Reid is 4 months old

Dear Reid,

I wondered when this would happen. I wondered when I'd get so busy in the day-to-day life of being momma to 2 boys that your "month day" would slip past me. It happened at month 4. Poor second child. 

You are 4 months (and a week) old! I can't believe it, I love it, I am excited by it. You seriously change every day. You are no longer a tiny little newborn, and I'm so glad that I can say we survived that time! Every day with you gets a little bit easier and more fun. You are growing and changing and trying to become independent and doing everything you can to keep up with your big brother. 

When once you would scream and cry and fuss if you weren't being held, now you give great big grins when we put you in your exersaucer. You used to demand our attention constantly, but now you can entertain yourself with your toys for decent stretches of time. You used to hate being placed on your tummy, but now you lift yourself up and look around and reach for things. You roll over like a pro, scoot backwards, and attempt to rock on your hands and knees. 

I've heard that second babies grow too fast, and I wholeheartedly agree! Watching Cohen makes you want to do the things he does. You no longer lie back in your swing-- you pull yourself into a sitting position. You may be close to sitting up on your own. You like to play with your brother's toys, too, and show little attention to your baby toys. You fight naps when Cohen is awake too-- you don't want to miss any of the action!

An exciting milestone this week is your first experiences with food. You are still exclusively breastfed (we are rockstars!), and I wanted to keep you on only milk until you turned 6 months old. But you had other plans. You have started grabbing food from our plates and out of my hands while we ate, so I figured you were trying to tell us something. We put you in your high chair, and I gave you a stick of toast, and you knew exactly what to do with it: you grabbed it and put it straight to your mouth! We are doing baby led weaning with you, which means you will real food with your family instead of purées from a jar. The rule is simple: we put soft, healthy foods on your tray, and if you can get it in your mouth, you can have it. So far, you've had a taste of canteloupe (too slippery!) and toast. In the coming weeks, I plan to introduce avacado and steamed green beans. You only get licks and tastes right now- most food will end up on your body or on the floor, and that's perfectly fine: for the first year of your life, food is just for fun anyway! And kid, I know we're going to have lots of fun. 

You had a doctor appointment last week. You weighed a few ounces shy of 17 pounds (75th percentile) and were 25 inches long (25th percentile). Basically what that means is you are short and stout! You are just adorable with your rolls on rolls on rolls. Your fat little thighs are to die for. I love to massage them, and you love that too! You are wearing some 3-6 month clothing but mostly 6 month clothes. You've got a little room to grow before we move you to the next size. 

Your smile! You flash it often, and it's so beautiful. You love when people talk to you, and your whole body smiles. You laugh for your brother only, but I can get some giggles out of you if I'm acting particularly silly. You are super ticklish and giggle through tickles on your sides and neck. 

You are still sleeping with me at night. We typically go to bed at 8, and you sleep hard until about 2. After that, you're up every hour. You snuggle me so sweetly when you sleep: there's always a had on my chest and a leg hiked up on my stomach. I treasure nighttime with you. 

I don't know how we ever did life without you in it. You so perfectly complete our family. Every morning is so sweet because I wake up to you, and every night is precious because I kiss your head before I close my eyes. You've made me a much more laid back mom, and you turned Cohen into the best big brother I could ever imagine. We love you, little boy, more than you'll ever know.

Reid is 3 Months Old

Dear Reid, 

You are 3 months old, little boy! 3 months: no longer considered a newborn. No longer a tiny, helpless, squirmy, squeaky baby. All that's been replaced by a chunky, sweet, rolly-polly little boy who lights up the room with his smile and who can melt any heart with those big blue eyes.

This month with you in our lives has been so much easier. You are easing out of the newborn stage and are just more content with life in general. You certainly know exactly what you want, and you have your own likes and dislikes. And, for the most part, as long as we give you what you want, you are a happy little guy. You are a total Momma's boy. There's nowhere you'd rather be all day every day than snuggled up to me. And I love that. You do not like to be put down or left on your own, and you are quick to loudly let us know. You  hate your carseat with a fiery passion, and you scream the entire time you're strapped in. You love when I wear you on my body in a baby sling and fuss whenever I take you out.

I've been a lot more relaxed as your momma than I was when Cohen was a baby. I've learned there are no set rules, and I'm not a stickler about most things. You are a go-with-the-flow baby, napping when you can, always on the go (you have to be when you've got a big brother!). We don't have set naptimes or set feeding times: you pretty much just fuss  when you need something and we figure it out from there. You typically wake up around 7 or 8 AM, and that's when we start our day. By 9, you're asleep in your swing for a few hours before you wake up starving. You go down for a nap in the Big Bed with me between 1 and 2, and we typically don't wake up until 4 or 5. And then you're ready for bed around 8:30PM. And when you're ready? Oh, you're ready, and you let us know.

