welcome to my crib!

last weekend, my good friend and i spent about 4 hours repainting LW's nursery. i've never painted before and while i certainly enjoyed myself, it was hard work! i'm so thankful my friend is an experienced painter, because i never would have been able to do with without her! Here are some shots of our work:

 

the paint fairies definitely visited us because we had JUST enough paint to cover the two walls we painted. i was a little perturbed because i had even used a handy "paint calculator" on the Glidden website that told me i would have more than enough paint. luckily, i still had my leftover paint sample because we had to scrape every drop of paint to finish up. i'm also thankful we used duo paint + primer. it cut down on a ton of grunt work!

now to my newest advancement in the nursery, our crib! i want to give a shout out to Walmart for not only having a crib i loved, but also because of their customer service. i ordered the crib this past Tuesday, and when i got home from work on Wednesday, it was already at my door! That's even faster than the ship to store option! i don't have to explain to most of you that this is not a typical Walmart situation. they have redeemed themselves in the slightest in my eyes. here she is, the Baby Mod Modena!

 i love this crib for many reasons:

• the color. it's not easy to find cribs in non-traditional colors. since dave and i couldn't agree on white vs. black cribs, this was the perfect compromise. 
• it comes with a free toddler conversion rail and parts. this usually costs an extra $100+ dollars, but not-so with this baby! i'm not sure if i will ever use it, because i feel like the conversion beds look a little silly, but at least i didn't have to pay extra for the option.
• it's unique. i love the solid sides and that it doesn't look uber babyish.
• it's the perfect size. it's not humongous looking, and doesn't overwhelm the nursery.
• it's quality. oh walmart, you've surprised me again! i was super shocked to receive the box in perfect condition, as well as the crib itself. there's not a scratch on it, and we didn't nick it at all whilst putting it together.

i'm loving this process of preparing for my little one on the way. i know she won't understand all that it took to make way for her, but she is the first thing on my mind most days and i just pray she will feel as loved as she is! i have a ways to still go, but i think my pink and grey nursery is coming along quite nicely:

hospital tour

now being in my 7th month, there seem to be a lot of "responsible" things that the hubs and i need to accomplish. one of these things was taking a tour of the hospital we'll be delivering at, St. Joseph Hospital in Orange.  i haven't been to this hospital since my younger sister shoved a fake pearl up her nose when she was about 5 and  had to be put in a straight jacket to have it removed. i'm still smarting that i never got a picture of that moment. people have asked me how i chose this hospital to deliver, and while i want to say it's because i did my research or i know first hand they have quality doctor's based on pearl removing experience, it's really only because that's where my OB delivers. and that's that.

so we signed up for the Maternity Open House this past Monday.

they say to take this tour when you're 8-9 months, but with the holidays coming, i didn't feel like trying to fit in what would surely be an uneventful class into my schedule of joy and good cheer.  that being said, i was definitely the least furthest along than all the other women there. i was a little bummed to learn that we would be taking a "virtual tour" instead of an actual tour, however it made sense because i really wasn't in the mood to be walking by women in labor, etc.

we walked away with lots of homework! one of which is choosing a pediatrician, which i will probably just pick from the list of docs with visiting privileges on the handy dandy sheet they gave me. i'm just not high maintenance about these things. how can i be, when i have no experience? i'm also beyond excited to watch the dvd "did you know your child would cry like this?" nothing like making a FTM feel ready! here's a snap shot of the goodies we received:

next week i have my breastfeeding class, in which i'm required to bring my own doll. i'll get back to  you on just why it is that a hospital wouldn't have ready-made breastfeeding dolls at their disposable for a class such as this.

