Nursery Progress

While I wait to, hopefully, find out if Baby K is a boy or a girl (TOMORROW) and therefore wait for the pink or blue creative juices to begin flowing, I've been working on the nursery instead. Yesterday, Matt and I cleaned it out top to bottom (except for the closet). We had piled everything in it at the center of the room in order to move furniture for stripping the wallpaper border previous owners left. It was, shall we say, interesting. But we pulled everything into our room across the hall, sorted, and then only put baby stuff back in. Other things are in a pile to donate, put in the attic/garage, or were relocated to different locations. It was quite an undertaking, but it's very exciting to see the room becoming more and more ready for the baby! The closet will have to be for another day, but it's basically big odds and ends that we have already decided on different places for (our luggage, some old instruments, and a filing cabinet that will be relocated). I am ITCHING to clean out more places around the house, but I know I need to take it easy, too. So I'm trying to pace myself. :)

I thought I'd share a few pictures. Granted, we haven't painted the walls or taken out the furniture that will be leaving the room, but at least you can see some of the progress we made!

We loved this giant dog! We plan to take a picture of the baby with it each month to show the baby's growth. :) And does my mom know us well or what--before we ever saw the big dog, she got the little rattle that matches as a Christmas gift for Baby K! :) I also like that the dog matches that duvet cover--we plan to use it when the baby (down the road) is ready for a big bed. :)

Drawers in the armoire. For now the bottom drawer has some kid movies and the top drawer has some odds and ends (including Eric Carle ornaments I found at TJ Maxx!).

Top of the armoire--currently housing some toys, baby meds, gifts, and freebies I got in the mail.

The current view from the doorway. The armoire is staying about where it is. Under the window you see in this pic will be the changing table/dresser. And in the corner will probably be a rocking chair.

Other side from the door way. In the corner where you see the carseat, stroller, and other baby stuff will be the crib. The twin bed, its headboard, and this "entertainment center" are being taken apart and stored in the attic. Please forgive the boxes in the bottom right of the pic--they are trash ready to be thrown out!


A birdie clock I've had that I think I want to put up in the nursery.


We do live in Florida now, after all (this was actually a stocking stuffer one year). The teeth "chomp" when you roll the gator.


And finally, will it be PINK or BLUE??? (frames I got a few years ago at the Bombay Kids Outlet store). We can't wait to hopefully find out TOMORROW! Our appointment is in the late afternoon, but come back tomorrow night to see what we find out! :)

The Latest

Thanks for the prod to update, Ruthie. I've clicked on my blog page a couple of times, but I've often been too tired to know what to think!

Then I read that I last posted we would have our ultrasound in 28 days.... we now have less than a week to wait! So, yes, an update is long overdue. :)

We had a wonderful Christmas with both of our families. We left the week of Christmas for South Carolina to see Matt's family, including our 4 month old niece. It was really sweet to be there for her first Christmas. :) Matt got to go hunting one morning with his dad, although it rained the entire time. They really enjoyed laughing and joking around like old times since the rain meant they didn't have to worry about being too quiet--the wildest wildlife they saw was a squirrel. :) We got to visit with Tyson and some other friends as well. It's always fun to see them and get further glimpses into the 20+ years of Matt before I ever knew him. :)

The Sunday after Christmas we packed up and drove to TN to spend the next week with my family. One brother's family stayed in town and the other got back before we left, so it was really nice to see *everyone.* We had been on a kind of opposite schedule with my one brother's family as far as staying in TN/traveling for Christmas. We both traveled to in-laws' homes for Christmas but were back for New Year's. I'm really glad that worked out. :) I also got to have lunch with friends from my first college Bible study, catch up with friends from my college program, play some Catan (I won!!!) and Ticket to Ride, and finally get to see my sweet friend (who was a bridesmaid in our wedding) who is expecting exactly 2 weeks after we are. :) Most of all, I SOAKED up family time! Some of the family even came with us to Babies R Us to help us begin our baby registry. It doesn't have any gender-specific items on it yet, but we gladly took their advice on the big/gender-neutral stuff! How amazing to have a baby registry?!?

We got back to FL January 2nd. We had the weekend to unpack and settle back in before heading back to work. And since then, we've been settling back into work! :) My class is doing really well. I am really enjoying them (how could I not??), and I even got the "other" big talk out of the way with my principals, letting them know I won't be back next year and will take about the last month of school off this year. My due date is one day after school gets out--even though I think they planned for me to teach to the very end because of that, we did not plan for that. ;) They "handled" the news well. Their only request was that I share the news of me not returning with the parents in my class who have siblings coming up next year and are already asking the administration how early they can request me for next year. I got that done, too, and received a very sweet and thoughtful reply. It's SUCH a blessing to have such supportive parents of my students!

We have been at work some around the house. The wallpaper border backing that previously "graced" the nursery walls is now gone (thanks, honey!). I've started some cleaning out and organizing. And I am enjoying some new things. I received a bread maker for Christmas, and I am really excited to be using it! If you have some great bread maker recipes--bread, dough, etc.--I would LOVE to know about them!!

