making room for our second-born (the material stuff)

When I was pregnant with Jack, I'm pretty sure I had the nursery and the rest of our house 100% ready for his arrival by, ohhhh, mid-July? But true to all the cliche jokes about your first-born vs. all the others, Andrew came home right at the start of the third trimester and I was all, "So...about this baby. Maybe we should name him and stuff?"

I think I was in deployment survival mode and every baby-related thought ended with me deciding that it would be better to just deal with it when Andrew got home. Needless to say, we've been in MAJOR nesting mode over here. The nursery (what had become more of a craft/storage room) needed to be cleaned out but all of those boxes needed a new home, which meant the basement and garage also needed to be cleaned out as well. We've sold stuff on Craigslist, made a bajillion trips to Goodwill and reorganized boxes that haven't been opened since we moved in together and even though it's kind of been a drag, the house feels so much lighter. I'm a fan of downsizing. Out with the junk!

So now the nursery is painted and it's just waiting for all the fun stuff like furniture and tiny diapers and baskets full of baby clothes. The nest is ready to be feathered, if you will. 

Which leads me to my next question/outloud thought: what does one need the second time around?

I started a mental list in the form of an Amazon Registry for things that I knew I was going to need but didn't want to forget about: another changing pad, another humidifier, some newborn long-sleeved onesies (a Connecticut October baby needs a lot more layers than a Charleston October baby). But what about the other stuff? Here are a few things on my list:

• I didn't register for swaddling blankets with Jack because I had flannel receiving blankets on my list and I didn't think I'd need both. I can just swaddle him with the cheap flannel ones, duh! WRONG. No one told me about those magical, extra large blankets that you can tie your babies up in so they don't bust out of a weak swaddle at 3am and start screaming. So these are definitely on my list this time.
• A second Boppy cover. Again, what was I thinking only having one? My Boppy stayed naked a lot of the time while the cover was being washed and when the Boppy itself was slimed...up the creek without a paddle, my friends.
• I wish I'd thought ahead when I bought our video monitor because you can't add extra cameras to it like you can so many of the others. I really love having a video monitor and I'm not quite ready to take my eyes off Jack, so we're selling ours on eBay and upgrading to this version so we can have up to four cameras on one monitor. Technology! I got it for a good deal on eBay so now we just need the second camera.
• Strollers. This is another area where I really, really, REALLY wish I'd done some more research. We're getting a double stroller (although I feel like we're buying another car because WOW they're expensive) and the one we picked out is actually a single stroller that can be converted into a double with a kit. Instead of getting that stroller for Jack and buying the kit now, we're selling our first stroller and our jogging stroller to come up with a teeny fraction of the cost of this new double stroller. Seriously, why are they so expensive?
• I got a LOT of use out of our Ergo but it never quite fit right. I thought it was user error until I did some research and found that it was a common complaint of narrow-shouldered mamas. So we sold our Ergo and now I'm hoping to find a good deal on one of these Beco Geminis, which has been recommended as a good alternative. Anyone else have thoughts on that?
• A sound machine. Our house is small and all one level and the bedrooms are close together, so I have a feeling that we might need to drown out some noise. Especially with a certain toddler on the premises who likes to scream "HAAAAAAAAAAYYYY!!!!" every time Rudy comes in from outside.

Second-time mamas, what else should I be thinking of? Thankfully we're all set on clothes and linens, but is there anything else you wish you'd gotten/can't live without? Do tell.

bringing a little green up in here

Andrew has been saying for months that he wanted to fill our house with plants. He wants them so badly, in fact, that he's currently trying to grow an avocado tree in the sunroom. I know. We won't tell him that we live in Connecticut.

And I don't know why, but decorating with inside plants kind of intimidates me. I can fill a hundred hanging basket with flowers for my porch, but what in the world do I put inside? TOO MANY CHOICES! About the same time I was having this little crisis about how to bring some green indoors, The Nester wrote this perfectly packaged little post about that very thing. And I was inspired.

So I took myself shopping for plants. And y'all?

An obsession was born.

I want to fill all the pots with all the plants and put them in all the rooms in my house. They just make me feel so happy! Add a vase with fresh cut flowers from my yard and I'm in heaven. Who cares if I haven't hung any pictures on the wall, we have plants!

Care to join me for a little plant tour?

This one is my favorite. It's a potted Hydrangea that I got at Lowes around Easter and the color is just lovely. And it reminds me of our beloved Charleston. It greets me from the living room every morning when I come down the hall.

