Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Today Avery's preschool class had a field trip at a Dussel Farms pumpkin patch. It was raining when we arrived, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be fine. 

We started the morning inside a large tent and the kids sat on a picnic blanket and did some activities. In case you are wondering, Mrs. Hall takes their attendance each class by having them take and hold their pictures of their own faces when she calls their name. It is actually a good way for the kids to respond to their names. Then Mrs. Hall had some paper cut outs of apples, pumpkins, squash, and corn, that the kids 'fed' to a plastic pig.

We did a few more festive fall activities on the mat, and then took a tour - first inside the large tent, and then the rain let up enough to go outside the tent. Avery got to see Indian corn, straw for animal beds, and even found her way through a mini kids maze with witches and other characters along the way. 

We had a snack (crackers that are round like pumpkins) and then we did a few more activities like finding the biggest and smallest pumpkins, and the greenest pumpkin. Overall it was a great morning and I'm looking forward to going again as a family, and maybe taking a hayride and walk through the larger corn maze!

Avery's in a Big Girl Bed

Somehow the further along I get in my pregnancy, the faster it's going!! I'm already 31 weeks and 2 days, and only have about 60 days to go!! We've finally started getting the room(s) ready for Avery and the baby. Avery is staying in her room, but she just got some new (old) furniture.

In the beginning of this month, my mom came over to help me paint my old bedroom furniture for Avery, so that we could have her transitioned before the baby was here (since we'll be using the crib and matching dresser and bookshelf for the new nursery.) My furniture for Avery consisted of a daybed, dresser, nightstand, and bookshelf all in an oak finish. They were all in pretty good condition, but I'm just not loving the look of oak furniture in our home. I wanted something more updated and pretty, so I decided to give it a makeover with white chalk paint. My mom did some research on chalk paint, and we decided to give it a try since it was safe for me to use during pregnancy, and it didn't require heavy sanding / taking the old finish off. My mom actually worked on the nightstand first, over Labor Day, and then she came here to help me with the rest! It was a lot of furniture to paint, but my mother-in-law actually came over and helped with it too, and we were able to finish it in 2 1/2 days. Then we had to wait a few weeks for the wax to cure (which is used over the paint) and now it's in Avery's room. I think it looks beautiful now, and I'm so glad we decided to paint it!! To me, it looks like something from the Pottery Barn Kids catalogue, for which I would have paid a few thousand dollars! The only cost here was the paint, supplies, and time...most of which my mom gifted us :) Here are a few "before" pics (while we were working on it):

Here are the "after" pics:

Honestly...I think it all turned out just great, and even better than I imagined! Avery has slept in her new bed for the last 3 nights with no problems, and she loves her new bedding too (from Bed Bath and Beyond.) I love that I can read stories in her bed with her snuggled up in the evening before bedtime, and sometimes in the morning too! I haven't moved the bookshelf yet because we are still swapping the rooms, and in the meantime Travis started painting the nursery!  We picked paint on Wednesday and Travis finally decided that it would be ok to paint it light pink. He wanted tan, but I really thought light pink would be best. He just finished it yesterday, but the rest of the room is a disaster, with furniture piled in the middle.

Here is a sneak peek, and of course I'll be sure to post some pics once we're organized.

I'm so happy that we're finally getting things ready because this little girl will be here before we know it!

Avery's First Day of Pre-School

On Tuesday, Avery had her first day of pre-school. Since she's only two and a half, we are doing a 'me-and-my-parent' class that meets once a week.  I was very excited for her and hoping it would go well!

Her class started at 9:30, and we got ready quickly so that we could take a few pictures beforehand. She was happy to wear her new backpack, but not as happy to take pictures haha. I didn't want to upset her too much so these were the best I could get. We arrived a few minutes early and met some of the other people in the class. I talked with another mom there who is pregnant and also due in November, and her son was born in February just like Avery! 

Once class started, Avery did really great and I was really proud of her! She interacted with the other kids, participated in the songs and movements, and easily transitioned from one activity to the next! 

The theme of the day was colors, so we did lots of activities with colors. She made a little butterfly with coffee filters, markers, and water, and we watched a science experiment with milk, paint, and dish soap in a large pan that caused a swirling reaction of colors. (She wore a 'paint shirt' during the craft so she didn't get her clothes messy.)

After craft time, the kids had a snack - rainbow goldfish and water. She was fine sitting at the tables for crafts and snacks with the other kids, and without me (as long as I wasn't too far away!)

 She exceeded my expectations in every way, and she was no more shy than any of the other kids. I feel like she's finally growing out of that stage, and I am definitely happy about that!! She's so much fun right now, and I'm really excited for the rest of the year!

28 Week Pregnancy Update

I'm doing another update like I did at 20 weeks.  I like to compare and I'm sure I'll enjoy going back and reading/remembering this in the future!

How far along: 28 weeks and 2 days.

Baby Growth:  According to my BabyCenter app, the baby weights 2 1/4 pounds, and is almost 15 inches long. It's interesting that babies grow length-wise first, and then fill out, because 15 inches seems pretty long with just under 12 weeks still to go! Also, at my 24 week appointment, my doctor measured my belly at 24 cm, and this time it was 26-27 centimeters. She said that it normally matches the week, so I'm measuring a little small, but not too much, and the baby is growing!

