New Monitor

I would have liked to not have to buy a second monitor, but we really still need one for Connor with him starting to not nap as much and Caylee will need one soon when she's sleeping in her room.  We got a new monitor set up over the weekend and I love it!  The picture is so clear that we can see what book Connor is reading and I love that we can move the camera so we can see where he is in his room.  It's so easy to check on him from my phone, computer or the ipad, so it makes access a lot for available too. 

Caylee's Room Reveal

Since she came 2 weeks early, we still had a little bit to finish up after she got home.  We finally put the finishing touches on the room and I'm excited to show it off!

Connor has a little door hanger on his door, so I felt like she should have one too.

The name banner was a big ordeal, but I'm happy with how it turned out.  I spent a long time looking for the perfect way to display her name on the wall and I wanted something unique.  For a few months, I was planning on doing a tree branch with birds and the letters hanging down, but it just didn't end up working with the design of the room.  When I found these personalized felt banners, I knew it would be perfect!

The paisley bedding was another challenge because Daddy and I didn't agree on what to get.  I usually pick out all the little home details, but he had more of an opinion on this.  He finally gave in and let me get my favorite paisley bedding and I love the use of aqua for little girls.  The polka dot accents worked really well as an accent pattern that I used throughout the rest of the room too.  The sad part is that when we went to put the bumper on (just for show, not for her to use now), it didn't fit!  The mattress height along with the height of the bumper doesn't work with the crib.  Once we lower the mattress, it will fit, but I'm sad that it doesn't work right now unless I try to revemp it myself.

The wall art was really hard for me to find because I wanted something that matched and worked with the proportions of the walls.  When I saw these girly animal canvas pieces, I knew they would be perfect.  The borders actually have the polka dot borders and that sealed the same for me.  There are bird and elephant accessories in her room, so the animals fit in well too.

Moving on, I added the yellow rocker and floor lamp from Connor's room.  I also got the same wall shelves that he has to display some special photos and trinkets.

I'm waiting to get newborn photos back to put them in the frames, but I also added her first doll from Grammy and Grandpa and the embroidered name sign I made (see below).

I'm so happy with how this turned out! I had a vision in my head and it came out exactly how I planned!  The bunting is made from little scraps of fabric and the name and bunting ribbon are embroidered by hand.

The pillow on the chair was another DIY project that I worked on while pregnant.  I picked up the polka dot accent pattern and sewed a felt flower on top.

The bookshelf is the same one Connor has, but with a girly flair.  I picked up light pink and hot pink storage totes and filled them with some toys and bedding.  Most of the little trinkets are gifts that she got from family & friends, so it's nice to be able to have a place to display them.

The bookends were a bargain at $2!  They were broken and didn't match, so I fixed them with some wood glue and repainted them to match the bedding.

In the other corner, we added the long dresser with the diaper changing pad.

The bird photo frame wall hanging was another great bargain I found.  I bought it for $4 and added new white ribbon to match.

A labor of love and many months of work came together to make the perfect room for our little girl!

34 weeks

Feeling pretty big now...

My feet are disgusting and swelling, but I'm coping.  I got my nails done on Saturday and they actually didn't swell as much that day.  The doctor checked the protein in my urine and my BP because of the swelling, but everything is normal.  Good, but now I just have to deal with it for 5 more weeks.

The doctor also said I have the option of inducing at 39 weeks if I'm miserable because of all the issues I've been having.  I'm really not that big on inducing as of right now, but I might consider it if I feel horrible or go past 40 weeks.

Speaking of being miserable, my hip pain is horrible!  Since the baby moved down, my pain has moved to my upper thighs and lower hips, so we have to start all over again with PT.  I went on Tuesday, but it was hurting pretty bad by Thursday.  I've been taking Tylenol to help with the pain and so I can try to play with Connor and keep up with life.

A handful of people have all told me they think I'm going to go into labor early.  I'm not sure what to think about that and maybe I just look horrible and tired?  I'm going to go about another 2 weeks and then I'll start to get the hospital bag and things like that ready.  I don't have any feeling that it would happen earlier than that.

We worked a lot on the baby's room today, so we're almost done now.  We just need to hang up wall art and shelves and get the rest of the bedding on the crib once it's ironed.  I'm good on baby clothes at this point and the outfits for the hospital are washed and ready to go.

Cannot believe tomorrow is 35 & 35!

