Jesse's Nursery progress and a hubby brag!

Nursery progress!!  FINALLY I feel as if we are getting closer to having a room for this baby!  I have to admit I was A LOT further along for Owen's room.  Insert guilt.

So, I have the best husband.  After a Sunday of unpacking and mowing and then painting the trim around the crown for me so I didn't have to be on a ladder, he willingly did more projects in the nursery on Monday evening after WORK.  I had tried to hang the curtains and almost stripped the screws completely.  Also, I had washed the window inside and out and need help putting the screen back on.  So, he gets home at 7ish, eats dinner and does these 2 things, just to turn to Owen and ask him if he wants to help daddy hang the closet doors! Mommy was thrilled that daddy volunteered and since he was in such a helpful mood he also moved the big HEAVY pull out bed/chair into the nursery.  Mommy got to put the pretty pillow she made and the ottoman put in place!  One half of the room is coming together!

Haha!  How did I end up in the third person?  not sure!

On to the pictures!  

changing table from Aunt Kristy from Owen's room, Chair from my Grandmom's apt, end table from Aunt Sara's childhood room, ottoman from Tar.get clearance! Pillow handmade by me!

need new light fixture ASAP, but loving the fresh paint and curtains!

My plan for August is play with Owen and start the washing: clothes, blankets, burp clothes, cloth diapers, etc.  There are a million boxes in the basement calling my name for sorting and washing.  I have to admit I am half dreading it half ready to tackle it.  Then that leaves little stuff for September and freezer meals.  

But next up is:

• a trip to IKEA with some friends next week, major list is forming; not good for the pocketbook!
• moving the crib from Owen's room into Jesse's room.  The big brother said he was ready today and wanted to help daddy do it. After last night's to do list I didn't push it plus we really didn't have time.
• Once the crib is moved there will be some other things to do in Owen's room and once that is finalized more pics to come!!
• Once the crib is moved I can put the crib skirt on and the crib sheet I made.  I am kinda excited to see it come together.  I don't really feel like its real yet, even as Jesse is kicking me as I type this.

Ok, this is just a rambling post! Haha.  Thanks if you made it this far.

Jesse: 29 weeks

I admit I had to look up how many weeks I was.  Running after a toddler in the midst of daily life and summertime adventures means Mama has officially lost her brain and Jesse you are getting all the good new cells right now!

I am so excited to say all our summer vacations are over...that sounds so horrible.  But being pregnant and sleeping in different beds has not agreed with me.  That compounding upon Chris's insane work schedule and things I want accomplished around the house this Mama is ready to get some stuff done around here and spend some QT with her #1 baby!

white closet doors and black twin bed

Last I left off here was painting on day 3.  Well, somehow that blog post got lost in the cyber world.  Anyway, 2 more long days of painting happened; it was hot and I was very tired.  The closet doors and twin bed are fully painted and hopefully hung and set up before this post is completed (yes, I admit it might take several days to finish a post these days).  If so pictures will happen.  But so far there is the bed as of now:

Owen was so excited when it dried and he could touch it

Loves his new bed, we will see when it is set up how it goes.

My babies TO DO list is growing shorter and longer at the same time.  I guess all the big stuff is getting closer to done and now the million little things are creeping into my head.  Like the 20 or so boxes and bins in the basement that will need to be sorted and washed and some is getting purged!   I have to admit I am excited!  The mountain of baby gear we have been hoarding in the basement has begun to overwhelm me and we want to start work on the basement (finishing some of the spaces) so some STUFF has got to go!  I keep having yard sales and finding more and more to get rid of!  I am so thankful that our complaint is too much stuff!  Really we have been blessed with the hand-me-downs and we are using a lot of it.

first time I have done my hair in weeks!

Baby center's 29 week baby bio:
Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (about the size of a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Here are some fun insta-photos from our last trip:

grumpy after his nap on the day we left, so we had snuggle time

Per a toddler's request!

Jesse's 28 week bump

beaching it!

Well, we got the bed in the room before I hit 29 weeks!  Yippee!!  The first nap didn't happen in the bed.  The crib is on the other side of the room and he slept in it.  But that night....

pretend sleeping and just excited about the bed!

slept through the night in his bed! WOW

I am shocked to say he slept in his bed.  Took him a long time to fall asleep, but he is getting older and wanting/needing more freedoms.  The crib will stay in his room for a while longer especially since today is day 2 and nap is happening right now in the crib.  He wanted to sleep with his head on the neck roll pillow and I wouldn't let him and he threw a fit.  I calmed him down and gave him the choice of bed or crib and he picked crib and within 10 minutes had talked himself to sleep!  3 hours later he is still asleep!  

I have been working on the nursery a bit more today!  Makes me feel so relieved and overwhelmed at the same time.  The changing table, end table and curtains are in place!  YIPPEE!!!  Owen even helped windex the inside of the window this morning!

