Everyday Brings Us Closer!

The adventure of preparing the nursery for our sweet Darby continued this weekend. Eric and Dave put together the crib and dresser. Both had been sitting in boxes in our garage since we bought them in February. Assembly was a piece of cake, and we are so pleased with the quality of furniture. The crib is convertible, 3 beds in one! It's a crib (the selling point! haha), a toddler bed and a full size bed frame. We'll just have to add the full sized mattress when the time comes, but we have a while before we'll be needing to even really THINK of that! I was a little late on grabbing my camera and didn't get any shots of the actual assembly really, but that's ok, I'm sure you are all more interested in the finished product anyway!


On Friday night Eric and I went over to Babiesrus, I had to pick up some nipple pads already!! I am happy to see I should have no problem when it comes to breastfeeding since I started leaking colostrum in my 25th week! From what I have read, it is completely normal, a little on the early side, but all part of the process of getting my body ready to feed the baby once she's here. It actually really makes me excited, a sign that things are getting closer, almost to my third trimester!

While we were at Babiesrus, we went ahead and bought the glider chair and ottoman since they said it would take 10-12 weeks for delivery! We only have 14 until Darby is here so we figured we should get a move on it! We picked a pretty pink chenille glider with matching ottoman and it is soooo comfy and cute. Here is the stock photo of the glider I pulled off the website just so you get the idea -

Starting to work on my 26th week is a fabulous feeling! I just can't believe we have 14 weeks left and have already put 25 behind us!! Here is what is going on with Darby this week:

Your little grower’s physical proportions are evening out at this point and most of their remaining development will largely be weight gain and lots and lots of nervous system development. The good news is: if your child is born premature now they’ll be more likely to survive without too much trauma as their lungs began to produce “surfactant” last week, which means their tiny respiratory system is getting stronger with each passing day. Yes, now’s a good time for a minor sigh of relief and a quick pat on the back. All that hard work and conscientious living is really getting your child prepared for a healthy delivery. Keep up the fabulous work mama! This week they’ll be scootching slowly out of the old breech position and start rotating (already!) into a better position for exit during their birth. Their head and feet are slowly rotating so that the head is pointed down towards the birth canal. Time is short (or really long, depending on who you ask)—just (still!) 14 weeks left before you can go back to being a single-resident human.

You've probably noticed I've put a little development ticker up on the right hand column. I wanted to point out that the length measurement (9 or 9.5" not sure which it says now) is the CR length - Crown to Rump. (Meaning head to bum) From head to toe, the baby is actually about 13.5" this week. Usually the CR length is noted just through the first trimester (or that's how Dr Gonzalez does it at least!).

With the crib and dresser in the nursery, its really starting to feel more completed. Now I get to do all the fun little things - pictures, curtains and all the decorating! Time to get busy with the nesting!

New Carpet and a Trip to the Hospital

I am so excited, the carpet was installed today!! I have never experienced an install crew for anything that was as on time as these guys where. Our scheduled time "window" was between 8 and 9am, and they showed up at 7:59! I was very impressed with their efficiency too. They had the job completed before 10am, and everything looks GREAT!

Here are a few pictures of Darby's room and ours with the new carpet.

I am SO glad that navy blue carpet it GONE at last!!

On another note, yesterday my day began with a trip to the hospital. The DR sent me as a precaution since I'd been having some symptoms that could have possibly meant I was leaking some amniotic fluid. Better safe then sorry, so off to Long Beach Memorial I went with my great Mother in Law who came to my rescue! After a lot of waiting and some tests (which were just too fun), everything turned out to be ok. All the tests came back negative for amniotic fluid and preterm labor, and we were SO relieved. That would have been horrible if it was the case, and it would have meant bed rest until Darby was here, and that could have happened way to early. I want to keep her in there until July!

After I was discharged, Julie and I stopped in the hospital gift shop on our way out and she bought a cute gift for Darby. As a souvenir of the whole experience, we picked a cute little bunny towel, and I can't wait to wrap Darby up in it after her first bath!

In Honor of Easter...

Eric took a break from working in the nursery today to decorate my baby belly! I think he did a great job, and it was fun watching him do it! (I used a hand mirror to see!) Here is his masterpiece!

The nursery is coming along. I did a few small things myself throughout the week, like some paint touch ups (with the window open and a dust mask on). Today Eric is painting the moulding around the window, finishing up the crown moulding and just getting everything ready because next Thursday that carpet will be installed!

I am now 24 weeks along and counting! I can't believe I will be starting to work on my 25th week tomorrow and 15 weeks away from my due date! Here is a tid bit of whats going on with Darby this week, for all of those who are interested!

This is another big week for your magical growing baby! Just take a look at the checklist for this week: 1) ears: done; 2) fingernails: done; 3) (if you have a boy) testicles: taking their 3-4 day trip from the abdominal wall to the scrotum; and 4) lungs walls: secreting “surfactant”. What’s that? Well, surfactant is sort of what it sounds like: a surface-activated fat whose main purpose is to assist the your baby's little lungs during inflation (as in, filling with air, not getting more expensive). Just in case you’re curious, your submerged baby is still breathing in amniotic fluid, preparing and rehearsing the lungs an oxygen-filled life outside the womb. By the end of this week, your child will be weighing around 2 lbs and 14 inches long. Your cutie-patootie may even be a little more plump, but isn't anywhere near their full baby-fatted cute-self. Most of the “filling out” is coming up in that long awaited (and slightly dreaded?) third trimester. Woo-hoo! Get ready!

