Weekend Update

It’s official: We are (materially) ready for L Bean’s arrival. I had another shower this past weekend with a handful of soccer friends (plus Mom and SIL). It was awesome. We played a few fun games, laughed A LOT, and reminisced about how we “used to be cool.” I got my Moby Wrap (WOOP!).  I showed Husband how the wrap works during shower gift show-and-tell on the living room floor (and yes, these gift were also packed-away and organized within 30 minutes of their arrival as Casa de L Bean).  I could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't loving, so we ordered him a Balboa sling in black.  He's SUPER excited about it.  Can't you just picture him walking-around the grocery store with Liam in a sling?!  SWOONSVILLE.  The sling is adjustable, so we can both use it.  It wasn't cheap, so we plan on USING it.

After the shower, Husband and I headed to Target (thanks, Sarah and Josh!) and Babies R Us (“BRU”) to purchase the handful of items we still needed. BRU really knows how to sink their teeth into you. We have a rewards card, so we get tons of (surprisingly awesome) coupons in the mail. Also, last week we received our 15% off coupon for all items remaining on our registry (and you better believe I was on Babiesrus.com right before we left the house adding things to our registry "just in case"). Um, holler! We needed towels, a bathtub, bottles, and some bedding items (sheets, mattress protector, cradle pad, cradle sheets, etc). We also needed a going-home outfit in size Newborn (we haven’t the faintest how big he’s going to come-out, so we’re taking two outfits in two sizes). BRU was having a sales on all Carter’s clothing (TROUBLE), so of course we went-home with an extra (and might I say adorable – Husband picked-out) outfit. The total at BRU was $218 before coupons, and $171 after. I LOVE saving money. After two loads of laundry and 30 minutes of bed-making/organizing, his nursery is full of the necessities. I even pulled-together his downstairs changing basket (because let’s be honest here – I am NOT walking my butt upstairs EVERY time he needs to be changed). His hospital diaper bag is packed – two going-home outfits, amazingly soft and awesome blanket, nipple cream, baby mittens, and finger nail clippers (in case he comes-out with tiger claws). And the boppy is dressed and ready.

We didn’t get much done this weekend, and I’m feeling a little (okay, REALLY) guilty about it. I didn’t bake the cookie as planned. We didn’t vacuum or dust or clean the bathrooms. I did do some laundry, change the towels and sheets, and make rice krispy treats and muffins. Josh cut the (front) grass (you know, because no one can see the backyard but us). The cradle is still unfinished (and I’m panicking a little about it). I finished and mailed thank you notes. Our cars need a good internal cleaning, and then we need to install the car seat bases. I need to bake those “love me!” cookies for the nurses. I need to use-up those rotten bananas and bake banana bread. And I need to get enough done at work to get rid of the guilt I’m experiencing. We have two big deadlines in the fall, both of which I’m going to miss. We have a breastfeeding class this week (our last class!). All of this may not sound like much, but have I mentioned that I’m completely exhausted? And sleep is more difficult every night. My feet and back hurt. Doc warned me (a few weeks ago when I was feeling great and had energy) that it wouldn’t last and I would quickly start feeling like poop on a stick. Bonus points for Doc!

Notice above that I said we were “materially” ready. Husband texted me earlier this week to let me know that Friend’s water had broken. Her due date is (was) two weeks before mine. So she went two weeks early. I texted back with, “Holy cow, Husband, that could be us in TWO WEEKS!” A work-friend asked me last week if I was scared. If she were to ask that same questions right now, my answer would be very different. Heck yes, I’m scared! But I JUST got scared. Friend’s water breaking made things very real. DUDE, it’s going to HURT. And DUDE, I’m going to be a MOM. And DUDE, we’re going to be responsible for a BABY. And DUDE, babies cost a lot of MONEY. And DUDE, did I mention that labor HURTS? But what does it FEEL like? Is the pain sharp or is it dull and strong? And then there’s the unknown factor of when. Will my water break at work? Will my water break period (on its own)? Will I go into labor at night? Will he be two weeks early or will he be on time? Will I be induced? Will I tear? Will everything go smoothly? Does an epidural hurt and will I even care if it does hurt? Can I handle the pain? Will I need a c-section? Will I cry when he’s born? Will I poop while I’m pushing (yeah, I just went there)? Will his Apgar scores be good? I could bore you further with the Rolladex of questions rotating through my brain, but I think you get the picture. This is BIG and this is SCARY. And we’re going to be just fine, but right now it’s still scary.

