The Nursery Plan...

Lets start off with some pictures of the room. Our home has two bedrooms and we currently use the spare as an office. These pics are pretty old...I think I see wedding gifts still in boxes lying around. Woops. Oh well... the color and general layout are the same as they are now. 

The room is not huge, so we really only have space for a crib, a smallish chest of drawers/ changing table and a glider or rocker. We are going to attempt to smoosh our office stuff into our bedroom, which I'm not happy about, but I don't really see a way around it. I guess that really means the desk/computer. Everything else is getting downgraded to the basement.

 

Like I said in my pregnancy post, we are not finding out the sex of the baby, so this room is going to stay neutral. I am actually keeping the creamy wall color. (It's the same as most of the walls in our house.) My thought process for this room is....(and sorry to my baby, but I'm being selfish) this room is for me... not the baby. We are not going to be in this house past next summer and quite frankly, I am going to be the one using this room and staring at it at all hours of the night for the next year. My goal is to make it warm, cozy and peaceful.

So here we go....

I have already ordered these curtains from Z Gallerie for the windows. (We are keeping the blinds, just adding the decorative fabric element.)

I'm going to put the dresser centered on the wall where the desk is and the crib on the same wall as the door which you can't see in these photos. We are going to do dark wood furniture. I haven't actually shopped for this yet, but I'm thinking something like this...

Plus a glider or rocker with ivory upholstery or pads. (it will go next to the dresser in the corner by the window where the bookcase is now) ..Perhaps something like this...

Next I need to get an electrician out here to install a ceiling fixture because I love this pendant light... It's got a diameter of 15". I wish it was larger...

I also want a small little table next to the rocker to put a book or a mug for when I'm sitting there. I'm hoping to stumble across one at Homegoods or something. Maybe like this...

And I already have a cute crystal ball lamp for it that we got as a wedding gift. It just has a tiny bulb and will be good for late night feedings. It's on the corner of my husband's messy dresser if you can see it...

As for bedding, I am not really having a crib set. I think I'm just going to get some ivory or cream colored crib sheets. An interesting texture would be nice, but I'm not too concerned. The puffy bumpers scare me a little, so I think I'm just going to get a semi-unattractive breathable crib bumper like this...

Then I'll throw in some cute baskets for laundry and toy storage.

And Voila! The neutral nursery is complete. I have some artwork in mind too, but haven't decided on anything. Now before we can get started on any of this we need to re-carpet the upstairs, do paint touch ups and get the electrician to install the light fixture. (Or at least the hard wiring for it) Can't I just skip to the fun stuff? Everything in order, right?!

Busy Fall. Is There Time for a Babymoon?

As I'm continuing on through the second trimester I am already looking ahead to the coming months. My calendar is beginning to scare me...

It all started when my sisters started asking me about baby shower dates. For the sanity of both myself and any potential shower guests, I am hoping to have them done before Thanksgiving so they don't have to be squeezed in between the madness of the holidays. (This works well for me too, because I am hoping to have the nursery done close to the same time. -Once again, I know that once the holiday parties start there won't be time for anything.) This means that the showers would probably be between October and November. I already know I am having three and possibly four showers. Madness, I know. 

So here's the breakdown...

Number of Saturday's between Oct 3rd and Nov. 21st. : 8

Number of Saturday weddings that need to be attended: 3

Number of Saturday holidays: 2 (Halloween & Mizzou Homecoming...that one's non-negotiable.)

Number of showers where the hosts want them on a Saturday: 3-4

Hmmm....I'm exhausted already. Plus I feel like a total brat when someone graciously tells me that they want to throw a shower and needs my availability and I give them only two options. 

All of this activity will be a lot of fun and I am really looking forward to everything. (Who doesn't love weddings, showers and holidays!!?) However, we also wanted to squeeze in one last adults only vacation before spending the next 18 years doing family trips. My third trimester starts in the middle of October, and I'm told to schedule any air travel before that date. Obviously October is out, so we are looking at the end of September for a trip. (It would also nicely correspond to our 2nd anniversary and our birthdays.)

