holiday observations

1. Right before Josh and I met, I got E. Coli from a turkey that had been left out all night by a hostess that then served it to her guests. Apparently, several people thought it tasted "funny" but didn't mention it out loud, so I ended up being the one that consumed the most at the party. I spent the next 5 days slumped on the bathroom floor begging my grandmother not to call an ambulance, slipping in and out of delirium due to the crazy high fever and vomiting. I lost 11 pounds in 4 days. So perhaps Josh should lend me some credence when I ask him to ask his mother not to leave the turkey out all night on the front porch instead of in the refrigerator? Perhaps his response shouldn't just be "well, it's colder outside than it is in the fridge."

2. I am apparently also overreacting about eating undercooked stuffing that was baked inside of the undercooked turkey that was left outside all night long.

3. Black Friday at the outlets is not bad at all, at least not at the outlets in the Berkshires. We were able to run in and out of stores with no problems at all, short lines, no waiting. The only exception was the Gap Outlet, but the line still moved expeditiously. And I was able to find a diaper bag on super duper 50% off clearance at Coach! I'm not 110% sure that this is the one for me, but I do think it is pretty cute.

4. Last night after work, Josh and I went out for roasted artichokes and dessert at the Cheesecake Factory. Sitting at our table, with not a care in the world, discussing everything from his final classes, to the stroller that we are coveting, felt like a delicious indulgence. Josh would reach over every so often to feel the baby's kicks and hiccups, as we munched away on carrot cake (my new craving) and cheesecake for him. This is what you meant by plan some dates together now while we still have time, huh?

5. I don't want to jinx myself, but I think that you aren't supposed to feel this good at 36 and a half weeks, are you? I sleep through the night like the dead, rarely getting up to pee. The acid reflux has dwindled to a bare minimum, and except for the dull ache in my pelvic bone and the occasional kicks to internal organs, I feel fantastic. Tons of energy, and no problems moving around. I spent an hour outside on Sunday afternoon planting tulips that we'd purchased in Amsterdam that I'd forgotten about until then. You're sure that I'll want this pregnancy to be over at some point, right? The only thing that keeps me from wanting to be pregnant forever, is that I'm tired of being weighed and tired of STILL GAINING WEIGHT. I thought it was supposed to stop in the last month, but maybe the carrot cake is doing me in.

6. I am, however, tired of the kitchen remodel. Everything needs to just be done ALREADY. The only benefit to my lack of patience has been the ease with which I make decisions these days. Normally, I'd spend an hour and 4 trips to the store pondering the different types of cabinet hardware there are, but these days I walk in and out. I picked a sink in 20 minutes, a faucet in 5. Lights? One look through a catalog and I was done. Cabinet hardware on sale? Perfect. Now, if only everything could be that easy. I'll fail to mention that picking a play pen/pack and play for this baby took me 3 hours.

7. Ninotchka asked in the last post whether I'm still working, and I am. The plan is to keep working until I give birth, unless something happens to change things. My doctor has threatened a couple of times that working until 9pm every night is allegedly "not ok", but we'll just have to see what happens.

8. I hope all of your Thanksgivings were great!

you can do this, girl

I'm rather weepy these days over the impending birth of this child, and KLee's above comment to my last post was enough to send me into full-on tears and sniffles, as were so many of your comments. I always anticipated that after I got pregnant I'd have a moment of the "what have I done?" feeling, but I never did. Since I found out I was pregnant, I've only worried about something happening to the baby, but I haven't doubted how much I wanted this baby. Even now, I have moments of tremendous anxiety over what kind of mother I'll be, but I don't doubt for one second how very badly I want this baby and how incredibly grateful I am to have made it this far with a healthy pregnancy.

I worry mostly about how I will take care of this child, whether I'll do a good job, and when I'll feel ready, if ever. All of your comments and support have definitely made me feel better. I guess I have to let go of the wanting to feel ready part of myself. I'll do what I can, but as Josh keeps telling me, in the end it doesn't matter if the kitchen remodel is completed, or if the baskets in the living room are arranged perfectly. The baby won't know whether the closets have been organized and cleaned, and whether the bins in the attic are in their proper place. Maybe this is the nesting instinct everyone keeps talking about?

