Nursery Update

Ya'll might just be sick of hearing about the nursery but I'm so excited I just had to post these pictures! I FINALLY found the fabric today that I've been looking for! After changing my mind, making it up, and then changing it again, I have come to a decision and I'm not budging! I am very happy with the choice I've made and can't wait to see it come to fruition. All I need to do now is check in with my seamstress, order the fabric, and it's a go!

Here are some 'before' pics of the nursery. It's bare and needs lots of love yet. We're thinking of doing some chair moldings and maybe painting. We'll see.

View from the door

The dresser is getting painted to match the other pieces.

Baby's closet

This side needs lots of love!

And here is the fabric I'm using. The bunny toile will be for the crib bumpers and the stripes will be used for the crib skirt and curtains. Next time if it's a girl, we're still all set!

Chris says it's fancy. I say it's absolutely beautiful.

Okay, enough from this chick. I'm off to enjoy the weekend! Hope you will do the same!

I have come to realize . . . .

1. That I can no longer bend over to buckle or tie my shoes. Discovered this today when I went shoe shopping. Next time, I'm taking a friend.

2. That Chris' shirts no longer button and that the waist line of his boxers are getting more and more snug.

3. That I'm on this damn computer too much. That will all change soon. You'll probably rarely hear from me.

4. I am in the bathroom many many times throughout the day.

5. That my real friends do nice things like load and unload my groceries and tell me I look great when I feel like a sack of potatoes.

6. That Chris is going to be super dad. What an amazing dude.

Registry Fun!

Yesterday we decided to beat the heat and head to Winston to look at some of the major baby items we've been discussing and researching online. Chris has been so excited about cloth diapers so our first stop was at OBaby Organics to look at the BumGenius brand. I finally got to see how these bad boys are put together and it really seems quite simple- and so much more Earth friendly! The store carries all the other neccessities like the diaper bag, laundry detergent, etc. We took down some prices so that when we're ready to order, we can order locally instead of online. It certainly pays to support local bricks and mortar shops in this economy. They even offer cloth diapering classes to help newbie parents like us!

This is the 4.0 version with snaps so it grows with the baby! Included in the purchase are two microfleece liners.

After dinner, we headed to the DREADED Babies R Us. We were both terrified of what this experience entailed. I believe we both pictured getting sucked into the black hole of all things baby and possibly not making it out alive. But I must say that the staff here made our shopping experience very pleasurable and Chris had a ball playing with all of the 'stuff.' He was the official inspector of anything we picked out. We found a travel system that suits our needs and the car seat is rated numero UNO in safety. It's the Chicco Cortina travel system. It's heavy duty, easy to fold, and very safe.

Matching Pack and Play

Video Monitor

Those are just a few of the larger items we registered for. After all that dread and panic, we came out feeling pretty confident about our choices. We even had the energy to stop by Starbucks for a decaf. latte!

23 weeks!

Yesterday marked the 23rd week of pregnancy. I found this cute little thingy on a blog I was reading last week and thought I'd share it with you. I am and always will be very limited in what I share on here- notice you've not seen any naked belly shots. My grandmother would roll over in her grave. So here's a little something-something to share with you this week that is conservative enough but gives some cute details about our little baby.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 23 weeks yesterday

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I've only gained 6lbs since I got pregnant. I'm expecting that number to really increase over the next few months!

How Big is the Baby: According to Fit Pregnancy, Baby is about the size of a bag of coffee! Seems a little big according to this picture!

Gender: It's a sweet baby boy!

Maternity Clothes: Why, yes! I wear sundresses a lot! They are the most comfortable!

Best Moment of the Week: Over the last week or so, he has been kicking a LOT! I felt it for the first time last week. I was laying in bed and he gave me a good strong kick! Chris has since gotten to feel him too. He moves around a lot at night once I get still. I think he's going to be a swimmer like his mommy and daddy!

Stretch Marks: So far, not that I can tell! I know this will soon change. My sweet friend Shanna bought me some of this to help alleviate so perhaps that's why I don't have any yet!

Movement: Yes!

Sleep: Sleep is not an issue. It's a little hard to get settled at night, but once that happens, I'm a goner. I've been taking frequent day time naps. So thankful for summer vacation!

What I miss: Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

What I am looking forward to: Getting the nursery all warm and cozy!

Symptoms: Just getting tired more easily

Food Cravings: Let's just say that I've kept Lexington Drug in business this summer. No day is complete without a stop in for an orangeade. And pickles, well, we eat homemade pickles at our house. I've made quick work of those.

Lexington Drug:

Belly Button: It's an inny but feels more shallow than usual. I'm guessing it'll go outty soon!

Signs of Labor: Oh gosh, surely you jest!

All that really matters . . . .

The Debutante and Poo

Mommy and Daddy!

Sweet and precious girlfriends

Handsome Chris

Head . . . don't make me laugh or else . . .

My lifelong bestest Jules lovin' on Baby

My 'other' family

Camera craze!

For the last six years of my marriage, I have become a picture FREAK! I love taking pictures of our dogs, us as a couple, my family, vacations, nature, etc. Christmas before last, Chris upgraded our Canon Powershot from something similar to this:

to something a little more sophisticated like this.

Well, the more avid I become about taking pictures and with a sweet baby on the way, we've decided it's time for another upgrade! I've been wanting an SLR camera for quite some time- a camera with a faster shutter speed and one with a better lens for close ups, etc. I've been doing a little research and have talked with a local photographer who recommended this bad boy:

It's a Nikon D90 and comes with all kinds of features (many of which I don't understand YET), but after some research and practice, I think I'll be a pro in no time! And what could be more perfect to practice on than our little boy?

19 weeks

We had our 19 week check up on Tuesday and Baby looks perfect! She checked all of his vital organs and body parts and from what we can see, he is growing and progressing as he should be! My sister went with us because she wanted to see him. In between our usual jokes and shenanigans (I swear we could open our own side show and make millions with the way we behave), she got teary eyed at the sight of her little nephew. I tell you, she's gonna be one good aunt. She, my best friend, and I are going to Ikea tomorrow to look for baby stuff. And today, mom and I are going to pick out fabric for the nursery. I'm excited that progress is being made! Here are some of the fabrics I've picked out just from looking online. None of them match each other, I just liked them for different reasons.

And here in public for the FIRST AND ONLY TIME is an ultrasound picture of our Baby!