Poppy Seed's "Crib"

Crib View

View From the Doorway

Future Reading Corner/Time Out Chair

Still looking for the perfect stuffed puppy to put in Poppy's rocker (a rocking chair given to me when I was a baby by my grandmother). I've loved decorating with puppies and have high hopes that Poppy will bond well with Kloee and Abby. As he gets bigger and acquires more books, I'd like to put an oak shelf on this wall. As it is, we have a couple shelves full of children's books in the family room and in Dannika's room.

Poppy's Dresser

That's right. He already has so many things to wear that I can't shut his dresser drawers. That or I was just really tired when I took this picture and didn't realize the drawer wasn't shut right. Hmm.

That's all for now.

Love,

          Poppy's Mama



He's Really Coming!!!

It's starting to dawn on me that before I know it, Poppy Seed really will be here! A few signs show that he is coming soon in no particular order.

1. The last two nights I had dreams about being in the hospital with him. In my dream he was quite red still, but had very light blonde hair (like daddy when he was little) and blue eyes (we both had blue eyes as babies--mine turned green later). His face was scrunched up and squinty like being born had been a somewhat exhausting and irritable experience for him. I'm excited to see if my dream version of him is similar to the way he really looks!

2. A couple of friends whose due dates are not much earlier than mine had their babies. This means I will have my baby too!

3. Chris and I attended our last Bradley Method class together. Supposedly we are ready to have a baby now. :-P

4. I did our pre-registration paperwork for the hospital today and called about breast pump rental.Now that is something that makes the whole thing much more real!

5. I've started a list of the things that I still need to get in order to be prepared for his arrival (at least in the physical sense).

6. Braxton Hicks Contractions have started. One moment my tummy is fine. The next it feels extremely tight and as hard as a table. I've noticed they seem to happen when I'm especially worn out or overdoing it. I think it's my body's way of saying to slow down.

7. I am increasingly uncomfortable, but actually am in less pain regarding my dislocated ribs. This could mean that he is moving down or that I have just gotten used to feeling like I'm being impaled.

8. People just assume I'm pregnant. Strangers comment on my pregnancy. Apparently my physical stature makes pregnancy assumption safe at this point.

9. My belly button is holding on strong, but looks awfully funny. I think it may pop soon.

10. I am waking up about 4 times during the night because I am either uncomfortable or need to use the restroom.

11. I am more tired than usual. I often find I'm ready for bed when I come home from work.

12. I have varicose veins. (Though at this point I still have little if any stretchmarks! Knock on wood.)

13. I have picked out what Poppy will wear home from the hospital. Thanks to uncle Michael for providing Poppy's first "going out" clothes. He will be dressed in an olive green Baby Gap onesie with a small brown teddy bear embroidered on it. He will wear brown pants to match and a brown teddy bear cap that was given to him at his baby shower.

14. I bought post-partum care supplies.Enough said.

15. I picked out a pediatrician. 

16. My normal winter coat barely zips over my tummy now. Also, my adjustable maternity pants are now on the largest setting. :-/

17. I read up on introducing your pet to your baby. I've been playing youtube videos of babies squaking for my dog today. Unfortunately, she's not interested--she looks at me funny then walks away. At least there is no aggression?

 18. I am a BabiesRUs rewards points member.

19. I can't clip or paint my toes anymore. Also, putting on my socks is an aerobic workout.

20. Baby Poppy has daycare lined up for the end of August. We're taking him to in-home daycare with the same provider Dannika had before she went to pre-school. Even though I know it will be hard, there is a lot of peace in my heart about taking him someplace we know and trust.

Yup! As long as this process may seem, I think he's really coming!

The Hardest Part

I am what some psychologists and sociologists call an ENFJ/ENTJ. Essentially this means I enjoy the company of other people, I am creative and abstract, I use my head about the same amount as I use my heart when making decisions, and I prefer an organized and predictable approach to life. Being an EN(F/T)J has been great for teaching. It helps me relate to others while not becoming too involved in the emotions of my students. It helps me when evolving and developing my lessons, trying to make them as interesting as possible. It helps me stay organized and keep track of the 1000+ things every public school teacher must keep track of.

Unfortunately, being an EN(F/T)J isn't really beneficial  for pregnancy.

