Baby M's Nursery

Over the past few months I have slowly been working on projects to put together Sweet Baby M's nursery.  At this point it is pretty much finished and I'm kind of proud of the work I did. I started out with a fabric swatch and then chose the color palette based on that. 

Since we had just started trying to get pregnant when we moved in to this house, we left this room pretty much empty which was a good thing since we found out we were expecting about three weeks later.  This is what it looked like before:

 And this is what it looks like now:

The first project that I did was refinishing the dresser.  I followed this very helpful tutorial though obviously I still haven't gotten to the white trim.  I am still hoping to add that before Baby M makes his arrival but I have been procrastinating it for months so we will have to see if I can manage to get it done.  I bought the same Ikea dresser used in the tutorial (obviously mine is the lower version) and even used the same paint color that they used.  I'm not very creative :)

From this...

to this.

Eventually I decided to paint a hutch that we already owned the same color and we added it to the top of the dresser.  I had considered putting a changing table on the dresser but ultimately decided that I would prefer to change him on the floor since he can't roll off of it.  I love the look of the hutch so I'm glad I made that choice!  I ended up finding some cute little bins in the dollar section at Target that now have assorted toys in them.  I love this dresser because it is super roomy and can store a lot of stuff.

After I finished the dresser, I started a bunch of sewing projects for the nursery.  You can actually purchase nursery bedding in the fabric that I had chosen but the set was over $400 and included bumpers which I didn't want.  It also had curtains that looked really thin and I wanted blackout curtains for the nursery so I decided to sew everything myself.  The fabric only cost me $75 and I still have two yards left even after making the curtains, crib blanket, crib skirt, wall art and some pillows.

 I followed this tutorial for the crib blanket and I love having it backed with Minky!  It is SO soft.  Then I used this tutorial to sew the crib skirt.  For the pillows, I just cut fabric to the approximate sizes that I wanted and sewed them together leaving a hand sized gap to stuff them with polyfil.  Once they were stuffed I finished the last edge. 

I used this tutorial to make the curtains.  I used blackout fabric to line them and it works really well.  I'm hoping this will help him sleep later in the mornings since I really hate getting up early :) 

I

I bought the rocking chair for $20 on craigslist and then I primed and spray painted it (don't worry I was outside with a mask on and I took frequent breaks) to match the nursery colors.  I picked up a $6 unfinished wood footstool at Hobby Lobby and I spray painted that as well.  The small table next to the chair was from Ross and I painted the top of that to match the footstool.  The little basket by the window is my changing center and it has a changing pad, diapers, wipes, lotion, diaper rash cream and powder in it so that I am all set to handle Baby M's messes. 
J painted the walls while I was out of town and I added a few frames from Hobby Lobby.  I'm probably going to add a bookcase over by the door but I'm not in a huge rush to get it.  I really like how everything has turned out and now we just need the Little Man to make his arrival so that it can get some use!

As we get close to our due date (19 days!) we appreciate all thoughts and prayers for a safe and healthy delivery for our Sweet Little Guy!

Maternity Pictures

36 Weeks

Last week while my good friend JS was visiting, she was kind enough to take some maternity pictures of J and me.  I had originally planned on trying to have a professional photographer take some photos around 32 weeks but I let the ball drop and by the time I thought about it, it was too late to contact someone plus I was feeling big enough that I really didn't want to pay someone in case I hated the way I looked in all of them.  I asked JS if she would be willing to go to the beach with us to snap a few pictures and she agreed.  J was only home for one evening last week so even though it was cloudy and windy we went down to the beach hoping to get a couple of good ones.  The clouds turned out to be a blessing because the made the sky look really cool in the pictures.  I am so grateful to JS for taking the pictures and also to J for agreeing to be in them!  J doesn't really enjoy taking pictures but he is an awesome husband who is willing to humor his wife :)

A goofy one :)

We are so lucky to live here!

Another silly one

We love this boy so much!

Thanks for visiting and taking such great pictures!

 I am so glad that we got these pictures as a fun way to remember this pregnancy! 

36 Weeks- California Shower!

Preview of our Maternity Pics- 36 Weeks!

We are finally in our last month!  I am so excited to be getting so close to having our Little Man join us!  This last week was very busy but a lot of fun.  My best friend J from Phoenix flew in on Tuesday and we had a great time hanging out and catching up.  It's strange to think that this is the last time I will see her without a baby in tow :)  J was nice enough to take some maternity pictures for us while she was here and I am in love with them!  I'm going to put most of them in a separate post.  I was going to pay a professional to take some pictures of us but I never got around to booking anything and now I'm glad I didn't! 

