37 Weeks and BORED.

37 Weeks.

If I haven't mentioned it here before, it's probably because I ran out of babies to wear about 3 years ago, but... I'm very into "baby wearing". If there's a way to strap a baby to yourself out there, I know about it and have probably tried it. I know how to make a baby sling using nothing but a bedsheet and a slipknot. I know the kangaroo carry and the hip carry and the cross carry and the rucksack carry. I know how to strap a baby to my back or create a hands-free cradle sleep carry with nothing but a piece of long stretchy fabric, and I know that my baby carriers have gotten much more use than any of my strollers ever did.

On the cusp of this baby arriving, I have found that my brain has been completely hijacked by the subject once again. I have been touching up on my baby-wearin' skillz and making sure I have everything I need to start wearing this guy right away. I'm suddenly obsessed, is all I'm saying.

Here are the current carriers that I have:

The Ultimate Baby Wrap, in Navy Blue.

The Sleepy Wrap, in Slate Gray.

and the New Native Baby Sling in Black.

I also have two other pieces of fabric that I use as wraps. So... FIVE options. That seems like plenty, no?

Apparently, five is not enough. I am suddenly convinced that I MUST have an adjustable ring sling to make my life complete.

Here's an example of my dream sling:



...from this etsy shop, but it's a bit on the pricey side and I will probably just end up borrowing one or getting some fabric and making my own.

So... yeah. This baby needs to come soon because I am bored and have been spending way too much time thinking about all this. BOOORRED.

In other news, I had an appointment on Friday and everything is going great. Baby's heart sounds excellent, and the little guy is head down just like he should be. I'm feeling good and my hospital bag is FINALLY packed. The car seat is ready, the nursery is ready, the closet is ready, and I've even been getting lots of fun goodies in the mail from our amazon baby registry the last couple of weeks. My mom is flying out on the 20th to stay for awhile, and we are hoping the baby will be here by then or by the time she has to leave again... After that, the rest of my family is coming out in mid-February to meet the little guy. Wahoo!

Here are a couple photos of the closet and the nursery as it stands right now:

Chris BUILT these closet shelves from scratch. He never ceases to amaze...



The changing table.

It seems that everything is in order and all that's left to do is wait. (NOT A STRONG POINT OF MINE.)

PS. Do you like my new blog banner? I rang in the New Year by crouching over my laptop and creating it. I didn't realize it was a New Year until 12:15 or so. ***MASSIVE BLOG NERD ALERT***

Our Nursery... on a Budget.

Well... what can I say? The nursery turned out even more amazing than I ever dreamed it could have. My husband put in hours and hours of work to pull it all off, and as it stands right now, we've only put about $400 into the project. That includes painting/wainscoting materials, furniture, and EVERY SINGLE OTHER THING in the entire room. So... we rocked it and should totally be on one of the trillion "room on a budget" shows that are out there.

Or maybe we'll just start a show of our own. LOOK OUT HGTV!

All the furniture was given to us or loaned to us or found on the side of the street and revamped by my husband.

I like to think of the room as having a "vintage modern" feel to it. Some of the accessories are modern, as well as the curtains, but the bedding and the owls and the chair (not pictured) give everything a vintage-y feel as well. At least, that's what I was aiming for. I could be waaaaay off. Maybe it's just a crazy hodge-podge. (I'm totally okay with that too, BTW.)

The wall color is not entirely discernible in these photos due to the lighting, but just picture the most wonderfully perfect brown that there ever was, and you'll be just about there.

We've still got some things to hang, (possibly some shelves?) and some more little owl knick-knacks to place here and there, and some organizing/cleaning everything up to do, but we are mostly DONE.

Next obstacle to tackle: THE CLOSET. (ohdearlord have mercy.)







More photos will come soon... this is just a little taste because I was just too excited to wait to show you all the results. I think it turned out AMAZING!

PS. That little card on the blue dresser is a Christmas card that Ezra made for baby brother today at church. **insert sound of heart melting to goo HERE**

We're all so so so excited to meet this little guy... it's kindof absolutely ridiculous.

Nursery Progress Photo!

Here's what the nursery looks like as of right now. Chris finished painting all the white a couple of days ago (the wainscoting took THREE coats to cover well!), and last night he textured all the walls. We've finally decided on a color, and he will finish all the painting in the next day or two.

After that, we get to move in all the furniture and decorate and set up all the bedding and WEEEEEEE!!!!!! I'm so very, very excited.

I cannot BELIEVE there are only 7 more weeks to go. That's, like, practically TOMORROW!

Nursery Progress Photos

Chris has been working hard.

He's got all the wainscoting and crown molding up, with the first coat of white paint on them. (They will get a second coat soon.)

He's painted the crib white and also re-painted the changing table. Now we need to decide on a wall color....

I'm thinking something similar to what it is now, or maybe a darker brown? I'm torn. Here's a REALLY jenky photo of what brown would potentially look like:



or maybe something like this?



Any opinions are much appreciated!