You still sleep with me in the Big Bed. You snuggle right up to my side and nurse off and on all night long. We are slowly starting to work on getting you to sleep in your own crib, but I'm afraid that's going to be a long road. The other day, I tried getting you to nap in your crib. It took you a while to fall asleep, and once you fell asleep, you were up and screaming for me 10 minutes later. It's OK if you're not ready to sleep on your own just yet: I'm not ready yet either.

You are still exclusively breastfeeding, and that's working very well for us. You nurse every 2 hours on the dot, but now it really only takes you about 5 minutes to eat before you're done and ready to move on to something else. You love your milk, and it seems to really be agreeing with you: you have grown by leaps and bounds this month! You started the month at 13 pounds, but I'm guessing you are closer to 16 pounds now. You are my chunky monkey, and I adore all of your chub. You have the most delicious little rolls all over your body! You fit well in 3 month clothing, but I am guessing you'll be in 6 month clothing by the time you're 4 months old. You are in size 2 diapers, and I couldn't tell you what size shoe since you've never worn shoes a day in your life.

You are freely giving smiles now, and Daddy got you to laugh one time. You have become such a happy boy this month! When you smile, you smile with your whole body and your eyes sparkle and your dimples pop out. Pretty adorable. You have great head control now and can sit well in your Bumbo. We've tried the exersaucer a couple times, but you're still a little too short to sit well in there. You're working on rolling over from your belly to back, too (although you hate tummy time, so I don't make you work on it as much as I should). You also "talk" to us all day long. You are a very vocal baby.

You are such a light, little boy. Such a sweet blessing. Every morning when I wake up and look into your smiling face, it takes my breath away. I thank God for giving you to us -- you are the perfect fit in our lives, and I cannot wait to watch you grow into the boy and man He has designed you to be.

Reid is 2 months old

Dear Reid,

Yesterday you turned 2 months old. How has that happened? It literally feels like I was just in the hospital with you brand new and in my arms. You are growing at light-speed, little boy. I've heard people say that second babies grow faster than first babies, and I can totally agree. Some days I just want to beg you to slow down and just be my tiny baby forever, and then some days I recognize how wonderfully you are growing and developing, and I am proud.

This month was a tough one, both for you and for me. We are both trying to figure out how you fit into this life, and it's both exhilarating and exhausting. You are very much a momma's boy, and you want nothing less than to be in my arms or pressed against my body at all hours of the day and night. I really don't mind because I know how quickly you are growing and that soon you won't let me hold you, but right now you're making it pretty hard to get anything accomplished. This seems to be the month of wonder weeks-- I think we've gone through 3 of them this month. These weeks are proof that you are growing by leaps and bounds, but they also cause you to be more fussy and clingy than normal. So we've done a lot of cuddling together. 

When you turned 6 weeks old, you had a doctor's appointment. You weighed 10 pounds, 10 ounces (that means you gained 2 pounds and 3 ounces since birth). You also grew an inch in height, making  your official height 21.5 inches. I credit all that growth to your expert nursing skills. You are seriously a pro at nursing. You eat every 2 hours, like clockwork. You even eat every 2 hours at night with the rare occasion that you'll sometimes sleep through a feeding. One night, you slept from 9:30 PM to 4 AM! It was only a one-time thing, but it was nice. You're still sleeping by my side at night, and you're not showing any signs that you're ready to move to your crib yet. I tried to have you nap in your crib yesterday and you would not have any part of that. You cried like your heart was broken for 15 minutes after I picked you up. We'll try again in a week or two.

You are starting to give smiles a little more freely now, even smiling at people you are not familiar with. You smile the most in the mornings, and sometimes you'll wake me up early in the morning just to look in my eyes and smile and coo. You're finding your voice, and it's just too adorable. I love to hear you coo. Another thing you've found this month is your fist: you have started sucking on it when a pacifier is not avaailable. Those sucking noises are adorable. You are also learning how to track things with your eyes, and you really seem to enjoy watching your big brother play. When you are awake, you are only happy if you're in a sitting position -- forget trying to get you to lie down for more than a few minutes.

I am seeing you start to come into your own. You are developing your own likes and dislikes, and it's really neat to watch you become your own person. You are starting to love bathtime (you hated baths before). I bought you a new bath seat that sits you right in the big bathtub, and you are perfectly content relaxing in the water while Cohen plays next to you. You are starting to enjoy play time, too. You typically don't like to leave my arms for any amount of time, but you'll make an exception when I lay you in your crib and surround you with some of your toys. You like to bat at the toys and coo at them.

