Baby Girls Nursery Tour!

Baby girls room is finally DONE!.... With 2.5 weeks to spare! Go me!

Ok, there are some empty frames on the wall but they will be filled after I get some newborn photos and a birth announcement printed!

I'm not going to go into huge detail because it's past my bedtime lol, but here are some quick photos I took today after her new glider got delivered!

I'm super happy with how soft and girly her room turned out, and how I was able to accomplish a bit of a vintage feel I was going for, using some old meaningful family pieces - all for under my budget of $500!

Enjoy!

Gallery wall requiring some photos and her initial! Wall colour is Bear Run by CIL.

Ikea chandelier (it was left in the house by the previous owners!)

 The dresser was in my bedroom growing up. I primed and painted it from its original warm honey colour and added new hardware.

Beautiful custom tassel garland by my bestie Chantal at UrbanFizz!  - https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/urbanfizzinc

Jenny Lind crib by DaVinci - Amazon.ca (I sold Easton's old crib and change table to fund this one!)

'Do all things with love" - Print from Winners

Flower from Dollar Mart, curtains from Ikea (also left by the previous owners)

The "Princess Mirror" belonged to my grandmother and was in my parents crawlspace collecting dust for about 15 years!

Glass knobs and white porcelain pulls from WW Liquidators in Kitchener

The view from her big brothers room

Avery glider in Dove Grey from Sears (my birthday gift from my parents!) and pillow from Walmart

"Flowers in your Hair" print by UrbanFizz, frame from Target

Quote from one of my favorite Robert Munsch stories, gold frame from Value Village

"Glittery Heart of Gold" print by UrbanFizz, frame from Target

Nursery Tour!

We'll be 37 weeks tomorrow and THE NURSERY IS OFFICIALLY DONE! I'm so excited that his room is complete (even though he'll be sleeping in a bassinet in our room for the first few months anyways). Having his room finished before his arrival was very important to me, for whatever reason!

We'll start the tour from the hallway. I'll go right to left around the room and share all the details as I go... Enjoy!

OH - I should mention... I covered his "Name Art" with my signature, since we're keeping his name a secret until he's born! Sorry! :P

View from the hallway

The Toronto Maple Leafs stick is a "Daddy Touch", clearly.

I bought the teal curtains for the closet door at Bouclair, but they weren't long enough so I picked up the polka dot and orange fabrics and my super talented mother-in-law added the stripes! I think they look SOOO much better!

Love these customized curtains!

Quite the wardrobe you've got there, little one!

Amazing custom wall art by my friend Chantal at UrbanFizz! LOVE IT!

Custom crib bedding by Modified Tot (on Etsy)

We got the crib and change table for FREE at Sears (from a gift card we received in the summer after having our furnace and AC replaced).... SCORE!

There are diapers in the turquoise baskets and wipes, rash cream, etc. in the orange one. Purchased at Bouclair.

I bought the sock elephant in the summer (his first "toy" purchase) and the stain glass picture is from my grandma (his great-grandma!) who lives in New Brunswick.

Lots and lots of receiving blankets!

Above the shelving unit is an adorable custom bunting, also made by Chantal at UrbanFizz. She's so talented!

Mini lamp and porcelain elephants purchased at Bouclair.

Dan's aunt in Edmonton got us this frame - I can't wait to put his newborn photo in it! (... and Hello there Sophie!)

Part of his book collection... I've got another 2 huge bins full, in the basement. That's what happens when mommy is a teacher!

Giraffe sound machine from his aunties Brandy and Angela. I'm sure this will come in handy!

Expedit shelving unit and baskets, from Ikea. Lots of storage!

And that's it! I'm so happy with how the nursery turned out, and I can't wait to finally have our little man sleeping in there!

Such a relief...

Another week bites the dust and my countdown is fast approaching the one month mark - only 4 days left and I’ll be ONE MONTH from my due date!!!! OH MY! 

Here’s a run-down of my week... 

It started out on Sunday with a hangout in Guelph with my lovely best friends who I don’t get to see often enough at all! We lunched at Atmosphere Cafe (so so good - definitely worth a visit it you haven't been before!) and caught up on girly talk then did a little bit of shopping. A marvelous start to the week! 

