Eight Months Old!

I know I say this every month, but I just can't believe it! I remember when Sara was born and hearing moms say, "Oh, my baby is eight months old," and thinking, What an old baby! And now, here we are. :-)

Sara sits perfectly, and is just days away from full-fledged crawling. She's been rocking for a couple of weeks now, and she drags her knees, but she hasn't figure out the hand-and-knee moving simultaneously yet. She pulls up on your fingers and stands, though no real steps or anything. One thing we've been working on this month is her neck, which she doesn't often hold up straight. My grandpa (a chiropractor) says that her top vertebra is out of place, so we've been going to him twice a week for adjustments. He said it's likely something that happened in childbirth and isn't a serious problem, but we do want to get it corrected before her muscles get too set. It seems to be gradually getting better, though when she's tired it's even more noticeable.

She weighs almost 17 pounds these days and is definitely getting more personality. Her favorite noises to make right now are grunts & squeals and simple sounds like "da-da-da-da" and gurgles. I love her Bumbo seat!! (You can see a picture below) It has been a life-saver for me. I bring it everywhere, and it even serves as her high chair for now, now that she's getting some solids.

She's SOOOO much fun these days. I just can't believe how much I love her!

4th of July

Sara in her Bumbo seat

More today...

The lactation consultant today said that she's pretty sure Sara needs to see an occupational therapist to train her to suck right. She discussed Sara's "case" with the LC from Willow Creek, who agreed. She said it's definitely a tongue problem that is holding her back. She also sent me home with a baby scale so I can weigh Sara before and after every feeding for 24 hours or so, just so we can get a better idea of how much she really is getting. She said that seeing a baby with problems like this is not that unusual -- except that they usually figure it out within a week or two! It is unusual for a baby to still be having such issues at four months old (honestly, I think it's probably just that it's uncommon for mothers of babies with these issues to still be breastfeeding, so you don't see older babies with these problems). She is very supportive of course, but she did ask me how I would feel if breastfeeding doesn't work out, which makes me wonder if she's not more pessimistic than she seemed. So, for the next 24 hours, I'll be weighing Sara before and after feedings. After that, I'll send Susan (the LC) the information, and we'll go from there!

4 Months Old!

I'm astonished as I look at the title of this post and realize that it's my baby that is four months old! It certainly has been a trip...

One thing that I can say about Sara is that she sleeps great! She's on a pretty consistent routine (when we're home), where she likes to get a good nap in the morning (about 2-3 hours), and a couple more 1-1.5 hour naps throughout the day. She then goes to bed for the night around 6:30pm. I wake her up between 9:30 and 10:30 to give her one last feeding, and then she usually sleeps until 5:30 or 6:00am. She'll take another feeding then and then go back to bed until 9:30 or 10:00. It's amazing how consistent she is when there's nothing to disrupt the schedule. And the best part is that we've mastered naptime where I can just put her down and she'll go to sleep on her own. It was definitely a long road getting there, but well worth it. Originally, I had to walk or nurse her to sleep and then gingerly put her down. At first, she would wake up pretty quickly (after 30 minutes or so), but she eventually got used to being in bed by herself and would sleep for longer and longer stretches. Then I started putting her down just when she'd be going to sleep and lie down with her and hold her hands until she was asleep. And now, she loves her bed so much that (if she's not overtired!) she sometimes actually sighs with contentment when I put her down and goes right to sleep! I know the feeling. :-) In some ways it's backfired a little bit though, because she usually doesn't sleep more than 30-45 minutes when I hold her now, which makes it very difficult when we're out for long periods of time. And actually, when I say "her bed," I should really say our bed. For now, she's still with me and Zack. My goal right now is to get her taking naps in her crib (she's actually been doing that for the past 2 days)...

...and then phase her into her crib at night. I'm not really sure if I'm going to be okay with that or not (I think I'll miss her at night!), but she's starting to get so squirmy in her sleep that I end up on the edge of the bed every night. So I guess we'll see what happens.

Still no laughing yet! She often looks as though she might rip one, but just gurgling and cooing for now. :-) She smiles just about anytime you smile at her (provided she's not cranky), and she's starting to consciously reach out and grab things. Before, she was just swinging her arms aimlessly, occasionally hitting objects, but now you can see her focus on something and actually reach out for it, and then grab on. And then, when she accomplishes her goal, she starts kicking with excitement. She's also much more interested in her hands than ever before. She can spend fifteen minutes just examining them!

