The Nursery Revealed!

 Matt Pat got home from work today, and the second thing he said to me was "I haven't seen a blog post in awhile..." He has been hinting for the past week that I need to do another. I have been meaning to do a nursery reveal post, but have been putting it off because my perfectionism wants everything to be done and in its place. And it isn't yet. I still have another shower, and there are still a few crafts I want to make, but we are getting down to the last few days and weeks, so I will settle for posting now about our not-quite-complete nursery :)

I'll start with a little glimpse back to what the room originally looked like. Yuck. Actually, this was after we had ripped all the baseball stickers off the walls and painted over the dark dark blue on the top part. Honestly. I don't know what goes through other peoples brains when decorating a house. To each their own I guess.

And after a little progress. This is completely repainted with new carpet. And lets be honest...this child has a huge closet!

So much stuff to put together and get for the little guy.

And this little girl LOVED it. We have ordered so much stuff in the last few months...she is completely in her glory having new boxes to explore all the time.

 We like doing crafts together, and we LOVE saving money, so a lot of the stuff was made or redone by us :) This was an old dresser from Matt's parents.

So instead of getting a new dresser and changing table...we made this into one. Matt wasn't too keen on the idea when I said "orange" at first, but I think it turned out really cute :)

 

 
And how cute is the hardware for it?!

My cloth diapering stash is right in the top drawer :)

 I didn't really have a theme to begin with, but the orange/green/brown/tan color scheme kind of stuck. And I love it! This is now the view walking into the nursery :) Don't mind the canvas in the back...I crossed out his name because some of you don't get to know it yet...mwahaha

 Also don't mind the blank spots on the wall...like I said. It's not finished yet. I need to get back to Hobby Lobby and pick up some more supplies!

 I love the fabric circles though :)

I have a feeling I will be spending a lot of time in this corner. I'm sure I won't mind snuggling with my little man though :)

Really random, but his sheets are so cute! :) We also have some adorable bumpers to go with it all, but due to safety they aren't in there.

I was pretty excited to score this Bumbo off Craigslist. I was SO happy to get this color, because most of them are those obnoxious neon colors :/ this one is legitimately cute :)

All in all we love the nursery :) A couple more things to do and it will be complete! We may or may not go in there in the evenings and just sit and talk and pray and dream :) It is such a cozy little place! Now we are just waiting for you little guy!

 

35 weeks!

 

How far along: Almost 35! A little early, but that's alright. I can't believe how close it is getting!

Total weight gain: So far I've gained about 4 pounds. I feel like in just the last week though that I have doubled in size. Getting big!

Size and growth of the baby: Just over 5 pounds and 18 inches long!

Sex: Boy!

Maternity clothes: Everything!

Sleep: My prayers have been answered! I have been sleeping much better the last week or so...a lot less evening nausea and only really getting up to pee :) yay!

Best moment(s) of the week: I am so thankful to be feeling better! We are also really enjoying our birthing classes :) They are so fun! And watching my precious Matt Pat is even more fun. For those of you that know him well you know he has this odd quirk that whenever someone is in pain or he sees or hears them talking about it, he reverts that onto himself.  So of course this happened while talking about the different pain management techniques and the epidural, and he ended up being "paralyzed" from the waist down...and turned really white, and then the whole rest of the evening and the drive home he was complaining about his legs aching and being numb and tingly. Seriously. He's so weird cute.

Movement: A lot. We had a little scare earlier in the week...and I ended up in the hospital being monitored...and he was moving like crazy! I loved seeing it displayed on the monitors, and then he got the hiccups too...so cute! I also can't say he isn't in my ribs anymore, because he has been. Just a few times and only on my right side, but now I know why people say it is so uncomfortable.

Food cravings/aversions: This week has been better :) Able to eat a little more than oranges! Still on the ice kick though. I'm making Snickerdoodle bread right now :) Never had it before, but it sounds yummy!

Morning sickness: Much better than last week :)

Symptoms: Lately it feels like my pelvis is being ripped apart :/ kinda odd. My doctor said its because the baby is dropping. Already?! This is really happening!

Labor signs: Nope. Other than the pelvis thing.