Nursery Status: COMPLETE

Here are the final pictures of L Bean's nursery.  While I'm relieved to be done (and proud that we didn't procrastinate), I'm also a little sad.  We had so much fun planning and completing the nursery. 

Hope you like it as much as we do!

A Way Back When Weekend Update

L2L, oh how I've missed you!  I'd like to say that I've been slacking on the blog solely due to the vigors of our rigorous social (because we're soooo popular) and baby preparation schedules  but I'd be 50% lying.  I've also been suffering from pregnancy enduced laziness resulting from sore feet and a baby that's sucking all of energy out of me.

Here's what we did last, last weekend.

I made banana bread.  We already had a baked breakfast item on the kitchen counter, so I put these two loaves in the freezer.  I forgot to take an after picture. Pregnancy brain is REAL, people!

I made "Muffins That Taste Like Donuts."  For reals, that's the title of the recipe.  And yes, they do taste like donuts.  In the bowls above: frosting (totally my idea!), butter, and a sugar and cinnamon mixture. 

Josh REALLY loved the muffins.  Personally, I prefer my muffins to be moist.  But since these were meant to taste like donuts, they also had the consistency of donuts.  Josh polished them off all by himself.  My little champ.

I made chocolate chip scones.  They were surprising easy and super tasty.  The second time around I'm going to add less chips.  But the recipe lends itself to adding other accent ingredients, like blueberries or cranberries.

Lastly, I made rice krispie treats.  Delish! 

We spend Sunday afternoon completing the FINAL nursery project.  Yes, that is my husband cutting-out fabric.  He also drew and cut-out the templates.  I'm a lucky lady!

How cute is he?!  He didn't even complain about the pink scissors.

I'm so thankful to have a husband that can draw.  My skills rival that of a 3rd grader.

The final product.  We got the frames from Michael's during their dollar days, so they were 50% off.  Pregnancy has made me a cheap deal seeker, and I like it.  These little guys are my favorite thing in the nursery.  I'm so smitten.

I'm sure we did something else that weekend, but it was a long time ago (a whole week and a half), and I'm PREGNANT (read: my memory is shot).

L Bean's Crib Mobile

It's official: L Bean has a crib mobile!  It didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would either.  Overall, I'd say it was a total success.  And there were no tears involved.  Score one for the pregnant lady.

The little elephants are know as felties in the crafting world.  Obviously, they're made out of felt.  I was first exposed to felties and DIY mobile here and here.  And then I went here for further investigation and inspiration (that's one of the risks of putting things for sale on Etsy.  Someone will look at your craft and think, "I can do that!."  But for every one of those, there is someone who (1) doesn't have the time, (2) doesn't have the patience, or (3) doesn't have a crafty bone in their body).

The biggest thing I learned during the project?  Sewing machines are HARD.  And they take a lot of PRACTICE to master.  And I definitely need a lot MORE practice.  The hardest part was the speed at which it sewed.  If there was a dial to slow the machine down (and there may be such a dial, but this machine is old.  Like, really old.  And the manual is ancient, but I surely did not take the time to read it.  I'm a man like that), then I'd be a happy camper.  In general, sewing machines aren't that complicated.  Although, my bobbin is almost out, and doing another makes me super nervous.  

I used the sewing machine for the ears.  To prevent the fabric from fraying (and to avoid using the sewing machine anymore than absolutely necessary), we used a product called Wonder Under, or more affectionaltely known as My New Best Friend.  We'll be seeing more of W.U. on another upcoming nursery project.  

That's right people, you read that correfctly.  I said "we."  As in my husband helped me, WILLINGLY.  He's been so awesome throughout this entire pregnancy.  I really am a lucky lady.  He drew the templates for the elephants (I can't draw to save my life) and the ears and he helped with the W.U.  He also built the wooden structure and helped hang the mobile.  Best helper EVER.

