House Projects

Ahh the lovely experiences of homeownership.  We have been in our 1st home for 3 1/2 years now.  It's crazy how time flies.  We have already gotten some of the big and little projects off of our my our list, but I think when you own a home there is always the next project that is on the honey-do list either because you want to or because you have to.  Here's a re-cap of some things we've done already...this list is surprising me with how long it actually is:

DOWNSTAIRS

Initial House painting:
Living Room accent wall and Dining Room Faux Finishing, man cave

Thermostat Replacement

Living Room Draperies

The year-long kitchen remodel which included:
Cabinets
Hardware
Granite
Backsplash
Sink
Faucet
Peninsula Chandelier
Accent Wall
Patio Doors

Kitchen artwork


UPSTAIRS

Guest Bath Refresh included painting & over-toilet towel rack

Master Bedroom Remodel included:
Painting
Artwork
New Furniture (when we moved into our house)
Flooring
Rug
Bedding
Draperies

Upstairs Hallway Nightlight Receptacle

Closet Door Giftwrap Organizer

Of course the Nursery/Bedroom3 Remodel which included:
Flooring
Painting
Furniture & décor
Ceiling Fan
 
Then there was the Flood which prompted:
New Washer & Dryer
Ceiling patching & painting
New flooring downstairs
Replacement carpet on 2nd floor hallway and staircase
Replacement Vinyl floor in laundry closet

Hallway art project

Hanging our Photo collage frame on the staircase


 GENERAL

Getting things on the walls always seems to take forever.  We still don't have this completely done.

Having my own space for art/crafting/sewing.  This is a work in progress and my "art corner" from this post actually no longer exists.  Thanks Pack & Play.

Landscaping will be the death of me.  We haven't really done anything in the past couple years.  Probably should get on that.




 ...I've been itching to tackle some projects lately.  I feel like so many rooms are halfway how I want them, or we have things partially done.  Instead of doing a little here and a little there, I think I want to start tackling one thing at a time to completely get it done.  So, look for that list tomorrow and I will of course slowly update as things get checked off the list!

 

37 Weeks....Baby is Full Term!

 

This past weekend Jake and I had maternity pictures taken by the very talented Griffin Poulter Photography [GPP facebook page] and I must admit I'm a little obsessed with them.  I was so nervous going into Saturday of how they would turn out--would the lighting in our nursery come out right, would the room be too small to get good shots, would the weather hold out since it was calling for rain, would I feel pretty or feel like a blimp?  I could not be happier with not only the final product, but also with our whole experience!  Griffin was very thorough, making sure to get all of the shots that we wanted [from posing/style ideas found on pinterest] as well as making some suggestions of her own.  Looking at these pictures makes me so excited to welcome our little girl :)

How far along?  37 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain/loss: +29 lbs 

Maternity clothes? Yes. 

Sleep: I'm getting in about 2-3 hours straight before I have to get up to turn over, go to the bathroom, eat a snack, or let the dogs out.  I guess it's preparing me for nights with a newborn though!

Best baby moment this week:  Seeing our maternity pictures! 

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything?  Sleeping through the night.  Moving quickly.  
 

Movement: Little baby feet in my ribs...rolling around in there...

Food cravings: Granny Smith apples w/peanut butter! Lots of fruit.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really

Have you started to show yet: oh yes

Gender: girl- Ryleigh Marie :)

Labor Signs: Found out at my appointment this week that some changes are already happening...which doesn't necessarily mean I'm about to go into labor, but hopefully this will make the labor process a little quicker/easier when it does happen...Definitely a reality check though!  I can't believe that my due date is less than 3 weeks away.....

Belly Button in or out?  Half & half?

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy/tired.  

Looking forward to:  Continuing to get things settled around the house...also starting to pack my hospital bag and we need to install the car seat...just in case!

 

 

 

Nesting Mode

Yay for things coming together!  This week I have been nesting like crazy.  I don't know what it is...I will be tired and worn out, dealing with sciatic nerve pain, but then all of a sudden get this huge urge to do something.  Opening the box of Amazon goodies turned into opening the box, unboxing and putting everything away, setting up the sound machine, reorganizing the changing table [which was covered in baby shower goodies], cleaning and organizing the guest bath vanity, master bath vanity, kitchen countertops, completely cleaning out and reorganizing the pantry, and I ran two loads of laundry...within a span of about 2.5 hours!

