40 Weeks

Well hello 40 weeks!  Today we are at 40 weeks and 3 days, and still no baby!  Ava seems nice and cozy in there, and at the moment, I don't feel like birth is imminent, though maybe she will surprise me.  I have thought from the very beginning that she was going to be late.  I just have not heard many stories at ALL of first babies being early or on time.  My mindset has been that she would be born after her due date.  This has been good, probably, because I really don't feel that impatient at all!  Here are my thoughts at 40 weeks:

Blessings:

I feel very blessed to be feeling as good as I do.  For the most part, I have plenty of energy to keep working as usual, keep up with household tasks, and attend the few events we have going on in the evenings.  We also walk about an hour a day.... that's Brent's attempt at getting her to come out and meet us.  Our life has definitely slowed as we wait for Ava.  There are not many things on the to-do list each day, and that is pretty nice!

I am definitely enjoying some sweet time with my husband.  Between Christmas and his five week break from school, we've had many, many chill days at home, which we both love!!  We walk every day, go out to dinner a few times a week, and one day this week we took an impromptu trip out to try a new donut place for breakfast and walk the mall.  I know... gettin' crazy!  Brent has been amazingly sweet and helpful.  The other night he went to the grocery at 7 pm to get ingredients for dinner even though I had all day to do it and just didn't.  He also ties my shoes every day when we walk because I can't anymore!  If we go out and it's really cold, he warms up the car for me and parks right next to the walkway so I won't slip on ice or leaves!

The Lord has really protected my mind and heart in these last few weeks.  I am not great at change, although I am getting better.  This is kind of a BIG change.  If I dwell on it too much or think about too many unknowns, I cry and become very anxious.  For the most part, I've been able to focus on the present and not think too much about the unknowns of labor and delivery and having a newborn.  I know God will give me the grace and strength to deal with whatever comes.  He has blessed me with patience and peace for now.  I'm still reading and learning what I can, but I am never going to be fully mentally prepared, so Brent and I are ready to just do this thing and jump in.  No more thinking!

Small Annoyances:

I think God is preparing me for sleepless nights, because I dread going to bed.  I have always been one to look forward to going to sleep, and I usually sleep very well.  Not anymore!  I wake 5-6 times to go to the bathroom, and I usually have about 2 hours of insomnia each night... sometimes at the beginning, sometimes right in the middle.  My carpal tunnel hands are horrible.  I've been pretty patient and have done well controlling my mind with the pain, but last night I just lost it.  I truly wanted to cut my hands off.  I may or may not have hit the bed and the wall with my useless hands out of frustration.  {Low point.}  Finally, it's just impossible to get comfortable.  My legs are restless and my belly is huge.  I know - sleep won't be good for a long time.  I will deal.

Although I know people mean well, it stresses me out when people say things like, "Enjoy it now", "Get out while you can", "Sleep while you can", "Your life is about to change forever", "Hope you're having fun hanging out with Brent now", etc.  Isn't having a baby supposed to be a good thing?   I mean, people do it multiple times so there must be something awesome about it!  I know people are just trying to prepare me for the reality of a newborn, but I feel like there is intense pressure to "enjoy it now" before she comes.  Hopefully I will enjoy it now AND later.  :-)  Brent is so sweet... every day he says how excited he is for Ava and how he can't wait to meet her and just have her here.  He gives me confidence!  

Daily Life at 40 Weeks:

I'm not very hungry at all.  Usually I'm starving in the morning, but after I eat a bowl of cereal with fruit, I'm typically so full that I can't even think about eating lunch until about 2 pm.  Even then, nothing sounds good, so I've been eating peanut butter and apples or small reheated leftovers.

Everyone asks me if I am nesting.  Yes, I think I am... but that's kind of what I do ALL the time!  I've always been OCD about my house, randomly organizing cabinets and closets, decorating, and cooking.  So, I can't really tell if my nesting is just what I usually do or is a result of pregnancy.  Last week I did scrub the sink, wipe all cabinets, clean out the pantry, dust, clean the microwave, buy flowers for vases, and make sure every last baby thing was put together.  Today I'm going to clean the bathrooms, I think.

