justjoslyn

As I write this post, Brad and I are just waiting to experience any sign that labor is starting. Our Estimated Due Date has never changed from Thursday, October 8, so, with just four days to go, we are waiting with anxious anticipation for things to get moving!  We have tried to prepare ourselves the best way we know how for this new and life-changing experience ahead of us, but realize at this moment that parenting is unpredictable and we are just ready to find out for ourselves!

One way we have prepared for Baby Girl Huntsman’s arrival has been setting up a little nursery for her. I didn’t post “before” photos, but anyone who remembers the room will know it has taken on a drastic reformation.  My parents helped scrape old plaster peaks off the walls and helped paint and hang shelves and the curtains. Brad replaced the window and put down new baseboards (and put together the crib).  I put together the dresser and did the minor decorating. The pictures would have turned out more true-to-color had they been taken during the day, but this is a decent representation of what everyting looks like.  There are a few things that will get finished after she has arrived – family pictures, her portrait –  but overall, we are ready to welcome her home to her new little bedroom! 

 The dresser (from IKEA) and the start of a library. We’ll call it the “reading nook” for now!

The crib (self-explanatory)

This quilt was made for me when I was born by an aunt I rarely see anymore, but I thought it was very cute and may end up as a wall hanging to help preserve it better. Also notice the Sheltie stuffed animals my mom got for me, er…the baby.

The changing station (also self-explanatory). The blankets on the first shelf were mine as a baby!

This wall hanging is sentimental since my mom made it for MY nursery when I was a baby.

p.s. Anyone reading this blog will be notified of the baby’s birth via text/phone call/facebook as soon as possible. A formal blog post will be added as soon as I can, but I am finding that it is much easier to upload pics to facebook than this blog. Despite Brad’s noble efforts, this is NOT user friendly and may not exist much longer! Will keep you all posted with any changes!

At this point, I think most everyone is aware of the results from last Wednesday’s ultrasound…It’s A Girl! I apologize to anyone I forgot to contact regarding this information (my Uncle Al E-mailed me to let me know I had kept him hangin’! I think he needs to get a facebook account)! The ultrasound revealed that everything is normal with the baby, and the technician told us she’s 99.9% positive it’s a girl. The pictures we got are fantastic, but are only of her head.  I was sort of hoping for a full body pic – even if it was abstract – just because I think they are still cool, too! Technology is awesome, don’t get me wrong.

Now, on to the name. Part of the reason I thought we were having a boy was because we had a name picked out, but were still debating over a girl name. We decided to put the discussion on hold until we knew we had to decide on a girl’s name. Well, now we do! I have some very strict requirements, as does Brad, so compromising is becoming more and more difficult.  As Brad said, “we might just have to wait to meet her.” I concur.  Those who have known me since middle school know that I have been choosing my children’s names since I was 10 years old.  It’s just that the decision making process is harder when you have someone else to agree with!  We definitely have some favorites, but it might be awhile before we announce it to everyone.  I am considering posting a link to a baby name poll for you all to vote on, but I am waiting until we are little more confident in our choices.  As Shannon said, “you could just call her Baby Girl Huntsman.” And, well, she might just be Baby Girl Huntsman until she’s born!

Here are my ultrasound pics:

They are somewhat blurry, but still fantastic.  It’s amazing that they even check for a cleft lip.  We saw her fingers and spinal cord, too.  When the ultrasound technician announced it was a girl, I actually said, “shut up.” Brad took a deep breath, but immediately began using “she” when referring to the baby.  Now, we consider clothes, prom dresses, and a wedding to pay for! Yay!

It’s hard to believe that June 3rd is right around the corner. At my 10-week appointment back in March, June seemed so far away and such a long wait to find out if our baby is a boy or a girl!  Early on in our relationship, Brad and I acknowledged that we both wanted to find out the gender of our baby ahead of time, since we are both “planners” by nature.  Even with just three days left until our anatomy ultrasound, I couldn’t resist participating in a few “old wives’ tales” for gender prediction.  Here are a few of my results:

-Chinese Gender Prediction Chart: I took the month of conception (January) and my age at conception (30) which resulted in the prediction that we are having a BOY.

-Sum of my age + number of month conceived: One quiz told me that if I added these numbers together, and the total was an odd number, I was predicted a GIRL (3+1+1=5).

-Dangle a ring over your belly: If the ring dangles back and forth (like a pendulum), it predicts a boy.  If the ring starts to swing in a circular motion, the prediction is girl. I used Brad’s wedding ring, and it appeared to be moving back and forth, so…we are predicted a BOY with this test.

-Heart Rate Prediction: The rule is, if the baby’s heart rate is over 140 bpm = GIRL. Our baby’s heart rate was 148 at our 18 week appointment.

-Cravings: Allegedly, if I have been craving salty or sour food, I am predicted a boy.  Sweets cravings predict a girl.  This test also predicts a BOY for us, since my craving in the very beginning of my pregnancy was French Onion Soup, and other salty foods.  I didn’t even want ice cream, which was such a bummer since I had just quit Weight Watchers and was looking forward to finally eating Moose Tracks guilt-free.

