Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The Nursery {That’s Still Not Done}

The poor kid is going to be here in less than a week, and the nursery is still not finished. It’s close, but still not done. I’m frustrated that I haven’t gotten this complete and behind me, but I’ve just been taking my time in choosing exactly what I want in there instead of rushing to finish it.

When we had friends over for the shower, I threw some things together to make it look a little more put together. Sadly, things haven’t changed much since then.

Things that would make things more complete would be:

  • Knobs on the armoire {easy fix}
  • Dresser to serve as a changing table {still looking}
  • Art on the walls
  • Rug on the floor {possibly….still haven’t decided}

I’m going today to cross my fingers and hope that a local antique store still has a dresser that I saw, passed up, and was possibly going to be bought by someone else, and may not even be wide enough. I’m making the call first thing today though. If not, off to Andalusia I go tomorrow to see if I can find one there. Let’s hope I do!

In the mean time, I saw this nursery on Pinterest and loved some of the details in it. white armoire

dresser

If I find some of the things I’m needing {like at least two}, I’ll hopefully have a half-way complete nursery to share with you. If not, the wait will continue. Maybe it will be at least close to finished one day!

Update:

I went first thing this morning to see if the dresser I had eyed was there or not and if it would be wide enough. I ended up scoring a major deal! I’m about to die to get it home and set up. When I go back tomorrow to pick it up, I’m hoping I can find a few accessories as well.

Monday, July 29, 2013

And the Name Is….

Going to be told to everyone as soon as the little guy is born on August 5th {or before}! You really didn’t think I was going to tell it now, did you?

I’ve been quite entertained with everyone’s guesses. I have to say that this has been fun, and I can’t wait to share it with all of you!

In the mean time, I’ve been eyeing some typography prints on Etsy via Pinterest. But, who in the world wants to pay $25 for that when you can do it yourself?

I took a little time today to try my hand at it, and I think I was pretty successful. Now, all I need is a frame and maybe a matte for it. Now that I’m looking at it, I might need to shrink it some to fit within a 1” margin. I’m thinking that will be fairly easy to do though.

This is the version I made for a boy. The colors actually coordinate with my little guy’s nursery, but those are easily changed. {And yes…the name is a previous president’s. I had to come up with something to fill in the blanks.}Baby Poster Sample Then, I decided it would only be fair to make one for a girl, too. Of course, each one could really be interchangeable if you’d rather have dots than stars.

Baby Poster Sample Girl

Remember…..you can change:

  • The colors of the font
  • The font
  • The text

This is just a template for you to use. It’s in Publisher format only though for now. Sorry! If you want to download the template though, you can click on the image above for the one you want. Enjoy the freebie!

P.S. For some reason, it won’t show a sample of the image when you click on the link. However, you can click on “File” and “Download” in the drop down menu. I tried it while being signed out of my account, and it worked. Hopefully, it will for you, too!

Saturday, July 27, 2013

The Countdown is On!

I went for my 38 week appointment on Thursday for my lovely weekly appointment. I’ve had a good amount of back pain this week, along with some additional pain. That being said I was hoping to have made some progress, but that was just not in the books for me.

Colby and I waited {thanks to some talkative sales ladies} for what seemed like a lifetime. Eventually, we got to see the doctor. I didn’t have a heartbeat scare like I did last week. And yes….I know you have no idea about what I’m talking about. Basically, it just took a little longer than usual to find his heartbeat last week. This week though it was loud and strong. I don’t think I could handle another near panic attack.

Anyhow….once I saw the doctor, things went relatively fast. The much anticipated {enter sarcasm} pelvic exam resulted in the same as last week. No change. Discussion then led to inducing and whether that was something we were interested in doing since we are 45 minutes away.

We are now on the calendar to be put in the hospital on the night of August 4th and have the little guy on August 5th unless he decides to come before then….either of which I am fine with.

In some ways, I’m glad that we have a scheduled induction date {if he indeed likes where he is}:

  • No worrying about getting there in time since we do have to drive
  • No wondering if that really is a contraction or just general pain from pregnancy
  • He enters this world a whole week early

But in other ways, it makes me nervous. Sometimes I do better on the fly than to have to wait for it to happen. I’m known for getting way more nervous than needed in uncertain situations.

