Monday, August 23, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Letters to Elaina
I've decided to start (and keep!) a journal. Like the old fashioned hand written kind. There are so many little things that happen everyday now that Elaina is here that I want to be able to look back on and remember...and I want to be able to give her the journal so she can read how much joy she brought into her mommy and daddy's life. Maybe I'll give it to her on her 16th birthday, or HS graduation, or 18th birthday, or maybe just a random day...shew, all that is so far away (though I'm afraid time is going to start going by in fast forward!) that I have a while to get those details figured out.
I'm a sap.
But seriously. I'm gonna start one. I just gotta go buy a pretty journal...oh, and i think this is a good excuse for buying new ink pens. :) God I love ink pens. It's an obsession.
I'm a sap.
But seriously. I'm gonna start one. I just gotta go buy a pretty journal...oh, and i think this is a good excuse for buying new ink pens. :) God I love ink pens. It's an obsession.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
I'm a horrible blogger...I'm back. She's here.
Okay. Smack my hand. I'll admit, I've just been flat out lazy and not updated this thing. This post however, will catch you up! :)
Where to begin. Okay, last time I updated I was like 30 wks pregnant and I'm happy to say, the last 9 weeks of my pregnancy were pretty uneventful. Yeah, I got huge (or at least I felt huge!), I had heartburn every-stinkin'-day, my feet were swollen, and I had a baby butt stuck in my ribs all the time...but really, I can't complain too much! So, blah blah blah, to the good part! :)
At my 39 week check-up I was dilated 3 cm and 80% effaced. Dr Harmon offered to sweep my membranes to hopefully get things started and I took her up on the offer...until she started the process...HOLY CRAP. It huuurrrrtttt...so she stopped. Anywho, I left the office that day with an appointment for an induction the following Friday, July 23rd. By no means did I want to be induced, but my doctor was getting ready to leave the country and I really didn't want anyone else delivering for me. Cause I'm weird like that.
On Thursday night (22nd) I get a call from the hospital telling me they're not going to be able to admit me the following day b/c the birthing center was nearly full. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. We had gotten so excited about our little girl finally being here only to learn we were going to have to wait. :(
Little did we know...she had other plans.
Friday morning I woke up at 5a.m. with wet undies. I seriously thought I'd peed myself. So, I went to the bathroom and noticed it didn't look like or smell like pee. I decided to go ahead and take a shower just in case. While in the shower I started having contractions, but I wasn't leaking anymore fluid so I just played them off as stomach cramps. After I finished getting ready I woke Kevin up and told him I thought my water had broke and that I was maybe having contractions. So, he took a shower and spent the next hour walking around like a nervous wreck. By 6:30 I was 110% sure I was having contractions so we headed to the hospital. When I got out of the car at the hospital parking lot my water finished breaking and I had a huge gush run down my leg. Hot. I know. So, I waddled upstairs to the birthing center looking like a 4 year old who had wet her pants. I went to the desk and told the nurses I was suppose to be induced but my water had broken. They then put me in the triage room and started monitoring my contractions and Elaina's heartbeat. The OB resident came in, introduced himself, and checked me. I was 4cms. They did 2 different tests and came back to say "Your water has broke."....my reaction? "Oh really? I kinda noticed when it gushed down my leg outside!" :) The contractions got pretty strong pretty fast so I was NOT a very nice person. I basically looked at the resident and said "You need to get me in a room and get my epidural ASAP if you want a nice patient!"
Dr. Harmon came by to check on me and was super excited that I'd went into labor on my own! She's such a sweetheart and I'm so glad she was able to deliver Elaina! After she checked me, they put me in a room and started my IV. From day 1 I've told everyone the part I was most worried about was the IV. Guess what...it was nothing compared to the contractions! Heck, they numb your hand before they put the IV in so I didn't feel anything. Yay! I had tested Group B Strep positive, so they started the antibiotics and fluids. The nurse said I needed to get a whole bag of fluid in me before they'd give my epidural. I told her to crank the machine up as high as it would go! haha. The contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart and hurt like HELL! Holy. Crap. When they asked my pain tolerance on a scale from 1-10 I told them 6...I later told them to change that to a 2. Not even kidding. People who naturally deliver babies are superheros. I do NOT know how they do it.
