::Baby G:: Nursery

The nursery progress is officially underway. Last weekend we went to the other coast to get some items from a few friends that they no longer needed---best part is that it was all FREE! We got the glider in the pictures below along with the changing table from my best friend's sister. We got the pack and play, the car seat with two bases, the bouncer, and a few other items from a friend of my husbands. Here is a tour of our guest room/nursery before any work, we just put all of the items and furniture into that room where we think they will eventually go.

Guest bed

Glider and dresser we painted. The white we painted the dresser is a blue white and does not match the glider or changing table at all. We are going to get the crib and see what that white is and then repaint the dresser. Kind of a bummer but it is what it is!

Glider we purchased from Craigslist that we are selling, I like the white one better

Other goodies

Pack and Play, we set that up where the crib would go just to see how it felt with the layout

Hallway/Room entrance filled with everything we need to get rid of!

Here is a super quick tour---

Since we now know we are having a girl, my goal for the nursery is a mix of purples and greys along with the owl theme. Here is something I put together today as sort of an inspiration board.

I plan on making a lot of the bedding and curtains so I have ordered some fabric swatches for prints, also seen in the bottom corner in the photo above

Yesterday we took the first step to getting the room pulled together and painted. We used Sherwin Williams paint in Sensitive Tint. In the swatch, and also the background of the inspiration picture above, the color was more of a grey/purple but now that it's on the walls, it has more purple that I originally planned but I still love it!

We also got rid of everything that was in that hallway. I'm so excited that we finally have a plan and things are underway! I ordered a few more fabric swatches in solids so I want to look at all of the swatches together before I start ordering. I'll keep you posted as more things start coming along.

:-) Mere

::Baby G:: Week 17

How far along? 17 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 2.5 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yep! 

Stretch marks? None

Sleep: Back has been bothering me here and there. Thinking of getting this pillow to help.

Best moment this week: We had a lot of great moments this week: finding out that Baby G is a girl, successfully ran for the first time on the treadmill, and we got tons of free stuff for friends for the nursery!

Have you told family and friends: Yep

Miss Anything?  Nothing really this week

Movement: Nothing more than a few suspicious feelings but no guarantee that it was Baby G.

Food cravings: Home-cooked food, last week we had a lot of take out which equaled heartburn for me.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Any strong smells lately have caused a little nausea.

Have you started to show yet: Yes! Had my first random stranger comment on the baby bump this week.

Gender: Girl! 

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Weekly Wisdom: Patience is crucial in a 40 week pregnancy, not saying I'm good at it but I am realizing I need to work on it!

Looking forward to: Painting the nursery and getting my fabric swatches. I decided to make all of the bedding and curtains for the nursery. I ordered some fabric swatches this weekend and I am just waiting to get the delivery. I'm hoping the print I love is in a great fabric that is easy to work with, especially since I am not a sewing pro!

:-) Mere

::Baby G:: It's a GIRL!

It's official. Baby G is a girl. We had a doctor's appointment Tuesday and we had a really quick ultrasound to see if we could tell what the baby was. She was sitting with her legs crossed and we couldn't get definite answer. The doctor said he was pretty sure girl but that we would check again at the 20 week anatomy scan.

My husband was 100% convinced it was a girl. Besides the doctor's comments, he has been thinking girl all along. I, on the other hand, needed more than a "probably" from the doc. I have been wanting to start a lot of nursery craft project and knowing the gender is holding a lot of it up. We decided to go to a place in town to get an ultrasound. It was such a great deal----for $50 we got a 10-15 minutes ultrasound, pictures, and a DVD of the whole session. The room was dimly lit with candles and was actually a pretty great setting. After about 5 minutes, it was confirmed that the baby is a girl!

We are very excited! I have so many great ideas and can't wait to get started. Here is the YouTube Video of the ultrasound---my favorite part is around 6:30 when she starts really kicking.

:-) Mere

::Baby G:: Avocados = Mexican Food!!

...and we are back.

How far along? 16 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 2 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yep! They are the most comfortable thing to wear (see my maternity skinnies above)

Stretch marks? Nope, hoping it stays that way

Sleep: Sleeping pretty well just waking often to pee

Best moment this week: Seeing the baby on the ultrasound.

