Week 37

Today is February 1st! Do you know what's happening in February? A baby Nolen is going to be born! He could be born tonight, or he could be born on February 24th (if I were to be induced.) Tim's only request was that Nolen wait until February to be born because the push present he got me was a February birthstone for our little man. A push present for those of you who don't know is a husbands way of saying "thanks for carrying this baby for 10 months and for well, pushing it out!" Tim just couldn't contain his excitement, so I have been enjoying my push present since July, 7 months before any pushing occurred(which is A-OK with me!)

Well the glamours of pregnancy are quickly fading these days. For the past nine months I've thoroughly enjoyed being pregnant, walking around with my basketball belly, and talking about babies and pregnancy everywhere I go. I've thoroughly enjoyed these nine months and am anxiously awaiting the next step, BABY! To say things are getting uncomfortable would be an understatement. I wake up each day feeling as though someone has strapped an 18 pound (my current weight gain) bowling ball to my belly, kicked me between the legs, and then punched me in the chest. Nice huh! Everything is achy. Things I didn't even know I had are aching. My nights are sleepless as I heave-ho my bowling ball from one side the the other trying to get cozy. It never fails, as soon as I find a comfortable position I have to pee. I think this is God's way of preparing me for the sleepless nights that lay ahead! The only thing I hear as I walk the school halls is "your STILL here, when is that baby going to get here." Even the kindergartners are starting to ask "when is that lady going to have that baby?" Okay little man, anytime you'd like to make a debut would be fine with me! If you think it's fun in there, wait until you see all of these toys we have for you out here!
As uncomfortable as I am, I can't help but feel so bad for little Nolen all scrunched up in there. I know babies have been growing in bellies for millions of years, but none of those babies have been our little Nolen. The poor thing has been hanging out upside down with his head crammed who knows where for weeks now! He has completely run out of dancing room. The most he can get is a good stretch as he pushes his legs up into my ribs and his tiny arms into my organs. Oh buddy, not too much longer! Hang in there, literally.

Bumbo Cover Give-a-way!

Over the past few weeks we have been showered with love, and lots of cute necessities for our little man. As Tim would say, "we have bumbo's, and bopets, and boppy's, and bunkos..." Well among these amazing (and adorable) presents was a Bumbo! What's a Bumbo you might ask...it's an infant chair uniquely designed according to the baby’s posture. The Bumbo enables babies to sit upright all by themselves! Bumbo- check! Next on the agenda, how to make this rubbery contraption a little more appealing to the eye. That's where Boutique Sweet Cheeks comes in. It's an adorable boutique I found on Etsy that specializes in Bumbo covers and other baby necessities.

Get excited...Boutique Sweet Cheeks has offered to give away one free Bumbo cover with embroidery!

How to enter:
1. Become a follower of www.babyastor.blogspot.com
2. Check out the cuteness at http://www.etsy.com/shop/BoutiqueSweetCheeks
3. Leave a comment below including your name, email address, and tell us why you love your Bumbo! Please leave only 1 comment per person.
4. Click the link below to vote for Baby Nolen's Journey, if it takes you to their website then your vote is cast and your done!



The winner will be picked using randomizer.org on Wednesday February 3, 2010 at 5:00pm. Good luck, stay tuned to hear our winner!