On Monday, I had my 4th ultrasound, which was mainly to check on whether the partial placental abruption previously discovered had improved, stayed the same or worsened. Of course, the ultrasound tech was unable to tell me anything, since there are rules now about how much diagnostic info they can divulge, so I had to wait until my OB appointment on Wednesday to hear. I did get to see the little man’s chubby face though, check it out! I think he looks like my brother :)

On Tuesday, I supply taught for a friend of mine who was sick, in her grade 2 class. There were some crazy boys in that class - so much energy! Teaching really makes me think a lot about the kind of personality our little guy will have. Will he be laid back and more introverted like his dad, or a weirdo hyper child, like I was? I hope he’s a good balance of both! 

On Wednesday, I had my 34 week OB appointment, which I was EXTREMELY anxious about, since I would be getting my ultrasound results. Turns out, my month of worry was for nothing!!! She told me the previous placental abruption was not seen on my latest ultrasound! HOORAY! It was such a relief to hear that my pregnancy is completely normal and healthy and on track. First it was the low-lying placenta found at 20 weeks, then the partial placental abruption found at 30 weeks, now there’s is NOTHING wrong! I can just wait for natural labour to begin and if everything goes as planned, deliver vaginally (LOL that reminds me of a lovely quote this week - “Dev, I really want you to delivery vaginally” - ha ha ha, this statement came out of my friend Chantal’s mouth last weekend, and if you know her, you’ll understand how funny it must have been to hear her say!). Anyyyyyyways, another Biophysical Profile assessment was done, and little man scored 8/8 again - rockstar! He was also estimated to weigh 5lb 2oz, which is awesome and right on track! He’s still head down and “presenting”, which is good - don’t flip little one! 

I taught kindergarten on Thursday which is always completely exhausting, but this was such a good class and they were really “mature” for 4 and 5 year olds! I also got all our newborn and 0-3 month clothes washed, as well as blankets, receiving blankets, bedding, towels and washcloths! All clean and neatly put away in his cute little room! OH, and here’s a “sneak peek” of his nursery - once the curtains and valance are done, I’ll post photos of the entire room! 

Yesterday (Friday), was Dan’s “Badge Ceremony” which is the official swearing in of the new police recruits in our region. There were 15 of them who received their badges yesterday, after a year long recruitment process, followed by 3 months of Police College and additional training at Regional Headquarters. I’m so proud of my husband for working so hard, making sacrifices, and for truly finding his passion! He’ll start “on the road” in a week and a half with a coach officer who will be training him for the next few months, then he’ll be on his own... you know, arresting bad guys and saving the world! LOL. 

Today, I cleaned the house since we’re having friends over for dinner and everyone knows that’s the only time my house gets cleaned (...don’t tell me I’m the only one!?!) After dinner, we’re all going to a Christmas concert at Dan’s parents church. We go every year and it’s always an amazing show! There’s a full orchestra and choir and it really gets me in the Christmas spirit! 

Here’s this evenings outfit - my ‘Outfit of the Week’ for week 35! (Sorry the photos are so awful... we’re running behind schedule and our guests will be here any minute!)

Dress: Seraphine Maternity

Purse: Jessica Simpson (Winners)

Boots: Aldo

Scarf: No idea... the Bay?

That’s all, until next week! Enjoy your weekend! 

Updates Galore and Bump Comparison!

So, I think I’ll start off this LONG post of updates, with a belly comparison shot. The first is from 9 weeks when I started “showing” and the last I took today, the start of week #29! Sometimes it’s hard for me to tell if I’m growing since I see myself everyday, but when you compare photos, side by side, I can’t believe how much I’ve changed in the last few months! I’ll probably do another 2 or 3 of these over the next 2.5 months to compare the belly throughout the entire pregnancy! 

Alright so, I had a super productive week and I’m finally starting to cross things off the “To-Do” list! You never know when baby will choose to arrive (HOPEFULLY it’s at at least 37 weeks so we know he’s finished cooking!), so it feels good to get things done now while I can still move comfortably and the weather is decent enough. 

My mother-in-law and I went to order the stroller and car seat last week, and to my surprise, the carseat I wanted was on sale so I bought it in stock and got 15% off! (sidenote: don’t you hate when you write a long sentence and forget enough high school grammar to remember where to put the commas?... Whatever. I’m only an elementary school teacher. Deal with it).  

On the weekend, Dan and I cleaned out the garage and reorganized the furniture in the spare room so we can fit the glider. My large computer screen is in clear view so I can turn on a movie to keep me awake during late night feedings. The bed is also an option if I’d rather just fall asleep.... LOL is that safe?! I’m just resting my eyes, I swear!)