 

 

Then last night, Jake had to run to Walmart to get a couple things, and I all of a sudden had a burst of energy and decided to finally sew the crib skirt.  The design I was going with was really simple, the skirt is actually 3 pieces [2 sides and front] that stay separate and as you lower the crib you can adjust the three skirt pieces so that it doesn't get all bunched up and lumpy looking.  I still need to get the Velcro to attach it, but we taped it in last night to make sure the size fit and see how it looked :)

 

 

And to further help with my need for organization, I found a fun diaper bag today!  I originally chose one from Target, but saw this deal on Zulily today for a Built brand diaper bag--usually retails for $120 and I got it for $55 including shipping!  That's still $20 cheaper than the original one I wanted, and I'm excited because I love Built products...

 

I love all of the pockets and the two options for shoulder straps.  I was debating which pattern to go with, and ultimately decided on the black/white polka dot one.  It's neutral but still fun :)  It will also match our Travel System and my designer mind really cares about that...I can't wait until it arrives and I can start filling it up!

 

 

 

Packages :)

Have I mentioned how much coming home to baby packages on my doorstep is pretty much better than Christmas? Cause it is.  For our baby shower, one of my aunts from PA mailed us a sweet card with Amazon [one of the places I registered] gift card.  We were able to get all of these items for her since Amazon was having a great sale!  & I just received the notification that I'll get to open these fun things tonight:

1.  Boon Squirt Spoon / I have read amazing reviews on how easy this spoon makes feeding a little one [once she's old enough] especially when you aren't at home.  I'm already planning on getting a couple more.
2.  Boon Pulp Silicone Feeder / Also read great things about this feeder, especially when you freeze it for teething babies. 
3.  Summer Infant Contoured Changing Pad / A changing pad is a changing pad I guess, but I like that it's a double layer of quilted vinyl to be soft, durable, and easy to clean.
4.  Aquatopia Bath Thermometer & Alarm Turtle / This little thing seems helpful and cute! I like that it's not only a thermometer, it also has an alarm to alert you when the water is too hot OR too cold for baby. 
5.  Graco Sweet Slumber Sound Machine / I've read great reviews about this sound machine.  I like the range of songs, nature noises, and white noise that you can choose from.  It also lets off a soft glow for a night light.  It also has an mp3 player plug in, so we can play any songs that we want for her.  It's also only about 6" wide so it's nice that it isn't too big and won't take up too much room on the dresser.
6.  Boon Orb Bottle Warmer / I chose this bottle warmer because of the great reputation of Boon products, and also because I love that it comes with a basket to also warm baby food.  I plan to dabble in making baby food once Ryleigh is old enough, and I think this will really come in handy!


I'm hoping that all of these products live up to the hype!  Once little girl is here we will find out :)  But in the mean time, it makes me so happy to see the final bits and pieces of her nursery and other house baby prep coming together!

 

Baby Bargin!

Today thanks to Frugal Coupon Living, one of the deal blogs I follow, we scored a great deal on our baby monitor for little one!

I was checking the blog updates and saw that Kohl's had a great deal on the Motorola 2.8" Wireless Baby Video Monitor that we are registered for at Target.  Here's the breakdown:

Original Price:           $229.99
Kohl's Sale Price:      $189.99   [Target Sale Price is currently $179.99]

Coupon: BABYLOVE20 saved $38
Coupon: LUCKY15OFF saved $23

AND:
Kohls.com on orders of $75 or more = Free Standard Shipping!
Earn $10 Kohls Cash on every $50 spent:  $20 Kohls Cash earned

So, our baby monitor is originally $229.99, and with sales tax I paid $138.23.  With the Kohls Cash that we will receive, that's like getting our monitor for $118, over $100 in savings :)


**Other Mommas:  The Frugal Coupon posting is from yesterday and says to stack the coupons BABYLOVE20 and HAPPY2014, however today HAPPY2014 did not work for me.  I found LUCKY15OFF and that worked like a charm for the same discount!


Gotta love a great deal! Plus, we just received a card for our baby shower gift from my grandparents who live out of town, and used that money towards this purchase.  I love to keep track of what we purchase with gift cards or monetary gifts, because we can let those people know what they helped us get for Ryleigh and how useful/helpful it will be!  Especially with having a lot of far-away relatives, it makes it more fun since they can't experience the actual baby shower.



The countdown is getting real....

Look for another "bumpdate" later this week after my 33 week appointment on Friday :)

 

31 Weeks!

Not the best picture, but it was the only one we got on Christmas day!

How far along?  31 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain/loss: +23lbs...darn those Christmas cookies! haha but really things seem to be on track and my OB is happy with where we're at so far....

Maternity clothes? All the time!  Now I'm also trying to focus on nursing clothing and taking that into account when/if I purchase any clothing.