My next post may be with pictures of a real baby.... or maybe not!  You'll have to check back to see!

Nursery Art Projects

I had four art projects I wanted to complete for Ava's nursery.  They have all been fun ways to be creative and keep myself busy and distracted in the evenings.  It's been quite frustrating to work with my numb and painful carpal tunnel hands, but I was able to do the projects a little at a time, and I'm so glad they are done!  I absolutely love how they all turned out, and it was fun to add personal, one-of-a-kind touches to the nursery.  For project 1, I made some felt flowers for a lamp which I showed you here.

Project 2:  Animal Canvases

Next, I painted some canvases for above the changing table.  Ever since I painted these canvases for Maggie and Campbell last year, I knew I wanted to make some for my own child.  I am SO happy with how they turned out!  I decided to paint an owl since she has a few owls throughout the nursery and a dog since Blazer is going to be her best friend (fingers crossed) and she's going to grow up to be a dog lover, obviously.

Here they are hanging over the changing table!

Project 3:  Hospital Door Wreath

For my next project, I was coveting several ribbon wreaths I saw online like this one.  However, priced at $40 to $60, I knew I could make one myself for way less.  I purchased about 10 spools of fun ribbon 75% off at Michael's.  The only other materials I needed were a styrofoam wreath form, pinking shears, a wooden plaque, and paint.  With the pinking shears, I cut equal lengths of ribbon from all of the spools.  Then, I randomly tied them on the wreath making sure they were right next to each other.  There wasn't really a pattern.  When all the ribbon was tied on, I trimmed up the ends and arranged them how I wanted.  About half of the ribbon was wired and half was not, which I think gave it a good look.  Finally, I painted the wooden plaque with her name and attached it with ribbon and pins.  I intend to hang this on our hospital room door after she is born.  Then, it can hang on the door to her room and be used for parties, etc. for years to come.  I love it!!  You could do this for any occasion with any color scheme.  It took me forever with my freaking carpal tunnel, but for those of you with hands that actually function, it should be a cinch.

Project 4:  Framed Painted Verse

Lastly, I found this adorable wooden frame at Michael's for only $7.  I knew I had to have it.  It was unfinished, so I spray painted it a glossy white.  Then I bought a thin canvas and painted the gray stripes and pink cross.  Finally, I bought sparkly white stickers (from the scrapbook section) to spell out the verse.  Put the frame & canvas together, and you've got cute wall art!  This is hanging in one corner of the room, and I just love how it turned out.

...Full nursery tour coming soon!  We're at week 39 as of today and totally ready for Ava to get here!!

Maternity Pictures

I was blessed years 11 ago to meet Kate Robertson (now Gavos) as a Pi Phi at Texas A&M.  (Has it been that long, y'all?!)  She and I have kept up through the years via our blogs, and I've had the joy of seeing her little girl, Caroline, grow up in pictures.  Kate is an EXTREMELY talented photographer, and she recently started her own business.  When I was thinking about maternity photos, I knew just who I wanted to ask.  Kate has been beyond kind and generous to us, and she is serving the Lord with her talents.  These are truly the maternity photos of my Pinterest dreams!  THANK YOU, Kate!  She managed to get all these great pics on a day with 40 mph winds!  If you've within walking, driving, or flying distance to Dallas, I highly recommend Kate as a photographer!  Check her out on Facebook here or on her website!!

Hope you like the pics as much as I do.  P.S. Doesn't Ava have the cutest dad ever?  Just sayin'!

She Has a Name!

