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Friday, May 27, 2011

Nursery Crafting

This past weekend, I spent my time crafting up some things for the Beanette. I made a little birdy mobile styled after one I was lusting for on Etsy that cost $150. My cost? Just under 10 clams. I just had to buy an embroidery hoop, beads, and string. I had everything else on hand. The fabric was a mess-up of the fabric I ordered from Spoonflower. They reprinted and reshipped the right stuff, but I figured I shouldn't just waste the mistake. Here is what I came up with:



Then I started work on the crib skirt. It was remarkably easy. I basically just hemmed around a giant piece of fabric then attached it to the mattress frame with velcro. Easy-peasy!


Next up is the crib bumpers. I got all the pieces cut last night, but its going to be next week before I have a chance to do any more work to it. Wish me luck!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Talking to a Pregnant Women 101

It has come to my attention that most people have no clue what are appropriate and inappropriate things to say to a pregnant woman. It seems that most people lose all sense of tact and respect that they would typically employ for any other person. This seems very bizarre to me considering pregnant women are on a 9 month hormonal rollercoaster ride and even the most mild annoyances make us burst into tears. You would think people would want to avoid that.

"Are you having twins???"
What you are really saying: "You look so gigantic I just can't imagine you only have 1 baby in there. You need to seriously lay off the ice cream!"

In what space-time dimensions is it ok for perfect strangers to comment on someones weight or size? It's rude people and makes me want to cry when you ask. No, I am not having twins. If I was, I would have told you when you asked if it was a boy or girl.
Other inappropriate comments in this category "You look huge for X months." "Hope you are ready to have a giant baby!" "You look much further along." "You will never make it to your due date."
Alternative acceptable comment: "You look wonderful!"

"My friend/sister/mom/cousin/friend of my mom's sister's cousin had the most terrible labor and then the baby almost DIED!!!!"
What you are really saying: "I'm going to try to scare the bejesus out of you for no reason other than my own amusement."

Newsflash! I have to give birth to this baby regardless of what you tell me, so telling me terrifying stories about labor really isn't helpful. Would you tell someone about to get in the car to go the store about your friend who had a fatal collision on her way to the store? No, you wouldn't because its pointless and only going to freak them out. Save your terrible birth stories for a non-pregnant woman.
Other inappropriate comments in this category: "A baby is going to ruin your life." "Labor is the most excruciating experience ever and you'll never do it without drugs."
Alternative acceptable comment: "Babies are wonderful and worth every bit of discomfort to get them here."

"Can I touch your belly?"
What you are really saying: "Can I pop your personal space bubble and rub my hands on your itchy stomach?"

First off, I do appreciate this person for at least asking first, but it hard for me to graciously decline without sounding rude myself, but hey, I've gotta do what I gotta do. Stangers especially, hands off! (I'm looking at you creepy lady in the cruise terminal bathroom) When did my body become public property, I don't know. For me personally, there are 3 categories of people who can ask to touch my belly : 1) the person who got the baby in there, 2) immediate family, and 3) very close friends. Be aware that if you are not in one of those categories and you try to touch me, you may pull back a bloody stump.
Other inappropriate comments in this category: Touching without even asking first.
Alternative acceptable comment: Say nothing unless you are in one of the aforementioned categories.

"Was the baby planned?"
What you are really saying: "Did you and your husband intentionally have unprotected sex or did your birth control fail?"

It shocks me to no end that people, strangers even, ask me this. Asking about the conception of my child is a little personal, don't you think?
Other inappropriate comments in this category: "Where you trying?" "Did you have any help?"
Alternative acceptable comment: "I'm so happy for you!"

"Are you going to eat that?"
What you are really saying: "I read on the interwebz/heard from someone that pregnant women aren't supposed to eat ______. Are really so ignorant that you don't know that too?!"

I'm a smart cookies and I am well aware of all the foods and activities that I am supposed to avoid when pregnant. I am also well aware of the acceptable limits of many other foods like fish, caffeine, and deli meat. Are you? Along these same lines, stop telling me what I can't do. I am perfectly capable of lifting a 10 pound bag of whatever so don't have a conniption fit when I do.
Other inappropriate comments in this category: Anything that begins with "You aren't supposed to..."
Alternative acceptable comment: "Can I get you anything else?"

*These are all comments that people have actually said to me personally. If you are as shocked and abhorred at people as I am, pat yourself on the back because you are a respectful person.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Nursery Progress

We got so much done on the nursery this weekend and I am super psyched at how it is coming together.

Paint-check
Finish dresser-check
Move in all the furniture-check
DIY a cornice box-check
Make some art-check

It doesn't look like as much in list format, but I assure the progress is notable. Take a look!




The dresser we bought at a resale shop for a steal for a solid wood piece of furniture. It had the old fashion ornate brass handles, a decorate cut-out bottom, and was a honey oak color. Solid construction, but not my design aesthetic. I forgot to take some true before shots of it, but here it is in progress:


And after:


We gave it new knobs, a new piece of bottom trim, and a fresh coat of white paint to match the crib. It isn't shiny like the pictures though. That's from the camera's flash.

While the room is still pretty bare bones, I arranged some stuff on top of the dresser so you can see the character of what I have in mind for the room.


Isn't it adorable!! I hope that our little girl will love it as much as I do. And if you look closely, you can catch a hint to that little girl's real name.

And today I am 30 weeks, so here is my 30 week belly shot. That face is how I felt after all the work this weekend.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

And so it begins....

James is out right now picking up step one of Project Nursery…the paint!

We will be converting our current guestroom into the nursery. It’s bittersweet for me because the guestroom was my favorite room in the house. It was all put together, always clean, the bed was always made, and it just made me happy. But I can only imagine how happy I will be when we finish getting the room transformed into our little girl’s nursery.

Here is the room in all of its guestroom glory.


We moved the daybed out last weekend into the office. The office will be converted into a guestroom/office at some point in the (hopefully) not too distant future.

Here is the room all stripped down now and ready for James to get back with the paint.



The color we went with is Benjamin Moore's Barren Plain and we got it color matched to Olympic's No VOC paint. Their no VOC line is great and safe for me to be able to help out with the painting adventure. Plus, it won't off gas later, which was really important for me since it will be in the Beanette's room. The color is a soft gray that will really help all the coral colors pop.


Other nursery news is that our landlord has agreed to install laminate wood flooring in all the carpeted areas in the house. He let me pick the color, and we are going to go with a dark oak. Something kinda like this:


It should be getting installing the first part of June. Hooray!!

James is back and painting is about to commence. I better get my painting outfit on, which doesn't really fit now since it was my pre-pregnancy painting outfit. Good thing this is going down in the privacy of my own home.

The Beanette's First Easter

So I guess technically, the Beanette's first Easter will be next year. But, thanks to Aunt Penny, she got her first Easter Egg Hunt this year. Say hi to Aunt Penny!


James and I came home from church to find these hidden all over our front yard.




Since obviously the Beanette is a little too small to find all the eggs herself, and her mommy is having trouble bending over, her Daddy lent a hand finding all the eggs.



Delilah thought the eggs were for her and found them quite tasty.


We had lunch (Easter Tacos, anyone?) and then Penny and I got to work on a traditional Bolton Easter delight for the Beanette.


Mommy helped the Beanette try them out.

Happy Easter Beanette!