She sure is cute! It would seem that her first nickname is "Critter." Zack calls her this pretty consistently, and it's even led to other phrases like, "It's Critter time!" and "You've been Crittered!" With Zack as her daddy I'm sure she'll have many more (and hopefully more feminine!).

I get more attached to her every day. Zack is really great about watching her for an hour (or three) and letting me go do errands or have fun, but it's amazing to me that as much as I want and need to get away, I always end up missing her still! I guess that's the way God intended it. :-)

Feeding update

In this case, no news is not good news! Unfortunately, we have no more answers on Sara's feeding issues. Abby and Carla are trying to get me in touch with a lactation consultant that they are good friends with, so I'm hoping this will help. I'm pretty much giving up hope that Sara will ever be exclusively breastfed though. This past week we were able to obtain some raw goat milk from a friend of Zack's aunt, and Sara seems to be taking to it pretty well (though I'm wondering if it's actually hurting her tummy some... she seems to be extra gassy these past few days).

I figure I've done just about everything I can to make this happen, and if it doesn't end up working out, at least she was able to nurse for the first few months, which is the most crucial time. Who could have figured it'd be THIS hard!!!

Here is Sara trying out goat milk for the first time. :)

You've Been Crittered!!!

On one hand I can't wait for her to get a little bigger so I can start playing with her more, but I'm also enjoying "the now." She's cute! Unfortunately our organic baby formula upsets her stomach - the other stuff is designed to be more digestible, but hopefully in a few days we'll be back to nature.

I give Lauren nasty-tasting vitamins every day, that hopefully will help Sara acquire a taste for good stuff that most kids don't like. If food is quality, I want her to grow up to like it - if she does, I can say from personal experience that it will be one of her favorite gifts. It's a gift to be able to find great pleasure in a wide variety of foods - a gift that can be cultivated, mind you, and more easily developed at the beginning than at mid-life. Plus, the more you enjoy things, the more thankful you stand to be. At my family's tables, we always rave about good food and how thankful and blessed we are to have it, and I want to give her a chance to enjoy it as much as a lot of her ancestors do :) Nasty-tasting pills for Lauren are the first step... I hope! (Fortunately you can swallow them whole :)

Lauren's being great with her.

3 Months Old!

Boy, I wasn’t sure we’d make it this far. :-) I think “roller coaster” is too mild a phrase for the up and down we’ve been on. I had no idea it could be so difficult just to keep a little baby alive. Some days I feel like that’s all I do. With all of Sara’s feeding and weight problems, it’s been more than a full-time job just to keep her full. I remember early on, in the first few weeks, feeling like there was something wrong with either me or my baby because I just couldn’t make her happy it seemed like – she seemed to always need to eat. It was probably 10 weeks before we realized that the problem was just that, even though she was nursing constantly, she wasn’t getting full. She was screaming because she was hungry! It was so sad to see her, fifteen minutes after eating, lying there screaming, clawing at her face, and chewing on her fist. At that point, I knew I couldn’t let her go on like that, so I decided we’d give her some formula. Just giving her 2-4 ounces per day has made the difference in her gaining from a couple of ounces a week, to a pound every two weeks.

We’re still working on the tongue tie thing. We went to the MD on Monday that Carla recommended, who referred us on to Dr. Cashman, an ENT, who will evaluate her on Thursday to see if she is truly a good candidate for clipping. We’re finally reaching the end of this long process! I can’t believe it’s taken three months to discover the problem, one that’s fairly common even. And the pediatrician, though kind, was no help. He and the lactation consultant there simply wanted to make sure Sara was gaining weight, and as long as she was, they didn’t seem to really care if it was from breastfeeding or not. And the staff was actually unfriendly. So we don’t plan to go back. The most help I’ve gotten was from the La Leche League, and from Jessica’s sister-in-law (through Jessica). The leader of the LLL is Kathy Freeman, the lactation consultant at Washington Regional, and she’s the one who actually “diagnosed” Sara with tongue tie. She was extremely kind and just wanted to help us, whatever it took.

