Brotherly Love

Here are a few photos I snapped last night of the schnauz cuddling with his little brother.  I think it's just precious!  I sometimes wonder if he senses what's up.  He's pretty smart.  Despite being my first "baby", poor dog's gonna be in for a surprise when the real baby comes along.  But...I have no doubt he'll be the best big brother around! :)


Project Nursery: The Latest

I love the Internet!  Or, should I say, I love stealing other peoples' ideas!

My latest development in decorating the nursery (other than the work-in-progress bookshelves) was coming up with some wall decor.  I wasn't quite sure what, but thanks to Etsy, I think I found the perfect thing!  However, instead of paying bucko bucks to order the decor from Etsy, I put my above-average Microsoft Word skills to use and created my own!

Note: We have not decided on a name yet...but I had to fill in something to get an idea of what the finished product would look like.  And since this name is "in the running", I'm not gonna share!  ;)

I had $30 in Kohls cash (I sound like my mother), so I bought a few black and white matted frames for the above print-outs, and voila, I have myself two items for the wall.  Total cost: $5 after using my Kohls cash!  Sure can't beat that!

Thank you Etsy for the inspiration!

Old Navy Love

I've always thought pregnant girls are the cutest thing ever!  I can't say I always feel that way about myself, but having cute clothes definitely helps.  Since I'm growing out of many of my pre-pregnancy clothes, I figure I've got a darn good excuse to buy some new ones!

I am so thankful for Old Navy's maternity selection.  One, because their clothes are cute and trendy.  And two, because they are relatively cheap!  Target has some cute stuff, too, but a lot of their stuff is more expensive than I'm willing to spend. 

Check out some of my latest ON purchases!

I'm hoping this fits...I ordered it online and am waiting for it to arrive.  My thighs/butt region is rather large, so it could be a tad tight. *Fingers crossed*

I have this in grey...LOVE it with leggings.  Except that it's too short to wear to school.

The hubs isn't sure about the length of this dress...but I think it's adorable.  Plan on wearing it to one of my baby showers!


Such a cute outfit!  I bought the cropped denim jacket...are denim jackets out of style????

Love the length of maternity shirts!  I have a feeling I will add more of these tank tops to my wardrobe for summer!


I initially got this skirt in black...and went back to buy the gray one, as well.  It's SOOOO comfy!  And only $15!

Love these tight-fitting tees.  And only $10!  Side note: I sure do buy a lot of gray stuff...

Also got a blue and white striped one...I need a little color in my wardrobe!
This one isn't maternity, but it's loose-fitting and works well with the bump!  And for only $15, I couldn't resist!


25 Weeks: First Braxton Hicks

25 weeks already! That means only 15 to go!  I know July will be here soon and we are so excited to meet our little boy bundle of joy!  I finally feel like I look pregnant, most days anyway (instead of just fat), and I got my first "I know you're not supposed to ask women this, but are you pregnant?" question the other day.  I'll totally take that as a compliment! :)
How Far Along: 25 Weeks

Size of Baby:
An eggplant (over a foot long and nearly 2 pounds!)


What's Happening:
Baby Sides' has a sense of equilibrium and can sense being right-side-up from upside-down.  He is also growing more fat and hair (well, if he has hair...I didn't until I was three).

Cravings:
Seriously, I think cravings are a bunch of BS.  I haven't really had any the entire pregnancy...

Movement:
He's moving a lot...still can't distinguish between types of movement, but I'm lucky in that it hasn't kept me awake at night.  Yet...

Sleep:
Sleep is getting more and more difficult, but I'm still doing a decent amount of it! :)  (Did you expect anything less from a girl that could sleep 12+ hours a day?)

Clothing:
My new goal is to get through the school year without buying any maternity pants!  Now that it's warm, I'm hoping to wear skirts and dresses and the few pairs of pre-pregnancy capri pants that I can still squeeze into (with the Bella Band, of course!).  I did order a few more Old Navy shirts and a super cute maternity dress though...

