Wednesday, May 25, 2011

It's party time!

Well, if you call napping and lounging around being lazy for days on end, "partying"... I do! Tomorrow we are off on our Babymoon and I can't wait!

This is my list of things to do while we're away:

Swim
Tan this (big) belly
Read a couple of books
Take a bubble bath
Hike
Romantic time with my Hubby, lots of it!
Take a bazillion photos
Go on a bike ride or two
Swim in the middle of the night
Nap in a hammock! Yes!
Early morning yoga
Movies under the stars
Go on a few dinner dates
And swim some more

I am so looking forward to the hot sun and lazy days with my hunny.
I'll be back next week to share lots of pictures! Have a great holiday weekend!

Friday, May 20, 2011

25 Weeks

Today I am 25 weeks, only 15 more to go!
I've gained 13 pounds so far.
My boobs are big, my butt is bigger, none of my clothes fit!
The super crazy and scary dreams have stopped, thank goodness!
I always want rolled-tacos.
Sienna favors the right side of my belly.
My belly button is gone, completely flat.
We are both doing well and are very healthy :)
I cry when I see anything baby related, TV shows, commercials, magazine ads, anything! The other day I saw a little girl who looked like what I imagine Sienna might look like and I started balling. I just love everything about babies!

This weekend I plan to work on a couple projects for the nursery, I'll be sharing the details with you soon!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Thrift Store Finds

The shopping has begun! I've started my search for nursery decor and thrift stores are hands down, my favorite places to shop for unique items. I always find the best deals on such interesting treasures. However, thrifting takes patience! Most times, you have to scour thrift stores, high and low to find something you love...
BUT it's totally worth it! Check out a few of my fabulous finds.

A Babushka or Matryoshka Doll (Russian Nesting Doll) 
Isn't she gorgeous! Unfortunately, she didn't come with the other nesting dolls usually found inside, but I can always use her to store hair barrettes or other small items.
Only $2!
I love this picture frame and the $3 price makes it even more awesome :)
 These two picture frames are probably my favorite find of the day, they are so unique! Don't they look like they perfectly match the picture frame above... they weren't even at the same store! There are no backs to these frames, but for $1 each, I'm more than happy to make new ones.
 For a total of SEVEN DOLLARS, I scored all of these one-of-a-kind items. How cool is that? $7!

Bored at work?

What to do when you are bored at work:
1. Kill a few flies
2. Put them in the sun to dry for one hour.
3. Once they are dry, grab a pencil and paper... let your imagination flow.

Here are a few examples...

This is a little creepy, but a LOT funny!

Monday, May 16, 2011

A new look

Happy Monday!
I hope you all like the new blog design!

If you are a regular visitor of this blog, "Follow" me! It just takes one click :)

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Project: Nursery

The color scheme
I want to create a fun and colorful room for Sienna, so I kept that in mind when choosing the color scheme. Her room will have lots of shades of peach and coral, rather than pinks. I was afraid of her room being overly girly, so I'm also throwing in shades of mint green and aqua blues. While shopping, I looked for interesting patterns instead of sticking with one particular theme. I don't mind if everything doesn't "match" perfectly, as long as it all coordinates well, I'll be a happy camper.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Inspiration: Playroom

I love the bold colors, so fun!

I'm in love with this room! It's so elegant with the gorgeous chandelier and crown molding, yet so modern with the bright colors, look at that awesome rug!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Project: Nursery

What was once our computer/extra room, is now transforming into a baby girl's room. I can't even explain how crazy (in a good way) it is to walk by the open door to see a crib standing there. We've had her crib and changing table for about a month now and for the first two weeks I would sit in her room for hours, just staring. I couldn't believe that MY child would be sleeping and playing in that room. My baby, OUR baby, we are going to be parents! This is what I've been dreaming of since I was a young girl, becoming a mother. Most little girls dream of becoming singers, teachers, doctors... I dreamed of being a mother. My world wouldn't feel complete if I never had children, that is why I am so thankful that God gave me this opportunity. Not a day goes by that I don't thank him for this wonderful gift. Every time I feel her move, I am reminded how blessed I am, how blessed we are!

Anyway, I got a little off track, back to the nursery.

Before we started decorating her room, I told my Hubby that I want it to be a beautiful and fun space, but I don't want it to break the bank. I feel that anyone can create an amazing space, perfect for them, without spending a million dollars. Hello: thrift stores, craigslist, yard sales and clearance aisles!

I want to show everyone that it's not only possible, but quite easy to create a beautiful and fun nursery by being a thrifty shopper. Stay tuned for future Project: Nursery posts, with pictures :)

Hope you all are having a wonderful day! It's my lunch time so I'm going to scarf my left-overs then hit up a couple thrift stores, I hope to find some good stuff!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Mother's Day

I hope all of you wonderful Mommy's had a great Mother's Day weekend!