But it certainly has not been all trials! She’s nine pounds now, so she’s getting stronger, and when she hit that magic 8-pound mark, she started sleeping through the night. I went from getting 1-2 hours of sleep at a time to getting 7-8 hours a time – literally overnight. She now sleeps from about 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. every night, sometimes even more. And she smiles! God certainly knew what He was doing when He made babies. He makes their cries so horrible that you are willing to drop what you are doing and do whatever it takes to make it stop, and He makes their smiles so sweet that you forget about the hard stuff. And He makes them so cute and cuddly that they’re sure to get held a lot! It’s so fun when I come back in the room where she is and get down to smile at her and talk to her, and she starts grinning and kicking and waving her arms with excitement. Sometimes when I’m talking to her and she’s looking up at me, grinning and watching my face intently, and trying out little baby noises in return, my eyes get teary because it amazes me how much I love her. I’m quite sure that “ah-goo” means “I love you, Mama!” :-)

Even though she’s small, she’s not behind on any of her milestones. Her first “social” smile was at 6 weeks, and now at 3 months, she’s already rolled over 3 times. No laughing yet, but I can tell she’s close. Zack and I sure do love her like crazy! It’s hard to think back and remember what it was like before her, even though it was such a short time ago in the grand scheme of things. Our lives are definitely changed and not our own anymore, but we’re already excited to see who God will add to our family in the future!

Sleep!

For the past 10 nights or so, Sara has slept through the night -- at least 5 hours at a time, and most nights around 7 hours (last night was 8)! I'm hoping this lasts. :)

EIGHT HOURS!!!

Sara and I went to see Dr. Sharma (my oral surgeon former employer) yesterday to see if she could be tongue-tied. He said that he usually only deals with the extreme cases, because simple cases are handled by the child's pediatrician, a pediatric dentist, or an ENT specialist. He also only does the surgery with general anesthesia, which is totally unnecessary for a baby like Sara. At her age, the frenulum is so thin that a simple clipping procedure -- with no pain-killer! -- is all that is required. Supposedly babies can nurse right away afterwards. SO, Dr. Sharma would not be doing any surgery on Sara, but he did say that though not extreme, her tongue does look tight. His recommendation was to just give her a bottle till she grows out of it, but now that I know this could be the problem, I'm going to ask her pediatrician about it today. In my mind, there is no reason to keep going through these feeding problems if it could be a simple fix.

On another note, as I've written before, most nights I give Sara a couple of ounces of formula because she sleeps so much better with a full belly. Well, last night, I decided I would see what happened if we didn't do any formula. She went to bed at 11:15, and now, at 7:35 -- over eight hours later! -- she's STILL ASLEEP!!!! No kidding! She did stir and whimper a few times in the night, but since she sleeps with me, I was able to cuddle her close and she fell right back asleep. It's hard not to get my hopes up that this will become a pattern. :-)

Still trudging along...

Last Tuesday we went back in for Sara's biweekly weight check. Eleven ounces in thirteen days! That's great, but it's still frustrating because it was with supplementing (pumped milk primarily). Sara evidently gains pretty well when I give her a bottle at least some. At night, I've even been giving her a couple of ounces of formula before bed because it makes the difference in her sleeping for 1-2 hours in a row and 5-7 hours! As anti-formula as I am/used to be, that's a no-brainer for me. Anyway, she's still having major problems with straight-up breastfeeding. She nurses for 40 minutes (that's as long as the lactation consultant said to let her go, after that it's burning more calories than she's getting), and then 15 minutes later, she's screaming and chewing her fist off. Jessica Ballinger thinks I should get her checked to see if she's tongue-tied. A lot of the "symptoms" are classic Sara -- losing suction easily, getting worn out quickly, lots of long pauses. So, I'm making an appointment with a pediatric dentist to get her evaluated. If so, it will be clipped, which supposedly is akin to getting your ears pierced -- they don't even anesthetize usually, and typically there is little or no blood. It's evidently a hereditary problem (which incidentally, Zack's brother had to have his tongue clipped). Anyway, I'll be so glad if it's that simple of a problem, because it supposedly makes all the difference in the world. On the flip side though, I'll be really irritated that the pediatrician, who has seen Sara 7+ times, and the lactation consultant didn't even look for it, even though it's an extremely common issue! Medical "professionals." Grrrrr....

