Nursery Update!

This week we made some major improvements to the nursery. Thanks to our friends Jan and Mark who are letting us borrow their glider chair. At first I thought I would want to make some slip covers for the pads to brighten the chair up a bit, but now I don't know. The chair matches the blinds almost exactly and matches the neutral color paint--which is good, because I didn't want to replace the blinds or repaint the room. I'll still have to think about this and maybe head to the fabric store to get some swatches and see.

I've been feeling crafty--party trying to save money, partly because it is fun making things that our baby girl will use in her room (Is this the nesting everyone's been talking about?). I've been looking at some crafty websites and got the idea to make this photo board--it turned out great. I just bought a canvas and then fastened the quilted fabric to it with the handy dandy staple gun and then stapled the ribbon across--but I actually did sew on the flower buttons at the cross sections. I think it matches the room perfectly.

Next I made this mobile to hang over the crib--It is not quite final yet as I still need toadd a ribbon to hang it from the ceiling and trim some strings. I really had no idea what I was doing, but wanted something with the flower theme and found the supplies at Michaels--I made it for under $20 and most crib mobiles are in the $40 range--We'll see what it looks like when we actually get the crib up.

This is the bottom view--minus the ceiling fan--it is the only thing I could find to hang it from.


And of course we have to have the giant giraffe in her room (she wouldn't be Ami's daughter otherwise right?) We girlied it up a bit. I'm not sure how Ami feels about the flowers--but I like it.

I've had these nursery rhyme decor plates since I was a little girl (they were gifts from my Grandma) and I always thought they would look so cute in a nursery. We hung them above the closet and think that it was a great way to use the space.

Above the door is a tribute to her parents Alma Matter--we found this mini pennant banner and thought it would be a perfect way to "start raising her right"

When I went flower crazy at Michael's to make the mobile--I had this strand left over--I wasn't going to do a valence or anything and thought this was a nice touch--I still need to trim the ends and fasten it on there a little better-but I think I like it.

And thank goodness for Target--as that is where we found this changing table. I think it will match the crib nicely--I'm probably going to add some baskets on the shelves, but you can't do everything in one week.
And finally--Alex thinks we are creating this room just for him--he sneaks in there every chance he gets.

Belly Update

Week 12 vs. Week 32

See if you can guess which week is which...

Our Baby Girl's Crib!

Our trip to Babies R' Us the other night was quite eventful---That store is just so overwhelming but we did manage to order our crib pictured below--It should arrive in about two weeks. We also went ahead and ordered the conversion kits--so that it can be transformed into a toddler bed and then a full size bed with headboard and footboard. Unfortunately the changing table we wanted was discontinued. They offered to sell us the floor model and give us 15% off--but it was dinged up and was originally $145.00---I would have bought it for $50. So we are back to square one on the changing table and I'm thinking now that we'll save the money and just use the top of the dresser and then perhaps get a shelf unit for the room. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find a white set--the trend is in all the dark furniture--the espresso and cherry finishes are very popular and look really nice, but we needed white to go with our dressers and I think it is just more girly.

Scary Sparkys

We are trying to find something ASU related that is fitting for our little girls room---This did not make the cut-5 Scary Sparkys staring at her while she sleeps might frighten her enough to want to go to the U of A--we are still searching.....for the perfect ASU addition to her room.

Belly Laughs

I haven't been to into reading all of the pregnancy books--as I found them depressing and not particularly useful-with the exception of "What to Expect When your Expecting" and "Belly Laughs." Belly Laughs really did make me laugh and I related to just about everything--from wearing a mu mu to the maternity underwear to well... you just have to read it. Here is a great chapter.

Chapter Three Barf-O-Rama
(Morning Sickness)
As anyone who has ever endured it knows, the term morning sickness is bullshit. Morning has very little to do with it. For me, it started in the morning and went straight through the night. The label morning must have been thought up by a man who thought it was all in our heads and hoped that limiting the definition would make us all shut up by noon. Well, I don't think so, buddy! I say, come on over to my house around 5 p.m. so I can heave on you.
Some women I know have had this worse than others. Some have puked every fifteen minutes all day long and others just a few times a day. I consider myself to have had it even harder than the pukers. I was in a constant state of queasiness that would cause me to gag or dry-heave. You know that second before you throw up where your mouth gets really watery and you start to sweat and you do that horrible run to the bathroom hoping to just get it out so you don't have to feel that anymore? That was me ... ALL DAY. I was stuck in that in-between state where nothing would come out. I would just stare at the toilet sweating and praying to the porcelain God not to let me dwell any longer in puke purgatory. I would have sold my soul for one of two options: Either let me puke or let me feel better.
Going to the grocery store was a freakin' nightmare. I was terrified every time I had to go. Celebrity life isn't all personal assistants and glamour, let me tell you. Oh yes, I do my own shopping. I would walk in pale and sweaty with my little list in my hand and run through the aisles. To me, the meat counter smelled like dead animals that had been left in the sun for a year. I would cringe and hold my sleeve up to my nose as I passed. Everything in that store disgusted me. Strangers gawked at me as they saw me gagging in Aisle 3 holding up some cheese. It's hard having these symptoms in public when you don't look pregnant. If I were nine months along they would look at me like "oh look, poor little pregnant lady doesn't feel so good." Instead they looked at me as if to say, "Don't bulimics puke after they eat?"
Television food commercials killed me. I loved them for cravings later on, but during this early stage I turned green when I saw someone eat a greasy cheeseburger or some Hamburger Helper. Speaking of green, if any type of vegetable or salad was in my vicinity (or even talked about in passing conversation), I would feel the need to eliminate the healthy little bastard. Everyone always talks about eating healthy for the baby, but the only healthy thing I ever got down in nine months was an apple. I was worried my kid was going to come out looking like a chocolate chip cookie. Health food DISGUSTED me.
You'd think with all this aversion to food that I would lose weight during this period ... nope. Instead, I gained a lot. Probably because the only thing that I could get down was an entire loaf of white bread every day. As I would later find out from asking around, the people who do lose weight during "morning sickness" eventually catch up to us fat pregnant women later. Fair's fair.
So if you succumb to becoming best friends with your toilet, don't fret. Just remember you're not alone. All women are right there with ya holding your hair up, cheering you on. For most of us, it all passes in a few long months. The max is nine months, I promise.

