10 Little Things: July

Sharing a few simple things I'm especially thankful for this month!

1. Access to the public library.

Really enjoying the breastfeeding book I checked out last week and can't wait to do more research here.

2. New carpet on the stairs!

The whole house feels so much cleaner!

3. Gluten free flour.

So I can make cinnamon rolls when I'm randomly craving them. And any other baked good.

4. The CUTEST baby shower invitation ever. :)

You're the best, Nat!

5. The crazy bold color we chose for our downstairs bathroom. 

Can't wait to see this tiny space come together.

6. Printed photos.

Finally got a few recents done to display around the house!

7. Tiny newborn booties.

Anything tiny for newborns, really.  But especially thankful for these from our sweet friend Kaitlyn :)

8. This book, this class.

Walking through labor prep with Daniel makes it all so much less scary, and I really love reading through this book together before bed every night.

9. Lists, and crossing things off of them.

I love making this house ours and getting ready for our girl!

10. The happiest girl on the planet.

Penny has one state of mind, and I love it. Her tail never stops wagging.

Life is so sweet!

-J

Edie's Got Mail

Our little lady has been getting presents in the mail left and right this past week, and we are so thankful!

Thanks so much, sweet family! We're feeling so much love on behalf of our girl!

-J

Another "I'm SO Excited" Post

Last night this pregnant momma sat on the floor and put this pretty little moses basket stand together.  I just couldn't wait to establish her little corner in our bedroom (consider this our bedroom preview post--we still have a few small things to do but hopefully I'll be sharing more photos soon!).  I'm pretty impatient when it comes to reading instructions on where to connect piece G to piece H (Daniel does all of the furniture building around here), so this was kind of a big project for me.  I must already really like this girl. :) 

I've always loved getting packages in the mail, but her stuff is a million times more exciting!

-J

Stairwell Lighting Shopping

This morning I'm confined to our downstairs while two men lay carpet on our stairs.  Daniel and I spent much of the weekend painting the stairwell, and I can't wait to have this space looking happier. While we were working yesterday, Daniel asked me how I felt about the two mounted light fixtures on the wall (see above photo)--he knows me well.  We took a little break last night and searched online for an idea of what we'd like to eventually replace them with, and I never knew I could get excited about new lights along a staircase!

Buy It Here

Buy It Here

Buy It Here

We're looking for something simple that will compliment our decor without being distracting.  Making this house a home with my man is so fun!

-J

29 Weeks Bumpdate

I apologize for the not-so-cute photo this week--Daniel and I have been painting the stairwell and upstairs hallway all day and I'm a sweaty mess.  I got tired of not helping with the big projects, and it's water-based paint, so I think we'll be okay! I love seeing our house come together.

29 WEEKS:

Baby Size: Nearing 16 inches long--still can't believe there's a little human being growing inside of my body!

Gender: Homegirl :)

Weight Gain: 13 pounds, feeling fantastic! By this point I have lots of amniotic fluid and extra blood around our growing babe, so I really don't feel like I've gained much--I feel like myself.  I didn't realize how heavy my belly was until Daniel came up behind me when I was bent over doing dishes a few days ago and held my belly up--it was such a relief I didn't even know I needed! He said it felt like a bowling ball, haha.

Symptoms: This girl MOVES ALL THE TIME. I love it, but I do have a couple of specific spots on my tummy that almost feel bruised from her poking her foot out over and over.  I now know it's for sure a foot because we found out at our appointment this week that Edie is HEAD DOWN and probably not going anywhere! :) So I'm not able to pinpoint what parts of her body are where--so fun! Only downside to her squirminess--I'm not sleeping much. 

Exercise: Nothing's changed! Love my Sunday morning runs the best though, because Daniel goes with me and makes it much easier to forget the feeling of a baby bouncing on my bladder with each step. :)

Cravings: Cottage cheese is remaining a pretty constant one.  I'd love a Diet Dr. Pepper, which I haven't had in about five years. I probably wouldn't even like it if I tried it--that's what I'm telling myself.