You really are just the most precious little boy. You are sweet and cuddily and loving and you have stolen my heart. Even though you've only been here for two months, it feels like you've been a part of our lives forever. You complete our family in a way I could have never imagined. How did we ever  feel like a family without you in it? We are blessed, for sure.

Doing It Right

Dear Me,

You are the kind of person who will make yourself your own worst enemy. There is nothing negative anyone can say to you that you haven't already told yourself 15 times. You beat yourself up and have very little self-confidence. You try to trust your instincts, but there's a little voice in your head that keeps telling you that you're not as smart as people around you, so many times, you doubt yourself. I'm reminding you of this in hopes that you will shove your pride away and acknowledge that I am right and will listen to me for a second.

You are doing it right.

That's not something you let yourself hear very often, and you never give yourself that kind of encouragement. But right now, that's exactly what you need to hear. Over and over again. You're doing it right. You're doing it right. You're doing it right. Today I'm talking about Reid -- it has been a difficult weekend for you, and you are really doubting your parenting abilities. He cries whenever you put him down. He cries when someone else holds him. He acts like he is always starving. He acts very different than Cohen did at this age. Trust your instincts: you're doing it right.

Out of concern, people say you are spoiling him by holding him whenever he cries. They warn you that you're setting yourself up to have a clingy baby; that he'll be difficult because he only wants you. Remind yourself that newborns can't be spoiled. He cries because he has needs, and he is depending on you to take care of those needs. And sometimes babies just need to be held. Hold your baby. You're doing it right.

Some people, when they see how hungry Reid has been acting lately, will wonder aloud if maybe he's getting enough milk, even though you are feeding him around the clock. They probably have the best intentions, but you take that to mean that your body isn't doing its job and is failing to nourish your baby. When those thoughts arise, shut them up immediately. Your baby and your body are doing exactly what they're supposed to be doing. Reid is telling your body that he is starting to need more milk than what you've previously produced. He eats constantly to make your body produce more milk. Don't doubt yourself, don't doubt your body, and don't doubt your baby. He is gaining weight fabulously and makes many wet and dirty diapers a day. He's getting enough to eat. You're doing it right.

It's easy to compare your children, to note that Cohen was a much easier baby than Reid, but don't do it. Don't listen to anyone who might make you feel like Reid is not as "good" of a baby as Cohen was simply because he is needier. All babies are different, even those that share DNA. Some babies are needier than others, and that's OK. Hold your baby; love your baby; appreciate your baby. He'll only be a baby for such a short amount of time, and pretty soon, he'll break your heart because he won't need you at all.

And remember, you felt this same anxiety as a first-time mom. You doubted yourself. You  wondered if you were failing on a daily basis. But look at your first baby: look at how smart and well-adjusted and happy and perfect he is. Keep your head up, momma, you're doing it right.

(I mean, look. Your 2 year old is singing praise songs in church. How much more proof do you need that you're doing it right?!)

Reid Is 1 Month Old

Dear Reid,

You are now a month old. An entire month has passed since you came into our lives and turned our world upside down. Loving you has meant changing almost every aspect of the lives we used to know. It's been challenging, but it has been so wonderful at the same time. We've only known you for a month, but it feels like you've been a part of our family forever.

When you were in my belly, I spent my days dreaming about who you would be. I expected you to be just like your big brother. I expected you to look just like him and have his same temperament. I prepared myself for life the way it was when Cohen was a newborn. But you made it very clear early on that you are not Cohen; you are Reid. And you have your own needs and likes and dislikes that are very different than Cohen. 

You are very much a snuggle boy. You are happiest in your momma's arms, with your eyes closed and your mouth open. You do not like to be laid down for more than a few minutes, and when you feel I've left you alone too long, you make sure to let me know. You love to be wrapped in a swaddle or carried around in the Moby wrap. You tolerate napping in your swing as long as you are tightly swaddled. You hate the car seat and your bouncy seat. Every night without fail, you wiggle until you've made your way to my side with your face pressed into my body.

When you were born, you had little blisters on your arms that the nurses called "suck marks". You got them from sucking on your arms when you were in my belly. You have loved to suck on things since before you were even born! You spend most of your days either sucking on your pacifier or nursing, and sometimes you still suck on your arms and give yourself little suck marks! You are a great nurser, eating every 2 hours during the day. At night, you tend to eat until you fall asleep around 10 PM, and you typically wake up to eat again between 3-5 AM. After that feeding, you go back to sleep and wake up ever 2 hours to nurse some more.

Your big brother has loved you since the moment he saw you, and you are beginning to show how much you love him, too. You love to watch him as he plays, and many times when you are crying, he can sing to you to make you happy again. You love to stare at our faces, and you are beginning to "talk" to us, cooing in response to things we say. And most exciting of all: you are starting to give us smiles! You're still pretty stingy with them right now, but when we get them, oh man we get so excited.

