Our Nursery

It's been a long road to get here, but I think the nursery is almost complete. I love it! I think it is an absolute reflection of our love for sweet baby Grace.

Here is what the room look liked when we started:

(I'm actually not sure what the office chair is doing in there--it wasn't really normally in there, but whatever).

I loved the room. A pretty standard guest bedroom. It was already painted that color when we moved in, and we liked it well enough. We've never really spent a lot of time in this room--it's just nice to have when people come to visit.

I always knew that this was the room that we would turn into a nursery when we were lucky enough to have a baby. I love the bay window. I love the natural light. It's a nice, big room which will be great for baby as they get older.

When we started looking at decorating the room, it was pretty overwhelming. There were so many choices to make, even for the simplest things. If you choose this furniture, what color finish should you get? Do we have to have a theme for the room? We have found that one of the most useful tools is a book called Baby Bargains. It's written by a married couple who aren't sponsored by any particular brand or company, it's just meant to help inform new parents. The book is great- they give you an idea of when it is a good idea to spend a little bit more on something, because it will be worth your money, and when you will be fine with something on the low end.

After we had made lots of purchases and decided on our colors (a pale petal pink and a light gray) we decided it was time to paint. It only took us painting the room three times to get it right. Only had to paint the ceiling white once, though! 

Trying out paint colors.

Bless his heart, Corey insists that I can't help with it because of the fumes so he ends up doing all of the work. We initially picked a color gray that was way to dark and had too much blue in it. Poor Corey and my dad painted the whole room that color and I walked in and said "It's blue". Paint often dries a different color than it looks when it's going on.

In the background here is the "blue" color--paint attempt #1

Next, we went to the initial color I had gravitated towards--Stonington Gray from Benjamin Moore. Corey painted the room again completely in that, and I decided it still looked too blue.

Poor Corey. But he didn't give up. He decided to go back to ACE Hardware (he's made good friends with most of the people working there now) and asked them to adjust the gloss on the paint to be a step less glossy. That did the trick! Corey and my dad painted the room again and it really did look much better (meaning gray!).

The final step was painting the closets, door and windowsill white (they were cream) to match the ceiling and make the gray of the walls look less blue. It really made a difference.

Once the painting was done, everything else could move forward. Luckily, we had already purchased most of the items that we needed to put the room together--it was finally time to do it!

When I got home last night, thanks to the handiwork of my wonderful husband Corey and my amazing brother-in-law Cam, our baby's room looked like a real nursery! The painting is done (save a few touch ups), the chandelier is installed (and beautiful!) and her furniture is in!

Corey had put a few of the other cute items we've picked up along the way around to decorate. So sweet!

The first thing we decided on was the furniture. I'm so glad we went with the furniture we did. It is really beautiful and will grow with our baby. The crib converts into a toddler and full-size bed. The changing table is also a great dresser.

Last night, Corey and I hung out in our pajamas and put together the crib. It was such a fun experience and didn't take us near as long as I expected! Thanks to my wonderful in-laws, Denny and Chris, for buying Baby Grace her crib!

I'm not really into any of the theme-y stuff for nurseries. I like subtle touches of elephants and bunnies (our two favorite animals) but I'm not crazy about having elephants all over everything.

We found beautiful bedding that we love at Restoration Hardware for Baby & Child. We got it on a great sale. The crib skirt is from Pottery Barn Kids (and needs to be ironed!)

I love the way Grace's nursery has come together. I think it it so beautiful and I can't wait to bring her home to it!

Some of the finishing touches that we are waiting/working on: We are going to get some wood blinds and petal pink drapes (from Restoration Hardare) for her windows -- I love the natural light, but we want to make sure she will be able to sleep in there during the day. We are also waiting for the glider to come in--I really think that will be such an awesome addition to the room! That should come in mid to late January.