Other Pregnancy Symptoms:
I haven't experienced any more of that heartburn/acid reflux feeling, thank goodness!  My hands are still achy and tingly when I wake up nearly every morning, which sucks, but it's nothing I can't deal with.  I'm also peeing, oh, 12 times a day!?  That's a lot for someone who used to go four or five times per day, max!!  I love telling my kids they can hold it if the pregnant lady can!!  I also think I've experienced my first few Braxton Hicks contractions...the first being last Friday at 24 1/2 weeks.  My stomach got really tight and hard...it freaked me out, but my friend assured me it was normal!  The Internet said they can begin around six weeks of pregnancy; it's just further into pregnancy before you feel them.  I felt another earlier today.  So strange!!

Here's the baby bump!



Madness

I know some people really get into March Madness, my husband included.  I am not one of them.  Perhaps if Iowa basketball had been better while I was in college, it'd feel differently.  But that was not the case.  And so I really just don't care.

The only reason I'm even remotely interested (well, other than hoping Kansas goes far so I have a happy hubby) is because each year we participate in a draft with friends.  Eight participants each "draft" eight teams at $20 buy in.  Each win by one of your teams earns you a point.  Half the pot ($80) goes to the person with the most points at the end of the tournament; the other half goes to the person with the winning (national championship) team.  Last year, I came really close to winning $80...but believe I fell short.  Pretty good for someone who has no knowledge (or interest) in college basketball!  This year, after doing amazingly well during the first two rounds, my teams are out.  Bummer.  I was hoping for eighty extra dollars to go spend on maternity clothes.  Looks like I'll just have to spend $80 from our checking account instead. :)

Anyway, while the hubby's eyes have been glued to the t.v. screen, I have been busy with a few DIY projects for Baby's room.

First, these cute little totes made from--what else--diaper boxes!  Lord knows we'll need lots of diapers, so I figured what's the harm in buying a few 500 diapers to get started?!  (The hubs nearly had a heart attack when learning the cost...little does he know these will last us, what, 2 months, max?)  Anyway, take away the price of the diapers (rather, diaper boxes), and the only remaining cost comes from a $5 drop cloth canvas from Home Depot (enough for two totes), fabric liner, and hot glue.  Makes for a pretty cheap tote.  Beats spending $10 each on totes from the store.  And these are cuter, in my opinion, and homemade!

Of course, the inspiration came from Pinterest, but idea came from this Positively Splendid blog.  I don't sew, however, so I found a no-sew tutorial (hot glue instead) on this Shanty Chic blog.  For the liner, I used instructions from the first, but modified with hot glue instead of a sewing machine.  Not gonna lie, the liner on the first tote sucked!!  I was ready to give up and call the mother-in-law.  But, I persevered and made it work.  The second and third totes were way easier.  By the sixth and seventh, I was done mentally and ready for a new project!  They don't look perfect, but I love how they match our bedding and were relatively cheap to make!  I love organization and can't wait to start filling the totes with baby supplies!

Note: Different size diapers come in different size boxes.  Size 2 boxes fit nicely in our closet, while size 3 diapers fit perfectly on the bottom shelf of our changing table.  If you plan to make some of these, I suggest buying a few sizes and seeing which box works the best!

Before

After





The second DIY project I recently completed was restoration of my old piggy bank.  Remember when my parents cleaned their basement last fall and my mom sent me back to Kansas with boxes of old stuff?  The piggy bank was one of my favorite finds!  It was my first piggy bank, given to me shortly after I was born, by my Grandma and Grandpa Rominger.  I immediately thought that someday I'd redo it for my baby's room...now the time is here!
 
I may be crafty, but I'm not artsy by any means, so I consulted in my art teacher friends for advice on what to do with the pig.  One suggested I decoupage it--use mod podge to adhere small squares of paper to it.  Paper that, obviously, matches the baby's room.  With a little help from my friends, that's exactly what I did.  It took forever (the piggy bank is rather large)!  The curves and crevices of the pig were not at all fun!  But, it's done, and I love it!  Yesterday I sprayed it with a clear protective coat and now it sits in Baby's room.  I even put felt on the bottom so Mr. Pig wouldn't scratch the baby's dresser.  I hope he likes it and gets as much use out of it as I did as a little girl!



