August 20, 2008
Only five and a half more weeks until Stormie's due date. It's hard to believe how quickly this pregnancy is going, yet it seems to be lasting a very long time. This has been a rather quiet week—no big hiking or other adventures to describe. Elaine's growing belly has forced us to sideline the tandem for a while. This morning we had another positive doctor's appointment. Elaine is still gaining weight, her belly is measuring fine, Stormie's heartbeat is healthy and strong, and they even did a quick ultrasound to check on her position. She's still head-down, and still a girl. That was very reassuring news to us. Right now, little Stormie is really kicking up a storm! I don't think she comprehends the lack of room these days, however.
We're slowly getting the nursery ready. Chris put together most of the crib on Saturday except for a couple of missing or damaged pieces that will be mailed to us. Elaine spent a lot of Sunday afternoon and evening washing, folding and sorting cute little clothes and blankets, most of which were passed along by generous friends. We plan to purchase the car seat in the next few days along with the last remaining items for Stormie's care and for the nursery. Then all we'll need is a piano to introduce her to the wonderful world of music. On a different note, Chris resumed teaching classes again this week, which are off to a good start.
August 12, 2008
We're into week 33 now, which means only six and a half more weeks until Stormie's due date! The doctor says that Stormie appears to be head-down and both her heartbeat and measurements were excellent last Wednesday. Lest she come early, we are scrambling to try to be prepared. Her room is painted and ready for furniture. On Saturday we went to a large bi-annual consignment sale and bought a changing table, a few clothes, and some other baby goodies. The next day, the Gleasons gave us their swing, bouncy seat, baby carrier, and several other items that will certainly come in handy. We plan to pick up the crib this afternoon and hope to get that together this weekend. Hopefully we can get the nursery stocked and put together in the next couple of weeks. It's amazing how much gear one little person needs!
Last week, Chris's parents and brother Tom came and stayed with us, which was a lot of fun. Tom even got to sleep on an air mattress in the freshly-painted nursery. Although Elaine had to work most of the week while Chris and his family had some fun outdoor adventures, she and Stormie were able to join the rest of the family on a blueberry and blackberry hunt on Friday afternoon along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was a beautiful day and great to be outdoors. Chris agreed to carry the backpack since Elaine was already carrying the baby. Perhaps we'll switch next summer?
August 4, 2008
Less than 8 weeks remain until Stormie's expected due date. Thankfully she isn't kicking as hard as before, but she is still squirming around quite a bit. Although we completed the last of the seven-week Lamaze course last Wednesday, we are far from ready for little Stormie's arrival. Chris finished painting the nursery a beautiful light blue color on Thursday evening. Grandma-to-be came up from Greenville Saturday morning and helped Elaine paint fluffy white cumulus clouds on the walls and ceiling. It looks very nice! Pictures forthcoming after we've replaced all of the turquoise wall outlets.
On Saturday afternoon, Elaine's good friend Melissa threw her a baby shower at "Fired Up!", a paint-your-own-pottery store near NCDC in downtown Asheville. It was a lot of fun, and Stormie received several cute toys and many helpful items for her care and new room. Each party-goer painted a small trinket that, when fired, will hang as part of a mobile in Stormie's room.
July 28, 2008
Well, we're into week 31 now—less than 9 weeks to go! How quickly time flies... Now that we're starting to get settled into our new house, it's time to prepare Stormie's nursery. In our little Cape Cod-style home, the two upstairs bedrooms have a gabled ceiling—perfect for a cloud design! The only problem was that the ceiling was covered with plaster "stars" (made with a ragging technique). Thankfully the plaster had never been painted, so Chris was able to remove it all with a squirt bottle, sponge, and scraper during a long and very messy day. Last night Chris finished patching and repairing the walls and ceiling in the nursery, so we should be ready to start applying the primer and paint! We'll be sure to post a photo when it's complete.
In other news, the three-hour blood glucose tolerance test results came back with great news: Elaine does not have gestational diabetes. Although she wouldn't be eating loads of sugary food anyway, this is a huge relief.
July 24, 2008
Week 30 is almost complete, leaving us a little over nine more weeks to go until her due date. It's amazing how quickly time flies! Last Friday we found out that Stormie will have a cousin next spring--how exciting! It's still too early to know the gender of Andy and Julie's baby, but we hope they'll enjoy growing up together. Stormie and her mom survived the long road trip last weekend to Wisconsin for Elaine's cousin Karyn's wedding, albeit with more frequent rest stops. It was great to see the extended Savageau family again. We think Stormie enjoys cheese curds, since it sharply increases the potency of her kicks.
Yesterday's visit with the doctor/PA went well. Baby's heartbeat is in the normal range, the belly is measuring just about right, and she's kicking even more vigorously than ever nowadays. Last night Chris saw her foot poke way out of the right side, and Elaine sure felt it! This morning we went for the three-hour glucose tolerance test for gestational diabetes. They drew Elaine's blood five times, and Chris was there to hold her hand each time. He'll definitely make a great dad.
July 13, 2008
We're in week 29 of the pregnancy and little Stormie is kicking up a storm! In case you're wondering, Stormie is not going to be her real name. Since we're both meteorologists, we've nicknamed her Stormie until we pick a real name for her. Elaine is regularly snacking on Tums, but otherwise is feeling fine. We even rode our tandem on a 25-mile bike ride along the French Broad River yesterday!
Metamorphosis
At some point, hopefully soon, we will paste together our weekly pictures of Elaine as she grew with Kathleen.