Sleep: Seems to be okay...getting tired and taking some weekend or evening naps here and there.  I've gotten a few leg cramps in the middle of the night which is not fun.  I'm having a little more back/hip pain as this bump gets bigger and bigger so sometimes it's difficult to figure out a way to lay that is comfortable.

Best baby moment this week:  Several!  Jake and I went to childbirth class on Saturday and learned lots about preparing for the exciting, yet dreaded, childbirth.  I have to admit that it pretty much scares the mess out of me.  But, I'm now feeling super informed and finding some confidence in myself and the choices that Jake and I will make for bringing our daughter into this world.  We had a great instructor and both really liked the class.  

 

On our way home from class, we bought little one's crib mattress!  Selecting one seems overwhelming and impossible to do with all of the choices available, but I did some research and we settled on the Lullaby Earth Stage 2 crib mattress from Buy Buy Baby [thank you 20% off BBB coupon!].  It's a huge matter of personal preference, but the important aspects came down to organic materials, firmness/support, and it's waterproof so it will be easy to clean and hold up well.

 

Also all the love and Christmas gifts for Ryleigh :)  She's already one lucky little girl.  She got some outfits and pj's, bedtime prayer board book, squeeze/teethe blocks, and two handmade quilts!  I had to hold myself together when I opened up the beautiful quilt from my friend Shanti, which she also had embroidered with Ryleigh's name and it has the softest minky fabric back.  That will keep her warm next winter for sure! 

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything?  Being able to sit down and get up quickly...being able to get dressed quickly...being able to do anything quickly...haha

Movement: lots, especially around meal times or after 7:30pm.  Night owl!

Food cravings: Still pasta, chocolate milk, and juice!  Trying out some out-of-the-ordinary flavors but not necessarily weird--like Hawaiian pizza.   

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really

Have you started to show yet: Oh yes :)  belly bump is measuring right on track at 32cm/32 weeks [I've been measuring 4 days ahead for a while now]

Gender: GIRL!  

Labor Signs: No, hopefully not until sometime in February!

Belly Button in or out?  In, but getting pretty shallow. 

Wedding rings on or off? On, but some days it's a little snug.

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy/tired.  I do get emotional over sad/sweet things.  

Looking forward to: More nursery progress, and celebrating on New Year's Eve--closing out one pretty great year and looking forward to 2014 because I know it will be even better!  Also our maternity pictures and baby shower coming up in a few weeks!

 

 

 

29 Weeks!

Whoa hello 3rd trimester!  I can't believe we are already a week in, and that I'm going to be 30 weeks next week! That number just makes me feel like I'm sooo far along! 

Had my Glucose test this morning for my 28/29 week appointment.  I guess it wasn't quite as horrible as I had built it up to be, but it was still pretty nasty.  I took the first sip of my drink [I had the red one] and thought "well, maybe this won't be so bad" because it tasted like really strong Hawaiian Punch.  However, by the time I got to the bottom of that bottle I was questioning if I'd be able to hold it down for an hour!  I was told to put it in the refrigerator so that it tasted better, but I think that made it thicken a little.  Yuck--makes me gag just thinking about it again.

Everything else at the appointment seemed good! Measuring on track, baby's strong heartbeat at 143 bpm, and got my T-dap [whooping cough] vaccine.  Also found out yesterday at my follow-up renal ultrasound--for checking my kidneys/Hydronephrosis--that baby girl is head-down.  Of course, it's early and she could still move, but that's a good sign for being on track for a "normal" delivery.

Me & hubs before my company Christmas dinner last weekend :)

How far along? 29 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: +20lbs...little bit of a jump in the past month! Let's blame it on Thanksgiving....

Maternity clothes? All the time!  With a couple pre-prego shirts and sweaters mixed in, although those options are starting to dwindle because they won't fully cover my belly. [And let's be honest--some of Jake's sweatpants and shirts for comfy lounge clothes and pajamas!]

Sleep: This past week, pretty terrible.  I think it's a combination of being extra tired from the weather, a growing baby, Jake's crazy work schedule last week, the dogs being unsettled because of the weird work schedule, lots of things to do.....I guess I've probably over-done it a bit.  I just can't seem to get comfortable, my kidneys have been acting up again [but still not as painful as 6 weeks ago-thankfully!], I've had more back pain from my ever-growing belly.....the list goes on.  I'm just glad that although I toss and turn all night long, the sleep I do get is pretty darn good--like when you've only been asleep for 45 minutes, wake up/toss & turn, and feel like it's been 5 hours--so I'm not walking around like a zombie all day. 