I hand-stitched the two felt piece together using a blanket stitch.  I learned using this awesome tutorial.  Seriously, what did people do before the internet?!  Probably went to the library and looked at a sewing book.  Yikes.  The hand-stitching was actually the easiest part.  It was also my favorite part. 

Stuffing the tusk was a pain in the you know what.  The first feltie was a struggle; but I developed a sytem and after that it was a breeze.  The eye is a small black bead (Josh actually found them in the fabric store). 

Adding-up all of the time we spent, I'd say the mobile took about 12 hours to complete.  We spent about 3 hours the first day drawing, tracing, cutting, ironing (W.U.), sewing, and pinning.  After that, I spent an hour or two here and there over the following week hand-stitching.  We spent $27 on the felt, fabric, W.U., thread, and beads (the mobile that matches our bedding is $40 + shipping).  I was geninuely sad when it was completed.  I really enjoyed the process.  But I LOVE the finished product.  Hopefully L Bean will love it too.

And just for fun, here's a picture of Mr. H getting some Fiona cone love this past weekend.  She is SO CUTE in her cone. 

Crib Mobile Teaser

Almost done.

A Non 4th Weekend

We didn't do a lot of 4th of July related activities this weekend, even though we had a few fun things planned.  We aborted all such plans when we realized that Fiona needed constant vigilance (read: I just couldn't leave her).  We finally found a cone that works, but she'd already had a few days to do damage.  Although she may be headed in the right direction, her progress has been MUCH slower than my sanity can handle.  The cone brings me some comfort, but you know what will really bring me comfort?  Her being back to normal.  Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Anyway, we took advantage of our self-imposed lock-in and got A LOT done around the house.  Warning: This is a picture-heavy post. 

12 hours after we first put on the cone.  She's accepted to its presence.  Both of the dogs are REALLY tired because I was home much of the week, and I totally messed-up their daytime nap schedule.

Mr. H giving F some love on her level.

This is my thought: be as organized and cleaned-out as possible because with baby comes lots and lots of stuff.  I packed-away the kitchen items that we don't use on a regular basis.  We now have free space in the kitchen cabinets, ready to be filled with sippy cups and kids silverware.  I even created a kid-friendly (read: tupperware filled) lower cabinet for when baby proofing becomes necessary.

I cleaned-out and organized our pantry.  Mr. H and I are on a mission to be less wasteful when it comes to food.  So far we've been fairly successful.  At the end of the week, when we're in need of the next grocery shopping trip, our pantry looks bare.  Have you tried the new Artisan Triscuits? HEAVENLY.

I cleaned-out and organized the spice cabinet and baking cabinets.  Like our fancy new pot rack?  We got it at Ikea for $25 plus 3 packs of hooks for $3 each.  The pot racks at Lowe's are $150+.  Score!  And I can't tell you how much cabinet space it has created.  It'll look even better when our counters are black granite, and we upgrade our appliances.  All in due time.

On a painting break, Josh played hide-and-seek with L Bean.

And he got some Fiona cone love.

While Henrik watched-on and got jealous.  As much as we've tried to spread the attention wealth this weekend, Fiona has definitely gotten more and poor Henrik is feeling a little left out.  Although, he does seem relieved to not be wearing a cone.

Josh painted the master bathroom.  Goodbye bright yellow!  You will NOT be missed.  I kept hearing, "Morons.  So stupid. LAZY!"  Apparently, the previous owners (1) didn't know how to paint and (2) were too lazy to tape-off most of the rooms.  The moldings, base boards, ceilings, door frames, face plates, etc. all over the hours are covered with paint.  Added to the list of eventuals:  Re-paint all trims and ceilings.  Awesome.

He also painted the office, which was a baby's room for the previous owners.  Below the chair-rail were vertical stripes of satin and ultra glossy paint.  Josh was cursing the previous owners are he sanded the ultra glossy stripes. Goodbye baby blue!  You will also NOT be missed.

The color is "rugged suede."  It's a dark grayish brownish, but I just see brown.  MORE BROWN!  We do love our shades of brown.

I baked cookies.  I have a feeling this will happen a lot over the next two months.

I organised the hand-me-down clothes we've received and the few new clothes that we've purchased into the drawers.  I got a distinct feeling of, "OMW, this is really happening" while I was organizing.