In the meantime, I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful husband and wonderful family who have helped us with this project along the way. I truly love the room and I know Gracie will, too!
Love,
Elizabeth

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

I love Christmas and I feel so grateful to be able to celebrate it with my wonderful family, my cuddly cats, my amazing husband, and our beautiful baby safe in my tummy.

I'm so blessed to have a beautiful home with the prettiest decorations outside. I love the way Christmas lights shine in the nighttime-something that is difficult to capture in a picture.

My favorite thing right now is to sit in our living room, preferably with some hot cocoa and enjoy some good snuggle time with my wonderful husband and kitties. It's so cozy with the Christmas tree lights twinkling and stockings I love (that my husband got me for my birthday!) hung by the fireside with care.

Did you notice that there are 5 stockings there? One for Corey, one for me, a cute elf-like stocking for each of the cats, and one for our baby girl with her name on it.

Grace

She already has the most gifts in her stocking (although the kittens both have lots of goodies as well).

Strut loves Christmas. He also loves wrapping paper.

I love my life and I love everyone in it.

I'm looking forward to next year, when sweet baby Grace is here to experience the blessings of Christmas and see all of the beauty of life with her own eyes. 

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone be found boasting. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8-10

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

"And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger'" Luke 2:9-12

27 weeks (and 1 day)

I decided to wait to post anything until I went to my appointment today since I would have more news to share.

Total Weight Loss/Gain: As of today's weigh in, I'm up 12 pounds. My doctor gave me permission to eat some extra cookies. I think I can do that!

Size of Baby: At 27 weeks, baby is the size of a head of cauliflower, weighing in at almost 2 pounds. (Length: about 14 1/2 inches.)

Maternity Clothes: Yes. I did wear regular jeans this weekend, which was kind of awesome, but I like wearing maternity clothes. The negative side is that I feel like I wear the same thing all the time. Oh, well.

Sleep: I have a lot of aches and pains in my hips, but overall, it's not bad.

Movement: Tons of movement. And now, baby gets the hiccups at least once a day. Poor baby! It feels really weird on this end, too.

Cravings/Aversions: Cravings: I don't feel like I've had any specific cravings lately. I'm enjoying some seasonal hot chocolate. I'm looking forward to Christmas cookies and Christmas ham. Yummy!

Aversions: None that I can think of.

What I miss: Feeling well-rested.

Gender: Baby Girl :)

Mood: All in all, pretty good.

Milestones: Some consider the 27th week to be the beginning of the third trimester, but I'm a believer that 28 weeks marks the real beginning of the real third trimester. So I guess, none to speak of.

But I did take my glucose test, which tests for gestational diabetes today--won't get the results until later. I also got my rogam shot, which has something to do with my blood being O Negative and Corey's being A Positive and RH negative--I don't know. Can you tell I work with medical jargon all day? Me neither!

Also, from now on, our appointments are going to be closer together. We have another appointment 3 weeks from now (at 30 weeks), and then we go to one appointment every two weeks (at 32, 34, and 36 weeks) and then, I will go to an appointment every week. Eventually, towards the end, she has people come in every other day.

It's just amazing to me how quickly everything is flying by!

Medical concerns: None that I know of. I talked with Dr. O about all of the symptoms I have and asked her lots of questions. It always makes me feel better to talk with her and I feel like everything is going great so far!

Symptoms: Heartburn. Hip and pelvic pain.