After 36 weeks of deliberation, we are ready to announce the name of our baby girl!  We love it!!  We wanted a name that is classic but not tired, chic but not trendy, short, easy to spell, no nicknames, and sounds good with Norwood.  We've always wanted Grace to be the middle name because it will remind us (and her) of the grace given to her by Jesus.  We will just call her Ava, but I love the sound of Ava Grace, so we may also call her that sometimes :-)  Although she's still Baby N, she now has a name.  Phew!  I feel better, don't you?!  Name picked.  Monogram ordered.  We're ready for you, Ava!

35 Weeks

I can't believe I'm already at 35 weeks!! That is crazy!! I am definitely feeling like things are getting real. Yesterday, we had the car seat installed and inspected. Driving around with an empty car seat is kind of surreal!! At multiple times throughout the day, I find myself praying. Awaiting this baby is definitely causing me to rely on God! I am growing daily. I just looked at pictures from the beginning of my pregnancy, and I can't fathom being that skinny. Sigh. Sometimes at the end of the day, Brent claims that my belly is bigger and harder than it was in the morning! Yep, true.

Fun Stuff:

• I feel her moving ALL the time.  I'm supposed to do kick counts for my doctor each day.  I'm supposed to feel at least 4 kicks in an hour.  Every time I lie down to do my counts, I get 4 within five or ten minutes!
• I like being pregnant.  There is really nothing I have to complain about at all!
• I am loving the nursery so much.  Sometimes I just go in there and sit in the glider and look around.  Sometimes Brent stands there and looks at it while brushing his teeth.  Blazer seems to think we made the whole room just for him, and the rug is his new favorite play spot.  Ooops... sorry, buddy.
• I'm trying to walk 45 minutes a day every other day, sometimes every day.  This does not sound like a lot (and it's not), but it feels like an accomplishment for me.  I'm feeling good on my walks, but I can not go longer than 45 minutes without having to rush back to the bathroom (bummer), and if I walk longer, I will pay the price with sore pelvic bones for the next 24 hours.

Symptoms:  

• It just plain hurts to get off the couch and turn over in bed.  I make some sort of groaning noise every time like an old lady.  It's necessary.  
• I'm having a lot of Braxton-Hicks contractions - at least 5-10 a day.  They are very noticeable.  
• I'm pretty sure I have pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel syndrome.  I wake up multiple times each night due to the fact that my entire right arm from bicep to fingertips is completely numb.  Plus, my wrists and hands are sore all day.  
• I'm feeling some fatigue and shortness of breath.  Sometimes just sitting in a chair is too much and I feel the urge to lay down on my side.  I feel the return of first trimester fatigue and spend some quality time each day lying down reading or playing with my phone.  But truly, these things are not a big deal, and I continue to be grateful for an easy pregnancy!

Cravings:

• My newest craving is biscuits.  It's so random, but I could eat a biscuit (or two or three) every day.  I don't discriminate - biscuits out, biscuits from Whole Foods... I even made homemade buttermilk biscuits the other Saturday, and they were SO GOOD.  (And pretty easy, too!)  
• I'm still loving sweets, so my Christmas cookie tin gets a few visits each day.  
• I'm also still on the Italian food kick I've had since early pregnancy.  If it has red sauce and cheese, I'm in.  
• Finally, I am drinking a ton of water and Gatorade.  I am so thirsty all the time.  When I wake up in the morning, I have to drink Gatorade.  Then I'm always drinking something all day.  I am definitely eating less because I'm drinking more and my stomach fills up faster - so thirsty!!

Getting Ready:  

• The nursery is coming together nicely and only needs final touches.  I will post the finished product semi-soon, but the last piece we ordered won't be in for about 4 weeks, so you'll have to be patient.
• We are oh-so-close to deciding on a name.  For reals.  I thought I would have a name when I was like 2 weeks pregnant.  I had no idea it would be so hard to commit!
• We took two classes at the hospital - "Baby Care" and "Prepared Childbirth".  Both were good but not amazingly informative.  I feel like we learned a few things, though, and are more prepared in general.
• Life has been crazy, so we are both looking forward to slowing down over the Christmas break.  We plan to get some final things off our registry, finish a few baby books, clean the house, pack the hospital bag, possibly make some freezer meals, go to our favorite restaurants, and hang out waiting for little miss!  We are staying in Durham for the duration of the holidays since I can't really travel at this point.
• I have a lot of emotions about having a baby.  Some days I'm totally freaked out and cry and feel very anxious.  Some days I am really excited and think about what fun it will be to have an actual baby that is mine!  When I see my friends' babies, that's what gets me excited!