What else... OH, I made a birth announcement (Well, the template really, since we obviously need to wait until he’s born for the photos). I found the idea on Pinterest and just made my own in Keynote. It’s pretty darn cute. We plan on sending it as an email, rather than mailing them out. Who uses snail-mail anymore, let’s be honest!) 

I also wrote a letter to our little dude, during a sentimental moment the other day (I may or may not have just finished a good cry during TLC’s A Baby Story, LOL). I think it’ll be really cool for him to read, when he’s old enough to understand. Dan’s working on one as well (what a good daddy!).

I had my first appointment with my obstetrician on Monday afternoon. It went very well, other than the 2 HOUR wait to see her! I even arrived 15 minutes early (as I always do for appointments... I hate feeling rushed), only to be sequestered in the smallest waiting room known to man with no book to read and, worst of all, no snacks! Talk about a “hangry” preggo lady! Anyways, she seemed lovely and very knowledgeable, once I finally met with her. I’ll be going every 2 weeks until I’m 36 weeks and then weekly until baby is born, so hopefully the wait isn’t so awful all the time. Luckily, Dan’s cousin and her hubby were there as well, so I had someone to chat with. She’s overdue by a few days now, so hopefully their little girl arrives soon! 

I read in “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” to start counting kicks once you’re into the 3rd trimester, so I started keeping track of how long it takes for me to feel 10 movements. I feel him most when I first get into bed, and so far, it hasn’t taken longer than 9 minutes to feel 10 movements! My OB said if I haven’t felt 6 within 2 hours, to go to emerg... so far, I think I’m good!).

Dan and I also registered for a prenatal class at the end of November, which is a 6 hour course on a Sunday. My OB recommended it and it’s run by two perinatal nurses and a lactation consultant from our local hospital. It’s supposed to cover topics related to late pregnancy, coping and pain management techniques for labour, birth and the post partum period, as well as breastfeeding. Hopefully it’s useful and worth the money! 

The nursery is coming along nicely! I won’t be showing any photos until it’s completely done, which will definitely be before December! I hope it’ll be worth the wait. Personally, I love it and it’s coming together just as I imagined. 

No OOTW post today because I’m saving my outfit for tomorrow night. My mom is hosting a jewelry party and I have a cute dress from Seraphine Maternity to wear. I’ll post it on Friday, I promise! For now, here’s a picture of my hospital “clothes!”  A new fleecy leopard print robe from Winners and the softest pink PJ’s from Zellers! At least I’ll be comfy... well... as comfy as one can be pushing out a child! LOL.  

Have a great week everyone : )

Overwhelmed (and that's an understatement!)

3.5 months left. That's it.

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I feel like there is so much to do, buy, learn, prepare and understand before this little person arrives and 3.5 months is NOTHING! I have a gazillion questions, thousands of dollars worth of "stuff" I need buy, and this overwhelming feeling that I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO BE A PARENT!? Is this normal or am I overreacting?

Sorry, I'm a bit of a crazy person. Now that that's out of my system, let me start off with some questions I came up with the other day. Maybe if I knew the answers to some of them I would feel a little less useless? Let's pretend that'll be the case. Ok? OK! If you have answers, suggestions, tips or recommendations, please respond to this post or email/FB me!

Devon's Possibly (Probably?) Stupid Questions Regarding the Remainder of her Pregnancy, Labour and Delivery:

1. I'll start with a "vain" question - So far I’ve been lucky enough not to have any stretch marks. What products do you recommend for preventing them and minimizing them if they do come?

2. Cold and flu season is upon us and being a teacher means I’m more susceptible to catching something. Can I safely take anything to prevent/treat symptoms? 

3. Did you or are you planning on signing up for childbirth classes? Did you find them useful?

4. I find myself worrying about every little ache and twinge. How can I distinguish what’s normal from what’s not?

5. When contractions start, when should I go to the hospital? I don’t want to go too early and be sent home, or too late and deliver in the car! LOL (but not really, that would suck!)

6. I could probably pack a whole suitcase to bring to the hospital. What do I really need?

7. Due to a “low lying placenta” I may need to have Cesarean. Any tips on recovering as quickly and as painlessly as possible, from a C-section?

8. If I’m able to give birth vaginally, when is the best time to ask for an epidural if I decide I want one?

9. I think I want only my husband to be in the room when I deliver. How soon after our baby’s born, can the rest of my family come in?

