36

34 weeks along

36 weeks along

Well we've made it to 36 weeks. I'm feeling huge and I look like I was due yesterday. I am 1cm dilated and slightly effaced but we all know that really means nothing. We are trying to stay cool in the heat of the summer but some days it's tough. Cool showers, ice packs, otter pops, and fans set on high are my friends. Grant and I are stayinig busy with story time, play dates, kids summer movies at the theater, and swimming. He wants to be an independent little boy but he can't quite figure out his emotions yet so we're struggling with tantrums. Some days are good and others involve pulling out all the tissues from the tissue box and throwing them on the floor or spraying the Ipad with water from the squirt bottle. Yes, life is interesting. Some days I really wonder how I'll be able to do this 2 kid thing. Scares me quite a bit actually. Wish us luck!

Marvelous May

Grant and I visited the Gilbert Temple grounds to see the newly placed angel Moroni. It was neat to be there and imagine what it will all look like when it is completed. When it was time to go Grant kept saying, "more temple please, more temple please."

A few days later we attended the Schnep Farms peach festival. The highlight was finding this old, rusty, tow-truck that Grant was thrilled to call "Mater". We had to get a picture with Mater. This little boy is so in love with "Cars" it is crazy.

 We picked peaches right off the trees and had to try them out there in the orchard. Grant loved them so much.

Here we are at 32 weeks along. We are 90% sure on a name but we'll wait until he's born to make sure it fits him and to announce it to the world. I'm quite large and people think i'm ready to deliver. At the temple this week a woman said, "wow, looks like you're about to burst." Nice huh? =)

Daddy and Grant all ready for church

Sean took this whole week off work and we've had lots of fun family time together. We went and stayed at the Arizona Grant Resort one night and enjoyed their water park. This was our staycation since we can't really travel far. Grant loved the hotel suite and playing on the big bed.

We enjoyed going out to dinner at a mexican restaurant....

reading the paper on the patio while munching on a cinnamon roll for breakfast...

and just relaxing together.

After months of attempting, Grant finally agreed to wear this little boy tie I made him to church last Sunday. He was really excited because daddy had a red tie too so they were matching. Maybe he'll agree to it every week. I just loved seeing him in his white shirt and tie. It made him look so grown-up to me. Grant has gotten to be such a silly, happy boy. He loves to tease or try and make us laugh. He often walks into the room and proclaims, "Hi guys, how are ya?"

 We've been working on our raised garden for a few months now and are starting to harvest. We've enjoyed tomatoes and banana peppers so far. Last night I made some yummy steak tacos with these homegrown beauties as garnish on top.

 Here we are at 28 weeks.

 And again at 30 weeks. Yikes this baby is growing large.

I passed my glucose tolerance test which was good. I skipped the rhogam shot since Sean and I both have rH negative blood types. (Doc said I picked the right husband for that reason.) Baby boy still remains nameless but we're working on it. He is still such a mover. Wow, Sean and I are amazed at how active this baby is. Sean's work schedule is slightly better these days so he'll actually be able to come to my next doctor's appointment. He hasn't come to one yet. =) Cheers to 8 (or so) more weeks of the pregnancy!!

The New Nursery: Part 2

It's finally here--the finished product of our new nursery. I've really enjoyed piecing everything together, painting, and sewing most of the items in the room. Let's start...

I bought this small, padded, leather-like ottoman from Ross for $10. It's the perfect addition to the rocking chair. I didn't think the black, shiny finish looked so great so I made a slipcover out of this  adorable elephant fabric. I've never bought fabric online before and I really dislike paying for shipping, but there was nothing in the stores that was even close to this so I splurged a little and bought 1.5 yards for all my projects.

Here is the ottoman before...

 and here it is after.

To spice up the walls I did embroidery hoop artwork. It's very simple and inexpesive and you could make it work for any room in your house. I bought 5 embroidery hoops at hobby lobby (variety of sizes)($1-4 each), painted the outer rims black, found small swatches of coordinating fabric, tightened them up, then cut around to remove the excess fabric. It was very easy and probably cost about $10 total. The clock is from Lowe's for $5 and I just painted it yellow since it was originally all black. 

One of my favorite parts of the room is this cutain valence. I used the same fabric as the ottoman and lined it all with white muslin. They aren't perfect (nothing in this nursery is) but I did them all by myself and for being a very inexperienced seamstress I'm happy with the results.

Sean enjoys a good carpentry project every once in a while so he had the great idea to make a side table for our nursery (perfect for bottles, pump stuff, water, all that stuff you need during feedings). He constructed the whole thing and I painted it white and then did a glossy layer on top. Such a great addition to the room and it'll be very useful.

I absolutely love this rug. It's from ikea and it's only $20. It's a decent size for a bedroom (about 4.5' x 6.5') and it's surprisingly soft. The yellow pillow on the chair is also from ikea for $3.99.