Have you told family and friends: Yep

Miss Anything? I miss being able to drink whatever is offered at whatever restaurant we are at (no caffeine limits you a ton!)

Movement: I think I felt something twice this week but it was brief and I'm not sure. They say first time moms usually don't even realize it at first.

Food cravings: Jersey Mike's Turkey Sandwich and it was yummy!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Today's quesadilla at lunch didn't sit well but overall no issues

Have you started to show yet: Yes, I think about the same as last week

Gender prediction: Girl! At the ultrasound this week, the babies legs were crossed so we didn't get confirmation for sure.

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Weekly Wisdom: Just let it be---I wanted the baby to cooperate at the ultrasound so badly, and of course it didn't work that way.

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender---we are going to an alternative ultrasound this Friday, hope it cooperates!

::Baby G:: Week 15 Oranges

So I think it's official---my belly has popped! I cannot believe how big it feels in the last three days! Random people at work are noticing now, it's crazy!

How far along? 15 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 2 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yep! Maternity jeans and tops this week along with my normal dresses. I still can get by with the hair tie and a belly band on my normal jeans too.

Stretch marks? Nope, using Mama Bee's twice a day (it's from the makers of Burt's Bees)

Sleep: Sleeping really well although last night I felt a strange pulling when I turned over, I later learned it's called round ligament pain and is part of the process.

Best moment this week: Finding out that the Baby Gap in our area carries maternity!

Have you told family and friends: Yep

Miss Anything? This week I wanted a turkey and provolone sub from Jersey Mike's, I might cave soon

Movement: I thought I felt something when I pressed lightly but then I realized it's just my pulse ha!

Food cravings: None really

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing really

Have you started to show yet: Yes I think this week for me was what people normally call "popping"

Gender prediction: Girl! We find out next week!

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Weekly Wisdom: With pregnancy you will learn who your real friends are :-)

Looking forward to: Seeing the baby in the ultrasound next week. I hope we get good shots and pictures.

Fitz has been hilarious with all of these chalkboard photos. The first time we really had to bribe him with a treat to sit still. Things have definitely evolved----tonight I went into the nursery and pulled out my chalk and started erasing last week's board. He immediately was sitting next to me ready to go. 

Hubs wasn't even in the room to take the picture. He was so good. He sat there while I drew the board and sat patiently through every shot. Then the minute I said "good boy, want a treat?" He was out of there and back to his typical crazy Boston Terrier self. Speaking of Boston Terriers, check out this cute video.

Happy Hump Day!

:-) Mere

::Fluff:: My First Step Into Fluff!

I have wanted to cloth diaper our future little ones for as long as I can remember. I like to live as green as possible and this area just seems like a no-brainer for me, especially after all of the convincing articles I have read. What is even more awesome is that I have a husband that is 100% on board with a doubt, I didn't even need to convince him with all of my money saving tidbits!

I have been researching like crazy lately trying to figure out the best possible brand and type of diapers to purchase, there are dozens of different types and routes to take with these. I decided it's probably best to just get a few different kinds for the beginning and go from there. Once we determine which kinds we like, we can order more in a larger size for when my little one is growing!

Today I got the first of my orders from gdiapers. I have read a lot of good reviews on this diaper but to be honest, the cute-ness of these diapers is what really did me in----plus it has a "g" on the butt, seriously meant to be!

(g diaper in glacier blue and good morning sunshine)

I'll be sure keep you up to date on all of my new developments and discoveries in this process. I am planning a detailed blog post on my decisions for brands, sizing, types, and overall process once I get there and decide :-)

Anyone out there cloth diaper?! I'd love to hear your favorites and experiences if so.

:-) Mere

::Fashion:: First Maternity Outfit

This past weekend while the hubs and I were out romping (read: shopping) we found great maternity jeans at the Baby Gap. I was so excited---they didn't look at all like maternity jeans plus they were skinnies. This means I can wear skinny jeans all pregnancy long! I was so excited that I thought I would share! (Note---the side profile picture is very deceiving----must be the combination of Doritos and horizontal stripes, I'm not that bump-y yet).

