Halfway there

Sunday marked the halfway point of my pregnancy...20 weeks!  I have been feeling really good lately other than being tired.  But then again, I do have a 16 month old and a full time job.  So that probably explains some of it.  

Our little man is growing as is my belly.  Babycenter.com says he is the length of a banana this week.

My favorite maternity item I have purchased are a pair of skinny jeans from Old Navy.  Well...they are actually called maternity "jeggings" (which I swore I would never wear) but they look and feel more like jeans than leggings.  Anyway, who cares.  They fit great and are super comfy.

Getting started on the nursery

We got started on the nursery today.  I told Christopher last week that we probably would not need to re-paint the room.  He told me that he would give me $1000 (not sure where this money was going to come from) if I actually ended up not painting it.

He knows me all too well.

I used leftover laundry room paint and finished while Ash was sleeping this morning.  This was the before color.

And now it is "Gentle Rain"...which sounds just perfect for a nursery, right?  Pardon the mess...this room is clearly a work in progress.

I realized after I had finished the trim that I had let a friend borrow our big roller...and ended up painting the walls with this tiny roller.  I think I just wanted to get it finished.

We are also adding some corner shelves for storage since there won't really be any space for extra furniture once the crib moves in.  I always tease Christopher about keeping everything, including scraps of wood.  But it turns out they were very useful today considering we did not have to buy anything to make shelves.

And here they are with the trim added.   It is kind of hard to see since they are white and the walls are really light.   I have thought about painting them another color but this will work for now :) 

More Nursery Ideas

 I am trying to narrow down to a few things that I really like.  Here are some ideas so far...

This adorable elephant frame on amazon.com.  Christopher says he will make one and save us $40.  Wouldn't this be cute on a night stand with a fun little lamp?

And I LOVE this print from sugarfresh on www.etsy.com. 

Just discovered these books over the weekend at Barnes and Noble.  I was thinking about framing some of the the pages to hang over the crib.  The artwork is adorable and the colors are great.

Fabric ideas...curtains and crib skirt.

The funny thing is I will probably change my mind several times before I actually do anything.  It is always fun to get ideas and kind of file them away.

Nursery Ideas & A Boy Name

Ash is napping, and I have been looking online at boy nursery ideas.  There are a million.  And I think I am officially overwhelmed.  For some reason, it is much easier to think about a girls room design rather than a boys room.  Because I don't want it to look too babyish...but then again, he will be a baby.

We are turning the guest room into a guest room/nursery.  And Ashlyn will stay in her own room.  I think maybe they can share once they both get a little older.  I say that mostly because Christopher is dying to build bunk beds and that would really only make sense if they were actually sleeping in the same room.  And that is definitely a few years down the road.

So for now, my challenge is to create a baby boy room that will double as a guest bedroom.  I have been thinking about using gray and navy...but does that look too civil war-ish?  Maybe with some red or orange accents?

Christopher mentioned the other day we should paint the crib camouflage.  Yeah...I don't really see that happening.

By the way, I think we have officially decided on a name for our little fellow...

CHASE HAMPTON NEWMAN

Our neighbor yesterday said that Chase Newman sounded a bit like a Nascar driver...but a very rich Nascar driver.  Haha.

Happy 16 Months!

Ashlyn is 16 months old today and is finally starting to say a few more words.  Yesterday morning, she was running around the house saying "Hi, Daddy" over and over again.  I kept asking her to say "Hi, Momma" but of course she just looked at me, smiled, and said "Hi, Daddy."  Such a funny girl.

I still have not taken the paci away.  I stopped giving it to her during the day when she was 5 or 6 months old...but I still let her have it for naps and bedtime.  I have told myself that it will disappear no later than 18 months.  Which will give her a couple months to get used to not having it before we bring her little brother home!  She has been such an excellent sleeper...12 hours at night and 2 naps during the day ranging from 1.5 - 2 hours.  I think that is some of the reason I don't want to give the paci up just yet.

Still loving all kinds of food.  I can not think of many things that she has turned away other than Gerber Toddler Mac & Cheese that comes pre-made in a jar (which kind of grosses me out anyway so I can't blame her). 

One of her new favorite things is sitting on my desk while I am working.  As long as there are fun things for her to play with (pens, tape, whiteout strips, ect), she will sit there for a really long time.  She sat on my lap while I was sewing this morning, fascinated by the sewing machine.  Of course, it took me a little longer to finish what I was working on, but it was so sweet to have her with me.

We went to the Gamecock's opening baseball game yesterday afternoon.  Perfect 79 degrees with a breeze.  She LOVED it.  Loved the people, the music, the food (french fries and lemonade, healthy I know)

Baby Newman #2 is a....

BOY! 

We are beyond excited.  Everything looked great during our ultrasound this morning, and we feel so blessed to be adding on to our little family.  Ashlyn is going to be such a great big sister.  And I can't wait to start buying two different sizes of diapers.  Because we don't spend enough money on diapers right now.  I hope she is one of those kids who potty trains really early and really fast.

