40 Weeks

Here I am again...belly shot at 40 weeks.  BIG belly!

Apparently Annie is very, very comfortable right where she is and has no plans of coming out!  I ate eggplant parmesan last night and nothing happened.  Brad and I have also been taking long walks all week despite the heat but to no avail.  My biggest rush for delivery by today was in hopes that my doctor would still be in town.  But, he is leaving to go to the beach for a week today so its just not going to happen.  I am very sad and disappointed that he won't deliver Annie but there is nothing I can do about it.

So, now I will just relax and see what happens.  One good thing with all of this extra time spent waiting is that we just keep getting more projects done.

First, I finished the chandelier for the nursery and the electrician is coming this afternoon to hang it!  I am really happy with how it turned out and can't wait to see it in the room.  It is all white with pale pink flowers and a gold rope around the bouquet stem.  (I couldn't get the candle sticks all the way back on but the electrician needs to check the wiring today anyways so I will wait until later to get these back on.  You are seeing some brown cardboard that goes underneath the candlesticks.)

Before

After

I also appliqued this cross to a burp cloth.  It is far from perfect, but good enough for me to use.  

I want to do an "A"also.  (Please excuse the terrible iPhone pic)

And, like I mentioned before, Mom finished the gorgeous day gown that 

Annie will wear home from the hospital!  I love it so much!  It is beautiful, white lawn cotton with hand sewn entredeux and lace, hand embroidery, and hand sewn button holes.  My Mom is so talented and can really do anything!!

Hand embroidery and entredeux and lace around the neck

Puff sleeves with entredeux and lace

Hand sewn button holes and embroidered bullion roses on the buttons!

Now, Mom is even working on another day gown...since we are still waiting:)

At this rate, we may also get the crib bedding made before Annie comes along!

Feel free to keep guessing Annie's 

Birth Day & Time

Weight & Length

I love hearing from everyone!!

38 Weeks

Here is my belly at 38 weeks!  It is definitly lower as baby girl has moved down!

This week I had a slight scare because Annie had not moved much or at all on Wednesday.  I poked and prodded on her during the day in hopes to stir her up.  I also had both breakfast and lunch and even an iced latte to get her moving, but I was still unable to feel her move. .  So, I went to the doctor a day early and they did a biophysical profile to check on her.  Thankfully, everything looked good and she was moving, but just not doing her normal full punches that I feel so easily and often.  We watched her heart beat, her lungs expand as she breathed, her foot wiggle, and her lips open and close!  They also checked the amniotic fluid levels which were good.  All in all, it was a good report but not much has changed as far as my body progressing from last week.  So, the baby watch is on...  She will come when she is ready and thankfully we are much much more ready for her to arrive!

Brad and I worked non-stop all weekend over the July 4th holiday to really get ready for Annie!  We did start out the weekend at Hot and Hot Fish Club on Friday night to celebrate our 4th anniversary!  We had such a fun night at dinner and then came home and watched all 4 of our wedding videos - my favorite anniversary tradition!!

Saturday morning, Tom and Joanne came over to help us get started.  Joanne ironed baby clothes - they came out of the dryer so wrinkled - and they look beautiful!  Tom and Brad sanded, primed, and caulked the new bookcase.  I painted the first coat of paint on the nursery dresser and did several more loads of laundry.  Thank you Tom and Joanne for your help!!

Brad and I kept working all weekend and got so much done.  We finished painting both the bookcase and the nursery dresser, finished all loads of baby wash, cleaned up the junk room where everything baby has been stored, and I even go to nest!  I have had such a strong urge to clean out closets and drawers around the house but have just not had the time.  Finally, I was able to do this and it felt great!!  It is also one of Brad's favorite parts about me being pregnant :)   The nursery is getting close to being done but I am not quite ready to show it yet - I am still working on a few things.

Tuesday morning, The Maids came and cleaned our house from top to bottom for 3.5 hours!  What a miracle!  This was our (very romantic) anniversary gift to each other!

Last week, I forgot to mention that I got my car cleaned out.  Brad gave me a gift certificate at Christmas that I saved to use just before Annie was born!  It looks great and feels so good to have it clean too!

My bags are mostly packed for the hospital and I plan to finish packing today.

And, my Mom finished the cradle bedding and it looks absolutely beautiful!!!   We all slept in this same cradle when we were born.   I have never seen a prettier one!

Mom made the mattress and the bumper pads and then all of the bedding!  The bumpers are white pique with pink ribbons and the mattress sheet is white with little pink roses!  She even embroidered bullion roses on each ribbon - look closely and you can see.   Thank you Mama for your labor of love!!