So...any travel suggestions? We love beach vacations, but our last trip was to Mexico this past Spring. Should we go huge and try to spend a week in London? (I've still never been there) I also considered a 4-5 night trip to Cape Cod. (Something more romantic bed and breakfast like.) A trip to a spa in Arizona? That one might not be the best idea when I'm 25 weeks pregnant. I'm all over the place with ideas and my calendar is telling me that I need to get on the stick and plan something. Any suggestions for a trip that would be a maximum of 1 week?

Some Recent Purchases...

Since becoming pregnant I pretty much stopped shopping for myself cold turkey. I had already purchased a few cute Spring/Summer items way back in March/April and figured that I shouldn't be wasting any more money on clothing that wouldn't fit me in the coming months. Obviously I'll have to buy maternity clothing at some point, but that's a whole different story. So from April to this past week I have not purchased a single clothing/apparel item for myself. 

I think I made a mistake. 

It's been to long. This weekend I went to the mall to buy a present for a friend. I decided to go into Anthropologie which is my ultimate weakness. I have a love-hate relationship with that store. Love everything in it....hate the price tags. Although I managed to stay away from the clothing, (which was hard since they have quite a few items that might actually work for a pregnant woman) the accessories got me. I became possessed and bought this scarf...

I think it was like $40 which really isn't that bad for a nice scarf, but lets not avoid the obvious...who in the world is out buying scarves right now besides me?!!

And then came the more shameful purchase. This headband...

Really cute, right? I cut the tags off and wore it the very next night. Hubs even liked it...Until he saw the receipt lying on the table. $28 for a piece of elastic with a silk flower attached?! Seriously?

I was then somehow magically transported to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I purchased a pair of shoes. This purchase doesn't really seem as absurd, but I'm still not sure about them. 

But...I bought them in this color. 

They call it "Maize" and it is part of the Fall line, but is the color too bright and summery to make it into November? I'm thinking of taking them back and getting the brown. I like them either way. It's the low wedge that got me. I love flats but can't seem to wear them comfortably. I need just a little height for my arch.

So, all in all three items isn't that bad. It's the random smattering of choices that seems odd to me. Like I was so desperate to shop that I was grabbing everything in site. I have done a little shopping for baby though...I'll make that a separate post. :)

My Pregnancy, Thus Far

Since it would take a long time to cover four and a half months of pregnancy, I am going to do this bullet style. Plus, I love bullet points. 

• On Wednesday I'll be 16 weeks pregnant. 

• My due date is Jan.13th, 2010 (And no, the 13th is not a Friday)

• We could find out what we are having in another month, but we aren't going to. We want it to be a surprise! Yellow and green for us!

• I have zero "mothers intuition" about the sex. Your guess is as good as mine.

• I've been taking bump pics, but only every 4 weeks or so. I'm going to take another one after I'm officially 16 weeks, (which is Wednesday) then I'll post the sequence. I think this will be the first one where there is actually a little something there. My more tailored dress pants are definitely no longer fitting. I have been using a Bella Band though, and it's been great! I think it will be a while before I need full on maternity pants. My jeans and lower waisted pants are still holding in there. 

• We really spread out the whole "telling people" thing. I told the hubs first. (duh!) He was very surprised and estatic. We were so blessed and got pregnant very quickly. I know how rare that is and really wasn't expecting it so even though I knew a positive pregnancy test was a possibility, it was still shocking! A week later I told my Mom, then the immediate family, then the extended family and good friends and finally after hearing the heartbeat at the 12 week doctors appointment we told the whole world. 

• We have had one ultra sound at 8 weeks and don't get another one until 20 weeks. (When we could find out the sex if we wanted to) I would post a pic of the 8 week one, but it just looks like a little bean. The next one will be much different!

• I have plans for the nursery, but will save that for a separate post. :)

• "So how are you feeling?..." I get asked this question everywhere I go. The truth is....I feel great! Weeks 6-9 I had a little nausea that was easily controlled with food. (I just had to eat every hour and a half or so) I took a few naps, but other than that I've had energy the whole time. I know so many women that were sick for their entire pregnancies, so I am not taking this for granted. I'm up 5 pounds on the scale, but other than that I feel like my old self.  I've been feeling so great in fact, that at my 12 week doctor appointment I was scared out of my mind that something was wrong because I didn't "feel pregnant" and wasn't having any symptoms. That 163 beats per minute heartbeat was music to my ears!

