Irresistable cuteness...

I just came across a link on my friend Janelle's blog, for a really great little Etsy shop online. Everything is handmade and incredibly cute! This particular shop sells baby items and after seeing how adorable her items are, I just HAD to order a few things.

I got two girl items and one boy item-- I figure, if we can't use one or the other, they'll make great gifts for other friends that are expecting babies. Either that, or I'll just put them away for our next one :)

Here are the things I purchased. Aren't they adorable!?

If you want to check it out for yourself, go to the link below. Or check out Ashley's blog for ideas on how to make your own creative items.

Make it and Love it

Nursery progress...

The crib finally arrived last weekend so we were able to start on the nursery preparations. Jon got the crib together in no time and we're now well on our way to being ready for this babe to arrive... at least in the way of accommodations :)

Here's a little "sneak peek" at where our munchkin will be sleeping in a couple of months...

All done and ready for bedding...

Putting the finishing touches on it...

Now we just need a little one to snuggle up in these cute blankets! Though I am very willing to wait until June for that :)

I went for another prenatal appointment yesterday and got the great news that I do not have gestational diabetes! Thank goodness :) I passed the glucose test with flying colours and as for everything else in the way of weight gain, blood pressure, tummy measurement and other health levels, I'm right where I'm supposed to be. The other good news I got, after re-reviewing my old ultrasound results, is that my placenta was never actually fully covering the cervix (as we had feared) but was just slightly posterior & low-lying. Therefore, they don't think there should be any reason why it wouldn't have moved up to where it needs to be in these last few months. I'm still scheduled to go for my 32 week ultrasound on April 27, just to ensure that that is indeed the case, but it was so relieving to hear that a "planned c-section" may not be in order after all. Hallelujah!

Random tidbits...

We spent Sunday evening at Jon's parents' place with the rest of the family. Naomi had the kids in their matching jammies, so we figured it was a great time for a little photo shoot. Here they are in their striped-cuteness...

As I mentioned in my last post, we managed to find a great recliner for the nursery. The only downside to it was the colour. So I started the hunt for a slipcover. Well what do you know... they actually make fitted slipcovers, specifically for recliners! Who knew!? The only thing is that they're not too cheap. The best price I found was at Zellers for $80 but it had been previously used, and returned. $80 seemed like a bit much considering we only paid $45 for the chair, and I didn't particularly want a "reject" slipcover, so I continued looking. And what do you know, I found the perfect cover at Wal-mart in Abbotsford, for only $50.

I raced home to see if it would fit and sure enough... we now have a chair that looks brand new!

Here's a "BEFORE" shot of the recliner, with only the slipcover arms on it. As you can see, the previous red material wasn't exactly conducive to the rest of the nursery colour scheme...

And here are the "AFTER" shots. I couldn't be more happy with it...

I'm now 26 weeks pregnant and continue to marvel at how time seems to be flying by. I realized last night that if I am able to make it to my originally planned "last day of work," then I have less than 2 1/2 months left to go. Crazy!... and wonderful, all at the same time :) And, if I take it one step further in the countdown, and start the actual day count that I have left, its only another 31 days of work!! (That is, if I continue to work only 3 days a week, which is very feasibly the case). When I look at it that way, I start to feel like life is literally in fast-forward.
Its pretty exciting to think that we will be meeting this baby sooner than later. As the pregnancy has progressed, and baby has begun its very active stage, I feel more and more connected to him/her. I swear we have THE most hyperactive child known to man, and my mom has even started lovingly referring to them as "the kicker." :) I actually even feel a little self-conscious when I'm out in public because its virtually impossible to hide the baby's movements at times.

Yesterday I was sitting in the BioMed Lab, waiting to have my glucose test done, and had rested my book on my tummy as I was reading. Sure enough, the book started to move. It soon got to the point where I couldn't even keep it resting there, because it was getting hard to keep my eyes focused on the page, due to so much movement. I looked around to make sure no one had seen it. I didn't want anyone thinking I was that nervous about having my blood taken and thought that I was really jittery :)

The best part about having the baby SO active is that Jon has been able to experience it a lot. We often sit on the couch in the evenings and just stare at my shirt as it moves rapidly, or Jon will rest his hand on my tummy-- his face lighting up every time he gets a swift kick in the hand. Its a very special time and I'm thrilled that it makes things feel more 'real' for him too.