The last project that has been keeping me busy are these closet dividers like I made for my friend Sarah last fall.  Of course, they needed to match the baby room, as well, so I choose green paper with black stickers.  (Well, that was what I choose for round two.  I used black and white pattered paper the first time, but the green size stickers were too hard to see...so I started over.)  I can only imagine they will be very useful and I can't wait to start separating baby clothes with these things!  (Yes, my closet is one that is organized by season, but also by the colors of the rainbow.  Of course Baby's closet will be organized, as well!)




Next up, bookshelves!  I found some cute ones on Pinterest and construction is currently underway (with the help of the hubs).  I hope to finish them sometime this week and get them hung on the wall by next weekend!  Photos to come...

The Little Things

I swear, this has been the longest week ever!  Probably not so for my friends on Spring Break, but it sure seemed like it to me!  I've been so exhausted and fallen asleep on the couch every single night!  Not sure if it's returning to work after a week off, the rainy, dreary weather, or the time change.  I think probably a combination of all three.

Speaking of, is the sun ever going to make an appearance again?  Five straight days of rain is a bit much.  I know it's good for the grass and stuff, but seriously, not good for my health.  My weather app says sun and 77/81 degrees (Sat/Sun respectively) this weekend.  Thank goodness!  I think I will kill someone if it's not true!

At least today is Friday.  For me, that means Starbucks.  Oh, how I love thee.  It's pretty sad that I get excited every Thursday night thinking about the grande extra hot caramel macchiato to be ordered the next morning.  Today, I also ordered oatmeal.  Mmmmm.  They have the best oatmeal.  And both make me very happy.  It's the little things in life...

TGIF everyone!  Have a happy (and hopefully sunny) weekend!


Panera Mac & Cheese

It's been awhile since I've posted a recipe!  I haven't been real creative in the kitchen recently, nor have I tried many new recipes.  This one, however, I found on Pinterest (from this Smells Like Home blog) and tried a few weeks ago.  It's so good.  Like "I could eat once a week" good!  Even the hubs loves it and he's not one to typically be okay with having just mac and cheese as his dinner.  I made it again last night and it was as good as I remembered, so I thought I'd share!

Copycat Panera Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:
  • 16 oz pasta (I used shells the first time, elbow macaroni last night)
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 cups milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half (I used a mix of heavy cream/milk and half and half/milk...didn't notice a difference in either)
  • 4 oz white American cheese, chopped or torn into pieces (Couldn't find any of this so I used Velveeta Queso Blanco)
  • 8 oz extra sharp white Vermont cheddar, shredded (Just used generic shredded cheddar)
  • 2 tsp – 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (Can't really taste it, but you could omit if it freaks you out)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp hot sauce, like Frank’s
Instructions:
  1. In a large stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain well.
  2. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a 4-quart sauce pan over medium heat.  When the butter has melted and has started to bubble, whisk in the flour; cook for 1 1/2 minutes whisking constantly.  Gradually whisk in the milk until no lumps remain.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook milk mixture, whisking frequently, until it thickens and bubbles, about 8 minutes.
  3. Remove sauce pan from the heat and by the handful, stir in the cheeses allowing all of the cheese to melt into the sauce before adding more (not sure how important this is...I was impatient and didn't follow the rules and mine turned out fine).  Stir in the mustard, salt, and hot sauce.  Return the sauce pan to the heat and stir in the pasta.  Be sure to stir up the sauce from the bottom of the sauce pan and thoroughly coat all of the pasta with sauce.  Cook for 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat until heated through.
I don't have a picture.  I was too impatient last night and just wanted to eat!  But here's one I found online that looks pretty much like mine did. :)



24 Weeks: Pregnancy Brain?

Today marks 24-weeks in my pregnancy!  And I'm even posting this update on time!  According to thebump.com, Baby is the size of a grapefruit today.  His see-through skin is becoming more opaque and has a pinkish glow due to the recent forming of capillaries.  Otherwise, he's just packing on the pounds (or should I say ounces).

