Blog Roll…

No, not another list of the blogs I follow… Just an invitation to follow us as we roll into a new blogging world. Since “That’s Loverly” is also the name of my photography business (thatsloverly.com) and we’re also in the midst of quite a few family changes (baby, duh!)… I decided we needed to have a blog more focused on the fam.

And Bronce says he miiiiiiight start blogging, too. How cool would that be?

So, follow us on over to our new home… “This Loverly Family” can be found at loverlyfamily.wordpress.com

See you there! :)

37 weeks

Hah! For the last ten minutes the baby has been doing this:

hiccup… hiccup… hiccup… kick!kick!kick! hiccup… hiccup… hiccup… kick!kick!kick! turn!move!twist around…

It’s only funny because I know how frustrated I get at the hiccups and I can imagine this kid is like “What the HECK is going on?!” It’s usually an early morning or late night thing (during the night a few days ago the rhythm of the baby’s hiccups actually woke Bronce while I slept soundly! That’s one crazy kid!) and this is the first time I’ve felt hiccups during the day. So cute!

We had a doctor’s appointment this morning and he confirmed that the hiccups are a good sign – strengthening the baby’s diaphragm for good respiration when we finally get to hear those lungs test out the world! *Note to self – don’t google “hiccups in utero” – people like to write freaky stuff that makes expectant moms wig out.

I can hardly believe we’re this close to the “end”… of course, we don’t really how how close we are… but either way we’re nearing the finish line of this journey. Or, at least, nearing the starting line of another, much more long-term one!

I haven’t had any contractions yet (that I know of!) and as of my appointment last Tuesday I’m still not dilated at all. He’ll check again next week to see if there’s been any progress. Bronce and I go back and forth on whether or not we’re super anxious for the baby to get here or happy that she’s just nesting in there and keeping me up at night with kicks, not cries.

I’m hoping that I’ll have some contractions and get all “oh, this feels weird” and then meander over to the hospital after a while to find out I’m dilated 7 centimeters. Twenty minutes of pushing, and it’s BABY! That’s reasonable, right? I mean, I hear that actually happens to people… why can’t I be one of those people?

Anyway, it’s been a fun journey and I feel like we’re in a weird state of anxiety… Will it be….today?! Will it be…tomorrow?! Will it be…three more weeks?!

My sweet sister-in-law brought three huge crates of baby stuff this week – one for boys 0-3 months, one for girls 0-3 months, and one of various baby goods (small toys, rings, those pads for under a sleeping/changing baby to collect spills so we don’t have to change the sheets every time, hats and shoes, etc.). I looked through two of them last night and pulled out all the stuff we’ll use so I’m doing laundry right now to have a big stack of boy stuff and a big stack of girl stuff that can be put away in the closet when we know which set we’ll need! We’re so grateful for all the baby stuff our friends and family have loaned us. It’s such a relief to know we have months and months of clothes ready for our little one!

We’ve got the bags packed… I installed the car seat today (sheesh – thought I’d put myself into labor just trying to get the dang base installed – that’s not easy work!)… We’ve attended the classes, hired the doula, written the birth plan, and read the books…

So. Here we are. 3 weeks out (or maybe just two days… or maybe more than 4 weeks… who knows!) and waiting anxiously! I’ll keep you posted…

Side Table

  I knew I needed a good side table for beside the glider in the nursery. One day after work last Spring I dropped in the Goodwill at my school and stumbled across this cute little table for $9.99. Oh, did I mention it was a 50% off day? Yep, I bought this little beauty for $4.99 plus tax. :)

Okay… where on earth did my before pictures go? Weird. I know I took some. I was able to crop this blurry one out of another picture so I guess this will have to do.

It was rickety and the stain was peeling off all over the place. It’s an ooooold table. If it weren’t in such bad shape, I might have hesitated before I painted over the thing.

Once again I used my Zinsser Cover Stain primer to cover the whole thing and used Behr Ultra paint in a flat soft white color. After the final coat of paint (about 3 total) I gave it two coats of Polycrylic (a sealer like polyurethane that’s water-based and doesn’t yellow over white paint).

Here it is in the garage (propped up on a bucket so I could get the underside easier).

And the finished product all set up in the nursery! Love it!!!

Not bad for a $5 table and some paint, huh?

Baby Shower – November 13

Bronce’s sister, Lauren, and sister-in-law, Melissa, were kind enough to interrupt their busy schedules to plan a beautiful baby shower for me. Bronce’s mom and Aunt Deborah were out of town when the shower took place a few weeks before (thrown by my mom and friends) and they were disappointed they couldn’t be a part of it.

Lauren and Melissa (with the help of Linda and Deborah) planned a Saturday afternoon event at the Apple Cake Tearoom, a charming location in West Knoxville. The guest list consisted mostly of Linda’s friends from church and some extended family.

We spent a few hours together catching up, laughing, and enjoying each others’ company in the upstairs party room. It was a sweet afternoon to be together.

 

This Noah’s Ark bank is adorable! I love it and it has a special place on the shelf above my glider. It’s engraved with an “R.”

 

Holding my neice, Nonavea.

 

Bronce’s cousin, Aubrey, his Aunt Donna, and Aubrey’s daughter Alicia.

Lauren, Melissa, me and Aunt Deborah.

Me and Mom.

Me and Linda, my mother-in-law.

Linda, me, Mamaw, and my mom, outside after the shower.

Me with the thoughtful hostesses!