The exciting thing about this week is that 24 weeks marks the babies viability point! That means if Darby was to be born, she has a chance at survival, with intensive care. Of course we just keep praying that she sticks in there for at least 12 more weeks and comes out happy and healthy!

More projects and an Irish baby belly!

The Murray men were hard at work in the nursery again this weekend!! We are so happy to report that the crown moulding has successfully been installed in Darby's room! I am so happy with the final product, Dave and Eric did a great job putting it up, just like they did with the waynes coating and chair rail. We will finish painting and touching up this week, so that hopefully next week we can have the new carpet installed!

Darby has been pretty active lately. I am just so anxious for Eric to be able to feel her kicks from the outside. We have started reading to her at night before bed, and of course are still listening to her heartbeat with the doppler.

On another note... Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Enjoy your corned beef and cabbage and green beer. Or your green eggs and ham. Or whatever festive thing you do to celebrate! Eric has BEGGED me to make corned beef, which I HATE. I caved and bought some to make for him, but that only means he will be eating it all week since I will not be helping him! He'll manage I'm sure, and probably wont want to eat it again until next year anyway!

I wanted to start Darby off right with appreciating her Irish heritage. (Both Eric and I are Irish) Since she will not be sharing in Eric's feast of corned beef this evening,

It was not easy to draw those clovers on my own belly! I wanted to do 4 leaf clovers, but they kept coming out crooked. I will be sure to have Eric help next time... I'm thinking, easter egg!

Mission "Baby Registry"... COMPLETE!!

Last night, Eric and I had a nice date night. We went out to dinner and then over to BabiesRus to register!! It is pretty overwhelming, the amount of things you need for a baby! But we had a lot of fun, picking cute, girlie, and of course the safest things for Darby.

There were a few things I did find difficult to choose. Being a first time parent I really felt clueless when it came to certain things, like breast pumps! I got a recommendation from someone who was working at BabiesRus which helped a lot. Obviously Eric was no help with choosing this item. He was just ready to scan and move on!

I'm sure there might be a few more things we will add along the way, but for now the registry is pretty complete. We have also registered for a few things at Pottery Barn Kids/Baby. There was no full bedding set that really WOWed us, and we just couldn't agree. I decided to just get bits and pieces and things that match together. I've registered for the bumpers and some crib sheets at Pottery Barn. Who ever really uses the big comforter the bedding sets come with anyway?? We will have plenty of blankets thanks to the loving talents of Darby's Grandma Julie who knows how to sew a fabulous quilt or blanket in no time!!

So between BabiesRus and Pottery Barn Kids/Baby I think we've got everything covered! Registering just makes it all seem even more real then it already seemed!

Today and tomorrow we have plans to TRY to finish up the crown moulding so we can call and have the carpet installed soon. I'll be sure to have my camera ready to snap a few shots of the progress!

A Few Special Gifts

Eric got home from his trip to Arizona late last night, and he didn't come home empty handed! Obviously we will be teaching Darby early on, that the Angels are the best major league baseball team! He bought her a few things that will start her off right as a true fan! The cutest onesie, a Angels pacifier and a cute pink hat!

My Grandma who lives in Spokane, WA has been here visiting for the last few weeks. We are so lucky that she is able to travel down here at least once a year to visit, since its hard for us to get up there for visits.

Since she wont be here for my baby shower in May, she wanted to give me my gift in person. I am so in love with the cute pink afghan she crocheted with her own two hands! I can't wait to tell Darby when she's older about the hours of love and hard work her Great Grandma put into her soft pink afghan. It is beautiful and just perfect!

Kickin' Back and.. kicking!

Our sweet little Darby has been on the moooooove today! This morning I laid in bed for awhile and just watched and felt my tummy. It is so amazing to me, to feel her kicking, and seeing my tummy move when she does! This afternoon, and even while I'm writing this she is all over the place and kicking, kicking, kicking!! I can't get enough.

Eric has been gone for the last few days, on a trip to Arizona to watch our #1 baseball team, the Angels, during their spring training. While he was gone, he did call and talk to Darby (well, my tummy). How cute is that! I am so anxious for him to get home tonight and hopefully she will still be this active so he can enjoy it as much as I am today!!

Darby's New Things...

The other day I went back to Bergstroms (the store where we bought Darby's furniture) and picked up the matching stand for our moses basket! (My Mom was nice enough to pay for it!!) I put it together myself and I'm pretty proud of my work! I can't wait till Darby comes home and can sleep in it next to our bed. When she is older, I just know she is going to love playing with her dollies in it!

On Thursday night I went to the Sugar Plum - a craft fair that is so much fun - with Julie, Aunt Lynne and her best friend Gail! I wanted to buy every baby item I saw becuase they were all so adorable, but I held back. Lynne was nice enough to buy the sweetest, frilliest bib I've ever seen for Darby! It has two ballet shoes on it and says 'baby ballernia', I love it! Of course, I couldn't get out of there with out buying a few things! I bought a set of the softest burp cloths ever, and the cutest pink crochet hat with a big flower and ribbon.

Lookin' good!

It was another productive weekend in the nursery!! Eric and his Dad were able to finish installing the waynes coating and chair rail. It looks FABULOUS! It needs to be painted, but it is up...



We also picked out the carpet, its a beige stainmaster carpet, looks like berber, but MUCH softer! Once we get the crown moulding up, it will be installed. Hopefully within the next few weeks!

We have our next Dr. appointment on Wednesday and will get another peek at little Darby!! The Dr. still needs to take some measurements and check her spine and heart. I think given the past we will always be nervous going to the Dr, and wont breath easy until we are holding Darby in our arms!