2nd Trimester: done!

it goes without a doubt to say that i can't believe the 2nd Trimester has come and gone. i also think most women would agree with me that it's leaps and bounds better than the 1st Trimester, and also is the best out of all three. Though, having only gone through 2 I can't be sure.

i didn't have horrible morning sickness in my 1st Trimester, but the overall, constant feeling of sickness almost did me in. However, literally the FIRST morning of 2T i woke up and felt amazing! I got ready, and even wore lipstick AND perfume! To top it all off, i made it to work on time! i couldn't believe the wives tales of the 2nd Trimester being that much better were true.  but i wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. i haven't looked back since then.

the 2nd Trimester held a lot of milestones for me:

1. the best was feeling Little Wood move. there is absolutely no way to describe the feelings, both physically and emotionally. i didn't feel the much remarked "butterfly" feeling and felt like i had to wait longer than most. and as far as emotionally speaking- again, there are no  words.
2. finally starting to show. since i started feeling better in 2T, there was almost an odd sense of worry because i didn't "feel" pregnant (i.e. sick) and wasn't looking like it either. starting to show evened everything out.
3. feeling better! i was able to go back to the gym (though not as frequently) and could actually drink water without gagging.
4. finding out that LW is a girl! it really helped me bond and i've been able to feel like i can start preparing for her now that i know.

in the tradition of saying farewell to the 1st Trimester, i've compiled a list of some of my favorite things that helped get me through the 2T.  i've probably already talked about most these in the past, but when i looked back they were my saving grace!

the Preggle pregnancy pillow: sleeping with this was like learning to ride a bike. at first it was always just in the way and way too big for me to sleep with. but now i realize it's because I wasn't big enough. while i definitely recommend getting a pregnancy pillow early on to train yourself with sleeping with one, please know that it really starts to help when your belly is getting big and it hurts to sleep on your back. hugging this while side sleeping is where it's at.

Knudsen Cottage Cheese: ironic, as this is how your thighs are probably starting to look right now! but seriously, i buy the 3 gallon tub from Costco and usually have a little when i get  home from work before dinner. i don't feel guilty eating it, feel satiated, and it's a good source of dairy and protein.

Motherhood Maternity dress pants: if you don't work in an office, who cares right? go shopping wherever you want, spend whatever you want. but if you're a working professional like me (sounds much fancier than it really is) then you need decent work pants that aren't expensive. these are comfortable, look like legit dress pants (already got some complements from other preggos at work) and are cheap! don't let the Destination Motherhood people talk you into Pea in the Pod pants- not worth it!

Target Mossimo Micro Rib Tanks: i know i've talked about these a lot. they are my go-to undershirt, weekend shirt, and make my regular shirt look longer than it is shirt. i've always bought them in a Medium because i like them to be longer and now i can wear them well into 28 weeks. they are $9 at their most expensive, and are always on sale for $7 or even $4 in the clearance racks. plus, you don't feel bad if you stretch them out, and can wear them post delivery with the same sentiments about getting spit up on them. i plan to!

Mustela Double Action Stretch mark cream: I just got my 3rd bottle a few weeks ago and this will continue to make an appearance until stretch marks do. i figure i will need at least 1 more before all is said and done because my belly is only getting more surface area, and therefore, more cream. obviously i know that stretch marks are genetic but i will do everything in my power to prevent them. no stretch marks yet! i'm sure that gaining weight slowly and exercising have also aided in this journey, but i definitely put my stamp of approval so far on this cream.

whew! and there you have it. time has done nothing but speed up in this journey and i can't believe i have less than 3 months before i can meet my Little Wood.  hello 3rd Trimester!

Bumpdate- 27 Weeks

How far along: 27 weeks, 5 days. i've made it to the 3rd Trimester!

Baby is the size of: a head of cauliflower

Extra poundage: 13 lbs

Bump status: it's starting to really get in the way. i went to the movies yesterday and had the WORST time getting comfortable. and after painting the nursery for 3 hours on Saturday, the only thing i could do after was lay on the couch because of my aching back. ahh, the joys of pregnancy.

Favorite food of the week: Thanksgiving food! 

Heartburn worthy foods: nope, nada.

Favorite piece of clothing this week: i'm digging my new maternity shirt from Target in the picture above. i'm also keeping an eye out for more shirts because i won't be able to stretch mine much longer! (literally and figuratively!)

