The Nursery and Other Baby Related Updates

Michael was on his week off last week and for the first time since October, we stayed at home and got some work done (also relaxed a bit, too). I worked on washing baby clothes and organizing baby gear we have on hand. Michael worked on moving around furniture and organizing paperwork that had been in a pile in the closet. We found some bug decals to put on the wall and ordered the baby's bedding (it arrived today!!!). Here are some updated pictures of the baby's room:



As I mentioned, the bedding set we ordered came in this afternoon! It's called Cheerful Critters and is from Pottery Barn Kids. I do not know how Pottery Barn got my information but when I first got the catalog in the mail, I swore I would not order anything from them. However, I did flip through the catalog, only to find the Cheerful Critters set. Unbeknownst to us, the colors we picked for the then-office were Pottery Barn colors (by Benjamin Moore) and this bedding set matched those colors. I absolutely loved this bedding set and when I discovered that the paint matched exactly, I HAD to have it! I checked their website every couple of days and last week, the set went on clearance so I ordered it right away. I put the bumper up just to see what it looks like:



It is just the cutest thing! I have also been working on setting up registries at Target and Amazon.com. I also registered at Colorado Baby (pamperedbuns.com) here in Junction; it is a locally owned business that specializes in cloth diapering supplies. We are going to give cloth diapering a shot. I have received lots of great advice and support from other moms that cloth diaper and it really is a great way to save some money. Plus, the cloth diapers are very cute! Registering can make me feel a little overwhelmed; it's hard for a first time mom to decipher necessities versus luxuries. I've gotten lots of advice from friends who are already moms and of course my mom and grandma and I'm sure I'll figure out what our necessities will be as I go along. Some things are obviously space-wasters - my dad almost fell off of his chair laughing when I mentioned wipe warmers - but there are lots of baby products out there!

Here is an updated picture of me - 25 weeks, 6 days:


The baby is quite active, especially when I am not. She has gotten some good kicks in, which are more jolting than painful. She's started to party in my belly while I'm sleeping and even wakes me up at times. Michael can feel her move now and talks to her regularly to let her know he's here and excited to be her dad. I am feeling pretty good except for some sciatic nerve issues on my right side and some issues with my left hip. These seem to just be aches and pain that come with the territory.

IT'S A GIRL!

Our level 2 ultrasound was today with Dr. Simms and she is pretty sure that we are having a little girl! I had a hunch it was a girl because I first felt her move while I was watching all the movie stars in their lovely dresses and expensive jewelry walk down the Golden Globes red carpet. We got to see the baby's brain, heart with all 4 chambers, spine, feet, and other organs. We got an excellent report on the baby's health and it looks like everything is going perfectly with the pregnancy. My mom got to go with us to watch the ultrasound so that was very special for us. Michael and I went for ice cream after our big appointment and started working on the baby's room. We can't wait to meet our daughter! Here are some pictures of our little lady bug.



And here is a picture of me today (21 weeks, 1 day), getting ready for our appointment.



We are headed on a cruise through the eastern Caribbean on Saturday morning and more than ready for some sun and warm weather. We are cruising with my mom and dad, my brother and my grandma Pat for 7 nights to the Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, Tortola and the Grand Caymans. It's our first cruise and we are super excited!

Home, Sweet Home

Home from a nice Christmas with my grandma, my brother and Michael. We had a good time. Michael ate his first casino Christmas dinner. Sad to say, we didn't have any good luck while we were playing the slot machines. Oh well. Two holidays down, one to go.

My grandma made us a beautiful baby blanket and gave it to us this weekend.


Louie doesn't quite understand that it wasn't made specifically for him.


I told him he could borrow it for a couple of months.

We came home to tile on our bathtub walls! Here are some pictures of the progress being made on our spare bathroom remodel.


Last but not least, here is an updated "belly bump" picture taken on Christmas Eve at 17 weeks, 2 days. We have our ultrasound appointment scheduled for January 20th and hopefully we will be able to tell if we are going to have a boy or a girl!


Happy New Year everyone!

Making Progress

The tile and walls are torn out of the bathroom and the plumber is coming tomorrow morning, bright and early. The ugly green splatter paint tiles are gone forever! (Oh, except the matching ones in the master bathroom.) As I type, the sink, cabinets and tub are being removed (I'll post pictures later). Here is the progress on the bathtub area as of this morning:


Also, for your viewing pleasure, here are a couple pictures of me from yesterday (14 weeks, 3 days pregnant). Michael took the pictures and told me that I had the smallest baby belly ever. He's right; I don't even look pregnant yet, just like I eat a half dozen donuts for breakfast each morning. I hope within the next month, I will look pregnant not just chubby. The shadow makes it hard to see as well but this is me now.
I went to an Arbonne spa party yesterday thrown by my dear friend, Tarrah. We had a "pampermint" food soak and used the anti-aging skin care line. My feet and face both feel amazing this morning. I sure wish I had at least $500 to spend on Arbonne products. They are amazing but quite expensive. I asked Michael if I could order some for my Christmas present but got no definitive answer. :)

Have a great weekend, all!