Projects, Baby Shower, and a new Niece!

Today I finally have a moment to write a long awaited blog. First, let me go back a week when I was finally able to finish up the glider I was refinishing! I love it and it looks fabulous in Jude's baby room so here it is:

Before ---------- After

Saturday was my baby shower and it was a lot of fun! I was so excited to see everyone and we had a great time! We were able to get a lot of things that we will want and need for baby Jude! It was a blast and here are a few highlighted photos:

 My mom & I 

 The Cake

 Diaper Wreath

Me in all my Mom To Be Get-up

Last, but not least, today Brian and I became an Uncle & Aunt again! Brian's little brother John & his wife Sarah had their baby girl Lillian Audrey! We are both very happy and cannot wait to meet here, though it probably won't be until May… Here is the little sweetie pie:

Proud Family

The Day Before my Shower

I am so excited that tomorrow is our baby shower! I am so thrilled I get to see so many friends and family and just enjoy the day! 

Before I left for Illinois I was able to get a lot of different projects down around the house. I put together all the baby gifts together that came, I redid our glider for our baby room, and I did some decorating and cleaning. 

Here is the before & after glider photo:

Yesterday I was able to spend the day with Brian's family which was so much fun! It was very exciting to see everyone and just spend some time catching up about everything going on. So far the visit to Illinois has been going well and though I am looking forward to getting home after Turkey Day (it is soooo much warmer in GA) I will be thrilled if I can come home again for a short visit at Christmas. That is all up to the doctor I suppose… 

6 months

Only 6 more months and my hubby comes home! Interestingly enough on Saturday (upcoming) I will be 6 months pregnant. Now, if only the deployment could speed up and the pregnancy slow down I would be one happy camper! I guess that's impossible, but I can keeping hoping! 

Highlight of the day

Today I was awoken by a Facetime call with my wonderful husband! I was so thrilled because I have not seen him in 2 weeks and I had not talked to him in about a week. Looking at it typed out 2 weeks I suppose is not that long, but it certainly felt like a lot longer. It is no fun to go from seeing someone every day to not seeing them for two weeks. I woke up both the girls so they could see their daddy and showed him my growing baby bump and it is great to hear the amazement and excitement in his voice. The girls love seeing him on the phone, but today Delilah really tried to figure out how to get him out of the phone. She sniffed the phone, licked it, and then eventually crawled up to it and snuggled against it. It was so sad and sweet at the same time. 

Yesterday was a full day of dentist, 3rd (and final) Hep. B shot - which I started prior to getting pregnant and just needed to finish, dropping off old/ not needed prescriptions at the drug drop off - I no longer look like a crazy pill popper, and I did some general cleaning around the house. On tap today I want to work on cleaning the garage, finish a fleece blanket, and vacuum/swiffer all the floors in the house. Due to the fall like weather I hope to also take each pup-dog on a little walk around the neighborhood. Tonight I need to go to bed early because tomorrow is the community wide yard sale, which I hope to acquire some baby stuff for our little nugget. So much to do today and so glad that Brian's phone call has given me motivation to get my tushy in gear! :D 

Oh yeah! I have to share that on Wednesday I single handedly put together two large baby items! Though I got frustrated at times I got them done and they were put together correctly! Here they are: 

Pack n' Play/ Bassinet with changing table and rocker bed 

Thank you - Aunt Ruth, Louise, Lauren, and Michelle

Swing and Rocker that Brian picked out and fell in love with

Thank you - Darla and Reg 

These are not the only gifts I have received thus far and I don't want anyone to think I am ungrateful. I don't want to forget anyone...