Movement: i'm feeling LW much more frequently and can tell she's getting bigger. kinda feel bad for her because there's not much room in there!

Sleep: as you can see by the above picture, i'm looking a little tired! for some reason, i've been waking up at 3am everynight to go to the bathroom. at which time it then takes me at LEAST an hour to fall asleep :(
Pee trips in the night: 2. and the other night when the husband was not home i only went 1x! i think he wakes me up at night more than i realize, so i just get up and go, even though it's not a dire situation.

Guilty pleasure:  Coco's Harvest Pumpkin Pie. omg the best pumpkin pie on the planet!

Baby purchases this week:  the hubby bought LW a very cute sundress (even though it's a USC dress) for Christmas, and we also bought her a cute ruffled body suit at Old Navy. this is getting fun!

Looking forward to: buying LW's crib! I'm planning on doing it this week.

Bumpdate- 26 Weeks

How far along: 26 weeks, 5 days

Baby is the size of: a cucumber, although i hope not as skinny as one.

Extra poundage: in between 12-13 lbs- it depends on what time of day it is :)

Bump status: i forgot to mention last week that i was measuring 26 centimeters at my 25 week appointment. i have no idea what that means, except that i'm in good range for how far along i am.

Favorite food of the week: b, bananas, b-a-n-a-n-a-s

Heartburn worthy foods: still no HB!

Favorite piece of clothing this week: my Target Mossimo Micro Rib Tanks! They are nothing special but i've been wearing them under EVERYTHING. they give me the extra length i need for my non-maternity shirts and an extra layer for my protruding belly button

Movement: i think Little Wood is starting to be able to hear the goings on outside the womb because when we went to the movies last week, she was pretty active the entire time. James Bond was a pretty loud movie!

Sleep: sleep in and of itself is good. but when i wake up, i have a super hard time going back to sleep. this week's it's because of congestion. i feel like every inhale and exhale is amplified and i'm keeping myself awake with my own nose! so this morning i ordered a new humidifier. hopefully this will also alleviate my snorer of a husband too!
Pee trips in the night: 2-3.

Guilty pleasure:  the pizza i had yesterday for lunch. it may not sound like much but i tried to do a really good job eating healthy last week, what with my glucose tolerance test on Friday. so, the pizza was delicious;)

Baby purchases this week:  none this week.

Looking forward to: ok painting the nursery. i really am going to do it this week.

nursery planning

i've never considered myself much of a designer. i like to steal inspiration from others, or buy complete sets of furniture so i don't have to put much thought into decorating, for fear that it will look awful if i don't. because while i never consider myself "cutting edge" i can definitely recognize when people CLEARLY have no idea what they are doing in the design department. i like simple but nice pieces, and nothing too trendy because i don't want to have to buy furniture or change everything in 2 years.

all that being said, i definitely know my tastes when it comes to baby design. it's most likely my love of simple that keeps me away from all the cutesy "baby" designs that many people cherish. i have a very fond memory book to remind me of my childhood Winnie the Pooh nursery and wouldn't have it any other way. but my style, circa 2012-13 is different from 1981 (yes, i'm dating myself here). i have absolutely NO problem with other people going for the full-on butterfly, teddy bear, Winnie the Pooh designs- they just aren't for me.

once i decided on light pink and grey for Little Wood's nursery colors, it made it a little easier to start designing. with my color choices, we couldn't stay with the brown that came with the wee babe's room. not to mention, the previous painters did an AWFUL job of touching up, and ended up using a different shade all together. it is VERY obvious, which you'll see in just a moment. i've never painted before, much less picked out my own colors so my first trip to Home Depot was a litle overwelming! i came back with these:

if you've ever painted before you know that at first glance they all look very similar. however every single one is super different in the right light. so i decided to pick two and see how they looked:

see there IS a difference! The one on the left is "mulberry white" by Glidden and has a pink tinge.

