This Week's Peighton Projects

I'm working on some things for Peighton's room and for her this week. Here's my list (mainly for me so I can keep track of what is left to do):

1. Make new boppy cover.
2. Practice (on cheap burp clothes) turning prefolds into fitted!
3. Visit the local cloth diaper shop to make sure the cloth diaper I won on eBay lives up to my standards.
4. Make framed pictures for the nursery walls.
5. Make carseat cover.

Tomorrow I will be 22 weeks. I feel like time is flying by. I love that I feel Peighton move every single day and often feel her have the hiccups. I promise I will post a belly picture and 22 week update tomorrow. I certainly look bigger than 22 weeks, but for once I'm not complaining about getting bigger. She can have as much room as she needs.
I spent yesterday pulling weeds in the yard for over an hour and finished the job today. I thought 2nd trimester was supposed to be the "honeymoon" phase, but today I'm exhausted from doing so much yesterday. My body aches. My head hurts. And the heartburn...rrrr but more on that tomorrow.

Ta-Da

Ok I figured out how to load the staple gun! YAY!

Here are all of her bows on the boring ribbon on the wall...before

This is the finished bow holder before I placed all the bows on it. It turned out exactly as I wanted! The only problem is....

...this little girl has so many bows I may need to make another one or add more ribbon!

AFTER I placed all the bows on it. I LOVE IT! :)

This is my favorite hat and bow...right now. I'm sure they'll all be favorite once she's wearing them. This one is going with her homecoming outfit.
I also made a card holder that will be hung on her wall holding all the sweet cards people have sent/given to us so far. Once I take those down we will put pictures up of all our favorite people. I plan to make it a routine of saying their names to Peighton so she gets to know their faces since we have so many loved ones far away and of course tons of her sweet face too!

PAUSE!

I was on the final step on one of 3 projects I am currently working on when the staple gun ran out of staples. I can't seem to figure out how to reload it. I even goo.gled and Yo.utubed videos....not helpful at all. And yes, I'm using the correct staples. Looks like my productive day is on PAUSE! :(

Crafty Day

Today I've been feeling crafty. It's been a while since I made anything so it feels good to get some crafts completed for Peighton's room. Today I made a cute and colorful pillow for the glider for the late nights we spend rocking her to sleep. The colors and pattern don't exactly match her room, but it kind of pops when you walk in to the room and gives it a cozy feel.

I'm also working on her bow holder. I started to make one, but I did not anticipate how many bows she would have so I am making a much bigger one. I took the broken full length mirror out of our bedroom, removed the mirror, and painting the frame. I will post a finished picture tonight or tomorrow...depending on when I finish.

I have a few other projects in mind for this weekend including a few onesies, a diaper bag, wipes box cover, and a few wall decor.

20 week scan

On Tuesday we had our 20 week scan with the doctor. Due to our vacation timeline, the scan was actually performed at 20 weeks 6 days. Peighton measured at 20 weeks 4 days and those loooong legs we got a peak at two weeks ago measured at 21 weeks 4 days! We will definitely be having a long girl. All of her organs and bones looked great and measured right on schedule. Her head measured a few days behind, which the tech said was normal and will catch up with her. This may have been a routine scan, but it was very exciting. Peighton was the most active she's ever been during an ultrasound and she did many funny things.

Yep, still a girl! One of her big feet and it's hard to see in the picture, but she was sucking on her toes!
Our sweet girl's adorable profile.

This picture is so crazy to me, but we got it because the tech kept showing us how she swallows and moves her lips. We even saw her stick out her tongue at us! It was hilarious.

It is amazing how much stuff you can see on these ultrasounds.

Peighton also waved, sucked on her thumb, and had the hiccups during the scan. We planned on not telling the tech that we knew the sex just to see if she could show us again. Well, that plan didn't go over well. Jeff was running late due to work so when he arrived to the appointment I was already in the ultrasound room. She waved previous to him entering so when he came in I said, "it just waved at us". Well, Jeff says "It? Don't you mean her?" So that plan didn't work. Then, only a few seconds later the tech asked if we knew the sex and Jeff didn't waste a minute answering her. Then, before the poor girl could even tell us that she's still a girl Jeff anxiously says "it's still a girl, right?" in the most nervous voice I've ever heard. It was a good laugh and something I'll enjoy remembering for a long time.