Frustrations

We've been going into the doctor's every 2 weeks since she was born just because of her slow weight gain, and this last time (Wednesday) she only gained 4 oz in 2 weeks. So, the doctor has me pumping extra and offering her that after nursing, which even after a 40-minute nursing session, she'll gulp 3.5 oz like an African refugee baby! Of course, he initially wanted me to do formula, but I told him I'd rather pump, which he said was actually preferable to him too (so why didn't he recommend it in the first place?!?). He thinks that's why she's crying, because she's still hungry. I don't get it though, because she nurses all the time!!!!! Seriously, some days she nurses for 30 minutes, sleeps for 30 minutes (as I hold her), nurses 30, sleeps 30 -- all day long! I can't understand why she's not getting enough. The doctor said maybe it's that she is just a really inefficient nurser and doesn't get that hindmilk after the initial let down. I don't know what it is, but it's stressing me out big time! Zack stayed home from work Friday so that I could pump after each of her feedings, and he could help take care of her. He's so great -- I can't imagine doing this without him. Single girls really make it hard on themselves! There's a reason God says marriage first. Anyway, even after her feedings I can still get an ounce and half or so, which makes me wonder why she isn't emptying that out... AHHHHH!!! I'm so confused. I had NO IDEA breastfeeding could be so horribly hard. I really want it to work out, and for us to get it figured out so that I don't have to pump all the time, but can just nurse, but I'll do whatever I have to.

The Good and the Bad

Because Sara has been slow to gain weight, we had to go in Wednesday for a weight check. The news was good and bad.

The good news is, she gained weight like a champ (even more than average)! She weighed 5lb 13.5oz last time, and that was 13 days before, so she needed to gain between 6.5 oz (1/2 oz/day) and 13 oz (1 oz/day). She actually gained more than an ounce per day -- 15 oz total! Ha :-) I'm so glad we didn't go ahead with the formula supplementation like he wanted us to. So, she's almost 7 lbs now (funny to think she's still smaller than I expected her to be at birth!!), and she also grew 1.5 inches.

The bad news is that I noticed a bulge in her groin area a couple of weeks ago, a soft bump that sticks out when she cries. When she's lying still, you can't see it. Anyway, I asked him about it, and he said it was an inguinal hernia and will require surgery. :-( I can't stand the thought of her getting put under and cut on, but if we don't do it, her intestines could get caught in the hole and "die" from lack of blood flow. She also has an umbilical hernia, which we already knew, and doesn't require surgery, but he said that they would probably fix it while they were there anyway, even though it would heal on its own in a year or so. It's not an emergency he said, I just have to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't show signs of strangulation (when the intestines get caught). He gave me the name of a surgeon in the area who does these, so I'm going to go ahead and take her for an initial visit, even if we put off surgery for a few months (the pediatrician said it probably wouldn't be necessary before 6 months, and maybe even later). Poor baby Sara!! At least it's fixable though (not a tumor or something like I feared!), and surprisingly common (about 1 in 20 babies have them). And it doesn't hurt her as far as I can tell, so that's good. I'm just not looking forward to the recovery!

Reflections

Sara is 6 weeks old today! In some ways, it's hard to believe it's been that long, and in some ways, it feels like twice as long. I certainly was unprepared for how difficult it would be! To be perfectly honest, the first 2 weeks were probably the toughest thing I've ever gone through, and there are still difficult days now and then. But it gets better and funner every day as Sara grows and becomes more like a baby. She's recently started making baby noises, the precursors to "baby talk." Her favorite place to lie and play is her changing table in the bathroom (why, I do not know -- maybe the fluorescent lights are warm??), and she'll lie there and look around, cooing at the lights and the mirror for a long time.

Another thing lately is that I've actually been able to put her down for naps. For the first few weeks I was having to hold her constantly, whether she was awake or asleep. However, Mom helped me figure out that if I'll put her on her belly (I know, the doctors say not to!), I can put her down when she's getting sleepy, and she'll sleep there for hours! This means I've actually gotten to cook dinner and do the dishes.


It's so amazing to watch her change and grow! This morning, she was giving me all kinds of smiles (and of course I got lots of pictures!). I'm looking forward to the next few months as her personality comes out more and more, and I get to know her better. I'm so grateful that the Lord enabled our family to let me stay home with her. I couldn't imagine passing her off to someone else every day.

Concerns

Sara finally lost her "billy" (umbilical) cord, as Zack calls it, on Christmas Eve. So, 2 days later when she "blew" all over herself, she got her 1st sink bath!



Sara had a weight check appointment today since she's so little and hadn't regained her birth weight by 3 weeks. She gained 4.5 oz in 9 days, which is at the very bottom of the range of acceptable rate of gain. SO they want to see her back in 2 weeks to recheck.

I love that little Critter!

