The Nursery

The Nursery

So this post will be on-going throughout the pregnancy. I have challenged myself with doing the entire nursery (including furniture and decor) for $500 or less. So far, it has been easier than I thought. I have been filing income and expenses  in an app I downloaded for the IPad to keep track and will be posting them in the blog as I go.

The theme of the nursery is "Antique." We are not planning to find out the gender of the baby, so my color scheme is:

Three of Four Walls- Mustard Yellow (seen above left)

Fourth Wall- Taupe/Brown (seen above left, right)

And I will be incorporating grey's, creams, reds, and navy throughout the room.

The room that will become the nursery was in the process of becoming my craft room, which I conveniently painted the mustard yellow and taupe about 6 months ago, so paint will not be included in the cost of the project. Also, I have been a collector of Fisher Price Antique Wooden toys for about 5+years now. ( They were the inspiration of the nursery theme) And will not be incorporated in the expenses, either.

*However anything I have purchased after 04/17/13 (day we found out) will be accounted for, including additions to my collection. At this time, anything that is on our registry, I will not be purchasing so I am mainly focusing on just furniture and decor with the budget. Anything that is not purchased at the time of arrival, i will use whatever is left over from my budget and dig into Baby Daddy's pockets, too ;)

Here is my current expense report....including the purchase price (rouded up to the nearest dollar) and where I purchased it. Some pictures are included at the bottom of this post :)

$500- Beginning Nursery Budget

What I have already purchased:

$480-Antique Jenny Lind Wood Spindle Crib-Craigslist-$20 (no mattress) 

$479-Afghan Throw ( for Rocker)- consignment sale- $1

$434-Vintage Stuffed Rocking Chair-Habitat for Humanity Restore (estate sale)-$45

$404-Vintage Red Metal Twin Bed Frame-Antique Store- $30

$374-New Twin Mattress and Box Spring**-Craiglist-$30

**included a white metal antique twin frame

$358-Vintage Postcard Art DIY Project- Postcards:Etsy, Frames:Hobby Lobby-Total $16

$353-Antique Twin Quilt-Lake O Antique Store-$5

$329-Twin Grey Checkered Bed Sheet Set- Target- $24 (on sale)

$311- Embroidered Art-Lake O Antiques- $5 Art, Frame-Hobby Lobby, $13-Total $18

$257-(3)Wire Storage Baskets- Home Goods- $54

$245-Stool-Southeastern Salvage (Local Store)-$12

$234-Grey Throw Blanket (for Bed)-JCPenny Clearance- $11

$224-Vintage Red Metal Wagon DIY Project-Antique Store- $10

+$259- Sold White Metal Bed Frame that came with Mattress on Craigslist for $35!

$257- (2) Vintage Chattanooga Performing Arts Sesame Street Poster- Garage Sale- $1 each

$256- Pewter Duck Bank- Garage Sale- $1

$216- Wood Dresser DIY (Will double as changing table)- $40 craigslist
$201- DIY Rocking horse- Antique store- $15

Projects to be done:
-Complete the trim work in the room (I conveniently tore it all out when I painted. OOPS!)
-Stain boards for toy display shelf and for frame.
-Assemble frame for Map DIY project
-Dresser DIY Project
- Hang stuff on the walls
-Rehang the closet doors
-Sew black-out Curtains
-Bookshelf --Andrew is building the baby a bookshelf :)
Here are a couple pictures of things that I have purchased....

Antique Metal Twin Frame ($30), $5 quilt, and $11 grey throw
at the end of the bed...Pillows were gifts from our wedding
that I thought looked cute in here ( they are made up of clothing tags!)

This is my $45 rocker I found at Habitat for Humanity Restore
with the $1 afghan I purchased at a local consignment sale,
and the VW bus stool I bought at a local store for $12!

