By Popular Demand--Her Nursery

I know SO many of you have been asking me when I am finally going to post pictures of her nursery. Sorry! :) Its been done for a week or 2, but I keep waiting because her curtains are on back order. These lovely, ruffly curtains that I adore from Pottery Barn Kids will completely finish the plan. (Picture of them at the end of the blog.) Although I would like to get maybe one or 2 more things for the walls. But anyway, here it is... and I LOVE it.

I never wanted a super girly-girl nursery. I didn't want anything TOO pink and "froo-froo", and I knew I didn't want a "theme"-- just colors I loved. It turned out exactly how I have wanted and I can't wait for her to be in here.

It is kind of hard to tell, but the color on the walls is called Antiquan Sky by Sherwin Williams.It is basically a shade lighter than "Tiffany Box" or "Robin's Egg" blue. Teal almost. The bottom half of the wall is white wainscoting.

This is the view from the door to the left.

Closeup of the bedding and of her monogram above the bed which I LOVE.

Her glider...so comfortable and covered in chocolate brown chenille

Close up of that wall. Empty frames will hold newborn photos. The others are holding Shel Silverstein poems that I loved growing up.

Wall opposite the crib. Block initials above the changing table/dresser with a pink porcelain rose I found at Canton. 

Close up of that wall. White lettering says "Angels danced the day you were born". Love. :)

Bookcase built by Pops and her closet. Black piece on the far wall is a list of "life rules" my aunt got us.

Closet already filled with outfits/blankets and extra diapers. :)

Once they come in, the windows will be covered in these:

We often sit in this little room thinking about the baby girl that will soon be in it. We love being in this room already and know it will hold many precious memories in the days and months to come. :) Thanks for looking!

Still Hanging in Here!

So....remember how I said that time and weeks left to go were just flying by?? Well, since its been over a MONTH since I last updated, you can definitely see that still seems to be the case! I simply cannot believe that I am now 39 weeks pregnant and set to meet our little girl any day now. Wow. Just amazing.
So whats been up these last 5 weeks?

A growing belly...

Another beautiful shower given by my mother-in-law's sweet friends from her years at The Met...

Everything was beautifully decorated and all the food was very tasty!!

The group of ladies hostessing this lovely day for me (and my mother-in-law Debbie). We had 6 sweet friends hostess and about 35 guests. God truly has blessed us with so much love from everyone around us!

I also definitely want to mention the wonderful celebration dinner/shower that the gals from work did for us earlier in July. Again, overflowing blessings from wonderful friends!

We also have gotten maternity photos taken by my ahhh-mazing friend/photographer Amanda Jones. She did photos for us last fall and gave us some beautiful shots for the pregnancy as well.
Here are just a few of my favorites:

..and answering the following questions fairly often:
*When are you going to stop working??? Yes, I'm still working. 12 hour shifts. :) Luckily I have been able to work my schedule so that I've had at least one day off between shifts and I have been getting tons of help from my co-workers, moving patients and such. But, the answer is...when she comes OR Tuesday next week will be my last shift. The reason is because I don't want to start using much of my FMLA while just sitting around at home. I want to use every moment of that time off with our baby. :)

*How do you feel? Good...mostly. I have had a little more discomfort in the last week or so and am SO ready to see her face that I'm ready to have her here. I still continue to walk as much as possible (usually 2 miles on my days off) and keeping busy around home to try and convince her to come on her own.

*Are you going to be induced? Yes, if she doesn't come fairly soon. I'm giving her until her due date to come on her own and then we'll go from there. Babies in my family tend to need encouragement, so it won't surprise me if she does too. :)

Guess that's all from here for now. Have you ever felt like "a watched pot"? :) We're still hanging in there...and praying for a healthy and easy delivery...SOON! :) We are so excited to meet this little one and will be sure to update as soon as possible once she has arrived!

Celebrations and 34 weeks!