Wow, the first 3 weeks of Sara's life have been great! I feel really bonded to her. I thank God that I read up even as little as I did on babies and raising kids, because were it not for that, I'm sure I would not be able to handle the crying very well. If you think about it logically, you can conclude that anyone's weeping is very tolerable and pitiful. Belligerent wailing, on the other hand, and incessant outbursts of frustration generate sympathy only a day or two, as you think, "it must be something I'm (Lauren's) doing wrong." But as you seek every possible way to commiserate her, you find even your most thoughtful efforts, and most empathetic words to still be met with dissatisfaction! Gradually you realize, "My best wasn't good enough!" That thought is undoubtedly the root of all parents' emotional breakdowns and frustration.

However, the books came in handy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In reading, I learned that, contrary to what I've always thought, the most important time of a human's life is their first few years! Who'd have ever imagined it?! I've always been disenchanted with babies because they can't interact, they don't care anything about YOU or your effort, so why bother with them? Little did I know (until I read... I CAN READ!!!!) that babies who aren't held after birth often become emotionally damaged - and babies that are snapped at or neglected. I also didn't know that by age 5, most little humans have pretty much settled into their idea of who God is or isn't, and how they think of Him! Wow! All that shows it's critical to overcome the natural frustration toward your baby, and critical to continue holding them and loving them, and pressing through with a proper perspective that comes from knowing you ARE making a positive difference, and that it IS worth enduring her outbursts.

Just knowing that has made all the difference for me. Though it was frustrating for a couple days during week 2, I'm realizing again, "She's just so tired she can't sleep," or, "her diaper's just dirty," or "she's hungry," or "she's overstimulated." She just can't help it.

I also find that Lauren is great at diagnosing her different shrieks. That's helped me remember sometimes that, "ah, yes, there is a REASON she's crying, and it's a reasonable one."

Though I don't day dream about Sara while at work, I do look forward to seeing her when I'm driving home! I like to call her "little crttr."

I haven't dreaded changing a diaper yet.

You ought to see the innocent-looking face she gets on her when she gets the hiccups! Little eyeballs peaking all around, to the left and right, while making that cute little squeak.

I'm very happy that we've gone haywire overload on the pictures. We've got a ton.

I'm looking forward to getting some professional portraits done of her - maybe with the money dad sent for Christmas. Dad hasn't seen her yet, nor Katie, but I know they're eagerly anticipating the first meeting.

Lauren's dad decided that since I'm the dad, I should be "Crawdad," which would make him "Crawpappy." That has provided some quality entertainment so far.

I've tried to spot her fingerprints, but I guess they're so small, I can't see them. Plus she won't leave her hands open very long.

Her favorite sleeping spot, other than Lauren, is snugged right into the couch cushions - pictures will reveal this.

I've been making sure Lauren gets her gourmet supplement pills every day, so that she and the baby get all their stuff. I also throw some odd-ball pills in there, like ginger, so that Sara will develop a taste, like her daddy, for things a little more adventuresome than her more conservative mother intakes.

So how do I feel about babies all in all? I feel great! I think it's the best! Lauren's the one who has done ALL the suffering to this point - I feel sorry for her, yet impressed at what a good job she's doing! She's the one who wakes up all the time at night, and has to be around the volatility during the day as well. Even though she's almost beat to a frazzle sometimes, she's still surprisingly positive. She even still manages to do some things around the house and cook dinner and things too.

Sara's Here!

Well, it's taken me a week to get this down on "paper," but you'll have to forgive me -- I just had a baby! That's right, my suspicions last week were correct; I was in labor. Zack got home from work around 5:30 and ate his dinner (that I cooked, thank you!), and my family came over then as well. My contractions were getting closer together and pretty uncomfortable, so we decided around 6:30 that I should go ahead and go. We ended up making it to the hospital a little before 7:00 p.m. Dr. Duke (who I would have chosen had I had the chance) was on call, checked me and said I was 4 cm dilated and 90% effaced. He wanted to go ahead and break my water, so about 45 minutes later, he came back (I was now 5cm/100%) and did just that. I had about 2 more contractions that were just uncomfortable, and then things picked up quickly! Zack has an actual time line of when things occurred, but for me, the next three hours passed in a painful blur.

