I talked to my doctor today. It dawned on me (now at 23 weeks) that I didn't successfully have ANY tests/screenings during this pregnancy. The first trimester screen was unsuccessful and they didn't offer (and I didn't ask for) a tri-screen or a quad screen. NOTHING! So I realized that yesterday and called to ask. It's too late for any of that now, but they assured me they would've uncovered any issues with the 20 week ultrasound. Oh well. It's not that I would've done anything with bad news at this point anyway, but it would be good to know if I need to mentally/emotionally/physically prepare for any major issues. Oh well. The good news is - I did confirm with the nurse that we can have another sneak peek on Monday morning, when Jackie will be with us. So she can meet baby George next week!!

We met with the nanny again last night. We all agreed to the terms and are now just waiting for Gwen to sign her work contract for '09 and then we'll sign with Wendy. CRAZY to have that locked up at this point, but it's nice.

I hope the bedroom will be done today. They have some paint touch up to do, some carpet to reattach and some door hardware to install and then I think we'll be done. It sounds simple, but it's really still a lot of painting. We'll see if they can wrap it up today. I will post pics when it's done.

XOX
Liz

Tomorrow they're painting George's room! I hope they'll move our filing cabinet and also hang the main bracket for the closet system. On Monday the trim guy is coming to hang the doors, crown molding, chair rail, and french doors for my office too. It will a busy few days but it's coming together.

Tomorrow night we head to birthing class with the Klebbas. Should be interesting. We're taking the class earlier in our pregnancy than most, but we wanted to have it all done before the holiday madness. It's Friday night and most of the day Saturday. We need to go with two pillows and a blanket. Sounds scary! I'll report back on that later.

Liz

I am making such progress in George's room. This weekend I had some help as well. I have a slightly craft, artistic neighbor in Naul Manthe. He may not like me sharing his creative side with the world, but I have seen his "work" on birthday posters for his kids and so I asked for his help.

First, Mom and I went to Lowe's and got a large piece of MDF board. This is medium-density fiberboard, a type of particle board made of small particles of wood. I had to have it cut into two pieces to fit into my car. Naul then drew trees on the board! They are very cool - inspired from an episode of Color Splash I saw on HGTV. Now, Jeff is going to cut them out with a jigsaw and then I will paint them chocolate brown. After they're painted, Jeff will hang them on the wall and then we'll touch up the nail/screw holes. CUTE!!

Also over the weekend I designed a whole Elfa closet system with the help from Lori at the Denver Cherry Creek Container Store. It is sooooo cute and an incredibly useful way to maximize the closet space. As soon as they're done with George's room I'll be able to assemble it. While at the Container Store I picked up a bunch of mini hangers. I came home and started hanging up some clothes Kristine gave me. I need more hangers already!

The plan is that George's room should be done this week. We'll see. I certainly hope so. I am anxious to get all the pieces into place and see how it looks. I believe they are going to texture today or tomorrow, so it should be done pretty quickly. Look for pictures soon!

Crib Shopping . . . We picked out the crib, got all the measurements and then came home and sized up the room. The nursery is rather small, so we wanted to make sure everything would fit comfortably. George still needs some floor space to run in circles! :) First thing tomorrow morning I am calling the store to order the Sorelle City Lights Crib and the small (3 drawer) dresser. We're going to use an existing chair in that room for now, cause we're afraid the chairs we like at stores are too big for our small space. After we get the other furniture in the room we'll decide for sure about the chair.

Also today I took a first stab at registering. I am sure there is LOTS to add and delete from the list, but at least I got it started. Kristine and I spent a few good hours at Babies R Us and found some cute things. Hey - just another thing off my to-do list!!

Well, after that ultrasound I guess it's time to get serious about getting ready for George. There's a lot to do in the coming weeks, including finishing our loft into a third bedroom - a nursery - for George. We need to buy furniture - a crib, a dresser and a comfy chair for rocking/nursing. We also need to register - the fun part! I've started the hunt for a crib and I have found a style I like - something a little on the modern side. This week we started construction on our 3rd bedroom so George will have walls and his own closet for the MASS of stuff that we're bound to quickly collect. See the pic below for the framed room. And today I am going with a girlfriend to start the registering process. While I think it's good for Jeff to see the quantity and types of things a baby will require, he also isn't really too interested at this point. Maybe it's better to leave him in the dark a little longer. ;) A girlfriend is a good route cause not only do they know what you need - they have very specific advise about which ones to get and which ones to avoid.


George will be here before we know it!! Let the nesting begin!

The 20-week ultrasound went off without a hitch! I was a nervous wreck going into it. I just worry a lot, but I suppose it's just the beginning of my worrying years. Anyway, they found nothing wrong, Everything is right on track! The babe is 12 ounces right now. Heart rate was 146. We saw all the fingers and toes, all four ventricles in the heart, all the bones in the legs, and yes, we found out the gender as well. We're having a boy!!

So, lookout world!! George Vincent Kegg is on his way!!

XOX
Liz