By this time, my parents and Kevin's mom had made it to the hospital. My poor Daddy was a nervous wreck. He hated seeing me in pain and everytime a contraction would start he'd have to turn his back to me so he couldn't see my face. It was so sweet. haha. Kevin, was a mess too. Pretty sure I damaged a few of his fingers when I was squeezing his hand during the contractions. He was amazing though. I couldn't have asked for a better support system! :)
Then...the gates of Heaven opened and angels started singing. Well, actually the door opened and in walked the anesthesiologist. I could've hugged her...but I was in so much pain I couldn't get up. Ha. By this time I was 6cms dilated and the contractions were INTENSE. The epidural was put in and I can't really remember if it hurt or not. Pretty sure it didn't...but I was too busy hyperventilating. That's right...dramatic I know...but I'm telling ya, I'm a total weiner when it comes to pain. Anywho, after the epidural was in and started working I was on cloud 9! My parents were cracking up at me because I was so relaxed, cracking jokes, texting...you name it. I'm serious. If you're not sure about an epidural, let me just give you two words of advice. GET. IT. the end.
Anywho, long story short...the resident came in again around noon and checked me. He looked at me and said "You're complete"...to which I said "Completely what?!". haha. Pretty sure the resident thought I was on crack. He kept joking with me and saying "You're not evil now that you have your epidural."...I'd like to see HIM in labor!! So, they called Dr Harmon to come back to the hospital (her office is like 2 minutes away!) and told us I was ready to push!! So, at about 12:30 I started pushing. Miss Elaina decided to twist while coming down the birth canal...so instead of being face down, she was face up...which made it more difficult for her to come out which lead to 90 minutes of pushing!! But, finally at 2:09 p.m. Elaina Rose came into the world kicking and screaming!! It was so surreal when I looked down and they held her up! I couldn't believe she was OURS and finally here after all the waiting!!! Kevin watched the whole delivery process and held my leg while I pushed. I really wasn't sure if he would want to watch "down there" but he did and is so proud of it! As soon as Elaina's head was out all he could say was "Oh my God, that's my little girl!"...it was so sweet.
She didn't come out with doing some damage to Mommy though. I had two 2nd degree tears that were pretty bad because it took the doctors forever to sew me up. Oh well. A minor payment for our baby girl!
Elaina was 7lbs 9.5ozs and 20" long...with a head FULL of hair!! :)
After everything was finished, the grandparents, my brother, Kevin's brother & sister-in-law, our nephew, two of my aunts and a close friend of mine all came in to see our new bundle. Of course everyone fell in love! We had company pretty much the rest of the day and all 3 of us were exhausted by 10:00!
So far everything has been great. Elaina is doing wonderful. At her check-up the Monday after she was born she hadn't lost any weight so the doctor was very happy with that and said breastfeeding seemed to be going great! I'm still breastfeeding her but I've decided to pump and feed her from a bottle. I've had some issues with her latch, major pain and feeling helpless. I never realized how emotional breastfeeding can be. I actually enjoy bottle feeding her more because she watches me the whole time and I can watch her. Plus she seems to get more full from the bottle and has slept longer. The most important thing to me isn't HOW she gets the breastmilk, as long as she gets it. The benefits of breastfeeding are unreal and I want to give her the best start possible.
Kevin is so in love. Seriously, it's precious. He lives for this little girl. I honestly could NOT ask for a better father for her and partner for myself. He's amazing.
And now...a few pictures of our baby girl! :)
holding her for the first time
i love this picture of her and Kevin...even though you can't see either of their faces
3 days old...ready for her first doctor visit
2 weeks old
Where to begin. Okay, last time I updated I was like 30 wks pregnant and I'm happy to say, the last 9 weeks of my pregnancy were pretty uneventful. Yeah, I got huge (or at least I felt huge!), I had heartburn every-stinkin'-day, my feet were swollen, and I had a baby butt stuck in my ribs all the time...but really, I can't complain too much! So, blah blah blah, to the good part! :)
At my 39 week check-up I was dilated 3 cm and 80% effaced. Dr Harmon offered to sweep my membranes to hopefully get things started and I took her up on the offer...until she started the process...HOLY CRAP. It huuurrrrtttt...so she stopped. Anywho, I left the office that day with an appointment for an induction the following Friday, July 23rd. By no means did I want to be induced, but my doctor was getting ready to leave the country and I really didn't want anyone else delivering for me. Cause I'm weird like that.