This is in the dining room. I took a chance and married this random house plant with a succulent. Who knows if they can cohabitate, but I think they look great together. I got that urn at The Christmas Tree Shops and I love the blue against the brown of the hutch. (Still need to figure out if I want to hang that window there. I'm thinking not.)

On to the sunroom! Begonias. Swoon. That little yellow plant stand was a thrift store find in Charleston. And that greenish hydrangea is FAKE. It fools people all the time. Also, a plant in a tea cup? Precious.

I'm hoping to add some herbs to this little table, which Andrew built out of an old shutter, since it gets so much great light. I had fun with the planters here. You can see part of the blue planter I have in the corner, which will soon be filled with yummy basil. The turquoise vase belonged to Andrew's great grandmother. The African Violet is in another Christmas Tree Shops vase and that little galvanized tin was in the dollar spot at Target last year.

We found this guy (a Calathea) at Lowes for $9. It has the coolest swirly leaves that are purple on the underside. So fun.

Personally, I think the green thumbs in my life should be proud.

I'm actually kind of amazed at how much life it brings to our house. Plants really do warm up the space and keep it from feeling stark. I love it. And I'm having fun thinking about all the possibilities for our sunroom. Avocado tree included.

Hooray for plants!

the nursery, pt 3 (the gallery wall!)

When I first started daydreaming about this nursery, before I even knew if it would be filled with pink or blue, I knew I wanted something like this wall. Something filled with sweet words to surround our baby and pretties for me to look at while rocking him to sleep.

I spent hours looking for different prints and images on Etsy. It might have been the most fun part of putting this room together. So now, I bring it to you...

1. Jeremiah 17:7-8 print from Naptime Diaries. I pray, pray, pray that our boy becomes this man.
2. Owl print on a vintage dictionary page from Blue Zoo.
3. Green alligator (by me) using my Silhouette machine.
4. CS Lewis quote, also by me. It says, "You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream." Andrew and I live by that (hence the nod to the Navy with the anchor) and I hope our son lives by that, too.
5. Hoot print from Sarah Knight Design.
6. Oh, Lord You're Beautiful print, also from Naptime Diaries. I spotted this one right when she opened her shop (before I was even pregnant) and knew that it would adorn my little's wall one day. It says, "when Your eyes are on this child, Your grace abounds to me." So precious.
7. Monkey print on a vintage dictionary page, also from Blue Zoo. She sent it as a freebie when I ordered the owl!
8. Orange binoculars (by me) using my Silhouette machine. Because I hope he likes to explore.
9. Hot Air Balloon print from MDCreated.

And in case I didn't brag on this enough, here's the painting on the door. My sweet grandmother painted it on the back of an old puzzle that she had in the grandkids' toy box - it had lost all the pieces so she turned it into this gem. Love her.

I adore the art in this room. It's full of the wishes and prayers we have for him and I can't wait for him to see it all :)

the nursery, part 2 (all the deets!)

Welcome back, friends. Remember this cuteness?

Of course you do! How could you forget?! ;)

I thought I'd come back with a (long) rundown of everything in the room. When I first started thinking about the nursery, I knew that I didn't want to do something super "themey" unless it was with colors and patterns. Also, I wasn't really feeling all the pastel colors out there - which makes for a challenge when in the nursery-decorating department.

I started by looking at fabric, trying to find something that I could build the room around. I didn't find anything, but I found myself drawn to mustard yellow and gray. Sounds like a good place to start, right? The rest just kind of fell together.

Ready for the details? Warning: it's like an IKEA catalogue up in here, just so you know.