I feel so blessed to have a routine pregnancy after such a struggle. I am still in shock to be here. 21 weeks pregnant. With a baby girl.

The nursery is almost complete. We are still waiting on the changing table to arrive, crib bedding, crib mattress, and waiting to get a few items for wall decor. I go in her room at least 4 times a day. I know she will probably not use the nursery for many months, but we are planning to use it during nap time so she is used to the crib. I cannot wait to rock her to sleep and read to her at bedtime in that sweet room.

In that last 2 weeks, my belly has just popped. So starting this week we will be taking weekly belly shots in her room. Last night was supposed to be week 21, but we didn't get home until late and we were both exhausted so we'll do it tonight.
The only new thing going on is her movement. I feel her move a lot more now. Anytime I sit forward she kicks me as if I'm squishing her, oops! I feel her a lot after/during mealtime as well. I'm beginning to learn her sleep pattern too. She sleeps alllll day, except when I'm eating, and rolls/kicks/plays allll night while I'm sleeping. Just an indication of what's to come I suppose. I've also had a severe pain in my stomach. It has happened 3 times. The first time was at 16.5 weeks. I believe I mentioned it once before. I ran to the bathroom expecting to see blood and it turned out to be gas. It happened again the last two nights in a row at 2am and 3am. This time though it was not gas...it feels like gas, but nothing eases the pain. It is definitely the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. Today's episode left me sore for several hours. I was up at 3am with the pain and when hubby left for work at 5am I was still awake. I plan to discuss it with my doctor at the next appointment, but if it continues and gets worse I will call him immediately.

Other than that, nothing new going on around here. Just barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen and loving every minute of it.

21 week appt went great! Will post pics and details tomorrow.

More Nursery Pics

As of today, day 4 of nursery makeover, we are about 75% completed. Here are a few things that were completed today.

Hubby completely transformed my childhood dresser for Peighton. I knew as soon as I was pregnant that I wanted to use my dresser in the nursery. My parents were given this dresser as a gift when I was only a few years old and it is still in perfect condition and the wood under 5 layers of paint is AMAZING! Hubby worked nearly 7 hours today on this thing and it truly beautiful. He had to sand through a layer of black (hey, I went through a phase), brown (another phase), 2 white layers, and yellow to get to the beautiful wood. Then, we painted the same eggshell color that is on the walls. Tomorrow I am going to put the knobs on the drawers and put in some liner in the bottom of the drawers. Peighton will someday appreciate the backaches and sweat that went in to this adorable room.

This is one of my favorite corners in the room so far...her adorable hairbows. I'm sure I will have to add a few more rows in the coming years :)
Here is where our daughter will rest her sweet head. We don't have the mattress or bedding yet, but that will soon come...thanks to a few great people :)

We searched everywhere a white shelf for her books and accessories. We finally found one at Tar.get. We find everything there. On the top shelf I have a framed wrapper that I shared in a previous post that says "Miracles aren't limited to the holidays" that my mom got before we got pregnant. There is also an adorable teddy with a tutu that my friend Crystal made for Peighton and a lamp that we had in a spare room so I painted it green and stenciled pink birds on the shade.
This week we should have the changing table and then all that is left is the glider and the room is complete. We have a few things to put on the wall, but that is about it. I cannot wait to spend hours in that room rocking her to sleep. I already don't want to walk out. It's the most awesome room in the house!

Here is a pic of the stroller as well. I tried it in the store and thought it was a very simple thing to close and open...but then I tried ours. Not so much. Jeff makes it look soooo easy...then again, he can do it one handed. I may have to practice a few more times.
Tomorrow I have my 21 weeks appointment with the doctor and the official anatomy scan. I'm super excited to see Peighton on screen AGAIN. We are very blessed to have so many opportunities to see our little girl. I will update tomorrow following my appointment.

Until then....night and God bless.

The paint is finally on the walls! All 3 colors! Hubby did such a great job. He started on Friday and completed it this morning after some help from our dear friend Lily. They did such a great job I am amazed at how wonderful it looks. He had to paint the ceiling white b/c all of our rooms are a beige color. The green line looks great and I'm so glad because it was not easy to make this line straight and even around the room.