And now for some pictures of the finished product...

 The wall lamp ($15), mirror ($19), and white hamper ($5) are all from ikea as well. I sure enjoyed my shopping trip there while my boys were on their fathers and sons campout. =) I also made the diaper stacker with leftover fabric from the wall hoops.

You may be wondering why there is a twin bed in here and not a crib. Well we haven't made the transition yet of putting Grant in a big bed. We will eventually switch and have the twin in his room and the crib in the nursery. =) For now this works.

The New Nursery: Part 1

I've been working really hard on creating a nursery for baby boy #2. I was inspired by one nursery I found online and tried closely to copy her ideas.

http://www.domesticadventure.com/2010/12/the-nursery-reveal/  

Imitation is the highest form of flatery right? I first found a used (but solid, quality oak that will last forever) dresser since storage is oh so important. (Only $70 too!) I primed it (2 coats) and painted it (4 coats) and finished it off with a clear, gloss seal. I also painted and attached hardware since it did not originally come with any. The top shelf folds over the front and it converts to a changing table on top. I'm happy with the result. It was a lot of work and very time consuming but now we have a quality piece of furniture that should last a while.  

"Before"

"After"

Next up, painting the boring, white walls a light grey. (You should have seen Sean's face when I told him I wanted to paint the walls grey.) Boy I didn't realize how hard it was to find the right shade. Some look purple, some look green, and some look blue. I ended up using Glidden's "Smooth Stone" in semigloss and am happy with it. If you look above the door you can see the original white compared to the grey. Don't worry, the green is just painter's tape.

Every nursery needs a rocking chair right? I mean come on, how many hours do we mothers spend sitting in a chair and nursing? I wanted a smaller chair since our bedrooms are on the small side. I also wanted something the rocks and swivels. I went to the Mesa Antique Mart and found this chair for only $29. It's bones are great--solid piece of furniture, no structural problems, rocks, and swivels. However, the upholstery was dirty and needed some attention. So I bought a duvet cover at Ross ($16), and with all the help of my mom and mother-in-law, we cut up the fabric and sewed a 3-piece slip cover for the chair. This was a ton of work but again, I'm happy with the result, and happy with the cost. (The professional re-upholstery quotes I got were between $207-$350. No way was I going to spend that.   

"Before"

"After" (I also whipped up this grey and white pillow with extra fabric I already had.)

Check back for more nursery updates coming soon. I've made artwork for the walls, a curtain valence, and accessories to dress things up.

April so far...

Grant absolutely adores his cousin Lucas and loves it whenever they get together. Luckily we live close and get to see them at least weekly. When we can't play together, the boys beg us to skype so they can see each other.
We had a low-key easter which is just the way we like it. We dyed easter eggs Saturday afternoon. Grant did enjoy the bright colors and eating the eggs too. He's had one every day this week and isn't getting tired of them.

Sunday morning (Easter) we had a little egg hunt in our backyard. This is the first year he's really understanding these little traditions that are connected with certain holidays and it is a lot of fun for us as parents.

Side note: our roses are doing so well and I am excited! I do not have a green thumb but finally, something is working in our garden!!

I made Grant a photo book with lots of his favorite family pictures and also pictures of trucks and cars. He can't get enough of them!!

Sean has been so busy with work right now. He's putting in around 60 hours a week and some days doesn't see Grant at all since he leaves early and comes home late. It has been rough but we are surviving (barely). When Sean doesn't have to work Saturdays (which is a rare but delightful thing) he takes Grant to the Lowe's Build and Grow Workshops. Grant has so much fun building and spending time with dad. He talks about it for weeks later and wears his apron around the house. He is very proud that he uses a hammer to bang the nails in. =)

The weather has been fantastic lately and we sure enjoy our time at the park. We go at least 3 times a week to play and get fresh air. I think it is just part of boys' dna to know how to get so dirty in the sand.

And better late than never? Here is me at 22 weeks (in a hotel in California).

I forgot to take a picture at 24 weeks but here we are in our glory at 26 weeks. Baby is measuring big at every appointment so I doubt I'll make it to my due date. I'm feeling contractions already but nothing consistent or really painful. I also experience the zinging shocks of sciatic nerve pain at least daily. Even still, pregnancy is going well and I'm grateful for that.

Grant's Room

Ever since we moved into our new house 1.5 years ago I've been piecing together a fun room for Grant. I guess I can't really call it our "nursery" anymore since that's what another bedroom will become for baby #2. Although we bought a few things brand new (crib, lamp, vinyl tree), most everything else is used, repurposed, gifted, or DIY-type projects. (The beautiful quilt above the crib was made by a dear friend Rebecca and given to me when Grant was born. It was the inspiration for the rest of the room.)

It's nothing amazing but I enjoy the bright colors and most of all I enjoy the little one who calls this room home.