Snugglesaurus.

The 3 to 6 month drawer.

I stocked the changing table basket with a few items.

And I put-away some hand-me-down and new blankets, burp rags, and bibs.

Our house is also spotless, as I spent free seconds grazing and cleaning.  And all the laundry is done.  Suffice to say, we're beat. 

We don't have many things left before Don (and maybe Lindsay!) come to the house for our maternity session on the 27th.  The cradle (we're using the cradle my brother and I used when we were babies) needs to be sanded, put back together, and stained.  I need to make L Bean's mobile (shopping trip for fabric and supplies will hopefully take place this week/weekend).  We need to finish the magnetized chalkboard in L Bean's room.  I just consulted Mr. H, and those are the big things remaining.  In terms of general baby prep, we're more than on-track.  I need to start pulling together a list of things I want to pack for the hospital.  We need to make a labor mix.  I have to buy a few things for the hospital - big pajamas, a robe, a few comfortable nursing bras, etc.  

Did I mentioned that we FINALLY got a kitchen table? Finally.  $125 on craigslist.com. That's right.  It's in perfect condition.  The couple who sold it to us were getting married (this weekend!), and she was moving her stuff in to his condominium.  Of course the guys stuff had to go, duh. Our gain, big time.  

Do you like how I managed to get all four animals in the post?  The cats were an unplanned surprise.

I've been a little Fiona-consume, so posts have been non-existent, and we missed the 29-week bump picture.  Tomorrow is 30 weeks (DO WHAT?!?!), and we're getting back on the wagon.

Ikea Success!

We went to Ikea this past Sunday, and we came home with a car-full of bounty.  Our biggest purchase was a bookcase for L Bean's room. 

More on that blue square in the background later.

The pups "encouraging" alongside Mommy.

The finished product. 

We're really pleased with the outcome.  I can't wait to see it with stacks of children's books and toys!  There are just a few things left to finish-up in his room, and then we're ready for baby!  Eeek!

You're stupid crazy, wife!

So, I’ve been hinting at some exciting projects that we have in the works for L Bean’s room (I realize that these may only be exciting for me and Mr. H, but indulge me and feign interest). I’m ready to share one with you! If I put it on the blog, my thought is that I’ll HAVE to follow-through with it, right? It has the potential to be time-consuming and annoying, but I know we’ll love the end result.

I read a blog called young house love, which is maintained by a young design couple in Richmond (when I first started reading the blog, I didn’t realize they were from Richmond. Fun surprise!). They published a post this week about a bookcase project in their guest room/office/playroom. I immediately fell in love and texted Mr. H. L Bean’s room is missing a place for books and toys, a kid’s corner of sorts. We figured a bookcase would be a great addition to the room. So that night it was decided.

I trolled the Ikea website for a bookcase and found one. I went back to the website the next day (because we all know I like to obsess) and found a better one. It’s 17 inches taller and four inches deeper. It also doesn’t have a back that we would need to remove (which removes the need to caulk the dark crevice left behind). Another perk is that the shelves don’t move, so we wouldn’t need to caulk the extra holes. Sold.

So what do we paint behind the bookcase? I was thinking stripes, but then I got bored with the idea. Maybe dots, and then I got bored again. I was cruising young house love, and I clicked-over to their dog’s blog. HELLO awesome symmetrical pattern! I fell madly in love with the two-tone blue pattern in the background of the blog. I asked Mr. H if he thought it was doable (I can’t draw AT ALL, so he’d have to draw the template), and he gave me a look. It screamed, “You’re stupid crazy, wife.” It’s true – I will likely HATE myself for choosing the pattern; but I think it will look fab when it’s finished, so I’m jumping in with both feet.

We’ll finish-off the bookcase with some baskets for toys and miscellaneous items (that I will obsessively pick-up off the floor and hide), a great vintage alarm clock (many a feeding will probably take place in the glider next to the bookcase), a lamp that matches his bedding, maybe some framed photo cards, and stacks of books. I can’t wait to see the finished product!

We both really want make the Ikea trip this weekend, but we have something Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights (I know, SHOCK AND AWE). I get tired from making my morning cereal, so we’ll see. Next weekend we’re also booked, so it would be July 4th weekend. That’s a long time to wait when you’re excited. And I want to ride this motivation train while I still can. I’ll keep you posted (HA! A little blog humor for you) on the status of the project.