Anything else you would like to share/vent about: Our appointment went really, really, well today. I love our doctor. We asked her about whether or not we will be seeing other doctors in the practice and she said that they don't do that for several reasons, but most imporantly because she will do everything she can to be there for our delivery. If she can't be, she went on and on about how wonderful the other doctors are and how they have all even worked on each other (i.e., one of the doctors in the practice performed surgery on her, another doctor in the practice delivered one of the other doctor's babies, etc). I feel confident about the care we are getting there.
She said that my blood pressure looked great, my fundal height (the measurement from the pelvic bone to the top of the uterus) is 27 centimeters, which is exactly where the want it to be at 27 weeks (1 cm=1 week). Baby's heartbeat was 160 bpm.
She also told us that if I measured small or large on a given week, they would do an ultrasound. Otherwise, they would probably come up with a reason to do another ultrasound at 36 weeks.
One thing I'm nervous about that makes me want to do a 3/4D ultrasound a little bit sooner? One of the girls on my bump message board, who had her anatomy scan at 20 weeks and was told she was having a girl, went in for her 3D ultrasound this week and they told her it was a boy. Now I had them confirm the girl at 25 weeks at another location, but that was with the 2D ultrasound. I think this is a good enough reason to get an elective ultrasound at one of those 3D places.
Switching topics, I'm getting really, really excited about the nursery. Lot's of work has been done over the last week (in fact, right now Corey and Cam are working on things there) and it is really coming together. I can't wait to see how things look when I get home!

Also, we have a real guestroom--with a bed and furniture set up. We have clean carpets in all the bedrooms. I'm a happy girl. I definitely have to do some organizing--having everything consolidated to the other rooms that weren't being worked on did not work well for me. But I will have time to work on that.

We've made some really fun purchases, too! My mom and I went to a really nice second-hand store where I got  a couple of really cute picture frames for the nursery. Corey and I picked out and beautiful (and really affordable) lighting fixture which I managed to get for 20% off. It's a little bit ridiculous, but it's a little girls room and I think it will bring some class. We also got the mattress for our baby girl's bed. I love buying these things for her and picturing her surrounded by all of her things in her room. It won't be long, now!

What I look forward to: Tomorrow is my last day of work before my Christmas vacation. I'm so excited to have 11 days off and just relax a little bit.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Elizabeth

Lessons Learned

Yesterday, I turned 27. I've been ready for it. But that number sounds so adult. I know logically that I'm an adult. I'm married--have been for years. I've also been a home-owner and a responsible employed person for several years. I don't know why I still feel so young. But I honestly feel about 17 on most days. Maybe baby will change that, and if so, I can't think of a better reason to grow up. But I hope that I will still hold onto at least some of things that make me feel so young at heart and pass them down to our little nugget.  

 Here are some of the lessons that I've learned along the way that I can't wait to share with our baby girl.

1) Dance. Always, always dance like nobody is watching. Your life will absolutely be better if you dance around the kitchen while putting up the dishes and do some boogying in the car while you are stuck in traffic.

2) Take joy in rituals. Whether it be family traditions, story time at night, or writing in a journal, it is a special treat to create a routine and make something a priority if it means a lot to you.

3) Never be afraid to take a chance and put yourself out there. Even if it doesn't end up how you'd like, you'll be much more likely to regret not trying something than trying something and knowing it didn't work out.

4) Be silly and laugh as much as possible throughout the day.

5) Make it a point to travel as much as possible. Even if you don't have a lot of money or time, take a quick trip a couple of hours away and you will feel better.

Don't be afraid of a long road trip--it's an American Tradition and you will learn as much about yourself as the land along the way.

It is a wonderful thing to fly on an airplane -- don't let anyone convince you otherwise. Airports are amazing places to people watch and buy lots of ridiculous things and good (bad for you) food. And, once you get on the plane, you might get scared, but you shouldn't be--there is nothing cooler than seeing a new and exciting place from above as the plane descends.

6) Throw yourself into the holidays. I've always loved Christmas the most, but you may prefer Halloween or Easter of St Patrick's Day. It doesn't matter, just let yourself get into it. It is so much fun to plan and anticipate an upcoming event, and there is nothing better for that than a holiday.

7) It doesn't matter what your favorite holiday is, I've always felt a sense of wonder and excitement when I see houses decorated for Christmas and I hope you do, too. I hope you will love driving or walking around with me and your dad and seeing all of the beautiful lights on the dark night, the creative ways people try to make you smile and laugh, and the awesome nativities.