the one on the right is "pink petal white," and is definitely more white than anything else.

i decided to go with the Mulberry White because i wanted a pale, pale, pink that was almost white and this fit the bill. my friend Gwin is going to help me paint next weekend and we will be moving right along. Oh! and my glider came this week and it's even more gorgeous than i thought. it will be perfect in the corner. i left the plastic on until we're done painting, even though i'll probably have the Husband move it out of the room anyways, just to be safe. here's the room as it looks now (p.s., if you look to the right of the paint samples you can see the completely discolored walls and the lovely "touch up" job the leasing dept did):

next up: Little Wood's crib!

Sugar Momma

ahh, the dreaded glucose tolerance test. it's every pregnant woman's nightmare. somehow, medicine hasn't advanced enough to do away with a test that requires a preggo to fast for 12 hours, then consume a crapload of sugar in 5 minutes, and get 3 blood draws over the course of 2 hours ( i can't imagine how fasting that long is good for baby!). luckily, i didn't have to do the 3 hour test or tack on another blood draw and an even more concentrated glucose drink. blech!

i was most afraid of the fasting portion of the test because i get HUNGRY and feel like i have to eat NOW. i scheduled the test for 8 in the morning and was hoping that it would be early enough that i wouldn't feel like i would die of hunger. i had cereal as late as i could the night before and it paid off. i got to the lab a little early and they took my first blood draw. then they handed over the goods: 10 ounces of Lemon Lime glucose drink in 75 mg.

mmmmm.... it looked deceivingly like sprite and actually didn't taste too different. just much more sugary. i downed it in 3 minutes and was on my way to the waiting room. i brought my iPad and ensured i had a movie on it to help pass the time. so i spent most of it watching the very appropriate Hunger Games!

i could definitely identify with Katniss and being hungry. although i must say that the glucose drink did a good job of coating my stomach so i felt pretty good. i didn't feel tired, jittery, or the wee babe go out of control on a sugar high at all- all things i've heard other people say.  the only downer was on my 2nd blood draw when the lab tech couldn't get a vein and jabbed me 3 times (quite painfully i might add) before resorting to taking blood from a vein in my hand.

after i finished, i treated myself to a egg sandwich at the Corner Bakery (hello protein! it never sounded so good) and went home to an amazing nap. unfortunately, i woke up with a huge bruise :(

i have about 2 surface veins total in my arms and since they didn't want to keep poking those they had to dig around for a new one. eww.

i think i'll find out next week if i passed and i'm praying i do! this is my last hoo-ray of the 2nd Trimester. after this week, hello 3rd Trimester!

dressing the bump

i never knew when i would be pregnant, but i knew one thing: i was going to make sure i embraced stylish pants. i've seen women at the mall who think that being pregnant means wearing a mu-mu or a tent that doubles as a blouse. no siree, that was not going to be me. i was also pretty confident that i would spend the copious amounts of money it took to get myself a pair of designer jeans, and probably 7's. they're the only jeans that i wear sans bump, and they were surprisingly cute in maternity. i justified my thoughts by saying it's money well spent because i'll wear them every day!

but when the time came to enhance my wardrobe with some stretchy goodness, i was appalled at the price of "designer" jeans:

really 7 for all Mankind? $198 for a 3/4 pair of jeans? Because really the top part is all elastic. and these aren't Chanel jeans! i don't spend that on regular jeans, so why would i fork it over for a pair of pants i'm going to wear for 4 months? no matter what you tell yourself before you get pregnant, or even in the first few months, you will NOT wear these every day because a) you don't need them til at least 6 months, and b) you won't want to wear ANY pants if you don't have to. the moment i get home, it's off with the non-sweatpants. and the people at Destination Maternity are evil geniuses because these NEVER go on sale.

finally, they aren't made that well. i picked up several pairs to look at and all the jeans were already separating from their elastic bands. i even talked to a good friend who bought a pair of Joe's maternity jeans and she said that her Old Navy maternity jeans held up WAY better than her Joe's. go figure.