33 weeks

I feel like it's really starting to hit me now.  People have started to ask, "How long do you have left?" rather than "How far along are you?" so maybe I'm starting to look pretty miserable and huge!

The weather got warm this week and that makes me so happy! Unfortunately, it's also taking a toll on my feet.  I got some men's flip-flops at Old Navy because I thought they might be a little wider, so now I just need to break them in.

I try to lay down and rest in between activities to avoid getting too swollen, but sometimes, I can't if I'm at work or running around.  My hip pain got a lot worse this week and I don't have a PT appointment for another week because they didn't have any openings.  I had to start taking Tylenol to help with the pain and I may try to call to see if they have any cancellations.  My allergies also got really bad during the last few days, so I don't know if that has something to do with the warmer weather.  I'm glad it's not a cold, but it's not very fun to try to sleep when I can't breathe.

On a good note, I feel pretty good! My morning sickness wasn't as bad this week and I'm really trying to stay hydrated.  We're making progress with the baby's room and I feel pretty prepared with things at this point.  I ordered some random baby things and pump parts from Amazon and washed most of the baby clothes.  My hospital list has been started, but I haven't packed anything yet.  That reminds me that I want to start a little list for Connor's routine, so maybe I can do that now while I have a few minutes...

32 weeks

The highlight of this week:

Holy swelling! It happened so quickly! I was fine and then it got bad really fast.  This was Friday after a day at work and then walking around Walmart.  It's so strange to look down and my feet don't look like they belong to me!

I also went to the doctor for my 32 week check-up.  The other highlight is that my intuition was right and the baby moved head down on Tuesday night!  I was feeling a lot of strange movements and kicks on Monday and Tuesday and then Wednesday there was a definite difference in my breathing.  The doctor did an ultrasound to confirm it (!!) and also pointed out the other body parts.  I also also right on where the baby's feet are because I can feel them kicking me in the ribs.  I also asked the doctor to make sure she's a girl since I was started to freak out a little and wanted confirmation.  And yes, she's still a girl!  She's measuring right on schedule too.

Baby room progress is happening! I washed all the bedding (good thing she's confirmed to be a girl) and Daddy finished the valances on the blinds.  I should be getting the wall banner this week and then we can start to put things where we want them.

It's really starting to get down to the end with 7 weeks left!  So little, but so long to go!

25 weeks and baby room progress

No bump pics or food pics this week.  I started physical therapy on Wednesday and it was great! She did some massaging and stretches and then gave me ice to use on my drive back to work.  My hips feel a little better, but they're sore again now that it's been a few days.

In food news, I feel like I have no room in my stomach.  I can only eat a small amount before I feel full like my stomach is going to rip open.  I've been doing better with smaller meals or saving part of my meal to eat after some of the food has digested.

Baby room decorated has begun!  Daddy started painting last weekend.

This weekend, he started on the wainscoting.  We're hoping to have all the paneling and trim up in the next few days so we can move some of the random crap back in.  Right now, the craft room is so filled with stuff that I can't walk around or work in there.

 Last weekend, I also finished up a little craft for the room.  I bought these bookends for $2 at Homegoods and one was broken.

 I glued it back together and then painted them to match the colors of the bedding.  The original elephant colors were adorable, but they didn't match.  I'm really not planning on going with an elephant theme, but these were too good to pass up.

32 Week Update

Baby's the size of a jicama!
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

I can't believe it's July 4th weekend already. The time is flying by! All winter & spring I kept thinking how far off the summer was and now it's here and half over! The baby is going to be here so soon.This weekend was Grandpa (soon to be Great Grandpa's) birthday and everyone was super excited about getting to see the baby soon. Lots of belly rubs and baby talk! We also got a bunch of cute hand-me-downs from cousin Ryan and even a few things that we gave him as a baby!

Oh, morning sickness...you never really do go away, do you? You creep back up just when I think you're starting to go away. It seems to be getting a little worse lately, but I'm reading that it's common for a lot of girls in 3rd trimester. Don't we have to deal with enough already? Pressure down there, being out of breath, no room left to eat, stretched skin, etc? I don't want to have to buy another container of Preggy Pop drops with 7 weeks to go!

So the popping belly button...it's getting VERY close! There's about 75% that's just about to pop any second and then 25% still makes a little hole. Looks like it's going to pop out any day now!

On a good note, we spent a lot of the 3-day weekend working on the nursery and we're almost done! Between my crafty skills and Daddy's handyman skills, we were able to get everything finished up and all the wall art hung. The only thing left to do is caulk and fill nail holes! It's so excited to get everything finished up because it means we're getting down to the end. I'm having so much fun getting things organized in the closet and going through shower gifts to put things away.