1. Zebra print from IKEA. I've loved it since the first time I set foot in that store, but never had a reason to get it. It was one of the last things we picked up for the room, but I think it's perfect. And my artist uncle says that the "high contrast black and white" is "perfect art" for a baby. Score!
2. Crib from IKEA. I never, ever thought I'd get a crib from there, but it was rated one of the safest (and most affordable!) by the Baby Bargains book that I've come to know and love. It was natural when we bought it and we painted it gray (Porcelain Shale by Olympic). Also, the crib was too low for us tall people, so Andrew made some adorable crib risers out of a tree stump. I love them, I love them, I love them.
3. Yellow chevron crib skirt. I made this myself. Andrew actually found the fabric when I brought him with me to Joann Fabric. He wins!
4. Dark Gray lamp from IKEA. It's super easy to turn on, dim and turn off, which was something I was looking for. I'm not trying to fumble over a difficult switch with a sleeping baby in my arms, amen?
5. Little Castle glider from Bellini in Charlotte. Also recommended by Baby Bargains, I found this chair at a boutique that carries the Little Castle brand in Charlotte. I really wanted a nice, fully-upholstered glider and ottoman for the nursery and I was SO glad to find this chair in our price range! And Andrew's sweet parents gave us the ottoman. I'll think of them every time I'm in that chair in the middle of the night...
6. Green shag rug from Pier 1. You can't see it very well in this picture, but the rug is really fun. I actually got it when we moved into this house last year, but it was too small for the living room and I loved it too much to return it. I'm so glad I held on to it!
7. Blue and white curtains from IKEA. I think they might be discontinued and when the Charlotte store didn't have any in stock, I sweet-talked them into giving me the display curtains.

1. Yellow and white floral curtain ties. I made these out of coordinating fabric that we found when we got the yellow chevron.
2. IKEA spice racks turned bookshelves. I don't even know where I first saw this, but I've had the idea stored away for a long time. I got a sample of paint (Valspar Putting Green) and painted them myself.
3. Cardboard letters from Hobby Lobby. Also painted with a paint sample, but I can't remember the name of the yellow that I picked out.
4. Grass thingies. That's the official name. From World Market.

1. Gallery wall. The frames are from IKEA and the prints are a combo of things I found on Etsy and some that I designed myself. More on that in a different post, because this one is already mega-long.
2. Changing pad. I wasn't feeling the cover that was on it, so I made this one out of a super soft gray towel. Absorbent AND easy to remove for washing. Good and good.
3. Hemnes dresser from IKEA. It's amazing, right? I love it. The storage, the color, the lines. Love, love, love.
4. Blue and white lamp. It's from Target and was originally in my office. But it looks way cuter in here.

The bookshelf is one of a pair that we already had in the office. I just glued some gray tweed-ish fabric to the back for a little contrast.

1. Wooden giraffe. Made in Kenya. Found a thrift store by Andrew's cousin and gifted to him a LONG time ago. Stolen by me when I spotted it on a shelf the last time we were in Concord.
2. Boy art. My mom made this out of wrapping paper that she saved from her shower when she was pregnant with me. So sweet.
3. Stuffed animals. Cute and cute. The giraffe is from my aunt and the lamb is from a close friend of hers (who means a lot to our family because she introduced Aunt Rita and her husband a few years ago!)
4. Books, books, books. At the shower in Concord, guests were asked to bring a book instead of a greeting card. These books and the sweet notes written inside are so precious to us. Can't wait to read through them with my boy.
5. Chalkboard sign. I made this by spray-painting chalkboard paint on the glass of an old picture frame. The verse is Ezra 7:9, part of which says "for the gracious hand of God was on him." A little nod to our son's name ;)
6. Misc stuff hider. I made this curtain out of leftover fabric from the crib skirt. And it's hiding the random things that I couldn't find a place for. Like the basket full of pacifiers that we've accumulated.

Last thing! Here are two close-ups of things you maybe couldn't see very well in any of the other pics: the crib risers and the curtain ties...

Phew! Did I cover it all? I've gotten a few emails about some of the furniture, but if I missed anything that you're wondering about, let me know.

I hope you love it as much as I do :)

the nursery! it's finished!

Please, do come in...

I'll be back soon with all the details :)

a peek at the nursery...

First of all, who here is proud of me for posting every day this week?? Someone get me a cookie.

We've made so much progress on the nursery, y'all. I love love LOVE it and have been spending a lot of time in here now that the comfy chair has arrived. I don't want to show too much until it's finished, lest I ruin the big reveal, but I thought I'd share a few little snapshots of some of the details. I'm hoping to get more of the big things crossed off this weekend (i.e. hang pictures) and then put the finishing touches on it when my mom comes to visit - which is hopefully very soon!

Until then, here are some teasers...

Ahh! It's just so precious...you can't even imagine :)

nursery progress: making space

Note: If you don't appreciate all of the effort I put into these pictures, you ought to. I appreciate all of you visual people!

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So apparently, babies come with a lot of stuff. I made my list of things to register for/buy and my eye started to twitch. Then I made a plan and all was right in the world :)

Step 1: Determine where Boy will go.

Our upstairs currently looks like this:

And we decided that it should look like this:

Step 2: Get Organized.