Belly button in or out:  Its getting there. Depending on the clothes I wear you can sometimes see the top part poking out :)

What I miss: Being able to do everyday things. Putting on socks, tying shoes, rolling over in bed...its all so difficult and I am so out of breath after such a simple task!

What I'm looking forward to: Having this little guy! Only a few more weeks! I also found out I get to have another ultrasound...which I am SO excited for! I can't wait to see his little face again and how much it has changed :)

Cloth Diapering

I finally have my stash complete!

It may not seem like much compared to a lot of people, but I think it will work perfectly for what I plan on doing.

I don't plan on exclusively Cloth Diapering - only during the day when I am home. While we travel and through the night I will probably use disposables, but I am just going to take it one day at a time. I don't know what to expect or what I will or won't like, so I don't want to make any assumptions yet.

Since every review is different, I decided to go with multiple styles and brands of diapers to try out and use - and that way I can see what I like best without investing a lot in one certain diaper. That way once I know more...I can buy more of what I like for future kiddos.

Newborn/Infant Size Diapers

1 Bum Genius All-In-One

 2 Lil Joey AIO

They are seriously so cute!

 

 2 g diapers. These came with a free pack of the biodegradable inserts, so that is all I plan to use with them. Depending on how much I like the fit though, I might try using them with prefolds.

And then my bigger diapers.

5 Kawaii Baby OS Pocket Diapers 

They say it fits babies 8-40 pounds, and I think I will LOVE this diaper. I have read a lot of good reviews, but even with it snapped down all the way to the smallest size, I have a hard time believing it will fit a newborn. Time will tell though.

3 Rumparooz OS Pocket Diapers. I also think I will love these diapers. A lot of good reviews. I can't wait to try them out!

 

:)

  

3 Thirsties Duo Covers and 1 Thirsties Duo Diaper - Size 1

These are the diapers I originally wanted. I have heard all good things about them, but apparently everyone else has too, because they are impossible to find for sale. Once people get them they must not get rid of them! From what I hear the double leg gusset pretty much prevents any leaking. Once again...I am looking forward to trying them out!

 I also went ahead and purchased detergents. Rockin Green seems to be very popular for cloth diapering, and natural is always a plus! I have read that generic Tide powder works fine too, but I figured I would buy the good stuff first until I get into a groove for my routine. I also bought the enzyme spray, which from what I hear won't be needed until baby is on solids, but I went ahead and got it now too. That way I am prepared :)

I'm looking forward to trying out all my different diapers! And who knows, if I find some great deal on Craigslist, I might add a few more brands or styles to my stash. Check back in a few months to find out what I like or don't like.

"Talk doesn't cook rice" Chinese Proverb

"Actions speak louder than words....."

 - Mark Twain

This quote has been on my mind a lot lately.

I sure wish some people would let their life simply reflect the values they want to get across, instead of posting incessantly about it. Their values may be good, but it really leaves a bitter picture when they try to overly validate themselves day after day after day. The same filters that apply when talking in real life, should also apply when posting in social media. Think before you speak.......or type.

33 weeks

Today's date: January 11, 2013!

How far along: 33 weeks! I can't believe it has been 3 weeks since my last bump update!

Total weight gain: So far I've gained 3 pounds! Yay! Don't let it fool you though...look at my belly!

Size and growth of the baby: Just over 4 pounds and just over 17 inches. It's crazy how big he is getting!

Sex: Boy!

Maternity clothes: Everything! And my pants officially have to be full panel now or else my belly pushes them down!

Sleep: Ugh, nights are rough. Every now and then I get a good night of sleep, and it is amazing!

Best moment(s) of the week: Not much happened this week. We finished up our dresses/changing table for the nursery though...SO cute! :)

Movement: More controlled movements. I love feeling his little arms or legs poking my side or his butt roll over my belly button and pop it out :)

Food cravings/aversions: Oranges and ice is about it for me at the moment.

Morning sickness: It's back with a vengeance in the evenings, and after I eat :( hopefully this doesn't last for the next 7 weeks, because it is making me miserable. My doctor said its probably from my hormones changing again preparing for labor.

Symptoms: Nausea, nausea, nausea. And recently at night my legs get really restless and achy, I have had to get up and walk around to calm them down and be able to fall back asleep. Weird.

Labor signs: Nope.