so in lieu of dropping almost 2 hundy on a pair of jeans, i decided to go with the Heidi Klum Loved brand at Motherhood. even if they weren't that great, i would only be spending $40 on a pair of pants. they could fall apart after Little Wood comes and i would still have gotten my money's worth. turns out, these pants are amazing! they are just the right amount of stretchy, comfy, and are still stylish.

i also got a pair of grey pants because a girl's got to have more than 1 pair to get through approximately 100 days of hugeness. these were also $40:

i will offer another piece of advice when shopping for maternity pants. obviously there are conflicting opinions on this, but i am a full believer in the full panel pants. in case you didn't know, there are two types of maternity pants, demi (or "under the belly") and full panel.

before i needed to wear them, i thought that i would NEVER wear full-panel. i thought they were disgusting and totally mom-ish. then i realized the error of my ways when i had to buy some professional work pants that only came in full panel. OMG they were so comfortable! i felt like they held everything nice and tight (which feels even better the further along you get when you feel like everything is flapping in the wind) and they were a welcome relief from the belly band which made all my pants look bumpy. plus, they help shield my ever showing belly button these days. i must say, i don't hate wearing pants as much when i can look forward to wearing these. all in all, shopping while pregnant hasn't been as bad as i thought. but i'll still be glad when i can return my focus to clothing that doesn't require spandex!

Bumpdate- 25 Weeks

How far along: 25 weeks, 6 days

Baby is the size of: an eggplant, but bigger than last week's eggplant. Supposedly, LW is nearly 2 lbs by now!

Extra poundage: eeek! stepped on the scale and i'm up 13 lbs! wasn't expecting that. i'm ok with it, just still a surprise!

Bump status: ok, i'm starting to look big. 1 stranger asked how far along i was (only the 2nd stranger to ask me if i'm pregnant) and a friend commented that i'm finally showing!

Favorite food of the week: omg i made the most amazing pumpkin, frosted cookies and they were delicious! and because they were so good, they are now gone because my husband couldn't keep his hands off them. :(

Heartburn worthy foods: no heartburn in a few weeks and i'm loving it.

Favorite piece of clothing this week: my maternity jeans. it's so nice to wear a pair of pants that fit! separate post to come on my thoughts on spending a ton of money on maternity clothes, especially jeans.

Movement: the wee babe is going CARAZY! i swear, the other night she was doing somersaults. 

Sleep: i get some good stretches of sleep, but wake up more frequently. side sleeping is becoming more comfortable, but i usually have a bit of a time going back to sleep because LW starts to dance at night.
Pee trips in the night: 2-3.

Guilty pleasure:  probably those pumpkin spice cookies...

Baby purchases this week:  i made some inadvertent purchases relating to the nursery this week- painting supplies!

Looking forward to: painting the nursery. i've never painted before and am excited to make some progress so i can feel like i'm getting ready. Only 99 more days until my due date!

babymoon

two week's later i'm finally getting around to uploading my babymoon pics from our recent trip to San Francisco. it's been one of those month's. anyways, we had a great time in good ole San Fran, with tons of walking, beautiful weather, and an untimely visit during the World Series in which my most HATED team, the Giants, was contending for baseball's greatest honor. let's just say i never want to find myself in a bar during a SF World Series again.

i've had some questions from people as to what exactly a babymoon is. i just think of it as the last hoo-rah of a trip before the wee baby arrives. we may do some other weekenders before then, but this was our specific trip dedicated to the last 7 years of marriage, sans children. sure, i would have loved to take 2 weeks off and go to the Caribbean, but who has time for that?

we decided to splurge a little and stayed at the Mark Hopkins InterContinental Hotel, a historic hotel that managed to survive the great San Francisco earthquake and fire.

it was a beautiful old hotel (with tiny elevators!) and we had a great view.