Ooh--I lied. I was about to publish the post when I remembered my one major pregnancy symptom. My skin is an absolute nightmare! I never really had bad acne, even when going through puberty, but holy crap. I feel like a 13 year old boy! OK, maybe I'm exaggerating, but it seems like each week a new pimple pops up in a new place. By the time a couple go away, new ones emerge. Totally gross. I think it's starting to get better though. I guess it's the hormones.

Well, I'm sure there is a lot I'm leaving out, but there will be many a pregnancy post to come... :)

Re-entering the Blogosphere...

Hellloooo???...... Anybody out there???..... Hellllooooo???........

So I think I'm finally making a return to blogging. I'm going to assume that I don't really have any readers still hanging on, (I can't blame you after a 7+ month hiatus...) but I'm going to continue on as if someone out there still cares. 

We have a lot to catch up on, but first, how about a little Q&A between me, myself and I.

Q: So what the heck happened? How come you suddenly stopped blogging? Why jump ship after the stimulating "What's in the Fridge" post? :)

A: Well...basically I stopped blogging because I got laid off from my job just before Thanksgiving. You'd think that all the extra free time would add to my blogging, but that wasn't the case. My job was great. So maybe I was paid in pennies, didn't have a 401K and had a shoddy health plan. That job had perks!! Perks that came in the way of free time. I spent at least half of my day (and sometime the whole day) messing around on the internet. I had plenty of time for blogging, uploading photos and the like. After getting laid off, my time spent in front of the computer has gone WAY down. There's just too much fun stuff to do when you aren't working and handcuffed to a desk. Sometimes I even take 3 days to answer a basic email. My fav websites haven't been visited in months! I barely recognize myself!

Q: Ok, so why resume blogging now?

A: Well, because suddenly I have a lot going on and if I don't get it out and "on paper" I think I'm going to loose my mind. That, and blogging is yet another way of taking up time and distracting me from my growing "to do" lists. 

Q: So what's got you so occupied?

A: Well, it all stems from the fact that I'm pregnant!!  Almost 16 weeks, in fact. (Don't worry, there will be plenty more posts with all the details) I was a big "to do" list person before. You should see me in pregnant mode. I fell asleep the other day with a to do list pressed onto my forehead. With all of the excitement of the pregnancy and the fact that we will probably be moving--but not until next summer-- I figure I have at least a solid year of good blogging material before I put any loyal readers through another 7 month hiatus.

Q: What have you been up to these last 7 months? Did you get another job?

A: Well....I guess there is no way around this, but a big fat No. I have not looked for another job. (:Hides her head shamefully under the desk:) Like I said, I got laid off just before Thanksgiving. I didn't even consider the concept of another job until after New Years. When the hubs and I finally talked about it we realized something... 

A) I had two pre-planned long vacations planned. Mexico in March/April and NYC in May. Oooh!--an opportunity to puts some pics in an otherwise pic-less post....

How would you like to tell a potential employer that you really want a job, but only if it comes with two weeks of vacation time in the first 6 months?

And B) We wanted to start a family and were planning on starting to "try" in the Spring. (After one last booze filled hurrah in Mexico!) I would have felt bad about getting pregnant 6 months after starting a new job, but would have done it if we hadn't already planned on me being a stay at home mom.

"Yes, future employer...I need those two weeks vaca and then want to only work for less than a year before using your insurance for maternity expenses and then I'm going to quit." I just couldn't do it. The motivation just wasn't there.

Q) Wow. A year off from work before the baby comes. What have you been doing to stay busy?

A) Anything and everything! I must say that I am really living it up and enjoying my free time. I did feel a little guilty pre-pregnancy when hubs would call and ask what I was doing and I would just talk about who went out to lunch with, etc. But, now that I'm pregnant I am really savoring every moment. I'm so excited about this baby, but I know enough new moms to know that this kind of free time and flexibility won't be seen for approximately 20 years after this baby comes!

Well, I hope that clears up some of the last 7 months. Thanks for reading and staying with me. I have posts lined up for days to come, so I'll try and make it up to you! I promise!