Painting weekend commences

Well, whew.  I have painted more in the past 3 days than I have since we moved into this house!

Here is a quick summery of my long weekend of painting:
Friday: 
Aunt Sara came to help:

-sanded and painted one coat on Sara's coffee table, Owen had to paint the plastic feet every time we wiped it off he would paint them again and he was good at it!!

Aunt Sara's C-list coffee table redo!

-stripped a dresser (not sure if its going to end up as trash)

dresser...may be trash now

-sanded, primed and painted a kids chair for Owen's desk for his room

DONE!!  

Saturday:  
Uncle Alan, Robyn (Aunt Bobby) and her boyfriend Bryce, Aunt Sara and Daddy helped:

-painted Jesse's room-2 coats of paint

Bryce, Daddy and Uncle Alan

baby Jesse's nursery; proud Daddy






letting the 2nd coat dry! SW Minor Blue

-sanded 1 of Jesse's closet doors and primed it

-finished painting Aunt Sara's coffee table
-ate a great BBQ lunch and chatted
-moved all the supplies into the carport in case it rains (it did)

Sunday:
Daddy and Mommy

-2 coats of paint on the first closet door

-sanded and primed the 2nd closet door

closet doors paint!

-sanded. washed, NoSand chemical application and primed Owen's big boy twin bed

before bed pic

primed twin big boy bed

-swept out the carport and wiped down Owen's toys (they were filthy-dang pollen!)

toy clean up!

-killed a wasps nest and 8 wasps! Thanks Daddy!
-Sara popped back by to sand/distress her coffee table and pick it up to take home
-Daddy organized his truck's tools

Did I mention it has been like 90 degrees and everyday I was DRENCHED by the end of the work.

I still have a MILLION more things to do, but I do feel like we are in a way better place to get them done!  I am now all set up with saw horses in the car port and can pop out there to finish painting the bed and closet doors this week!!  Of course there is a much needed supply store run before I can do much more!  Also, we have swimming lessons, doctor appointments and grocery shopping that needs to be done too!

Next up:
2 coats of black paint on the bed
2 coats of white paint on the closet doors
shopping trip to home improvement store to do some returns and get some supplies
need to look at room in day light and decide if it needs another coat of paint and we still need to clean up the supplies

I can't wait to get Owen's bed put together and move his changing table into Jesse's room!  Might start to feel more real!  I want to get Jesse's dresser in the room and then start working on the "art" wall.  I have a couple of pieces half done and ideas for more!  Then the baby clothes washing begins for REALS! UGH! not looking forward to that part!

summer days

Oh, this summer has been fun.  Hot. Rainy and more HEAT!  I know one day I will wish I had blogged more, but there just isn't time between chasing a toddler, growing a baby and keeping up with life.  Today was totally random, but fun!

This morning we went to the movie theater, $1 for a ticked and $2 for some popcorn!  Our little friends and mommies were there too!

After the theater, Owen and I headed downtown.  I had a coupon for an oil change so we loaded him up in the stroller and dropped the minivan off and headed to get Mommy some lunch.  Then we headed over to the liberary got a stack of books and walked back to the car shoppe just in time to pick it up and head home for nap time!

We had never checked out books before so Owen was a little confused, but we got this great book call: Press Here (link to it on amazon).  He was so excited to read it when we got home and was talking about reading it again when he wakes up and I just know Daddy will get his turn later too!

There was something magical about being back in the library surrounded by those hardback crinkling books.  Seeing books from my childhood and finding new ones.

little sponge

I wrote this in May.  Owen was just over 2.

I am so amazed by Owen, watching him grow thus far each day he amazes me!  I am loving our newest phase....TALKING!  We are really communicating!  I just don't want to forget a thing!

• "Owen, drink your milk."  and he does!
• "Can you give me a kiss" and he does!
• "Hand it to mommy" and he crawls over to me and hands it to me.
• Reading his Busy Toddler book and he knows at the end the last page says bye bye and when he sees the page he starts waving his hand bye bye and will whisper it
• Saying lots of new words:
• Oh no!
• I pooped!
• bath (points at the bathroom)

My precious little sponge!

By the end of July....he is speaking full sentences in a row. Paragraphs really.

He gets silly.  He is playful.  He is BOSSY!  He is so in charge of our play and which book we need to read, where I should sit, where MeMe should sit and, of course, where Owen sits!  He knows our normal routine and if I change it I am told what I am doing wrong.  He can predict when nap time is and tells me its "wake up time, Owen no night night".

We went thought a rough patch with napping, but then the first of his 2nd year molars popped through and naps are back on!  Mommy NEEDS him to sleep, because I need to nap some and get some of these projects done!

I think I am DONE sewing for the nursery for now.  I have one pillow left that I planned on making, but it isn't crucial to the rooms design.

Mother-in-law said she started on little Jesse's quilt!  It has been put on pause due to the beach week and preparations.  She will get it done by the time he needs it!