Durham Shower

God is good, loving, kind, and a provider of abundant life.  I know this to be true because of how sweetly He has taken care of me here in Durham.  For you to understand how much this shower meant to me, I have to start with a story.  Back in Houston, we lived in the suburbs.  We loved our house, but it was a good 30 minutes from anything.  We had a few friends in our neighborhood, but not many.  We were 30 minutes away from our church, so we weren't very involved.  We both worked insane hours, so we didn't get out much.  We were not living in community.  Then, we moved to Durham.  On the way to Durham, I had plenty of time to think.  (20 hours in the car alone staring at the back of a yellow Penske truck gives one a lot of think time!)  Partially to keep myself awake, I began praying out loud while driving.  I prayed for God to go ahead of us to Durham and to prepare the way for us.  I prayed that we would get plugged in very quickly, find friends, and become a part of a community that we could contribute to and rely on.  Even though I was totally freaked out about moving to a new place where we did not know ONE person, I felt a sense of excitement that we had a chance to start over and learn how to live in community.  

Last Sunday as I was getting ready for my Durham baby shower, I was overwhelmed with emotion as I realized (yet again) how faithful God had been and how he has answered EVERY prayer I prayed on the way to Durham... even more than I could have imagined.  The friendships I have built here are some of the strongest I've ever had, and we've only been here a year and a half.  Not only do I have very close friends like Lindsay, Kristi, and Maggie who hosted the shower for me (pictured above), but I also have great friends at church (my whole small group came to the shower) and a fabulous group of friends who are also wives or fiances of business school students.  The women I have met here are AMAZING.  They have reminded me how wonderful friendship is, and they have been used by the Lord to teach me how He intends for all believers to live.  All in all, there were about 20 people at the shower, all of whom I met a year and a half ago or less.  The Lord is amazing!!  The fact that these girls were willing to host a shower for me and buy gifts for our baby completely humbles me.

Adorable invitation

Precious details of the shower

The hostesses hard at work and the beautiful food table

Sweet ladies from my small group:  Lori, Joana, and Mary Elizabeth

Top:  Lauren, Amanda, Jennifer, and her new little guy!

Bottom:  Me with Laura and Bobbi

Sweet banner made by Kristi and all of the generous gifts I received

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who made me feel so special and loved!!

Maternity Must-Haves

I can't believe that in less than two months, this baby girl will be out of my belly and in my arms!  I have been so blessed in this pregnancy that I can't thank God enough.  It has been smooth, sweet, and (for the most part), comfortable.  As I near the end, I thought I'd share a few key things that have made my pregnancy easier and more enjoyable.  I'm one of the last of my friends to have a baby and most of my readers are expert mamas, so thanks to the moms who have gone before me and given me advice on all of these "must haves"!

::Target Body Pillow::

Everyone says a pregnancy pillow is a must, but I was horrified to discover that pregnancy pillows cost between $55 and $75.  Wha??  I went to Target and found this extra long body pillow for $9.99.  It is AWESOME.  It's from the college and dorm room line, but I'm not picky. Around here we lovingly call it "The Great Wall".  It does the trick - I sleep like a baby on my side.

::Target BeMaternity Seamless Maternity Tanks::

These camisoles are worth their weight in gold, yet they cost only $16.99.  I have a white one and a black one, and I wear them EVERY.SINGLE.DAY, no exceptions.  If one is dirty, I will literally do the laundry right then so I can wear it.  It's that important.  These tanks are super lightweight, completely seamless, very long, and tight enough to hold everything in but soft enough to be luxuriously comfy.

