Quick Update--Gymboree sale!

We were given our first shower for Asa this weekend, which I will post about VERY soon. But I have a quick little additional post to write, and I want the shower post to be "on top." So I'm going to do this one first, and then I'll add the shower pictures. :)

Gymboree is having a baby/President's Day sale. Lots of wintery things were marked 50% off, and then you could take 20% more off for President's Day. On top of that, I had a 20% off total purchase including sale items coupon that came in the mail. I got 5 outfits for an average of $8 each! The total should have been $170 dollars, and I paid $40! I tried to look for or piece together complete outfits, because I know Gymoree stuff does really well at consignment sales. But I did get some overalls, too. :) I got overalls that were solid colors though, so they're not limited to going with clothes of a certain "theme."

Without further ado...

Reversible jacket and pants, 5.75 and 5.11

Dalmatian onesie and applique jeans, 3.19 and 5.75

"I drool" outfit, 6.39

Red corduroy overalls (they have a dalmatian you can detach in the pocket), 6.71

Chocolate brown corduroy overalls, 10.87

When You're sick....

...just sew (and sleep)!

As I continue recovering from the crud Matt gave me :), I've sewn a few more burp cloths for Asa. I'm hoping to branch out to other parts of my "to sew for baby" list soon. But I want to be well and thinking clearly before I venture forth! :)

Here are 2 more:

A flannel applique "A" for Asa and a fun, textured car!

The A was a free trial file a site had to try to convince you to buy the file for the whole alphabet. It didn't actually finish the inside of the A correctly, which was disappointing. But I don't think Asa will care. ;) I LOVE applique, so I found a different website to try for an applique alphabet (unless someone has a suggestion). I like how the fabric colors (Matt picked) Matt our little Snoodle dog!

A close-up of the car. Also a free file--so see, they can work perfectly! I LOVE how it embroidered a texture--see the swirls? It's all one color, just the pattern of the stitches! I thought it was really cute with the car & truck fabric. :)

A Little Bit of Crafting

I stayed home to take care of my sick husband one day earlier this week... and now that has landed me home for a sick day myself! Despite living as separately as possible in the house this week, I caught his bug. Anyway, on Tuesday I spent a lot of my time in the back of the house making embroidery designs (while he dozed in the front of the house). I only finished sewing one so far, but I wanted to share it with you! And there are plenty more ideas brewing where this came from.

In case you didn't know, you will very soon find out that I am a BIG fan of puns and other silly phrases. :)

stud muffin

Just how many silly burp cloths can a baby boy have? We might soon find out! :) Actually, I'd like to put some designs on some bibs and maybe even onesies, too (they just take so much prep for all their knitted stretchiness!). I'll try to do some more and post them soon! :)

Until then, stay far, far away from our house so you don't get sick! :)

JCaroline Finds

Here's the fabric I ordered from JCaroline's recent sale (thanks for the heads up, Joy).

The fabric on the far left just might become a nursing cover. The next is a jungle animal print in yellow silhouettes that I'm still deciding what to do with. :) I loved the bright flowers next to the jungle friends, and lastly are some birds from the Park Slope collection. I can't wait to see what they become! :)

A few pics of Asa

Here are a couple stills that were captured during the ultrasound...

Asa's profile

He's waving to you! :)

Baby K is a......

Shout HOORAY!!!

and give a TWIRL!!

cause Matt and Becca are having a.....
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BOY!!!!!!

We are THRILLED (especially Matt, because he was right all along, whereas I wasn't sure at first, then thought it was a boy, then had girl dreams at the end) to announce that we have a SON!! His name is Asa Owens. Asa comes from King Asa in the Old Testament. He is recorded in 1 Kings 15 as doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord and loving God with his whole heart all his days. His middle name is Owens, after my paternal grandfather's middle name. My grandfather is very much a man who finished well in serving the Lord. We wanted to name our son after men who have set a tremendous example of honoring God from the beginning to the end.

Everything looked great on the ultrasound, though he would not turn his spine out for as clear of a shot as they would like. So, we will have a follow up ultrasound at our next appointment in February. They are not concerned, they just want to gather all the info they can.

He withheld no modesty, so the tech was quite sure we have a son. I will work on getting pictures scanned as soon as I can! Praise the Lord for a great report and even finding out we have a SON!

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??