34 weeks

I had my 34 week appointment today and everything was great.  My Dr. is very happy with how everything is going so far.  Abigail is growing right on track and he felt on my stomach to make sure she was in the right position, which she is.  We are so excited she is not breach....hope she stays that way.  All of my pregnant friends have been talking about their babies having the hiccups so I have been waiting for Abigail to have them.  Finally, yesterday, she did....twice.  Once in the morning and then again when I got in bed which was great because Andy got to feel too.

Andy and I got a lot done this weekend for Abigail's room.  Andy finished the closet organizer which I am very happy with and he started building the bookshelves for the room.  I will post pics of the bookshelves when they are finished.  

I have been looking for a side table to go next to the chair and found one I loved at Pottery Barn.  The style matched my changing table but it was $175 plus shipping and we (especially Andy) did not want to spend that much.  So, I went back to Vestavia Antiques and Interiors and found one I really liked.  It was on sale from $185 to $125.  I offered $80 for it and the owner came back and said she would sell it to me for $85!!!  I was so excited.  It also matches the changing table.  All I need now is a lamp.

This week is a big week for us.  We have maternity pictures on Saturday and my shower is Sunday.  I am so looking forward to seeing all my friends and family!!

Brinkley's 6th Birthday

Yesterday was my first 4 legged baby's birthday.  

Here is Brinkley the day we went to Tennessee to pick him up.  He was 6 weeks old. Much to my dismay, he rode in Andy's lap almost the whole way home.

First introduction to the pool....its hard to believe it now but he didn't really care much for the baby pool.

Brinkley and I have both changed a lot over the past 6 years!

Here he is at 6yo.  Look at that white face!!

For his birthday he and Bella got doggy cupcakes....

and his favorite a large stuffed animal.  This year he got a Easter chick that was on sale.

Bella really wanted the chick....

Brinkley doing his most favorite thing....sucking on his toy.  He did this for hours until bedtime came and we had to take it away for the night.

DIY Baby Mobile

A few weeks ago, I set out to search the internet for a mobile for Abigail's room.  I scoured websites, pinterest, and etsy and just could't find anything I was satisfied with.  Either the colors were not right or the price was too high.  So I decided to make my own.  I used this blog as my inspiration:  http://www.chicspacesforlittlefaces.com/2011/03/diy-baby-mobile.html  but made a few changes.  My mom and I went to Joann's Fabric and were able to get all the supplies. 

Supplies:

Card Stock (10 sheets)

Circle Cutters

Fishing Line

Needle (I used a safety pin)

Craft Glue (I used super glue)

Screw Hook

Embroidery Hoop

Yarn

I Choose Card Stock that matched my nursery colors....

I had to buy the circle cutters but it was well worth the money.  I got one 1" and one 1.75".

I borrowed fishing line from my Dad......it was 6lb line.

Embroidery Hoop with 4 strands of fishing line strung across the hoop to hang the circles from the middle.

My plan was to have a longer strands of circles in the middle and shorter on the outside.  So this is what I ended up with..
1 strand of 14 circles
8 strands of 12 circles
8 strands of 10 circles
and for the outer hoop 16 strands of 8 circles
This added up to 318 circles!!!

Here is a picture of the first strand (14) hung from the very center.  I made each strand by first tying a triple knot at the end of the fishing line, punching a small hole in the center of the circle with a safety pin then sliding the circle down the line till it sat right on top of the knot.  I then moved up only about 1" and tied the next knot.  I continued doing this until I had the desired amount of circles on the line.  I wasn't very systematic with the color or size placement.  The look I was going for was more random.  Tying all the knots took a lot of patience but having the circles so close together made the final product look even better.  A few people have asked how I got the circles to tilt different directions.....I didn't have to do anything.  They fall that way on their own. 

I needed Andy's help to hang the stands from the fishing line and to make it easier to work with I went ahead and temporarily hung the mobile from the ceiling fan in my living room.  To hang it I just tied four strands of fishing line on the hoop and all four in a knot at the very top.  I made them very long so I could have plenty of room to adjust the length with I got it up to the nursery.

I waited till I had all the strands on before deciding what to do to cover the wooden hoop.  I had a few ideas but ended up just wrapping it with yarn.  My mom already had the yarn so it was a free and easy way to finish it off.

Here is the finished mobile hanging in the nursery.  Andy used a screw hook to hang it with. 

I love the colors!  

