Lauren's Nursery

Here are a few snapshots of Lauren's room. We aren't completely done with it. We still need a few things on the walls. I always go in there and sit in the chair and imagine what it will be like to have her around. I can't believe that we are now counting down the hours......

The lighting is bad in her room because we don't have window treatments yet. Here is a shot of her bedding that Ryan's grandma made her. I absolutely love it. With the left over fabric, I made her lamp shade and 2 memory boards.

I love this little keepsake bib. I think I will frame it in a shadowbox.

The picture of the bunnies came from my mom on my 30th birthday. She got both of them from Etsy. The large one with the daddy and mommy bunny is called "Expecting". The little one is called "And then there were three".

Her ridiculously full closet, her changing table, and bassinet.

Let me jog your memory......

So this was me back in January.....Oh my word. I'm left speechless.

Here I am at 38 weeks. Can you tell the enthusiasm has left? The little piece of cake on the sign was for my birthday. I turned 30 last week. Let me tell you, I partied like crazy.....Right.....

As far as any progress, I'm still at the beautiful number 0!! Not dilated not effaced. Just waddling around cleaning everything in sight. I actually cleaned my washer and dryer today. Seriously....lots of sarcasm today. I'm not feeling very chippy at this point. Perhaps, I'll vacuum the walls next....Just kidding, I'm not that crazy. I will save that for tomorrow.

Week 35

4 weeks and 4 days to go.....

My 30th Birthday (1 month early)

So, I left you all hanging with the set of clues two posts ago! The girls took me to Louisville, KY to celebrate my 30th. We saw the musical Jersey Boys, ate at Bistro 301, shopped, and ate some more. It was so nice to get away for my last time before Lauren arrives. These 4 girls made sure that my 30th was a special memory for me eventhough I am dreading it like the plauge. I was so touched that they went out of their way to make me feel so loved. I'm sooo incredibly lucky to have them all. Love you girls!!

**Disclaimer** The following pictures depict me as a whale. I'm almost 9 months pregnant. Pictures should not be allowed at this point. My friends thought otherwise......

Beth, Katie, Courtney, Whale, Michele

Eating at Bistro 301.

They hauled to KY my favorite cupcakes and had our waiter bring them out as a surprise. I immediately started crying and laughing. They had placed on each cupcake 6 picks that displayed a word that described me. The words ranged from Eyeshadow to Inspiring. Everyone was looking at us because I was laughing and crying so hard.
Click on the picture to enlarge it to read the words.

Happy 1st Birthday Mia!!

Two weekends ago I traveled to Indiana to help one of my best friends throw her daughter a 1st birthday party! (This is the party I made the pink and orange topiaries for.) The party was a huge success and everything was covered in either pink or orange. Mia did a wonderful job playing hostess to the 50 plus party goers. It was such a beautiful day!

The dessert area. Even the rice krispie treats were pink and orange!

This is the banner that Michele made. Don't you just love it??
Michele getting Mia dressed in her birthday attire. I love this picture!

Ready to go and greet her guests

Auntie M and Mia Andy and Mich showing Mia how to blow out her candles.

Let me reiterate.........

Remember when I said that I had the best friends in the world? This is what I found in the mail today.

My 30th (gags me to say) is September 1st. Since I'm due ten days later, they thought they would celebrate my birthday this weekend. How amazing are my friends???!!!

My first set of clues! I'm completely stumped! I should get another set tomorrow. I will keep you posted!!! I'm sooooo EXCITED!!!!

An amazing evening....

Last Thursday my dear friends threw a baby shower for me and Lauren Olivia. Let me start out by saying that I have the best friends in the world. They went above and beyond, as usual, and threw the most beautiful baby shower I have ever seen. I was completely left out on all the planning, so when I walked in (to my own home) I was moved to tears and blown away at their hard work and the attention to the tiniest details! The shower was a nesting theme which I just loved. Words can't describe this beautiful occasion, so I will just get on with the pictures.

Her monogram! If you look closely at the trees, you can spot the

white little birds resting on the branches.

The cupcakes were "nests" with jelly belly eggs. They were beautiful! The cookies and apothecary jars filled with color themed candy. In this picture it is hard to tell but the watermelon

was cut out in the shape of flowers and sweet little birds! The favors I made for the guests, homemade strawberry jam.

The favors the girls made. Color themed jelly bellys with her monogram.

Hand stamped brown bags with clothspins for the dessert buffet for a take home treat.

Apothecary Jars with birds and her initials

Her first Illini cheerleader outfit.

Court, Katie, myself, Michele, & Beth. These are the amazing girls

that came up with all the beautiful ideas. I'm so blessed by their friendships!

My sisters that also slaved away that day decorating.

This is my amazing Aunt Barb that flew here from Seattle just to be at my shower. I'm so incredibly lucky. While she was here she bought us a webcam and loaded it onto all of our computers so we could Skype at the hospital and at home!

I'm dying to make these.....