Its unbelievable to me that almost a month has gone by without an update. Sorry! :) So many people told me that the last few months would drag by, but right now I feel like they are still flying, which is a great thing I think. I am now mid-way through my 34th week and still feeling good. A few things have started to crop up...you know, things like swollen legs at the end of a 12 hour shift and a little more difficulty staying comfortable in one position, but all in all...still really good. :) We have been quite the "celebration station" around here lately with showers for little girl and my 30th birthday having come and gone. Each have been so wonderful and hopefully I can do them justice here.

I celebrated my big 3-0 on June 15th and spent the evening at one of my very favorite places, The Melting Pot, with my parents and hubby. Here I am all dressed up for my belly picture before our evening out.

And even though I didn't really get many pictures of the evening....here is everyone's favorite part about the Melting Pot...dessert. :)

 When we had gotten back from the meal, my mom and dad surprised me with a BEAUTIFUL cake from my favorite baker. It was almost too beautiful to eat. :)

The next weekend, my amazing hubby planned a birthday party for me with some of our closest friends. He had schemed for weeks and the night was perfect. We started with a ride in a party bus (not to forget: the personalized playlist of music created by Matt and Kyle!), then a wonderful dinner at one of my most favorite restaurants. BIG thanks to Jodi for all her help she gave Matt in pulling off the evening. I was blown away and felt so blessed to have so many friends there to celebrate. During a time where I feel like everything is focused on getting things ready for little one, it was such a blessing to have this night be just. for. me. :)That's nice every now and then! :) I was having so much fun that I didn't get more pictures so I am grateful Jodi got a few good ones for me! :)

Me and some of the girls on the bus.

The whole crew headed in for an AMAZING dinner!

My wonderful hubby. Thanks sweetheart! You are the best! 

Next up was the MOST lovely shower given by our CFBC friends. The "Sweet" theme was done so well and I was so grateful to have our friends and family there to celebrate with us.

Me, the morning of...33 week picture for ya! :)

 Super cute entrance to Jodi's home.

Jodi and me. She's the best friend a girl could have an I am BEYOND blessed to be hers.

The hostesses. Holly, EdLee, Suzi, Me, Jodi, Lindsay, Ashley, Brandy and Celinda.

My sweet family. Sister Amanda, Mom Gayla, Niece Avery and Mother-in-Law, Debbie. Our little girl will be so lucky to have these ladies in her life.

Main table with lots of goodies...lots of pink...and a softball glove, just for me. :)

Close up of the main table.  Sweet treats galore...plus one rockin' breakfast casserole!

Drink station.

Favors, and a beautiful diaper cake made by my nursing school friend, Celinda. The book under the diaper cake is On the Night You Were Born. All the guests signed a page with a note. LOVE!

Gorgeous...and SUPER YUMMY...cookies made by Brandy.

We had a great morning and got many wonderful things we needed as well. :)

So, like I said, we've been party central around here lately. Definitely lots of fun has been had and the unending blessings continue to flow. Baby girl is now estimated to be about 5 1/2 pounds...looking towards 7 1/2 to 8 for delivery and now that she is finally head down, we are happy with that! :) I have a feeling the next few weeks will continue to fly and we'll be meeting our little one in no time. The question of the hour that everyone seems to ask..."Are you ready?" Well....yes and no. Am I emotionally ready to see her face and become her mother? You BETTER believe it!! :) We can't wait for that part. Am I actually ready? No. I have made myself a to-do list and am working on crossing things off (like packing her hospital bag and such) to feel more prepared. "Its all good" as they say and know that we will never feel completely set, so we're anxious to see God's plan for her arrival and wait with anticipation to hold her!

Next update: maternity pictures and more shower blessings!

30 weeks and My First Shower!

I always seem to be a week behind. By the time I post a picture, I have already moved on into another new week. Tomorrow will be 31 weeks, so therefore I am posting 30 here now. :) This was taken just as I was about to leave for my shower, this past Saturday, the 9th.