I did sew 4 burp cloths today and put together a little bag of items for my sis-in-law to embroider!  Lucky to have her!

burp cloth

Jesse pillow and curtains made by me!
Ottoman by target LOL!

Projects

Wow, my brain is running a million miles an hour these days and if I had half of Owen's and Jesse's energy I would be able to get all these things done!

Owen is 2 and a half and can tell me just about anything he wants, while Jesse is kicking up a storm in my belly and is already measuring ahead.  These boys are ACTIVE!

Here is a brief list of their rooms:

OWEN:

• move changing table and cloth diapers to Jesse's room
• add twin bed:
• paint bed
• bedding set: took a $35 clearance full quilt, cut it down making a twin quilt and sham
• wash sheets, mattress pad (scored again at Target! a clearance deal $8!!) and quilt set
• put bed together
• move wooden desk into room
• need to paint the chair
• Place special "big boy" toys in his room

JESSE:

• Wash and Iron Fabrics, cut quilt blocks for mother-in-law (she is sewing a lap quilt)
• Sew Curtains
• Sew Crib Sheet
• Sew Crib Skirt, attach to crib with velcro
• Sew Light Bulb Pillow
• Sew Jesse Pillow
• Sew Teething Covers, need ribbon
• Sew Changing Table Cover from extra fabric if we have it
• Sew Bibs/Burbs from scraps, get to Sis-in-law at beach to embroider some things too!
• Get end table from Sara
• Purchased Chest of Drawers off Craig.s list, move into room
• Frame for Light Bulb art:
• Paint Frame
•  Background for "art"
• Pin “art” to background
• Frame for Neanna’s Art (why are the frames not on sale at hobby lobby??)
• Decorate Jesse Letters
• New Light Fixture
• Mirror for over Changing Table (possibly use the one out of our bathroom if we have to buy 2)
• Ottoman (clearance find!)
• Lamp for End Table (might take one of Owen's lamps as he has 3 and we never use them)
• Lamp for Dresser (really want to do an Ikea run!)
• Paint his room, wait first we need to remove all the guest bedroom stuff
• Organize his closet
• would love to get his closet doors painted (and the rest of the house's closet doors)

These are all the things that have to be done in less than 98 days.  Yes, we have moved into double digit days till the due date!  OMG!!

Thankfully, my 2 sisters, one very serious boyfriend and my uncle are all up for projects and are coming for a painting day!  Whoop whoop!! I am soooo excited!!!  July 20th, can't get here fast enough!!

Painting day agenda:

• Owen's twin bed
• Jesse's room walls
• if I can get the dresser striped of paint I hope to get these painted too!
• kid's chair for Owen's desk for his room
• sister's coffee table

I promise lots of pictures of before and afters!

Jesse Dean: 24 weeks VIABILITY

Wow!! Here we are if this guy comes early the doctors will do everything they can to save him.  Or in better words there are things they CAN do for him!  BUT he better stay cooking and kicking in there!

I have started sewing nursery items!  I made my first crib sheet.  Let me tell you it was SO easy!  If you have a machine that does a zig zag stitch you can do it too.  Best part is that if it isn't pretty it doesn't matter because it will be hidden under the mattress.  Today I am hoping to start making the curtains.  I think I have a paint color picked out, just need Chris to agree to it!

How far along: 24 weeks V-day~viability!!!  Wow I really can't believe we are here! 
Total weight gain/loss: 18 pounds.  I am really going to start "trying" to restrain myself.  Doesn't help when Chris brings home powdered donuts!   
Maternity clothes: yes, finallly feel like I have enough summer stuff to make it to the end.  Found some great under belly shorts (the panel ones are WAY too hot in the summer!)
Stretch marks: yup, left over ones from Owen and prob some new ones, but totally worth it!
Sleep:  I pee about 2-4 times a night.  My king sized pillow is my BFF, poor chris is pushed to the edge of our queen bed.  It's like 4 of us in the bed!
Best moment this week: V-day and getting new dining room chairs!  They are so awesome!
Belly button in or out?: half in~half flat~half outie!  Its weird looking!
Craving: not much, just food in general.  Don't like french fries at all!
What I am looking forward to:  working on the nursery some more and the rest of our house.  Lots of things are getting updated!

Jesse likes to kick my insides like Owen never did.  I swear I might pee myself before this pregnancy is over!  Not that I want to!  At the OB apt this week she said I am in the 3rd trimester according to their office!  Kinda exciting!  

Here is a pic of the new dining room chair and in the background the old ones.  We loved the look of the old ones, but they are antique and getting worn out and this big pg woman can't stand a creaky chair!

Here is the update on Owen.  Naptime is our latest struggle.  I really need him to still nap, but rocking him to sleep is usually the only way it happens these days.

guily.  mommy kinda loves these snuggles

Here is Owen and Daddy trying out the newly sewn crib sheet!  Poor second child...even if its new...its not!

yes that is MeMe his lovey in his hand.