Home Transformation

Our home is finally ready! Last weekend, on my due date no less (!), we put the finishing touches on our apartment. Of course, decorating is a process that goes on and on, but having built furniture (as opposed to a living room stacked with unbuilt, still in the cardboard boxes from IKEA) makes the undeniably profound difference between livable and a big mess.

Case in point. In a few short weeks, we went from THIS:

To THIS!

Go ahead, gasp! I completely understand. And if you happen to be one of the people who said reassuring, sweet things to me like, "All you need is a few swaddling blankets, breasts and diapers to bring the baby home," you can see now why I laughed in your face. Ha! Can you imagine bringing a baby home to that top photo? Omgosh. Horror!

In roughly the same time frame, the kitchen went from being 100% gutted (and I kid you not!) to being perfect in every way. I have never had a kitchen that's so easy to keep tidy. Nor can I figure out why that is. 

Here is the heart-sinking "before" picture of the kitchen:

And here is what the kitchen looks like today:

To say that I'm happy is such a gross understatement it doesn't bear saying. But I'll say it anyway. I am SO happy! What a wonderful feeling to have a beautiful, organized home to bring our baby home to for the first time. Now I just need to go into labor... ;)

Here are a few more "before" and "now" pictures of the apartment. Just keep in mind that I am amazing while looking at these photos. During this home transformation I was pregnant, working full time until a few weeks ago, pregnant, still going out and being social, pregnant, swimming and doing prenatal yoga. Did I mention pregnant? Because being 39 weeks pregnant and building shelving is kind of insane! I did it anyway. Where's my power drill?

Our bedroom before:

And today:

During the transformation process: 

And today:

The nursery before:

And today:

And last, but not least, the entryway before:

And today:

Oh what joy! We are waiting get a few pieces of artwork back from the book binder who is mounting them on aluminum. Once they're hung, I'll post some more photos. But, isn't it just so much fun to see the horrifying before photos and the serene, lovely today photos? I love it!

Did welcoming a new member into your family prompt a move? How did it go? Were you scrambling to finish before the baby arrived or did you have lots of time or help?

{all original photos}

Birthing Course Weekend

Last weekend J and I attended the birthing course at Klinik Im Park, the hospital where our baby will be born! With less than three weeks to go, I am getting crazy excited about going into labor and meeting our baby for the first time. 

We were one of four couples in the course and I think it's safe to say that we were the most interested and engaged because we are the closest to our due date. Before the course weekend, I was a little worried that perhaps we wouldn't get as much out of it taking it so close to our due date. It turned out to be quite the opposite. The closer we get to our due date, the more the pregnancy loses the abstract quality it's had throughout and the more real it feels. Because of that, we both agree that we enjoyed the course much more than we would have a month or six weeks ago. 

I am so happy with our choice of hospital! Now that the course is complete, I don't have any more questions or worries. I understand all of my pain relief options from aromatherapy to epidural, and I feel completely comfortable placing my trust in the midwives there. Part of the course was an extensive tour of the labor and delivery rooms. I am very curious about water birth and my doctor says if it ends up that way, it's fine for me to deliver in the water! In fact, she said I can deliver any way I choose: standing, squatting, on all fours. Whatever feels right!

I don't have a birth plan because I don't want to have an agenda once I'm in labor. I'd much rather go with the flow and take things as they come. But, once the baby is born, I am quite adamant about a few things. I don't want the baby taken away, bathed or placed in the nursery for tests. I was quite happy and relieved to find out that when the baby is born, he or she will be placed directly onto my chest first thing.

I was even happier to hear that the umbilical cord will not be clamped for cutting until it stops pulsing and that the baby will not be removed from the room at all! After cutting the cord, should he choose to, and if the baby has not taken to the breast yet, then J will accompany the midwife after the initial bonding time to the "father's corner" where the vernix will be rubbed in gently and the baby patted gently dry with a towel. Together with the midwife, J gets to weigh and measure the baby, put the baby's first diaper on and - I love this! - choose the baby's first outfit from the hospital's baby wardrobe. Finally, they'll swaddle the baby and make a little bracelet with the baby's name before coming back to me. It all takes less than 10 minutes and J is with our baby the whole time.

At that point, we're left for a few hours to bond as a family, with periodic temperature checks on the baby, and then we are transferred to our wochenbett room where the baby and I will stay for the next 5 or 6 days. One or two days into our stay is when the pediatrician will come and give the baby a check, including a hearing test and hip ultrasound. I'm really looking forward to the hospital stay. Klinik Im Park has a reputation for excellent food to go with the high quality care and J works just 5 minutes walk down the street so he'll be able to visit all the time.

During the stay, J and I will receive hands-on lessons from the nurses. We will both be shown how to care for the baby, hold the baby, support the baby's head, change the baby's diaper, and we get to give our baby his or her first bath! This was definitely the most exciting part of the tour yesterday. I loved seeing the new parents in the nursery getting lessons and caring for their itty bitty babies!

I don't think I'll be able to resist buying a Hirslanden hooded towel for our little bundle. So soft and snuggly to remind of us of that special day.

On the final night of our stay, J and I get to have a candlelit champagne dinner in the dining room while the baby is cared for in the nursery. We can also choose to have the baby come with us, but I think I'll take advantage of the nursery to celebrate the special occasion of becoming parents together!

 

I'm so unbelievably happy. I really don't think we could have chosen a better place to have our baby!

{photos from here}

Getting Ready

When we decided to move, I had the bright idea to completely refurnish the house. This was actually not a bright idea. Our living room is filled with IKEA furniture that still needs to be built and the wardrobe for our bedroom alone took a whole weekend to (nearly) complete. Oh my! But we still have time, I'm sure by the time I go into labor, we'll be so comfortable and pleased with our new home.

Now, very much at the forefront of my mind are preparing the hospital bag and making sure we are ready for that. I got a lovely overnight bag from Longchamp that I cannot wait to fill with everything I'll need for my stay in the hospital with the baby. I chose the navy because it's timeless and classic.

As for the baby's things, I decided that I will pack the stroller with the baby's and my going home outfits as well as the baby's blanket and so on for J to bring to the hospital on our last day. I am over the top excited about our stroller. Here is how it's going to look on the big special day.

Sometimes it's hard to believe the baby is going to be here in one month - or less! I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl and to count those sweet little toes and fingers. I've never been happier!