Since I'm technically not a mother yet I wasn't really expecting to get any special treatment for the day. But I guess it was Mother's-to-be Day in our house yesterday! When I woke up, I walked into the living room and the Hub was arranging the most beautiful bunch of flowers. I was really surprised because I knew he hadn't left the house that morning and the flowers weren't laying around the day before. He told me later that he hid them in the garage, sneaky! I thought that was my Mother's Day treat, but he wasn't done yet. He made me my favorite cranberry-orange breakfast bread and coffee and we sat in our pajamas and talked about Sienna for a while, it was perfect. After we drank our coffee, he went into the kitchen and told me not to look at what he was preparing. He pulled out a couple bags from the fridge that he had previously told me not to look in. A short while later he brought out the most delicious looking fruit and chocolate fondue breakfast! He got major points for that because for the last week I have been talking about how I've been craving chocolate dipped fruit. We started chowing down and I realized that he had cut the fruit into heart-shaped pieces, his awesome hubby points were of the chart at that point! We spent the rest of the day lounging around and in the evening we had a date night in with dinner and a movie. Everything was so yummy, so relaxed and romantic, it was such a perfect Mommy-to-be Day :)

Friday, May 6, 2011

Dear Sienna

My baby Love,
I can't get you off of my mind, you're all I think about. You move so much, so you're always reminding me that you're right here with me. Every morning I'm woken up by your movements, as if you are saying, "Good morning Mommy". I love it so much, it makes it hard to get out of bed. I lay there with my hands on my belly feeling you, you amaze me. Mornings are our special time together, just you and me. I talk to you and try to imagine what you are thinking, what you look like, what it will be like to finally hold you in my arms and to see your sweet face. It's amazing to think that we are only separated by a couple of inches. I'm taking good care of you baby girl. Your Daddy and I are so excited to meet you! Oh, by the way, you have the best Daddy in the world! He is SO in love with you, he's always making me cry with the sweet things he says about you. Our world will be complete when you're finally here.
I love you.

♥ your Mama

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Right now

I feel REALLY pregnant! My belly button hurts and I'm daydreaming of my fluffy bed and a long nap :)

I am 23 weeks pregnant, only 17 more weeks to go! At our last midwife appointment I learned that I've gained 10 pounds so far, she said that I have around 20 more pounds to go, whoa! Our baby girl is doing well and growing as expected. I am doing fantastic too, no sickness and eating well. However, I've been pretty tired the last few days. I'm starting to walk slower, breath heavier and feel exhausted more often. I try not complain and just suck it up. Luckily, the Hub is noticing that something is up so he's really helped out a lot! In the past couple days he has cleaned both bathrooms (including the tubs, toilets and floors!), helped with laundry, ran errands, he's doing so great!

My little lady is kicking more than ever! Yesterday, I'm pretty sure I experienced Braxton Hicks contractions for the first time. It seems way too early for me to get them, I'm only 23 weeks! So I did some research this morning, this is what I found:

What are Braxton Hicks contractions?
Braxton Hicks contractions can begin as early as the second trimester, however they are most common in the third trimester. The muscles of your uterus tighten for approximately 30 to 60 seconds or as long as 2 minutes. Braxton Hicks are also called “practice contractions” because they will prepare you for the real thing and you can practice the breathing exercises you are learning in your childbirth classes.

Braxton Hicks are described as:
Irregular in intensity
Infrequent
Unpredictable
Non-rhythmic
More uncomfortable than painful
They do not increase in intensity, or frequency
They taper off and then disappear altogether

What causes Braxton Hicks contractions?
There are a few speculations for why women have these contractions. Some physicians and midwives think they may play a part in toning the uterine muscle and promoting the flow of blood to the placenta. They are not believed to have any connection with dilating the cervix, but may have some effect on the softening of the cervix. However, as Braxton Hicks contractions become more intense closer to the time of delivery, the contractions are considered false labor, which can help in the dilation and effacement process.

What triggers Braxton Hicks contractions?
The following are triggers of Braxton Hicks:

When you or the baby are very active
If someone touches your belly
When your bladder is full
After sex
Dehydration

Sienna was extremely active all day yesterday, I'm sure that is what triggered the contractions. When I got home from work, I had Isaac feel her kicks and movements. He couldn't believe how hard her kicks were and how much she was twisting and turning, pretty much non-stop for hours at a time. She seems a bit more calm today so hopefully I'll have a comfortable day, with no Braxton Hicks contractions :)