Yesterday I hit 36 weeks, and had another appointment with the doctor. I mentioned to her that over the Thanksgiving break I'd been having moments of increasing pelvic pressure. I kept waking up with the same side of my pelvic bone aching and feeling numb. She was surprised to find that the baby's head is low and engaged already, so that explains all the pressure I've been feeling! No dilation whatsoever, though. But the doctor projected that we were looking at a baby that might show up before my due date, although still far into December. Maybe the psychic will be right? We could end up with a December 19th baby, I suppose. Oh, and a projection of a little over 6 pounds as of yesterday.

In the meantime, Josh is finishing up his last week of finals and I'm using my free time to rest and clean, rest and clean. I take turns doing a little bit of each. Once Josh is done with finals, though, I am planning lots of dinner dates and movie nights and outings for the two of us. My mom arrives on December 20th, and hopefully the baby will arrive soon after, and I'm positive that for a long while after that we won't have much romantic or cuddly time together. I'm hopeful, but realistic.

I'm also getting our car seat installed this weekend, and packing my hospital bag. JUST IN CASE. I'm still in denial that this baby is coming anytime soon, but I might as well prepare while I can still move around comfortably. Josh keeps telling me that if the baby pushes my belly button out any more, we might be looking at a fully cooked turkey.

35 weeks = I'm scared

I have a confession to make.

I'm scared.

Sunday night, Josh and I were lying in bed and chatting and I must have gotten a funny look on my face, because he leaned over and said in earnest, "What's wrong?" And I promptly burst into tears. I couldn't even put my finger on what I was crying about, but once I'd started, I couldn't stop. Josh immediately flung his arms around me and started offering up different reasons why I might be crying. Was I scared about having a baby? Was I worried about what kind of mom I'd be? Was I overwhelmed because the house is a disaster? Was I stressed because we are still in the midst of a kitchen remodel with no end in sight? (Yeah, did I forget to mention that? My next blogging topic will have to be the third trimester gutting and remodeling of the kitchen.) All I could do was nod to all of his questions, because the truth is that all of those things and more are making me feel overwhelmed.

I keep thinking that as the weeks pass I will feel more ready to have this baby. Maybe I'll feel more ready to be a mother. But I don't. I feel more excited to meet the baby, but I never feel ready. I never think of myself as a mother, even though I already adore this little wriggling thing in my belly. Last night I noticed that if I sing to my belly the baby will move all around, so I sat and sang holiday carols to it for half an hour until it was time for bed. The thought of anything harming this baby takes my breath away, and I picture meeting him or her for the first time and bringing him or her home and I want to cry.

At the same time, though, I try to picture the baby as my child, and the image seems just out of my grasp. Is this normal? Is there something wrong with me? Why can't I seem to fathom that this is my child, forever and ever, amen? I try to think about sleepless nights and long days, and breastfeeding and changing diapers and everything else, and it seems surreal that we'll do this. And do it soon. Very, very soon.

Now I have the outfits and the wipes and the diapers and the butt paste and the breast pads and the blankets, and now what? I have plenty of tasks to do, but what about when all of that is done? What then? When will I feel ready? When will I feel like a mom?

surprise on a sunday!

Yesterday Josh and I went over to one of his classmates' houses for brunch. As we climbed the stairs to their apartment, Josh and our friend hung back for a second and I pushed open the door to a chorus of very loud screams of "SURPRISE!!!"

I stood to the side for a moment in stunned disbelief before asking, "Surprise for what?" Apparently, for our baby! A surprise shower! That Josh knew about and kept a secret for over a month! With tons of people from his class, and food, and cake, and bloody marys and mimosas (not for me) and gifts! So many gifts! I was shocked, and flattered, and frankly, very overwhelmed by the whole thing. All these people gathered to celebrate this baby and this exciting time. It was almost too much!

We had a fantastic time, and since we had lots of guys along with the girls, there was no talk of labor or delivery or measuring of my belly or anything like that. There were a number of inappropriately sexual jokes, and much talk of movies and travel. It was great fun, and I felt very loved and spoiled.

This baby made out like a bandit again, with soft blankies, adorable outfits, toys, bath items, buntings, and onesies. You'll be happy to know that my "layette" is in much better shape than the last time we discussed. I now have more than 1 wash cloth, in fact, I have 13. I also have a few sleep 'n' plays, and several onesies, and not too many socks, and 3 blankets, and a few hats. Now I'm just trying to figure out whether to keep all of the newborn sized sleep 'n' plays that we got or exchange them for a size bigger. My gut feeling is that this baby is going to be a little bit bigger than average, but this feeling is based on nothing close to proof. Just the insane movements he or she undertakes at regular intervals throughout the day.