After the appointment, Colby and I went to that antique store again to see if we could find a dresser. It was helpful to have his perspective on the dresser. We didn’t leave with one though because we simply couldn’t find one that was worth the money and not cheaply made. I did find some awesome bibs though! This farm one is my favorite.

bibs

We had a nice dinner out at the Texas Roadhouse, and I feel sure I ate my weight in rolls, salad, steak, and mashed potatoes.

We go back to the doctor on Thursday for a final exam and instructions. My bags are packed and waiting. All that’s left to put in are those things that I use on a daily basis.

I’m going to be buying groceries, looking for a dresser in another antique store, doing a few last things to prepare for the school year, and giving the house one last cleaning so I have a clean area to come back to.

My mind is all over the place right now thinking of what’s to come, what I need to get done, and thinking of all the things I didn’t blog about this week.

  • All of the thank-you notes are written minus four that I need to write for gifts that came this week.
  • His name outfit is here! It’s so cute!
  • I’m thinking of how we should share his name with family {and of course with all of you}
  • We visited the hospital to see where things were going to go down and get a general idea of the labor and delivery area.
  • Hope Floats is one of the best movies ever made!
  • And this is just breaking the ice of my mind in general right now…..good grief!

In a week and two days, we will officially be a family of three {plus Zeb}. Wish us luck! Keep us in your prayers!

Monday, July 22, 2013

A Small Thank-You

I was looking for a small hostess gift to just say thanks to all of the lovely ladies who banned together to hosts showers for me. Of course, I wanted something cute and crafty.

When one needs ideas, one turns to Pinterest.

The original idea was to use Simply Lemonade, which is the reason for the cute saying on the tag. Unfortunately, when I made these for a second shower, the store was sold out of that brand. Tropicana it was! You’ll get the idea though!

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All you need is tulle, straws {the cuter the better}, ribbon, a circle punch, and the tags printed from the original source {which is linked above}.

Attach your label to the tulle and tie around the lemonade in a bow. Up under the tulle, tie your ribbon around the straws and tie in a double knot. Hide the knot under the label. Voila!

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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Pregnant Girl Problems

After trying to paint my toenails myself several weeks back, I swore that I would not try that again while pregnant. As luck would have it, my sister works at a hair salon and can hook a sister up!

nails

I thought about venturing out and try some of those cool colors that I see other girls wear. Apparently, I’m not adventurous enough because after seeing it on one toe I decided to go safe with a sparkly coral color.

In other {baby} news….

  • I went to the doctor today. He said I’ve dilated 1 cm and am about 50% effaced. He said he expects to see me at next week’s appointment, but after that it was up in the air! 
  • I stayed up all last night. Thank you frequent bathroom trips and an aching back! I will definitely be taking my prescribed {by the OB} sleep meds tonight! Otherwise, I’ll be worthless tomorrow.
  • I bought some of the softest pajamas from Target today. I figured it was the least I could treat myself to after birthing a kid and likely feeling pretty gross. Seriously, check out the Gilligan & O’Malley stuff!
  • I bought the baby some of the softest blankets today, too. They are those muslin swaddler blankets, and I’m absolutely in love with them. I like them because they are a bit thinner than those other blankets.
  • I also bought some other odds and ends that we needed. Target disappointed in the bib and burp cloth department. They had nothing when it came to that! Very disappointing!
  • Does anyone know where to get some of those cutesy cloth diaper burp cloths? I picked up some from Jus Do, but I need more!
  • I’m praying the baby’s outfit with his name on it comes in soon!!! I’m getting worried! I think I’m going to email the vendor tonight to see what the deal is!
  • I’m taking a lifetime to write these last thank-you notes. My goal is to have them finished by the weekend, so they can be in the mail by Sunday. That would be ideal!

I’m 37 weeks on Saturday! Maybe I’ll have a picture soon! Dark circles under my eyes from zero sleep are just not a good look! Hope this finds you doing just fine!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Checking it Off

Today has been one busy day! I made myself a to-do list first thing this morning, and I have been marking things off one thing at a time.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a day of getting things done if one or two of those things weren’t baby related. Today, I cleaned out my car, vacuumed it out, and wiped down all of the surfaces, so I could install the car seat. I wish I were one of those people who always kept their vehicle clean, but that has never been my way. I can keep my house clean, but my car is a whole other story.

baby

Not only did I install the car seat {and put the stroller in the trunk}, but it pays to be friends with those of the FD that stop by and can inspect it to make sure it is properly installed. He tightened everything up for me, so I’m good to go now.

