." So I've agreed to go on with them as an independent contractor. I got all of my paperwork out in the mail today, and I'm waiting on my liability insurance to come through. In the meantime, the hunt for an at-home job continues. We need the income of two jobs, but my primary goal is to not have to pay for day care when the time comes. I would much prefer to be able to stay at home with the baby if given the choice.



There was something else I was going to update about, but I can't remember what.



John and I will be away this weekend at my parents house, but I'll probably post with a baby update before we go for the weekend.

Car woes

Last night John and I went out to our favorite date night spot, Café on the Corner, which is down in Dover. We got there around 8:10 and had a good time just relaxing drinking hot chocolate (for John) and chai (for me). Then at about 9pm we started driving home, and as we headed up towards Weeks Crossing (a major intersection on the Dover/Somersworth line) John noticed his car acting funny. The interior lights were getting all dim and I think the headlights were too. I didn't think anything of it, because the interior lights in my car are bright blue, and you would definitely notice them if something was wrong. John's, however, are green, so I didn't pay much attention, because I think green lights are dimmer anyway (just my perception). But John said that something was up with the car, so he pulled into the Friendly's parking lot, thinking he could just restart the car. Nope. As soon as he shut it off, it wouldn't turn back on. He thought it was the battery, but I told him that couldn't be the case, because the lights all worked. Then I noticed the clock in the car had reset itself to 12:00 (like if you lose power). So then, we decided we'd call Johns parents. Well, John's pre-paid phone had no minutes on it (he never puts any on it in the summer), and I didn't have my cell phone (because I didn't bring my purse at all). So then John thought there was a payphone in Friendly's. I guess they took it out though, beccause he had to use the restaurant phone to call them. So they came, picked us up, brought us back to their house, and John called a towing company. Someone got out there just after 10 to get the car, and they towed it to the shop we get all our car repairs done at. $75 later, Johns parents were driving us back home, and I was in such a bad mood it practially ruined the rest of the night.

Then, I started to feel horribly guilty for not having a full time job to help pay for all the costs of stuff that we needed to pay for now (his car repairs, our impending inspections and registrations, etc.). We've been counting on this help that we're supposed to be getting any day now (but we've been "supposed to be getting it any day now" since April), but since we don't know when it will get here, my guilt is just immeasurable. With a baby on the way, the last things I need are to be broke and stressed all the time.

Anyway, I just needed to rant about this for a while.

Newest baby update

My Baby
These days, when your heart beats, your little baby may be able to hear it! With the bones and nerves in his ears developed enough to function, he can now hear all sorts of sounds -- from blood coursing through the umbilical cord to the rumblings of your hungry tummy. Over the next few weeks, he'll be able to detect voices and music outside the womb as well, so it's time to bust out the books and practice your storytelling skills! Your baby's growing into one smart cookie as his brain continues to differentiate into specialized regions. He may even exhibit primitive reflexes in utero -- such as recoiling when startled by a loud noise.

Did I mention in my last update that my next ultrasound is scheduled for August 29th? I couldn't remember, but that's when it is. I'm excited to go! Still unsure if we're going to find out if it's a boy or a girl, but part of me kind of wants to and part of me kind of doesn't. I don't want to get all excited for one sex, only to find out they made a mistake and I actually had the opposite. We'll see I guess.

I've had a lot of people asking me lately when my baby shower is going to be, so let me put this out there: I am NOT throwing my own baby shower. I consider it rude to throw a shower for oneself in order to ask for presents. If anyone out there would like to throw a shower, you are more than welcome (dare I say, encouraged? :-) ) to throw one, but I want to make it clear that I am NOT the one throwing the shower. Therefor I know nothing about details of one.

Anyway, sorry to put that downer on the post, but I wanted to make that a well known fact before I got asked again. I am hoping that my family will throw one in November when Aunt Donna is in town. She wasn't able to come to my bridal shower because of timing, and I'd like her to be able to be in town for the baby shower, if nothing else!

Let's see... what else... I can't think of much. I started knitting a baby hat, and I'll probably do some baby mittens soon - though they won't be real mittens per say - just kind of little pouches to put their whole hands into. Baby hands are so tiny they won't fit well into actual mittens, and they'd have a hard time keeping their thumbs warm. I'll post a picture of the hat when it's finished.