32 Weeks

I'm 32 weeks!!  So far the weeks have gone by so fast.  I saw my OB today and he said everything was going perfectly.  I am measuring right on schedule and he is happy with my weight gain so far (thank goodness!!)  This week Abigail has been so active.  She seems to be moving all day.  I love feeling her move (as long as its not a kick to the bladder) and I love it even more when Andy gets to feel it.  Although now all he has to do is look at my belly and he can see her bumping around.

We went to the lake this weekend and had a great time.  The weather was perfect.

  

Dad let us borrow his canoe, which we were excited about, but Andy forgot the paddles at home so we really didn't get to use it this weekend.  We also got the Jet Skis and put them in the water....Andy played around on them for awhile.  Brinkley really wanted to go for a ride too!!

We are spending as much time as we can relaxing at the lake before Abigail gets here.

It looks like Bella is watching over Andy as he naps....I can't wait to see how she is with a new baby around the house.

Preparing the Nursery

I am not the type of person to procrastinate.  If I know something needs to be done I want it done immediately.  I'm sure it drives Andy crazy!!  So, when we made it to 12 weeks in the pregnancy I was ready to start on the nursery.  It needed a lot of work!  We bought our house 4 years ago and we rarely go upstairs so we haven't done much in the way of decorating or remodeling so far.  The room we chose for the nursery was painted a very bright lavender and the walls and ceiling were in need of repair.  I also wanted to get new carpet....Andy did not agree with this but we ended up doing it and we are both happy we did.  Andy put up wainscoting for me and did an awesome job.  With the new paint color, wainscoting and repaired ceiling it looks amazing. 

Here are a few before and after pictures.... 

We have been so lucky to have such great friends and family who are letting us borrow things or buy them at very cheap prices.  I am borrowing a gorgeous crib from a friend and LOVE it!!  I decided on bedding from Pottery Barn Kids that had the pink and green colors I wanted.  

Here is the crib and a close up of the bedding......

As for a changing station, I did not want to buy a traditional one.  I wanted to buy a dresser that Abigail could use for a long time and function as a changer for now.  I looked a bunch of consignment shops trying to find something that was the right size and that had drawers that opened easily.  I finally found this at Vestavia Antiques & Interiors.  

Looking for a rocking chair was a chore!!  We looked everywhere and had trouble finding exactly what we wanted.  I don't think we were too picky, we just wanted a regular chair (either a glider with ottoman or a recliner) that we could both be comfortable in.  Andy is a good bit taller than me so chairs that had a high enough back for me were way to short for him.  We probably looked at about 10 stores in the Birmingham area with no luck.  We heard that Storkland in Vestavia sold chairs so we called to make sure they had them in the store so we could try them out.  We went on my lunch break (their hours are not convenient for 8-5 jobs) and tried everyone of them.....they have about 40 chairs in the store.  Finally we found one that fit both of us.  The only downside was that it took 6 weeks for it to come in which was hard for me and my need for instant gratification.  

Here it is in the room......I'm going to start now looking for a table and lamp to go beside it.

The last piece we needed was a bassinet for our room.  Again, I had trouble finding what I wanted.  Maybe I am more picky than I thought....  The bassinets in all the big baby stores are mostly made with plastic and have a lot of lace and frills on them which is not my style at all.  I finally looked on Craigslist list just to see what kinds of things are available and found one.  Its made by Eddie Bauer and matches my bedroom furniture.  I looked online to see how much a new one would cost and this style has been discontinued and is not available anymore.  I emailed her and got it a few days later for $60.  I am very happy with it!   

Now that we have all the big pieces in the room we can start working on the smaller projects.....I will post about them soon.

Only 9 weeks to go!!

So I have decided to start a blog. Its not really my thing and I am a horrible writer but I wanted a way to keep family and friends (especially those out of town) up to date on Abigail. I may fail horribly at this endeavor but I'm going to give it a shot.

I have already struggled with coming up with a name for the blog. It's not that easy to do...as everything is already taken. I wanted it to be short and to the point and to be all about Abigail. I decided to go with Growing with Abigail mostly because I didn't have any other ideas but also because I am literally growing everyday with her. Also, I know when she decides its time to join us Andy and I are both going to be doing a lot of growing while trying to figure out how to care for and raise her. So, that's where Growing with Abigail came from.

Thankfully, besides the 1st trimester nausea/vomiting, this pregnancy has been fairly uneventful. As of today, I am 31 weeks 2 days and feeling pretty good. I am starting to get a little uncomfortable, especially sleeping, but that is to be expected. All my doctor appointments have gone smoothly and so far she is growing right on track. Here is a picture of my belly taken a week ago......