Heidi- MIL and I painted Charlie's room. We just opened all the windows and ran the ceiling fan. HTH

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Heidi--This has been an issue for me, as well. Our home was built in 1879, and some idiot painted over all of the woodwork with white LEAD paint, so we have had to paint over all of it in anticipation of the baby (my OB said we could NOT strip the paint while I am preggo). DH did most of the painting, but since it was the whole house, I could not avoid being around it. Trust me; you may not want to paint if you have been nauseous at all. The smell made me sort of sick. Nonetheless, we just opened windows and ran fans. The dangerous part of paint is the VOC (volitile organic compound) count, which is gone long before the smell. I want to paint our closet, and someone told me that you can buy paint that is VOC-free; but so far I haven't found it. I don't think it is going to hurt you, other than making you feel icky. You could also wear a mask if you wanted to be extra cautious. Also, make sure you use a water based paint. (sorry for the long response!)

Ok, the baby is going CRAZY for the last two days. Someone asked me today if I am doing kick counts and I just laughed. I don't think you need to do those when the baby NEVER stops moving. Im not sure if he is uncomfortable, or bored, or what, but it is getting to be distracting! Don't get me wrong; I love that he moves, but I am a bit concerned about ADD! Also, I think he is spinning or something. I keep getting the feeling that I am going down a rollercoaster (when your stomache "jumps"), and then I will feel my stomache and sure enough, he is facing the opposite way. A little while later I will feel the same thing, and he will have switched again. We conceived right after going to Cirque Du Soleil, so DH keeps joking that he is going to be an acrobat!

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Krissy

Wow - I take a few days to get things ready & I miss so much! I don't even remember anything in the last few posts, I'm not even giong to try to add anything to the conversations! I'd probably get everyone all mixed up & offend someone! (oh, Krissy - glad to hear everything is ok!)


I got to take Friday off - our office usually does a half day on Fridays from 4th of July to Labor Day, but my boss told me to just take the whole day off since it was going to be super hot & humid out....and I got a ton of cleaning done. I dropped Maddie off at preschool/daycare & had the whole day to clean on my own schedule! I got my bag all packed & Maddie's bag is packed too for when she goes to the IL's when I'm at the hospital....I scrubbed the master bathroom down and got the bedroom all in-order! I haven't touched the downstairs/main floor where everyone will be coming and visiting with the baby - but my little 'nest' in the bedroom is nice & clean!

I have another appt. tomorrow evening - hopefuly there's some change from last week!

Heidi - I painted Maddie's room when I was pregnant - and the furniture and some other stuff....We used latex paint & opened the windows & used the fan, but didn't go nuts with the ventilation - just what you'd normally do....do you think your nurse was more concerned with the motion/action of painting vs. the fumes? I would definately check with the dr. & see what she says!

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Cole-I think the nurse was a bit concerned about me possibly being up on a ladder, which isn't necessary and with me being on the restriction for the low lying placenta. Which I anticipate being lifted on Friday. So I think I will ask again and that way if it hasn't gotten done I will do it. Then DH can work on all the other things that need to be done that I can't do!

Thanks girls. I sometimes wish I'd just check here first rather than asking a nurse. I never really like asking nurses questions anyways and rather hear it from the OB. I know it sounds like I'm shopping for the answer I want. HA HA

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Heidi--If they tell you that it is ok, I recommend doing it ASAP! All of a sudden I have found it difficult to do ANYTHING with this huge belly; I was working on something on the floor yesterday and for a minute I actually thought I would be stuck there until DH came home to help me up. I just couldn't figure out a way to go from ground to standing without any furniture around! Also, I realize that if I paint the closet I will have to stand considerably further from the wall than I would like to. Just a tip! It is SO frustrating feeling useless. And after my scare last week, my OB told me to try and "sit" and "rest" more. What? I am already useless, and now Im supposed to find time to sit and rest?

Has anyone had knee pain with their pregnancy? I am assuming it is just from gaining so much weight (and I have NEVER weighed more than 122 in my life), but my knee really hurts whenever I go to sit down or stand up. It is driving me crazy, but at least if someone else has gone through it I can rest assured that it is just the pregnancy, and I am not going to have this problem forever!

Cole--Thanks for all the good ju-ju! I am much less freaked out; even though I still keep having some bh contractions, at least they are not getting close and painful like last week. Glad you checked in; I was starting to think you'd had that baby! How awesome that you will get to come home to a nice clean room and bathroom. Who cares about the downstairs; maybe someone will feel generous and do it for you?

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Krissy

Krissy-We must be a lot alike. I have to be honest it has been hard following the restrictions put on by the OB. And I know its for the baby but sometimes you just kind of forget and are moving right along doing you're own thing! I know it another couple months I won't want to do anything because I'll be big and fat but until then I feel silly not.

As for the knee pain-I started this weekend with my knee hurting some. Prior to getting pg I would run a lot during the summer months and it would hurt but this is the first time without exercise it has bothered me. So I'm guessing it is from adding some extra weight.

Cole-Also wanted to say glad to see you're doing ok. I'm sure you'd rather be on the otherside chatting about the baby being here!

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Heidi - I did a little touch up painting, but I wore a mask. I felt silly, but I couldn't smell it.
We are planning to buy non-toxic paint for the baby's room. It's the same price & then I can help out.

Krissy - The laborers that biult our house used oil based paint (not sure if it has lead in it?) on all the base boards, doors & trim. I hate it! I want to re-paint, but someone told me I'll have to sand it all first or the paint will peel off. Thats way too much effort in my opinion. I think I can convince DH to re-do the nursery, but I am saving that request for a good day. Oh, no knee pain for me, but I do have trouble getting up & down sometimes. It makes me feel like a cow.

Cole - Good to hear from you! I was wondering how you were doing. Glad you got to enjoy a free day off!