My antique Jenny Lind crib- $20 off craigslist,
a rocking horse that I spray painted a solid color...
(same model rocking horse my GG had made for me as a little girl)
I found at an antique store for $15,
and the striped rug is actually an afghan that my
Great Gma Moot started for me, but they discontinued
the yarn before we could finish it so i am using it at a rug :)

This is the dresser I recently picked up to double as a changing station.
My vision is to paint it grey and distress it, put new knobs and pulls on it,
and replace the top drawers with shelves that can hold books or baskets.
Craigslist- $40

This is by far my favorite post. I hope to keep you updated as I start getting my hands dirty into projects and cannot wait to show ya'll the end result!  Friday we leave for 10 days on vacation! Until then, xoxox

13 weeks 2 days appointment

We had our 12 week check up last Friday. (I was 13 weeks 2 days) I was able to get all questions answered, and felt that my time was not rushed at all. Andrew got to meet Dr. Carr for the first time, and was very impressed. He really appreciated her kind manner and how she took the time to not only answer questions with a yes or no, but explained why until we felt we understood. Baby's heartbeat was between 140-145 ( above 140 is supposed to suggest a girl...?) which she said was great. I did not gain even an ounce. This was my biggest shock as I can tell certain areas that have grown (thighs, hips, and stomach). She told me that it is not a concern even if I hadn't gained anything by my next appointment in 4 weeks, but the appointment after that she will expect to see about a 2-4 lb. increase (who h will also be our big ultrasound and measurements!)  The reason she gave me for me feeling and noticing changes but not gaining weight is just body weight shifting. My next appointment is in four weeks and we are doing a glucose test to check for gestational diabetes. This test isn't usually performed until 28-ish weeks, which at that time I will have to repeat it again, whether or not my results in 4 weeks are negative. The reason for  doing an early test is my increase risks of gestational diabetes during pregnancy because of my PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). I was diagnosed with this last year and will explain it more in detail in a future post. 
Please remember to vote for your gender guess to the right of the posts, and sign up for email alerts if you wish, also to the right of the posts.
We are anxious to come home in a week, and since I will not be posting anything the week of  the 4th of July, I plan to give you a large (and exciting) post to hold you over...
Upcoming Post: The Nursery
xoxo

Our Baby Doctor

I thought that I would introduce you to two very important faces:

Dr. Copper Newman, our Family Planning OB

Graduated from the University of Tennessee with Certification from the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Dr. Newman got us on the right (successful) path to start our family. We are forever grateful to her. She no longer practices OB, which we were sad to hear. She referred us to:

Dr. Anne Carr, our OB Specialist

Graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine

On my first meeting/appointment with Dr. Carr, I immediately felt comfortable. She is very down to earth and has a passion for her work and a deep caring for her patients.

She sent me home with a "goodie bag" of prenatal vitamins (although I have already been taking them for several months now), information booklets and magazines, and a General Obstetrical Information Packet. In this packet, it goes in detail about general Information, Genetic testing, Over the Counter Remedies safe for pregnancy, Information about Labor and delivery, Summary of Prenatal Visits, and Postpartum Information. I took interest in the Summary of Prenatal visits, which I feel will help prepare me to have questions or answers ready (or whether I need to wear my nicest underwear.)

Here is what we can expect for my appointment this Friday: 
Twelve Week Visit: (I will be 13 weeks, 2 days)

• Hear the heartbeat 
• Discuss changes I may be experiencing 
• Talk about our genetic testing decisions

Some questions I am going to ask at this visit...
What is your suggestion on safest travel for long-distance road trips?
What is the safest sleeping position for me and baby at this stage (left, right, back)?
Address my concern and discomfort from my ovarian cyst.
I also asked Andrew to bring a few questions to be answered....we'll see.

 We look forward to working with Dr. Carr and very excited to be in her hands for this next big step!