During the surprise shower, baby even put on a show for everyone. I mentioned to the friend next to me that he or she was moving, and she exclaimed rather loudly, "Oh my God, I see it!" and when everyone turned to look, baby proceeded to roll and kick so prominently that you could see the tumbling clearly through my sweater. Aren't babies not supposed to have any more room at 35 weeks? This one seems quite comfy.

Once again, my friends, I am so very lucky.

love is smuggling cookies into the hospital

There were few lovely parts of being in the hospital, except for the overwhelming relief that I felt when this baby started moving again in the waiting room. The other lovely part was the way Josh acted over those 24+ hours that we were there. The tenderness with which he took care of me, his concern about my hunger and my tiredness and my comfort were incredibly endearing.

Of course I know that he loves me, but it was something else to see this man helping me out of bed, maneuvering my iv pole and monitor chords, adjusting my gown and assisting me in the bathroom. True love must be someone gently holding your iv tube out of the way so that you can wipe. And helping you up and down off of the toilet when it hurts to sit. Love is when you are lying in bed close to tears because you're so tired and hungry and frustrated, and he tells you that you are so beautiful he can hardly stand it. Or when he refuses to leave the hospital to get books and his computer, because he can't stand the thought of someone coming to do a procedure on you and that you would be alone. Love is being able to hand him my underwear 5 different times when people came to check my cervix, and he doesn't even bat an eyelash.

After all of this, and the bloating and the big belly, and the chubby thighs and butt, and the complaints and the grumpiness, he still tells me that I am the sexiest woman ever. He still showers me with compliments. He still wants to listen to me discuss all baby, all the time.

I am so very lucky. And so is this baby.

houston, we have a problem

Baby-to-be and I are taking our first trip in the Spring to visit my parents in California. Since baby-to-be will be only 2 and a half to 3 months old around that time, we'll likely be breastfeeding on that fairly long flight.

Today on MC's blog, I read this story about a woman being kicked off of a flight for breastfeeding and not covering herself up with a blanket.

Guess which airline we are flying on for our first trip?

The story states that the woman was sitting in the next to last row of the airplane when she was asked to cover up her breastfeeding. Baby and I will be sitting in the second row of first class (thanks to Josh's miles saved up from consulting). We figured that first class would give me the extra room to feel more comfortable juggling a nursing infant and the two dogs that I'll be taking as my carry-on. Umm, but now I'm wondering if a seat that far up front is just going to cause more problems for us.

Needless to say, I'm concerned. How can an airline do this? What do they propose I do with my infant if I can't breastfeed? What if I haven't gotten the hang of breastfeeding under a blanket? What if baby just won't breastfeed under a blanket? What if I can't pump? Why should I even have to worry about pumping if I don't feel like it? I'm planning on buying one of these, but I'm still horrified by this whole scenario.

I can't switch airlines because the tickets are bought and paid for and the trip has been arranged and rearranged. I am panicked, however.

no babies today, but soon!

When we were in triage this weekend, a couple was on the other side of the curtain getting checked out as well. At a certain point, the attending came by and told them that they were definitely in labor, at 3 cm dilated. The excitement was palpable. The husband was almost breathless as he asked again, "We're having our baby?" Josh and I kept smiling at each other as we listened to them exclaim to each other that they were really having their baby!

In the end, they decided to leave for dinner at the Cheesecake Factor before checking into the hospital since her contractions were still quite manageable. We were chuckling at the image of them standing in the lobby for the often interminable waits at the Cheesecake Factory. The doctor suggested to them that they should bring their monitor strip showing her contractions, so that the hostesses would understand that they were short on time.

After they left, Josh and I remained silent for a while thinking about them. I couldn't help but feel happy for them as they left to enjoy their last meal as a family of 2. Although I was hoping in that moment not to have my baby, I also realized how very much I am looking forward to the moment when I am in that same position. I never knew that you could love someone you've never met this much. I never knew that a 20 minute drive where you worry that he or she isn't okay could feel like your heart is tearing in half.