I'm not feeling any different from last week, so I'm going to skip over the journal update.  Same symptoms, same feelings, etc.  Though I did, for whatever reason, almost throw up yesterday while brushing my teeth.  That hasn't happened in awhile.

I didn't ever venture out to buy maternity pants.  I'm hoping the weather stays nice like it's been so I can get away with wearing comfy skirts and dresses on most days.  I love the skirt I wore today...it's Old Navy maternity and oh-so comfy!  Might have to order the gray and pinks ones, as well!  (Old Navy has a great selection of maternity clothes by the way--cute, trendy, and inexpensive.  Everything maternity I own is from there.  Love it!)

I will say I had two major blond moments today that I will blame on "pregnancy brain".  I've never really believed in such a thing and never experienced it...until today.

Number 1: I took a leftover sandwich to school for lunch today, but completely forgot I had it until I was halfway through with eating the salad I got from the lunchroom.  I'm going to blame this partially on the fact that I've been out of routine for a week during Spring Break.  Returning after a long break is always tough.  Throw in the fact that we sprung ahead an hour a week ago and it made for an especially exhausting day.  I'm still not sure how I forgot about my lunch.  We'll blame the rest on the pregnancy. :)

Number 2: I stopped at Michael's after school to pick up a few craft supplies.  After getting what I needed, I headed back out to my car, hit the unlock button, and attempted to open my car door.  I realized it hadn't unlocked and tried again.  Then I realized the reason it hadn't unlocked was because I was at the wrong car!! I snuck away quickly with hopes that no one noticed, jumped in the correct car, and drove off!  Oops.

Here's my 24 week bump.  Apparently I'm growing quickly.  One student walked into class today and said "Whoa you got big!"  The hubby calls me his penguin (big belly I guess--just wait 'til I start waddling!).  I'll take it as a compliment since I've always thought of penguins as super cute!




16 weeks to go!  It seems SO close in the grand scheme of things, yet so far away!

Checking Things Off the List!

In an effort to make the most of my last day of Spring Break, I accomplished a few more baby-related things today:

#1: We ordered a glider!  We were hoping to find one at Nebraska Furniture Mart, but were disappointed in their selection.  Low and behold, we ended up at Buy Buy Baby and found one we liked there!  I can't find a picture of the exact one, but it's similar to this.  It's light grey (lighter than the picture) with black piping.  It'll be 8 to 12 weeks before it arrives...boooooo.

 

#2: I bought a diaper bag!  When I cancelled our previous bedding order (yep, I did it and ordered the stuff from Etsy!), I was re-issued the dealsavers (groupon-like coupons) we used to buy it.  They were set to expire in mid-April, so I wandered around USA Baby until I found three purchases that each surpassed the $60 mark, one being a diaper bag.  It's the same one I registered for yesterday, and I was very happy to find it at USA Baby!  Here it is!  Cute, but somewhat "manly" in case Craig's the one to carry it!
Oh, I also bought a changing pad for our changing table (a nicer one that what it came with), some picture frames that match the nursery color scheme, a Jayhawk onesie, and some cute little socks that look like tennis shoes.  And with that, our dealsavers are used!

#3: I bought curtains and a curtain rod for the nursery!  They are nothing fancy.  Just plain black panels with subtle black stripes on them.  The lady from Etsy is making a valance and curtain ties that will coordinate with Baby's bedding.  Six to eight weeks until that arrives!

#4: Craig and I picked out a video monitor and added it to the registry.  The one we picked seems pretty cool!  It's the Summer Infant Baby Touch Digital Video Monitor.  It uses infrared and has a touchscreen that can control the position of the camera.  It's a mere $250. :)
And that's about it!  I'm extremely sad to return to work tomorrow after a wonderful week off, but so excited that's it's already fourth quarter and the year is winding down!

Baby Loot

Whew! What a day.  I woke up bright and early to meet my friend, Rachel, at Buy Buy Baby so she could help me register.

Registering for our wedding--two years ago--was easy.  We already had a house, I was fairly experienced in the kitchen, and I enjoyed decorating.  I felt very knowledgeable about what I wanted and what various household items were used for.