Oh! Guess what came in the mail on Wednesday!

Doing-it-myself (and encouraging Mr. H)

Happy 27 weeks, L Bean!

It’s hard to believe that my third (and FINAL) trimester is almost here. Time is flying. I’m excited to meet what I’ve been cooking for 27 weeks, but holy cow. Let me just reiterate – the third trimester is the last one. Did you know there’s only three trimesters in a pregnancy?!?!

We didn’t get much done this past weekend, but the ideas are still flowing. We have managed to start some projects, though. I’ve documented everything, of course.

I ordered these, and let me tell you how excited I am: SO FREAKING EXCITED. My only complaint is that there isn’t a zero month sticker, but I shall survive. I’m already day-dreaming of the frame collage in his room and monthly picture updates on the blog. I’m also excited to have something other than our pets to take pictures of with my fancy new camera. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE our babies. But I recognize that people don’t want to see a billion pictures of our pets. Pictures of babies, on the other hand, are universally adored. Even the snarling cartoon version of the church coordinator this past weekend (she was kind of evil, people) would enjoy pictures of a baby.

You know those fancy glass canisters with the chalkboard strip that you can buy for $15+ at Crate and Barrel or Target? Waste-o-money, my friends. We made our own. We purchased two jars from Michael’s for $3.99 each. We also got the can of chalkboard spray paint at Michael for $7.99. They will reside on L Bean’s changer and house Q-tips and cotton balls (babies need those, right?).

Josh used painters tape to mark the strip and protect the rest of the jar.  He sprayed five costs of the chalkboard paint.

I started L Bean’s baby book. I saw the idea on a friend’s blog, and I immediately fell in love. I knew I wanted to do a baby book, but I didn’t want a canned, store-bought version.  I also knew that L Bean wouldn't have a baby book if I didn't do the set-up pre-baby.  I have the template downloaded and plan to spend some time tweaking it. So far, I’ve cut the backing paper and put in the pages. It resides on L Bean’s tall dresser waiting for the template inserts and pictures. I’ll get there eventually.

A trip to Ikea is planned in the near future. I’ve made a list (go figure!) of a few items that I want:

(1) Drawer organizers for L Bean’s dressers (in white). I saw a picture on one of the MANY blogs I read (which of course I cannot find today because my brain had a pregnancy fart and can’t remember ANYTHING) and the organizational freak within did a happy dance. I picture diapers, rolled-up blankets and onesies, socks, underwear, and so many other items nestled neatly into their cubbies.

(2) Venetian blinds for L Bean’s windows. The blinds currently on the two windows are the cheap-o ones what don’t block any light. We’re not big curtain people, so nice, thick blinds are perfect.  I perfer to sleep in the dark, so I'm assuming babies appreciate it as well.

(3) A bookcase for L Bean’s room. There’s a sad, lonely space of wall that needs some bookcase love. The bookcase will be a good place to keep books (NO WAY), boxes/baskets of toys (I’m thinking the square version of the drawer organizer mentioned above), and any other random items that I will pick-up obsessively. And no, that part of me won’t go away when L Bean arrives because I’ll be too tired, numb, or could care less. Clutter makes everything (like focusing and falling asleep) nearly impossible.  It also makes me cranky, and nobody likes a cranky Betsy, trust me.

Our plan is to get there early and leave quickly for two reasons: (1) I hate crowds, and (2) the amount of time spent at Ikea is directly related to the amount of money spent at Ikea.

We’ve got a few more projects on our list that I am super duper excited about, but there will be more about that later. For a couple, I need to learn a few things first (anyone know how to use a sewing machine?). For my favorite, we need a free weekend for painting, building, and more painting. Two things that I’m not much help with right now. But, as I’ve mentioned before, I am the BEST observer and encourager around.


Random thought of the day (moderate TMI warning):

I'm going to write a book about pooping during pregnancy.  Think Eat, Pray, Love, but it'll be Sit, Wait, Hope.


And since our dogs have gotten some photo representation thus far, here's a picture of our youngest.  SO HANDSOME: