Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Anniston is 22 Months Old!

You are 22 Months Old Today!
While Anniston was 21 Months She:

Loves her morning breakfast meals that daddy makes. Blueberry pancakes are her favorite breakfast meal, but her favorite thing to eat is still Spaghetti and Meatballs! 

Moved into her big girl bedroom! She loves it and always brings stuffed animals to cuddle with her at night! 

Finished her first session of gymnastics and learned how to jump! She can get both feet off the ground! She also is very good at stretching! We stretch almost every morning now!  

Loves dancing, running and singing now. We turn on music and she just wiggles and runs around the house. Her favorite song is "Let it Go" from the movie Frozen. She loves acting it out! 

She got the croup and the flu for one whole week. She was such a trooper, but it really wore her out.  

Continued picking the scab on her forehead! We had to resort to wearing REALLY large bandaids all the time, but it's finally gone!

Has hair long enough for pigtails now and the longer it grows, the curler it is becoming!  

Started putting on her shoes and socks all by herself!

Now takes off her clothes and diapers in her crib during naptime and bedtime! So we are now putting duck tape on her diapers to keep them on her! 

Went on an Easter Egg Hunt on a very windy day with friends!

Is patiently waiting for her baby brother or sister to arrive! She always rubs my belly and sings to it. 



Saturday, April 19, 2014

Nursery Reveal

Oh I have been anxiously awaiting for this for this moment my entire pregnancy! 
No, no, baby has not arrived, but I finally feel ready for it to because the nursery is finally complete!! 
Since I found out I was pregnant with this baby I told Nick I wanted a "woodland" theme. Really I just thought fox and deer in a nursery was such a cute concept! Nick on the other hand, thought of all the things he could create from wood. So between me searching for fabric swatches and Nick tearing wood off of old barns, this nursery was just one massive Pinterest project, waiting to come to life!

Here are a few of the DIY things we created:

 The "Tree"
So I showed Nickolas this simple tree that I saw on Pinterest. It had a few shelves on it and it was very basic, but I liked it. So Nick said said he wanted to get some wood from a barn that was being torn down and he would make something from that. I was skeptical at first. Especially when he brought home a pile of very old, rustic and beat up wood. But alas, I held my comments in and thank God I did. If you look closely he carved a heart into the tree, he hand stamped 15 copper leaves to the tree and hung a rosary from it! It truly is such a beautiful piece of art and I can't believe he created it! 
Here is his creation of the tree: 


The String Art
Once again, I saw this on pinterest and HAD to have it in the baby room! I knew I wanted the moon and back phrase and possibly a monogram string art, but as the room came together, so did the string art colors and creations. We took colors from the fabric I used and he made the moon out of copper wire to match the leaves (turns out copper wire gets twisted very easily, so he spent a lot of time untangling and unwrapping! But, for the wood, he went back to the pile of old wood that he collected and we found interesting pieces that weren't too beat up. Nickolas may have said a few bad words as he hammered into the dense wood. But overall, I think it was well worth the hassle - simply because he did all the hard work - and it totally adds to the room!


The Fox
Well foxes seemed to be everywhere this year, so I knew I wanted to add them to the nursery. Nick created a fox face replica from the fabric on the computer and we used it to create a minky/felt pillow cover and another string art. I love how the faces match up and how fuzzy the fox pillow is to cuddle up with! I still don't know what the fox says, but I do know that they are certainly cute and totally go with all the woodland decor. I also kept the wooden piece that Nick used to hand stamp the cooper leaves. I thought it was a cool piece of artwork. 


The Ladder Project
Well once again, this little gem was found at a farm. Nick brought it home with no idea what to use it for, but he knew I would use it for something! Originally we wanted to hang it above the crib and hang the felt woodland mobile from it. But, once we placed it there, it took away from the string art and the tree. So we had to go to Plan B. I thought about making a bookshelf from it, but we already had one, so we just had it sitting on it's side in the room for about a week, when it hit me. Hey, just  hang it on it's side and make it a shelf. One can never have too many shelves! I love all the little details we added to it - a cross Nick's grandfather made, a ladybug that Nick's mother gave me, woodland woods, a plush fox, and a collection of fantastic frames. I love this addition and can't wait to fill it with pictures and knick knacks for Baby R!


 The Crib Bumpers
Well this is my 3rd time around making crib bumpers and these are by far my favorite! Each time I try to come up with a better pattern and I think I may have found my go to pattern! Unfortunately, they were, by far, the most time consuming and the biggest pain to make! I literally stuffed them with a ladle and a lot of bad words. But, I got the job done and couldn't be more happy with them! 


The Accessories
I LOVE this whole set! I feel like it ties the entire room together. After Annie's room redo and this room I have learned to love quilting. It's time consuming, yet there is something about it that is very calming and rewarding. I ended up doing a patchwork quilt for this baby. There are 8 different pattern swatches and some are minky, some are fuzzy and the rest are cotton swatches from the the Michael Miller Norwegian Woods line. I ended up making a quilt, a boppy cover, a diaper holder and changing pad cover to go along with the room! Also, I found the white little night stand at a local boutique in town that I am in love with called Salvage Sisters! They have amazing stuff and it fits perfectly with the decor! 

