Three and a Half Weeks... looking back

Eek!  Only three and a half weeks until my baby girl is due to make her grand entrance!  Crazy (and amazing)!  This really has been what I would happily call an easy pregnancy, and I am super grateful for that.  Granted, the first two months or so I was constantly nauseous, which was unpleasant but thankfully fairly short lived.  Outside of that, I've really enjoyed growing this little girl.

Our little girl was created somewhere in Europe.  I'm not totally sure if it was Ireland, Scotland, or England, but she's our little UK souvenir, which I love.  It was super important to my husband Nick that we travel before getting pregnant, and we both thought it would make a great story to get pregnant ON our trip, but neither of us really thought it would be the reality of the situation.  About a week and a half after we got home, I just had this feeling, and sure enough... two positive pee sticks later, I knew!

I wanted to tell Nick in a cute way... it was hard not to spill the beans in the morning before I left for work but I wanted it to be a special moment.  I bought two little onesies that said "worlds best dad" (or something along those lines).  One was a boy onesie, one was for a girl.  I wrapped them up in a little gift bag, and when he got home from work I gave him his present.  At first I'm not sure he totally got what I was saying.  In fact, his response was something along the lines of "oh, these are cute."  I just smiled at him until that little glimmer of realization flickered over his face, and he asked if I was pregnant.  It was a cute moment.  One I will never forget.  The moment when our little twosome became a family.                                          

I want to remember all the little things that I'm sure will be unique to this baby, and this pregnancy.  It's such a special time, but when she's here I feel like it will be too easy to forget in the rush of love and newness of her life, so I'd better write it down.  It's the little things... for instance, I really haven't CRAVED anything during this pregnancy.  Not in your typical "if you don't go get this for my right now I will freak out!" pregnant way that everyone talks about.  Sure, I've wanted the occasional french fry or milk shake, but I think it's been pretty on par with your normal run of the mill cravings.  I've certainly never had a hankering for anything weird like pickles dipped in ice cream or anything like that.  (Thank God)

Picking a name has been harder than we thought it would be.  There were extensive lists made, a few possibilities that were thought about, fought about (no not really.  =)  sometimes you just can't agree on the big stuff like this without a little friendly banter...) and laughed at.  I mean REALLY, Nick has come up with some awesome names, but he's also come up with some DOOZIES.  There's only one name (first and middle) that we've been able to agree on, and for a while I haven't been sure that it will fit her, but it's really grown on me. Now when I think about her, I call her by this name in my head, so I suppose she is named!  (Don't bother asking my friends, because this one is top secret.  A girl has to have some mystery to her, even when she's entering this world.  It just makes things more fun!)  I hope naming our second child will be a little easier, but there's something about the first-born.  It has to be special, and different.

One thing that has not changed that I hoped would... Nick and I are still notorious procrastinators!  Three and a half weeks to go is all that's left.  You'd think we'd have things set up and done by now.
Nope.
The stripes still need to be taped out and painted on the accent wall in the nursery, we're finally picking up a dresser for her room today, then that needs to get sanded down and painted.  We need to arrange and set up the nursery, decorate, etc.  And then there's the rest of the house to clean.  Because until this nursery is set up, my house will continue to look like a baby store threw up all over it.  Which doesn't make cleaning super effective.  I could make excuses and say that I am nine months preggo and still working full time, but let's be real here, we both just need procrastinators anonymous.  We're that bad.  It's something I'd like to avoid passing down to our little girl, but I'll probably put off learning not to procrastinate until she's well past her formative years.  ;)

We've decided to do cloth diapers.  Which has turned into a little bit of an obsession.  My best friend from childhood is about a month ahead of me and really she could have her little one ANY day now (I know she's hoping today will be the day because he or she has been in there cooking for about 41 weeks now.  Hang in there Martha!) but at any rate, she's doing cloth too.  So we've talked about it, compared notes on our research, shared our excitement over how cute their little bums will be in brightly colored soft and fuzzy cloth...  if that sounds crazy to you, you've probably never really looked at modern cloth diapers.  They're ridiculously adorable!  I just can't wait until my little pumpkin is big enough to fit into them because I know not only will she look cute, but we'll be saving crazy amounts of cash, and I'll be making sure that nothing saturated in gross chemicals is touching the most sensitive parts of my little girl.

Nick has been one of my favorite parts of being pregnant.  He's been so cute and excited and supportive and loving.  I really can't stress enough how lucky I am.  I mean, I've hit husband jackpot here, and I know it.  He's so excited to be a daddy, and so excited that she is a girl.  He talks about how he will be with her, how he will be strict about this and about that, and I can't help but smile.  He has no idea what is about to hit him.  This little girl is going to have him wrapped around her tiny pinky the moment she first locks eyes with her daddy.  We'll see where his resolutions end up then!