Whoa. I think I've officially "popped" (as they say) and am noticing one major thing about my photo progressions. My hair is taking on a life of its own. Its full and thick and getting longer by the minute. I know everyone says it will fall out after she's born, but by August, I may be thankful to have less hair. :) Loving it for now though! Nothing new to report pregnancy wise...everything remains "hunky-dory". I think this baby girl is starting to wonder why the room is closing in on her. It often feels like she's trying to push out the walls around her, like "I KNOW I use to have more room in here!" She stays mainly on my right side and we'll find out next week at my final ultrasound how big she is to get an estimate for delivery (considering they say she gains about 1/2 a pound a week now).

As I said, I had my first shower this past weekend. It was so surreal going to a baby shower for myself considering how many I have been to for others during the past few years! It was given by Matt's mother's side of the family and was lovely. I got a lot of clothes (this child may never have to wear the same outfit twice!), plus some bath items and other goodies. It was such a blessing! I'll spare you all the photos of me opening gifts, but here are just a few.

Wonderfully yummy desserts! The silver tray had her full name spelled out in fun, glittery letters. 

Me and my beautiful mother-in-law

Punch -- looks orange here, but was pink (of course!) :)

Homemade brown sugar hand scrub for favors. Love!

Had to post this picture for my mother...she couldn't be at the shower, but made arrangements for her gift to be there anyway...the crib bedding! LOVE the bedding and thought it was so sweet of her! :)

 That's all for now! I am NOT believing that in just 9 short weeks, we will be holding this precious little girl we have prayed and dreamed so long about. Pretty amazing! We are so ready to see who she looks like and get to know her. Plus, we are SO excited because she has a new cousin born today, Jaxon David who we are excited to watch grow up with our sweet girl. I will try and post again soon...someone around here has a pretty big birthday coming up this week, so I'll try and get an update in about that. :) Have a great week!!

Blessings at 28 weeks!

We've made it to the 3rd trimester! Hooray! :) This week I posted on Facebook that our daughter will be here in 12 weeks (or less, I guess!--although babies in my family tend to come late, not early), and I'm continuing to be in awe of how quickly this pregnancy is going by. I am blessed on so many levels so that's what I'm focusing on this week.
Blessings of this pregnancy include:

*First and foremost that we have a perfectly healthy and growing baby girl in there. I prayed long before I was even pregnant that God would give us a healthy baby, and watch over his/her development and I am so elated that prayer is being answered. This week at my growth ultrasound, our girl weighed in at 2 pounds, 7 ounces. She appears to have a forehead like mine--(sorry hun), feet shaped like her daddy's and constantly moving, and a nose we can't quite figure out yet. She uses my placenta like a pillow and keeps her hands up by her mouth and face most of the time. Each of these things I'm thankful for...not only the fact in itself that they are present, but that it's teaching me something new about my daughter and helping me get to know her before she even arrives. Amazing.

*I feel great 99% of the time. Of course, like any person--pregnant or not--I have days that I'm more tired or whatever, but overall I am very lucky to feel as good as I do. I have passed all my screening tests, including the gestational diabetes one with flying colors. I'm still walking 2-3 miles at least 2-3 times per week--not to mention working my regular 12 hour shifts 3 times weekly-- which together are both helping me keep my weight down and my body feeling good.

*I have a husband that is SO excited to meet her and already so protective of this little life. He doesn't even like for me to push back on her when she puts an elbow or foot into my side. He says I'm crowding her. Wait, who's crowding who here? :) I am so blessed to be going on this journey with this man.

*I have wonderful friends and family planning showers to celebrate her in the coming weeks. The outpouring of love and care that we have already been receiving is wonderful and I am so looking forward to these parties. Most of all, I feel blessed that each person is going to come and celebrate our daughter's arrival, and more than any tangible gift we could receive, I value that most.