I now have the cradle sitting by my bed and love seeing it every time I walk in the room.  

I can't wait to see Annie sleeping in it :)

So, we had a very productive week and are feeling super excited to meet our little girl!  

37 Weeks

Here is my belly at the end of 37 weeks!  

I am doing well just HOT.  Everywhere I go I feel like its 100 + degrees...inside, outside it doesn't matter!  There is not enough AC that could make me feel cool at this point.   I am sleeping okay.   Some nights I still sleep great and then some nights I will wake up and go to the bathroom and stay wide awake for 3 hours.  It's rough, but I think I am still getting more sleep at this point than some so I will take what I can get.  This past week, I have been hungry!!  During the day, I eat the same amount - usually 3 normal meals, no snacks - but then right before bed I usually have to have some cereal and if I wake up and stay up in the middle of the night, I usually will have some more cereal then too.  I guess baby girl (or maybe its just me) is packing on the pounds!  

Today was my last day of work!!!!  I am very, very thankful and excited to be able to stay home with Annie!  Thank you Bradley for taking such good care of us and allowing me to be at home :)  It definitely has not set in yet that I will not be going back to work.  I think that will take several weeks before I realize that today was it.

As far as being prepared for Annie, I still feel like we are behind and have tons to do.  However, I have made lots of progress this week and hope to make a lot more progress this weekend with Brad as well as next week with my Mom since I will be home.   I have so much more energy on the days that I don't go to work so hopefully this will be true next week.

First, I finalized my birth plan and went over it with my doctor.  He has been great and so open and understanding to what I want and he has never made me feel defiant or stupid for going against the "normal" way of birth these days.  He is also very laid back and gives me lots of confidence that everything will go well no matter exactly how it all goes.  We seem to be very much on the same page as far as what we hope for the birth to be like but open and understanding that ultimately, neither Brad and I or the doctor is in control at all and we will respond as needed to my needs and Annie's.  

Secondly, Emily came over one night and helped me get started on packing for the hospital.  Its actually very overwhelming because there is a lot that I need and I have no idea what its really going to be like!  It also hard because so many things I am still using and will be right up until we leave. 

Thirdly,  I finally found a bookcase for the nursery!  It is the perfect size and adds a sweet feel to the nursery.  I just quickly placed some items on the bookcase to see how it will look - they are not in their final place.  The lamb lamp on the top right is the night light.  I love it!  As you can see, the bookcase is green for now!  We plan to paint it this weekend along with the dresser.  Hopefully, we can get both pieces painted and organized.   

Fourthly, I washed my first load of baby laundry!  I have been so nervous that I would mess up some of her beautiful clothes, but I finally took the plunge since it has to be done.  So far, I don't think I ruined anything:)

Finally, my diaper bag came in the mail today!  I love it and am so glad that I picked it!  

Its the Dawn Convertible Bag by Timi & Leslie.

I am so excited to meet Annie but hopefully she will stay put for another week at least!  I think we can be pretty much ready with another week of preparation.  We will see...

Happy 4th of July! 

Nursery Progress # 1

So, we have finally started to make some progress on the nursery!  I know that she won't be in her own room, upstairs for a long time but it does make me feel better to make progess on the nursery.  Once things are in place, it will also allow me to get all of her clothes, diapers, and accessories organzied.

Mom and Dad bought me this beautiful Venetian gold iron crib!!!!  
I am so thankful for such a beautiful and special crib!

For the crib bedding, I picked Annette Tatum's "Grand Fleur Peony" fabric.  It is very classic looking with a white background and pale pink peony flowers on it.  The crib bumper and skirt will be made out of this fabric.   The crib bumper will also have a ruffle that is white swiss batiste fabric with a pink scalloped edge.  The bumper ties will be the same swiss batiste white fabric with embroidered pink dots.  Mom is an excellent seamstress so she and I might make it ourselves- that is too be determined based on time.

I have also picked the wall color for the nursery.  It is a half formula of Sherwin Williams Anemone #6567.  I know its very hard to see in the picture, but the top right pink square is the half color (the one we chose) and the bottom left pink square is the full color.

I picked the Bla Bla Kids sheep mobile!  It is a beautiful hand-knit mobile.

So, I think that's about all for now.  I want to paint my dresser Sherwin Williams White Dove most likely.  I am still on the search for the right bookcase for the room, art, and lamps.  I would also like to find another fabric that has something besides pink and white in it - maybe something with a very light blue/green color and pink and white.  But, if I don't find it that's okay!  At least we are on our way!

