Baby Hamra: 37 Weeks

Getting heavy

I can't believe we are just 3 short weeks away.
We had another appointment last thursday and I am still just 1 cm dilated but about 30 % effaced (which is the fancy word for thinning of the cervix). He was measuring about 38 weeks and had a healthy heart beat of 148.
His nursery is officially complete and we even rearranged the living room to make room for his swing. John was busy installing the car seats and I have packed my hospital bag. We even took our infant lifesaver class last week and learned CPR and safety tips for when we bring him home.

Bet at work on when he will arrive.

Hard to believe!

Baby Hamra 37 weeks

Countdown: 3 weeks or 20 days

Size: 19-22 inches
Weight: approx. 6-6.5 lbs (watermelon) - although Dr. thinks he is only about 5.5 lbs.
Fun Facts: Weight gain for baby can be about half an ounce per day. His head at birth will be the same size circumference as his hips, addomen and shoulders. baby's organs are fully developed and prepared for the outside world. 

2012 MO Sports Hall of Fame Induction

This past Sunday, John, my dad, Greg and I attended the 2012 Missouri Sport Hall of Fame 2012 Induction ceremony at the University Plaza Convention Center. We have gone in years past but this year was particularly special because we got to meet St. Louis Cardinals Jim Edmonds. The list of inductees was very impressive and even though I am not a huge sports buff I recognized a few of the names on the list. In college, I nannied for an awesome family who was very close friends to Jon Sundvold (an 2012 inductee), so I also babysat his kids a few times. It was cool to get to see them at the banquet supporting him as well as see Jon be inducted. He had quite the impressive basketball career with Mizzou, Seattle, San Antonio and with Miami.
We were able to get a few players to sign their cards for Hamlet’s baby book too.

Terrible pictures but at least we have one

 

2012 INDUCTEES
Click here to read more on each inductee and their bio

Jim Edmonds - Outfielder, St. Louis Cardinals

Emmitt Thomas - Cornerback, Kansas City Chiefs

Jon Sundvold - Guard, University of Missouri

Jamie Quirk - Catcher, Kansas City Royals

Mel Gray - Receiver, University of Missouri, St. Louis Football Cardinals

Al Onofrio - Football Coach, University of Missouri

Mickey Owen - Catcher, St. Louis Cardinals, Brooklyn Dodgers

Dr. Richard Lehman - Sports Medicine, St. Louis, MO

Rex Sinquefield - Chess, St. Louis, MO

Lawrence Walls - Football Coach, Sumner High School - St. Louis, MO

Jim Pearson - Golf/Football Coach, Kickapoo High School - Springfield, MO

Richard Hantak - NFL Official, St. Louis, MO

Ellen Port - Amateur Golf, St. Louis, MO

Clyde Lear - Sports Media, Jefferson City, MO

Gene Ruble - Basketball, Southwest Missouri State University

Columbia College - Volleyball, Columbia, MO

New Haven High School - Basketball, New Haven, MO

Baby Hamra: 36 weeks

We are 9 months!!! Can't believe how fast time has gone by and how little we have left.

This week we had our last birthing class and had our first weekly doctor's appointment.

Hamlet's heart rate was 140 and was he measuring 37 weeks (when we went we were 35 weeks 4 days, so about a week and a half ahead). Doctor also said we are 1 centimeter dialated and she thinks he is about 5 pounds now. I always assumed he'd be a big baby like me (I was 8 lbs 11 oz.) but she said she think she will be a smaller baby around 6.5-7 pounds. I am feeling really good and still working out/walking but I am definitely feeling more contractions, the most being on Tuesday when I felt 6 in 2 hours.

We picked up the final things we needed to for his arrival...monitor, pack 'n play, jogging stroller, baby bjorn and of course his coming home outfit (I'll save those pics for his birthday).  We are getting so excited and are anxiously counting down the days.

Baby Hamra 36 weeks (9 months)

Countdown: 4 weeks, 28 days

Size: 19-22 inches
Weight: approx. 5-5.5 lbs (melon/large canteloupe)
Fun Facts: By the end of this week baby is considered full term. This week, the fat is dimpling on the elbows and knees as well as forming creases in the neck and wrists. The baby's gums are very rigid.