Thank you Baker family for the onsies I love them & I know the baby will as well and 

Thank you again Aunt Ruth, Louise, Lauren, and Michelle for Sophie the Giraffe! :D 

Love to you all! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! :) 

Update

Well, this past Thursday I had my last appointment with the high risk perinatologist. It went really well and yet again our baby was not cooperating with the ultrasound. It has be confirmed again and the Ultrasound tech said that she is 100% sure that our baby is a boy! I love getting the constant confirmation and reaffirming what my hunch was through this entire pregnancy. So, our baby boy has a textbook heart, my placenta has moved up (apparently it was low on the last ultrasound) but it is still sitting in the front of my uterus, the baby is still breech (I know he can still move and will move around, but I am concerned slightly because he has been breech in every single ultrasound), and he does not like to cooperate if I have anything in my bladder (ha ha ha). My next doctor's appointment will be on Halloween for my 6 month visit and then I am thinking the next actual OB appointment will not be until the beginning on December (it is supposed to be on Thanksgiving, but I don't think that will work). 

Baby's Most Recent Profile

Bella Bee in costume (Headless Horse Puppy)

Delilah in costume (White Rabbit) 

I am looking forward to my shower the weekend before Thanksgiving and of course going home for a visit. Tonight is also a Halloween party I have been looking forward to for awhile. I will post pictures of my awesome costume later. On the Brian front, he has arrived safely in Afghanistan and is starting to  get into the swing of things. I am just ready for this deployment to be over even though I know we still have a little over 6 months left to go still. Holy cow... that means that the baby will be here in 4 months! That is crazyness... I feel like I have so much to do and read about still. Ugh... any advice would be REALLY appreciated! :D

It's a BOY!

We found out this morning that our baby is officially a BOY! We are so thrilled and cannot wait to meet our little guy in February! 

For a Future Home

I thought it would be about time to write down some things that I have learned after living in two homes with my husband and two states. Some things that I have noticed that I want in my next home or forever home and things that I do NOT want ever again! This is just based on the physical home not so much on the area or anything (maybe that will be a later post). 

I want:
- A large kitchen with space to work and lots of cabinets
- Granit/cement countertops (really anything but Laminate) 
- Linoleum in the bathrooms
- Wood/Laminate in the kitchen/dining room
- A large master bedroom
- At least 2.5 bathrooms with one being downstairs (if in a two story home)
- At least 3 total bedrooms
- An office space
- An attached garage that can be doubled as a workout room/ man cave
- A laundry room with mud sink and room to store cleaning supplies
- Storage area for my tubs for holidays
- A more open floor plan on the first floor area
- Fans in all bedrooms, living room, siting area, etc. 
- Large pantry
- Coat closet somewhat close to the front door
- Entry area where people can take off shoes
- Electric/Gas Fireplace
- Wood shop area in the garage
- A shed as long as it is built correctly & maintained
- A covered porch (heck... a porch in general!)
- A nice cement/stone pad in the back yard
- A fence on ALL sides of the backyard (One my dogs can't jump over!)
- Laundry Upstairs would be AMAZING!

I do NOT want:
- Carpeted floors (they are SOOOO nasty) 
- Carpet on stairs (SOOO hard to clean!)
- White baseboards (they are always dirty & you can ALWAYS see it!)
- Random cabinets in the kitchen that you really can't use (what is the point)
- Kitchen countertops that easily stain (sick of pulling out the AJAX every week)
- Laminate kitchen countertops (they stain & are always dirty)
- One large faux wood blinds on large windows (They are so heavy, they bow, they are not supposed to be on large windows!!)
- POPCORN Ceilings!! NEVER EVER EVER again! (they are ugly & capture dust)
- 10 million doors to go outside (I don't need them & don't like them!)
- French doors going outside that stick or are hard to close (they are a pain in the but!)
- A kitchen pantry in a separate room from the kitchen (I want easy access) 
- Wood burning fireplace (so dirty!)
- Tile floors (They chip, the grout is dirty)
- Formal sitting room (They are just silly!)
- Brick ledge/sitting area around the fireplace (sharp corners, dirty, just no)

I don't really care about:
- Formal dining rooms
- Sitting Areas

So, here is my list thus far. I hope to add and adjust this list as time goes on and homes enter & exit our lives... Any opinions? Anything you would add?