On one of my favorite websites How To Eat A Cupcake, she made these amazing looking crullers. The only thing stopping me from making them is my Benedryl daze and the lack of the vanilla butter nut flavoring. I believe that I have seen this at Krogers though. I simply do not have the motivation to get up from my scratching post to leave the house. I guess I just wanted to post to torture myself. Don't these look amazing???

Itchy Update

So......the sumac has continued to spread. (I know, you are like, "Why do I care?") Yesterday has been the worst day so far. Nothing OTC seems to help. The ONLY thing that does help is a scalding hot shower and pouring rubbing alcohol on the spots. I make sure that I'm careful not to raise my body temp up so I put one body part in at a time. It takes the itch away for a couple of hours. It's amazing...I have even read that a blowdryer on the spots does the same thing. The heat is slowly drying it out thankfully. I thought morning sickness was bad. Nope, I would take that day in and day out. This itching has left me more crazy than I already was.

Itchy and scratchy.....

Sunday I decided to actually get out and do some yard work. I have a beautiful flower garden in the front yard that has become the mecca for every type of weed possible. I started pulling weeds like crazy and was pleased with my fabulous weed pulling work. On Monday, I noticed a few cuts on my shin. I didn't think anything of it until it started to itch like wildfire. Then it turned into a horrible looking raised burn. I then found out that it was poison sumac. I have never had poison ivy or any of it's poison cousins. Being pregnant sure does change your DNA in so many ways!!

Now, the poison sumac has slowly started poping up all over my body. The best are the spots on my FACE!! I feel like a meth head because I am itching all the time. So here is my PSA, stay away from this plant!!!!

I took an oatmeal bath tonight. I placed 6 packets of organic oatmeal in my food processor until it was a fine powder and poured it in my bathwater. As of right now, the itching has subsided. Lets see how long it lasts.......

Let's talk skin....

Since becoming pregnant, my flawless face has turned into a 13 year old boy's, covered in "blemishes". (What a pretty word for zits!) So I have tried everything from clearisil pads to vitamin C masks. My face is really dry to begin with and I am still get blemishs all over my chin mainly. The best product that I have used is cheap old Equate (Walmart's brand) Acne Treatment. This picture states gel, mine is a creme.

The active ingredient is the 10% benzoyl peroxide which basically kills the bacteria that causes the pimples and drys up the existing ones. I put this on at night and by the morning the spots are gone. It is very drying, but I just slather on moisturizer and get on with the day.


Another product I recently bought was Urban Decay's Primer.


I have heard great reviews on this product and since my pores are larger than Texas right now, I decided to try it. I ordered it from Sephora for $36.00. The other primers I have used contained silicone which I loved. It fills in your pores and gives your face that "flawless" look. The product's selling point is that it doesn't contain it. I didn't love anything about this product and in fact, I am sending it back. One, the primer is a white lotion. When it goes on it gave my face a lavendar tone. Once on, it worked like a moisturizer not like a primer. I couldn't tell any difference once my foundation was on.


So now I am going to try the tried and true Smashbox Photo Finish Primer that everyone raves about. I'll let you know how it works!

Nesting, or just cutting the crap on procrastination?

Procrastination, that should be the new name of this blog! If I were a viewer of this blog, I would have deleted it from my blog roll from the lack of posting that has been going on! No excuses. Sorry...

This weekend I took responsibility for my ridiculous procrastination habit (since it goes on in my real life too) and did something about it. I scrubbed bathrooms, the kitchen, I organized over 1000 pictures that were loose (including my wedding candids!!!) and placed them all in albums. I had needed to do that since 2006! I knew if I didn't do those now, I would never do them! I also finished a couple of projects for Michele's daughters 1st birthday. I also painted our front door, planted some new flowers, found a place for a clothes basket full of books, and re-potted my front porch topiary.

I am pretty happy with myself. Although, I spent the whole weekend cleaning and my house is still a wreck! I have photos laying everywhere. Here are a few pictures from the weekend. Nothing too exciting, but it's a post!

We had a hallway closet that was junked up with
1000 pictures. I placed the books here for now because they
have been living in a spare bedroom in a hamper for a year!

These are albums that I already had but were either
empty or had sporadic photos in them. Now they are filled up!

Here are the topiaries that I made for Mia's 1st birthday party.
Go here for the tutorial. They match her birthday tutu to a tea!

Our front door used to be a boring khaki color that matched the brick. I woke up on Sunday and said, "I'm going to paint the door black". Ryan was nervous but agreed it looked great. I also repotted the topiary and we hung a new light fixture. My shabby wreath is a work in progress. Don't look too closely...

Ryan painted her room 2 weeks ago. Yes, it's blue. I love, love, love, blue. It matches her bedding perfectly. It is in the process of being made so as soon as I get it I will post! Her furniture is of course white. The glider chair that is on it's way is also stark white. I know I'm asking for it.

Here is her closet. Just a few items in there for now. I have to keep telling myself to stop buying. Oh and the tutu on the left, that would be the work of my parents. While they were on vacation, they ran into a boutique and found this 1st birthday tutu. They told me since they bought me my first tutu they had to buy hers as well.

This green Lauren dress is my favorite. It's a 2T but knowing our genes,
she will be wearing it at 3 months. : )