The only part of the whole room I had anything to do with was the fan. I painted the blades pink. :) I am so blessed to have a husband who woke up on Father's Day to finish this project.

Today we plan to put together the stroller/car seat combo and the crib. We have a dresser to complete (that will probably happen next week) and are expecting the changing table in the mail before Friday. Then, it's time to sort through all the clothes, put them away, and decorate this adorable room.

I can't wait to bring our little girl home to her special room!

P.S. I have a father's day post I've been working on for my dad that I will post tonight. Hope everyone is having a great Father's Day!

Love.

I love my daughter's feet so much already. I can't wait to see them, smell them, tickle them, and hold them. I'm thinking some of the shoes we have for her may be too small, she has some huge feet!

I have more pictures to share from our trip including Jeff's visit to Yankee stadium, but right now we're focusing on getting the nursery complete so I will share pics soon. For now, just enjoy my baby's foot :)

Blessed.

Our daugher is very blessed. She has very loving family and friends who are just as excited as Jeff & I to bring this little girl in to the world. During our trip to NJ we were given another shower by my mom and big sister, Beth.

There was a Yankee table just for the hubs. He is the biggest New York Yankee fan ever! Many of Peighton's gift were just so precious. One of my sisters got her 6 pairs of infant shoes....probably one of MY favorites. My grandmother had many of the guests decorate a shirt for Peighton. My Aunt Marylou made the perfect one ;)
My grandmother also gave us a plate for all the guests to sign and leave notes for Peighton. This will be on display in her room for many years.
We attempted to get a picture of all the grandchildren (with Peighton).
This was the best one and shows all the kids personalities perfectly.
This is the ONLY picture from our trip of my mom and I :( I wish we had many more together, so next time that will be the first thing on my list.
Can you see Jeff's excitement as I opened a pink Yankee sweatsuit for Peighton? Adorable. Just the perfect face.

The perfect cake. Just perfect. And very yummy.

My cousin Moriah and I. I have not seen her since our wedding in 2006. The Yankee sweatsuit from my Aunt Sue.

Moriah and my mom ;)

Mom, Moriah, Me, and Aunt Mary Lou

My beautiful cousin Arlean and I (and baby Kelsie)

During our trip, Jeff and my dad got to visit Yankee Stadium and even enjoy a game vs. Cleveland Indians. The best part was that they were given FREE tickets. Let me repeat that. FREE! What a blessing! They are very supportive of military and gave him free tickets as appreciation for serving our country. I will post pictures of his great visit very soon.

Today, our bodies are still on east coast time. Jeff was awake by 7:00am (which almost never happens on days he has off) and I woke up a little after 8am. We were out the door and at Lowe's by 9am. We picked up the paint and supplies to work on the nursery. My wonderful hubby has been working on it for several hours now. I cannot wait to see the finished product. Our color scheme is light pink, green, and white. It is definately a huge task and took 3 hours of preparation. I am so blessed to have a husband who wants this room to be just as perfect as I do.

Our preparations are coming along wonderfully! My wonderful aunt bought Peighton her crib, my best friend and her family allowed us to get the changing table, another friend purchased the changing table pad, and today we are going to Babies R Us to get the stroller and car seat. Next week we plan to put it all together and complete refinishing the dresser and hopefully begin decorating next weekend as well. Some people think it's too early to get this stuff finished 5 months before she arrives, but since we will be a 1 income family in 2 months we need to complete as much as we can now.

Next on my agenda is to purchase a few of the cloth diapers, nursery decor, and the glider. I plan to visit our local cloth diaper store next week so I can see in person the many options and figure out what I really like for our little Peighton.

On to another subject....replies....

Many of you are writing such sweet comments and I have no idea how to reply to you without writing a comment myself. So, if someone could give me a few pointers that would be great. I would love to reply to you all and I have no idea how to do that...currently.

I hope everyone has a great Father's Day weekend. I will do a post for my daddy this weekend that will be just as much of a tear jerker as the one I did for mom ;0)

20 weeks

Here are a few pics from last weekends baby shower. I have many many more to share so when we get back to CO I will do a post with picture overload. For now here are a few:

My cousin Arlean, her daughter Kelsie, and I

My adorable cake!!
Attempt #374 for a picture with my 5 nieces & nephews

WOW. TODAY I AM 20 WEEKS!! I am still in shock that I am at the half way point. The ticker at the top of my page says baby moves and keeps me up at night...that's completely true!! In the last 3 days, Peighton has been moving so much it makes my stomach hurt....but, I'm loving every single twist, turn, and kick.