Week 36

My doctors appointment today revealed a baby Nolen who has dropped! His little head is very low, my cervix is very soft,and we're not dilated at all. So we're left waiting, waiting... just sitting here waiting patiently. According to every movie, TV show, book, etc. that I've ever seen up to this point in life I would have thought that by now (9 months pregnant) I would be giving birth to a bouncing baby boy. That however is not the case, I have been fed lies my entire life. There is no such thing as a 9 month pregnancy, women are pregnant for 10 months! Well at least I'm now in the final stretch. I can now reply with "4 weeks to go" or "one more month!" As much as I'm so excited to have Nolen, I'm equally as scared, questioning if I truly am ready to be in charge of such an important little man. Then I think of course I'm ready, I've spent the last nine months getting ready. I've been through childbirth class, baby care class, read every baby/ pregnancy book, not to mention the 10+ years that I've been babysitting other peoples children. We finally get our own! Our own little baby that we can raise, dress-up, play with, laugh with, and do with as we please! Our own little man that we get to keep, and never have to give back!!! A few years back, when I purchased my first car on my own, I had this same feeling of amazement. "They are just going to let me drive this car home, is there a sales man following me, are there cameras in this thing? Is it really mine? Did they really just give ME a Volvo?" I imagine coming home from the hospital with Nolen will leave me with the same astonishment (only times a million!)
Tim has been busy working mostly nights, which limits our communication to the phone. (He's asleep when I leave, I'm asleep when he gets home, sigh, I just keep telling myself it's not forever!) I feel like lately we've been having the exact same conversation daily:
T: What are you doing?
M: Oh, just (resting/shopping/eating/watching TV/working out)
T: Have you been having any contractions
M: yes, nothing huge though
T: Ok, well call me if you go into labor
M: Ok, love you
One of these days (hopefully soon) I'll be able to give him some news worth calling for!
I'll leave you with a few of Megan's life lessons this week...
Life lesson #164: Never go to the grocery store when you are starving, especially when they are having buy-one-get-one sales on cookies AND potato chips!
Life lesson #165: Never go to Target's baby clearance event when your 9 months pregnant. Like a mirage it will appear that you need 2 of everything.

*Take a look at that badge to your right, the one that says 'top baby blogs.' Go ahead and click it every time you visit, it will automatically get us one vote closer to being featured on Top Baby Blogs! If you are taken to their web site your job is done, your vote has cast!"

~~First Ever Giveaway!!!~~

CONGRATULATIONS to our winner Christy from Virginia!!! Christy said the one item that she can't live without is her baby swing (and hopefully soon it will be her nursing cover!) Thanks to everyone who entered, stay tuned for more giveaways!!!

While my sister was here for my shower she introduced me to an item that I never knew I couldn't live without, a nursing cover! She used it daily, and what seemed like constantly. I knew then that I simply couldn't live without one. So I began my search for the perfect nursing cover. It had to be functional and practical, yet stylish and chic. I stumbled across an Etsy store called Lilacs & Lollipops and they had exactly what I was looking for. Shabby Chic nursing covers in the cutest patterns! Now's the time to get excited... the wonderful girls at Lilacs and Lollipops have offered to give away one nursing cover to the winner of our first ever giveaway. They'll even let you pick the cover of your choice!
How to enter:
1. Become a follower of www.babyastor.blogspot.com
2. Check out the cuteness at http://www.etsy.com/shop/lilacslollipops
3. Comment on this post telling us the one baby item that you never knew you couldn't live without!

All entries will be entered into a drawing that will be randomly selected on January 22, 2010. Good luck, can't wait to hear those responses!

What a difference 10 weeks can make...

Week 35

This week I reached what us preggers like to call 35/35. I'm in my 35th week with only 35 days left to go! I knew this trimester would go quickly because of all the holidays and showers, but never would have imagined THIS quickly! I had another baby shower this week thrown by some of Tim's mom's friends in Amelia Island. We got some much needed supplies for our little man, along with some awful cute ones! It still amazes me how generous and kind people can be! The shower was complete with everything blue and brown, including the martinis! (*Side note*Nolen, when you are 18 and looking at pictures of me pregnant and holding a martini, please know that mommy was drinking a mocktail!)

I'm thinking that Nolen is going to be making his appearance sooner rather then later. Everyday I wake up to a new symptom, proceed to google it, and then read about how it's a sign of early labor. We've had lots of braxton hicks (almost timeable at times), lower back pain all day and night, morning sickness (for the first time EVER), a dropping belly, and boobs that can now squirt like a super soaker (yikes!)

