Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Zoey's nursery reveal!

Okay, okay... I can't wait any longer. I am SO ready to show off my work on our baby girl's room! Like I said in my last post, it's almost done... save for just 2 more projects. I decided today that it is done enough to finally show off! So, here it is!

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The crib! We got her crib at Target for $300, and it converts into a toddler bed, day bed, and full sized bed. We also got the matching dresser! I still need to finish sewing her crib skirt, which will match the curtains.

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Her mobile! I saw this idea on a few blogs, and just had to do it for Zoey's room. It's made with tissue paper and yarn. The tutorials I used are here and here! The "Shhh.... baby dreaming" wall decal came from Michael's.

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These 3D flower canvases were my most recently completed project. I found 3 big flowers at Joann's that matched the colors of her nursery, and I popped the stems off. I painted 3 8"x8" gallery canvases in coordinating colors, and used the end of a paint brush to  paint white polkadots. Then, I poked a hole in the middle of each canvas, and hot glued the flowers onto each canvas! 

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Her closet! We opted to take the doors off (because sliding doors are not very nice to tiny fingers!), and we painted her closet a pretty avocado green! 

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The frame collage. This is one of the projects that needs to be completed. I'm going to paint a tree for the bottom right frame, and I'm working on a cross stitch birth announcement for the bottom left frame. As for the top 3 frames, they're still to be decided on. The big funky mirror in the middle was purchased at Target for $20, and painted white. The oval frame on the bottom has my hand print and Thomas's hand print, and will be finished off with Zoey's little tiny hand print after she's born. I would love to take credit for that wonderful idea, but I totally jacked it from Kate! I fell in love with her sweet African-themed nursery for her baby girl... Who just so happens to also be named Zoey!

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Dresser/changing table. The blue flowers came from Michael's. The canvases were decorated by me.... The birds were pulled from her crib quilt fabric (which you'll see in a minute), and the letters were done with my Cricut Expression 2 and the "Straight from the Nest" cartridge. The letters came from Hobby Lobby. They were unfinished wood, and I painted them with the same paint used for the closet.

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Curtains were made by me with 2 of the coordinating fabrics from the collection that I used as inspiration for her room. The collection is called "Baby Birds" from Joann.

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Crib pillows! I used the nursery fabric, as well as some odds and ends that I had laying around the craft room. I found the tutorial on Pinterest... You can find it here!

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Crib quilt, made by mommy! Also, the shaggy rug came from Target!

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Bow board! My friend Krystal and I found the frame for $7 at Goodwill.. We de-constructed it, spray painted it, covered the cardboard backing with bating, fabric, and ribbon, and hot glued the crap out of it! I also made all of her flowers... I think she needs some more! :)

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And her shelves. I bought them in a set of 3 at Target. The bird houses came from Joann for $1 a piece, and I painted them in the coordinating nursery colors. The green bird came from Michael's, as well as the block Z. The cute Ultrasound picture frame came from Hobby Lobby... It says "Love at First Sight". I still need to put one of her pictures in it!

A quick note about the paint colors, in case you're wondering how I got the perfectly-matched colors.... Paint samples at Lowes! They're $3... Krystal and I took the crib quilt to Lowes, matched up some paint chips, and got paint samples in the coral, baby pink, mint green, and sky blue! They have definitely come in handy! 

I hope you love her sweet, girly room as much as I do... I'm really proud of the way it turned out! As my mother in law says, "It's done... No room for anything else but Zoey!"

Sunday, June 24, 2012

32 weeks pregnant!

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How far along? 32 weeks
Baby is the size of a: A large jicama
Total weight gain: 19 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yep, and lots of dresses!
Stretch marks? I found a few new ones on the insides of my thighs, but like the ones on my hips, they're very light. 
Sleep: Pretty good, for now.
Best moment this week? Getting more done on Zoey's nursery... only 2 small projects left! It looks so precious... I can't wait to show you all! 
Miss anything? Bending over. Lol
Movement: Lots and lots!
Cravings? Strawberry cheesecake ice cream. :)
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!
Labor signs: Nada, though I'm having more braxton hicks recently.
Symptoms: My feet have been very swollen lately, so I invested in some compression socks to wear to work. Also, my hands are now tingly when I wake up, which I've heard/read is pretty normal. Still freaks me out though.
Belly Button in or out? Out for sure.
Wedding rings on or off? Off.
Happy or moody most of the time? Happy!
Looking forward to: Finishing Zoey's nursery, my last day of work in just 25 days, my baby showers in a few weeks, and our little girl's big debut! 