On Thursday night (22nd) I get a call from the hospital telling me they're not going to be able to admit me the following day b/c the birthing center was nearly full. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. We had gotten so excited about our little girl finally being here only to learn we were going to have to wait. :(
Little did we know...she had other plans.
Friday morning I woke up at 5a.m. with wet undies. I seriously thought I'd peed myself. So, I went to the bathroom and noticed it didn't look like or smell like pee. I decided to go ahead and take a shower just in case. While in the shower I started having contractions, but I wasn't leaking anymore fluid so I just played them off as stomach cramps. After I finished getting ready I woke Kevin up and told him I thought my water had broke and that I was maybe having contractions. So, he took a shower and spent the next hour walking around like a nervous wreck. By 6:30 I was 110% sure I was having contractions so we headed to the hospital. When I got out of the car at the hospital parking lot my water finished breaking and I had a huge gush run down my leg. Hot. I know. So, I waddled upstairs to the birthing center looking like a 4 year old who had wet her pants. I went to the desk and told the nurses I was suppose to be induced but my water had broken. They then put me in the triage room and started monitoring my contractions and Elaina's heartbeat. The OB resident came in, introduced himself, and checked me. I was 4cms. They did 2 different tests and came back to say "Your water has broke."....my reaction? "Oh really? I kinda noticed when it gushed down my leg outside!" :) The contractions got pretty strong pretty fast so I was NOT a very nice person. I basically looked at the resident and said "You need to get me in a room and get my epidural ASAP if you want a nice patient!"
Dr. Harmon came by to check on me and was super excited that I'd went into labor on my own! She's such a sweetheart and I'm so glad she was able to deliver Elaina! After she checked me, they put me in a room and started my IV. From day 1 I've told everyone the part I was most worried about was the IV. Guess what...it was nothing compared to the contractions! Heck, they numb your hand before they put the IV in so I didn't feel anything. Yay! I had tested Group B Strep positive, so they started the antibiotics and fluids. The nurse said I needed to get a whole bag of fluid in me before they'd give my epidural. I told her to crank the machine up as high as it would go! haha. The contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart and hurt like HELL! Holy. Crap. When they asked my pain tolerance on a scale from 1-10 I told them 6...I later told them to change that to a 2. Not even kidding. People who naturally deliver babies are superheros. I do NOT know how they do it.
By this time, my parents and Kevin's mom had made it to the hospital. My poor Daddy was a nervous wreck. He hated seeing me in pain and everytime a contraction would start he'd have to turn his back to me so he couldn't see my face. It was so sweet. haha. Kevin, was a mess too. Pretty sure I damaged a few of his fingers when I was squeezing his hand during the contractions. He was amazing though. I couldn't have asked for a better support system! :)
Then...the gates of Heaven opened and angels started singing. Well, actually the door opened and in walked the anesthesiologist. I could've hugged her...but I was in so much pain I couldn't get up. Ha. By this time I was 6cms dilated and the contractions were INTENSE. The epidural was put in and I can't really remember if it hurt or not. Pretty sure it didn't...but I was too busy hyperventilating. That's right...dramatic I know...but I'm telling ya, I'm a total weiner when it comes to pain. Anywho, after the epidural was in and started working I was on cloud 9! My parents were cracking up at me because I was so relaxed, cracking jokes, texting...you name it. I'm serious. If you're not sure about an epidural, let me just give you two words of advice. GET. IT. the end.