*Matt's grandfather...his 86 year old grandfather many of you know as "Pops"...is helping so much with the nursery prep. He helped us arrange to have recessed lighting put in her room, he re-painted all the baseboards, door trimming and windowsill trim this week, he fixed the holes in the wall from removing an old high chair railing, and is building her a bookcase just how I wanted it. He is truly amazing and we are blessed that he is with us to do all this for his first great-granddaughter.

I could go on, but I'll leave it here for now. My heart is happy, my home is blessed and God is good.
And now a picture to leave it off with. Because the weeks are floating by, I don't always take a photo each week...but here I am in all my 27 week glory. :)

Flying By!

Ok, ok, I know its been a while since I gave any sort of update and its now been almost 6 weeks since I posted a preggo picture! Time has just been floating by and I am elated to say that our baby girl is growing and wiggling more each and every day. Since I will be 25 weeks tomorrow---YAY!---I decided to share a bit of whats been up with us during the last few weeks.

*Still tickled PINK that she's a girl and got good confirmation of that at my 23 week appointment. She was laying with her knees touching her nose--she's already MUCH more flexible than her momma!-- and seemed quite cozy that way. We did finally get her to move to get a great profile shot...love that little face so much already!

*She is definitely a mover and a shaker. Matt was actually able to see her moving from the outside this week! Its amazing to watch my belly be bumped and kicked from the inside. She particularly likes 10:30 both am and pm!

*This week, she is about the size of  an eggplant! She weighs about 1.5 pounds and is about 22 centimeters long. Grow, baby, grow! As an L&D nurse, I was very happy for her to reach "viability" last week and now I am just happy she's growing and adding meat to those long leg bones! :)

*Everyone is asking how I'm feeling...and I still feel great! No major complaints...just feeling the effects of working 12 hours more now than I use to, but really I am blessed to be having an easy-going pregnancy. I get tested soon for Gestational Diabetes, so I am hopeful that my sweet tooth doesn't come back to haunt me! Still walking as often as possible. I have a 3.5 mile loop I am able to do with the pup on my days off. Loving it!

*The last 2 pictures I have are from 21 and 24 weeks. Not a big difference, but she's making herself seen these days.

*We're getting started with the room. Definitely have everything picked out, just waiting for the hubby and his Pops to finish up the space to put all those things into. I am SO excited to see the finished product. We'll update as that happens and I promise to do better about adding pics!

Thanks so much for all the love and concern you have given to us. We are so blessed!

Baby Update and a Weekend Getaway!

I have to start with the most fun part...part 1 of the waiting is OVER...and God is blessing us with a beautiful...

...baby GIRL!

We are OVER THE MOON excited and feel so blessed to get to love and share our lives with this sweet girl. It was so fun to get to see her and how she's growing on the ultrasound last week and see even more evidence of God's amazing handiwork. (Yes, we are sharing her name...but for now, I don't think I'm gonna put it on here just yet. If you are my Facebook friend, or if you ask me in person, I will certainly be happy to tell you!) Now comes the shopping!! :) I am so anxious to get started on making her room just right.

18 week belly picture: (We were headed out for some shopping at the outlet mall with my sister and nieces!)

19 week belly picture: LOVING my new Loft Maternity dress and headed out for a wonderful dinner during a quick getaway with the hubby this past weekend to Austin. I think my belly actually looks a little smaller here...maybe its just the dress. :)
Still feeling really good...normal pregnancy things...occasionally tired...occasionally nauseated...but generally really great and absolutely loving every moment I feel her wiggle around in there. It still amazes me and makes me smile every time she does it.

This past weekend, Matt and I sneaked away for a quick 2 day trip to Austin and stayed at Barton Creek. This place is BEA-u-tiful! It sets on a golf course and has wonderful views of the valley. We ate great food, took a nature trail hike, I got a prenatal massage done (whoever invented the pillow that allowed me to lay on my stomach during this massage is my new bestie!), and just relaxed!! Can't wait to go back! (See my Facebook page for a few more photos of our great trip!--or I may add a few more soon!)