So I guess I really am having a baby. Someone is really going to live here. That is almost unbelievable.

no babies today

Things are better today, so perhaps your good thoughts and prayers are helping! I was released from the hospital late last night after a less-than-stellar stay at the hospital.

The fall was rather unremarkable- I literally tripped over my own feet in the parking lot falling on one knee and landing on my side, after trying to break my fall with my hand. It was hard enough that I knew I'd need to head into the hospital, but nothing close to my fall down the stairs so I didn't completely freak out. After a few minutes, though, I realized that the baby wasn't moving at all, and my hands were shaking as I dialed the emergency number for my ob/gyn. The baby refused to move for the whole drive to the hospital, and I was in tears by the time we pulled up in front of the hospital and checked in at the desk.

We were pulled straight into triage and set up on the monitor, and at that point our little troublemaker decided to give me some reassuring kicks. I started to relax, up until the contractions started. I've had braxton hicks contractions for the last month or two, but these were different. The contractions felt like mild menstrual cramps, with the monitor showing that the contractions were coming every 2-4 minutes apart, although I felt them less regularly than that.

We stayed in triage for a couple of hours, waiting to see if the contractions stopped or slowed down, but were transferred to our own room for the night to continue monitoring. Apparently, a fall followed by contractions is one of the warning signs for placental abruption, and continuing contractions moved us into a higher risk category. I had blood drawn, and an iv put in, just in case dehydration might be contributing to the "cranky uterus". To be honest, as far as discomfort goes, the iv was the worst part. It hurt going in, and it was bothersome and uncomfortable the whole time it was in, particularly when they turned the flow up. The attending did cervical checks and although the contractions were steady, they didn't seem to be doing much in the way of dilation.

The night was long and tiresome. If the baby strayed from the monitor at all, a nurse would rush in and readjust the monitor. I wasn't sleeping much anyway, I was so stressed and nervous about the baby. We felt fairly well-informed all night, however. It wasn't until the morning that we started to actually worry. At around 6am, the nurse woke me up to tell me that they were concerned because the contractions hadn't stopped yet and they expected them to be over by then.

Shortly thereafter, Josh went down to grab a coffee and a newspaper, and a medical student walked into my room and brightly informed me that she would be observing my c-section that morning. After I tersely informed her that I was NOT having a c-section, she ran out of the room and never came back. When Josh got back, I nervously told him what had happened and he insisted that I ring for the nurse to get more information. It seems that the medical student had gone into the wrong room, and was mortified that I'd gotten upset. But she never came back to tell us that she'd been mistaken!

This was only the beginning, though. At 9am, the attending came in and began really scaring us. She told us that the risks of placental abruption were higher now because it had been 15-16 hours since the fall and the contractions were continuing. Then she started talking about emergency c-sections, and then she started talking about how the baby was breach. But, umm, the baby is not breach. And hasn't been breach for 6 weeks! Which was not the most comforting thing she could have said. The ultrasound of the night before had shown that the baby was decidedly not breach, and it would have been nice if she had actually, ohhh, I don't know, read the chart? She ordered more labs and sternly told me not to eat or drink anything just in case my emergency c-section took place.

The rest of the day was downhill from there, because no one would let me eat (even though I'd eaten only an apple and a yogurt the day before), and no one would tell us what was going on. We asked to speak to a doctor a few times, yet no one had time to stop by. At 3pm the nurse walked in and told me that I could eat and could order whatever I wanted so I scarfed down a turkey sandwich. A few hours later, she unceremoniously walked in and told me that she was taking out my iv because I was being discharged. No explanation, no instructions, no assurances, no nothing! The nurse told us to call our doctor in the morning to get explanations about what type of rest I needed or whether I could go to work the next day. Needless to say, I cried on the drive home. Partly out of relief that the ordeal seemed to be over, and partly out of anger and fear that we didn't know what was happening now.

This morning, though, my doctor was very reassuring. I won't be on bed rest for now, and she isn't worried about my needing to have the baby any time in the near future. I'm resting today and tomorrow and staying off of my feet, but as long as the contractions continue to lessen in time and severity, everything should be fine. So we're all very relieved in the halloweenlover household, and we're thanking our lucky stars that baby decided to stay inside for a few more weeks. We're not quite ready to meet him or her yet, although we're looking forward to it.

you can start calling me "grace"

This baby really is an attention hog, apparently. We've been in the hospital all weekend because of a minor fall in the parking lot of Home Depot on Saturday afternoon that turned into pre-term contractions for 24+ hours. The baby is fine, heartbeat great, ultrasound beautiful, but the contractions won't stop coming. Right after the fall, the contractions were coming 2-4 minutes apart for several hours, but they have been spacing out since then and hopefully they'll stop for good sometime tonight. The contractions aren't causing any dilation, so there's been no talk of medication or having the baby early.

