Nursery Updates

We finally did a few more things to the nursery.  I only have one small project left, and then everything that I wanted to do is complete.  Only about a year in the making :)  

I pinned this "announcement" on Pinterest a long time ago.  My mom cross stitched all of ours, but I knew I wanted something a little more modern (not that I don't like mine).  Aaron put it together a while ago, and we just now got around to printing it.

We found this print at the DIY fair near our house this summer (before we knew we were having a girl).

We also wanted to frame her announcement that went out to friends and family.  

This collage is actually in the living room, but I wanted to show the end result.  We love it!  The large print we ordered is currently being framed and will go above our couch.

I'll try to remember to take a few full room photos once I finish the lamp shade project in the nursery.  I plan to do it at some point before going back to work.  Maybe I'll enlist my mom's help when they are here next :)

Nursery Reveal and Guest Room

Finally, here it is!  Sorry for the quality of some of these pictures . Our house has terrible lighting to begin with, and this weekend has been very rainy so the rooms were rather dark.  Oh well, you get the gist of it :)

This is the view from the hallway.  Eventually, I have artwork plans for above the dresser, but we need to find out the gender first.  I bought embroidery hoops in various sizes and plan to put gender specific colored fabric in them.  I figure it's not too difficult of a project that I should hopefully be able to handle it once things get settled after the baby arrives.

This is the view of the crib from the doorway.  Don't worry, we will take everything out of it once baby actually is sleeping in the crib.

This is the final side of the room.  I'm so glad I held onto my college night stand all these years :)  Who knew I'd finally find a spot for it again?  We have one picture to put over the lamp once we buy a frame.  And Aaron is in charge of DIYing the birth announcement once baby is born (that will go on that wall as well).  I found a few cute ideas for the lamp shad too on pinterest that involves fabric, so I plan to tackle that when I do the embroidery hoops.

And here are some close ups....

Mobile made with love by Aaron.  He worked on this many nights and finally finished while my mom was here.

My mom spent quite a bit of her time here working on this crib skirt.  We couldn't be
happier with it!  It saved us a ton of money and it exactly what we wanted.
The mug and what's inside was from when I was a baby (my mom found it for me).
I found the "pouf" online.  

We also redid our guest room in the process.  It used to be our office only.  Here are the after pictures.

Aaron painted these canvases for above the bed.

We bought a new duvet and bed frame from IKEA.

A new home for our diplomas.

This corner is still a little unorganized but you get the idea.  Aaron spent the money his parents
gave him for becoming an architect on this chair (he's been drooling over it for years).
He painstakingly made this desk from reclaimed wood.  I think he started it in the spring
and just finished it a few weeks ago.  He did such an amazing job, but I told him he's
probably too slow to make this a side business :)

Randoms

Here is a sneak peek at our crib skirt fabric.  A huge thank you to my BFF for "pinning" the website last weekend.  I've been searching and could not find anything that went with our color scheme and didn't scream, "This is baby fabric!"  It came really quickly too.  I definitely recommend the company (Pink Chalk Fabrics)!

And I just realized that my belly makes the perfect shelf :)  Here's me while eating cereal one night.

Hands free!!

Weekend Recap

I can't believe it's almost time to go back to work already.  As always, the weekend went by way too fast.  We had such a great weekend though.

Friday, I stopped to the YMCA on the way home.  For dinner, we decided to order pizza and catch up on True Blood (we are only in season 3 but we are HOOKED).  I fell asleep a little early on the couch (what's new).

Saturday, Aaron went for a long run and I cleaned the house.  Then we headed to Ann Arbor for a quick bbq with some of my in-laws.  While there, Aaron and I decided to go to the Tiger's game that night.  I FINALLY got my nachos (every other game we've been to has been way too hot for them to sound good).  And as has been the case recently, I definitely dropped a chip full of cheese all over my belly (tonight it was the mango from dinner).  It was a great game, and they won too!

On Sunday, Aaron was headed to see his high school friends in the afternoon, so we decided to organize the nursery as much as we could.  I have everything ready to wash (I'm waiting until after our next shower to do it all at once).  We arranged the furniture in it's final resting place.  The art work we have is hung above the crib.  The items that we won't use for a few months (toys, etc. for when the baby is older) are organized in the basement.  And we put together our main stroller, our snap and go, and our pack and play just to make sure everything was ok and didn't need to be returned.  We had a little too much fun rolling around our living room :)  We almost put Wally in the stroller, but decided against it :)

I hadn't put the pictures in the frames yet when I took these pictures.

I promise to take real pictures of the nursery once everything is put together.  We still have a few small things to take care of before I'll do the full reveal.

After Aaron left, I had a little work to take care of.

And Wally and I topped off our night with a trip to Dairy Queen :)  I think his ice cream was gone in less than 30 seconds.  I told him to slow down and enjoy it, but he never listens.

Today, I had some more work to do, and I ran the rest of my errands.  Wally was very happy when his daddy got home.  Apparently, I'm just not as fun.

And it's back to work tomorrow...Thankfully, it's a short week.  We have a Friday wedding on the west side of the state so I'm taking Friday off.  Only three days!