somehow we managed to avoid the typical San Francisco fog for the entire trip. we had an amazing (albeit LONG) walk from our hotel to Pier 33 to catch our boat to Alcatraz! I don't know what it is, but i LOVE the Rock. i could spend hours over there. i love the history. here are some of my favorite pics:

 

 

after quite the day of walking, we didn't feel like going crazy for dinner. so we headed to Morton's, a few blocks away and were back in the hotel by 7:30. we had to force ourselves to stay awake! it was awesome begin able to go to bed early and then lay around the next morning. i'm sure i will miss those days when Little Wood is here.

 we relaxed on Sunday until our flight left. unfortunately we were stuck in the airport JUST long enough for the Giants to clinch the World Series title. blah. anyways, that was our trip!

Preggatini: Love Triangle

this drink sounds way sexier than it really is. i tried this for the first time when a fellow preggie (hi Rachel!) and i were trying to quench our thirst while our husbands threw back the jack and coke's. it tastes moslty like a strawberry soda, but it's still good! i wanted Dave to make it for me at home in a dainty glass, but no, he dug out a beer mug. definitely not cohesive with the "love triangle" vibe. ::sigh::

i modified the recipe a little because it can be really hard to find the ingredients listed in the book. so here's my version of the Love Triangle!

1. 1.5 ounces of cranberry juice
2. 3/4 ounce of Torani strawberry syrup
3. 3 ounces non-alcoholic sparkling wine or club soda

 ta da! enjoy

baby acne: it's not just for babies

i have always struggled with acne. i have a very clear memory of needing to start washing my face with neutrogena soap in 6th grade. i was at a friend's house and her mother was shocked that i needed to start using acne soap already. over twice my age in 6th grade has passed since then and here i am, still trying to slap my hand away from my face as i hover over the bathroom counter, gazing upon my blemishes.

i've tried everything- neutrogena, aveeno, biore pore strips, proactiv- it's all junk. at least that's what my dermatologist tells me. about 5 years ago i found a new dr. and it took nearly a year to get my face under control. i had to take oral medication, wash with specific soap, and use 3 prescription face creams. but it worked! my face was clear and no zits! that was before Little Wood came in to the picture.

apparently acne medication is on lists B & C for acceptable drugs to use/take while pregnant- which means i can't use them :( so i've been relegated to using only 1 Rx, a compound cream that's specially mixed for me at a compound pharmacy. it's nice, but it's similar to a light chemical peel and makes my face red for at least 1 day after. then about 2 days after that, it peels. not only that, i can't use it all the time and my face has gone BEZERK!

i've been to the derma a few times since becoming with-child and the last time i got 7 (SEVEN) injections in my face! but it was worth it. until everything came back again and here i am, with an 8 am appointment tomorrow to hopefully take care of business.

a few years ago i had some pretty bad depression about my acne. all i could focus on were scars and new blemishes that kept popping up. but this time around, it doesn't bother me so much. i know i'm closer than i was when this all started to going back on my Rx's, but i also know that i'll have Little Wood to show for it when it's all over:)

Bumpdate- 24 Weeks

How far along: 24 weeks, 5 days in this picture, 24 weeks, 6 days today!

Baby is the size of: an eggplant

Extra poundage: i head to the doctor in two days, but i'm going to say 10-11 pounds (at least)

Bump status: belly button is nearly a goner, and i'm starting to experience "short shirt syndrome." i haven't really bought any maternity shirts but i am now starting to see that they have extra fabric in the front for a reason. thank goodness for undershirts, otherwise, i'd be outta luck.

Favorite food of the week: pineapple! finally back in the grocery stores and not hecka expensive.

Heartburn worthy foods: niet!

Favorite piece of clothing this week: pregnancy work pants. i wore them every day last week. however, i did notice that Motherhood doesn't have consistent sizing. i ordered the exact same pair of pants that i already had 2 pairs of (same size and everything) and i took them to be hemmed right away. when i went to put them on last week, the pant legs were much tighter! and no, i hadn't grown because i wore my older ones in the same week and they felt much looser. darn you Motherhood. oh well, i calculated this week that i only have about 12-13 weeks of work left before maternity! hi-yo!