I don't have much to share besides this for now, but when I hear more from the doctors I'll give another update. In the meantime, please send some positive thoughts and prayers our way for a few more weeks of "cooking" for this baby.

100,000

I broke 100,000 visitors at some point between yesterday and today, and I can't believe it! I've seen other bloggers mention stat numbers but never thought I'd make it this far.

I wanted to issue a short but sweet thank you to all of you who come by to offer advice and support and kindness. I wish I knew the words to tell you what it means to me. Without all of you, I suspect that I'd be a basket case throughout this pregnancy. Instead, when something comes up and I get frazzled, I just think, "oh, I'll ask the blog!"

All of your friendships are wonderful gifts. Thank you.

thank goodness the paparazzi aren't around

I'm sitting in my office, working, with the door locked, and my pants around my knees because the waistband is constricting my belly too much. After a whole day of getting up and sitting down every few minutes and adjusting the elastic band every which way, I just can't take it anymore.

Ahh, the glamorous side of pregnancy.

layette continued...

Here is a summary of your suggestions for a layette:

Diapers- Newborn and Size 1 (but how many of these do I need? One package of Newborn and 2 of Size 1? Are we talking Costco size packages? Or smaller?)

Onesies- short and long-sleeve (also, how many? A dozen total? More than a dozen?)

Baby Pants (Numbers, people! Numbers! 6? 10? In all different colors?)

Receiving Blankets (I'm assuming 5-6? We registered for a couple of swaddlers and I'm hoping to steal some from the hospital. And by steal, I mean, ask for nicely.)

Hooded Towels (I have 3, is this enough?)

Washcloths (I have 1, how many do I need?)

Sleep 'n Plays/Footie Pajamas (I have 3-4, how many newborn versus 0-3 month sizes should I get?)

"Sweetpea" pj sets- what is this? Where do I find them?

Baby Socks- although we have differing opinions on this. If I have enough footie pajamas maybe I don't need these?

Hats (how many and what size? Josh and I have big heads, should I assume that baby to be has a big head too?)

Wipes (any suggestions on brands?)

Baby Tylenol- dye free

Gripe Water (is this the same as Mylicon?)

Saline Drops

Burp Cloths (I have none, and have received none. Where do I find these?)

Alcohol wipes (shudder, I can't even discuss the umbilical cord. Ick.)

Pacifiers (brand suggestions?)

Mild Shampoo or Baby Wash (more brand suggestions?)

Butt Paste or Desitin or something

Lansinoh

Car Seat and Car Seat Cover- CHECK! At least I can mark one thing off my list.

Dreft- CHECK! Two things off my list.

And what is this nonsense about having to change outfits one or two times a day? You're kidding right? My baby is never going to dirty their beautiful outfits. My baby also won't ever stink. I feel strongly about this.

Am I forgetting anything?

what is a layette anyway?*

In an effort to calm me down a bit, Josh suggested that we make a list of the items we need and take shopping trips over the next few weekends to get all those necessary items.

So I need help. What do I really, really, really, REALLY need. What makes up this "layette" that people keep talking about?

How many onesies? How many diapers? How many pairs of socks? How many pajamas? What else?

I'm only looking for enough to get me through the first couple of weeks, and then once the baby is here and we know the sex, we'll look for more clothing and blankets and all that for the coming months.

Help help help! Tell me what we can't live without!
_______________________________
*I'm thinking that a sled is not part of the layette.

confession

You all are the sweetest ever, seriously. I am totally keeping you around, because you make a big swollen pregnant girl feel so much better. Next time I look in the mirror at my twice as large thighs and cellulite-covered booty, I am going to think of all your comments. On that note, did you see that I was wearing nylons? Since I'd taken the time and effort to shave my legs for the shower, I went ahead and wore a skirt and nylons today too, and I suspect that will be the last time. 7 and a half months pregnant and trying to wrestle on a pair of pantyhose was not a pretty thing. I don't think I'll attempt it any bigger than I already am.

