36 weeks!

Just 28 days til her due date!

Our girl is a beauty and growing away :)

Here she is at 35.2 weeks... Cheeks for days!

We had a baby shower thrown by the sisters on Tim's side and it was GORGEOUS!  Two of my dear friends from Seattle came... It was just such a fun time with all the ladies and Timmy to celebrate our soon coming Lucy.

My work asked to throw a shower... I said "absolutely!"  So that will happen in a couple of weeks... By then I will have an even BIGGER belly!  If that's possible.  

The nursery is ready (tour to come in a future post) here is a sneak peek!

A small hospital bag is packed with some gifts for the nurses and doctors we encounter :) Mostly coffee, chocolate and salty snacks.  It's what we nurses LOVE!

And our cloth diapers are prepped and ready for her bum when she's big enough for them :) 

I'm hoping the week before she arrives we can go on a nice date and spend some one-on-one time with each other.  Tim is the best husband.  We can laugh our way through a day, relaxing, watching Star Wars, napping and goofing off.  I love that.  He will be the perfect Dad to our girl, too!

Here's to less prep and more play before Lucy makes her debut! :) 

Gifts

I have had a LOVELY shower hosted by Lucy's Grandmas and my sister last weekend... It was precious to have all those ladies celebrating our baby girl with me!

Lately I've been on leave from work, and learning how to prioritize my time at home along with being restful.  

First project: a "Dad gift" for Tim. 

 I felt like a lot of the celebrating goes to mommy and baby during this time.  But Lucy is our baby.  So I want him to know he is just as important as we are in this journey.  He has given to me selflessly throughout the pregnancy and become more and more of a hero in my eyes.  

In my "New Dad Gift" I included:

•Snacks: all his favorites for the hospital (salty and sweet)

•Strong coffee: for his sleepless nights and early mornings

•New mug: from Anthropology that says "d" (for Daddy!)

•His favorite magazine for him for the hospital or home

•Newborn onesies that say "I love Dad" and "Daddy's girl" for him to put on her in the hospital 

•Bath suppliesbecause Tim asked to be the one to bathe her to have a special bonding time after work (so sweet!) 

•Cute robe: for Lucy for bath time

•Whale nail brush: for the bath time

•Gift card: for a bookstore for him to use before she comes 

There may be more but my pregnancy brain has stopped me there. 

Why not let our husbands know how significant they are in our lives during this process of becoming parents?  And treat them :) 

Cheers!

Rainy Days

It's January.. and the year we meet our GIRL!!

It's rainy today, but I'm good with that!  I'm kicking my swollen feet up after a long stretch of work.  And it's looking like my working days before Lycy arrives are coming to a close.  

I'm almost 32 weeks along.  Getting big, but SO still loving the fact that I'm carrying our baby.  

Here's some news about Lucy's room.  My parents refinished my Grandma's dresser and Tim put the sealer on and moved it in!  I think the antique drawer-pulls look fabulous ;) 

Then my amazing husband went to work hanging up multiple items on the walls calking floor boards, moving furniture..it was SO much work.  I'm grateful he helps me do the not-so-fun tasks on the "list."  He's my hero.

We hung up a shelf that will become her book shelf.  My dad got it from an antique sale and my parents refinished it. I'm SO impressed with all the work they've done.  Lucy is already spoiled and oh-so loved.  

Then there's my diaper bag Tim bought me when we first found out the test was positive!  I love it :)

Here's a close-up of the crib bedding.  We bought it on super sale three years ago when we were hoping for a baby... And now it's going to be put to use (once she's sleeping in her crib). :) 

Next up I have a shower on Saturday that the "moms" and my sister are throwing.  I can't wait to hug those ladies :)

Then my sweet sister-in-laws are throwing a shower in February!!! I love them.  Each of my sister-in-laws are mommies and give the greatest advice and most thoughtful gifts.  And Asena is hosting, so I know it will be such a lovely time!  

