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!

 

  

Baby Shower – November 10

Bronce and I were shocked when we found out the employees at his office were throwing us a baby shower. I was thrilled they planned it around my schedule on a day when I could take an extended lunch to jet across town and be there for all of it. They had lunch, drinks, and a yummy cake set up in the conference room and it was fun to spend time with the folks who were able to pop in and out of the room during their own lunch break.

One of the teams at the office pooled together to get us a big basket of goodies – it was full of tons of baby needs – hangers, bibs, blankets, lotions, medicines, and all sorts of odds and ends that will come in handy.

  This was the only baby shower Bronce attended and it was great to see him getting excited about the gifts for our little one.

Many of the employees dropped by for a few minutes to get some food and hang out with us.

 

 

The girls laughed when I made them STOP cutting the cake so I could get a picture of it first! It was beautiful (and yummy). Check out the giant flower in the foreground with a plastic baby on it – like a cabbage patch kid!

And a picture of Bronce and me… and the little baby. :)

Baby Dresser/Changing Table Transformation!

****Please click this link to view this post at my NEW BLOG. I will no longer be posting at this address!!
http://loverlyfamily.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/baby-dresserchanging-table-transformation/

The room we’re using as a nursery is our smallest bedroom. It has the best arrangement of doors and windows for a crib, dresser, and glider. We figure when the baby gets older and ready for a big boy/girl room, we’ll move the child to a different bedroom to continue using this one as a nursery.

In adjusting to the small space, we really needed to have some multi-tasking furniture. So… we decided to find a dresser that could double as a changing table. From talking to friends and family with babies, it seems that the changing table gets the most use during the late night changes and is less of a benefit during the day when the couch/bed/floor is closer and easier to use for diaper changes. Why invest in a piece of furniture for such a singular use? Didn’t make sense for us.

So… off to Craigslist! I found this “beauty” about 20 miles away for $75. Here’s the original Craigslist picture.

We were thrilled to get there and see that this thing was solid wood with beautiful dove-tailed drawers. Perfect! And $75? Yes!!

It sat in the garage for a while (okay, for months) before I started working on it. First step… remove the old, dated hardware and fill the holes. This took a few coats and a lot of sanding.

When it was all set, I began priming. Our favorite primer is Zinssers Cover Stain – no sanding required! It sticks like glue to any surface and levels out beautifully so you get a smooth finish everytime.

Again, I wore my fancy mask for this project since I was preggo (about 30 weeks at this point).

(In that picture I’m actually painting a side table… more about that table later).

One coat of primer done! Check out that mirror, too. That might be my favorite part. It’s easily 3’x4’ – worth the $75 cost on its own. So beautiful! It attaches to the back on those brackets you can just barely see sticking up from the back of the dresser. 

Soooo many coats of paint. When I was done with the white paint (we used Behr Ultra paint in a flat finish – I had the paint tinted a soft white color), we applied a layer of Polycrylic. I did a bunch of research on the right sealer to use and decided on this product. Polycrylic is a water-based clearcoat (Polyurethane is oil-based) and a little less durable than its oil-based cousin. However, the Polycrylic product is supposed to cover better over white and yellow less. Over time Polyurethane will yellow on white paint and I really wanted to avoid this. I applied it with a small foam roller but after each drawer/dresser side was covered I used a fine paintbrush to run over the top coat and smooth out any bubbles.

I also ordered some cute orange ceramic knobs online to replace the old, dated hardware that came with the dresser. Here it is in the nursery!

And a close up so you can see the adorable shiny knobs. :)

Baby Shower ~ October 24

One of the sweetest things about sharing with my girlfriends that I was pregnant was sharing in their joy for me. Immediately after they were done shrieking with joy, they began offering to throw me a shower later in my pregnancy. It warmed my heart so much when they actually began planning one! Many of my friends joined together to throw my first shower, held on a Sunday afternoon in October.