2nd Dresser Done!

Yay!! We finally finished the second dresser--not to bad for two home improvement beginners. I don't know if we are going to use the dresser as a changing or if we will get the actual changing table as we planned, but I thought it looked nice on top of dresser for the picture.

Here the dresser is with the artwork I purchased at Ikea. Makes it look like the room is almost done, doesn't it.

But this is the other side of the room.
There is still alot of work to do!

Baby Shower

My wonderful girlfriends threw me a baby shower this past weekend. It was truly a beautiful day and a beautiful party.

Thank you to everyone who came to make it such a special day!! Yummy Cake!

Me, Ami's Mom-Anna, and Ami --no Ami didn't stay for the shower but was nice enough to drop me off and pick me up.

I now know that my belly measures 11 squares of toilet paper. (Just what every pregnant girl wants to know).

A beautiful day to be outside --here is Laura, Beth, my mom, and Kathleen.
Gift time--better start working on the nursery.

Week 30

Manicure anyone?

I have discovered another "perk" of pregnancy---My nails are growing....I can't believe it. Normally my nails are short and split and unless I get acrylics-aren't something to look at--but now they actually grow, are hard, and don't break all the time. I don't even have the urge to bite them. What a nice change from the usual preggy side effects--back pain, sleeplessness, fatigue, feeling fat, skin rashes.

I think I'll get a manicure this afternoon!!!

All in a days work.

We finally got to work on the dressers for the baby's room. So now at least one of them is complete. This is the smaller one and fits in the other side of the closet next to the toy organizer shelf.

Here is a closer up view. These dressers were mine as a little girl and after a new paint scheme (they used to be all white with gold trim and pulls) they look completely different and perfect for our little girl's room. Her quilt is on top of the dresser and is the inspriation for the color scheme--Green, Yellow, and Pink--I thought it was a nice change from the stantard pink nursery. We can't wait to get the other one done.

Our little yoga diva...

Today was our 3D ultrasound appointment and I really tried not to get to excited as I have heard soooo many stories of people who do this and don't get one good picture. Even though our baby girl liked to put her feet over her face (practicing for mommy and me yoga I guess)--we still managed to get some cute ones. The entire album is on the side bar--just click to enlarge--but here are the highlights.

She's got some chubby cheeks

I can touch my toes!

Nice shot of the knee and foot

I think she looks like Ami

Now I can put my foot over my head.

And now I want to eat my foot.

Decisions, Decisions....

With less than 80 days to go, time seems to be running low on making decisions.

What kind of play yard and high chair to get?

What should we name her?

And do we bank the cord blood? What in the world is that--if it has been a while since you have had kids or don't have any yet--this is a decision all new parents need to make these days. Basically you set up an account to "bank" the cord blood that is in the umbillical cord. Cord blood is the blood that remains in your baby's umbilical cord after the cord has been cut. Doctors have discovered that cord blood, like bone marrow, is a rich source of unique stem cells that can be used in medical treatments. Stem cells are the body's "master" cells and can become any type of cell in the human body. The first use of stem cells in medicine was to regenerate healthy blood and immune cells in cancer patients.

There are like 70 different diseases that can be treated with cord blood--so if heaven forbid your baby has cancer or luekemia or needs a bone marrow transplant, the best option for treatment would to be to use the babies own cord blood. But it can also be used for family members as well, so if something happened to me or Ami or another child we have in the future--the cord blood will most likely be the best match. Kinda like those people who have a sick child and they have another child in hopes that the new baby will be a match--I guess that is one pro of having siblings--they are your best match when it comes to this sort of thing.

So you may be thinking--of course--why wouldn't you do this? Only one reason--Cost or perhaps you don't believe in stem cell research--Perhaps that is one good thing about Obama in office is that stem cell research will grow. 10 years from now--who knows what they will discover. So the cost is about $2000.00 + an annual fee of $145.00.

I kinda feel like you do when you take your pet to the vet and they ask if you want all the extra vaccines that cost more $$$$$ and you say "I think I'll pass" But how do you do that to your child--if something did happen, what would you say--We may have been able to treat you with the best option, but the economy was bad and it cost too much--You would just be killing yourself. Decisions, Decisions....

Workin' on the Nursery.

Here is this past weekend's nursery improvements...

This is our toy storage system. As you can see our baby girl already has alot of stuffed animals. This fits in one side of the closet and a dresser will go into the other side.