On top of that, I’ve washed the last load of baby clothes and blankets and socks and all of the other gazillion things babies have to have pre-washed. Everything is now in its proper place and ready for baby.

You know what makes a mama’s morning? Your husband delivering 8 boxes of diapers and 4 boxes of wipes that the FD gave him yesterday. Their kindness is very appreciated!!! Good thing we have a big shelf in the baby’s closet to store all of these diapers.

Hopefully, I’ll get my bag packed by the end of the week and be ready to go at any time. I’m hoping for some progress when I see the doctor on Thursday. Until the time arrives though, I guess I’ll be taking Tums and resting up as much as possible.

Hope you’re all having a terrific Tuesday!

P.S. I think my principal found someone to do my maternity leave!

P.S.S. I’m in the process of writing thank you notes, and I think it’s going to take me until the end of time. It’s the least I could do though {and the proper thing to do}.

P.S.S.S. I scored this toy bucket for 1/2 off at The Treasure Chest! Made my day! If you live in Brewton, you need to go check it out! Nearly everything is 1/2 off!!! Major deals!

photo 1

Monday, July 15, 2013

No Showering my Shower

It was supposed to rain Saturday….just like it has every day for the past two weeks. It even rained yesterday. My baby shower was moved to my MIL’s church because the rain made a swamp of the family farm {the original planned location}.

My MIL and SIL planned the cutest shower that would have been so fitting in the farm setting, but even though things had to be moved it was still absolutely precious. These ladies certainly know how to make the best of things even when crazy circumstances arise.

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My talented BIL designed the invitation to go along with the theme. He’s the same one who made the invitation for the shower that was held at my house, along with all of my wedding stationary. {So, if you need a custom invitation, locate him over at The Langham Project}.

Langham Baby Shower Food

Everything was centered around all of the things little boys love, gingham, and galvanized containers. Can’t you just see it at the farm? I totally can! I told Abby that we would definitely have to recreate it one day for her if she has a little boy. It’d be the least I could do!

Or, we could just have a party like this for the heck of it! I’m down for that!

Langham Shower Decor 

Can’t you just see the lanterns hanging from the porch, the wreath on the door, and the gingham fabric {from my rehearsal dinner} in various places around the cabin?

We all pigged out and then opened presents….

Colby’s mama made two different treasures for our baby boy! I swear she was actually working on these before she even knew we were pregnant. I came home one day {before we were} and informed my husband that I thought his mom was trying to give us a hint because I had just been at her house, and she was sharing her new projects with me.

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We got lots of other goodies, too! Now that all of the showers have taken place, I’ve been able to figure out what all else we need. Luckily, our friends and family have been extremely generous, and there isn’t much left to purchase. Thank you to everyone for all that you have done for us!

3 days until my next appointment! Let’s hope for progress!

Friday, July 12, 2013

The Countdown is On!

That’s right! As of tomorrow, I’m officially 36 weeks! I am less than a month away from my due date. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

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I’m ready for the day to be here, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about how much life is going to change from that day on. Of course, I know that I will be so in love with this child that I will completely consumed and forget all about how life was before. It will certainly be a big change though!

All things are set up in the nursery…minus that dresser I’m still working on. Hopefully, the husband will make that possible in the next week. We still need some art on the walls, but it’s just going to have to wait until some $$$ reappears in the bank account.

We have a shower this weekend, and it’s the last one. It unexpectedly had to change locations due to this crazy weather we’ve been having around here. For summer, it sure has rained a lot lately….so much so that the farm is like swamp land. Major bummer! That’s the way it goes though, and I know it will still be fabulous!

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I’ve really got to start getting that bag packed and put the car seat in the car. From my appointment yesterday, he didn’t act like things were going to go down in the next week though. Everything checked out okay though. I’ve officially gained 20 pounds according to my very first weigh in. No swelling though! That’s been a major positive!