::GAP Supersoft Maternity Leggings::

My daily uniform includes these GAP leggings + the seamless camisole + a long sweater or tunic of some sort + flats.  It's a winner every time.  I love these leggings from GAP because they sit below the belly (very comfortable) and are longer instead of cropped.   They are nice and opaque and have survived many, many washings.   Love them!!

::Club Soda::

I have not missed alcohol, but sometimes, I am a bit jealous of Brent's wine or margarita.  Club soda has been my mocktail of choice.  A few times a week, I have a "drink" with some sort of fruit juice (my faves are cranberry, cherry, grapefruit, and pomegranate), a splash of lime juice, and club soda.  I'm not gonna lie - it doesn't taste like a margarita, but at least it gives me something fun to sip while others are enjoying a drink at home or out in a restaurant.  Plus, this club soda is calorie and sodium free, so it's better than a regular soda!

::Online Shopping::

I have always loved online shopping, but as a pregnant lady, it's beyond awesome.  I designed my entire nursery and registry online, and I can order things in my pjs at my kitchen table without driving around all day.  We ordered just about everything for the nursery online.  It's pretty fun when giant gliders, ginormous rugs, and everything in between just show up on our front doorstep each day.  All we have to do is bring them inside!  (Don't mind if I do!!)  I'm also doing most of my Christmas shopping online.  You can call me lazy, but I'm calling me pregnant.

::Babywise::

I decided early in my pregnancy that I didn't really want to or need to read about pregnancy.  I mean - there's a baby in there.  It's going to grow.  There's not a whole lot I can control about it.  It's going to come out.  And then... I'm going to have a real, live baby.  And what will I do at that point, pray tell?  Explain to her everything I learned about being pregnant?  I think not.  I decided instead to read some actual baby books.  Babywise has been great and has helped me feel a lot more prepared.  I like to have a plan.  Even if it doesn't work out perfectly (it won't), I feel good about the plan.

::Old Navy Maternity Skinny Jeans::  

I am in love with these jeans.  They are so stretchy and comfortable, yet form-fitting.  They are skinny enough to fit into boots for fall but not too tight.  They have a full panel, but I like to fold it down to make them more low-rise.  I wear these pretty much every day, so I've gotten my $34 worth.

::Burts Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter::  

Maggie gave me this lotion for my birthday, and I use it religiously every night.  It smells great and is not greasy.  Who knows if it prevents stretch marks or not, but I don't have any yet!  Plus, there is really no downside to lotion, right, so why not?

::Happiest Baby on the Block::

This was my other pick for a pre-baby read, recommended by many moms and my obgyn.  I have heard great things about these techniques, and I think they sound awesome!  I'm ready to try them!

::Tums::  

My friend suggested I stock up on Tums, so I purchased a value pack, and good thing I did!  These things work wonders, and I'm thankful that just one or two will fix my issues!

What were (or are) your pregnancy must-haves?

Dallas Shower

Last week, Brent and I did the full "Texas Tour" seeing all of our immediate and extended family members in Houston and Dallas.  It was quite a whirlwind, but it was good to see everyone since this is our last trip before Baby N arrives!  While we were in Dallas, my mom and sister threw me the most adorable shower for family and a few close friends.  They worked so hard on the details, and it was PERFECT!  Here I am in all my glory at 32 weeks.

The invitation was adorable.  My mom made it to match my nursery colors.

My mom put up the cutest decorations!  Pink overload, of course!

It was wonderful to spend some time with my family.  Here's my sweet mom and Grammy.  I also got to hang out with my cousin, Melissa, who is expecting a boy in February!!  As kids, she and I dreamed of doing everything together as adults. Two years ago in Houston, we lived on the same street, and now we are expecting our first children within one month of each other!  Crazy, right?  