You are growing fast! I can already see the start of little rolls on your arms and legs. You weighed just under 8 pounds when you were born, and I expect you to be closer to 10 pounds now. You just graduated to size one diapers and size 0-3 months clothing this week. And even though both are a little big on you right now, I expect them to fit perfectly in another week or so.

This has been a whirlwind of a month, and I've loved every moment of it. You are a precious little boy, and we love you very much.

Initial Thoughts on Being a Mom of Two

It's been 9 days since Reid came into our lives. These past 9 days have been all about surviving and readjusting and learning. Here are the highlights:

1. Cohen. Something happened the moment Reid was born. Cohen became a two year old. He's heavier and his skin became a little rougher and his legs are like logs. His diapers are huge and his clothing might as well be that of a grown man's.

It's amazing how big your first baby can seem after just a few hours of holding your new baby.

Cohen has also proven himself to be a great big brother. He's loving and gentle and always wants to help. When he first wakes up in the morning, the first thing he asks for is Baby Brother. When he gets a yummy treat, he asks to share it with Baby Brother. He assigns Reid a toy first thing every morning, and you had better make sure Reid keeps up with his toy. I've not seen any instance of jealousy ... yet. He is just genuinely happy to have his new best friend at home with him.

I have noticed him distancing himself from me, though. He used to be such a momma's boy, but now he's all about his little brother and his daddy. And it just happened overnight. The day before I went into the hospital, he would want me to kiss every little bump and scrape. Now, he rubs the hurt away and will tell me he's fine even if there are tears in his eyes. The last snuggle he gave me was the night before Reid was born.  I'll be honest: it breaks my heart. I am practically begging him to let me kiss a boo boo. I bribe him to get him to sit in my lap for 3 seconds.

2. Reid. Reid was born with "suck marks" on his hands and wrists. He nursed for 2 hours immediately after he was born. So I knew I had a sucker on my hands. But man. This boy is attached to his momma. We are nursing 24/7. A funny thing I've noticed: anyone else can hold him, and he'll be perfectly content in their arms and will readily accept a pacifier from them. But the minute he gets in my arms? He roots around and fusses and acts like he is the hungriest little boy on the planet until I either pass him off to someone else or nurse him. He makes the most sour face when I try to offer him a pacifier. It's like he knows.

He is very much a snuggly baby and does not like to be put down or left alone. While this would have bothered me when Cohen was a baby, I've learned he will only be a newborn for such a fleeting moment, so I happily hold and nurse him all day long. He's a great sleeper and will typically give me a great night's rest. He usually wakes up to eat around 3 and 6AM and tends to go right back to sleep. He hates diaper changes and sponge baths, but is the happiest little guy when I wash his hair. His umbilical cord stump fell off yesterday, so tonight he'll get a real bath, and I'm expecting him to love the warm water.

3. Life. When Cohen was a newborn, life stopped for about a month. We rarely left the house and I rarely got out of my pajamas. We slept a lot and spent most of our days just lounging around the house. This time around, I have a toddler to go with my newborn. Life does not slow down. We were at the park the day after we returned from the hospital. I try to find some excuse to get out of the house every day. Otherwise, we might go crazy. Reid seems to tolerate it well, and I am so lucky that Cohen is such a great listener out in public. He seems to know that Mom is as bit overwhelmed and needs him to be a good boy.

Travis was home with us for the first week, and it was such a lifesaver. I thought I might have a panic attack when he returned to work on Wednesday, but it really hasn't been that bad. As long as I can keep Cohen entertained and Reid nursing, this being a mom of 2 thing seems manageable. I did have my first nursing-in-public experience yesterday in the Kroger parking lot. Cohen was awesome and patient in his carseat, Reid ate to his heart's content, I got to use my neat nursing cover ... all was good. Until a man walked by and proceeded to stare at us for what seemed like ages. Even though I was completely covered, I felt so vulnerable and exposed. My goal is to nurse Reid for a year, but I'm going to have to gain some confidence because yesterday was hard.

4. Recovery. Recovery has been harder this time around. For the first four days, I was so incredibly weak. My legs were shakey, my body was sore, and my midsection felt like jello. I was so overwhelmed with the idea of feeling that way while caring for 2 children on my own. Monday morning, though, everything seemed to magically get better. Physically, I'm feeling 95% back to normal. Emotionally, it's been a longer road. The Baby Blues are hitting me pretty hard. I'm super weepy and emotional, and the frustrating part is I usually don't know why I'm crying. But sometimes I do. I am very much mourning the end of my baby-making days. As I feared during my pregnancy, I am very sad I will never be pregnant again, never have another baby. Realistically, 2 children are all I can handle and all I really want, but the end of this stage in life feels bitter. I'm praying fervently that the Lord will take these feelings away from me and that I can really, truly appreciate this life as a mother of 2.
I've given myself two weeks for the Baby Blues to pass before I call my midwife about Post Partum Depression. I never dealt with my feelings after Cohen was born, and we had a hard first 6 months as a result. This time, I refuse to do that again. There is no shame in seeking help.