Our Mini-Vacation

We just got in from our mini-vacation to Maine yesterday, and we had a great time! I uploaded the pictures to Shutterfly, so if you want to see them, send me an e-mail so I can send you the album. They're also on Facebook if anyone wants to look at them there.

We arrived at the Carriage House at about 5:30 on Sunday evening.

It was great to get back there! Marcia, the owner, greeted us with big hugs and brought us up to our room. It was nice to stay in the same room as we were in before when we were there for our honeymoon.

We went out to dinner at a place called Foxy's.

It was kind of pricy, but the food was REALLY good! So it made it worth it.

Plus, the weather was beautiful, so we sat out on the deck and enjoyed our dinner there.

Our waitress was not the most personable, but she was quick with our food and everything, so we couldn't complain.

After dinner, we went back to the bed and breakfast and walked the beach. It's a rocky coast there, so there aren't any places to go swimming really, which was fine, because it was too cool to go in the water most of the trip. Not a complaint though! It was nice wearing a long sleeved teeshirt on Saturday!

Saturday morning we had breakfast at the B&B. She always makes the best breakfasts! We also hung out with Jimmy, the resident beagel.

Then we headed out to Acadia National Park for the morning to do a little hiking around on the carriage trails. They are relatively flat roads that you can walk and/or bike on, and they go all around in the woods. There is something like 49 miles of these roads, and no cars are allowed on them. They are called carriage roads because they were used only for horse drawn carriages.
That pretty much does it for all of the pictures I have. But after hiking around in Acadia, we went for a late lunch in Bar Harbor, and ate at this great little hole in the wall place called the Thirsty Whale. Good food, and even better prices, which was nice. It was a small place, not very wide at all, but long. While we were eating, it started POURING! I was on a mission to get some salt water taffy, but we couldn't find any, so I didn't get any, and we wanted to get back to the shuttle to get to our car anyway. We did that, and then it took us TWO HOURS to get from Bar Harbor to Searsport - a trip that should have taken only one hour! That was quite frustrating, but at least we didn't have to stop for food or anything. We got back to the B&B and got dried off. We didn't get any dinner until about 8:30, but by then, EVERYTHING is closed in Searsport, so we had to get Chinese food from the only open restaurant we could find! We didn't have plates or silverware, so we just got chicken fingers and crab rangoons, but they were good. We even got to watch our favorite TV show while we ate back at the B&B, since we weren't out like we thought we might be!

Sunday morning we packed up and headed out just after breakfast. We said our goodbyes,

Then headed south to go to Freeport, stop at L.L. Bean, then continue our trip the rest of the way home.

It is definitely nice to be back home, I missed our pets tremendously! And, it was nice to sleep in our own bed again too. I was quite sleepy! I didn't get up until around 8am this morning!

Tonight I'm going to an open house at NHTI to learn more about their Medical Transcription program. I'm hoping to be able to work from home once the baby comes, but I know I won't finish the program fast enough. I'm hoping we will have enough stored up though, so that I can finish up the program, then start working.

Basement photos, as promised

Above: This is looking from the top of the stairs down into the basement. You get a pretty good idea of the color of the walls from this view.

Above: This is what you see as you come down the stairs, and are about half way down. We will be putting up a bannister there once the baby comes so that we can not worry about the baby falling onto the ceramic tile.

Above: This is the room from the bottom of the stairs.

Above: I don't know what the blurry thing in the lower right corner is, but the bulk of this picture is showing where my new computer set up is. I told John the other night that I like the set up because it feels like it's in a college dorm there.

Above: You can see Johns computer and the TV in this picture. He shares a screen with the TV. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much, when I want to watch TV and he wants to play around on the computer.

Above: You can see Kane's crate tucked away under the stairs, as well as the door that goes into the unfinished part of the basement. Sorry, no photos of that!

Above: This photo makes the tile look significantly more gray than it really is - it's actually a tannish-sand color, as is the grout.

Above: These are the shelves above my desk. You can see my printer and my fish Jonah up there!