Belly button in or out:  Still perfectly flat. Unless I try to force it out...then just the very top part pokes out.

What I miss: Sleeping. Being able to eat. Being able to cuddle up next to Matt...I probably miss that the most, I feel like a lonely sad blimp separated from him by pillows and blankets and anything else to try to make me comfortable.

What I'm looking forward to: Finishing up the nursery! Not much longer now :) My doctor appointment next week...I always look forward to those! And we start our birthing classes next week! Yay!

Sleepless nights

I try not to be one of those complainers.

I was the one who always envied pregnant people. 

I hated it when they complained about morning sickness, and being tired, and back and leg pains, and food cravings and aversions, and all those not so great pregnancy symptoms. I just wanted that. 

All of it. 

And I hated that they didn't realize how blessed they were to be able to carry a child.

But here I sit after another sleepless night.

This pregnancy has been rough. 

Don't get me wrong...I absolutely LOVE being pregnant, and feel so blessed. When I am feeling good...I feel amazing. Like I feel the most beautiful and happy I have ever felt! I think pregnancy is such a beautiful thing. And I will honestly miss it once the little guy is born. But...those times are rare, because most often I am plagued by constant nausea. I have tried not to let on to family and friends how bad it is, because I don't want to be a debbie downer, but after a third night of laying on the bathroom or nursery floor, I am about at my breaking point.

I thought morning sickness was supposed to go away after like 12 weeks!?

Granted, during the day it has gotten better. I can at least get out and do things now, actually eat food and function. But at night, it has gotten progressively worse. 

We have talked to my doctor about it, and they have run a lot of blood tests to make sure everything is fine, and it is. My doctor just said it is my body's response to the baby and changes in hormones, and until I get that little parasite out of me, it will probably stay. (Not so sure how I feel about him calling our baby a parasite, but I understand what he means.)

It is no fun though. For me or my husband. I try to stay in either the bathroom or nursery so that he can get his sleep. But he sees me from 9pm (when I usually first start feeling sick) till we go to bed and how tired I am during the day, and hears me talk about it enough to know I am seriously miserable.

Last night as I was in the nursery crying and just wanting to feel better and get to sleep I had a little vision of 2 months from now. Matt sleeping in the other room, me crying in the nursery with the baby, so tired and frustrated. Maybe this is preparing me for that? I have never liked being awake at night. My mind plays tricks on me...my body just wants to sleep, everything in my being screams that I should be in bed. 

I must say I am getting pretty good at it though. I grab a Bible, a few books to read, the iPad to play games on, a computer if I feel like doing some blogging and just settle in and wait for that bout of nausea to pass. I turn a lamp on dim, and it is actually pretty peaceful (minus the part about my insides feeling like they are being ripped apart). But last night I could picture myself doing that. 

The sleepless nights are what I have dreaded most about baby being born, because I do NOT do well on no sleep. I pray that once the baby is born the nausea will go away (from what everyone says, it does) but I can actually picture myself enjoying those nights. Time to myself, snuggling with our baby, sitting in my recliner just relaxing and enjoying this newborn stage. I know it will still be a shock to me once it happens. First time mom, so many new things to experience and learn, but I am not afraid of it anymore. I was literally dreading those sleepless nights before. But I look forward to it now. I look forward to the bonding with our child. I look forward to getting more integrated in the Word, I look forward to time spent in prayer. Even though my initial action is always to pray out of anger and resentment for being sick yet again (did I just admit that), it ends up turning into something good. Softening my heart, praying for others...not so self-centered, praying about positive things, blessings in life instead of focusing on negative.

So I guess if I can find a positive in all of this, that would be it. I feel prepared for those sleepless nights, and I know I can do it now. Not only that, but I am not wasting energy and stressing about it. I will just take it as it comes. I will probably be up in the middle of the night a lot, but I will look back on this blog and focus on the positives. And then, I will sleep when I can. Our little family will get through it and be just fine, and a few weeks from now when the little guy makes his grand arrival, I will be a pro at being up and functioning well at night!

Writing. Writing. Writing.

This is what my morning is consisting of...

Writing.

Thank-you notes!