Things I've Loved About Being a Mom This Year

With Mother's Day just around the corner and a new baby who is alllllllmost ready to join us, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about being a mom. About what a sacrifice and huge responsibility it is to be someone's mother, but how that job has been the best thing that's ever happened to me. It still amazes me how someone so small could change the very essence of who I am, what I value, and what I now desire in life.

Being a mom is hard work. The fears, anxieties, worries, sleepless nights, self-doubting can really take it out of me. But being Cohen's mom? Not hard at all. That little boy is such a gift, and every day I wake up to his singing and shouts of "Good Morning!" is nothing short of a blessing. He makes it all worthwhile.

It's been a good year of being a mom. Here are some of the things I've loved most about it this year:

Life Lately, in list format

1. I currently have 23 meals prepared and frozen in preparation for Little Brother's arrival. And the thing I can't understand is how I haven't spent any extra grocery money to prepare that food. Travis keeps asking me if I'm going to keep this up after life gets back to normal. I hope I can.

2. Speaking of dinners, last night's dinner was to die for. I made Chicken Spinach Cheddar burgers based off of this recipe (I modified it a bit and added a packet of ranch dressing mix) and roasted potatoes. We each ate a burger, went to church, and then came home and agreed to split the leftover burger. Even Cohen got in on the action, and he's not one to like new foods these days.

3. I think my hips are about to shatter. Whether it's from the stress of 9 months of pregnancy or the ninja moves Baby Brother does on them, I don't know. But they're screaming, I tell you.

4. I have been very diligent to appreciate and enjoy every moment of this pregnancy. I have not wished away a single day. But now? I'm real close to being done with it all. I think I've had my fill of pregnancy.

5. I had to go in for a non-stress test on Tuesday to monitor the baby. Thank goodness they weren't monitoring my stress. A tiny room + machines with lots of buttons + a 2.5 year old + a mommy who couldn't move to discipline her son = a disaster.

6. Last night, I watched all the videos I've taken of Cohen since his birth. He was such a fun baby, and I love how obvious it is in the videos how much I adore him. It also flamed the baby fever. And it made me realize that if I would have gotten pregnant with this baby when we first started trying, I would have missed so much of Cohen's babyhood. God knew what he was doing.

7. The last few days, I have been exhausted. To the point where I wake up, feed Cohen breakfast, make sure he's safe and entertained, and go back and lay in bed. And I sleep through his entire naptime. And I yawn throughout the day. On a scale of 1-10, I'm probably at a -4 at being productive.

8. My hospital bag is packed and ready to go. Inside are 2 new pair of really cute pjs and all new toiletries and supplies. Im really bad about not waiting to open and use new stuff, but so far I've been able to restrain myself. I'm so excited to get to the hospital and finally get to use all my new stuff.

9. I love to keep the baby's room open so I can peek inside every time I pass by. And I like to sort through his little clothes and all his supplies. I even have a toy box full of toys in there so Cohen can go in and play. We're all very excited about this little dude.

10. Sometimes I forget or just plain take advantage of how awesome my husband is, and I really shouldn't do that. He is one amazing man, and I'm so lucky to have him.

Preparing For Baby: The Nursery

For me, one of the most exciting parts of getting ready for a new baby is designing the nursery. I had so much fun getting Cohen's room ready when I was pregnant with him, and I knew I would enjoy working on this baby's room, too.

When I envisioned Cohen's room, I saw lots of sweet baby blue. And that's exactly what I ended up with. I loved it. It was the perfect baby room. That, however, is now the problem. Cohen is now two and a half years old and has rejected anything and everything he sees as baby. He's a big boy, now -- soft blues and cute monkeys have no business in his space. So only a few years after crafting his (very expensive, might I add) nursery, we are in the process of redecorating. Frustrating, to say the least.

With that in mind, I knew this time around, I didn't want to make the same mistake. I didn't want to put time and effort into this baby's room, only to have to do a complete overhaul a year or two later. I just don't have the money or desire to do all that. So as soon as I even began to suspect that he was a boy, I started thinking about his room -- I wanted everything in it to be something he could grow into, but I still wanted it to be a nursery.

After looking through countless nursery bedding sets both online and in stores, I became disappointed. Nothing I found met my criteria of 1. something he could grow in to and 2. affordable. I began to browse around Etsy for bedding ideas, and I found lots of really cute ideas, but each cute bedding set sent me deeper and deeper into sticker shock. I had to back away from the custom-made nursery sets quickly.