33 Weeks

Here is my belly at the end of 33 weeks! 

It is getting bigger and heavier every day.

We have finally started making some progress on the nursery this past week!  Dad and Jeffrey came over on Monday (Memorial Day) and worked with Brad to put up crown moulding in the room.  It looks so good and is such an improvement!  Thank you Daddy, Jeffrey and Brad for all of your hard work!

Below you can see the crown moulding up in the room and the workmen hard at work!

Emily primed the entire room and then put up all the different colors of paint that I am considering!  I have since picked a color and will do a complete nursery update next week!

I sanded the dresser so that it can be painted and Emily and I also sorted gifts from my shower.  It was also a big job to keep everyone fed all day!

And, last night, Brad and I put the crib together!  It was surprisingly quick and easy to assemble.

Just a few parts.

Isn't it beautiful!?!?!  I am not sure yet if I will keep the four posters up but I like it for now! 

Thank you so much Mom & Dad for such a beautiful gift!!!  I can't wait to see it all made up!

Nursery To Do # 15

Ironically, after posting my nursery to do list earlier this week, I finally found the perfect chest to use as a changing table!  

I have been watching Craigslist for a long time and just haven't seen the perfect piece for the right price in a location that I was willing to go to until yesterday.  

And, even more ironically, or not really at all if you know us, I emailed the Craigslist listing to Emily to see what she thought and before it reached her, she had sent me the same Craigslist listing to see what I thought!  That's how we work.  It's really not surprising at all at this point!

Anyways, here is the dresser.  It is a 6 drawer French Provincial style dresser with beautiful curved lines and frilly hardware!  I think it will be so sweet and girly in the nursery! 

I am not sure yet whether I will leave it as is or try to paint it.  It will all depend on how the entire room comes together.  

I love the curved mirror too! I will definitely hang it on the wall instead of mounting it to the dresser.  I think it might look good gold leafed or painted gold to go along with my gold crib and gold frame in the room but who knows...time will tell once the bedding and everything else comes together.

Nursery To Do List

I made myself a list of just a few things that we have left to do on the nursery.  It's not overwhelming at all, right?  Can you think of anything else that needs to be added?

 

1. Iron Crib - on order

 

2. Buy crib mattress

 

3. Pick nursery fabric

 

4. Shop for eyelet ruffle / trim

 

5. Have bedding made

 

6. Paint chandelier

 

7. Hang chandelier

 

8. Add dimmer switch

 

9. Finish painting trim & doors; paint ceiling

 

10. Pick & paint wall color

 

11. Buy & install glass door knobs

 

12. Consider curtains

 

13. Clean glider

 

14. Have glider cushion recovered

 

15. Buy chest / changing table

 

16. Buy floor & desk lamp

 

17. Shop for bookshelf

 

18. Buy / make mobile

 

19. Select nursery art

 

20. Find side table to go beside glider

When I asked Brad if I left anything off, he said, "Have the baby!"  Good thing that I can say I am working on that every day!

Then he followed that email up with the most wonderful email a husband can send.  

"Which of these can I help with or do?  At first glance, I was thinking numbers 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11.

Remember you are not alone - we are a team and I want to help!!!"

Good thing I have the day off today to run around town working on my list!  Wish me luck!  I hope I make some progress.

22 Weeks

I've been away for a while.  We went to the beach for Spring Break and I just returned yesterday!  

I, unfortunately, missed taking a belly picture during week 21.  Things just got too busy trying to get out of town.   But, while we were at the beach, we took some belly shots during week 22!   

So, here I am at 22 1/2 weeks!

I am now 23 weeks so I will hopefully be back later this week with another belly shot to keep me on track.  My belly is getting bigger everyday!

Everything is still going well so far.  I go back to the doctor this week for another check-up.  My only complaint is still the hip pain when I sleep.  My friend Sabrina let me borrow her Snoogle maternity pillow which has certainly helped, but it did not relieve the pain completely.

Also, we have a first name picked out for our sweet baby girl but are still working on the middle name.  I will post her full name once we decide!

As for the nursery, I ordered my crib and the main nursery fabric before I left for the beach!  The crib will take 12-15 weeks to get here, but once I get a few more details worked out, I will do a preliminary post on the nursery design.  I hope my vision comes together!

20 Weeks

Here is my belly shot at 20 Weeks (a little blurry)!!  Halfway there!!  I think it grew between yesterday and today!