29 Weeks: Acorn Squash

How big is baby: Baby is the size of an acorn squash this week (15.2-16.7 in and 2.5-3.8 lbs).    

Weight gain/loss: 22 lbs from last appoitment.  I'll get weighed again this Thursday.      

Stretch marks: No.

Sleep:  I've been more alert all night lately.  I'm exhausted all day, and then just don't sleep so great all night.  

Diet/Cravings/Aversions:  Do I even need to write it?  Watermelon.  

Exercise:  Walking outside and going to the YMCA.  

Gender: We'll find out in October!  

Movement: Some kicks have started getting a little uncomfortable.  I wouldn't say painful, just definitely not pleasant.  The kicks are definitely way more pronounced from the outside too.  If anyone were watching my stomach, they'd get quite the show.      

The belly:  It's there!  I can also now feel body parts if I feel different parts of my stomach gently.  I had Aaron do it too.  We were both very intrigued.  We have no idea what we are feeling (head, butt, leg, etc.), but it's definitely baby!  Aaron told me I shouldn't do it too often in fear that I may poke our child's eye out :)  Don't worry, I'm not pushing that hard!

What I'm spazzing about:  Lately, I've been starting to worry about preterm labor.  I know, I worry too much.  And just this week my newest fear, Aaron not being at the hospital with me.  Our neighbor just had her second, and her husband didn't make it!  Thankfully, her parents were there, but still.  I guess his phone had died so she couldn't reach him.  She had lost my number to get a hold of me, and by the time friends came over, her husband had ran an errand to the hardware store.  I rushed out when we saw him pull back in the driveway to tell him he needed to get to the hospital asap (I didn't know at that point that she had already delivered).  He was 15 minutes too late. 

One, I absolutely HATE hospitals.  I just hate them.  I seem to cry every time I have to go.  They make me incredibly nervous.  Two, we have no family even remotely near us which means, I'd be stuck there by myself for much longer than I care to think about.  And three, which is the most obvious answer, I'd really like my husband to be there :)  Aaron has been instructed multiple times that his phone must be charged and attached to him at all times.  I know it's a little premature right now, but it makes me feel better :)

What I'm loving:  We picked up our glider this weekend.  We also made a trip to IKEA and got a few more things for the nursery and guest room/office.  The etsy prints are ordered as well.  I promise to post pictures once things are actually done...and we are close!

Symptoms:  Still more heartburn.  Some cramping later on at night.  I'm guessing this has to do with water intake and being busy all day.  Braxton Hicks some nights.

What I'm looking forward to:  This weekend for our first shower and seeing my family for a family wedding!          

Best moment of the week:  Getting more for the nursery!

Third Trimester

Holy crap....you read the title right.  I am now in the third trimester!  That means I am two thirds of the way through this pregnancy.  Just about 3 months left to go.  Am I starting to freak out?  Slightly.  How is Wally going to handle being a big brother?  He does great with kids, I just don't want him to feel unloved since our attention is going to be shifted.  How will Aaron and I handle this new addition into our lives?  How will we handle running on no sleep?  Etc, etc, etc. 

It's just so hard to fathom that I'm going to be The Mom.  No more looking to someone else for instruction or handing back a crying baby.

But thankfully, those moments of anxiety are few and far between the moments of excitement.  I can't wait to meet this little person and love all over those squishy little newborn cheeks.   

Current to do list:
- Sell my old car
- Buy Etsy prints for nursery and frames for the prints
- Buy rug for nursery
- Nursery DIY art (not sure yet exactly what we want to do, but I have a few Pinterest ideas)
- DIY mobile (made with love by Aaron)
- Interview pediatricians (dates scheduled)
- Tour day cares (this whole 6 months off has been a curse in this department)
- DIY guest room desk (Aaron said this is on hold because of the car in the driveway)
- DIY crib skirt? (not sure if we'll actually get to this so I have a backup on our registry)
- Have ducts cleaned out
- Ottoman for nursery, nursing stool? (undecided as of yet)

This seems so long...but I know it's significantly trimmed down from where it started.  And thankfully, a lot of it is just for looks and the baby will survive just fine if we don't get some of it done.  We'll get there :)

26 Weeks: Head of Lettuce

25 weeks...a little over

26 weeks

Please ignore the formatting...I can't figure out what is wrong with the font and spacing on this post.


How big is baby: Baby is the size of a head of lettuce this week (13.6-14.8 in and 1.5-2.5 lbs).  Baby's eyes are forming, and will soon start to open.  Eyelashes are now grown, too.  Baby's getting his/her immune system ready for life on the outside by soaking up your antibodies.  Baby's taking breaths, too. They're of amniotic fluid, not air, but it's still good practice.

Weight gain/loss:  I'm a little nervous for my check up next week...let's just say that I ate way too much during all of this weekend's festivities.   

Stretch marks: No. I had a small freak out the other day when I thought I saw a ton forming on the bottom of my belly, but they were just indentations from the elastic waste on my PJs.  Thank goodness so far!