Sunday, June 17, 2012

31 Weeks Pregnant

Holy crap! Can you believe there is only 9 weeks left??! (Well, hopefully just 9 weeks... I'm being hopeful. She'll probably come fashionably late. "It's an estimation, not an expiration.") I really can't wait to see her!

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(Does this shirt look familiar? That's because I have it in 3 colors. ;)  )

How far along? 31 weeks! Single digit countdown!
Baby is the size of a: (the weight of) 4 naval oranges! Almost 3 and a half pounds and over 16 inches long.
Total weight gain: almost 19 lbs
Maternity clothes? Yep!
Stretch marks? Still just a few, but nothing on the belly.
Sleep: Actually sleeping really well... I doubt this will continue for much longer, so I'm enjoying it while it lasts!
Best moment this week? Lots of fun things this week... Thomas woke up in the middle of the night and got to feel one of Zoey's 2 am parties... It was the first time he got to REALLY feel  her jump all over the place! I woke up at 4 and both of his hands were on my belly. He was so excited!! I also have started making the thank you notes for my shower with my Cricut... They're SO cute! I will post pictures of them AFTER I send them out! And one more fun thing, we went to Build-a-Bear and made Zoey a buddy!

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After we took our sweet little bear home, it was only appropriate to dress her up in some of Zoey's clothes! :)

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See more pics on Instagram... Elbylol
Miss anything? Not really, other than the usual (like sleeping on my belly!) I'm enjoying being pregnant!
Movement: She's all over the place! Thomas got to feel her hiccups last night!
Cravings? Nothing weird... 
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!
Labor signs: Nope!
Symptoms: The swelling has worsened in the last week, especially in my feet! I officially can't wear my Toms anymore (wahhhhhh!) but my awesome MIL bought me some Mary Jane Crocs to wear to work for the next month. Ugly as hell, but they'll give me plenty of swelling room so hopefully my feet won't be SO miserable!
Belly Button in or out? Out, and getting more "out" day by day!
Wedding rings on or off? Off. :(
Happy or moody most of the time? Happy!
Looking forward to: Painting her closet today, my baby shower in about a month, and not working anymore in a month! And of course, I can't stop thinking about meeting our little Zoey!

Sunday, June 10, 2012

29 and 30 week pregnant, and some maternity photos!


I'm really sorry that I missed last week's post... I had a picture taken and everything, but I didn't have my SD card in my camera, and I couldn't find my cable. Luckily, today I figured out how to copy them from the camera to the card, so I was able to get it! So, today's post is a double post... a 29 week picture, along with the 30 week picture and questions. Also, at the end of the post, you'll see a few of my beautiful maternity pictures taken by my lovely friend Anna! There will be a link to her blog below with all of the pictures that she took for us on Friday!


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Our 29 week picture was taken on the day that we celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee... the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. My husband's family lives in England, and since my MIL is in town visiting with us right now, she missed the big celebration over there... so we had a party here instead! Complete with British-esque foods, tacky British decorations, and good fun with family and friends! It was really a blast!

Now, for 29 weeks. Here's one of our maternity pics... I'll include a few more at the end!