Baby K is kicking away. Last week the fequency and force of kicking increased a TON. Get this.... Matt even felt the baby kick!! I was only 18 weeks! His eyes got HUGE and he grinned from ear to ear. :) He talks to the baby frequently, as do my students. :) In fact, today they were rather excited about paper lanterns they were making, and as the volume of their little voices got a little louder than usual, the baby started kicking like crazy. :) It was fun to tell them, "The baby can hear you! Baby K is listening!" They they all apologized to the baby for being too loud! :) They are SUCH a sweet class, and they are DESPERATE to know if the baby is a boy or a girl. :)

Well, I suppose that is about all for now. I have been so depleted of energy, I have not been a good crafter. I finally decided I need to figure out how to make do without my energy (everyone said it would be back by week 16... it must have gone south for the winter), so maybe I'll get back in gear. :) I know I have sewing I want to do if/after we find out just who this little one is on Monday! I will be sure to update then, so check back next week for, Lord willing, the big announcement! Most of all though, we're praying for a healthy baby. :)

Blessings,
Becca

Update

Quick post to let you know we had an appointment with the midwives today.

Great blood pressure, lost 2 more pounds, baby's heart rate is 158, and we have our big ultrasound on Jan. 19!!! :)

28 days until we see our baby for the first time!

Home Improvement: Crafty style

The other night Matt and I sat down and made a list of things we would like to accomplish around the house before the baby arrives. Some if it is as simple as cleaning out a closet (i.e. no real crafting involved). But some of it definitely requires a creative flair.

These are 3 room projects I am getting excited about:

Painting the nursery:

I have known for a LONG time I wanted to do 2 tone stripes. At first I thought maybe the same color but in two finishes, to make the stripes very subtle. Then when I was cleaning some last weekend, I came across this picture I clipped a couple years ago. I love it. The two tone stripes and the third tone solid along the bottom. The division of the wall. LOVE it. So, this is the plan, but in yellow. Now to explore paint chips. :)


Curtains.:

The nursery has a double window along one wall and a single window on another wall. I found the following picture at the same time as the wall picture above. I LOVE these curtains! Of course, they are from PBK several years ago, and I wouldn't want to pay those prices even if they still made them! This needs to be added to the sewing project list once we know if it's a boy or a girl. I can already picture them. Solid at the top, with a coordinating pattern on the bottom. :)


Decor:

Also from PBK (who'd have thought? All 3 pics are from them). If we do birds for a girl, I want to make a bean bag pillow to match (like the PBK Penelope birds, since that's the bedding we picked out for a girl.... oh, about a year ago :) ). And if we have a boy, then I want to make the owl or raccoon. I think it would be too cute to have peeking out from a corner of the nursery! :)

The tree isn't all that's decked out...

A few more decorations around the house... be sure you scroll to the end! :)

What's the verdict?

Please humor my aside from normal crafty things:

Ladies, what is the earliest you felt your baby moving around? I know "they" say 18-20 weeks, especially for a first-time mom. But I've got to tell you, I've been feeling some taps and flutters, and on Sunday I felt a very swift JAB right where the midwife found the heartbeat at our last appointment (and after drinking a glass of OJ at our church brunch). What do you think? Anyone feel her baby early? Is it purely wishful thinking? :)

Christmas around the house....

I decided to try something new this year, and I'm taping Christmas pictures and cards to the laundry room door. So far I like it. :)

I also moved our little village to a bookshelf in the living room instead of the entryway table (where I have a nativity this year in its place).


Wreaths are up in the front windows!


And the tree, Spike, is all decked out for Christmas! Spike is HUGE, but Matt LOVES him. He still smells GREAT, and he's been drinking LOTS of water still after a week! He's a keeper. :)


Complete with ribbon (Matt wanted to try ribbon this year) and my new crocheted snowflake ornaments (thanks, Dad and Mom!) that even compliment a snowflake design in the ribbon.

Christmas is coming...

.... and so are Christmas tree pictures, as soon as I charge my camera battery. :)




p.s. The baby's due date is exactly 6 months from today!! And this time next year, we should have a 6 month old! :) :) :)

Ready to Roll!

I sat down the other night and typed up what turned out to be a rather ambitious-looking list of things I'd like to sew for the baby. I'm itching to get started, but for many of the items, I'd like to wait and see if we can find out if the baby is a boy or a girl. Here's what I have so far...

Things I want to sew for the baby:

• Nursing cover
• Burp cloths
• Shopping cart cover? (or should I just register for one?)
  
• Dipes and wipes case
• Travel changing mat (like the skip hop?) (or should I just register for one?)
  
• Boppy cover? (I know I'll register for some, but should I make some, too?)
  
• Clothes (just a few simple things)
  
• Quilt (I bought fabric for two quilts while we were in TN!! Pics soon!)
  
• Taggie ball or blanket
• Hooded towel
• Paci clips (also good as blankie clips for a stroller)
• Tie chair? (obviously not necessary for quite some time, but I think I could maybe figure one out)
  

Possibilities:

• Baby legs? (I have one pair and a tutorial on how to make them..... I'm not sure)
  
• Holiday bibs? (something similar to this.... maybe I should just ask for them for Christmas)
  
• Travel toiletry case (again, I'm thinking maybe I should just ask for one for Christmas)

Any advice??