Sleep:  Ok, but getting worse.    

Diet/Cravings/Aversions:  Fruit. I haven't had watermelon in a week and I'm starting to go through withdrawals.  I have about 5 lbs of blueberries I bought this weekend so I might be passing up on watermelon for a little bit while I get through these babies.

Exercise:  Walking, biking.  

Gender: We'll find out in October!  

Movement: Still everyday!    

The belly:  Definitely there.

What I'm spazzing about:  Nothing really this week.

What I'm loving:  We set up our crib!  We got it last week before going on vacation and were so excited, we put it together that night...well Aaron put it together that night :)  It looks awesome in the room.  Now we just need the glider, and we have all of the big pieces of furniture so we can figure out the room configuration.  Now I just need to buy frames and order my Etsy prints :)

Symptoms:  Sore hips at night.  Still more heartburn.  Starting to get more uncomfortable just in general all of the time.  My back starts to hurt when I sit too long.  But then I get uncomfortable when I stand too long.  No win situation people.  I'm a little worried about what the next 3 months will bring since I know it can only get worse :(

What I'm looking forward to:  My doctor's appointment next week.  Getting our glider in the next week or so.  Making it to the third trimester in a few days.  That just seems crazy to me that I'm almost already there.  These last three months are just going to fly by considering work is getting really crazy with our October 15 due date.  I've been starting to have dreams where Baby is actually here and I'm not pregnant anymore. But let's just stay inside and cook a little longer :)         

Best moment of the week:  Spending so much time with family and being able to have a few days of relaxation :)  And of course, the surprise visit from my BFF!!! 

24 Weeks: Cantaloupe

How big is baby: Baby is the size of a cantaloupe this week (10.5-11.8 in and 12.7-20.8 oz).  As I mentioned before, apparently, during these weeks, they start to measure the baby from head to toe.  Previously, the average size was measured from crown to rump...that's the reason for the range and no change from last week.  But cantaloupe??  That's a pretty big fruit I think.        

Weight gain/loss:  At my appointment last week, I think I was up a total of 14 lbs. so far.  According to What to Expect When You Are Expecting, I'm still in the normal range.   

Stretch marks: No.

Sleep:  Still sleeping well minus my one bathroom break in the middle of the night.  Baby has decided on certain nights that having a dance party at 2am, 4am, or 5am is a great idea.  I usually am able to roll over and fall right back asleep after I have a short, "quiet" conversation with Baby :)  

Diet/Cravings/Aversions:  Fruit.  Pizza.  I decided to change it up a little bit and bought strawberries, blueberries and cherries for the beginning of the week.  But don't worry, I have a watermelon on the counter, and I'll be cutting it up in the next day or so.  And I got my pizza fix twice this week.  Pizza on Monday and tonight we had homemade calzones.  They were amazing!  I'll post the recipe soon.

Exercise:  It's finally cooled off a little, so I can walk outside again.  

Gender: We'll find out in October!  

Movement: Aaron got to feel the baby even more this week.  I can definitely see the kicks poking out now sometimes when I look down.  It's so nice to finally have a daily reminder that everything is ok.  I read somewhere today that baby feels most active between weeks 24 and 28 while baby is still small enough to move around like crazy.  After week 28, I guess baby starts to run out of room.    

The belly:  Bigger and bigger it seems.  My clothes from Old Navy finally came!!  I have a client meeting at work tomorrow.  I'm not quite sure yet what I'm going to do since my suit jackets only match my pre-pregnancy pants.  I'm hoping that the bella band is still an option.

What I'm spazzing about:  Nothing really this week.

What I'm loving:  We ordered our crib!  It should be here in the next week.  We are out of town next weekend and then in Grand Haven with family for a few days so I don't think we'll put it together for a little while.  I'm just excited to have it!

We decided on the car we are going to buy as well.  We are going this weekend to see what the dealer has and test drive them.  I'm slightly stressed about trading in/selling my car, but we'll figure it out.  I'm hoping the trade in value is decent and we won't have to weigh the option of trying to sell it on our own.

Also, we have our appointments set up with two, potential pediatrician's.  Both came highly recommended and the people I talked to on the phone were super nice.

Symptoms:  Sore hips at night.  Still more heartburn.  I really do think I've been feeling braxton hicks contractions here and there at the end of the day.  I've read that it can be normal this early.

What I'm looking forward to:  Spending time with family over the next few weeks.  My sister and her boyfriend are coming in from Denver and staying with us on Sunday.  Then we are going to a Tigers game with my parents on Monday.  We are spending the following weekend with my family, and then we are headed to Grand Haven that Sunday to spend a few days with my in-laws.          

Best moment of the week:  Crossing even more off the list!  I am a total list person.  And the great presents that Beeba sent the baby :)  She ordered a cute sleeper/hat outfit and toy from our registry (there was a bit of a mixup on the outfit but Buy Buy Baby was great about fixing it).  She also sent a soft baseball toy that can be clipped on to the car seat bar or stroller.  She is a HUGE Tigers fan so she said it was a must.  Thanks again Beeba!