Anywho, long story short...the resident came in again around noon and checked me. He looked at me and said "You're complete"...to which I said "Completely what?!". haha. Pretty sure the resident thought I was on crack. He kept joking with me and saying "You're not evil now that you have your epidural."...I'd like to see HIM in labor!! So, they called Dr Harmon to come back to the hospital (her office is like 2 minutes away!) and told us I was ready to push!! So, at about 12:30 I started pushing. Miss Elaina decided to twist while coming down the birth canal...so instead of being face down, she was face up...which made it more difficult for her to come out which lead to 90 minutes of pushing!! But, finally at 2:09 p.m. Elaina Rose came into the world kicking and screaming!! It was so surreal when I looked down and they held her up! I couldn't believe she was OURS and finally here after all the waiting!!! Kevin watched the whole delivery process and held my leg while I pushed. I really wasn't sure if he would want to watch "down there" but he did and is so proud of it! As soon as Elaina's head was out all he could say was "Oh my God, that's my little girl!"...it was so sweet.
She didn't come out with doing some damage to Mommy though. I had two 2nd degree tears that were pretty bad because it took the doctors forever to sew me up. Oh well. A minor payment for our baby girl!
Elaina was 7lbs 9.5ozs and 20" long...with a head FULL of hair!! :)
After everything was finished, the grandparents, my brother, Kevin's brother & sister-in-law, our nephew, two of my aunts and a close friend of mine all came in to see our new bundle. Of course everyone fell in love! We had company pretty much the rest of the day and all 3 of us were exhausted by 10:00!
So far everything has been great. Elaina is doing wonderful. At her check-up the Monday after she was born she hadn't lost any weight so the doctor was very happy with that and said breastfeeding seemed to be going great! I'm still breastfeeding her but I've decided to pump and feed her from a bottle. I've had some issues with her latch, major pain and feeling helpless. I never realized how emotional breastfeeding can be. I actually enjoy bottle feeding her more because she watches me the whole time and I can watch her. Plus she seems to get more full from the bottle and has slept longer. The most important thing to me isn't HOW she gets the breastmilk, as long as she gets it. The benefits of breastfeeding are unreal and I want to give her the best start possible.
Kevin is so in love. Seriously, it's precious. He lives for this little girl. I honestly could NOT ask for a better father for her and partner for myself. He's amazing.
And now...a few pictures of our baby girl! :)
holding her for the first time 
i love this picture of her and Kevin...even though you can't see either of their faces
3 days old...ready for her first doctor visit
2 weeks oldSunday, May 16, 2010
...she looks like ME! :)
I'm not bragging...but our little girl is adoooorable!! At first I couldn't tell by the 4D pictures who she looked like, but Kevin and the ultrasound tech both agree she looks like her momma! :) I just said "Ah!" but Kevin is ecstatic that she looks like me! So sweet. haha.
Okay, let me go back to my last update and start from there. Sorry. I just had to share the news of her adorableness.
ANYWHO...my last appointment was the 28 week check-up which included the glucose tolerance test. Not gonna lie, I was dreading the appointment for two reasons...1)I was terrified the glucose drink would be disgusting and I'd throw up in front of everyone and 2) because I knew they would be taking blood. It's not that I'm a total weiner about having blood taken (only a semi-weiner!) but the last time they had to try FOUR times before hitting the vein. That's three times too many in my book!
Oh, and let me add that little miss Elaina had decided her favorite spot was now on mommy's sciatic nerve. So, I'd been in horrible pain and barely able to walk for like 3 days prior to this appointment!
So, I get to the dr office, weigh in (up a total of 5lbs from appointment #1), have my blood pressure taken (it was "great"!), listen to Elaina's heartbeat on the doppler (144) and then they hand me the drink. It looked great...like orange soda. So, I open it and chug like 1/2 the bottle. I wait for the gagging...and nothing. It actually wasn't that bad. It tasted like orange Gatorade kinda...just sweeter. So, I really had no problem drinking it in the allowed 5 minutes. After finishing it off (with a small burp I might add...hey, there was no one in the room and it felt good!) the nurse practioner came in to see me. I'd been considering asking them to change my assigned doctor, so I brought it up. She said that they'd be more than happy to change that for me if I wanted them to...so, we're now assigned to Dr Harmon! yay! She checked my ankels for swelling, measured my belly (27.5 inches!), and gave me information on local birthing/parenting/breastfeeding classes. I mentioned my back pain/difficulty in walking and she agreed that it was Elaina on my sciatic nerve...then said "It's horrible...and there's nothing we can do about it." WELL THANKS FOR THAT RAY OF SUNSHINE! sheesh. I could've cried. Idon't know what I expected them to do, but just hearing that there was nothing available made me even more miserable. ((Good news...Elaina's mothers day gift to me was moving OFF the nerve! Thank you baby girl...Mommy REALLY appreciated that!)) So anyway, I finished up with the NP, waited the rest of the 60 minutes required for the GT test, and went to have my blood taken. Thank God the lady hit it the first time and I barely felt it. I could've hugged her! :)
They called me the next day with my results and said everything looked great, except my thyroid which could be fixed by increasing my medicine. I was so relieved to hear I didn't have gestational diabetes. My mom had it with both my brother and me, but was lucky and had no complications whatsoever! However, I figured with her having it, I'd be at a higher risk...thank God for answering that prayer!