I’m just praying his little outfit comes in sometime soon. I ordered it from Etsy, so it would have his name on it. It will be the only thing we have with his first name on it, and I can’t wait to see it.

As for how I’ve been feeling, I seem to get this huge burst of energy late at night even though I’m tired. Then, when I do get to sleep, I’m getting up two or three times a night to use the bathroom. Luckily, going back to sleep isn’t too hard for me. I cleaned the house from top to bottom yesterday. By the end of the day, my legs and feet were killing me. Who knew carrying around this extra weight could be so daunting? I need a housekeeper….maybe one day!

So, that’s basically it! If any of you moms have any tips for the hospital or afterwards, pass them along.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream

For Ice Cream!!!

That’s what the theme was for the shower I had this past weekend, and it did not disappoint! These ladies thought of every little detail, and there were so many toppings and choices that it was so hard to make up your mind of what you wanted. Not to mention that they could have fed a small army with the vast amount of ice cream and selections! It was beyond what I could have ever expected.

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In downtown Brewton, there is this lovely little building that is now known as the L House. It has extremely tall ceilings with brick and large bookcases flanking the walls and lovely wooden floors. If you remember, it is where we had my mom’s 50th birthday party.

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Classic blue hydrangeas were placed in mason jars that were wrapped in burlap and raffia to add a centerpiece to each table.

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Signs like these could be found in various places around the building to display where I was supposed to sit, to signal a slippery surface outside {since it had been raining}, and to label food.

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My sister made this cute bouquet made out of onesies, washcloths, receiving blankets, a hooded towel, and hand mitts. Loved it! It was a surprise every time I opened one up. I never knew what it was going to be inside the roll!

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And check out this cake! The lady who made the cake at the shower that was at our house made this one as well!

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And the ice cream bar was terrific! The pictures didn’t even do it justice!

Ice Cream Social Baby Shower

It was nice not to have to fill up on the typical shower foods…especially when we had all just eaten lunch. Instead, we got to enjoy dessert!

The presents did not disappoint either! Colby and I are so thankful for everyone’s generosity. I was a bit worried about not having so many things before this shower, but we really do have almost everything we need. Of course, there are always things that we will still need and will have to buy, but we mostly have the necessities. Thank you to all of the hostesses that made this such a wonderful experience and a big thanks to all of those who came to the shower {or sent gifts}. You are such a blessing to us!

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Doctor’s appointment today! Update tomorrow!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Back in Business

As of yesterday, I am back in business. My other computer officially bit the dust, but luckily everything was backed up onto my external hard drive. Let’s just hope it continues to work! Thanks to my amazing husband I now have a replacement! Woohoo! It’s so nice not to have to restore the system every time I want to use it {that is seriously what I was having to do}.

Lately, I’ve been in the routine of having early mornings and late nights. I guess my body is just preparing me for what’s to come. I can’t tell you how many loads of clothes I washed and folded yesterday. It seems that I have been crazy busy, which has made me crazy tired. By the time I finish what must be done, laundry gets pushed to the back burner.

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All of the baby’s things are washed and folded though, so that’s a step in the right direction! I was trying to wait until the past shower {that I will be sharing with you shortly} before washing everything. Why make ten loads when you can make it two gigantic mountains of laundry at one time? My house smelled unbelievable though!!! Baby laundry detergent is heaven in a bottle!

In other news, I go to the doctor tomorrow for my first “fun” {enter sarcasm} appointment. I’ll update in that department afterwards. I have my last baby shower this weekend =) Pray for no rain. So far, it has showered on all of the days I have had baby showers. Major downer!

Zebador went for his one year appointment today and is getting groomed. I’m hoping and crossing my fingers that he doesn’t come out looking like a lion or completely shaved. A happy medium would be great! He wasn’t exactly thrilled about going. Luckily, the people there were happy to help unload him out of the car. Otherwise, he would have probably shot out like a bullet and caused great problems in the town of Brewton today. I know he’ll be happy to see me this afternoon and hopefully much cooler.

Update:

I’m finishing this post this afternoon. I got the call that no parent wants to get. You know the one about your kid misbehaving. That would be Zeb! He did his very best to keep them from doing their job today, so they had to bust out big guns {aka sedation}. Good gravy! Not trying to bite them or anything….just refused to be still!