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How far along? 30 Weeks... Only 10 weeks left! I can't believe it!
Baby is the size of a: head of Cabbage... 3 pounds, and almost 16 inches!
Total weight gain: 17 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Yes, and loving it! I don't think I'll ever wear regular pants again!
Stretch marks? Still just a few, but nothing on the belly.
Sleep: Sleeping well! For the last week or so, I haven't even woken up to go to the bathroom! Whoa!
Best moment this week? So many good ones this week! My MIL is in town, so we've had fun with her. I have also gotten a lot of work done on her nursery, with only a few small projects left until it's all done! Also our maternity pictures on Friday were a blast!
Miss anything? Wine, and sleeping on my belly.
Movement: After taking a few breaks, she's been SUPER active! A few people have gotten to feel her roll under their hands, and my cousin and step-sister-in-law got to feel her hiccups!
Cravings? Nothing out of the ordinary. (My husband swears that I've been craving Choco-Tacos, but I think that was more "power of suggestion" than anything, because he just wouldn't shut up about them until he found a box and brought them home. Maybe HE is the one having the cravings!
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!
Labor signs: Nothing out of the ordinary... still a few Braxton Hicks here and there, but nothing super uncomfortable.
Symptoms: I've started swelling up if I stay outside or on my feet for too long... My hands and feet get very swollen very quickly, followed by my ankles, which have now learned a nifty disappearing trick.
Belly Button in or out? I think we can call it officially OUT! The bottom part is still flat-ish, but the top half is definitely out. I'm going to have an outtie by the end of this!
Wedding rings on or off? I retired my wedding rings to my jewelry box just a few days after my last post. It was just getting too hard to  get them on and off, and I didn't want to take the chance of them getting stuck. I did get them on for my maternity pictures, but they were SCARY tight by the end. I had been wearing my husband's "engagement ring"... a silver band that I got for him to wear while we were engaged, but even that got tight. My mom gave me a pretty fake one that she had to wear while her rings were in the shop recently, and they're very loose, so I'll be sticking with these hopefully until the end!
Happy or moody most of the time? Happy!
Looking forward to: Finishing up her nursery, my shower in about 5 weeks, my career change in about 6 weeks, and of course, my sweet baby girl's arrival! Here's hoping the next 10 weeks go as fast as the last 30 have!

As promised, here are a few more maternity pictures!

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You can see more of Anna's beautiful work, as well as the rest of the pictures from our maternity session, at www.annamichellejohnson.com. Also, I joined Instagram this week! Follow me, elbylol! 

See you next week!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

28 Weeks Pregnant - Hello, third trimester!

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Whoa, tan mama!
How far along? 28 Weeks... Third trimester, YAY!
Baby is the size of a: Chinese cabbage... 2 1/4 lbs and almost 15 inches long!
Total weight gain: 12 lbs
Maternity clothes? Nothing but maternity! I even got to break in my bathing suit this weekend!
Stretch marks? A few new ones have popped up on the inside of my thighs...
Sleep: Much better! Though I'm sure not for long...
Best moment this week? Relaxing! I overdid it last weekend, so I really took a break this weekend. I am off until Wednesday, so I'm going to do some good cleaning before my MIL gets here Wednesday night. Also, I ordered our diaper bag this weekend!! I was going to wait, but it was on sale for Memorial Day (30% off), so my husband said to go ahead. Look how cute it is!
I ordered it from www.timiandleslie.com. Click the link to see more views of the bag! It comes with a changing pad, longer strap to make it a single strap bag, and 2 small straps to attach it to a stroller. I really love it!
Miss anything? Not much.
Movement: She had a blast yesterday when I went to the pool... Every time I got in the water, she'd move and roll around!
Cravings? Nothing out of the ordinary.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!
Labor signs: None, although I think I've started having some mild Braxton Hicks contractions in the last few weeks. I wasn't really sure what they were at first, but they've gotten a bit stronger. VERY infrequent though... Usually when I have a full bladder and I go to the bathroom.
Symptoms: Legs are pretty tired, and over the last week I've had some severe upper back pain. Like, up by my bra strap. It almost feels like I pinched something... I'm going to talk to my doctor about it on Tuesday. Otherwise, I'm really feeling great!
Belly Button in or out? Still flat/out-ish.
Wedding rings on or off? Still on, but getting tighter. I forsee them going in my jewelry box very soon... :(
Happy or moody most of the time? Happy!
Looking forward to: My MIL's visit, finishing some projects in Z's nursery... And of course, meeting our sweet baby girl in just TWELVE weeks!

And, since I have 12 weeks left, I figured I'd post a picture from when I was only 12 weeks pregnant! My, how this belly has changed...
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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Closer to Stay-at-home-mommy-hood...