The Poppy Seed Announcement

So I always had full intentions of making the announcement of a baby a big over the top thing for Andrew. As the months (SLOWLY) went by and no such announcements were made, I decided when that day came to just keep it simple...
I had received a call from my nurse a week prior to getting a positive result that we had a positive ovulation for the month! YAY! I was scheduled to get blood work done a week from that day to confirm or dismiss a pregnancy result. Andrew and I decided together we would wait to do home testing (pee stick) until I had officially missed my period or until the blood results came back. I did pretty good for the beginning of the week (as in past months, I kept the home pregnancy test companies in business.) However, I began to slip slowly and allowed my curiosity (and desire) get the best of me. So, on April 17, I purchased a home test which I took at work. OMG + OMG + OMG. I put the used pregnancy test in a ziplock and shoved it in my purse and did a little research.
On my way home that evening I had to stop and get Andrew a birthday card. I also picked up a pack of poppy seeds. 
The card read, "(FRONT)Double the happy wishes...(INSIDE) ...with double the love from both of us. Happy Birthday." I wrote below that..."I cannot wait to 'grow' old with you & watch our seeds bloom! I love you so much! xoxo Me."
 And included the pack of poppy seeds inside (which according to my research was the size of the baby at that time).
I worked late that evening, and came home to Andrew in bed, reading. I had already given him his birthday gift two weeks earlier (classic) and told him that since I had to work another late day tomorrow that I wanted him to open his birthday card early.
He read it twice, thanked me with a great look of confusion, and finally asked if I wanted him to plant the seeds in the garden??? (As we had just planted our garden the previous weekend). FAIL!
So I broke it to him the old fashioned way ("You are going to be a Dad, I'm Pregnant.") and we hugged, kissed, and laughed at the failed attempt of the Poppy Seed announcement. 

Happy Father's Day! We celebrated by going camping last night and I cooked Andrew his favorite breakfast of Corned Beef Hash and Eggs with one Toast n Jam and One with Peanut Butter this morning. The baby and the dogs also sent him a Father's Day card in the mail, which he opened, yesterday. 

Belly by the Week

For those of you who have been hounding me for belly pictures, there really isn't much to see yet. (If there is, I hope you will join in my humor as I call it my "Beer Gut")*
*Quick redirect- I have already had some women come up and begin touching my belly, and so to fend them off I just say that no that is just my beer gut. (For those of you who do not get the humor--I hate beer.)

Anyway- I began taking weekly belly pictures, beginning with the day I found out. If you put them all together, you can really see something special coming together! (Or maybe that's the difference between eating saltines or a giant burrito for lunch....) 
Here are the ones to catch you up to now....

Also a note of reference, I lost 5 lbs between weeks 5 & 6 (nausea) and did not gain any as of week 9 1/2 at my last doctor visit. Dr. said she was not worried at this point because I was "healthy" to begin with and was not underweight. However, hoping that we start seeing a little (healthy) weight gain by my next appointment on the 21st. 
Next week's post: You get to meet our Doctor! xo

4 weeks (day I found out)

 5 weeks

 6 weeks

 7 weeks

 8 weeks

 9 weeks

 10 weeks

 11 weeks

 12 weeks

The big news...

We shared our news with immediate family and close friends back in May when I was only 8 weeks. It wasn't planned, but we decided we wanted to share our happy news in person rather than over the phone at 12 weeks or waiting until I was 15 weeks when we would be home next. We shared the news at Linz' (sister-in-law) 30th birthday party with all our parents, some grandparents, siblings, and many close friends present. Because this wasn't planned we immediately tried to play the catch up game without word of mouth beating us to several close ones absent. Everything went well, and of course everyone was ecstatic. We decided to make our public announcement (Facebook official) this evening...I will be 12 weeks tomorrow. This is what I posted:

Sadie and Andrew sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G....first comes love (July 2009), then comes marriage (July 2012), then comes a baby in a baby carriage (estimated 12-25-13)! 

I will post how I told Andrew in a later post...xo

Good Intentions

My intentions of this blog are to focus on keeping a close connection with family and friends back home to help make this experience as positive as it can be (for everyone)! Although we'll be far apart, my hope is for this blog to keep things exciting by my posting of  belly shots, ultrasound photos, discussions, and general updates on life in Tennessee. Instead of dwelling on what everyone is missing face to face, we can look forward to updates and sharing news, etc. My goal is to post a minimum of once a week, beginning 6/12/13, to keep everyone engaged and to avoid me slipping a few weeks on my posts. This blog will also replace massive emails and texts, in hopes to use my time for the blog. I would love any feedback as well as requested posts or topics of discussion. xo

Next week's post: Belly Shots of 5-12 weeks!