So see, doesn't it just make you want to go be adventurous in the woods or something? Or curl up with a fox? Either way, I love it and I am so thankful for my sweet husband for helping me creating such a wonderful woodland for baby! 







Friday, April 18, 2014

38 Weeks


How Far Along:
38 Weeks Along (04/17/2014)
Cravings:
Parfaits and smoothies. Basically fruity deliciousness of any kind is my kind of treat! 
How Am I Feeling:
At ease. It's a very strange feeling. Part of me, well, a lot of me, just wants this baby to come already! It's heavy, it's constant pressure, I'm swelling up and I'm totally ready to stop peeing ALL. THE. TIME!
 Yet, at the same time, I want this next week and half to spoil Anniston, watch movies, run errands, and spoil Anniston some more! I am having a very difficult time knowing that we will only be a family of 3 for a short time more. Of course I am excited for baby, but it's overwhelming to think that I won't be able give all my extra attention and time to Anniston. I just don't  want her to feel less special or loved when baby comes.
Oh, my mommy hormones are on high alert!  
Sleep:
Anniston has been sleeping a lot better again, so that has given me a little bit more shut eye. But between the shifting of pillows, bathroom breaks and baby monitor checks, sleep is still pretty limited. But still probably better than what it is going to be in 2 weeks!
Miss Anything: 
Well I just can't wait to get outside and be active again. The weather is SLOWLY starting to feel like spring again! So it is exciting to see people out, the ground and knowing that it can only go up from here! Well....hopefully! 
Most Exciting Moment This Week:
Anniston's room is complete, the new nursery is complete and my hospital bags are ALMOST completely packed. So really, the baby can come ANY day now! We. Are. Ready.
Maybe...
Complaint of the Week:  
Heartburn is full force right now. I take Zantac 150 every morning and Tums throughout the day. Yet, that doesn't seem to be helping anymore! This is either going to be one hairy baby or I really might throw this baby right up! At least it feels that way sometimes...
Looking Forward To:  
Baby's D Day! We have a boy and girl name picked out. We have been pretty set on them since the beginning. We picked two new names this time around, but I have said them both several times and I feel good about them!
I just can't wait to feel what labor is like this time, or what this baby looks like, or how I feel afterwards. Just an exciting time with so many questions!
About Baby R:
Well I can definitely tell this baby is growing! It is about 6.9 pounds and at least 19.5 inches long! It has a firm grasp now so it can grab onto my fingers when it arrives!  Baby's organs are fully matured and ready for the World!

Here is me at 38 weeks with Anniston!

Thursday, April 3, 2014

36 Weeks


How Far Along:
36 Weeks Along (04/03/2014)
Cravings:
Strawberries and applesauce. Really anything fruity. I think it is my body just getting ready to enjoy spring weather and everything that comes with it! But right now, nothing a bowl of strawberries and lemonade. I think Anniston is liking my "cravings" too, because that is her go to "nack" everyday after daycare! 
How Am I Feeling:
Well, the baby has DEFINITELY dropped. I am feeling myself start to waddle more and more every day. And I must look like the baby is ready too because now whenever I go anywhere people say - How much longer again? Any day now? Oh you must be ready to go!
You know...the usual last month remarks that make me feel even more massive and ready to go! 
Sleep:
Pretty light sleeping lately. Between moving Anniston from her old bedroom to her new bedroom and constant bathroom breaks, I feel like I have a newborn already! But overall, I would say my sleep is MUCH better this time around, than the last time around. Nickolas is happy, because I am finally at the "constantly hot" stage. So that means the fan is on all night and no covers. Just how he loves it! 
Miss Anything: 
Well I just can't wait to get outside and be active again. The weather is SLOWLY starting to feel like spring again! So it is exciting to see people out, the ground and knowing that it can only go up from here! Well....hopefully! 
Most Exciting Moment This Week:
 I completely finished the baby bumpers and am ALMOST done with the quilt! We hung up everything and now it's just little things here and there! I promise to post up pictures soon! I just want it all complete before I do! 
Looking Forward To:  
This weekend! My parents are taking Anniston for the weekend, so Nickolas and I get a babymoon! We aren't going anywhere or doing anything....but just knowing that we have a weekend to sleep in, take naps, run errands and organize is pretty much the coolest vacation ever!!
About Baby R:
This baby is growing about an ounce a DAY! Oofta! No wonder I am feeling pressure! It is about 6 pounds and at least 18.5 inches long! It is starting to shed some of that downy hair that covers their body. By the end of this week, the baby will be considered pre-term. Full term is 39-40 weeks, but it is still safe to have baby at any point from here on out! Also, I learned at my last appointment that baby's head is already down!

Here is me at 37 weeks with Anniston!