Let the Nesting Begin!

Happy Wednesday!!

Last weekend hubby and I started working on the nursery!  The room had off-white walls with a deep raspberry accent wall.  It was great for the guest bedroom, but no so great for our sweet Grace's nursery.  For her nursery we are doing light pink, light gray and white.  Needless to say, the red wall had to go.

Sean and I decided it would be fun {and cheaper} to do it ourselves, so we took a trip to Lowe's to acquire the necessary tools.  After speaking with the paint specialist for a while, we picked up two rollers, a brush for the edges, tape to tape the molding and floor board, the aluminum tin to put the paint in, and a very high-end high-hide primer that would make the red disappear.

Before we could start priming, we had to take apart the guest bed.  I originally thought we could have the guest bed, the crib, and all the other furniture in the room, but we decided it would be better to store it for now, so that the nursery is more open and there is ample room to play {especially as Gracie gets older}.  Once the bed was gone, Sean moved the crib to the center of the room and covered it with plastic sheeting {we already had plastic sheeting from a Halloween party a couple of years ago where we turned our sunroom into Dexter's kill room}.  Then we taped all the edges of the wall, and we were ready to prime!  We had to much fun priming together!

We finished one coat in less than an hour, and it looked great.  The wall looked mostly white, but we decided a second coat would be perfect just to make sure no red would peak through.  After the first coat dried, we zipped through the second coat.  Just with the white primer, the room looks so open and airy now!  I didn't realize how closed off the room was with the red.

Here are the before and after pictures:

Before (with Juno, our Great Dane)

After the primer (sorry the lighting isn't very good)

We are so happy with the way it turned out.  Now we just have to finalize our paint color for the accent wall and paint!  Then it's time to DECORATE!!!  Woohoo!!!

On a totally unrelated note, before we worked on the nursery I got my daily 3-5 mile walk in.  I am grateful that I am able to continue working out during my pregnancy {albeit much less intense}.  I know it will help with my labor when the time comes.  I've also started adding squats and lunges to my routine, which are definitely getting more challenging as my belly grows and my center of gravity changes.  Here's a picture of me and my 18 week belly after my workout:

Love my growing belly, and love my R2D2 yoga pants!

Enjoy the rest of your week!!!

18 Week Bumpdate!

How far along:  18 weeks!

Baby is the size of a(n):  Bell pepper or a sweet potato!

Total weight gain/loss:  + 0 lbs (Last week I gained two pounds, but this week I was back to my norm, and the lack of weight gain concerned me.  I called my doctor and she reassured me that no weight gain is A-OK right now, as long as I’m eating, which I am…constantly.  Her reassurance made me feel better :)  Also, because I was in great shape pre-pregnancy and at a healthy weight, she said I should gain maybe 15-20 lbs during my entire pregnancy.)

Maternity clothes:  A couple really cute sweaters from A Pea in the Pod.

Sleep:  It’s OK.  I’m using my Snoogle body pillow, which is wonderful for my lower body, but I’m starting to get neck cramps from the top portion of it.  Also, I’m starting to have weird dreams.  The other night I had a bizarre dream that was a combination of Great Expectations, Harry Potter, the Salem witch trials, and Superman.

Best moment this week:  NYC!!  Hubby and I went to NYC for the long weekend to visit my old roomies, their husbands/boyfriends, and my godparents.  We had so much fun, despite the freezing cold weather (Saturday it was in the teens(!) but it was still sunny and crystal clear).  Saturday we had what I thought was going to be a casual brunch with the gang, but they surprised us with a baby shower!!  We had bottomless mimosas (OJ for me) and best burgers in town, and we laughed so much our bellies ached!  Gracie was hands down spoiled by all her aunts and uncles with very generous gifts.  Thank you!!  More detailed post on our trip to come soon!

Baby Movement:  When we were riding the subway on Saturday in NYC, I felt a strong flutter.  It was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before so I know it was our girl!  It was incredible!  It was still very soft, but definitely noticeable.  I can’t wait to start feeling her more.

