Bump-date and Nursery Photos

Hey y'all.  Just wanted to get some updated bump pictures posted along with what I've been up to in the nursery.

Thursday marks 28 weeks and the beginning of my third and FINAL trimester.  Woah!  12 weeks (assuming Ziggy is punctual) to go just sounds nuts.

Here are the latest bump pictures...

26 weeks (above)
27 weeks (below)

 

I don't feel like I look all that different in the pictures than I did weeks ago, but I sure feel bigger.  Especially in my toosh and thighs:/

And my husband assures me that we are getting bigger every weekend when he comes home. I have my glucose appointment tomorrow and a check up, so I will be eager to hear from a professional that Ziggy and I are both growing the way we should.

As far as symptom updates go, things are still pretty smooth sailing.  Yay! 

I feel good overall, but am getting more (and longer) Braxton Hicks contractions and had some more insane calf cramps again this weekend.  Ouch!  I don't have any new cravings (ooo...except maybe oreos), but my go-to diet includes lots of fruit, milk, cheese, and ice cream.  I try to balance it out with some veggies (carrots and cucumbers are my latest fad) and protein (normally in the form of chicken or peanut butter).  I don't have any foods that completely gross me out, but have no real desire to eat Mexican food.

Ziggy is moving more...or just getting bigger...so I'm feeling him more.  I love when I can SEE him move.  It's absolutely my favorite thing...I just really wish I knew how he was situated each time I feel something.  Was that a foot? An elbow? A little fist?  He's been doing this thing (I think with his little butt) where he pushes or stretches and it kind of pops out just to the left of my belly button.  It cracks me up because I look completely lopsided and have this hard, but rounded, bump jutting out.

I just love this kid. 

I've been spending lots of time working on his nursery.  I didn't take any true "before" pictures because they would have been embarrassing.  And depressing.  The room that is now the nursery has always, ever since we moved in to this house, in my mind been the nursery.  At first we just threw my twin bed, night stand, and dresser in from college and it was a simple guest room.  It looked nice, but those things were just place-holders.  Later, we made a nicer guest room with a bigger bed and moved the dresser and nightstand out into that other guest room.  So the nursery housed a lonely twin bed.  I didn't want to do anything to it because I felt like it would be transformed soon into what it was always supposed to be.  But over time it became a dumping ground for displaced items from other rooms while we were working on other projects.  Whenever we had company over I'd just close the door on it...which I probably would have done all the time if the cat's food dish wasn't in the closet.  It got to a point where I didn't want to look at that room...could hardly stand being in it because the dreams I had had for it seemed to be buried and out-of-reach in the mess that consumed the room.

It wasn't until after school was out that we finally cleared the junk from the room and started transforming it.  I was past 20 weeks by then and finally beginning to embrace that I would get a chance to rock our baby and sing and read to him in that room.

I'm not entirely finished, but I am getting awfully close.  So I thought I'd share the "before" and "after" pictures that I do have.

BEFORE-ish (all four corners of the room):

 

AFTER (three corners...still waiting on my grandma's old rocker to get refinished):

 

It's a little ridiculous how much time I spend standing in the doorway of this room day-dreaming.  I even go in there when I am brushing my teeth to just stare.  Our dog, Chester, often camps out right at the base of the crib...and somehow that just melts my heart.

Here are a few close-ups of little projects I've been working on, along with some nursery décor hacking tips.

MOBILE:

People on Etsy.com sell these kinds of mobiles for $95 a pop!  Michaels sells these little wood pieces for $0.29-$0.59 each.  I wanted the mobile to go with the woodland bedding that I got, so I had to get sort of creative with some of the pieces.  Zoo/jungle animals are much more popular right now...so if you wanted to make a jungle or zoo mobile, you'd be set!  You probably wouldn't have to paint over anything.  Also, Michaels had some cute airplane pieces that would make an adorable mobile.

 

After painting the pieces I had my sister spray them with a glossy-crafty-finishing-spray that pregnant people probably shouldn't inhale.  I used the smallest bit for my electric drill to make holes in the pieces. and fishing line to attach them to the grape-vine wreath (I've seen people use an embroidery hoop wrapped in ribbon, which is also very cute).  When it was all said and done, I think I spent about $14 on supplies...and that doesn't include my teacher discount!  I am really pleased with the finished product:

 

 

POT-HOLDERS:

 

Okay, so they are not actually pot-holders.  But a lot of the bedding sets come with soft wall art that might as well be pot-holders because that is exactly what it looks like.  I think maybe the idea is that if the art falls off the wall while your baby is sleeping it won't make them bleed or bruise...maybe just suffocate them because what is a pot-holder if not a mini bumper pad??  (Apparently bumpers are a "no no," but they sell them anyway).

 

Well, the bedding set I got came with these little pot-holders, which although they were cute, I thought were pretty tacky and would be more useful in the kitchen.  I figured that's where I'd use them until I found some frames (again at Michaels) that were the perfect size.  I had to take out the glass because otherwise I couldn't get the back of the frame on...but I think a simple frame really transforms them.  Check it out:

 

 

 

Oh, BTW, do you see the little figurine on the shelf with the owl?  It is St. Joseph (patron saint of fatherhood).  My husband is catholic.  Last weekend when he left I noticed this little contribution he had made to the nursery...I've kind of been taking charge in there.  I've vetoed some of his ideas in the past, but thought this one was so sweet and perfect.  It feels like a little piece of JT will be with us...and somebody will be looking out...even when he is hours away.  

 

CANVAS QUOTES:

I saw this quote on a canvas at Target that I fell in love with, but I didn't love the canvas itself.  So, Michaels to the rescue again!  They had these pre-painted little canvases on sale 70% off.  I bought a few and made the one for the shelves (above) as well as these for over the crib.  I love how they turned out, but I think I'll outline the letters with brown because the white is pretty subtle. 

 

Well folks, that's about all I have for you right now...or all that I have for this bump/nursery post.  I always think these posts will be short and sweet, but I end up rambling on and on.  So, congrats to you if you made it all the way to the end!