8) Learn how to be alone. This is a very difficult lesson for a lot of people to learn. But the reason it is important is you don't want to be one of those people who has to be entertained or considered entertaining at all times. Folks in that category are the most boring people in the world.

In general, if you are someone who can handle spending time on their own or even likes solitude, you will be happier in a multitude of situations. You will not have to call someone on your cell phone every time you are alone in a waiting room or an airport. You can enjoy long car rides without constant entertainment. You most likely will not drive people crazy by asking them their opinions on everything, because you will have your own, well-formed opinions on things and won't care as much about others' opinions on it.

Someone who spends quality time on their own knows their own likes and dislikes well enough to not waste a lot of time doing things or being around people they don't like. They have a good, heartfelt answer about their feelings on a topic because they have spent enough time alone to examine it. All in all, it's a good thing.

9) It's also good to know how to be yourself and be your best around people. Social graces are important, but they shouldn't be used to make other people feel bad, they should be used to make people comfortable. Hold the door open for the next person to walk through. Thank others when they do the same for you. If you are seated on a bus or a train and see someone less able or older than you standing, get up and offer them their seat. If a man offers you his seat, thank him and take it. If someone pays you a compliment, thank them- don't immediately discount what they complimented you on. It's also good to compliment others whenever you get the chance.

 Respecting the opinions of others and knowing when to express your own and when it's best left under your hat is a good thing. Of course you should feel free to express your opinion amongst close friends and family, but don't let that get in the way of you hearing what other people have to say. When you are in the company of folks you don't know that well or aren't that close to, it's a good idea to stay away from some of the hot button issues; namely, politics, religion, and money. You'll save yourself a lot of headaches and be a lot happier if you avoid adding your two cents if these topics come up.

10) Animals are the most loving creatures and way better than the majority of people. I'm sure our pets will love you and you will love them and I hope you will learn the value of having a pet. It is such a pure loving relationship and they will keep you silly and happy.

11) Write thank you notes. This may seem like an old fart thing, but I've done it my whole life (admittedly, before I was 12, it was because my mom made me) and over the years I realized that it is something that can make you really happy--it is a good thing to express gratitude and it will keep you from taking people (and their gifts) for granted.

12) You will learn from all of the opportunities you are given if you go in with an open heart and open mind.

The most important thing we can do as parents is raise our baby girl to feel loved and happy--she has already brought so much happiness to our world and she hasn't even been born yet!

I'm lucky enough to have great family and friends who have made me feel so loved and happy everyday, and most definitely on my birthday. Thanks everyone!

Elizabeth

26 weeks!

Total Weight Loss/Gain: I think at this point I'm up about 11 pounds.
Size of Baby: A quick internet search found that at 26 weeks, most babies are as tall as an English hothouse cucumber and weighs about 1 2/3 pounds. (Length: 14 inches, head to heel.)
Maternity Clothes: Are the most comfortable. I've been taking a lot longer to get ready the last few days because most of the sweaters I own (in regular sizes) are too small. Luckily I have a loving husband who is honest with me and won't let me leave the house in something too small. Our sweet friends Lindsey & Troy bought me a very pretty maternity blouse for my birthday which I'm sporting today and loving!
Sleep: Is getting worse. I've been having some pretty vivid, terrible dreams and I usually wake up feeling achy. I think that comes with the territory, though.
Movement:  Is frequent. At times it can be distracting. I love it so much, though!
Cravings/Aversions: Cravings: My mom made me a delicious chocolate pie w/ merengue for my birthday celebration this weekend. It was amazing and I'm still enjoying the rest of it.  
Aversions: I'm really grossed out by anything too soggy. Consistency of food has always been big for me, but now, something even a tiny bit too soggy is grossing me out.
What I miss: Having better control of my emotions. I'm all over the place these days.
Gender: Baby Girl :)
Mood: I'm not going to lie. I'm a hot mess some days. I'm doing the best I can, though.
Milestones: Today, the very last day of my 26th year, is the beginning of my 26th week of pregnancy. I think that's pretty cool! Also, on Monday, we hit the double-digits on our countdown to the due date--as of today, we are officially 98 days away from our due date! It's hard to believe it's moving so fast, now!
Medical concerns: None that I know of.
Symptoms: Heartburn and round ligament pain.
Anything else you would like to share/vent about: We are still perfecting the paint in the nursery, but we're getting there. I'm feeling very lucky to have such a patient sweet husband.
What I look forward to: Several things -- my birthday tomorrow.
My appointment with Dr. O next week (yes, that's right, I'm the weirdo who likes going to the doctor). 
My 11 day Christmas Vacation. I need at least 3 of those days to involve doing absolutely nothing.
And I'm looking forward to entering the new year--the year in which our daughter will be born. So exciting.