As much as I love writing and crafty stuff, I must admit I am terrible at sitting down and getting stuff done on a deadline. Hence the reason I am STILL not done writing thank-you notes from my shower. So last night I set everything out...and told myself I HAD to finish them this morning. The real deal was that I had to finish them this morning (before going back to Once Upon A Child for their dollar clearance sale) So here I sit. They will be in the mail by tomorrow!

Road trippin

We had such a great time on our little babymoon! It was so nice to spend some time with just each other :) Here are some pictures of our adventures. 

We started out Thursday morning, slept in a little bit, slowly got packed up and left around noon. We got an hour down the road and my precious husband decides we need to go to Menards. I don't even remember why anymore, but...we go in and do our shopping, and come out. Oh...I remember why now....we needed more windshield washer stuff. Matt hits the key fab to unlock the doors, opens his door...throws the keys in, closes it and proceeds to put the washer fluid in. Meanwhile...I'm like "uh...my door is locked." He just looks at me with disbelief...and we proceed to try to get into every door...and the trunk. We go back into Menard's to look for a metal coat hanger, which of course...they have none of! Apparently slim jims don't work on newer cars (which Matt Pat knows....because we may or may not have locked our keys in our car around 5 times in the last few years...the most recent being 2 days prior) But he is pretty good at unlocking them with a coat hanger, so we buy some metal wire, and try to make that work. Around 15 minutes later an older guy, Mark, shows up to help. Keep in mind...I had left my purse, Matt's phone, and my coat in the car...so smart, right? Matt and Mark continue to work on it...and finally Mark gets an idea and runs into Menard's to get a wire rod type thing. When Matt tossed the keys in the car...they landed faceup on his seat (what are the chances)...so now that they had the door pried open a little bit, Mark could reach in there with the rod and push the unlock button on the key fab. Yay! They were out there for about an hour and a half working on it...seriously, who would have thought a Ford Focus was so secure? I was so glad to get my coat on and get in a warm car! And then literally 30 seconds after they got it unlocked...this guy shows up and says "do you need any help?" We all laughed. Minus the cold, it was a fun memorable experience.

The first night we stayed in Michigan City, which was actually really fun. We stayed at the Blue Chip Casino...but never even went into the casino :/ we were going to just for fun, but ran out of time. The first thing we saw when we entered the town was this guy...a little unnerving.

Apparently it isn't nuclear though, much to my relief...I was kind of freaking out. I guess it was built to be a Nuclear Plant, but for some reason isn't and it just uses water or something...which was fine by me. We spent the rest of the day doing some shopping at this large outlet mall there that was completely deserted. We loved it! Matt got some Puma shopping in, and I got some stuff at Motherhood, which if you know me...never happens. I am an avid thrift shopper, but they were having this huge sale 75-90% off all their clearance stuff. Yay! It was a lot of fun :)

Ok, I just previewed my post and realized how much talking I am doing...so I will tone it down a bit :) Here are some pics from in and around Chicago while we were there.

 The Bean! Pretty cool :)

We totally played tourist all day long.

It wouldn't be a trip out of Michigan without stopping at a Chick-fil-A. Yum!

 

We also finally got to go to an Ikea! If we weren't rushed for time, and I wasn't having some serious cramps...we would have spent A LOT of time there. It is so cool!

We also went to Shedd Aquarium, which wasn't all that great. Maybe it was the fact that we have been to some SWEET aquariums in Hawaii and Georgia, or maybe it was the fact that we had to wait in line (outside) for two hours, or maybe it was the fact that there were 5 million people there...but we weren't all that impressed.

 When we came out though, it was dark...and the Nightime Chicago Skyline was really pretty :)

We thought the signs for the doors at this hotel were hilarious. "Do not disturb" wouldn't suffice, they had to use "Busy" instead. I may be 31 weeks pregnant, but we still consider ourselves totally in love honeymooners <3 So I heard my hubby say "getting busy" probably 20 times while we were there. He just had to get a pic with the bed in the background :)

31 weeks pregnant...and heading to Wisconsin for Matt's cousins wedding!

  

Our last night we wanted to stay somewhere really nice. I was just getting over being sick...and Matt was finally just getting it, we were both tired and wanted some relaxation. At least Matt could take medicine to help with his miserableness, so the last two days involved a lot of this junk for him.