When you're pregnant, it's important to focus on yourself moreso than ever. It is important to look at the facts and live in the present, rather than thinking of all of the possibilities (good and bad) in the future. But the character  trait I possess that is perhaps the least compatible with pregnancy is being a J.

The following comes from myersbriggs.org and explains what it's like to be a J:

To others, I seem to prefer a planned or orderly way of life, like to have things settled and organized, feel more comfortable when decisions are made, and like to bring life under control as much as possible.

• I like to have things decided.
• I appear to be task oriented.
• I like to make lists of things to do.
• I like to get my work done before playing.
• I plan work to avoid rushing just before a deadline.
• Sometimes I focus so much on the goal that I miss new information.

So, as one can imagine, being a J doesn't work so great with being pregnant--especially considering I'm going to try to do this natural birth with a midwife thing.

 I'd be a lot more comfortable if I knew the exact day I was going to have Poppy, but I don't. And my method of childbirth doesn't make a lot of room for scheduled induction if he doesn't come on time.Babies don't go by schedules.


I'd be a lot more comfortable if I knew how big Poppy would be. I'd have a lot more courage to give birth to Poppy naturally if I knew he'd be six pounds, but I don't. He could be ten pounds. And there's really only one way to find out. (I gotta say, if I knew he'd be ten pounds, I'd be jumping ship on the whole natural childbirth thing.)


I'd be a lot more comfortable if I knew how Chris would react to my labor. Will he be able to talk me through everything and keep me relaxed? Will he freak out or clam up? Will he pass out at the sight of . . . well. How is your husband supposed to coach you through childbirth, the most stressful experience of your life, when he doesn't have any experience? (Dannika's birth was scheduled, medicated, and completed via C-Section.)

I'd be a lot more comfortable if I knew Poppy was going to be healthy. Am I going to regret that latte I splurged on this morning? Can I take some pain reliever for those dislocated ribs or do I need to just lay down and push through. If I ingest any more I iron, I will surely throw up. Do I have to? Am I endangering my child by not taking it? 

I'd be a lot more comfortable if I could buy everything I'm going to need for Poppy in advance--if I knew which nipples he'd take to on his bottles and pacifiers, since he'll be primarily breast-fed, if I knew what diapers best held his poop, if I knew which blankets best swaddle his little body, if I knew which formula to supplement with. But as it is, I'll be needing to go to the store rather frequently at first. Because despite knowing that he seems to be an active fellow, I really know nothing else about him.

I'd be a lot more comfortable if I knew what comforted my son. Will he like swaddling? Will he like noise? Will he want to be held all the time? Will he want some space? How am I going to help him?

These days I am wishing more than ever that I was a "P" instead of a "J". Then I could go with the flow calmly and comfortably. But I'm not and I don't. I worry a lot. I like plans. I like expectations. I can only hope that when it comes time my J will help to make sure Poppy gets to all of his practices on time, that it will help teach him responsibility, that his college applications will be in weeks a head of time. But until that day. . . the uncertainty is perhaps the hardest part of pregnancy.

Can't Hardly Wait!

Dear Poppy,

Mommy and Daddy are getting very excited to meet you. We talk about you all the time and can hardly wait until you're here!

Last night we finished putting up your crib and getting your bedding all set up.  This was quite the accomplishment since we've been waiting on some missing parts from your crib for about two weeks, but it's finally here and before we know it your room will be ready for your pending arrival. We sure hope you'll be comfortable.

We also struggled with your diaper holder last night. You have Huggies and Pampers ready to go for when you arrive. All you have to do is choose which you like best. Mommy and Daddy think we might switch you to cloth diapers once you're a little bit older. We'll see how comfy you are in the disposables.

Mommy is reading up on how to raise and care for you too. I sure hope you're okay in there. I worry about your health and safety a lot. Luckily, you're pretty active and strong so that tells me you're probably just fine. In fact, sometimes your kicks and movements are so hard you take mommy's breath away! I'm still working at getting enough iron, protein, and water, so don't worry. It's definitely on my mind. I wish you could tell me which of those three is most important to you. Prioritizing could be helpful.

I will post some pictures of your room for you once we get the rest of it set up.

Love you!

Mama