I really wanted to go see fireworks and check out the craft fair, but I chose to stay home and use every bit of energy to get things finished up. I just look forward to the future years of fun 4th of July parades, BBQs, fireworks and fun!

Never been so excited to do laundry

because of the new laundry basket I bought! Plus, it's totally cute in blue to match the baby's room. (We keep laundry baskets in the closet to throw clothes right in.) I'm so excited that I found a one-handed laundry basket to make life easier. The ones we had before were huge and I was always tripping down the stairs, leaving marks on the walls, and barely fitting through the doorways to get to the laundry room. This is perfect!

I'm also excited to do laundry to wash all the new baby stuff I have. Once it's washed, it's ready to go!

30 Week Update

Baby's the size of a cabbage!
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

The big 3-0! Or as Hubby calls it...the Dirty Thirty! It feels like I've been waiting for this week forever & it's such a big milestone. It's been a big week for baby-related appointments and getting things finished.

Lots of requests for more belly photos, so here they are!
We met with our pediatrician this week which was a special treat for me because she was my pediatrician too! I was shocked to recognize some of the women at the front desk from when I used to go there too. Totally weird to go from being a patient to the mommy of a patient! The doctor was just like I remember her and I think she'll be great with the baby. Luckily, she also has rights in the hospital so she'll be seeing the baby after he's born.The next day, I had my 30 week appointment with my OB and everything is still going perfectly. The baby measures 30-31 weeks and right on schedule. I was a little shocked that he *might* be a little big. He better not turn into a huge 11 pound baby in the next 2 months! My mom went with and asked some questions about labor and delivery so she was happy to get some answers on things she was curious about. I'm starting appointments every 2 weeks which means it's getting down to the end!

I got a lot accomplished this weekend and it was fun to finally make some progress! After a month, I finally found the last piece of wall art that I was looking for. The one I wanted was always scratched in the 4 stores I went to and even after getting a rain check. Finally, I found one that looked decent and got 50% off. I also was able to find this wooden train to paint that I've been looking all over for. It took me 4 different stores and a drive from Schaumburg to Vernon Hills to get all the pieces, but it's so worth it! Can't wait to paint them! I also got really weird about receiving blanket fabric during the last few weeks b/c I really wanted ones that were cotton t-shirt-like material rather than the flannel they sell everywhere. I must have spent hours online looking for them. Finally, I found 3 and got them for the sale price of $16 that were regularly sold for $40. Love my bargains : )

As I've been saying every week, Kitty is getting more and more clingy and protective of his mommy and baby brother.

Special deliveries!

I've been anxiously waiting to get some fun packages delivered this week. I was checking the doorstep every few hours over the weekend to see if anything was dropped off.

Yesterday I came home to 2 boxes!

We've been waiting impatiently for this one...the glider & ottoman! After many hours of testing and debating chairs in the store, I wasn't willing to spend $500 for one that matched the room and was actually comfortable. The cheaper one I liked didn't come in a color that matched and so I didn't want it. After some research, my last resort was the Danielle Glider & Ottoman set from Target. It got awesome reviews so I figured I'd give it a try. The color made me a little nervous because people have differing opinions of it and it's really hard to tell from a tiny picture on the web. We were shocked when we opened that box to see that the yellow cushions were almost exactly the same as the wall color!Ok, so it's not as smushy as I would like, but I think it will work. I'm making some extra pillow to make it more comfy. I'm happy to be spending 1/3 of the price we would have paid for a fancy one.

In the second box that arrived was our mobile! Again, another internet purchase that had me a little worried. The mobile that went with our bedding set was not what I wanted. I'm not really into the buoys and life preserver because it kinda makes me think of someone drowning. Does that seem like a happy thing to have in a baby's room? I don't think so.I LOVE this teddy bear one that I found at Target and it matches great. Turns out, the song it plays is the same song my mobile played when I was a baby!I love getting the room ready and seeing how it gets cuter week by week : )

Nursery Paint Colors

After we picked out the bedding, I went over to Home Depot to look for paint to match. I liked light blue for the walls, but I thought that seemed too obvious, so I wanted something a little different.After trying a couple samples, we decided on these:

Behr Pale Honey for the walls
Behr French Court for a border stripe
Kitty wanted to help paint the walls!