Best baby moment this week:  Feeling her STRONG kicks.  Some so hard that they move my whole body.  Jake was talking to my belly the other night, and she kicked so hard my belly hit him in the face! haha...Also, had a great time Black Friday shopping!  I found some great deals on things like picture frames and a bookcase for her nursery :)

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything?  Being able to sit down and get up quickly...being able to sleep on my back or my stomach...putting on socks or underwear without difficulty...

Movement: tons

Food cravings: Still pasta.  Always TONS of milk, chocolate milk, and juice!  Ice cream/milkshakes--not necessarily a craving but it's the only thing that seems to help my terrible indigestion/acid reflux or whatever it is. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: The drink for my glucose test made me super queasy.  I think the worst part was having to have an empty stomach.

Have you started to show yet: Oh yes :)

Gender: GIRL!  

Labor Signs: No, and better not for a while!

Belly Button in or out?  In, but getting a little shallow. 

Wedding rings on or off? On, but some days it's a little snug.

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy/tired.  I do get emotional over sad/sweet things.  My lack of sleep has made me a little moody/irritable this past week though.

Looking forward to: Childbirth class, Christmas, and getting the crib set up!

 

 

 

Bits & Pieces....and coupon codes!

Bits & pieces of the To-Do list are getting checked off!  One item down:  crib mobile.  I was checking my deal blogs and found that diapers.com is having some great discounts right now for Black Friday week.  The Tiny Love brand is 30% off [with code JOYTINYLOVE], and while perusing some of their items I found the cutest little mobile that will match perfectly to Ryleigh's nursery:

 

At least from what I can tell from the photos, the colors of the mobile are spot-on with her giraffe fabric!  Also, the mobile arm can detach and once she's too big for it, we can keep using the sound machine.  The sound machine also has a remote control, which might turn out to be handy.  The only thing I'm a little worried about is that a few of the reviews said they had a hard time fitting the mobile to their convertible crib, but eventually made it work with some Velcro or similar straps.  Hopefully it fits just fine, but if not it looks like we will need to get creative!

 

Here is another deal code for my momma friends and mommas-to-be!  Use my friends & family referral code at Diapers.com and you will get an additional 20% off your order!  code:  STAC0250

 

 

Yay for decorating, sales and progress!!!

 



 

Fiasco Avoided!

Well, let's take a peek at the nursery progress, shall we?!



Paint selection, Behr Premium in Botanical Tint

Accent Wall painted! [BIG thanks to my parents for helping!] 

And the big fiasco that was thankfully avoided...furniture lead times.  Let me tell you.  I've read several different things before about how some nursery furniture takes 4-6 weeks to come in, and we already picked out the set that we wanted, so I figured it was about time to order.  Thankfully I called and checked on that this week.  Of course, the set that we chose--after much research and discussion--has a lead time of 16-18 weeks!?!  what the #(*@#%$?! Just in case you need a refresher....we've only got 13 1/2 weeks left until our due date!  Well, we were extremely lucky and the Charlotte location of BuyBuyBaby had ONE double dresser in stock, but no crib.  I called the Columbia store, and they, by some act of God, had two cribs on order that should be arriving within two weeks.  One was already sold, so I snatched up the other one as quick as I could!!  We should be getting a call by December 5th to be able to go pick it up, so by mid December it should be all put together :)  I think seeing her crib [although it won't have sheets or anything yet] in the room will definitely make reality sink in a little more!

P.S.--Jake decided that as soon as I got the dresser home it had to be unboxed and brought up to the nursery.  My stubborn husband was determined to get it upstairs and in place.  It was my  job to carry the individual drawers up [and down and up and down] the stairs...talk about  a workout! haha...At least he knows the proper way to move and carry furniture since he had to pretty much get it upstairs himself.  I would help to "stabilize" while we maneuvered it around the staircase, all while he would fuss at me every two seconds not to pull or hold any of the weight.  Then, once we got it up in the room and the drawers back in, I walked back in the room to find him doing this:

...Those would be all of the beanie babies and stuffed animals that my parents had saved from my childhood for my children to play with.  We went through the boxes this past weekend and picked out a few bunch that were cute or girlie or she could possibly be obsessed with after watching a Disney movie [i.e. the Gorilla beanie baby if she likes The Jungle Book or Tarzan, the baboon beanie baby if she likes The Lion King, or the fish beanie baby if she likes Nemo].  I know that's a little silly but hey, we're first time parents :)  He also decided to take it upon himself to put the pants and onesies that are not being hung up in the closet into that top drawer...and he tried to throw away two little skirts that he deemed "too short".....ohhh, this little girl is in for some rough teenage years.