Cravings:  NYC pizza!!  We  partially satisfied this craving with a giant white slice (yum) and a giant regular slice (mmm) while we were there, but I want more!

Missing anything:  Running!  I can walk, which I do every other day (3-5 miles), but I do miss running.

Pregnancy symptoms:  Slight lower back pain, frequent trips to the bathroom, and bending over is becoming more challenging for sure.

Showing yet:  Oh yea!

Labor signs:  Nope.

Belly button in or out:  It’s still technically “in” but it’s starting to pop out!!  I had to take my belly ring out.

Wedding rings on or off:  On!

Looking forward to:  Painting the nursery!!!  We have the primer, paint, and all the supplies, now we just have to do it!  Then I can really start to nest :)

Previous Baby Bumpdates

If you want to see more, check our my other bumpdates below!

/ pregnancy announcement / journey to pregnancy / 12 weeks /

/13 weeks / 14 weeks / 15 weeks / 16 weeks / 17 weeks /

Weekend in NYC + A Surprise Baby Shower!

Last weekend, Sean and I traveled to New York to visit some of our friends and my godparents.  It was brutally cold {Saturday dropped to the teens}, but we still had the most incredible and fun-filled weekend.

We arrived Friday afternoon and it was beautiful!  It was cold {in the 20s}, but the sun was shining and it was crystal clear.  That night Sean went out with some of the guys to see the Islanders kick the Penguins butt {hockey}, and I met up with some of the girls for a late dinner.  It was great catching up, and after a few hours we called it a night; we had a big brunch planned with everyone the next day at one of our old college hangouts with bottomless mimosas and the best burgers in town.

Saturday morning we took the subway uptown to Pipers for brunch.  We were running a little bit late because of the train, but when we arrived we were blown away!!  The girls had planned a co-ed surprise baby shower for us, and everything was pink!  It was a pink jungle theme with pink giraffe and elephant confetti, favors, plates, and balloons including a large pink giraffe balloon!  I went around and gave everyone a big hug as I fought back tears of joy {thank you pregnancy hormones}.  We of course dove in to mimosas {OJ for me} and domestic beer, and ordered burgers like the Eli Manning burger or the Derek Jeter burger.  We drank, talked, ate, shared stories, and laughed so hard our bellies ached.  After we ate, gift magically started appearing in front of me.  I did not expect a shower, let alone the plethora of adorable and very generous gifts we received.  Grace was definitely spoiled by her NY Aunts and Uncles!  Some of the gifts include hand knit beanies and booties, onesies and matching beanies, a pink princess bath towel, a pink bath robe, the 4moms bath from our registry, our high chair, the AVENT bottle gift set, our giraffe floor mat, on the go changing station to match our diaper bag, gift cards, bibs, the crib mobile, and so much more.  We could hardly carry everything on the train!  Luckily the big items like the bath and the high chair were shipped to our home.  Several hours {and many mimosas} later, we said our thank yous and goodbyes.

Sean and I headed back to the hotel to drop off our loot and get ready for date night in the city.  We started at the illustrious PEGU, where we went during our engagement weekend, for drinks and appetizers before heading to Tribeca Grill for dinner.  We had so much fun together talking and laughing, and fantasizing about our future with Grace.  We know our nights alone are fleeting, and we enjoyed every moment together.

The next day we woke up to a warmer day of 40 degrees, but it was pouring rain with no chance of letting up.  A little rain never hurt though!  We got up and dressed, and our first stop was for PIZZA!!!  NY pizza is the absolute hands down best pizza in the world {and I’ve eaten pizza all over the world!}.  With full bellies, we decided to walk over the Eugene O’Neill theatre to see if we could get last minute tickets for The Book of Mormon on this rainy day.  Unfortunately the afternoon show was sold out, so we opted for Plan B:  The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  We didn’t stay long because half of the city had the same idea as us and it was packed!  Our next stop was one of our favorite spots, the Central Park Boat House.  We walked through the park in the rain, which was very romantic, and made it to the Boat House with a couple hours to spare before they closed for a private event.  We enjoyed hot totties and cocktails/mocktails while listening to the very talented pianist play a collection of songs from musicals to classical pieces.  He even played Frozen’s “Let It Go” {needless to say I jumped for joy}.