Grammy, Mom, Aunt Robyn, and Aunt Susan

Our good family friend, Marianne, came to the shower.  She has lived two doors down from us for almost 28 years!   Julia and I used to play with her kids when we were little.  I also got to see my sweet friend Marisa from junior high and high school!  She came with her precious daughter, Lucy.

The food was delicious.  I was so impressed with my mom for making this three layer lemon coconut cake with homemade icing!!  Isn't it beautiful?  The table set-up was so pretty, too.

Me with my mama and sweet Grammy serving fruit salad

Aunt Robyn was the punch master.

All of the presents were sweet and thoughtful.  One of my faves was this one.  My mom found the dress that both my sister and I came home from the hospital in!  It's a hand embroidered rosebud dress, and it's so precious!  It will be pretty cool for my daughter to come home from the hospital in the same dress that I did!

Baby N has so many loving aunts, grandmothers, great grandmothers, and great aunts.  She will be one spoiled little girl!  Thanks, mom and Julia for the shower!  Love you!

Nursery 2.0

Although I was pretty excited about nursery 1.0, the design has been revamped into nursery 2.0!  (Y'all didn't really think I would be satisfied with my first design, did you?)  :-)  Hours more on the internet, and we've got our final game plan.  The impetus for the change was finding The.Perfect.Crib.  I was all about my white Target crib for a while... until I saw this one.  We were registering at Buy Buy Baby, and we both fell in love with the Bassett Baby "Ava" crib they had on display.  It has an elegant, unique back piece, and it's the most beautiful dove gray - perfect for our nursery colors!  As my mother-in-law pointed out, it's "fit for a princess".  So, yeah, we had to get it.  We also got the matching dresser.  Since we essentially swapped white furniture for gray, I had to nix my gray rug and gray glider.  That's a lot of gray.  I went back the drawing board and decided on a lighter shade of pink for the rug, a lighter shade of yellow for pillows and accessories, a gray damask ottoman, and a cream-colored glider.  We are so excited about how it's coming along!  Everything looks fabulous against the pale yellow walls we already have - "whisper yellow" from Behr.  The pieces are coming in slowly one at a time, so there's not much to see quite yet.  I'll be sure to post actual pics soon, but here are the new inspiration boards!

1::  Ava crib from Bassett at Buy Buy Baby

2::  Mia chandelier from Pottery Barn Kids (probably won't get this until we move in May, though)
3::  Trellis Moroccan rug in Bubblegum from RugStudio

4::  Rockabye glider in Buckwheat from Target

5::  Gray modern damask pouf ottoman from Zeldabelle on Etsy

6::  Ava dresser from Bassett at Buy Buy Baby

8::  Gray and yellow zig zag bedding from Carousel Designs

Smaller touches:

1::  White picture ledges for displaying books from Amazon
2::  Custom wooden monogram from Charming Little Nest on Etsy (We need to name her first!)
3::  Handmade flag banner in our colors and patterns made by my mama!  (Pic is just an example - mine will be pink dots, yellow chevron, and gray chevron.)
4::  Handmade yellow chevron pillow for the glider made by my mama!  (Pic is just an example - mine will be rectangle and a lighter yellow chevron pattern.)
5::  Mirrored lamp base with yellow shade from Target for side table
6::  Mercury glass lamp base with natural shade from Homegoods for changing table
7::  Toddler chair / rocker from Homegoods (You can't tell in the picture, but it's mini and so cute!)

Random Extras:

1::  In terms of other touches, I'm not doing a theme, but I have fallen in love with the cute owls that I've seen everywhere.  I bought this super soft stuffed owl at Pier 1.
2::  I also picked up this white owl figurine from Marshall's for the side table.
3:: I found these cute soft-sided Paris bins at Marshall's - perfect solution for chic organization in the closet!

I'm planning on the following DIY projects:
1::  Pink felt flowers for natural lamp shade
2::  Hand painted canvas with owl and Baby N's name
3::  Canvas with wooden letters spelling out a verse