Looking back, it's hard to remember very many specifics because I was trying so hard to relax, but I do know that if Zack and Mom hadn't been there, I couldn't have done it! There were a few times that I thought things like, "I never want to do this again!" and it was definitely the hardest thing I've ever done, but worth it for sure! Around 10:45, the nurse checked me and said I was 10 cm dilated and it was time to push. She had me give 2 good pushes, and then called out the door, "The doctor needs to come now!" The next contraction I actually had to breathe through because the baby was crowning and the doctor wasn't ready. That third push, at 10:53 p.m., Sara arrived! She was a nice shade of blue-gray, and Mom even says she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, but she let out her first cry and within seconds, the doctor was asking Zack if he wanted to cut the cord (which, surprisingly, he did!). He did just fantastic through the whole thing, and was pretty immediately in love :) They took her immediately over to the warmer, where she was howling, until she heard her daddy's voice. He began to talk to her, and she immediately stopped crying.

Annie didn't make it until about 45 minutes after Sara was born, even though she booked it from Amarillo and made it in a record 6.5 hours. We had lots of other visitors too -- my whole family, Laura, Bro Kenny, and Jay & Betty.

We had to stay in the hospital for 2 nights, since she was born so late at night, but now we're home!

Progress!

At my weekly doctor's appointment this morning, Dr. Hix informed me that I'm now three centimeters dilated, and 75% effaced! He said that was a lot of progess for one week, and even said, "This may be a Turkey Day baby!" He also said she is moving down well (her "station" is -2) SO, even though it could still be 2 weeks, they're thinking it probably won't be. Dr. Hix even said as I was leaving, "Well, we'll see you at your appointment next week, unless you have a baby by then!" So, more walking for me...

Doctors, Dilating & Dreams

The doctor says I'm 1cm dilated! Boy, this is really going to happen!! And I tested negative for Group B Strep, which is fantastic (no antibiotics at the birth).

We've been working a lot on Sara's room, getting the swing and stroller assembled, washing all those new baby clothes. It just makes me so impatient to have that little baby here with us! Everyone told me I would just wish away the last month of my pregnancy, and I guess I am, though not for the reasons they were meaning. People say you feel so bad the last month that it feels like you will be pregnant forever, but to me, it's not about the pregnancy part -- it's just that every time I hold up a little newborn gown or onesie, I wish there was something in it! I know that when I actually get to hold her, I will feel even more strongly, but I just can't believe how much I already love her and want her with us. God surely knew what He was doing when He chose how we humans would be brought into the world. It only makes me wish all babies were as wanted. And when I think about what a great dad Zack is going to be, it just makes me weepy. :) (not that tears are far away at any point in pregnancy!) So come on, Sara! We're waiting!!

Important Day

Today marks an important milestone -- I am technically considered full term. In a nutshell, that means that if Sara were born today, she would not be considered premature (even though I have 3 weeks left until my due date).

It's not too long now...

I had a doctor's appointment this morning, and everything looks fantastic! The baby's heartbeat was strong and steady (the doctor remarked on the "excellent rhythm -- it doesn't skip a beat!"). He also told me that Sara has dropped down into the pelvis (which explains the waddle!), and that she is head-down. (Both of these are good...) He said I'm not dilated yet, but that he wouldn't be at all surprised if by next week's visit I am starting to dilate. All of this means the end is in sight! He said there was no reason to think I'd go past my due date (and implied that it might even be earlier). So I just need to keep walking so that baby's head keeps pushing its way out! By this time next week I'll be considered full term. Boy -- I need to go get that hospital bag packed!

Nursery Progress

Boy, what a project this has been!! We decided that we would use the back corner room for Sara's nursery, so Step 1 was to clear all of the office room stuff (Zack's computer & computer desk, his regular desk, my desk and laptop, the filing cabinet, and the treadmill -- not to mention all the odds and ends!). No, I take that back -- step 1 was really to clear the guest bedroom of the bed, dresser, etc., so that we could turn it into the office! Anyway, after all of this was done, Mom came over to help me paint. I decided that I wanted to do pink (of course!) stripes, with one stripe being flat paint and one being semi-gloss, same color though. Of course, as Mom says, everything always takes longer than you expect! We started on a Friday night, but only got the first coat of flat paint done. Then, on Saturday, we got the second coat of flat paint done, worked on the trim, and painted some bedroom furniture. But then we still had to do stripes! So, Mom came over the next Wednesday afternoon since she had school off (this past one), and we got most of the stripes taped. That's right -- not painted, just taped! So Friday night, we were finally able to finish painting the stripes, and everything looks just like I'd hoped. We're just putting finishing touches on the room now, and then, we get to move in the furniture!

Click below to see the photo album.

Painting the Baby Room