And then it hit me: I wonder if I could make this baby's bedding and nursery decorations? Surely if I started from scratch, this room could meet both of my criteria. Now don't get me wrong, I am by no means a seamstress. I use my sewing machine to sew basic things, so I knew this would be quite the endeavor. But I was willing to try.

Upon searching through Pinterest, I discovered many and different tutorials for sewing all of the items I would need to complete the nursery. The directions were right there in front of me, I just had to decide which ones I wanted to follow. And when I worked up the courage to return to Etsy, I discovered that while the handcrafted bedding sets were pricey, other items weren't necessarily expensive. I found tons of fun and original fabric that would be perfect for my nursery, and the cost wouldn't break me either.

So I chose a fabric and created a plan. And this is what I came up with:

Once I had the plan, I calculated how much fabric I would need for each project and purchased my supplies.

I purchased this Going Coastal Patchwork Plaid fabric by Michael Miller from Etsy seller PinkDoorFabrics for $40 including shipping (I bought 4 yards) and then bought that fabric with me to Hobby Lobby to pick out matching solid fabrics. I paid $35 for all my necessary fabric and thread at Hobby Lobby. I bought my mesh crib bumper for $5 at a consignment sale (they are typically $30 in the stores).

So if you're doing the math, I spent $80 on the supplies to make the bedding and decorations. That is a good $50 cheaper than a pre-made bagged bedding set and at least $200 cheaper than a custom Etsy listing. The time and effort required was a little taxing: it took me about a month of naptime and late-night sewing to get eveything done. But for a tightwad like me, it was worth it to put in the work to get a custom set at such a low cost.

Here are the links to the tutorials I ended up using:

Easy Adjustable Crib Skirt -- I love that this skirt can be adjusted to fit perfectly even after I have to lower the mattress in a few months. My biggest complaint about Cohen's pre-made crib skirt was that it was useless by the time he was standing in his crib at 6 months -- so in my mind it was a waste of money.

Easy Pezzy Crib Quilt -- I loved the style of this quilt, and it was a huge bonus when I discovered that she had a whole Beginners Quilting series on he blog that walked me through each step of creating this quilt. Kind of like quilting for dummies.

Chunky Crochet Baby Blanket -- When I saw this blanket, I immediately thought it looked unique -- I'd never seen anything like it. I was elated to discover just how simple it was to make. If you can do a single crochet, you can make this blanket in a matter of hours. I want to make more of these.

Custom Mesh Bumper -- No real tutorial for this. I saw it on Etsy, so I knew it could be done. I bought a bumper at a consignment sale for $5 and used my seam ripper to deconstuct the whole thing (taking the velcro and satin trim off the mesh). Then I used the satin trim as a template to cut out my new fabric, and I sewed the new fabric back on the mesh and sewed the velcro back on. Voila. A $5 custom crib bumper.

Crib sheet -- I bought a navy crib sheet at Target for $9.

Hot Air Balloon Mobile -- The paper pom poms were made by the sweet friends who threw us a surprise baby shower, and I used this tutorial to make the hot air balloons. Super fast, super easy, super fun, super cute, and super cheap. Just the way I like it.

Changing Pad Cover -- I ended up just buying the cover for $19 at Buy Buy Baby. I was going to use this tutorial to make a minky cover in green with my plaid fabric as an accent, but it just wasn't cost effective, and to be honest, I hate working with minky.

Fabric Bunting -- This was a fun and easy naptime project. I want to make more for the playroom and for Cohen's room. Every time Cohen walks into the nursery, he says, "I love Baby Brother's flags!"

Curtains -- I originally planned to make navy curtains with plaid accent at the bottom, but when I realized I could buy a legit black-out panel for $9 at Target, I realized making my own curtain wasn't the smartest idea. Instead, I used my new quilting skills to sew up a little plaid curtain tie-back. Cheap and easy and looks great.

Pillows -- No tutorial used here. I used my new quilting skills to piece the fronts together and sewed them up. They're stuffed with leftover stuffing I bought 2 years ago to make Cohen's first Halloween costume.

I also have these 3 prints that I need to print out and put in frames to dress up one plain wall. I haven't gotten to it yet, and I may not get to it before our little guy comes (just being honest here!). The prints ar 8x10 and will be put in navy frames (or I may spray paint frames navy and green and red, I haven't decided yet). Even though they're not up yet, they are a part of the nursery, so I figured I'd share them, too.

    

So there it is: Baby's room is ready and waiting on him! 