10. How soon after the birth, will I be instructed on breastfeeding?

11. How long do I have to stay in the hospital after giving birth? And after a C-section? 

12. And the most important question of all  - Soooo, what the $&!*# do I do now?!?!

Now that I've got the paranoid portion of this post out of the way, lets talk about something fun! CRAFTS!

I'm really not that crafty, which might be a bad thing considering I'm a teacher, but it is what it is! Anyways, I was Pinterest-ing on the weekend and came across a super cute idea for the nursery!

I went out and bought some wooden letters to spell the baby's name (actually, I think they're MDF but it doesn't matter), some "Mod Podge", and a variety of patterned scrapbook paper to match the nursery's colour scheme, and I got to work at the kitchen table!

Now, I won't show you the finished product because we're keeping the little man's name a secret until he's born, but I've linked to the blog I got the idea from! It was super easy and it turned out exactly how I imagined! Here are the papers I used :)

It was also my mom's birthday over the weekend, so Dan and I (and Lucy!) went to my parents house for dinner on Sunday. My mom surprised us by bringing up the tote's of baby clothes and blankets she had saved from when my brother and I were little!

Check out some of the cute homemade sweaters we took home with us! I can't believe my little brother, who is not so little anymore, used to wear these! So adorable! I can't wait to see how cute our little one looks in them. Perfect for our winter baby :)

Speaking of clothes, here's another Outfit of the Week post! The photos were taken in my parents pretty yard.

The top I'm wearing is from Seraphine (online shopping is my newest guilty pleasure and I ALWAYS find something I "need" on Seraphine's website. What I "need" is to stop spending!). The sweater is awesome because it's a maternity top to accommodate the growing bump, but it doubles as a nursing top with convenient boob access via the snaps on the shoulders! I got the purple, but it also comes in black and brown.

Top - Seraphine (purple breastfeeding sweater)

Jeans - H&M (non-maternity... I'm wearing a belly band!)

Boots - Aldo

Jewellery - The Bay

That's it for now! Thank you for reading :)

PS. Don't forget to respond to any or all of my questions, if you can help! Thanks! 

Nursery Decor and Delicious Cravings!

It's been such a busy week! Between dropping my husband off at Police College, photographing a wedding and an engagement session, editing a bazillion photos, going out to eat (on multiple occasions!), hanging out with friends, and remembering to take a moment to relax, the past 7 days have flown by and here we are beginning week 23! Only 17 weeks left! Thinking about how fast the first 17 weeks came and went, it's a scary thought that I only have that many remaining in this pregnancy!

Luckily, I've been feeling fabulous lately! Still on the Diclectin to control my nausea, but thats really the only symptom thats persisted this week, so I can't complain.

Speaking of pregnancy symptoms, I had a mean craving for chocolate chip banana bread the other day, and finally got around to making it today! I've included the recipe and a few photos of the step-by-step deliciousness! This is the moistest, most chocolatey, and flavourful banana bread recipe I've tried, so I know you'll love it!

CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA LOAF

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

4 bananas

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

Heat oven to 350C

Combine and mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

Place batter in a greased bread pan (bottom only) or in muffin tins.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan. Complete cooling on a wire rack.

Serve & Enjoy! 

(I like to warm mine in the microwave for about 15 seconds, so the chocolate chips get all melty... nom nom nom!)

I had a million photos of nursery ideas/inspiration I wanted to post today, so instead of inundating you with random pictures, I made a little inspiration board for the baby's room! (Yes, today wasn't quite as busy as the past week!) I'll be ordering the bedding in the next few weeks, taping and painting the walls (hopefully this weekend), and shopping for art, accessories and other cute pieces to complete our little mans room! Knowing the rate that I work at though, it won't be completely done until the winter. Oh well - 4 months is plenty of time to make it just perfect!

Now for my outfit of the week posting! I went out for dinner last night (Indian, YUM!) with my two closest girlfriends, so we took a few snaps of my casual look for the bloggy! The striped top is non-maternity, but the skinny jeans are from Seraphine Maternity, and they're amaaaaaaazing! The perfect length, perfect colour, and they're super comfy! The elastic waistband is just the right thickness, so I can wear them after baby arrives as well :)

 Jeans: Seraphine Maternity

Top: Max Studio

Cardigan: H&M

Sandals: Birkenstock

Purse: Aldo

Until next week!