Gender:  It's a Girl!! It's taken a little bit of time for us to get used to the idea of having another girl, but now I couldn't be more excited! I love looking at little girls' nurseries, and we're just now starting to work on ours!

Weight Gain: At my doctor appointment today they let me know I'm up a total of 13 pounds (4 in the last month.) My appetite has been all over the place this pregnancy. About a month ago, I was literally a bottomless pit, and couldn't get enough food, for every meal! Now, I am full very quickly again, and am eating bigger meals earlier in the day, and by dinner time I'm not that hungry at all.

Symptoms: I have started getting heartburn and/or acid reflux pretty regularly by the end of the day. It's not as bad as with Avery (all day - every day) but still annoying. I also have a lot of pressure in my pelvis and hips (very low) and occasional lower back pain. Pretty typical. Luckily, I don't have any rib pain or anything, and the top of my stomach feels good (not numb like my first.) I am still getting light-headed on occasion, but not as frequently as I was earlier in my pregnancy. Overall I can't complain too much.

Maternity clothes: I still haven't bought any maternity clothes, but I think that's about to change really soon. I have no pants I can wear, only shorts with rubber bands holding them up. Once it starts cooling down (this week) I have to get some jeans. I still have some loose fitting tops, but fewer fit than a month ago, so I may have to pick up a few until sweater season...then I can wear some from my last pregnancy!

Stretch marks: None that I can see, and I just recently had Travis check too since I feel like my tummy is stretching a lot, but so far so good!

Belly button in or out: Still in.

Sleep: Really on and off. It seems like I'll have a terrible night of sleep, then two or three good nights. Better than it will be with a newborn probably!

Best Moment this week: Travis and I had our nine-year wedding anniversary last week, and we had a date day/night on Saturday to celebrate. We shopped for some nursery items and then went to Lucia's a Steakhouse for dinner. It was great to re-connect with him spend that time together.

Miss Anything: I mostly just miss being comfortable, because it seems like I am uncomfortable most of the time.

Movement: Tons of movement especially in the middle of the night!

Cravings: For the last several weeks I have been making my own version of a spicy Italian sub (like at Subway) and it is amazing!! I heat it, of course, and have one almost every day.

Concerns: I feel like I have so much to do before the baby comes. Paint Avery's furniture (this week) and get her transitioned to her new bed. Paint and decorate the nursery. Go through Avery's clothes and wash them/get them ready. Register at the hospital. Pick a name for our little girl. Pick out a new monitor (video/wifi.) Figure out what other baby items we need, etc. The list goes on and on...

Looking forward to: Getting the nursery done, and enjoying the Fall!

Notes from Past pregnancy: At this point in my last pregnancy, I was getting ready for my baby shower. You can see that post here.

Belly Pics: I took some quick pictures today...I looked amazing haha!

Enjoying the End of Summer

This week I've been enjoying the warm weather because I know Fall is quickly on its way. Avery has been playing outside a lot, and when it gets too warm for me, I just try to focus on what this feels like, so that I can channel it in January haha. Avery had fun playing outside recently with Nana and showing off her new shades, haha. 

Yesterday Avery had a really big day. We went to a pre-school "meet the teacher" day, and I was both excited and a little nervous. It went better than I expected! When we walked into the classroom, there were a few other 2-3 year olds with their parents, and lots of toys on the floor. We took a spot on the floor and built some blocks. The teacher was great about coming over slowly and giving Avery time to warm up. Avery started interacting with the other kids a little bit when she played at a little kitchen. It was set up like a "meet and greet" so people were going and coming all morning. Avery surprised me when two of the little boys were leaving, and she gave them hugs and said bye! I tried not to make a big deal that she is shy, and I did talk to the teacher a little, but I don't want to pigeonhole Avery into a stereotype right off the bat...if that makes sense. We had a few minutes with just us and Mrs. Hall (her teacher) and it was all very smooth. Afterward, I took Avery out to the playground for about 15 minutes, just so there aren't any suprises when she starts and she feels comfortable. The class is a "me and my parent" class, and Mrs. Hall let us know that the parents would be more involved in the fall/winter, and then slowly the class will transition to more of just a focus on the kids in the spring. I'm excited to see how it goes!

Travis took a half day at work yesterday since the weather was so nice, and we went to Lake Erie with Avery for the afternoon. It was so relaxing and beautiful! The lake was the calmest I've seen it all summer, and it was so peaceful. Avery is now old enough to sit on the swim platform and hold on and just kick her feet in the water....which she did on and off for almost the entire time. I kept an eye on her and just relaxed and soaked up the sun! Travis did some fishing, but unfortunately the fish weren't biting all that much. I know that next summer the time on the boat won't be as relaxing with a baby again, but it's nice to know that Avery already enjoys it so much at such a young age, and it will only be a summer or two until the new baby will enjoy it as much as Avery does now!

Today I spent some time cleaning out our spare bedroom/future nursery and my mom is coming over next week to help me paint some furniture for Avery! I'm getting excited because I've hit the third trimester and only have about 12 weeks until the new baby is here!