35 Week Bumpdate

How far along? 35 weeks, 5 days. Today is exactly one (1!!!) month away from my due date. So tomorrow, I can say Baby should be here in less than a month (although I'm not holding my breath on that one -- I'm expecting him to run a bit late).

How big is baby? My What to Expect app says he's still the size of a large cantaloupe and weighs about 6 pounds. At my midwife appointment yesterday, we did a quick ultrasound to make sure he is head down, and when she moved the wand to the top of my belly, it looked like there were 4 snakes in there -- arms and legs all wrapped up in each other. 

Movement: Lots of squirming and forceful kicks that you can see start at the top of my belly and move out to my side. He moves so much at night that he causes me to have lots and lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. There's a lot of pressure down there, too -- thanks to that big ol' head.

Sleep: I have officially claimed the bed for myself, and I am sleeping so much better. I wake up sleeping diagonally in the bed with no blankets and lots of pillows supporting the belly and my back. Also, now that I am able to get comfortable and sleep better, I'm not waking up for bathroom breaks so much in the middle of the night.

Best moment this week: At yesterday's appointment, my midwife talked to me about what to do if my water breaks or if labor starts. I sat there, nodding my head and thinking Wow, we're talking about labor. We're talking about the delivery. This is really happening.

Miss Anything? Not really. I've got tons of energy, I'm feeling really good, and I'm enjoying this time with my only child while it lasts. The weather has warmed up and it's beautiful outside -- life is good.

Food cravings: Sweets! Fruit! Smoothies and milkshakes and frozen drinks!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really. I get heartburn sometimes, but I have a big ol' bottle of Tums that comes to the rescue, so I can't really complain.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: Some contractions, a dropped belly, an increase of energy (and a few other not so pleasant signs I won't talk about). We're in the home stretch! 

Belly Button in or out? More in than out, and I think it will stay that way. If anything, it may become a flat belly button by the end.

Wedding rings on or off? Wedding band is way too tight, so it's off. Engagement ring is holding out though.

Mood: Feeling good!

Looking forward to: a good pedicure, at some point feeling like I am completely prepared for this little guy, shopping for Cohen's big brother gift.

34 Week Bumpdate

How far along? 34 weeks, 5 days. That's like, really close, y'all. I experience moments of complete freak outs followed by OMG what am I going to do with another baby?! followed by lots of excitement.

How big is baby? My What to Expect app says he's the size of a large cantaloupe and weighs about 5.5 pounds. He's definitely filling up his space in there. He's dropped and sits low now, and he likes to put a ton of pressure on my pelvic floor: to the point where I find myself squeezing my legs together and bracing myself for my water to break. Really fun when it happens in the Walmart checkout line.

Movement: Lots and lots of squirming and stretching. The other night, I was in bed, and I could feel where his head was, the outline of his back pressed against my left side, his little butt poking up at the top of my belly, and a single little bump on my lower right side that I can only imagine was his little foot sticking out. These movements are fun, but they are forceful and always take me by surprise. No baby has ripped through a momma's belly before, right? Right?!

Sleep: It just doesn't happen most nights. I take that back: the nights I kick Travis out of bed and have the whole bed to myself, I am able to stretch out and get pretty good sleep (minus the waking up to go to the bathroom 5 times a night). The nights when Travis sleeps in bed with me, I am cramped and uncomfortable and  toss and turn all night.

Best moment this week: Our youth ministry threw us a surprise shower for the new baby on Sunday night. It was such an unexpected blessing, for sure. Cohen and I are also spending our days shopping for things we'll need once the baby gets here. The nursery is almost complete -- I just have to print 3 pictures, buy 3 frames, and get Daddy to hang a few things.

Miss Anything? As weird as it sounds, I am already starting to miss this time with Cohen. He gets my attention and love 100% of the time right now, and I feel really guilty that I will be turning his world upside down in a few weeks. 

Food cravings: I like all food, all the time. And lots of it, please. And if you have any cake, I'll take some of that, too.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I'm doing really well in that department recently. I have noticed an increase in heartburn, though.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: A couple of real deal contractions this week!

Belly Button in or out? Half in, half out. It never poked out with Cohen, but I'm not so sure that will be the case with this one. Sometimes when he moves, he pokes my belly button all the way out. 

Wedding rings on or off? Wedding band is way too tight, so it's off. Engagement ring is holding out though.

Mood: Anxious, moody, tired, can't sit still

Looking forward to: Meeting this little guy.

31 Week Bumpdate

How far along? 31 weeks, 4 days. At today's midwife appointment, I was informed that I will now have the every-2-week appointments. I was also told that I should pre-register at the hospital because, she had to remind me, I'm almost at the end of this thing. Slow down, time! I don't move that fast anymore.