There was a lot that needed to happen in order to make the guest bedroom a nursery. Most of it included unpacking boxes that we didn't unpack when we moved, making a Goodwill pile and organizing my Christmas decorations. True story. This is the progression:

Ohhhhh yikes. But over Memorial Day weekend, we made it happen. We got organized.

Step 3: Make room for Boy.

There was a lot of room-switching fun which involved cleaning out a closet, cleaning out attic space so we had a place to put the stuff that was in the closet, cleaning out the office/craft room so we'd have room for the stuff that was in the guest bedroom, moving guest bedroom furniture into the office/craft room, moving a bookshelf from the office/craft room to use in the nursery, etc. And the green grass grew all around, all around and the green grass grew all around.

Because of my "condition" Andrew did most of the moving. Rudy and I just sat back and directed.

As you can see, Rudy is mid-yawn. He also thinks he weighs about 30lbs less than he really does and insists on being right in my lap whenever possible.

Step 4: Daydream.

After the planning and the organizing and the room-switching, we were left with this:

We can breathe!

That's the cradle that the babe will sleep in while he's still in our room. All the other furniture is coming...THIS WEEKEND! That was the main reason for pushing ourselves over the last two weeks to get everything cleaned out. We're headed to Charlotte to do a little shopping with Andrew's parents and when we come back, we hope to have a truck full of furniture. I can't wait.

For now, here's what I'm thinking for the bambino's room:

We're still in a rental (and probably will be for a while, thanks to the Navy) so painting isn't likely. I love the gray and I love the yellow/blue/green combo and I like that the options I have for bringing in color without being drastic. It all makes me very, very happy.

So there you have it, folks. The first few steps of the nursery makeover. I'll keep you posted along the way, but in the meantime what's the one thing that you or your baby couldn't live without?

random ideas that come from daydreaming about babies

There's not a lot that I can do right now to prepare for the baby. Mostly because I need the help of a big strong man to move things around upstairs and haul/put together any furniture that we need. And my favorite big strong man is nowhere to be found. SO, I'm left to researching and making lists. And if you know me at all, you know I'm not complaining.

I'll show you my spreadsheets if you want.

Our plan is to spend the six weeks before Andrew goes back to school (in early July) getting as much baby stuff done as possible. Until then, here are some ideas I have rolling around up there. Some that are specific to baby-prep and some that are just general thoughts on things I'd love to do with the little one.

First up, We're going the cloth diaper route. Don't judge, k? We've done a lot of research and feel like it's the best decision for us. AND it'll save a lot of money.

I really, really LOVE this idea for holding books. Rain gutters in a little reading corner? Genius. I'm totally doing it.

via

I have several thoughts on a DIY mobile, but this one? I die.

via

It's a good thing I went through a fabric-buying phase and now have a good stash, because I'm totally doing this. Such a simple and sweet way to capture the babe's growth through the first year.

via

And how sweet would this print be framed on a nursery wall? Precious.

via

That's all I've got. Not really, but let's not get carried away. Besides, once we know what we've got baking in there, the fun will really begin.

Yessss.

flowers for my mom

Dear Mom,

It was beautiful here yesterday.

It's starting to feel a lot like Spring, which makes me miss you. I love how we gravitate toward flowers and happy colors as soon as the air even hints of warmer weather. And that's exactly what happened: I got my front porch ready for Spring. And for you.

See this rug?

I made it. Not the rug, but I decorated it. It was a $15 utility rug from Lowes. After some tape and some blue spraypaint, I have this beauty. Aren't you proud?

I got a little carried away in the flower department while I was there.

I got lots of pansies.

And snapdragons, because they reminded me of my wedding. Remember when the florist put those in the arrangement and we couldn't believe how perfect it was?

I also got these, but I can't remember what they're called. They're adorable. Especially with the little birdhouse stake that you got me for my birthday.

And look who has taken up residence here...




Remember when I got this at the flea market in Raleigh?

That was a fun day. Maybe I'll make a trip up there for a weekend so we can do it again.

And look how cute this corner is!

I got all those baskets at Tuesday Morning for just a couple of dollars.

And I printed those bird sketches and put them in Dollar Tree frames. Cute, right?

PS: Rudy misses you, too.

This is where we'll sit when you come to visit.

I can't wait. Every time I walk out on the porch, I see this:

And I think, "That's mom's chair. I sure do miss her."

I can't wait to see you again.

Love,

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