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No knee pain for me either but I definitely get down sometimes and can't get back up. Which with my job sucks!!!!!!!!

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Well, now my job is trying to poison me. I went to teach my night class, and they stripped and waxed the floors in my room. It stunk SO bad; I tried to put up with it, but was getting nauseated and dizzy, so I moved the students to a different room, and ended up letting them go early. Do you think this was dangerous to the baby? Im a little worried. It HAD to be toxic; it smelled so bad! Heidi--If Ely is ok after the floor situation, I think you are probably fine to paint. Paint doesnt make me nearly that ill.

Amber--What do you do (you made a comment about your job)? I am so glad to hear that other people are having a hard time getting up; I feel huge!

Jen--Apparently people went through a "painted woodwork" phase. It pisses me off. If there is lead in the paint, it is a really big deal for children and pregnant women. We were told about the lead when we bought the house, but I think they sell kits that you can test it yourself. If it has lead; you definitely don't want to sand it; even when you're not pregnant. Lead poisening can kill you, and it can screw up your chances of ever conceiving again, too. You would probably know if it had lead in it. They quit putting lead in paint in 1978. I still wouldn't trade our house, though. They don't build houses with character like this anymore. Our ceilings are 12 ft., our rooms and windows are huge, and our open staircase is worth the lead paint! Still; it is so much work having an old home.

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Krissy

Jo-I'm here! Wow, I think I am next after Cole! And then you're up!! How has your summer vacation been? How long are you taking off of work?

Cole-You're in the home stretch!!! I'm so excited for you! Sounds like the nesting has kicked in!

Krissy-I'm so glad your contractions are now only bh and Ely is kicking up a storm!

Heidi-Stick to your guns! Everybody here said it perfectly.

Amber, Heidi, Jen-Yay to feeling your little ones!

Hi to everyone else!

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Snowie- I was worried about you. Good to hear that all is well. How was the TV crew's visit? As for going back to school, I am going to join the ranks of SAHM-hood for a few years. DH and I hope to add another LO soon after this little man, so we plan on me staying home for a while. It seems so weird to have school supplies advertised already. I will really miss being in the classroom. I just keep telling myself that now I have the ultimate classroom and the ultimate student. It should be a lot of fun. How about you? How long are you going to take off?

This evening DH and I were watching Dominic rolling in my tummy. It was WILD!! I am almost ready to post nursery pics!!!

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For now I work 3rd shift at wal-mart stocking the health and beuaty type stuff.

I am actually working with my MIL to get cpr certified really soon, then a few other things so I can try to get on at a daycare around here after my maternity leave. Hopefully DH can work his way up the corporate ladder and I can start school in a two or 3 years. Bleh. Retail sucks.

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Krissy - We must not have lead paint then, just oil based. Our house was built in 1947, but we completely renovated a couple years ago (added a 2nd story, etc). It makes me mad that I was so detailed about some things & then I let them paint all the trim (around all the windows, doors, etc) with this paint. And to make it worse, every white in my house is a different white - cabinets, ceilings, trim, etc and we don't know all the colors. If I could, I would hire someone to re-do it all.....I'm sure it would cost a small fortune.
Your house sounds beautiful! I love older houses with character & high ceilings & huge windows. We tried to keep as much character as possible, while modernizing it. I'll post the before/after pic - it still suprises me sometimes that we got it done.

Hi Snowie - I'd love to hear how the show is going!

Jo- Can't wait to see nursery pics.

Amber - Working at the daycare will be so great once you have Graham! Sounds like a good plan.

I got a bunch of emails from RH this AM that my furniture & some of the bedding has shipped! I'm very excited!!

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Jo--Can't wait to see the nursery pics!! It must feel good to be getting things done!

Amber--I can imagine that your job will get increasingly difficult, since you probably have to bend down a lot. I think working at a daycare is a great idea with a new baby. I worked at a daycare when I was in school and I loved it. Plus, it will be so convenient!

Jen--Sounds like you guys put a lot of work into your home, too. I can't wait to see pictures. I love looking at peoples homes. Especially older ones. We live in the historic district, and each year we have a "tour of homes", it is so cool to be nosy and go through all of our neighbors old homes and see all the neat stuff that was done. Do you live in IL? I can't see your post right now, but I think that I saw that? Where at? We are in the Quad Cities.

I wish we could pay for people to do at least one of the jobs here, but DH insists on doing it all himself. It is much cheaper that way, and he is a perfectionist so that way we know it gets done right, but since he works so many hours, it leaves one day a week and after work to get jobs done, so things take FOREVER! The hardwood floor is almost done (about 5 more feet--which probably equals 2 more weekends since he will have to move the antique piano to do it, and that means we need help), the granite countertops in the kitchen just got finished, and since I banned him from touching the nursery, the next step is moving the laundry from basement to second floor. There is a room that is connected to our bedroom; I am assuming that it was a nursery in the "old days", and we are just going to make that the laundry room/walk in closet. Then we can stop and take a breath while we deal with the baby. Next summer we need a new roof, and he is going to start remodeling the master bathroom (which I currently hate), but I want him to take some time off when the baby comes. We bought the house knowing we wanted to do all of this work, and someday we should make a lot of money off of all the hardwork, but now that we have a baby coming we are going to have to slow down so that we can enjoy him!

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Krissy

Nevermind, Jen. Just saw that you don't live in IL. I am pretty sure I saw that someone does, but now I can't remember who! Sorry!

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Krissy

Sorry, I know this is my third post in a row; Can I drink organic milk? I know that you cannot drink unpasteurized milk, but what about organic? It says "VAT Pasteurized; Non-homogenized" Just curious!

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Krissy

Krissy-My DH is the same way about not hiring anyone to do remodeling pr