I'm so glad J was able to visit!

This weekend was my California baby shower thrown by awesome Aunt C.  It was at a lovely beach house with a killer ocean view.  My mom, sisters and one of my brothers came out to visit (my dad and my other brother were in Cooperstown, NY for a baseball tournament) so they were able to come celebrate with me.  My Grandma and my cousin A flew in from Wyoming too which was a lot of fun.  We are so lucky to have so much supportive family and so many great friends!

Grandma bonding with Baby M :)

Delicious food!

Great Friends!

Family :)

We had some incredible food and delicious mojitos (virgin for me of course) followed by me opening a mountain of gifts.  We got so many wonderful things for the Little Dude both from people at the shower and also from relatives and friends who weren't able to make it. We got a lot of great toys, some adorable clothes and our stroller and baby monitor among other things.  We can't thank everyone enough!

Love My Family!

After the shower portion of the day, the guys joined us for a BBQ which was a ton of fun!  We are so grateful to Aunt C and Uncle C for hosting such a fun day!  My Uncles R & A were able to join us and it was really great to see them.  I happen to think my extended family is a lot of fun :)

Short side of the family :)

and the taller side!

Love these girls!

C, D and Aunt C feeling Baby M kick

A huge thanks to Aunt C for hosting!

Overall it was a fantastic weekend!  My family is still in town so I am enjoying soaking up some time with them before our Sweet Little Guy arrives.

All of our loot minus the stroller because the very pregnant lady didn't want to carry it upstairs :)

Now onto the regular update:

How far along: 36 weeks
Baby is the size of a:  watermelon
Total Weight Gain: 25 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I have still been wearing mostly comfy dresses or yoga pants. 

Sleep:This last week I started waking up more frequently, mostly for extra bathroom trips and I had one morning where I woke up at 615 and never made it back to sleep.  That never happens to me.  I am still doing ok on sleep but it's definitely not as good as a week ago.

Best Moment of the Week: Getting to spend time with such fun people at my shower and bbq!

Miss Anything:Being able to go more than half an hour without going to the bathroom would be nice.

Movement: I am feeling more rolling and less kicking than I was before since the Little Dude is running out of space to kick in.

Food Cravings: I haven't really had any major cravings this week.  I am starting to have less room in my stomach because the baby is squishing it so I haven't actually felt like eating a ton.

Symptoms: Very frequent bathroom trips, being uncomfortable, and lots of Braxton Hicks contractions.  I have continued to be super lucky and not really experience any of the major late pregnancy symptoms. 

Labor Signs: Just a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions

Belly Button In or Out: In but getting very, very shallow.It looks like it is out a lot because the top of it sticks out a little but the main part of it still goes in.

Looking Forward To: Seeing our little guy on the ultrasound to confirm his position at my doctor's appointment this week!

35 Weeks

It's June! We are only one month away from my due date!  I am getting really excited for the Little Man's arrival.  Our Sweet Boy is most definitely running out of room and making me very uncomfortable.  The other day I lay down flat on our love seat with my legs up and when I went to sit up I pretty much started rocking around like a turtle on its back.  I ended up having to roll sideways off the couch into my hands and feet.  J had to work really hard to keep from laughing at me.  I can only imagine how ridiculous I must have looked.  While I love feeling the Little Dude moving around inside of me, I am getting tired of being pregnant and uncomfortable.  I'm ready to have my body back and have Baby M in my arms!
This week I worked on a couple of nursery projects.  I decided to go with a old fashioned rocking chair instead of a glider so I found one for $20 on craigslist and I have been working on painting it this weekend.  It needs one more coat tomorrow and I might antique it and then it will be ready to go.  I also covered a bunch of 10x10 canvases in fabric for the wall art above the crib and made a few pillows to go in it.  I'm almost finished with the nursery decor so hopefully I can do a full post of the finished nursery later this week.

Now onto the regular update:

How far along: 35 weeks
Baby is the size of a:  honeydew
Total Weight Gain: 24 lbs- I somehow manged to gain 3 pounds this week even though I did cardio five times and ate relatively healthy foods.  It's weird how weight gain works during pregnncy.  I am working at accepting what I gain as healthy and good for our Sweet Boy instead of letting it depress me.

Maternity Clothes: I have still been wearing mostly stretchy sun or maxi dresses.  I can wear normal yoga pants but everything else is maternity.

