Seeing Baby L

Sorry for going MIA there for a minute... or several weeks. I've been busy and haven't been in the mood to update aka edit pictures for a post. But, I'm here now with a new round of updates and a post! Woo! First up, we went to the sonogram, twice actually. The first time we went our little L wasn't very cooperative and wouldn't give us a good enough face shots. Lots of lady parts shots (she's not very modest, apparently.) but not good shots of her face, so the amazing woman who did our sonogram invited us back the following week for a free follow-up appointment to see about better pictures. We went back and L was once again because her little difficult self, snuggled into my placenta, all cozy like a pillow, but after a half hour she decided to let us see her sweet face. She looks JUST LIKE Gracie. Gracie went with us too, btw. She loved it when L would stick her tongue out and wave her hand, she told everyone (once we got home) that L was waving at her and saying hello because she already loves her big sister. Isn't that cute?



There are literally 100's of pictures but a lot of them would have to be explained and I don't want to have to do that, so just enjoy the two simple ones above. haha! As far as her features, she has super chubby cheeks and the same nose and chin as Gracie. They are going to be inseparable, I can already see it now. Best friends for life. :) Gracie is so excited! She also has nice long legs & big feet, just like Daddy. Which, I already knew from all of her wild ninja moves she does in my belly. ;)

Since then we went and got more stuff in prep for her arrival. I now just need a lot of little things here and there, like command strips for hanging her pictures and hooks to hang her mobile and other decor. I'm mostly just in need of things for me now, like a night gown (for my first night there, after birth), slippers, travel sized shampoo and things of that nature. But, by the time she gets here, everything will be (hopefully!!) crossed off my list. Paul tries to buy stuff every week, so we are moving right along.

In two weeks, Gracie graduates from Pre-K! I can't believe it. We got back her pictures with her cap & gown, they turned out so cute. I'll share those once they are scanned. Unfortunately, they put all the girls in red. Of all the colors, one of my least favorites. Blah! They should of just did everyone in blue, or the girls in white. But not red! Oh well.

Kids get out of school in about two weeks! This school year has just flown on by. Before I know it, I'll be in labor and have another little one ready to go to school. Slow down, time! At this point, I'm just trying to soak up these last several weeks of this pregnancy since it will be my final one. Every little (or BIG!) kick and movement, I'm trying my best to hold on to for as long as I can. But, I will say I sure can't wait to really see her face and hold her in my arms. Only 6 weeks till we are full term! Can't believe it. :)

The Never-Ending Baby To-Do List

I thought it would be fun to share all of the things on our to-do list for Baby L. We only have a handful of things crossed off but just recently crossed off a few more things. Shall I share? Here we go...

Nursery
- Crib & Mattress ✓
- Dresser ✓
- Changing Pad & Cover ✓
- Bedding ✓
- Shelves ✓
- Baskets & Bins (for storage) ✓
- Picture Frames ✓
- Print Art (for frames)
- Dresser Organizer ✓
- Hooks (for hanging mobile & poms/lanterns) ✓
- Curtain Rod ✓
- Window Shade ✓
- Books ✓
- Rugs ✓
- Ceiling Light ✓

Baby Necessities
- Clothing ✓
- Socks/Shoes ✓
- Swing ✓
- Stroller/Car Seat ✓
- Receiving Blankets ✓
- Towels/Wash Cloths ✓
- Baby Tub ✓
- Bottles
- Bottle Brush ✓
- Pacifiers ✓
- Brush/Nail Clippers/etc ✓
- Toys ✓

Momma Needs
- Breast Pump
- Nursing Bras
- Boppy Pillow
- Nightgown & Slippers
- Travel sized shampoo, deodorant, etc

List Updated 6/7/13

That's pretty much it. Stuff like a High Chair, Walker and whatnot isn't needed until much later so those things I'm not even thinking about at this point. I feel like this list is never going to be finished! But this week we went and got a bunch of different things like wash cloths, towels, etc & also the stroller & car seat!