Nursery shopping...

Saturday was designated as our "hunt for nursery items" day. I was really excited about finally getting the chance to look for nursery furniture & accessories, so we filled the day with a trip to Langley and then to Bellingham, WA.

After a lot of shopping around in Langley, and then starting the hunt in Bellingham, I started to feel a bit discouraged at our lack of purchasing. Most stores were either "out of stock" of the things we were interested in buying, or they were priced too highly.

Target seemed to be the most successful stop. We were surprised to find that, although the exchange rate is terrible for the Canadian dollar right now, most items were still cheaper in the States, even after factoring the exchange. But again, most of the big ticket items we wanted, were out of stock. They had the stroller we wanted, but not in the right colours; the playpen w/ bassinet we liked was out of stock; and then the crib w/ change table that we fell in love with, was also out of stock. We got the service desk to call around to see if anyone else had the crib, but unfortunately, not a single Target store in the entire state of Washington, had anything in stock. They also told us that Target's head shipping office never gives a set order of inventory-- they just ship whatever they choose to ship, and then the store puts out what they receive-- so there is no way of even telling us whether they would get anymore in at any point. Not exactly what I wanted to hear. Our only option was to order the crib online and then have it shipped to the border, where we could pick it up for a small fee.

So other than a few small items such as blankets, bath items, and other baby toiletries, we came away from our "hunt" empty-handed. Definitely discouraging after spending an entire day searching.

But... I'm happy to report that we were able to get the crib we wanted, online at Target, and it should arrive sometime next week. The nursery is already painted (we're keeping it the same colour as when we painted after we moved into our house), so once the crib arrives, we can finally start to get the room assembled. I'll be sure to post pictures of it once its done, but for now, here are a few things to show you.

This is the "online sample" of our paint colour. Its actually quite a bit more 'green' in real life. The colour is Benjamin Moore's "Eucalyptus Leaf."

And here is the crib we ordered. It can be turned into a daybed once our child gets a little older, and then changed again, to a twin-size, once they're really big :)I haven't purchased crib bedding yet, seeing as we just ordered the crib. But I found this bedding at Target.com and hope to be able to find it in store, the next time we take a trip to the States. Its even shown with the crib we ordered so you can get a pretty good idea of what it would look like as a set. 

(*Update (6:00pm)-- I just got off the phone with the Burlington, WA Target and they have this bedding in stock. My mother-in-law is going to go down to pick it up tomorrow!! Things are really starting to come together.)

(actually, the nursery paint colour is really close to the green in this bedding)

The other big item I managed to find in the last few days, is a rocking chair/recliner. I didn't want a glider or a wooden rocking chair, as I don't find them all that comfortable. Plus, my sister-in-law advised me of the fact that sometimes, you may end up sleeping in your chair if you have a fussy baby at night, and recommended that I choose as comfortable a seat as possible. So I've been looking around at thrift shops, for used "lazy-boy" type chairs. I found one at MCC in Abbotsford yesterday and although its not the nicest colour, it is extremely comfortable and is in really great condition. So I'll just look for a slipcover or nice blanket to cover up the not-so-nice red/burgundy coloured fabric :)

I didn't expect things to start coming together so quickly, especially after the unsuccessful day we had on Saturday. But when I look at my list of things to get done in the nursery, I'm realizing how much of it can be ticked off already. Finally... some progress :)

24... only another 16 to go

I'm officially 24 weeks (6 months) pregnant today and have been "celebrating" the occasion with another bout of the flu.  Oh joy.  

Its been hard not to wonder if my body just really hates being pregnant because up until we conceived, I was one of those people that virtually never got sick.  Now it seems its something new every month.  Oh well... as long as this little one arrives happy & healthy, I suppose it will all have been worth it.  Right!? :)

Sorry, but I don't really have much to say today as I'm still feeling pretty awful.  But some of you have been wanting an updated picture of the baby belly, so here it is.  I'll try to write more once I feel up to it.  Hope you're all having a good Monday!  At least the sun is shining and the snow is gone!