 The hotel made up for it though :) We stayed at the Champagne Lodge and Luxury Suites and it was the pampering we needed!

I got pre-approval from my doctor to use the Jacuzzi :) our favorite part was probably the huge shower/sauna room though (even though I couldn't use the sauna) We will definitely be putting something similar in our house when we build someday. P.S. how cute is my hubby in his robe? :)

The trip didn't go exactly as we planned. Being really sick and unable to take anything...and then having Matt get it kind of slowed us down a bit, and the fact that a lot of walking around gave me intense cramps limited us a bit, but we still had a lot of fun. We didn't have time to order a devo or book to read through together, but we spent a lot of time talking and in prayer together preparing us for life in a few weeks, and all the changes taking place, and I think that was what we needed more than anything. All in all it was a great trip...and we are so glad we went!

Oh, and we couldn't forget a picture of little baby Engels!

 At my doctor appointment the other day, he said the baby is curled up on my right side (Surprise surprise...he has been like that the ENTIRE pregnancy, my belly totally looks deformed all the time) and head down! Yay! Praying he stays that way! :)

Highlights from 2012

Its hard to believe 2012 has already gone. SO MUCH happened last year, it was definitely a year of changes and learning and growth. Here is a little summary of our year, month by month.

January

- Matt Pat's 22nd Birthday! So blessed to have him in my life. And Happy Birthday to him again...today is his birthday!

- This was also the month we started getting discouraged with being unable to get pregnant, and began looking into fertility doctors and solving the problem.

 - We also began looking into new housing and the potential of moving!

February

- My 23rd Birthday!

- Began meeting with realtor and looking at houses!

 

March

- Our first anniversary! Its hard to believe we are already almost to our 2nd!

April

- Sold our house/bought a new house and moved to Cedar Springs! 

 

 

May

- Moving, and unpacking, and painting, and organizing and cleaning. It is amazing how much there is to do with buying a new home. Began the long process of redoing rooms.

 

 (These pics are all pre-doing anything)

- We also set up appointments with doctor and scheduled tests to determine fertility.

June

- Very shockingly found out (the night before I was supposed to have my first testing and procedures for infertility) that we were expecting! Here is a little recap of that night:

 

Hanna: I think I might be pregnant

Matt: Don't get your hopes up.

Hanna: Maybe I should test?

Matt: No. You are late every month and you always test and then get discouraged when its negative.

Hanna: Fine.

(10 minutes later)

Hanna: (screaming from upstairs)

Matt: (thinking I saw a bug or something)

Hanna: (sprinting downstairs) Oh my goodness its positive!

We then proceeded to buy multiple tests of different kinds...all of which were positive!

July

 - Hot, hot, hot. This was a very hot month.

- Told our families we were expecting.

- We also power-washed our house and painted the main area upstairs, with help from my parents.  

 

 

August

- My most memorable moments of August are when I started getting sick, sick, sick. Little did I know it would last so long :(

- On a positive note, we heard the babies heartbeat for the first time...so amazing! 160 bpm!

- Back in May we sold our Suzuki, and we bought a Ford Focus this month to have a second vehicle.

September

- More housework.

- Got our downstairs carpets cleaned.

- Stained our deck.

-Painted nursery.

 

October

- 20 week ultrasound. Seriously so cool, I wish I could have one every month!

- Gender reveal. BOY!

November

- First baby shower :)

- New carpet in the nursery! There will be a nursery reveal post soon, once the room is completely done.

December

- Lots of last minute baby stuff. Shopping, projects...preparing for the little guy!

 

 This shows mainly what has been redone the last few months - Family room/dining room upstairs has been painted gray and has hardwood floors now! (just needs the trim back on and its done!) Our Bedroom has been painted with new carpet. Nursery has been painted with new carpet. Downstairs carpets cleaned. Upstairs bathroom done. Kitchen has been painted gray with hardwood floors put in! (and entryway painted gray with wood floors) The only thing left is to add trim back on upstairs and get new carpet on the stairs...and we are DONE with projects for awhile! :)

- We also just got back from our babymoon/last vacation with no kids! (I will write a post soon about that!)

Such a busy busy year!

But it was a lot of fun!

We are looking forward to everything 2013 has to hold for our little family!