Now onto the 4D goodies...
Kevin and I had discussed having the 4D ultrasound done, but my regular office charges $200. I couldn't see spending that much money on it...till I heard about a place down the road that only charged $100. So, I told Kevin about it and said that I'd let him make the decision. Well, this uber excited daddy couldn't pass up the chance to see his little girl...so we made the appointment. And now, I am SO glad we did. It was amazing. Here are a few pictures...
Okay, let me go back to my last update and start from there. Sorry. I just had to share the news of her adorableness.
ANYWHO...my last appointment was the 28 week check-up which included the glucose tolerance test. Not gonna lie, I was dreading the appointment for two reasons...1)I was terrified the glucose drink would be disgusting and I'd throw up in front of everyone and 2) because I knew they would be taking blood. It's not that I'm a total weiner about having blood taken (only a semi-weiner!) but the last time they had to try FOUR times before hitting the vein. That's three times too many in my book!
Oh, and let me add that little miss Elaina had decided her favorite spot was now on mommy's sciatic nerve. So, I'd been in horrible pain and barely able to walk for like 3 days prior to this appointment!
So, I get to the dr office, weigh in (up a total of 5lbs from appointment #1), have my blood pressure taken (it was "great"!), listen to Elaina's heartbeat on the doppler (144) and then they hand me the drink. It looked great...like orange soda. So, I open it and chug like 1/2 the bottle. I wait for the gagging...and nothing. It actually wasn't that bad. It tasted like orange Gatorade kinda...just sweeter. So, I really had no problem drinking it in the allowed 5 minutes. After finishing it off (with a small burp I might add...hey, there was no one in the room and it felt good!) the nurse practioner came in to see me. I'd been considering asking them to change my assigned doctor, so I brought it up. She said that they'd be more than happy to change that for me if I wanted them to...so, we're now assigned to Dr Harmon! yay! She checked my ankels for swelling, measured my belly (27.5 inches!), and gave me information on local birthing/parenting/breastfeeding classes. I mentioned my back pain/difficulty in walking and she agreed that it was Elaina on my sciatic nerve...then said "It's horrible...and there's nothing we can do about it." WELL THANKS FOR THAT RAY OF SUNSHINE! sheesh. I could've cried. Idon't know what I expected them to do, but just hearing that there was nothing available made me even more miserable. ((Good news...Elaina's mothers day gift to me was moving OFF the nerve! Thank you baby girl...Mommy REALLY appreciated that!)) So anyway, I finished up with the NP, waited the rest of the 60 minutes required for the GT test, and went to have my blood taken. Thank God the lady hit it the first time and I barely felt it. I could've hugged her! :)
They called me the next day with my results and said everything looked great, except my thyroid which could be fixed by increasing my medicine. I was so relieved to hear I didn't have gestational diabetes. My mom had it with both my brother and me, but was lucky and had no complications whatsoever! However, I figured with her having it, I'd be at a higher risk...thank God for answering that prayer!
Now onto the 4D goodies...
Kevin and I had discussed having the 4D ultrasound done, but my regular office charges $200. I couldn't see spending that much money on it...till I heard about a place down the road that only charged $100. So, I told Kevin about it and said that I'd let him make the decision. Well, this uber excited daddy couldn't pass up the chance to see his little girl...so we made the appointment. And now, I am SO glad we did. It was amazing. Here are a few pictures...
with her foot in her face. it must be comfy b/c that's been her position of choice during the last TWO ulrasounds.
looks like we have a thumbsucker!
