I’m not usually over obsessive about decorating my house for the most part, but I got really into creating this nursery for our soon to be here little boy. I’ll blame it on “nesting”. I went into it with a general idea of what I wanted: Neutrals, affordable, safari animals, maps. I didn’t want to over-do it, but wanted something that would also transition well into a “big boy” room when necessary. I’m super pleased with the outcome and proud of myself for taking time to do massive research and price comparing/planning before purchasing most items.
Some of my favorite items in the room are the hand-stitched Lord’s prayer by a family friend (amazing!), the water-colored elephants that my grandma painted (we’ll be updating the frame with a neutral colored matte so it’s not purple), the hand-sewn bedding & pillows by a friend’s mom, the animal photos, the elephant lamp (gifted to us), the glider & ginormous ottoman, and of course the “vintage” map – which only cost $4.
A special thanks to my hubby for his patience through my nesting, for all his heavy-lifting and big trip to IKEA with me, and for taking 2 days to paint the nursery. Oh, and for allowing me to spend our money on making this room very special. Also, a big thanks to my parents who contributed towards a few pieces in the nursery! We’re very grateful.
Here’s how it all came together! (Resources with links at the very bottom.)
RESOURCES:
- Paint: Benjamin Moore “Old Prairie”
- Animal photos: The Animal Print Shop // Frames: Ribba IKEA
- White Photo Ledges: Ribba IKEA
- Crib: Gulliver White – IKEA
- Bedding & Pillows: Hand Sewn by “Wee See Three” - she doesn’t specialize in bedding but did an amazing job.
- Fabric: Warehouse Fabrics Inc & Fabric Worm
- Rug: Havbro Rug - IKEA
- White Cube Shelves: Expedit shelves – IKEA
- Baskets inside shelves: Nasum IKEA
- Curtains – IKEA (comes in sets)
- Diaper Changing Table/Dresser: Given to us by a friend
- Glider: Nursery Works Cole Golder – Slate w/ Ecru Piping (matching ottoman discontinued)
- Ottoman: Babyletto “Kyoto” Ottoman in Slate w/ Ecru Piping
- Map: Paper Source Wrapping paper // Frame: Ribba IKEA
- Elephant Lamp: Home Goods (gift from friend)
HOW FAR ALONG? 39 weeks…. only 1+ weeks left. WOWZA!
SIZE OF OUR SWEET BABY? A Watermelon (probably btwn 19 -22 inches head to heal, and around 7+ lbs).
MATERNITY CLOTHES? It’s down to just a couple dresses and now that I’m home from work – PJs and maternity yoga pants 
.
GENDER: BOY
SLEEP? Not much of it. I’ve been sick for over a week now and just got on a Z-Pak prescription so, sleeping through my cough has been difficult. I wake up at least a couple times to go to the bathroom, and a couple times to blow my nose and cough.
FOOD CRAVINGS? Cold milk. Ice cold water. PB&J. Oatmeal. Juice. Not a whole lot of veggies, which is strange for me.
WHAT I MISS? Walking at normal pace and non-waddle. Maneuvering like “normal” without grunting or gasping for a breathe. Being able to reach my feet. Being able to get up/out of bed normally. Being able to bend over to get stuff. Driving without limited motion/site – it’s hard to turn and look over my shoulder or even just turn the wheel- hah.
SYMPTOMS? Upper respiratory infection 
. Occasional hot flashes. The swollen feet have gone down a tad now that I’m at home resting more. My fingers are a tad swollen still. Short of breathe. Sometimes my heart races for no apparent reason. LOTS of Braxton Hicks contractions… Big Belly – I can’t seem to go anywhere in public (no exaggeration) without someone commenting on my belly or asking if I’m having “more than one”.
BELLY BUTTON? WAY stretched out, and you can see it pop through my clothes now. I’m beyond the point of caring what others see/think.
BEST MOMENT(S) OF THE PAST WEEK?
1. I did a couple last minute photo shoots for some friends and each turned out great! The light and weather totally cooperated.
2. Brian and I have now gone out two Saturdays in a row! Look out, Dallas. Of course, we were home before/around 8 pm – haha. It’s just nice to go out to dinner together during our final weeks without a baby.
3. A friend treated me to a long lunch last week, which was such a nice time together. Then, afterwards I waddled around the mall finishing up some errands and just window shopping. It was nice to be able to take my time and go during the week and not fight a weekend crowd! Although, I was exhausted by the time I got home.
4. I’ve been chipping away at my never-ending TO DO list, which feels great. I’ve got to stop adding to it, though. I’m feeling more and more “ready” if baby were to come early.