-Picking up a Key: Since I pick up keys by the wide end, I am predicted a BOY.  If I picked it up by the skinny, long end, a girl is predicted.

-Acne: I have always struggled with acne, and only recently had it under control the last couple of years.  However, it is predicted that if a person has acne while pregnant, they are having a GIRL due to the extra hormones.  I have had a reocurrence of acne while pregnant, which would follow along with this prediction!

-Face shape and color: I am supposedly having a GIRL if my face is “round and rosy.”  Does it matter if my face is always round and rosy?

-Carrying High or Low? It is hard for me to answer this question, because I am only just beginning to show, and can’t really tell if the baby is high or low. My co-worker told me she thought I was carrying low, which would predict a BOY.

-Other weight predictions: If I think my belly looks more like a watermelon, I am predicted a girl. I am predicted a boy if my stomach looks more like a basketball. However, another test says that if I am carrying most of my weight in the front (as opposed to my hips and thighs) I am having a boy.  Like I said before, it is still hard to tell exactly how I am “carrying my weight,” and these predictions somewhat contradict each other.  At this point, I don’t think I’ve gained a lot of weight in my butt or thighs, which would predict a BOY, but I also think my stomach looks more oblong like a watermelon as opposed to a basketball, which would predict a GIRL.

-Morning Sickness?: One quiz asked me if I had morning sickness, and when I answered “no,” I was predicted a BOY.

-Chest size: When I was asked if I have experienced a significant difference in my chest size, I answered “no” and was predicted a BOY.

There were other interesting questions like, “is your mother’s hair gray?” When I answered “no” I was predicted a GIRL.  I was also asked if I slept with my pillow to the north or south (which I couldn’t answer because I sleep with it to the west!).  Apparently, if you sleep with your head to the north, you are having a boy, and to the south, a girl.

-What other people think: My sister thinks she’s having a nephew, therefore predicting a BOY.

-Family patterns: Beginning with the birth of Brad’s older sister, children have been born in a Girl, Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl, Boy pattern, leaving us to have the next GIRL in line!

With just this information presented, we are 59% predicted a BOY and 41% predictd a GIRL. It will be interesting to see what the scientific result is on Wednesday, and I’ll post the big news later that night!

xoxo Joslyn xoxo

May 28, 2009 – 21 weeks

In my exploration of all-things pregnancy related these last 3 months, I came across a website that can allegedly predict what our child would like based on photos of me and Brad (for those of you unmarried, you can upload a pic of your favorite celebrity, too!).  However, all of the photos of the babies look the same, with different hair and accessories.  I get different results each time I try the site.  Here is one result from last night when I asked what a baby boy might look like:

Here’s what our girl could look like according to the website:

(Brad’s mom might be disappointed by this since she wants a red-headed, curly-haired granddaughter!)

Here’s my baby girl with Zac Efron:

If Britney and Brad were to rendevous, here’s what their baby would look like:

(Personally, I think Britney’s boys are much cuter than this!)

Have fun experimenting! xoxo

I realize I should have posted this several weeks ago after my 18-week appointment.  However, as many of you know, my blogging is sporadic and it sometimes seems more of a hassle than a joy to update it, but Brad is dilligently working on making this site more user friendly for me.  You know, he works on that in the free time he has between working full-time and spending his days off renovating our master bedroom suite so it will be ready by the time baby arrives.  Needless to say, he’s pretty busy!

My 18-week appointment was on May 6th, and the baby’s heart rate was 148-150.  I was encouraged to continue eating as healthy as possible to stay within the average weight gain during pregnancy.  Our next appointment is scheduled for June 3 @ 8:30am for the anatomy ultra sound! Stay tuned for that big announcement next month. I’m going to try and post a few more “fun” things before then, so check back regularly and maybe that will keep me accountable to updating more frequently! Thanks for reading and keeping our family in your prayers!

With Love,

Joslyn

May 10, 2009 – 18 1/2 weeks

As many of you know now, Brad and I are expecting our first baby in October! Our Expected Due Date is October 8, 2009, so I just started my 17th week of pregnancy today!  I thought I would take a minute to answer a few questions that most people ask me right off the bat when they see me: I am feeling wonderful and had barely any morning sickness, other than the occasional bout of nausea if I let myself get too hungry (or ate too much, for that matter)!  I gained about 10 pounds in my first trimester, but I contribute this to immediately quitting Weight Watchers the day I found out I was pregnant! I continue to go to Curves and my appetite has curbed and so far in T2 I haven’t been too out of control with my weight gain!  Another piece of information: Yes, we will be finding out the gender of the baby at our 22 week appointment in early June.  Stay tuned for that big announcement, too!  I hope to post regularly (but you’ve heard that before) in order to keep everyone updated, and will try to send out an E-mail whenever I add a new post.  I can’t promise that I won’t include some other information (like how much I love Adam Lambert on American Idol or pictures of the animals). As for now, I will post a picture “timeline” of the series of events since finding out we were pregnant!  Thank you to everyone for your support and excitement for us in this new and surreal stage in our lives together! Everyday the experience gets a little more real and I look forward to sharing it with all of you! Love, Joslyn

Telling Joslyn’s Parents, February 14, 2009

Opening the first part of their gift (A Chicago Bears onesie)...notice Mom's eyes...