I helped select the design for the invitation (done by my friend Sarah) and the girls carried the “B is for Baby” theme throughout the shower with the food (“C is for Cupcakes” etc.) and all the decor. It was an adorable theme and they executed it so well! (This invitation will be similar to the baby announcement we use when the kiddo gets here!)

My sweet hostesses were…    

Kindra Adams – When we moved to Nashville in 2004 Bronce and I met Kindra and her husband, Jason… they were our neighbors 3 doors down! We became fast friends and have been able to keep in close contact since we moved back to Knoxville in 2008. (picture below)

Catherine Bobo – my mom’s best friend and the mom of my oldest and dearest friend, Robin. Catherine lives in Pennsylvania and was unable to be at the shower, but she loved me well from a distance.

Katie Boerema – a long-time friend from college and career (we were both pharma reps for Merck for many, many years together). We’ve stayed close even though we haven’t lived in the same town since 2003! She also offered to carry my camera all afternoon so I’d end up with some pictures – something she wasn’t super comfortable with but she did a fabulous job!! (picture of us together below)

Jane Hanson – my mom :) Since the hostesses were all from outside Knoxville, mom graciously stepped in to be the local coordinator. She did a lot of the groundwork and helped make the day incredibly special. (picture below, with Dad and Bronce)

Sarah Pattison – She and her husband have become great friends of ours – we were in a couples small group together for years and our husbands are in a men’s small group together now. She offered her skills at graphic design (seriously… she’s amazing… check her business The Happy Envelope) to custom design an invitation for the shower.

Robin Redding – I’ve known her since I was a toddler, we grew up on the same street, our moms are best friends… she’s the dearest friend I have and I was so touched that she offered to help with the shower even though she lives 8 hours away and would be unable to join us!

The shower was held in the outside courtyard at Fellowship Church on a beautiful warm Sunday afternoon. The girls did an amazing job making the tables personalized and dressing up the food and gifts areas.

They had this awesome vase filled with white branches set up with a station for people to write down their blessings for me and the baby on little paper nests to be hung from the branches. Going through those notes later was the sweetest thing and I’ll treasure them in the baby’s scrapbook.

 

Lots of sweet friends came out to share the afternoon. Jennifer is due to deliver a little boy, Luke, the day before my due date.

A group of friends came out from Fulton – Kathy, Olivia, Ashley, and Amber. It was fun to see them outside of work and I was touched by how far some of them traveled to come!

Katie (due just a few weeks after me!), Sarah, Jennifer, and Mom. Notice that in the center of each table you can see mementos from Bronce and my baby years. Pictures, outfits, stuffed animals, etc. – all of these things were scattered around for everyone to enjoy.

Mom’s good friend Cheryl (who made the baby a beautiful white afghan), Bronce’s grandmother “Mamaw,” Mom, and Kindra:

Lauren, Melissa, and sweet little Nonavea…

 

Dad designed this beautiful cupcake display after one I saw online. He did a beautiful job!

Robin really wanted to come to the shower (I insisted she wait to make the long journey once the baby is actually here!) so in her absence she sent this amazing diaper cake. Usually these are made with regular disposable diapers but since I’m doing cloth she made it out of burp cloths (which she personalized with beautiful fabrics and ribbons), washcloths, and bibs. This is one of the best gifts I’ve received in terms of practicality! It was beautiful and I hated to take it apart!

 

Mom signed (well, stitched) this cross-stitch when she made it back in 1980 – the year I was born! It hung in my nursery when I was a baby. A few weeks after the shower she and I had it re-matted and framed and it will hang in my baby’s nursery, too. It’s still so beautiful!

And of course, every shower involves the opening of gifts. Here are a few shots of the amazing things my friends gifted to me.

This is one of those adorable hooded towels. It has a monkey face on it and is so plush!

Dustin gave me these precious bibs – each is embroidered for a different holiday throughout the year (plus a cute UT bib!).

Bumbo! :)

It was a beautiful afternoon and I was so blessed by the turnout of friends and family. This whole season has been an amazing way to see those sweet friends and family that surround us and love Bronce and me so well.