Movement: little wood doesn't just kick anymore, she moves my ENTIRE stomach. sometimes it feels like my stomach is having spasms, but i love it all the same.

Sleep: i'm getting a decent night's sleep. but the other night i was laying on my other side, sans pregnancy pillow and woke up when my belly felt like gravity was pushing it towards the mattress. ouch. i'm having a lot more of uncomfortable stretches of time at night
Pee trips in the night: 2-3. mostly because i wake up feeling uncomfortable and want to stretch as i walk to the bathroom.

Guilty pleasure:  pumpkin spice latte this week! although i did my research and a tall PSL only boasts 75mg of caffeine! way below what i can have on a daily basis.

Baby purchases this week:  i just posted a separate post about my recent shopping trip, "little clothes for little wood" and you can read it here.

Looking forward to: my glider arriving. i got an email that it had shipped, but it will probably be delivered next week.

little clothes for little wood

since i've been feeling under prepared and it was payday Friday yesterday, i decided it was time to start investing in a wardrobe for Little Wood. i also had to return a gift that someone got me at Nordstrom, which sad to say was just NOT something i would dress my child in. i was a little underwhelmed by Nordstrom's infant selection. unless i plan to solely dress the wee babe in baby Burberry, there wasn't much to choose from. however i successfully located the CUTEST brown, corduroy dress, along with some other darling, super girly items at Baby Gap. i hit the jackpot in the sale section, especially since they were having an extra 30% off sale items!

i had to have the purple and grey striped body suit because would you look at the ruffle shoulders!? next, no matter what, i cannot pass up polka dots and the purple, double layered body suit was the only one i found in this size and thought it to be an omen. as for the white and pink polka dot dress, i put it back two times and then bought it anyways. it only ended up being $14 and has the cutest back with quite the lady-like buttons! and finally, i just loved this brown Tucker + Tate corduroy dress. i need some cute leggings to pull this outfit together, but can't wait until LW can start donning her apparel!

i can definitely see how this simple activity enhances the nesting experience. i'm already itching to head back to the mall!

rockers, gliders, recliners, oh my!

i've just passed my 6 month mark and have yet to make any headway on preparing for this baby outside the womb. sure, i've taken care of myself, exercised, ate and slept well. but come look at my barren nursery and baby clothes and you'll know i should probably get crack-a-lackin'.

i had a really hard time deciding what i wanted Little Wood's nursery colors to be. i was pretty dead set on avoiding pink. but i found some ridiculously gorgeous swaddling blankets that i fell in love with and decided to use them to tie my colors together. sooo... pink and grey it is! a very light pink, that is.

i've known for quite some time that Babies 'r us would not have the look i was going for in terms of bedding and since i chose Aden + Anais blankets with unique patterns, i knew i would have to piece this room together on my own. thank the Lord for Pinterest!

i wanted white furniture desperately, but husband nixed that idea right away. sad day for me. so i decided to go with black, though i thought it was a tad boring, what with all our other black furniture, and not very nursery-ish. ::sigh:: since i couldn't decide on a crib, i opted to start picking out room essentials by selecting a glider. i truly HATE the 90's style rockers that are part wood, part cushion. they just are not me. i wanted more of an armchair look that i could actually use after the wee babe was grown. holy cow those things are expensive! I could barely find one under $800, much less lower that $500. not only that, but how hard is it to find one in grey that looks decent? hard, let me tell you:

but alas, 99% of these were still out of my price range. until one day last week i hit the jackpot and found the chair i've been looking for!

it is the ONLY dark grey glider i've been able to find and i couldn't believe i found it on sale at Target! i knew this was not a likely registry gift from someone, so i bought it myself and left the ottoman as a potential gift for the future. don't get me wrong, i wouldn't call this "cheap" by any means, but it was still way less expensive than anything else i've found. and my favorite one so far. now all i need is Little Wood to complete the picture!