Our Newest Project

We are at home in Tennessee this year for Thanksgiving. We haven't been home since July (I know there are many people who haven't been home in longer than that, but it's been a stretch for us)!, and we are just SO glad to be here and surrounded by family!

Not only are we with my parents, but my brothers, their wives, our niece and nephews, my grandmother, an aunt and uncle, and even my sister-in-law's family--the tables were packed! :) Yes, that was tables, plural. :)

We have so much to be thankful for. Truly, I stand amazed looking over the last year especially, and seeing ALL God has done. In easier times and harder times, they have all prepared us for where we are now and where He is taking us. We would go through them all over again.

We've had delightful and fun times, like our spring break trip to Hilton Head. We've had hard times, like thinking my aunt's melanoma was back (it's NOT, praise the LORD!). We've had scary times, like thinking we would be moving earlier this fall. And we've had exciting times, like some of the projects we've been thrilled to see come to fruition.

I have been working on one project--it's really quite the joint venture--for several weeks now. I think it's finally far enough along to tell you a little about it....





We've been working on it for about 12 weeks and it has a heart rate of 145 beats per minute. It will be complete (at least, in this first stage) around June 10, 2009. All its major organs are in place, and we've even had the delight of hearing it kick (though we haven't felt it yet).





We are thrilled, THANKFUL, amazed, HUMBLED, and rejoicing to announce that we are expecting a baby in June! God is SO gracious to us. I'm tearing up just thinking about it right now. Sorry for keeping it under wraps, but we wanted to make it to the end of the first trimester and to hear the heartbeat before we announced it. We are soooo thankful to be telling you! Please pray for this little one's development and for good health for all of us. :)

At our last appointment on Monday, the midwife said everything is going "perfectly." That, along with the 145 swooshing beats per minute, was music to this MOMMA's ears! :)

I will be sure to tell more soon about how we found out and how things are going. And I'm sure I will have sewing projects and questions for you along the way as we prepare for baby K!

Blessings to you and your family,
Becca

Baby Kit

So, here's the "big" photo shoot. :) It's really just a little something, but such a simple something to make for a little someone. :)

All you need is a washcloth and some ribbon!

Fold part of the washcloth up, pin your ribbon, sew sections up the folded part to hold baby's toiletries... I just used some things I had left over from a baby shower diaper wreath, so not everything in mine is really toiletry-oriented. :) But it's easy to roll everything up, tie it up, and then throw it into a diaper bag or overnight case. It keeps thing organized and easy to grab. :)

I'm also pinning a casserole tote!

Tomorrow!

So I didn't get the picture posted tonight. :-( Sorry! I WILL be able to tomorrow though--I don't have any reason to think I wouldn't because...

• I finished grading/entering interim report grades today (HOORAY!!!!!!)
• While hunting around the house for an exacto knife to finish my Thanksgiving cards (I'll post them next week), I found my copy of Photoshop I had been looking for! I couldn't find it to install on our new computer and was about to buy another copy (elements v. 5.0). God is so sweet to us! :) Now I will probably even post more pictures in general, because I can resize them and adjust the contrast, etc. better with much ease. :)
• I took an hour-long nap today (still fighting this cold), but tomorrow I am not tutoring and I already know what we're having for dinner, and it's super-duper easy (square meat, if my fam is interested). :) hehe
• There's only FRIDAY left after tomorrow, and then only Monday and Tuesday. SUPER exciting! We can't WAIT for Thanksgiving. :) :) :)

So, see you again tomorrow... with PICTURE(S)! :)

A-choooo!

I stayed home sick today. It was to a point where if I didn't get a sub today, I was pretty sure I'd need one later this week. Why not rest today and try to make it so I'll be okay for Tues.-Friday? So anyway, I slept... a lot.

But last week when we had Monday and Tuesday off I DID get to do some sewing. I just never posted it. We had some plumbing problems (that resurfaced this weekend), etc. But hopefully tomorrow or Wednesday, I will be able to post the little something I cooked up. :)

Thanks for hanging in there. Stay tuned! Still working on other projects that hopefully can be blogged about soon, too!

Hip Hip Hooray

I was off from work today!
(and tomorrow)

I can't believe I have a 3 day week this week, a full week, and then a 2 day week. Then we go HOME for Thanksgiving--woo hoo!! :)

Today I coordinated a visit from one plumber to clear a clogged line (the main drainage line from the washing machine) and estimates from several others for a water heater replacement/installation. Things are hopping around here!

I'm hoping to do some crafting tomorrow. If I do, I shall share with you what I get to! I'm working on some other things right now too, but you'll have to wait a few more weeks before they're ready to share. I'm excited to tell you when I can, though!

I guess that's about all for now. Hopefully I'll have some pictures of projects to post tomorrow. :) Happy Veteran's Day tomorrow to all who have served our country in the military (like my dad!)! We are SO thankful for you!

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Happy birthday to me (and my sweet friend, Ruthie)!! :) :) :)