Off to paint some more--we're getting new carpet on the stairs tomorrow and I'm PUMPED.

-J

Saturday Snapshots

Today has been full of house work, meeting with a sweet couple over coffee about their wedding next summer, puppy playing, happy mail (Edie's bassinet!), and more house work. Life is busy and full and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Hope you had a wonderful Saturday!

-J

An Afternoon at the Library

A few days ago I decided it was time to check off one of my summer bucket list items, so I headed to the public library with a sweet friend and her little lady.

Most of the books I went there for were checked out, but I couldn't really be upset in the company of this babe.  Kaitlyn and Harlow have been such an encouragement to me as I await the arrival of my girl!

-J

TBT: Who Will Edie Look Like? (Pt. 1)

Daniel and I spent way too much time combining our photos through a silly "What will your baby look like?" website a couple of nights ago.  We had a pretty good laugh, but it definitely made us start daydreaming even more about the day we get to meet our girl.  So I thought it'd be fun to look back on a few of our baby photos, and since I haven't gotten Daniel's permission on what photos of him I can use, we'll start with mine! :)

I was a big-eared baby, that's for sure.

I wonder if she'll have my curly hair.

I can't believe she could be here safely in eight short weeks! I'm having a hard time thinking about anything else :)

-J

Non-Registry Wish List: Simple, Wooden Play Gyms

As Daniel and I research and register for baby necessities, we're finding a few things we really love that we don't necessarily need right away.  One specific item I'm looking into lately is a non-plastic play gym--some of them are so beautifully made, and I love that we could plop them down over Edie on any blanket.

Cariboo Activity Gym

Finn + Emma Play Gym

Plan Toys Play Gym

Hape My First Gym

HABA Color Fun Play Gym

I'm probably having way too much fun looking at baby toys, but some of them are just so lovely! I'll keep posting my favorites as I find them :)

-J

Arm & Shoulder Day

It is a HOT one today, friends, and as I pulled my tank on to head out for a walk with the pups a little bit ago, I got to thinking about my arm and shoulder workout routine and how it has changed since I got pregnant.  I'm not doing a lot of the yoga poses or the amount of pushups I did before I had this big belly, but I am trying to maintain strength in different ways.  I thought I'd share a few videos I fall back on often (NOT pregnancy specific--these are for everyone!).  These are three different types of workouts, so hopefully you find something you like!

Survivor--Dance Fitness with Jessica

Arms & Shoulders--Pop Sugar

Build Shoulder Strength--Tara Stiles

Have a happy workout!

-J

Our Natural Birth Prep Reading List

As Daniel and I researched and ultimately decided to go the natural birth route (as long as baby and I are safe to do so), we looked for a few helpful reads to confirm our decision.  These books came highly recommended by our midwife and birthing class teacher, and I'm so thankful sources like these exist as I wait on our girl to grow!

Buy It Here

For the mommy who wants lots of research to back up what you're reading--this book is a great collection of sources!

Buy It Here

Daniel has found a lot of helpful information in this book, which came highly recommended by our sweet midwife!

Buy It Here

We're just now really getting into this one--it was assigned as homework for our Bradley Method class--but so far I really love how it reads out loud.  Daniel and I take turns and stop to discuss anything we find interesting--I especially love the stories of real natural births and how the parents in them work so well as a team.

Buy It Here

This one is still on my to-buy list, but I fully intend on reading it before Edie gets here.  I was first introduced to Ina May when I watched the documentary The Business of Being Born, and the reviews on this book and her method of birthing babies speak for themselves!

Buy It Here

Also still on my to-buy list--I definitely want to feel more prepared for this part of raising and nurturing my babe before she's here.  I plan to attend at least one La Leche League meeting before then, too!

We have an appointment with our midwife tomorrow morning, and books like these help us feel prepared to discuss and ask questions we may not have realized we had otherwise. Can't wait to hear our little lady's sweet heartbeat again and see how she's measuring!

-J