...who sleeps just like her daddy--with her arm up over her face!See...told ya she's a doll! :) Now, after seeing these pictures and her in action, Kevin and I are bouncing off the walls and oh-so-ready for her to make her debut! We've told her to cook for at least 6 or 7 more weeks at least...then get her booty out here so Mommy & Daddy can hug and love and kiss on her!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
26 weeks & 5 days...last update of 2nd trimester!
I can't believe it. This will be my last update in the 2nd trimester! As of Tuesday, I'll be in the "home stretch"...eek! Scary AND exciting!
They say the 1st trimester sucks, 2nd trimester is smooth sailing, and 3rd trimester is full of discomfort. Well...2nd wasn't exactly "smooth" for me. No, it wasn't horrible, but my morning sickness hung around till about week 20, I had a UTI at week 24, my back has killed me for the last 6 weeks and I feel huge. haha. Regardless, I've enjoyed the 2nd trimester because it brought more good than bad! Finding out our little one is a girl, feeling her move for the first time, feeling her move from the outside the first time, Kevin getting to feel her move, watching my stomach roll while she kicks and dances, and finally looking pregnant! haha. So...I'm sad to see this trimester end, but I know we're getting close to her arrival and that makes it all worth it!!
Total weight gain/loss: at my last appointment I'm finally over my starting weight...by 2 pounds! :)
Maternity clothes? yes please...I need more though!
Stretch marks? dang it. I wish I could say 'no'...but I can't. :( I have two. They're very faint and so far down on my stomach I'll never have to worry about anyone (other than myself and Kevin) seeing them...but I bawled like a baby when I found them. Kevin reassured me it was okay, promised he still loved me (b/c mid-sob I said "you won't love me with a road map on my stomach!!") and reminded me they were momentos of an amazing time in our lives. aww.
Sleep: Honestly, we're trying to get as much as possible now b/c we know we won't get this luxury for like 18 years! haha.
Best moment this week: getting the crib and dresser into the nursery
Movement: oh my lord! she's SO active! i love it...even though it's slightly uncomfortable sometimes! haha. i think she's gonna be a great soccer player!
Food cravings: nope. nothing really.
Gender: still a girl! :)
Labor Signs: nada.
Belly Button in or out? in, but it's not as "deep" as before. haha.
Wedding rings on or off? still on! :)
What I miss: hrm. other than the drink I mentioned last time, nothing really. :)
What I am looking forward to: holding our little girl for the first time. we're so anxious.
Weekly Wisdom: Just because you babysit a kid one time doesn't qualify you to give me parenting advice...and pregnancy is NOT a handicap. You are not dead nor helpless so get over yourself. (sorry...i feel better now.)
Milestones: End of 2nd trimester/Beginning of 3rd!! :) yippee!
They say the 1st trimester sucks, 2nd trimester is smooth sailing, and 3rd trimester is full of discomfort. Well...2nd wasn't exactly "smooth" for me. No, it wasn't horrible, but my morning sickness hung around till about week 20, I had a UTI at week 24, my back has killed me for the last 6 weeks and I feel huge. haha. Regardless, I've enjoyed the 2nd trimester because it brought more good than bad! Finding out our little one is a girl, feeling her move for the first time, feeling her move from the outside the first time, Kevin getting to feel her move, watching my stomach roll while she kicks and dances, and finally looking pregnant! haha. So...I'm sad to see this trimester end, but I know we're getting close to her arrival and that makes it all worth it!!
Total weight gain/loss: at my last appointment I'm finally over my starting weight...by 2 pounds! :)
Maternity clothes? yes please...I need more though!
Stretch marks? dang it. I wish I could say 'no'...but I can't. :( I have two. They're very faint and so far down on my stomach I'll never have to worry about anyone (other than myself and Kevin) seeing them...but I bawled like a baby when I found them. Kevin reassured me it was okay, promised he still loved me (b/c mid-sob I said "you won't love me with a road map on my stomach!!") and reminded me they were momentos of an amazing time in our lives. aww.
Sleep: Honestly, we're trying to get as much as possible now b/c we know we won't get this luxury for like 18 years! haha.