After a couple cocktails/mocktails at the Boat House, we walked to the East Side where we would later be meeting my god parents for dinner.  We had some time to kill and decided to make our way to an old Irish pub where we could watch the Seahawks vs. Packers {go Seahawks!}.  On the way, however, we stumbled across the most adorable baby store called “Giggle.”  We walked around and we found two awesome items for our Gracie:  her first stuffed animal and a gray furry onesie with bear ears.  Her stuffed animal is the most adorable donkey you’ve ever seen.  We fell in love with him because one of our favorite Christmas songs is this silly song called “Dominic the Donkey.”  Of course we named her stuffed animal Dominic.

Later, after watching the Seahawks beat the Packers in overtime, we met up with my godparents at this fabulous French bistro called Orsay.  I felt like we were in Paris.  My godfather told me they had recently undergone a $20M dollar renovation where they brought in everything, including the tiles for the floors and the molding for the ceiling, directly from France.  It was very authentic, and the food was just as spectacular.  I enjoyed butternut squash risotto after a delightful first course of escargot, and Sean enjoyed a steak that he said was one of the best steaks he’s ever had.  The four of us shared profiteroles and a hazelnut pastry-thing for dessert, both of which were decadent.

The next morning we woke up early to catch our flight home.  We had such a wonderful trip.  It was great to see everyone and celebrate so many life events together {my pregnancy, one of my roommate’s upcoming wedding, new jobs, etc.}.  It was short and sweet, and kind of fun to think that next time we go back we will be brining our daughter with us.  Oh the sound of that makes my heart go pitter patter :)

17 Week Bumpdate!

17 week bumpdate picture taken in Central Park, NYC!

Central Park, NYC

How far along:  17 weeks!

Baby is the size of a(n):  naval orange!

Total weight gain/loss:  +2.0 lbs

Maternity clothes:  Nothing new :)

Sleep:  Sleeping is starting to starting to become slightly uncomfortable.  I have been sleeping on my left side, which is most comfortable, but half way through the night my neck starts to ache and I have to turn over to the other side.  Turning over has become more challenging, and once I’m turned over, I’m not as comfortable.  And it’s only going to get better {sarcasm} haha!

Best moment this week:  I had an ultrasound this week just to check everything before flying, and she is doing so well!  She is definitely like her mommy and is not camera shy at all!!  She was actually FACING the ultrasound wand…yes, we got a face forward frontal view instead of the traditional profile view, and she was waving her sweet little hand the entire time like she knew mommy was watching!  I have to say, babies look so strange from a frontal view on a regular 2D ultrasound.  I could see the skeletal structure of her eye sockets and nose, and her eye sockets looked like wide eyes staring (of course her eyes are closed and covered by eyelids, but that’s what it looked like).  She stayed facing us until my doctor moved the wand, and it was precious.  She just wanted to say hi :)

Baby Movement:  I felt flutters earlier in the week, but I have no idea if it was the baby or gas.  I did read that most first time moms feel their baby as early as 15 weeks but they attribute it to gas because they can’t recognize the feeling of baby yet.  I’m going to say it was her, but who knows.  I should start to feel her without a doubt in the next couple weeks though.

Cravings:  Peanut M&Ms, and NY pizza since we’re going to NY!

Missing anything:  Sleeping on my tummy.

Pregnancy symptoms:  Those darn round ligament pains, although they are becoming less frequent now.  Also it’s getting a little more difficult for me to bend over.  Hubby and I were at a hockey game the other day and while we were sitting in our seats I bent over to reach into my purse and I struggled.  I teased him that soon he is going to have to start putting my shoes on my feet, and we laughed {but seriously, I’m sure I will need help down the road}.

Showing yet:  Oh yea!

Labor signs:  Nope.  Too early.

Belly button in or out:  Still an innie!

Wedding rings on or off:  On!