You all know that I try to keep up the positive attitude, and to be perfectly honest, it hasn't been all that hard. I feel like I am having a fairly easy and peaceful pregnancy. I feel good, I sleep great (like a log) and I have very few aches and pains. Recently, the sciatica has started to flare up again at times and I do have acid reflux more often, but I feel fantastic the vast majority of the time. I could totally do this again with pleasure, if I am so lucky.

Today was a bad day, though. I suspect that the combination of the baby shower being behind me, and having to drive my mom to the airport and know that she won't be back until December 20th, was just too much. I felt so terribly sad and out of it all day at work. I finally shut my door at lunchtime and allowed myself to cry some pitiful (and totally unwarranted) tears for myself. There is still so much to do before this baby arrives, and I desperately wish that my mom lived close by. Even a few hours away would be enough. I want to be able to go buy the diapers and socks and onesies and blankets with her, not by myself.

Then I read this post, and this post, and I felt like a totally selfish and self-centered butthead, but I think you just have to succumb to the self-pity every so often. Embrace it and then let it go, no?

I'm also wondering if this is all another situation that we can blame on the hormones, only because normally, even if I'm grumpy or sad, I can shake myself from my mood for a while. Today I couldn't, though. I kept feeling sad and down in the dumps no matter what I did. I think I also hoped that after the shower was over and I'd received Boppies and Diaper Genies and sheets and all that, I'd feel more prepared for this baby. But I don't. I feel about the same, excited, ecstatic and ill-prepared.

Feel free to tell me that all I need is boobs and diapers and I'll be good to go.

Anyway, I thought it only fair to confess this to you, so you don't think I'm some kind of lunatic that walks around all sunshine and roses. Today was not my best day, as evidenced by the blubbering in my office. I miss my mom. I feel scared at moments of what is actually going to happen come December. And I guess that's okay.

it's a joy, girl or boy

Today was my baby shower and it was wonderful, as I'd expected! I'm more than a little sad that it is over, to be honest. My mom heads out tomorrow and she won't be back until December 20th, hopefully early enough to be here for the baby's birth. While I had the baby shower to anticipate, there was something between today and the birth. Now that the shower has happened, and my living room is packed full of baby supplies, I'm almost prepared. Kind of. A little bit. As prepared as I guess I'll ever be.

Baby to be was showered with love and gifts, and my friends did an amazing job with food and games and decorations! One of my friends said that she couldn't believe I was having a baby next month, and I paused to correct her and then realized, oh my goodness, it IS next month! How did time fly like this? How can it already be November? How can a baby be coming in DECEMBER?

We're at week 33 now, and my belly is so big that this baby must be fully cooked. Maybe we all have the date wrong?

cheating a little

I owe everyone a post for today under the rules of NaBloPoMo, but I'm way too stinking exhausted. My mom is in town for the weekend and the time has completely run away from me, and I didn't do any of the things I wanted to do. It has been a nutso day, and running around with this big belly and extra weight hasn't been easy. I'm grateful that although I work long hours, at least I get to sit down!

Someone needs to explain to me how I can possibly have 7 more weeks of growing for this belly! I feel huge and I'm not sure I can possibly get bigger! Maybe I'll just stay at this size. It's possible, right?

slingin' it

We tested out the sling this evening with some very willing participants. So willing, in fact, that they each fell asleep during their time in the sling, and when I'd removed them, they stood staring at me and begging to be picked up again!

Let's just hope that baby-to-be likes it just as much!

monitors anyone?

There is an awful lot going on in the halloweenlover household these days, most of them relating to the bayyybeee that is possibly arriving in this household in the coming weeks. This Monday was our 32 week appointment, at which time the pumpkin showed off its wriggling skills and moved in and out of the reach of the doppler several times, making it difficult for the doctor to get an accurate read on the heartbeat. He or she probably weighs around 4 pounds, based on her manual estimates and measurements. All appears to be well, and we're very happy to be crossing the threshold into 32 weeks. For some reason, this whole baby thing feels very REAL these days.

Over the past couple of weeks, Josh and I have been fortunate enough to play around with a new product sent to us for our review. A very, very new BABY product, that has just hit the shelves at your neighborhood Huge Baby Store, the Philips DECT Baby Monitor.