Sleep: I have been SO lucky to still be getting good sleep this far into my pregnancy.  I wake up a few times a night to shift or hit the bathroom but I have been able to fall back to sleep quickly so I'm very grateful for that!

Best Moment of the Week: Crossing off several projects on my to-do list to prep for Baby M.  I am so ready to get him here so I love crossing things off my list since it makes me feel closer to his arrival!

Miss Anything: Not feeling like an upside down turtle when I lay on my back.  I really just miss being comfortable.

Movement: The Little Dude is still extremely active and still seems to really like to kick me in the ribs.  The upside to this is that it means he is head down like he is supposed to be so I shouldn't have to worry about him being breach.

Food Cravings: Strawberries, watermelon and anything fried though I have only been giving in to the fruit.  I ate 3/4 of a watermelon and most of a 2 lb container of strawberries this week.  I also can't get enough of these sweet potato chips.

Symptoms: I'm just uncomfortable in general.  Still no signs of heartburn or fatigue.  I had some minor swelling when I was stuck in a hot humid room but it went away as soon as I cooled down.  I'm super grateful to be living in Southern California where it isn't humid and our highs are mostly in the 70s because it has kept me from puffing up. 

Labor Signs: Nope!

Belly Button In or Out: In but getting very, very shallow.

Looking Forward To: My California shower next weekend, my best friend coming to visit on Tuesday and my grandma, mom, sisters, and one of my brothers coming to visit! This is going to be a fun, busy week!

34 Weeks

"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."- Joseph Campbell

 Happy Memorial Day!  That expression always seems strange to me since Memorial Day is a day to reflect on all of those who have paid the ultimate price in defense of our country.  I am so grateful to all of the men and women who have selflessly given up their lives for love of country.  I recently watched the ship in the picture above return from an eight month deployment.  I watched as helicopters and smaller boats moved troops from ship to shore during my workout (pretty good view from the elliptical huh!) and it made me very emotional to know that those men and women were returning home and families were being reunited.  J has done two deployments, and both times I have felt an insane sense of relief when he returned to have him safely home with me.  I cannot imagine the pain of not having him return.  I think it is very important to honor and remember those who have fought for the rights that we enjoy and not returned to their families.

Best Hug Ever! J's Homecoming 2012

This past week we hit the 34 week mark in this pregnancy!  It is crazy to think that in only a little over two weeks our Little Dude will be considered full term.  I am getting so excited to get him here!  I am trying to enjoy the last few weeks before our lives our turned upside down but I cannot wait to finally meet the Little Guy.  Last week I took a baby boot camp class which is supposed to help prepare new parents for what to expect once their baby gets here.  Between being the oldest of five kids and having gone through nursing school there wasn't much information that I didn't already know but taking the class helped me to get into baby mode so I appreciated that.

Really popping out now!

J had Friday and Monday off for Memorial Day so we took advantage and spent a lot of time at the beach.  J's brother and his girlfriend drove out from Arizona to spend the holiday weekend with us and we had a great time with them!  We went to the beach, had a bbq and played some games.  Another of J's brothers recently moved to California about an hour north of us so he was able to come down too.  I'm grateful that they were willing to make the drive to come see us!  I am so glad that J and I get along with all of each others siblings so we can enjoy their visits.  I was bad about taking taking pictures but I have a few to share.

Gorgeous beach days!

J and G headed out to surf

J and me at brunch

Now onto the regular update:

How far along: 34 weeks
Baby is the size of a:  large cantaloupe
Total Weight Gain: 21 or 22 lbs- I didn't actually weigh in so this is a guess

Maternity Clothes: With the nice weather we have had I have mostly been in maxi or sun dresses but I definitely don't fit in regular clothes.

Sleep: I wake up to go to the bathroom or shift positions but I haven't had a hard time falling back to sleep so I'm still well rested!

Best Moment of the Week: Getting to hang out with J's brothers and B :)

Miss Anything: Not feeling like a beached whale while trying to get a tan at the beach.

Movement: Still lots of strong kicks and moving all the time.

Food Cravings: Strawberries and french fries

Symptoms: Nothing too bad!  I wouldn't say that I am comfortable but I still haven't had any swelling, heartburn or fatigue that can hit at this point.  I also haven't had to deal with any stretch marks (at least not new ones) yet so I have my fingers crossed that I will continue to avoid them!

Labor Signs: Not yet :)  He still needs at least a few more weeks to grow so I'm grateful for this.

Belly Button In or Out: In but moving a little more toward out.

Looking Forward To: Getting the nursery finished since J will be gone for most of the weekend.  I want everything to be ready to go by no later than 36 weeks.