Baby gear is quite different.  Wow.  Who knew there were so many options of everything!?  Bottles, bath tubs, bibs, bouncers, blankets, etc.!  I think I feel more nervous about being a mommy after perusing through the abundance of crap at the baby store!  It was so overwhelming!

Anyway, we spent two and a half hours wondering up and down the aisles, picking out only the best for Baby Sides.  I am so lucky to have a friend (aka experienced mommy) who was willing to help!

As if 2+ hours wasn't enough, I spent many more this evening browsing Buy Buy Baby's website, scoping out friends' past registries, texting other mommies I know for advice, and adding/modifying our list.  I finally feel somewhat prepared about what we're asking for.  Still overwhelmed, but better!  That's not to say I don't know what everything will be used for...but I'm sure I'll figure it out!

I just keep thinking...I'm so glad I have multiple friends that have had babies before me!  I would sure hate to be the first!  I have no idea how you'd know anything, if it weren't for friends' advice!

I still need to go back with the hubs to add a few more things.  Like a baby monitor.  He wants a video monitor.  It's his job to research it.  Other than that, I don't think he has a preference on anything.  And like me, he probably has no idea what half the stuff is used for!

I did break down and buy a couple things today.  Outfits for Baby Sides.  I couldn't resist.  I'm proud of myself for lasting this long.  After all, we learned Baby Sides was going to be a boy four whole weeks ago and these were the first outfits I bought!

Baby Sides will definitely be a sports fan, as big of fans as his mommy and daddy are.  I figured he'd definitely need some Royals gear for this summer and Chiefs paraphernalia for this fall.  So, here's a start!




Second Guessing

So, remember that bedding I posted awhile back that we were dead-set on buying for our baby boy?  Well, we did, and are currently waiting for it to arrive.  In the meantime, however, we started second guessing our decision.  It's supposedly "gender-neutral" bedding, but the floral pattern makes it seem a little girly.  I definitely don't want Baby Boy Sides living in a girly-looking nursery.  I called USA Baby, and luckily, it can all be returned once it arrives (or we can just cancel the order).  But now we have new decisions to make about what we want.  I'm not budging on the lime green, black, and white idea.  I just love it!  I love that it's boyish-looking, but not the traditional blue.  I also love the black and white contrast...after all, black and white is all babies can see for some time after they're born!

I found the following bedding patterns on Etsy.  Etsy is a website full of custom, handmade items.  Custom, handmade also means more expensive. :(  Anyway, ignoring the cost, my favorite, {more-boyish} patterns are the circles, green and white elephants, and black and white chevron. 



So then yesterday, I found these fabrics at Hobby Lobby (30% off right now!) and thought I could replace the elephants and circles with these and perhaps save on cost?


I have been emailing two different Etsy sellers to find out their costs of labor if I purchase the two fabrics myself.  I came up with the following plan...


So, there's where we are now.  What do you think?  I know it will be more expensive than the stuff we originally picked from the store, but maybe worth it so our baby doesn't grow up wondering it he was meant to be a girl??

Summer Fever

What an amazing Spring Break!!  With temperatures in the 80s, I could not ask for anything more!  I have loved every minute of the short-and-flip-flop-wearing weather, not to mention, our house feels so great with the windows open and breeze flowing through.  It's definitely giving me spring summer fever!

This summer, of course, will be a summer unlike any other.  Speaking of, I bought a maternity swimsuit the other day.  A one-piece.  The hubs was a little freaked out by the idea, but even he admits, it's a cute suit!  Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to send it back to exchange for a different size.  The small fits now...which means there's no way it'll fit come June!



Straps on

Straps off

Summer also means I'm off work until October-ish!  I haven't worked out all the details yet, but I'm planning to take about ten weeks of maternity leave.  Thank goodness, I'll have about that many sick days built up, so it should (fingers crossed) be paid!  Excellent!  Just over two months to go...3:30 on May 24 can't come quick enough!

Until then, I'll keep dreaming about summer and praying winter doesn't decide to return.  Now that we've gotten a glimpse of 80-degree weather, I'm not sure I can handle the 30s again.