The thing that I love most that he does is he will put his mouth right up to my belly and say "I love you little girl" almost every day.  Good Lord does it melt my heart.  Because I know he does, he really loves this little girl already, and he really loves me, and I know we will never have to go without really pure and beautiful love, and that makes me so happy for our little girl.  My dad is amazing, and I know how truly truly blessed I've been to have him.  I've got plenty of girl friends that would kill for a dad like mine.  Who would love them and tell them their beautiful and smart all the time, who'd tell them how proud he is of them, how they can do anything they set their minds to.  It's probably one of the biggest factors that's made me the happy, confident woman I am today.  And my daughter will have a father like that too.  Really, what more could I ask for?

There's so much more, but it will require another post or two... this is getting long and I've got to get ready for church!  I hope you all have an awesome day!

Debunking Cloth Diaper Myths

So I know my little one is not out here in the world, peeing and pooping her little heart out, but I am sold on cloth.  If nothing else, the savings would be enough to make me choose cloth.  We're talking between $2,000 to $2,500 per child, and I'm pretty sure that's not taking into account how much you'll save if you use cloth wipes too.  Factor that savings over two or three kids, and you have enough to buy a car or pay for a years tuition for your kid's college education.

Not to mention, they are ridiculously cuuute!

if you want to see some adorable fluffy diapers you can check out this site, which I personally love, PLUS you can get a free book on cloth diapering with any $15 purchase until the end of the month, which is awesome.  I will be doing this as well this month, because I still have a lot to learn, and I've heard good things about this book.  If you do make a purchase from Diaper Junction, use the code "CDBOOK" at checkout.

Shop Diaper Junction to save $5 off your first $50 order  - Use coupon AFL550 - Some restrictions apply.

Also, if you're curious, check out this article about the myths surrounding cloth diapers.  There's tons more on their blog too if it makes you think about giving it a try!

http://www.clothdiaperblog.com/debunking-top-3-myths-about-cloth-diapers/

Confessions of a Pinterest Addict

Have you heard of Pinterest.com?  If you haven't, you should definitely check it out.  Although I will warn you, it will consume you!  Basically it's one big idea-board where you can personalize your own "boards"with things that you've found online that you love.  I've found way too many ideas for our little girls nursery, crafts, design ideas, and amazing recipes.

Needless to say I have way more pins than I've been able to try out, but these are a few of my favorites found on pinterest that I have tried, and have loved!

I've made a couple of these baby blankets so far, and plan to make a couple more, they are so cute and easy!  This is from the blog "Greener Grass."

http://melissadark.blogspot.com/2011/09/easy-baby-blanket-tutorial.html


I've also decided to make all my babe's fitted crib sheets.  Because I cannot for the life of me find sheets that I like.  Why must everything baby be pastel-colored?  I hate pastels!  Thank goodness this is an easy project that does not involve to much in the way of advanced sewing, because my sewing machine sat neglected in the basement for quite a few years, I'm ashamed to say...

The tutorial I used is this one from Tracy's Treasury, although you can find TONS all over the web.

http://www.tracystreasury.com/do-it-yourself/sewing/4baby/fittedsheets/cribsheets.html


The last one I will share with you today is one of my favorites.  I MAY have made about 20 of these after finding this tutorial from Cally Cruze.  They are super cute, easy, and WAAAAY cheaper than buying a bunch of pairs of real BabyLegs.

http://cally-cruze.blogspot.com/2009/03/baby-legs-tutorial.html


To see more of the projects and baby-goodness I have on my pinterest page, feel free to check it out here.  And now I should be off to make another fitted sheet, because I am running short on baby-free time here!

Happy Crafting!

Beginning to Feather the Nest

It's a gray evening promising snow here in Kansas City.  I figure that it's as good a time as any to start a new blog!

I am a wife in my 20's, and in about a month I will also be a new mom.  Which is crazy.  And amazing.  These past 8 (well 9, because what they don't tell you is that pregnancy really lasts for 10) months have gone by so fast!  We're still painting and decorating and cleaning and planning... and probably will be right up until our little girl is born, because we are horrible procrastinators.  So this blog will be all about getting ready for baby, having baby, and jumping headfirst into first-time parenthood.  In the midst of all that, I've been making what I can for my baby girl, trying to be as much of a DIY-er as possible to save us some cash and hopefully to leave my princess with some hand-made goodies she can treasure when she gets older.

I may have bitten off more than I can chew.  =)

I can't wait to share my adventures in DIY-ing, cloth diapering, not sleeping, and new-mommy-ing.  Ok well, hopefully there's less of the not sleeping going on than I'm afraid of.  Naiive?  Sure, but a girl can hope, right?