I have to admit I will miss being pregnant, and all the perks that come along with it. People everywhere are always jumping to help you with your everyday activities. "No, no you can't lift that, let me get it for you." "Well we don't usually take returns, but I think we can just this once." "Oh, this ones one the house, the baby needs it." I've grown so accustom to this special treatment that I have started getting angry when one doesn't treat me like the pregnant queen that I am (I kid, I kid.) I drive down the road yelling at other cars, "I can't believe you wouldn't let the pregnant lady over!" Which brings me to my next thought... no one can tell your pregnant when your in your car, which is why I am going to invent a "pregnant lady on board" sign! Genius. This sign would give you permanent right-of-way, the ability to drive like Speedy Gonzalez (we all know we're just going to give the officer pregnancy excuses anyway), and most importantly parking privileges in handicap parking (so we don't have to waddle as far!) If this invention doesn't take off I have back-up . My next invention involves making designer clothes for little people, but we'll save that for a later post.

Enjoy some pictures of Nolen's almost finished nursery. All we're missing are curtains, a lamp, and a few other details (like a baby Nolen!)

Week 34

Happy week 34 to me! This week was extra special because it was also the week of my first baby shower! Nolen and I were showered with love (and loads of cute baby things!!!) I had a house full of friends and family, and loved every minute of it. Nothing better then 7 of your favorite women all under one roof for the weekend. Amongst those 7 women was an extra cute one named Peri, my 6 month old niece. Peri was not only entertaining and cute, but also a great learning tool for Tim. My mom and I decided to leave Tim and Peri home alone while we ran to pick up dinner-to-go. We figured he could survive anything for 15 minutes. As we walked out the front door Peri sat in his lap looking as frightened as Tim. He asked what to do if she cried and we said, "just figure it out." Oh man, what we would have given to be a little fly on the wall. Well we get dinner and return to find Tim holding Peri, under his arm, on her belly...standing literally 2 inches from our 60" TV. "The only way I could get her to stop crying was to let her watch TV." Good: he got her to stop crying, bad: that he was holding a baby 2" from a TV. Sigh. We've got some learning/ teaching to do. Get ready Nolen, your going to be me and daddies learning love bug :)

Here are some pictures from my fabulous girls weekend/ baby shower.

(This is the onesie that Mr. Nick designed for Nolen, "the red is blood.")

Week 33

Have you ever wanted to be a little bug on the wall... a little bug that can overhear peoples thoughts and conversations. Well that's kind of what I've been lately. Only I'm not a little bug, I'm just the sober one in a room of intoxication. I've survived my first sober 4th of July, Football season, Thanksgiving, Xmas & New Years. This has taken a little getting used to, but I'm actually starting to enjoy it. Everyone starts off on the same level and then before you know it Ryan is using champagne bottles as falic symbols, peoples voices

are growing louder and louder, and the stories are getting crazier and crazier (gerbils anyone.) I've also found that our guy friends get a little more comfortable with the whole "pregnancy" thing once they have a few drinks in them. Once this happens they suddenly want to touch and talk to the belly. Oh the things that little Nolen's ears have already heard. I guess this is all a part of the game when your the first of your friends to have a baby. Baby Nolen is everyones "learning baby."

Saturday we attended the Gator Bowl, which was also Bobby Bowden's last game. Not sure if it was from the cold/wet weather, or just being overly tired, but I was having some major braxton hicks. So many (and so strong) that I thought our little man was going to make an appearance right then and there. All I could think was, "Oh no, here comes Nolen, and Tim will want to change his name to Bobby Bowden Astor." Below is our debut on TV. Although it doesn't appear so, I had a a lot of fun! I was just slightly distracted with my contractions... so please excuse my beauty.

In belly news... things are getting a little ridiculous. I feel as though I'm walking around with 10 pound weight attached to my stomach. A 10 pound weight that punches me in the ribs and bladder. At night I feel like a beached whale as I have to heave-ho my belly from one side to the other. In fact I probably sound like a beached whale as well when I add in my sound effects, "uuugggghhhhhh, plop."

All complaining aside, I would take this uncomfortableness any day. I love having my little man with me all day and night. He can kick and punch me whenever and where ever he wants! With only 7 weeks left (or less) I'm feeling anxious, excited, nervous, over prepared, under prepared, scared, and thrilled about meeting our little man! We truly can't wait!

This is the last week of having a guest bed in Nolens room!!! Sorry guests, it's an air mattress or sofa for you from now on. We're finally able to start getting Nolen's furniture situated and room decorated! I've had the vision in my head, now it's go time! Stay tuned for pictures in the coming weeks!