Bubblicious

Baby #3: 36 weeks

How I'm Feeling: 

Good, but totally uncomfortable during the night.  I wake up several times a night with a backache.  Boo.

Baby Center says:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Sarah Talk + Yesterday's To-Do List

We're back home from taking Caleb to school this morning and I have a few fun things to share with you.
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Sarah is saying sentences!
She frequents the phrase "I can..." (insert jump, do it, brush teeth, hold it, get it, eat it, etc)
Here are a few of the sentences I've heard in just the last few minutes:
Take shoes off now.
I am cold.
Cover up.
Help, Mommy.
Dark in here.
Get silky. (her blanket)
Need pillow.

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Caleb was at a loss this morning when he couldn't find the cars he picked out to take in the car on the two-minute drive to school.  I found them shortly thereafter.  Can you guess how they ended up in there?

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I finished the fall mantel yesterday.  It was one of the three things I accomplished from yesterday's to-do list.
I only see a few similarities between it and my inspiration photo, but I love my version just the same.
It cost me nothing.  That is always a beautiful thing.

• I cut branches from our crape myrtle and stripped them of their leaves.
• I used fabric and paper I already had for the large frame.
• I printed pictures onto regular printer paper and taped them to the front of the frames.
• The white pumpkin (it was maroon, but I spray painted it white), leaves, and votive holders are from last year.
• The leafy battery operated candle that you can barely see of the far end is a purchase from last winter when it was marked down from $16.95 to $2.18 at Pier One Imports.  Score.

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I made the laundry soap using the recipe from Great Oak Circle.

6 cups Borax

4 cups Baking Soda

4 cups Washing Soda

4 cups Fels-Naptha bar soap (about 2 bars)

It made about 3 1/2 mason jars of detergent when all was said and done.
Two Fels-Naptha bars did NOT yield 4 cups after being finely grated in the food processor.  It was more like 3 cups.

The Fels-Naptha looked like cheddar cheese after the initial grating!

Remember that you only use 2 Tbsp for each load of laundry, so this should last quite a while.

Also, I thought you might like a price break down in case you're considering doing it yourself.  

All of my items were purchased at Wal-Mart without coupons or sales.  Every item was found on the laundry ailse.

2 Fels-Naptha Bars @ $0.97 each

Arm & Hammer Laundry Powder @ $3.24
Borax @ $2.98
Large Box of Baking Soda @ $2.12
TOTAL was $10.28 before tax

I also purchased Main-Stays brand Mason Jars @ $7.88/dozen

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Later, taters!

Show and Tell: The Letter M

Caleb's class will be having Show and Tell each Friday.  This is an optional activity, but I think it will be quite fun.  I'm not sure about Caleb, but it will be fun for me!

Each student is asked to find an item from home beginning with the letter of the week.  Then we are to put it in a bag and give three clues to help the class guess what the item is.

Let's see if you can guess what Caleb picked out for this week!

To Do List: Thurs, Sept 8

1. Quiet Time (Beth Moore's Breaking Free)

2. Make Laundry Detergent using a recipe from Great Oak Circle (dot com).

3. Create our fall mantel using inspiration from Sweet Something Design.

4. Finalize a pattern for Advent calendars or banner to place in my Etsy Shop and my booth at the Spring Valley Craft Bazaar.

5. Plan a few meals for the next week or so...you can tell how ambitious I am.

Bright and Cheerful

Oh, yeah.  This is how my girl flashes her best smile!

Thank you, Granny, for my new outfit!  I LOVE it!

And yes, Granana, that is a hair bow that you made!

AND...since I don't want to create a post with a depressing title, I'll go ahead and include my 35 week belly photo here, too.

I have officially reached the point where it's too risky to wear the tankini bottom to this swimsuit.  And by too risky, I mean that my baby belly pushes it down a little too far...if you get my drift.

Baby #3: 35 weeks

How I'm Feeling:
Thankful for the motivation to get out of the house or to actually do things when I am spending the day at home.  I'm just trying to keep myself active and busy.  It helps the time pass and helps me feel like I'm doing something to keep my weight gain at a minimum (30 pounds so far).


Baby Center says:
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.