25 weeks!

Total Weight Loss/Gain: I believe I've officically gained about 10 pounds. Possibly 10.5.
Size of Baby: Our little baby eggplant. She is anywhere from 13.6 to 14.8 inches in length and 1.5 to 2.2 lbs. So exciting!

Maternity Clothes: Are getting used all of the time now except bedtime. And now I'm starting to wish I had some pregnancy sweatpants. And more warm maternity clothes-but I don't want to spend a bunch on clothes I'm going to wear for such a short time - it very rarely gets cold here, and if experience has taught me anything--with close to 27 years as a central Texan under my belt--I can predict it will probably be back in the 60s or the 70s (or even 80s) by the end of December.

Sleep: Is pretty good. Every once in a while I will have a night where I just can't sleep. And I'm getting more uncomfortable at night.

Movement: I think she has been moving her whole body around in there, not just her limbs. Occasionally I will get this feeling that the bottom of my stomach is dropping out and then this creepy feeling of something sliding around in my stomach and I think she is repositioning herself. Also, as we speak, it feels like she is punching me in the gut. She is such a sweet girl lol.

Cravings/Aversions: Cravings: I have been craving queso a lot. And chicken and dumplings (which I'm going to make tomorrow night in case you were wondering :)

Aversions: I feel like I'm eating everything in sight. So, no aversions right now.

What I miss: Being able to get up off my couch or any other seat I sink into without extra effort. I have a feeling this is only going to get worse lol.

Gender: A sweet baby girl!
Moods: Pretty good. I'm trying to enjoy life and all of the little steps along the way. Trying not to get so upset by small stuff. I succeed about 80% of the time, but occasionally I get annoyed by silly little things and I feel like I have a shorter temper.

Milestones: 25 weeks! Only 15 to go! Holy moly! I have gotten a few smiles from people out and about over the last few days while I've been Christmas shopping, and I'm pretty sure they realize I'm pregnant. On the other hand, I was sitting right in front of someone today who didn't realize I was pregnant. Go figure.

Medical concerns: Feeling blessed to be feeling great!

Anything else you'd like to share or vent about? I'm feeling pretty good about getting so many things done. We've accomplished a lot over the last couple of weeks, but I'm feeling like this is going to be how things are from now on - there are just so many things to do before our baby girl gets here. So I'm trying to get used to being busy all of the time when all I want to do is come home and lay around in front of the fire. I now do that for about 30 minutes and then try and knock out a few things on my to do list.

What I look forward to: I'm really looking forward to having the baby. After our hospital tour I'm not feeling so much anxiety at the thought of labor and delivery. I also feel like I've been seeing so many cute babies out and about lately. I just can't wait to have our little girl out and spend time with her. Of course, this is a very special time, and I'm trying to enjoy this and be patient. And of course I don't want her to come early, but I'm looking forward to her arrival in March!
Here is a picture taken in front of our Christmas Tree at 25 weeks, 2 days!

Have a great week!