Tim and I think the greatest reason to celebrate is Lucy.  God blessed us with a child and we can't express how thankful we are.

Cheers!

Baking

It's a mildly snowy day in Portland... So I thought I'd reminisce on some warm, yummy memories... BAKING!

This Fall I've gotten into baking again.  Little by little.  On night shift I would do it as therapy when I couldn't sleep.  This last year, however, I have filled my days with other things (gestating, being a significant one).  :) 

So I've made a pumpkin roll, pumpkin muffins, some baked apples, assisted my mom in her famous apple pie a raspberry pie (SUPER delicious), made some almond whipped cream for hot cocoa (yum!!!).... Not really that much now that I've listed them :( 

Hopefully I can bake some chocolate chip cookies today in between dishes and laundry.

Here is a photo dump of some of my favorite things...starting with the inside of the apple pie that caved in (I used 2 kinds of apples... It was still yummy!) 

What have you been cooking up?

Cheers!

Lucy's closet

Lately I've been organizing Lucy's closet and getting ready for her arrival... In about 14 weeks our sweet girl will join us!

We have an older home with small closets, which is good because it helps keep us "minimalists" ;)

We don't have a bunch of clothes, but some.  I wanted to organize the sizes and found an Etsy store with $5 "closet dividers" for a nursery.  I think they're pretty cute! 

Grandma Sally has been giving us little gifts for Lucy when we see her... I love them!  A thrifted 12 month fleece and 3-6 month pink sparkly slippers... And I can't wait to see her in them!

We bought a small organizer with pull-out sliding drawers from IKEA.  The thing just SNAPPED together in 5 minutes.  When does that ever happen with IKEA purchases?!  So far it houses some random diapering items and nursing supplies.  Once we get the dresser in the room I'll reorganize.  

Well that's all for now :) cheers to DECEMBER!  

I love the chilly, cozy season!

25 weeks!

I'm 25 weeks tomorrow and certainly growing each week :)

There's some swelling in my feet at the end of my long shifts and LOTS of back pain... But I found a back support from Motherhood Maternity!  It works wonders!! 

I'm feeling Lucy love more and more, and some mornings I see her move in my belly :) It's amazing!  Tim and I can't wait for him to be able to feel it!

We have set up pieces of our nursery and I love being in there :)  We have her crib up, and the closet is mostly ready for her things (and already packed with some goodies!).

Our cloth diaper stash is complete!  

The picture  below is of my last purchase. these are "all-in-one" cloth diapers from Bum Genius called Freetimes.  They have inserts sewn in so I'm hoping for ease of use by Tim and myself. We purchased 37 of them on MANY sales (since Tim's brother and sister-in-law told us they have 50+... I purchased a couple more than I thought I would).   

We also bought 3 "pocket" diapers for night time to add more absorbency.   24 Cloth wipes and  2 wet bags should be coming SOON from Nickie's Diapers... Yeow! 

We will start with disposables on Lucy as a newborn and see when she will fit into the cloth diapers.  I hope before I'm off maternity leave :) 

Looking forward to her coming, but there's lots to mentally and spacially prep for still :)

  Thank you, Lord, for this most amazing gift!

22 weeks!

Well... Almost 22 weeks :)

There is LOTS if movement and it can catch me off guard... Especially when I sit down.

I'm feeling bigger by the day.

Here is me at 21 weeks and 4 days 

Tim put up the crib last week so we could put things we've borrowed in it :)

I can't wait for Miss Lucy... But I'm a little thankful for the prep time.  And that I'm still sleeping (albeit with MANY potty breaks)!!!

We have our stash of cloth diapers and averaged $11.70 per diaper (I used lots of sales).  I'm hoping we get the hang of it before I'm back to work... I think we can do it :) I bought Tide Original Powder and have instructions on the washer.  

We just started our Birthing Classes last night... Very entertaining to see my cute husband get all if the info. He is quite attentive!

That's the update!

Cheers!