Looking forward to:  NYC, my second home!!  I lived there for four glorious years with eight fabulous girls in a townhouse, and I go back at least once {sometimes more} a year to visit them and my godparents who live in the city.  We are spending this weekend here (hence the picture above taken today) so my next week's 18 week bumpdate will include some NYC tidbits :)

Previous Baby Bumpdates

If you want to see more, check our my other bumpdates below!

/ pregnancy announcement / journey to pregnancy / 12 weeks /

/13 weeks / 14 weeks / 15 weeks / 16 weeks /

16 Week Bumpdate!

I decided to go old school with my chalkboard this week...traditional black and white :)

How far along:  16 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss:  +0.2 lbs

Maternity clothes:  Same as before...I have a couple cute maternity jeans, a couple cute tops and sweaters, but luckily, my flowy pre-pregnancy tops still work just fine :)

Sleep:  Sleeping through the night, although it's starting to get uncomfortable turning over from one side to the other.  I think I will be bringing my Snoogle to bed with me soon.

Best moment this week:  Sean and I went to Lowe's to buy primer and paint for the nursery!  We are so excited to start painting!  We also bought Gracie's crib mattress this week, and I splurged and bought her a *custom swaddle blanket* and *newborn hospital beanie* {they are ADORABLE!!!}.  I'll post pictures when they arrive :)  I also started pre-natal yoga this week, and it was phenomenal!  There were women ranging from 16 weeks all the way to 37 weeks.  And this class was no joke...I used to do yoga a lot and this was like a typical class except for chaturanga we did not go down on our bellies {we did a pushup and came back up to down dog}, and savasanah was on our left side instead of our bag.  Other than that, we did warrior poses, sun salutations, tree poses, pigeon pose {this felt incredible}, and some wall poses.  It was tough and felt so great.  And I met some very inspiring women...the energy was palpable.

Cravings:  Pho!  I was craving it after pre-natal yoga on Wednesday, so I indulged.  It was the best pho I've ever had!

Missing anything:  Nope!

Pregnancy symptoms:  Pregnancy brain!  Yes, this is a real thing with many scientific studies surrounding it.  Look it up.  I'm also experiencing the ever so lovely {not} round ligament pains.  These are the ligaments that support your uterus, and as your uterus expands and lifts, the ligaments stretch much like a rubber band.  The pain usually only lasts several seconds, but it's sharp and uncomfortable.  And like a rubber band, it's best to bend into it.  My doctor says these should subside soon.

Showing yet:  Yes!!  It's beautiful.

Labor signs:  Nope.  Too early.

Belly button in or out:  In

Wedding rings on or off:  On!

15 Week Bumpdate!

How far along:  15 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss:  0lbs

Maternity clothes:  In addition to my maternity jeans, I bought a couple cute tops and sweaters!  Luckily, though, my pre-pregnancy tops still work just fine :)

Sleep:  Sleeping through the night.

Best moment this week:  Celebrating the New Year because this is the year we get to meet our little girl!!!  Also learning that as of today, my girl can hear sounds!  Needless to say, I talk to her :)

Cravings:  I'm still craving lots of fruit, but yesterday I did have a strange craving for a hot dog.

Missing anything:  Nope!

Pregnancy symptoms:  Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) which is basically a random shooting pain in one of my butt cheeks and it hurts!  According to the Baby Centre Medical Advisory Board, PGP is "often one-sided and may be concentrated in your buttocks.  It may appear to jump from side to side or be accompanied by general back pain or pain at the front of your pelvis.  PCP can send shooting pains into your buttons or down the back of your legs.  You may also have pain in your hips" (source).

Showing yet:  Yes!!  My belly totally popped this week :)

Labor signs:  Nope.  Too early.

Belly button in or out:  In

Wedding rings on or off:  On!

This week I rang in the New Year with a nice quiet evening at home drinking sparkling apple cider and watching movies with the pups.  Unfortunately Sean had to work, but we did talk and wish each other a Happy New Year :)  We both had the next day off, and we celebrated by watching the Rose Parade followed by football!  It was a perfect way to kickoff 2015!

Me, my bump, and some sparkling cider to ring in the New Year