I'm huge.

So I know today isn't the normal day for me to post belly pictures, but I was bored and amazed by how BIG I feel today. Please ignore the tight yoga pants--I know they're not attractive, but they're comfy!

And here is what I see when I try to look at my feet (yes, the view does usually include Suki):

I feel enormous, and I know I'm only going to get bigger in the next couple of months!

Furniture

I didn't make any great effort to make these even decent pictures, but I wanted to show you Ella's furniture!

Here's the crib we got from a warehouse clearance sale for a GREAT deal:

It even converts to a toddler bed, a daybed, and a full-size bed!

Here's the bookshelf from Target:

And here is what I am most proud of, the "changing table" (really a short dresser) that I got for $20 from a junk store. I primed it, painted it, and put new handles on it today. I wish I had taken before and after pictures! Here it is:

Ella's room is still a disaster, but we're getting closer to arranging it!

Eek!

That number on the ticker is scary! Only 11 more weeks until my due date!!! And anything after 37 weeks is considered "term", so it could be as short as 8 weeks! I am actually very ready to see her and be with her; I just can't believe it's coming up so quickly. We got the crib assembled this weekend, we ordered the mattress (which reminds me--I need to take it off the registry), I bought a short chest-of-drawers to use as a changing table (I'm taking a break from painting it right now), and Chris assembled her bookshelf. I don't think we'll get to actually painting her room before she arrives, but I figure she won't come out demanding a perfectly decorated nursery--especially since she won't be sleeping in it for several, several months!

We got a truckload full of free T-posts and electric tape to use for the horse fencing, so Chris has been out working on that all day. The tape was all bundled up in knotted masses, so he's been trying to get it spooled and organized. He may even start setting posts today! I just get to supervise this time, and that's just fine with me :-) When we set up the fence in Powhatan, I worked like crazy all day and thought I was going to pass out. I can't wait to get Sierra out here and settled, too!

One more post for today

I made a couple of recycled pre-fold diapers last night. Nothing fancy, but I think they're kind of cute. If they don't work out as diapers (I doubt they'll be absorbent enough), they'll at least make great burp cloths! I used two of my old t-shirts for the back part that would be visible if worn, and the inside is made of Chris' old undershirts (you can see the inside in the middle pic). I altered the one with the dog and the cat a little bit--I left a slot open so I could add an insert to make it more absorbent.

I can't wait to make more REAL cloth diapers! I want to order some fabric from online and get sewing. I got a pattern that makes all sorts of diapers and covers, and I'm really anxious to start. I'm going to wait, though, until after my showers so I can see what other people bless me with.

Finally...pictures!

Here I am today at 28 weeks, 5 days. It's not on my regular schedule, but I really wanted to put up pics!

We went to the midwife today and got lots of good news: I don't have gestational diabetes and I am not anemic! So *THERE* to those who think you can't be vegan and have a healthy pregnancy! :-P I should probably knock on wood--this show ain't quite over yet! With every day that passes, though, I get more and more excited to meet our little Ella. Leslie confirmed that she is head down today, and I suspect that's her position most of the time. I think she's ready to meet us too!

Leslie gave me two recommendations today--drink Red Raspberry Leaf tea twice a day to help tone my uterus and get it ready for labor, and have sex at least once a week (!) to help my cervix "ripen". Now that's some advice I'm sure Chris is excited to follow! :-)

In other (less awkward) news, here's what we saw outside our window the other day:

I can't believe how much both Chris and I love our new home. Yes, there are some problems (including stinky well water!), but we both feel so safe and so comfortable here. Chris said the other day that he feels more at home here than he ever felt at the old house--and that's saying A LOT for him! He loved that house, but now he says he doesn't even miss it! We both look forward to coming home, and I don't feel isolated like so many people feared I would. The little town of Montpelier is a short 10-minute drive away, and it has everything I need. There is a grocery store, an organic store, a general store, a bank, a farm store, a couple of restaurants, and a nail place. My good friend Gigi lives about 4 minutes away, and I actually "dropped in" at her house today. She gave me about 10 pounds of apples from her trees! I am truly loving my life here in good ol' Bumpass!

Am I greedy?

I set up another registry for Ella...maybe it's her that's greedy! Check out the link to the left for Abby's Lane. I registered for cloth diapers, diaper covers, and accessories. I also registered for BabyLegs, which are the cutest darned things if you've never seen them. Here's what they look like:

They come in a ton of different patterns, and I registered for quite a few. I actually didn't even finish looking at the patterns because there were so many! Their real purpose is to keep the baby's legs covered when being held or in a stroller (when the gap appears between the pants/skirt and socks). Honestly, I just think they're cute!

Only one house now...

The other house closed, and now we are the proud owners of only one house! :-) We are loving it here, and the setting is just so beautiful. No, there are no pictures. Because we are SOOOO far out, we had to get an air card for the computer to serve as a modem. That pretty much means that our internet connection works like a cell phone (the service is actually through Verizon wireless). Unfortunately, that means that we can only upload/download a limited amount of data each month. I'm not sure how much a few pictures would use up, but I don't really want to chance going over this early in the cycle! I will post another belly picture as soon as we have a clean place to take it, and then I will see where we stand for further uploads right before our cell plan cycles. If we still have plenty of space left, I'll upload pictures of the house!

In Ella news, she is becoming even more active than usual! She used to only move around when I would rest (sitting, lying down, etc.), but now she'll give me a swift kick while I'm walking around trying to get things done. If I lean over a counter that's at belly-height, she'll kick in protest! She still likes to get REALLY active when I lie down at night, so I have to lie down about 30 minutes before I actually want to get to sleep.

I am going for the gestational diabetes screening next week, which I'm not completely thrilled about. I think it's kind of weird that they measure how well your body deals with sugar by asking you to consume something very quickly that is way sweeter than anything you would normally eat. Well, duh! My body probably isn't going to handle it well! I will probably get a headache or feel nauseated. Actually, about 25% of women who take the test "fail" it. Out of those, only a tiny percentage actually has gestational diabetes. If you "fail" the test, you have to return for a 3-hour long test which requires you to fast beforehand. Ugh! No fun! I kind of wanted to opt out of it, but I think Chris really wanted me to take it since I have a bit of a sweet tooth and my sister had GD. I just don't want to fail it!

Wish me luck!