The second part of their gift: Wonderful Ways to Love a Grandchild (notice Dad still digging for goodies)

Mom "clueing Dad in" because he might not get it, yet?The proud Grandparents!

Telling Brad’s Family, February 22, 2009

Brad’s Mom opening her gift…

Figuring it out...

The tears of joy start to flow...

Showing the rest of the family what the excitement is all about...

The framed "announcement" we gave Brad's family.

Our First Ultrasound, March 11, 2009 @ 10 weeks

My First “Belly Pic,” April 1, 2009 @ 13 weeks

I just bought these boxes last night to help me in my quest to be organized (the $.97 plastic shoebox size seems to meet my needs very well).  It also apparently ”fits” Yummy’s needs, as well. I really wasn’t very surprised at how quickly she claimed these as her own. Whatever the diva wants, the diva gets.

 This is the same bush as in this picture, but I took it tonight during another snowfall.  After all of the snow we have received in this area since December 1, 2007, it is very easy to get lost in how inconvenienced I am by the mess it inevitably leaves behind.  Yet, I just looked out my front window and realized how beautiful and peaceful the earth is after a new fallen snow and cannot imagine living anywhere other than here, where I am fortunate to be able to experience this gorgeous winter weather.

About two months ago, Brad and I saw a movie called Once and although the dialogue was somewhat difficult to understand because of the thick Irish dialect, the music was awesome. We ended up buying the soundtrack and even made a copy so we could each have one in our vehicle.  Tonight they won the Academy Award for Achievement in Music (Original Song) for Falling Slowly, a song featured in the movie.  Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová (who also starred in the movie) wrote and performed the song and just recently performed it on the Awards show tonight. Even though I saw the movie Enchanted (nominated for 3 songs!) and enjoyed the music, I am really excited that Falling Slowly won the Oscar and even clapped outloud when the winner was announced.

Two weeks ago, my friend Emily was in town with her two kids, as she and her family currently live in North Carolina.  We tried to schedule a time to get together, all four of us — Jill, Emily, Amy, and myself — and it just so happened that we were all available February 8, which was Jill’s daughter Caitlyn’s first birthday, and only one day after Emily’s daughter’s third birthday (I tried to write that in the least confusing way, but I don’t think it mattered).  Needless to say, we all met at Jill’s Palatine residence and had a fun birthday party honoring the baby girls in our lives!  The following pictures depict only a few of the sublime moments we experienced together at the party, some of which represent “inside jokes” that will only really be funny if you were there.  I love knowing that I have friends who are cool parents with cool kids and are still cool to be around after almost a decade of friendship.  And so, here are 9 items I have deduced must be included in your party plans in order to be ultimately successful:

#1) A Cooperative Game of Candy Land: It’s important to realize that you cannot get better at Candy Land, that the cards are random and you do not need to get mad if you lose. Luckily, these kids did a wonderful job following this concept and played in sweet harmony together.

#2) Cute, Preferrably Chubby-Cheeked Babies:  For me, babies are very important to making a party successful.  Some of my friends tend to disagree with me and insist that this opinion will change after I have my own children, but until then — the more babies at a party the merrier!

 #3) DOGS: As long as the dog is calm, no larger than 80 pounds, and could care less that its home has recently been invaded by twice the amount of children and three times the amount of adults.

 #4) Paparazzi:  If your guests are made to feel as important as celebrities, then you have thrown a successful party. Because, who doesn’t want to feel as if every move they make is picture-worthy?

#5) Sk8er boys with great hair (or no hair):  I guess this is a preferential statement. I prefer the mountain man look, but during this specific party, I know a few ladies who really dug Josh’s hair and atleast one lady who really loves this bald man.

#6) Mothers and daughters:  What a blessing to see at any party. Witnessing a beautiful relationship between a mother and her daughter reminds guests of the important bond that exists betwen that relationship and how much influence a strong woman can make in the life of child.

 #7) A Host with the Most: Make sure you have a designated host for your party, and if you are smart, it would be a mild-mannered, cooperative, enthusiastic, almost-three-year-old little boy who is more than willing to share all of his toys with his guests.  Jackson did an excellent job hosting his sister and Tyler’s birthday party (sans a brief crying fit, most likely due to the stress of all the responsibility he was feeling).

#8) A little sorcery or witch craft: This is an inside joke — No, I normally do not condone practicing black magic at parties, but at this particular party, it was awfully cute watching Josh wave his sister’s plastic star wand around and I laughed like crazy when Cory suggested he was practicing witch craft in the other room.

 #9) Best Friends:  What else can I say? A party without friends who love you and have stuck by you is really no fun, so…make sure you invite them to your party.