Sticking with my yellow & gray theme I chose this Expedition Travel System - by Baby Trend. I love it so much because it's such better quality than the one I had for Gracie. I believe I had a Graco with her. It was too short for Paul to use and didn't seem to last as long as I thought it should. Plus I went with pink, white and light gray which got dirty way too easy. This one is right up my ally and Paul was having a blast pretending to push a baby around the house in it after he put it together. It's tall enough for him to use, finally! The best part is when we're done with it (aka when Baby L grows out of it) he can sell it at his job. He works for a sports store that resells things like this. Score!

Other than that, we go tomorrow for the 3D/4D Ultrasound! Gracie is, I think, more excited than even I am! I don't know how that's even possible but she is. She told me she might not sleep good tonight because she can't wait to see her baby sister. She recently whispered to my belly, "I'm gonna be the best big sister, L. I promise! You're gonna love Mommy & Daddy too." I teared up. Made my heart melt.

Can't stop, won't stop

I feel like I haven't stopped going since my last post. Ok I lied. I didn't do anything today except the basics (yanno, sweep, wipe counters, etc) but other than that I haven't stopped doing things in the Nursery or just around the house in general. For the past year or two I've wanted to paint a little cabinet/shelf I got from my grandmother after she passed away. It sat in my living room and then my hallway holding dvd's for years. It stayed boring and beaten up for as long as I can remember. This past weekend I decided to tackle that project head on. I don't know what got into me but I just felt like painting... and sanding and lots of painting. Here he is before, all sad and whatnot...



So dusty and sad. Poor little guy! First I sanded lightly around all of the edges to get all of the pointy parts off. You have to understand this shelf is pretty old so it has had lots of ware and tare over the years. Even the bottom piece of wood that goes across the bottom in the front had fallen off so I had to get new nails and nail it back in place. After that, I painted, giving time to dry between each coat for about 30 - 45 minutes. Then I'd add another coat. Four coats total. Yeah, FOUR. I used Behr's Paint & Primer in Wildflower Honey, actually the same yellow as I used in Baby L's nursery! I loved it that much! Plus hey, free paint! Here she is all happy and pretty! I also moved around decor to add to her beauty and freshened up my front door area in my Living Room. :)



Since then, Paul, Gracie & I headed to IKEA to buy furniture for Baby L's nursery. We picked up her crib, dresser, picture frames, crib mattress & a drawer organizer. I've now crossed off 6 things of my 31 thing to do list. We have SO MUCH stuff to get still. I feel like I'm falling behind. Anyway, we got the crib built as well as the dresser. We moved the crib into the room and with our luck, it was too wide! Which kind blew my mind because, when we measured the room it was perfect for the dimensions of the crib. I told you, this room is tiny! So, we gotta be EXACT. After huffing and puffing and trying to figure out what the issue was, it hit me that the crib didn't fit because we always measured the room WITHOUT the floor molding in mind. I called my parents in a panic and explained the situation. My dad came over a day or so later and worked his magic and removed parts of the molding so the crib would now fit. Yay, now it fits! So, after we got everything in place, I got to work putting the bedding together (after washing & ironing it, of course) and then started to put away all of the clothes we've gotten so far. It felt good to start getting things done in there.

This past week Gracie made her art for Baby L's nursery. It turned out so cute. The image you see is just a sneak peak. She added a couple more things to it since I took that picture. She is so excited to see her baby sister and to be a big sister! I think she's really going to be great at it. Speaking of seeing Baby L, I scheduled my 3D/4D ultrasound for this coming Thursday. I can't wait to see a good look at her face and see how she's growing. Because I can sure feel her. Her kicks are so violent at times! I swear there is a little ninja in my belly taking me as it's hostage! Paul's eyes got so big one night when he felt her kick because of how strong and hard it was. It was pretty fantastic to see! I also went to my last monthly ob/gyn appointment on Friday. I'm now going to bi-weekly appointments & in my third trimester! Time is really flying by. My doctor said he thinks she might come early, as in anytime around 36-38 weeks. Which of course made me think, 'OH CRAP, I HAVE EVEN LESS TIME TO GET EVERYTHING FOR HER DONE!' so, it's now crunch time. Time is flying & before you know it, Baby L will be here!