Elizabeth

The Hospital Tour

Over the course of the past week, Corey and I have gotten a lot done. We've decided on a paint color and got opinions on it (thanks Mere and Cam!). We signed up for a birthing class (we will be going to it in January). We registered at Babies 'R Us, which I found fairly intimidating at the outset, but it went pretty well. I am, however, taking suggestions on infant carseats since I'm not in love with the one we picked out but I can't find any others that I like more. For the record, I'm fine with the safety ratings on the seat, I just don't think there are very many seats out there that are cute. And I know that sounds silly, but that's me.

And my favorite thing that we've done so far? The hospital tour.

This past Saturday, Corey and I braved the cold and rainy weather and went to the hospital where we will be having our baby girl. They have free scheduled tours for couples having babies three times a week. I grew up about 3 minutes away from this hospital, and I've been there (to visit sick friends) a few times over the years, but somehow, I had no idea where we were supposed to park to be near the women's center. We ended up parking at the complete wrong end of the hospital. Luckily within a minute of us walking in, we crossed the path of a very nice helpful man who worked there. When we told him what we were there for, he got a big grin and took us on a little mini-tour thru the back way to the women's center. Then he told us that he would let the tour guide know that we were waiting.

There was another couple there with their toddler and a third couple arrived shortly after us. Soon, a sweet nurse showed up with rubber duckies and sippy cups for every baby (they had the hospital's logo on them).

The nurse's name is Sherry, and she has been a nurse for over 40 years, 8 of which have been at the hospital we are delivering at. She was so knowledgeable and laid back and within a minute of meeting her, I felt so relieved that we would be delivering there. Everyone we came across had that same nice, easy-going attitude. They are all very focused on doing what is best for their patients, both mama and baby.

Some cool stuff that I didn't know/hadn't realized about our hospital:

1) Unless you end up having a c-section, you will go through labor and deliver all in the same room. I'm pretty sure this is how it happens most places. I just hadn't really thought about it. The beds are configured to come apart when you are ready to push and get that baby out. They have stirrups and leg grips on the bed.

2) After you deliver, baby will stay in the room with us for the next 2 hours while I get cleaned up, she gets cleaned up and weighed and measured and all that jazz. Sherry said that they make it a point to give you that time with baby on your chest as soon as you deliver and the cord is cut. She said that all the L&D nurses are trained to be able to help with breastfeeding in that first hour because that is very important.

3) For postpartum, they have lactation specialists on staff that do nothing but help with breastfeeding. They will schedule appointments with you and help you as much or as little as you like with the process.

4) You get to order whatever you want to eat from the cafeteria menu after you get to Postpartum. They also have a hospitality suite where they have lots of yummy drinks and juices and snacks--since you aren't able to eat at all during labor and delivery, I'm sure these things will come in handy.

5) They really want you to stay for the full time allotted-48 hours post-delivery for vaginal delivery, 4-6 days for c-section delivery. I had heard horror stories about people being pushed out of the hospital from a lot of people, but that is not the case here.

6) They let you keep the baby in your room as much or as little as you like. Most people keep their babies in the room with them the majority of the time. I can't imagine wanting to part with her much, but they do say it's good to have them take the babies every once in a while so you can get some really good sleep.

7) This particular hospital is big on epidurals. They are not going to guilt me if I want one. I'm pretty open to doing whatever I need to, but I feel like I will decide once I get there. It's nice to know I won't be judged by the medical staff if I decide to go for it.

8) They have fewer patients now than they did a couple of years ago. A lot of hospitals have opened in the area, so it's freed up a lot of room for them. This is good in a lot of ways-I won't be fighting to get a good room, me and my baby will be getting lots of attention, etc. And this is one of the best hospitals to deliver at in the area, as it is a level 3 (meaning they can handle a lot of complicated issues if need be).

All in all, I feel very confident and comfortable delivering at that hospital. It's within 15 minutes of our house, and I feel like I will be well taken care of by nurses and doctors that care about their patients. We are lucky ducks!