On the positive side, my house is clean from top to bottom and smells amazing! Supper is on the stove, and I am ready to crash!

Hopefully a shower post and a baby appointment update to come tomorrow and Friday!

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

The Brink of a Crash

As in my computer! It’s on the brink of death, but I continue to nurse it back to health each day. The truth is that this computer has seen better days and clearly needs to be replaced. I’ve been shopping around for something that’s budget friendly and will serve the purpose of which I use it….making stuff for school, blogging, and organizing my photos. Seriously, I really don’t need a fancy schmancy computer….just something to get the job done. Maybe by the end of the week I will have a replacement =)

So, that’s my excuse. I hate bringing my computer back to life day in and day out. On that note, prepare for this post to be all over the place. It’s one of those “what’s been happening around here” type posts.

{Baby News}

I went to the doctor last Thursday. Everything was fine as usual. I can tell that things are starting to get closer to time since some of the more serious questions are getting asked. I’m nervous, excited, and ready to have this kid all at once!

I gained three more pounds, so that puts me at 17 pounds. Since my first weigh-in was not what I usually weigh since I had been so sick, I’m counting it as 15 pounds. Two pounds difference makes me feel better.

I go next week for my first appointment to get “checked”, and I’m NOT looking forward to that. It’s hard to believe that I will be 36 weeks at that appointment. This pregnancy has flown by! I am interested to know if there is any progress being made in that department though. His questions made me think that maybe he suspected there would be, but maybe I was just reading too much into it. I should have asked more questions, but I was so shocked I got in to my appointment on time and not an hour or more later that I was just pumped to be back there and get out in a timely manner. Lesson learned. 

In more fun news, I ordered his little going home outfit. It will have his initial and first name on it. I figured that would only be fitting since we will be revealing his name =) For those of you wondering, no one has guessed it yet.

Another fun note is that I have another shower this weekend! It’s like an ice cream social theme, and I do love ice cream! Whoop whoop!

{Furniture Shopping}

Before the doctor, my mom and I went to Alyssa’s Antique Depot in Pace, Florida. That’s the first time I have been, and I am in love. If you want some good deals on furniture or odds and ends to accessorize with, you need to make a stop in there. I was in the market for a dresser for the baby’s room.

Choice Number One:

changing table 2.JPG.mjbwiyx

Choice Number Two:

changing table 1

The first choice would be better in the long run. I’m just not sure how the color would work in the room. If we went with this one, I would want to try it out in the room, and if I didn’t like it then it would get a white paint overhaul. It also wouldn’t require the room to be rearranged.

The second choice is the right color, has the setup of what we need, but it would require rearranging the room to make it work. I guess I will just have to see, and I might even find a better option next time.

{Dog News}

zeb- one year

This week last year we were getting Zeb. Can you believe how much he has grown in a year? He went from a little fur ball to a lion! While he makes me want to scream sometimes, he good company, especially when Colby’s gone. He’s calmed down quite a bit in the past six months, and his mother is very grateful to be able to say that. We still have a ways to go, but I’m hoping the pattern will continue in the next few months.

{Recipe of the Week}

mexican pizza 2

Hello, Mexican Pizza! I love you at Taco Bell, and I really love you at home. It’s easy to make, too!

Ingredients needed:

  • 10” flour tortillas
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 taco seasoning pack
  • 1 can of refried beans
  • Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • 3 roma tomatoes
  • Green onions {enough to put on top}
  • Jalepeno slices

Directions:

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray two glass pie plates {this makes two pizzas} with cooking spray. Put your first flour tortilla in the bottom of each pan. Split the can of refried beans in half and put on top of the tortillas.

Brown your ground beef. After it is cooked, drain and follow the directions on the taco seasoning pack. Once the meat is properly seasoned, half the mixture and put on top of the beans in each pie plate. Add your next flour tortilla. Cook in the oven for 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and add the following ingredients to the pizzas. Remember to half the remaining ingredients, so you will have some for each pizza. Add to the top of each pizza. Put back in the oven for 5 minutes.

Take out of the oven and enjoy!

{And If You’re Having a Rough Day….}

icee

Go to the Tom Thumb and get an Icee! It’s 89 cents for a giant one! You just can’t beat that!

Hope you have a great week!