Best moment this week: getting the crib and dresser into the nursery
Movement: oh my lord! she's SO active! i love it...even though it's slightly uncomfortable sometimes! haha. i think she's gonna be a great soccer player!
Food cravings: nope. nothing really.
Gender: still a girl! :)
Labor Signs: nada.
Belly Button in or out? in, but it's not as "deep" as before. haha.
Wedding rings on or off? still on! :)
What I miss: hrm. other than the drink I mentioned last time, nothing really. :)
What I am looking forward to: holding our little girl for the first time. we're so anxious.
Weekly Wisdom: Just because you babysit a kid one time doesn't qualify you to give me parenting advice...and pregnancy is NOT a handicap. You are not dead nor helpless so get over yourself. (sorry...i feel better now.)
Milestones: End of 2nd trimester/Beginning of 3rd!! :) yippee!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
nursery on a budget!
I believe it's 50 times more fun to decorate on a budget than what I suppose it is to decorate on a unlimited budget (i wouldn't know...but i'm just guessing!)
I knew when we started the nursery that there was NO WAY i wanted to spend tons of $ on it. I wanted her to have a nice room, but honestly Elaina's (or any child for that matter!) not going to be any better of a person because she has a $1500 crib instead of a $400 crib. So...I just wanted to share some great bargains I've found thus far as proof that decorating CAN be done for cheap.
I knew when we started the nursery that there was NO WAY i wanted to spend tons of $ on it. I wanted her to have a nice room, but honestly Elaina's (or any child for that matter!) not going to be any better of a person because she has a $1500 crib instead of a $400 crib. So...I just wanted to share some great bargains I've found thus far as proof that decorating CAN be done for cheap.
These letters are wooden and were painted white already. I wanted something "girly" and cute so when I found these at Hobby Lobby I knew they would be perfect. However, they were full priced...$2.99 each. Okay, call me cheap but $3 x 6 letters = $18 + tax (which is 10% in TN!). So, being the admitted cheap-o that I'm proud to be I decided to wait because I know how Hobby Lobby works. They rotate stuff on 50% off ALL THE TIME! Why would I pay full price when chances are they would be on sale in a week. SOOOOO...I waited and sure enough next time, they were on sale! $1.50 x 6 letters = $9...much better! :)
I found this rug at Kirklands...one of my absolute favorite stores in the world. I could honestly spend an entire months income in there in about 30 minutes and leave still wanting more. Anywho, I knew I wanted a "pop of color" but was having a hard time finding a rug I liked that was the right size and NOT $100+. So, the day I walked into Kirklands and saw this beauty rolled up I about peed my pants. Even better, it was marked down from $30 (still a great price!) to $24.99...THEN when the wonderful man at the register rang it up it was only $20!!! Yippee!
So, those are my two favorite bargains so far. I have a few more that are "projects in progress" so you'll just have to wait on those! Until then...happy bargain shopping! :)
...more nursery progress!
Thank God for grandparents! :)
Elaina's nana and grandpa (my mom & dad) came down this weekend and put together the crib and dresser for us! Kevin had to travel to VA Saturday morning, but got home just in time to see the finished product...then fuss at us for not waiting on him! haha. Anyway, the room is looking GREAT! I am SO happy with it!
Here are a few pics from the weekend...
yay for Nana and Grandpa
Kevin's home and likes what he sees!! :)
Moving the crib into place.
Nana working on the wall letters. Thank God for her b/c there's no way mine would have been straight OR centered!
Kevin & I...can you tell how excited we are for our little girl to get here??
Elaina's nana and grandpa (my mom & dad) came down this weekend and put together the crib and dresser for us! Kevin had to travel to VA Saturday morning, but got home just in time to see the finished product...then fuss at us for not waiting on him! haha. Anyway, the room is looking GREAT! I am SO happy with it!
Here are a few pics from the weekend...
yay for Nana and Grandpa 
Kevin's home and likes what he sees!! :)
Moving the crib into place.
Nana working on the wall letters. Thank God for her b/c there's no way mine would have been straight OR centered!
Kevin & I...can you tell how excited we are for our little girl to get here??
the "thus far" picture. we LOVE how it's coming together!
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