Where did the weekend go?

We packed alot into the past weekend and boy did it fly by. On Friday night Chris and I headed to Goldsboro for the Crossway Church launch and then spent the night with my family. It was an excited and long anticipated night for Crossway, Christ Baptist's first Goldsboro church plant, and we are so excited to be a part of it. On Saturday we packed up Piper and added a new passenger for our trip back to Raleigh-mom! We took a few detours to Smithfield and Babies R Us before heading home to rest, walk the mall, and eat a delicious dinner out at Applebee's. It was a full day, and we were tired by the end of it! Lots of walking and good exercise though :-) Springtime gave us a beautiful preview this weekend with some much enjoyed warm weather-I can't wait till it's here to stay!

Me and Sami posing w/ baby Evan

Chris, Piper, & Dino at the Outlets-Looks like the Flinstones were before his time..

On Sunday after church Chris and I attended our last childbirthing class at Rex. On one hand I was sad to be completing them since they were a lot of fun and very informative-but on the other hand I'm happy to have made it through and I know it means were getting closer and closer to the big day. We learned some really good and practical tips on newborn care, and were also given the low down on Cesarean sections-a fate I'm praying fervently to avoid!

At 32 weeks, this whole labor and delivery thing is becoming more of a reality, and as things slowly but surely fall into place getting things ready for our new addition-it's a reality I'm actually really looking forward to!

31 Weeks

Time continues to wiz by. Chris and I took the tour of the birth center at Rex this weekend, and are looking forward to our last class next Sunday on newborn care. At 31 weeks, baby E continues to grow and look healthy. Again, our little boy measured completely on track for 31 weeks this morning, so maybe I just feel really big, lol. Here are our the stats. from our appointment:

BP-94/58
Weight Gain-1.6 pounds, pretty good for 2 weeks! Should be gaining a pound/week at this point.
Baby’s heartrate-140’s
Milestones-We are almost done with our classes at the hospital…feeling more anxious about the realities of childbirth as d-day gets closer and closer…no signs of stretch marks yet but I feel like they could be just around the corner with this growing belly! Sleeping is not so bad except for dealing with this annoyingly persistent cold and congestion-can't wait to have my immune system back to myself!

As per baby’s latest activities-he should be weighing around 3.3 pounds and measure 17 inches give or take-plus he’ll be hitting a super growth spurt soon. He is super active these days and tumbles and turns most during the night. Can’t wait to see him in person-getting the tour of the labor and postpartum rooms, and seeing the baby warmers and nursery at the hospital was sort of surreal, but also exciting. Just 9 weeks or so to go!

Helpful Hints from "Good Housekeeping"

Every month I am so excited to receive my new "Good Housekeeping" magazine in the mail. There are always several little household tips and tricks to take away-and actually use! Last month I received a very handy(and simple) chart for the laundry detailing the different kinds of stains and how to get rid of them. I was initially planning on tacking it above the washer and dryer, but I'm ashamed to report that I'm not quite sure where it is at the moment-and even sadder is that it has very likely made its escape from our home via the recycling bin :/

So in an effort to better document and save these awesome household hints, recipes, book recommendations, ect, I've decided to blog about them. :-)

This month in GH:

Quotable quote: "Home is where one starts from." -T.S. Elliot

• Ever get those annoying little scratches on your finished wood furniture? Coffee tables, dressers, ect...turns out there's a very natural and budget friendly way of salvaging them-nuts! Fresh walnuts or Brazil nuts have natural oils that can darken the wood to hide scratches. Simply crak the nut open, then rub the meat over the scratch in the direction of the grain of the wood. Buff w/ soft, clean cloth, repeat as necessary.
  
• Speaking of wood woes, I also enjoyed this tip on how to undo water damage on a wood surface with just a clean towel and iron (not that this is necessary for me, we always use coasters in the Scott household..haha). Place the towel on top of the stain, then with low-medium heat press with iron for several seconds. The gentle heat will warm the wood finish enough to release the moisture into the towel. Lift towel to check results, and repeat if necessary.


• Chocolate is good for you (In moderation of course)! Studies show that just a little bit of the good stuff each day can lower your blood pressure, lessen bad cholesterol, inhibit the formation of blood clots and reduce stress hormones(duh!).
  
• Kale is apparently "the new pink" of vegetables. Wonder where to sneak that one in...
  
• Last but not least...For those stinky sponges-they should be washed in cold soapy water, not hot as that can encourage the spread of bacteria-and also dried vertically so as to more evenly air out and avoid mildewing.

Special Delivery!

With the special delivery of baby E's crib and dresser set, his room is well on it's way to being complete. Yesterday we had a somewhat cluttered yet blank canvass ghost of a guest room-and today it's a nursery!

UPS man pulls up with the goods(left)..Chris diligently working on the crib & dresser(right).

Chris was a champ with the assembly, and did a great job of putting everything solidly together. Notice my craftsmenship on the dresser knobs below, haha; I did my part baking cookies and passing the occasional screwdriver. I am more than pleased with how everything looks and am happy to say that both pieces really surpassed my expectations.

Presenting the adorable "after..."

Note the wood colors are a tad lighter than my camera's flash would have you believe-gotta love that point and shoot, lol. Just a few of the finer details to go-curtains, area rug, wall decor, changing pad, toy/book shelf, ect-and my vision will be complete. As a young but ambitious Martha Stewart lover, it's fun to have these home projects on the mind and daydream about colors, organization and other such creative decor outlets-what on earth will I online shop for after this room makeover, lol?

I'm overjoyed to have the cornerpeices of the room ready to go at 30 weeks, and can't wait to see the final product. :-)

*Not pictured-A sea of Styrofoam, a giant pile of cardboard boxes, and a confused, crib loving puppy.

It's not a belly, it's a baby

Alternately titled the "Almost 30 weeks update!"

Other than my surprise shot, today's doc's appointment was a very good one. Baby E continues to look healthy, and I really enjoyed the doctor we saw today. He didn't seem hurried at all and really took the time to talk to us and give us some helpful insight, plus he was older and seems like he carried a lot of good wisdom & experience under his belt. Here are the stats:

BP-100/56
Baby's Heartrate-150's
Weight Gain-Creeping up the scale a whole 6 pounds since the last appt. 4 weeks ago. I knew this baby was growing!
Milestones this week-Finding it much more uncomfortable to bend over, trek up and down the stairs and move in general like I used to. Surprisingly, the baby's measuring on track and is not tipping the charts like I supposed-feeling so enormous and all. Looks like I've got lots of growing left to do...not sure how excited I am about that ;/

This Sunday we start our "Childbirthing and Babycare Basics" class at Rex and I am super excited! Crib, dresser, and mattress are on the way and all things baby are slowly, surely, and somewhat steadily falling into place. After seeing Michelle Duggars emergency birth with precious baby #19 at 25 weeks, I am just so thankful to have made it this far and praise God for many good graces He's given me along the way.