Nesting in the Nursery...
Here's Daddy - putting together the furniture. We got the furniture from Wal-Mart - 4 piece Graco set (crib w/ mattress, changing table, glider rocker w/ ottoman) for $400. Best deal around! (Side note: I think Pete looks mighty fine standing by that changing table, don't you? ; )
The Bedding: I struggled with whether or not I wanted to buy a bedding set or go rogue because a) baby bedding is ridiculously expensive and b) most gender-neutral stuff is animal-themed. I don't like animals well enough to theme a room around them, even if it is a baby room. But, I ran across this 10-piece geometric patterned set for less than $100 and in colors that would match the existing paint job. Bingo!
The set came with three wall hangings, but they looked like sad little potholders, so I needed to get creative on the walls. On the wall across from the crib, I arranged a family photos in various sized frames. I bought some cheap frames from Target (the "back to college" section is a great place to shop for affordable decor) and spray painted them the four main colors from the bedding (blue, brown, orange, yellow). Below the photos is a cube bookshelf from Target with some baskets for storing toys and other goodies.
On the other walls, I arranged various sized circles that I made from adhesive wall vinyl. I found a website (vinylexpressions.com) that sells 1'x2' sheets of removable adhesive vinyl for walls in a rainbow of colors. I bought a few sheets and cut out circles in a variety of sizes using a cricut die cut machine. I made a ton of them so I'd have plenty to play around with...if you need some giant circle stickers, let me know!
Once I had them cut out, I arranged them temporarily on the walls using masking tape until I got a look that appeared balanced yet random. I then used the masking strategies I learned during my college summer job (working at the road commission making road signs) to apply them to the walls. I must say, they look pretty sweet - much better than the lame-ola wall potholders. (However, Pete has already informed me that I'm on my own when it's time to take these off the walls.)
Here's what the (mostly) completed nursery looks like from a couple of different angles:
Fixing the Facade...
Notice anything different? We painted the front door and upsized what I call "the eyebrows" (the elliptical designs above the windows). The previous "eyebrows" were about half the width (about as wide as a single window) and I thought they looked a little sad above the double windows. These give the front of the house a little more presence. Someday, I'm going to send Pete up on a really tall ladder to paint that white vent the same color as the door and "eyebrows".
Backyard Busyness...
We hired someone to do the excavating and lay the base for a paver patio area (to the right of the deck as you look at it from the yard) and a shed (to the left of the deck). This would have taken us FOREVER and would have been hard work, so money well spent!
After the base was laid, we got to work on placing the pavers. I toted literally tons of the them to the backyard from where they were dropped off in the frontyard...maybe not the best idea at 6 months pregnant - definitely felt that for a few days. Pete laid them in a pattern he designed using four different sized bricks.
It actually came together fairly quickly and looks really nice. It was like tiling in the great outdoors...instant gratification! We bought a patio set on "end of season" clearance at Menards that fits nicely on the space. We are excited to eat out on the patio next summer!
Work has begun on the shed that will be to the left of the deck. Pete and my dad are building it from plans they found online.
The rest of the backyard is still a work in progress. The excavating for the patio and shed left quite a bit of turf damage. Also, some repair to the sprinklers was required after the excavation and patio installation. The township has finally installed the yard drain they promised us about 6 months ago, but now we (by we I mean Pete) have to dig a trench the entire length of the yard for the additional drain tile he wants to install yet this fall. He will also tie in the gutters that were recently installed to the new drainage system. Hopefully, there will be no "Lake Klooster" next spring! As I type, Pete is beginning to dig the trench for the drain tile and my dad is cutting lumber for the shed rafters.
Building a Baby...
So, while all this other stuff has been going on, I'm building a baby...and visiting the bathroom, eating...and visiting the bathroom, sleeping...and visiting the bathroom, reading pregnancy/birth books...and visiting the bathroom, shopping for toilet paper...and (you guessed it) visiting the bathroom.
Here I am at 20 weeks.
Here I am at 30 weeks.
And here is Peanut at 21-22 weeks!Peanut is quite active these days. The "experts" say to do kick counts twice a day and to make sure you feel at least 10 kicks in an hour. I can usually get to 10 kicks in 10 minutes! Peanut especially enjoys womb gymnastics at 1:00 am, 4:00 am and 6:30 am. Not so much a fan of that.
It's hard to believe he/she will be here in 9 short weeks, but we are ready to meet him/her!