Nursery Planning: DIY Baby Hamra's Mobile

While designing our nursery, I knew I wanted a mobile above our crib but really despised the ones I found in stores and online. I wanted something simple and gender neutral. I found some awesome ones on Etsy but they were super expensive (ranging from $50-80) for something I knew I could create on my own. I googled pouf ball tutorials and found a few helpful sites and decided to just try it on my own. I am very pleased with the result and saved a ton of cash. It took about 6 hours total to create and cutting was the most time consuming part.

Here are the helpful tutorials I found:

http://first-time-fancy.blogspot.com/2011/06/diy-fabric-pom-pom-mobile-winner.html

http://www.oncewed.com/24140/wedding-blog/diy-wedding/diy-fabric-poms/

MATERIALS

Styrofoam Balls (1.5 inch) – $1 (for 9)

Embroidery Hoop (just need inside) – $1

Acrylic Paint – I bought white from a craft store – .69 cents

Fishing wire, Rope, Yarn, Ribbon (I used Fishing line)

Fabric – I got a yard of white and a yard of yellow and it was more than enough - $6

Glue Gun - $3

Glue Sticks - $5

Scissors – already had

Something round to trace - already had

Ceiling hook - already had

Total cost: less than $17 (and I even had to buy a glue gun)

STEPS

Step 1:

I painted my embroidery hoop with white paint first so it would be dry when I am done, it doesn’t take very long to dry so really you can do this step at any point

Step 2:

Find something round to start tracing your circles onto the fabric. Trace a ton of circles, I am not exaggerating either each individual pouf will need about 30 circles.

Step 3: 

Cut out all your circles, this doesn’t have to be perfect because they will be folded so don’t feel like you have to spend extra time making them flawless.

Step 4:

Take your circle and fold in half, apply a small dab of hot glue in the middle of that half and then fold over again (see picture). Do this for all of your circles.

This is enough to make 2 poufs

Step 5: 

Apply dab of hot glue to one of the Styrofoam balls and apply the folded fabric. I found holding them in the center and apply the point to the ball was the easiest and then you could fan it out to the way you want it to look (see picture)

Continue this step until your ball is filled with no Styrofoam showing and until you have enough poufs for your mobile. I made 6 total fabric poufs, which was about 180 cut out circles.

Step 6:

If your paint is dry on your hoop, tie fishing line across the top to make quarters. I applied extra hot glue on the inside of the hoop against the line to make sure it was secure. This is how you will hang your mobile to the ceiling. Set aside.

Step 7:

Apply fishing line to your individual poufs, I left my string really long so I could adjust when I hung them. I found a trick to attaching the line to the pouf was applying hot glue to the inside of a piece of the fabric on the ball and then sandwiching the glue and line in between it.

Step 8:

Tie fishing line securely onto a ceiling hook (like the ones you use for plants). Make sure you have extra string so you can adjust to the height you want. 

Step 9:

Screw the hook into the ceiling into the place you want to hang.

Step 10:

Tie line from ceiling to the middle of your quartered hoop securely to the height you want above crib.

Step 11:

Apply each individual pouf onto hanging hoop at the height you want. After they are all attached you may need to move them to get it to sit evenly and balanced.

Ta-Dah! You have a super affordable mobile!!
j+k

Baby Hamra: Family Baby Shower

John's sister Cindi and my sisters Amie & Rachel threw us a Family baby shower saturday. Family came from Arkansas, St. Louis, Nixa and right here in Springfield. The girls planned some fun games and activities like guess the candy bar diaper and paint your own onesies. Thanks to everyone that came and especially to ur hostesses for such a fun day! We love you guys! Hamlet now has everything he needs, now we just have to patiently wait for him to get here.

John practicing with Chase

Working on the onesies

yummy punch 

Not hard to guess who made this...Auntie Rachel

Trying out the candy bar diapers...yum and yuck at the same time

Team work

So many cute clothes

Dad with Chase 

Rachel won the Onesie Contest

Uncle Steve, Cousin Melissa and Aunt Shelley

Hanlet's Great Grandma Deanna and Pat

Hamlet's Grandparents

Hamlet's Aunt Cindi and Grandma Donnetta

The lovely hostesses and Hamlet's Aunt Rachel, Cindi and Amie

Auntie Rae

All of the cute home-made onesies