And now for something completely different!

I've been meaning to write this out for awhile... And today, I just decided I might as well make a blog post about it. Even if no one reads it, I feel like I just need to get my feelings out.

When my husband and I got engaged,  naturally we talked about having kids and how we would raise them. He mentioned that he'd really like me to stay at home with our babies, as that's what his mom did. Honestly, I'd never really thought of it before. My mom was a single mom, and she always had a job (or three). I always just saw myself working. The more we talked about it, the more exciting the prospect seemed... So we agreed that I would stop working when we had our first. I've actually become pretty excited about it!

I love my job. I'm an orthodontic assistant, and I've been working for the same doctor for almost 7 years. I can honestly, truly say that I really love my job. Of course, there are the days where I just want to scream, and I think that's true with ANY job... But I can really say that over all, I really do enjoy what I do. I get to work with kids, and I get to watch them grow up and blossom into beautiful, confident young adults. I get to see them turn from that shy, self-conscious, awkward kid into a beautiful, self confident young person. People say that braces are "all cosmetic", but they really do change lives. Just to see the change in people's outlook on life as their smile changes and they become more confident... It's just amazing! Of course, that may not be true with ALL of my patients, but I have seen some really amazing changes in the last few years of working along side my boss. I really feel like we change lives! Call it cheesy if you will... but I did say I love my job. ;)

Now, here we are, 12-ish weeks until my due date. I've officially given my boss heads up for my last day. July 19th. 8 weeks and 2 days from now. A month before our sweet baby girl makes her big debut. I'll be leaving the job that I love so much to take on a whole new role in life. A mom. I will have a little girl that I will spend all of my time with. She'll be my little side-kick... We'll go for walks, we'll dance and sing, we'll paint our toes... and we'll get to know each other really well at 2 am. I am so excited! But at the same time... I'm leaving my kids at work! I'm starting to see patients that I won't see again, and I have to break the news that this is the last time they'll see me. I've had a few patients cry when I tell them. I can't tell you how many times a day I now hear "We're going to miss you!" or "What are we going to do without you?" As much as it warms my heart, I want to cry at the same time... And I have. I have shed many tears over it. It really is bittersweet... I feel like I'm leaving the life I know behind for a new, exciting adventure... And I'm nervous. I'm nervous as hell, but at the same time, I can't wait. So many mixed feelings...

There's one thing I keep reminding myself... They can get another orthodontic assistant. Zoey won't get another mommy.


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I hope you're ready for this, baby girl... We're both going to be learning as we go, but I think we can handle it.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

27 Weeks Pregnant

My sincerest apologies for the lack of post last week.... Things have been NUTS around here!

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How far along? 27 Weeks
Baby is the size of an: Head of cauliflower in weight... 2 pounds and 14.5 inches long!
Total weight gain: 11 lbs
Maternity clothes? Nothing but maternity! :)
Stretch marks? Same... just a few.
Sleep: Better now that my doctor said it's not absolutely critical that I sleep on my left side... 
Best moment this week? Our room mate moved out, so I gained a craft room! We have been so busy cleaning, shampooing carpets, and de-junking... But it was SO worth it!
Miss anything? Not much.
Movement: A ton! My friend Krystal got to feel her roll around the other day.
Cravings? Chicken salad sandwiches this week. :)
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!
Labor signs: Nada.
Symptoms: Same as usual. I'm pretty tired and achey, and my feet have decided they want to start swelling up at the end of long days.
Belly Button in or out? 1/4 out... I can officially see the inside of my belly button when I look at it. :D
Wedding rings on or off? Still on! I hope they stay that way!
Happy or moody most of the time? Happy!
Looking forward to: Finishing Z's nursery! It's almost done... Krystal helped me spray paint some picture frames this weekend, as well as a funky mirror that we found at Target. I also hung some shelves beside her crib. I have to get a book case, but then everything is done! Can't believe this is the last week of my 2nd trimester... She's going to be here SO SOON! Also, my MIL is coming to town next week! I can't wait to show her all that we've done! This will be her last visit until Zoey arrives!