5. My sweet elderly neighbor (who’s 85+ years old and still does her own yard very well) brought over an adorable little outfit she bought for Brady. It was so sweet of her and she has cute taste!
6. At my last weekly check up, my OB put my on a Z-pak to hopefully kick this upper respiratory infection I’ve got going on. I guess I’ve sorta been over-working myself and not allowing for as much rest as I need. After going home to rest the remainder of the day, I asked Brian to pick up my Rx and dinner on his way home. He was so sweet to also surprise me with pie and ice cream!! Yippee!
People keep asking me if I’m ready… I guess I am? I mean, it’s not like I can slow this thing down or speed it up. I’m as ready as I can be. I’m also not to my tipping point of “get this baby out of me!” yet, like most women seem to be around this time. I think I’ll miss being pregnant (or at least parts of it). People are a lot nicer and considerate of a big pregnant woman in the grocery store and in public places than they are “regular” people. Also, If I drop something people are super quick to pick it up for me. I think I’ll miss that. And also sometimes getting away with “I’m pregnant and I want to eat that, so I will.” – not that I’ve gotten out of control or anything, but I’ve got some work to do once this baby is out of me and I’m able to work out again. I think the biggest thing I’ll miss are the baby kicks/movements. That’s gonna be strange to just one day not have that inside my belly. It’s almost like we have this secret language between the two of us right now.
comments:
- Oct 19, 2012 at 05:10:14
Lauren, it has been such fun keeping up with your journey. What a lucky baby he is to be born into such a loving, caring family. Family is everything….and God. And you have both of those things. You are blessed! ♥
HOW FAR ALONG? 37 weeks…. only 2 weeks left.
SIZE OF OUR SWEET BABY? A Watermelon (Whaaaat?!) (probably btwn 19 -22 inches head to heal, and around 6.5 lbs).
MATERNITY CLOTHES? Things are gettin’ tight (and shorter). It’s down to just a couple dresses and now that I’m home from work – PJs .
GENDER: BOY
SLEEP? (Same) Insomnia usually hits a couple times during the night. I sleep very lightly now. My dreams are still pretty weird and vivid. “Tossing and turning” at night is like an olympic sport and usually involves some grunting and gasping for air.
FOOD CRAVINGS? Cold milk. Ice cold water. Banana popsicles (still haven’t found these). PB&J. Cheese & Crackers. Oatmeal.
WHAT I MISS? Non-swollen legs/feet. Maneuvering like “normal” without grunting or gasping for a breathe. Being able to reach my feet. Being able to get up/out of bed normally.
SYMPTOMS? Occasional hot flashes. Still swollen feet (now they hurt b/c they’re so tight). My fingers are a tad bit more swollen, I finally took off my rings just to be safe. Short of breathe. Sometimes my heart races for no apparent reason. Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions… Big Belly – I can’t seem to go anywhere in public (no exaggeration) without someone commenting on my belly or asking if I’m having “more than one”.
BELLY BUTTON? WAY stretched out, and you can see it pop through my clothes now. I’m beyond the point of caring what others see/think.
BEST MOMENT(S) OF THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS?
1. My last day of working at Switch Creative was bittersweet. I put together this stroll down memory lane blog post to bid my farewell. I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but there may have been a quick moment of tears shed when a few hugs were shared on my way out.
2. The day after my final day at Switch, I worked a full day photo shoot at a golf tournament. It was actually a lot of fun working with those folks and I even ran into some friends. I was also grateful for my hardworking assistant! I couldn’t have done it without her help. I also did a quick family portrait shoot a couple days later that turned out great. The kids were so stinkin’ precious!
3. Brian and I completed our final Lamaze class and took a hospital tour. I seem at peace with it “all” at the moment. I’m grateful for access to a nice hospital and really great doctors.
4. On Saturday morning I hosted a Sip & See for our friends who just had their second little girl, Millie. I had help from 2 other ladies in our home group and they did a great job decorating and helping provide food/beverages. It was nice to just hang out with everyone and their kiddos. So thankful for them in our lives!
5. Being at home this week has allowed me to get a lot of “To Do” list things done, while still accomplishing a little bit of rest time. The best part has been my lake walks with George in the morning. The weather has been so perfect (70′s with a little breeze) and so peaceful. The whole point of me being home is for me to rest, which I constantly have to remind myself to indulge in. The “achiever” in me really just wants to tackle my never-ending TO DO list(s).
6. Brian asked last night about when I pray about our baby and also asked “So do you wish that he is diaper trained quickly?” Me: “Haha… Um, babe… it’s not a puppy where we “crate train” him… and he will be potty trained, not diaper trained.”
PS- Thanks to Erin for taking my photo this week!