I had a weird pregnancy dream last night about the ultrasound.  In my dream, the baby actually looked like a puppy with long floppy ears, and he barking and trying to jump out of the computer screen.  I kept telling the ultrasound nurse that something was wrong with their machine, and she just said, "sorry, that is what your baby is going to look like."  haha.  Thankfully, he looked nothing like a puppy this morning  :)

Praise God for a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby so far.  My due date is July 17!  Yay!!!

Table & chairs for playroom

Here are the chairs and table all put together (because we all know that nothing from IKEA comes pre-assembled...I mean, that's half the fun, right?).

       We added a coat of leftover gray paint that I had mixed up from the office chairs we recently painted.

                           For the seat covers, I used the leftover fabric from the chairs in my office.  Isn't it so cute that Ashlyn and I have matching chairs now???  Haha. 

Ironed the fabric into a neat little square to cover the seat...

...and hot glued it on.  It is pretty secure right now...we will see how long it lasts with an almost 16 month old.  But at least it will be easy to change out.  And we can always just take it off.

We put about 4 coats of chalkboard paint on the tabletop.  I am on the lookout for dust free chalk (I have heard that it actually does exists) and then I think I would feel better about letting her draw on the table without making a tremendous mess.

Ashlyn loves it.  Of course, she would have been just as happy if we had left it alone.  But it makes her mom & dad happy to have a project to work on that only cost $20 since we already had the other materials that we used.



IKEA Love.

We have the most amazing friends, Ashley and Alex.  They have family in Charlotte, and it is always oh-so-tempting for me to ask if they are stopping by IKEA while they are there visiting.  Remember when they brought a 300 pound piece of butcher block back to Columbia for my Christmas present from Christopher? Now that is what I call true friendship :)

This past weekend, I asked them to pick up this adorable little table and chair set for Ashlyn.  They have one for their little girl, and Ash loves to sit (sort of) and color (and try to eat crayons) when she is over there playing.  The entire set was only $20!  Can you believe that?  Christopher was going to make a table with two little chairs but I don't think we could have purchased wood for less than $20.

We have a few fun little ideas in store for the table and chairs.  I will post some pictures once everything is finished.

Organizing Tips

I read these questions online at http://www.simplysquaredaway.com/ and had to share. We have been cleaning out a few areas in our house that seem to accumulate "stuff" and these are questions that I need to ask myself on a regular basis:

1. Do you love it?

2. When is the last time you used it?

3. Can you find it elsewhere?

4. Does it support the life you want to lead and/or the person you want to be?

5. What is the worst thing that could happen if you parted with it?

 

6  Can I afford, in terms of space, to keep this item?

7.  Could the space that this item takes up be put to better use?

8.  What am I saying NO to in order to say YES to this item?

 

Let's be honest.  We all have things in our life that we hang on to because...well, because we think we "might" need it at some point.  I am not saying you have to throw everything away that you don't use on a daily basis.  But it is so much easier to enjoy living in your home when every THING  has a "home."  A place.  A designated spot where it stays, out of the way when you don't need it...but with easy access when you do.

 

Clutter can overtake a house.  And once it does, it can also overwhelm you.  So the next time you find yourself hanging on to something that doesn't have a "home," ask yourself these questions.  Maybe they will help you feel a bit more free in your own space.

I have a really fun idea for a contest/giveaway related to this post that I will share later on this week...you don't want to miss it!

AND another side note...what do you think of the new blog format?  Julie is the creator of  Deluxe Designs, and she is amazing!  She was so helpful and patient and creative as we worked to come up with a new look.  So please stop by and check out her awesome designs!  Thanks, Julie!

A few changes

Last night was a big deal for us. We ordered a Mac. Our first one ever. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I wonder what it will be like to use a computer that actually works fast and not worry about a million viruses and pop-ups.

Our PC is dying a slow and painful death. We have installed numerous anti-virus software programs...but I think it is in the final days. All I can say is RIP. I don't think I am going to miss it at all. Our new MacBook should be here in a few days and our sweet friend, Daniel, has offered to help get us both up and running on a new system.  I have been a little nervous about making the switch but I definitely think it will be a good thing.  Everyone I know who owns a Mac say they will never go back to a regular PC again.

We are also making some changes to our blog layout (with some help, of course) which I will be excited for you to see hopefully later on this week.  I think the changes will make it easier to read and keep things a little more organized.  So as you can see, this is a big week for the Newman's in the world of blogging and technology.

My husband

I love Christopher to pieces.  He really is so wonderful to me.  However, I do have a rather funny story to share about men not completely understanding women/pregnancy/hormones/ect...

Yesterday morning, I got sick after eating breakfast.  Completely random since I am out of my first trimester and have really felt pretty good these past 4-6 weeks. Fortunately, I made it from the breakfast table to the kitchen trashcan in time.

Later that night, Christopher suggested, in a very gentle way, "You know, it is probably better to go to the bathroom when you feel like you are going to throw up instead of the kitchen trash can."

Do I even need to add any more of my own commentary?  I just looked at him, and very calmly told him I hoped that he was just joking.  He later tried to tell me that it was just a joke...but the truth is - he was serious.  And then realized that he probably should not have made that "suggestion" after all.

He is more than welcome to carry our next child.  That way, he can make sure he makes it to the bathroom each and every time he feels the least bit nauseous.

Gotta love men and the way their wonderful minds work.  :)