Top: Old Navy Maternity

Jeans: Gap Maternity

Blazer: Express

Necklace: Old Navy

Wedges: Old Navy

Hope your Monday was amazing! It's over so that is a step in the right direction.

:-) Mere

::Baby G:: Week 14 Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July!!

How far along? 14 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 1.2 lbs

Maternity clothes? Thinking that I'll start wearing some this week, clothes are getting uncomfortable.

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: Sleeping pretty good for the most part, I've been having tons of wild dreams lately.

Best moment this week: Finding nursery furniture at great deals!

Have you told family and friends: Yep

Miss Anything? This week I missed Coke but I had a few sips to fill the void!

Movement: Not yet

Food cravings: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip with Apples and it was amazing as usual.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing really

Have you started to show yet: This week has been the most growth as far discomfort with my old clothes so I'm thinking yes!

Gender prediction: Girl!

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Weekly Wisdom: Craigslist on Friday is full of great finds, more than any other day of the week.

Looking forward to: Painting the nursery

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July. I got to spend mine with family and friends, watching the spectacular fireworks show!

:-) Mere

::Fun:: I'm 30!

Last week marked the end of a decade in my life, I said goodbye to my twenties. While I anticipated it being sad/upsetting/::insert depressing adjective here::, I realized that I am so excited to enter this new stage of my life.

My mom, husband, and sister put together a little dinner/party with some close friends at a Mexican Restaurant in town. It was a great night being surrounded but those I love!

Even the mariachi band joined in!

Thanks to my family and hubs for celebrating and helping me enter this next stage of my life smiling!

:-) Mere

::Baby G:: Nursery Finds!

While we don't know just yet whether Baby G is a boy or a girl, we have a general idea of what we are looking for in a nursery. I love the look of the Woodland Creates/Owls for both a both and a girl, with just a change in the main colors depending on the sex. For the furniture, we are planning on going with all white since it will be easier to mix and match pieces using white versus a wood finish.

In planning for the nursery, one conclusion I have come to is that nursery furniture is expensive! (in reality, anything "baby" is expensive) therefore we have no intention of buying a "set" of furniture. With that being said, I decided to search Craigslist Friday night to see if I could find any deals. Luckily, I found a few listings for dressers, armoires, and rocking chairs---I made a few calls Saturday and today we went and picked up a dresser and a glider/rocker for the baby. 

I was looking for a dresser similar to this one from Babies R' Us that I plan to "spruce up" with an owl design that I found on Pinterest:

Babies R' Us Dresser $350

Inspiration from Pinterest on painted dresser design

And this is our find at $60. The woman had intentions of refinishing it and already has the top piece sanded down, even better! I'm looking to paint it white and do a similar design to this dresser above, making sure to match the colors to whichever bedding I decide on. I also would like to go to World Market or Anthropologie and get some new knobs that will go with the owl theme.

Savings on Dresser - $290!!

Next find was a glider. I am really not interested in spending upwards of $200-400 on a rocking/glider chair, especially since we have a recliner in the living room that rocks. Something similar to this one from Babies R' Us is what I was looking for, I'm impartial to the foot stool:

Babies R' Us Glider $299

And this is our find at $50. I am still trying to decide if I want to strip this and paint it white and then get cushions that match the nursery or leave it as is and then get white cushions. Here are some cushions I have found online. I haven't looked too hard online for this yet so I'm not totally sure on the best price for the cushions but even $70 isn't horrible considering.

Cushions for $70

Savings on the Glider: $80

I'm really excited to get this nursery started. I'll be sure to keep pictures updated!

:-) Mere

::Baby G:: Nursery Ideas

We have been brainstorming the nursery in the last couple weeks and thought we would share the ideas and inspiration!

Paint for the walls:

Sherwin Williams Angora (Taupe)

Cribs:

 

We are looking to get a white convertible crib, something that won't look totally ridiculous when converted into a full bed.

Furniture:

We plan on foregoing a changing table and buying a changing pad to put on top of the dresser.

Decorations:

Hopefully we can do most of this without breaking the bank!

:-) Mere