Now, a baby monitor was something we'd thought long and hard about. Should we get a video monitor or an audio monitor? What were the relevant features? What about interference? Would it block the cordless phone and internet (we've experienced this problem before)? What about price? What about size and looks? There were a number of things to think about.

Once you've made the choice for an audio monitor rather than video, the Philips monitor definitely comes out as a front runner. After owning it and playing with it for a couple of week, albeit without a baby, here are my thoughts:

1. It is the cutest baby monitor I've seen out there.
These monitors, both the one that remains in the baby's room and the one that goes along with you, are pretty sleek and modern-looking. The monitors are white with yellowish/orange accents. The parental unit comes with an attachment to wear it on your belt or around your neck. It is small, about the size of a small cordless phone or largish cell phone.

2. The features and perks are very nice.
Both monitors have bright displays that are easy to read. Both show you the time, volume, and temperate in the nursery. The parental unit (handheld one) can activate a few lullabies and a nightlight from a remote location. We tested this one out and could scroll through and turn on lullabies from downstairs! The nightlight can also be turned on from downstairs, and it seems to be a good strength, nothing so crazy that it would wake up a baby, it just sort of casts a soft glow over the room and displays little stars on the light up portion. You can also use the parental monitor to talk to the baby from another room. I'm not sure how much we'll use this feature, but I didn't see it on other monitors. Of all of these, my favorite feature was seeing the temperature in the nursery since I'm a little paranoid about that room getting too hot, since it is very small.

3. Best of all, NO INTERFERENCE.
We used the monitors near the computers while surfing the internet, and tested them with each of our cordless phones and even while the microwave was running. This was a problem we'd had in the past with tons of electronics, so it was a relief to get away from it! Apparently, Philips uses "digital enhanced cordless telecommunication" to make sure you don't hear your neighbor's baby instead of your own by scrolling through up to 60 channels to find a clear connection. I don't know anything about the technology, but it definitely worked. Our neighborhood is full of kids and even when we left it on for hours, we never heard anything but our own house. Josh and I had a good time using the monitor as a walkie-talkie and running around the house chatting to each other. When we aren't making noise, I hear absolutely nothing from the monitor- no background noise or strange sounds or buzzing or anything. I think I'll appreciate that when I'm trying to sleep.

The monitor is really new, and I've only seen it on display in the glass display case at Huge Baby Store, looking all petite and cute next to the other models. I was nervous to have a review a product like this one, because I've been so picky about other baby items, I was convinced I'd be disatisfied. But truthfully, I'm very impressed with how easy to use and functional I think the Philips monitor is. I'd definitely recommend it to other new or expectant parents I know. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions! And I'll do another review once the littlest member of our family is here. I'm sure I'll have more opinions once there is a baby on the other end, instead of Josh making scary noises and trying to terrify me.

nablopomo

Because I'm crazy, and because what else is there to do when you're 32 weeks pregnant and totally overwhelmed with life, other than to sign up to blog every day for the month of November? I sacrifice for all of you, though. I'm taking one for the team.



I'll find a way to do it, even if I have to scrape together totally boring stories, like how I went to my last doctor's appointment, took the cup to pee in from the front desk, went into the bathroom, peed and walked out without ever doing anything with the cup. And then they sent me back in because they actually NEED that, and I almost did it again! This is what my brain has been turned into, mush, complete and utter mush.

Today, however, I am able to report that I'm only the tiniest bit sad about Halloween being over. Usually Halloween is a major occurrence in my calendar of events, but this year, not so much. I suspect it is the rather HUGE event that is looming on the horizon that tends to turn all other events leading up to it into not so important events. Also, my mom is coming into town this weekend and a friend is throwing a smallish baby shower, and Thanksgiving seems so close, as do the holidays, and then, of course, the baby!

Not that I'm not continuing to be a Halloweenlover, because I am. I just didn't look toward it this year with the same enthusiasm and excitement. I was busy nesting and cleaning out linen closets and desk drawers and hanging curtains, I guess.

Josh still managed to surprise me yesterday, with a lovely Halloween treat at the office.






My favorite part is the card, that reads:
"Happy Halloween to you and our gremlin!
Love,
Hubs"





Isn't he the sweetest? I'm totally keeping him around! Plus, these flowers are gorgeous and exotic and I've never seen this type before! My office smells fragrant and lovely now, too.