Today is our last full day with our family and friends so I will post my 20 week update when we get home and settled.

We have had a great visit and trip. Two baby showers. Family. Friends. Lots of laughter and good times.

We came with 2 carry-on bags and we are leaving with 2 carry-ons and 2 checked baggage....full of baby stuff. We are so blessed.

I will update tomorrow with more exciting pictures and details when we get settled at home.

18 weeks 6 days sneak peek

Yesterday we got to enjoy another peek at Peighton...yep, still a girl! For anyone who doubted, she is DEFINATELY a girl! It was great to experience this one with my parents, Jeff, and best friend Anna. Here are 5 of my favorite pictures. We got a video again, but we are having trouble saving it to the computer so I can put it on the blog. If you have me on facebook, maybe I can get it on there soon. Enjoy these precious pictures of our beautiful little girl.

Her adorable profile and chubby cheeks I LOVE this view. She has the most adorable lips and chin.
This one looks like she is rubbing her eyes...sleepy already?

Just like last time, she was sucking her thumb.
Not a great shot, but still a girl!

I didn't post any pics on here, but my favorite part is her feet. We did notice that she has HUGE feet. Even the ultrasound tech said she has long legs and big feet. She definately gets that from her daddy and I'm hoping she will be taller than me when she gets older. It was truly the greatest 15 minutes so far. I visited a place called Vision of Life in Piedmont, SC and I HIGHLY recommend her. She also does belly casting and has a local artist decorate them. If I lived here, I would go back and have that done. She showed us a camo painted belly casting and a photo the family had done of the baby in the casting. It's such a beautiful tribute to mama's belly.

As for the rest of our vacation, we are leaving this week to head to New Jersey for my baby shower with the other half of the family and friends. I am excited to see many people I have not seen since our wedding in 2006...especially my sisters!! I have 2 new nieces and 4 of my cousins have had babies that I am excited to meet!!

This week has been great and I'm loving every minute of sleeping in until noon, visiting with friends, enjoying meals with my parents, and feeling the warm South Carolina weather. This trip will be complete if we can make it to the beach next week :) for a little R&R in the ocean!

I will do my 19 week post this afternoon with some exciting updates!

Surprise Baby Shower

Thank you all for the sweet comments about baby's movement. I appreciate all of your kind words, they definately made me feel better and know that I shouldn't worry and we are all different.

This morning I went to breakfast and the farmer's market with my dad and hubby. I text a few friends on face.book asking if they would like to meet up and hang out while we are in town. Then, my dad started rushing us to come home so he could make my mom lunch....thought it was strange, but I let it go. As we drove in to my parents neighborhood, my husband started video taping and when I asked him why he said it was to document the way home so he knew how to get here. I didn't really have time to argue with him before I saw the cars in the driveway and the balloons...it was a baby shower!

AND three of the friends I was messaging on face.boo.k were there!! Here are a few pictures of the great day!

Cute "Carolina Mama" shirt from friends Carrie & Jennifer...they also gave Peighton a matching onesie that says "Carolina Girl."

Anna & I.....thank you girl for helping today!


My Aunt Lori & I




Andrea, myself, and Cheyenne

Sue & I...you did a great job on the decorations.

Nia, Chris, myself, and Erin

Crystal & I

Hailey, Melynie, Aunt Sue, & I

Madison, Carrie, Jennifer, and I

Just one example of the sweet gifts for Peighton

Jeff & Daddy on the way out the door...they enjoyed a day of wings, Hangover 2, and Clemson baseball.

Some of the favors, candy bars & water

Today was so sweet, filled with pink, "awes", "oooohs", and great friends. I left this morning with a blue striped shirt on and my mom kept bugging me to change, but I just insisted on wearing it because I was hot and it was sleeveless. Everyone showed up in pink so I had to change...but now I know why my mom kept bugging me. I appreciate everyone who came today and felt so much love for our little girl.

I will do a separate blog on all the wonderful gifts from everyone. Peighton got some adorable pink items and lots of hair bows. I am looking forward to the next week & a half catching up with old friends, family, and good ol' South Carolina.