In honor of the halfway mark, here is a progression of my belly shots so far starting with week 11, the first week I took a belly picture, up to last week!  Apparently, I didn't take a belly pic during week 12.  This line up makes it very easy to see the growth!  

As you can see, there is a big difference between weeks 18 and 19 since my belly barely fits in the picture!! 

Thank you Kat for making these line-ups for me...I couldn't have done it without you!!  

  

I have had another good week and am so thankful for the way I feel!  I feel like I am at full-speed and will run with it as long as it lasts!   I have been back to the gym twice (a big step!) and have been walking a lot!  Baby Girl is very active and moves around all the time which I love! 

It seems that my sweet tooth has kicked in this past week.  I have had TCBY, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and chocolate ice cream!!  Oops!  And I have been craving honey mustard.  I made grilled chicken salad with honey mustard dressing twice, honey mustard pork tenderloin, and have put honey mustard on my turkey sandwiches.

I am working on the nursery but don't have anything picked for sure yet.  We also have a first name for our baby girl but are still working on the middle name!  I will post her full name once we have it figured out!

In other news, I made Easy Crock-Pot Beef Stroganoff from her blog this week!  It was delicious and Brad said I should add it to the regular rotation!  Any recipes you love?  I love blog inspiration for dinner!

Project Paint Update

This weekend, we finished painting, scraping, and cleaning all 11 windows!!

Once the windows were finished, it meant we were ready for shutters.  Yesterday, they were installed  and they look beautiful!!  Thank you Tom & Joanne for buying them for us!!

We have also put two coats on the trim in Brad's office which means we are done in that room except for the 2 doors.  Now, onto the other trim...

Guess What!?!

Elizabeth went back to the Eastbrook Flea Market in Montgomery for me and found the Vintage Tole Chandelier!!!!  I am so excited that it was still there!   Thank you so much Elizabeth!!

Since the last time I was at the flea market, I had searched Ebay for Vintage Tole Chandeliers.  The cheapest one I found was listed for $165 and they went up all the way to $1,200!!  When I first saw the chandelier, it was listed for $95.  The booth owner offered me $80 that day.  When Elizabeth went back today, she offered $65 and the owner took it!!!!!  I feel like I got such a good deal!!  

Here is a photoshoped picture of the chandelier painted all white.  I definitely plan to paint it, but I'm not sure exactly how it will end up!  I can't wait to see it hanging in the nursery!

Project Paint

This past weekend, we began "Project Paint."  It's a big project and we still have a long way to go but at least we are underway. 

The Oser's generously offered to buy shutters for our upstairs bedroom windows.  Thank you!!  There are 11 windows.  I decided that I do not like our creamy / off white / yellow trim with any wall color except the Barcelona Beige that we have on most of the walls downstairs.  With any color, such as blue, green, or pink for the nursery, the creamy trim ends up looking yellow.  So, it was with great hesitation that we  decided to re-paint all of our creamy trim bright white.

We started Saturday by purchasing the paint and other necessary supplies.  With Emily's awesome help, we were able to get the first coat on 8 out of the 11 windows.  Yes, I said first coat.

On Sunday, we continued and put the second coat on the same 8 windows and the first coat on the other 3!  Thank you Emily and family for your help this weekend!  We could not have done it without you!!!

Brad and I finished up the second coat on the remaining 3 windows tonight!  Now, we just need to scrape all the windows before next Tuesday when the shutters arrive!

Then, all we have left is 2 coats on all the baseboards in all 4 rooms plus the bathroom as well as 10 doors.  Oh, and crown molding if we decide to add that in any rooms! 

Think we will ever finish?!?  Wish us luck!

It's a.....

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


We are so excited!!! She looks perfectly healthy and was moving around a ton during the ultrasound!  She even waved good-bye right before we finished the ultrasound :)


Here she is!  Her face is looking directly at the screen.   Her head is to the right and belly to the left.  She is waving with her right arm up by her face!!!

We had a great day getting to tell everyone the big news!!

Emily texted both Brad and me before the ultrasound this morning with the following picture and poem:

"Tic, Tac, Toe
Who is Baby O?"

She made these delicious blue and white and pink and white striped cookies!!  How cute are they!?!?  And they are delicious!!!

Then Tom and Joanne stopped by the store and delivered this beautiful cookie bouquet and gift from Once Upon A Time!

Now we are working on a name and thinking about the nursery!!  It feels so much more real knowing that she is a girl and picturing her and the nursery.

Thank you God for this sweet and perfect gift!!!