How big is baby? He's big enough to actually hurt me when he gets forceful in there. I don't ever remember Cohen hurting me. But with this kid, I swear I've got some internal bruising. According to my What to Expect App, he's about 3.9 pounds and 19 inches long-- about the size of a head of lettuce. Crazy. Cohen was 19 inches long when he was born.

Movement: He's a mover and a shaker, that's for sure. We don't get many kicks anymore, but I think that's just because he's run out of room. Lots of nudges and shifting and rolling from one side of the other. When Cohen and I snuggle, the poor boy gets beat up by this baby. Already doesn't want to share Mommy?

Sleep: I'm starting to just accept that sleep is not going to happen for me again for a loooong while. Well, good sleep, that is. Between Cohen waking up for one thing or another (WHY WON'T MY KID SLEEP ANYMORE?!), nightly restroom breaks, restless legs, an aching back, and a baby who never can seem to get comfortable, nighttime leaves me pretty frustrated.

Best moment this week: Baby's room is painted! Crib and dresser are all set up! Carpets have been cleaned! Bedding is in the process of being made! Awesome report from the midwife today! Yay.

Miss Anything? I'm getting to that point in pregnancy where my body just plain hurts all the time. So yeah, I miss not feeling like that.

Food cravings: I like all food, all the time. And lots of it, please. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: I think this pregnancy just gives me a continuous churning feeling in my stomach. Nothing I can't power through, though.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: None. And as far as I'm concerned, they can stay away for a while.

Belly Button in or out? Half in, half out. It never poked out with Cohen, but I'm not so sure that will be the case with this one. Sometimes when he moves, he pokes my belly button all the way out. 

Wedding rings on or off? Wedding band is way too tight, so it's off. Engagement ring is holding out though.

Mood: Tired, anxious, excited, a little sad that Cohen won't get all this one-on-one attention all day long that he's used to.

Looking forward to: Getting the nursery finished. Seeing Cohen holding his baby brother.

I wear a lot of stripes.

30 Week Bumpdate

How far along? 30 weeks, 5 days. I'm getting pretty close to the end of this pregnancy, and I'm still not emotionally ready for that. I'm hoping that will come. But physically? I'm getting tired. My belly is giant and heavy, and I'm finding it harder and harder to stand and walk and do normal things. Wah.

How big is baby? According to my What To Expect app, he's 18 inches long and weighs 3.2 pounds -- about the size of a head of lettuce. All I know is he's big enough to be running out of room in there, and his new movements are proving that.

Movement: Not many kicks anymore, really. They have been replaced with what I believe to be elbows and shoulders wiggling and stretching. He is head-down, and he likes to stick his little bottom out for me to rub. If he sticks his bottom out and I rub it, he'll usually stick it out even more when I stop. But if I poke at him? That little backside will move side to side, trying to get away. I'm having some fun with him :)

Sleep: Sleep is starting to become a sore point for me. It's hard to get comfortable and stay comfortable. I wake up every few hours trying to change positions, but if I move, so does the little dude, and it takes awhile for him to settle down for me to go back to sleep. I wake up at least once a night to go to the bathroom, too. So needless to say, I wake up exhausted in the mornings.

Best moment this week: Lots of really great things are happening! Perhaps the best news this week came in the form of a letter from my midwife -- I do not have gestational diabetes (I had pretty much convinced myself I had it due to the weird symptoms I've been experiencing), but I am anemic. Back at my first appointment, my midwife said I might become anemic because those awesome prenatal gummies that didn't make me sick? They didn't make me sick because they don't have any iron in them. Duh. So I'm on a new prenatal and am focusing on an iron-rich diet (way better than a diabetic-friendly diet, if you ask me). 
We also ordered the baby's crib and dresser last week. The dresser is safe at home and full of baby clothes and looks beautiful, and we are expecting the crib to arrive soon. Travis painted the baby's room over the weekend, and I just ordered the fabric for his bedding. It's all coming together.

Miss Anything? I had to stop singing in my church choir due to what I now know are symptoms of anemia --feeling dizzy and passing out. I miss being in the choir and am looking forward to joining them again once the baby gets here.

Food cravings: I like all food, and lots of it, please. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: I think this pregnancy just gives me a continuous churning feeling in my stomach. Nothing I can't power through, though.

Gender: Boy!

Labor Signs: None. And as far as I'm concerned, they can stay away for a while.

Belly Button in or out? Half in, half out. It never poked out with Cohen, but I'm not so sure that will be the case with this one. Sometimes when he moves, he pokes my belly button all the way out. 

Wedding rings on or off? Wedding band is way too tight, so it's off. Engagement ring is holding out though.

Mood: Tired, anxious, excited, a little sad that Cohen won't get all this one-on-one attention all day long that he's used to.

Looking forward to: Feeling a little better now that I am getting more iron.