Wrapped in Memories (Though we Need Bubble Wrap!)

I had planned to post yesterday about our new baby blanket, but the best laid plans never work out!  I ended up in the hospital yesterday and wasn't able to write the post.  So....I'll combine both events to update you on Baby Q.

After yesterday, I have come to the conclusion that Shawn and I should probably think about living in a bubble for the next few weeks!  We make quite a pair right now.  We found out this weekend that Shawn has a severe case of tendonitis in his right ankle, making the use of crutches essential and seriously limiting his mobility.  He saw a specialist yesterday, and will be participating in physical therapy for the next two weeks.  We're hoping that he'll be able to get off of the crutches and at least use a walking boot within the next week or so, but so far, we just have to keep our fingers crossed.
After his appointment yesterday, we ran home to grab a bite to eat before he had to return to work.  I tried to take the dog out when we got here.  One of the neighborhood dogs was loose, and Riley wanted to play.  Unfortunately, I couldn't let go of her leash fast enough, and she ended up pulling me down the hill in our front yard.  I couldn't keep up with her, and ended up face and belly first on the ground.  When I got up, I had dirt in my mouth, a bloody nose, and scrapes and burns on my arms, legs, and face.  (Poor Shawn...you should have seen his face when I walked in the house like that!)  Naturally, I was terrified that I had hurt the baby.  I wasn't feeling any movement, even after trying to drink a Coke, so Shawn called the doctor, who sent us directly to the hospital.
The good news is:  Baby Q is fine!  The nurse said he is "perfectly responsive" to all stimuli, and they were happy with his heart rate.  When I got to Labor & Delivery, they immediately hooked me up to the monitors.  The nurse found Baby Q's heartbeat right away, and I was finally able to calm down.  Because we are 38 weeks along, the on-call doctor wanted to monitor his movements and heart rate for four hours.  So, I was hooked up to the machines for the better part of the afternoon.  I loved hearing his heartbeat (I could listen to that all day!) and it was interesting to watch the print-out of his heart rate and my contraction activity.  The monitor recorded some small contractions, or "disturbances", as the nurse called them, but there was no pattern, so we were finally sent home.
Now that we've calmed down, and I know the baby is okay, I've started to realize how sore the rest of my body is from my fall.  But, again, Baby Q is fine, so I can't complain at all.  But, I'm seriously considering wrapping myself in bubble wrap for the next few weeks...just to be safe!

Wrapping myself in bubble wrap would not be as beautiful, though, as the new blanket we have for Baby Q. I am in love with this blanket!
When we found out we were expecting, and we had told our families, I asked my father's sister, Auntie Darlene, if she would be willing to make Baby Q a quilt.  I wanted to use the material from my wedding gown as some of the patches in the quilt.  Auntie Darlene agreed to make the blanket for us.  It took me awhile to work up the courage to attack my wedding gown with a pair of scissors, but I finally did it!  Abi saw me working on it one day, and asked if we could use her junior bridesmaid material in the blanket, too.  I was so excited that she wanted to use her dress for the baby, too!  So, we cut apart her dress, boxed everything up, and shipped it to Auntie Darlene.

Making the first cut



Shawn offered to help cut the dress, too!





Shawn is enjoying this too much!  Throwing away the inner lining of my wedding gown....



Two weeks ago, a package arrived at my door.  I saw the writing on the address label, and knew right away that it was Baby Q's new quilt.  I was SO excited!  I waited for Shawn to get home, and we opened it together.  As soon as I broke the seal on the box and moved the tissue paper, I burst into tears.  This is the most beautiful blanket I have ever seen!  (I couldn't even call Auntie Darlene right away to thank her...every time I started to dial her number, I started crying all over again!  I didn't want her to answer her phone to hear me like that!)  This is such a special blanket....not only does it have pieces of the day Shawn and I took our vows, but it was made with love by family.  I am so excited to wrap Baby Q up in this blanket.  Its one he'll be able to keep forever, and maybe even pass down to his children one day.... 



Our gorgeous Baby Quilt!  The white patches are from my gown, and the navy patches are from Abi's gown.  The border is my sash.  You can also see the back (folded over) of soft fleece in Carolina Blue!  I LOVE THIS BLANKET! 



Home Sweet Home for Baby Q

We are ready for Baby Q!  (Well, as ready as anyone can be for a newborn!) 

Shawn had the day off yesterday, and we were able to dedicate some time to finishing the nursery.  We were able to hang the canvas paintings that Abi painted, and arrange some of the final details in the room.  So now, the nursery is ready!  While Baby Q will sleep in a cradle in our room for awhile, its so exciting to know his room is ready for him!

You may remember that Shawn and I made our pregnancy announcement around the holidays.  We went to Connecticut, and went to my grandmother's house right away to share our news.  Grandma DiVito surprised us both when she guessed before I could even say anything!  After our hugs and celebrations, she asked if we wanted the cradle for Baby Q.  Shawn and I were so happy to be able to use a family heirloom; the cradle was made by my great-uncle, Uncle Bill, when my aunt was born.  It was used for my aunt, uncle, and mother, and my cousins and I also slept in it.  I feel so honored to have Baby Q use this cradle as well.  Mom and Dad shipped it to North Carolina for us, and we purchased a new mattress and sheets.  The cradle has been set up in our room for a few months, and luckily, the animals have left it alone!  I think it will be a perfect place for Baby Q.


Tigger from Uncle Adam...and can you tell who picked out the blanket?

And now, for a tour of the nursery!  First, I'll start with a sneak peek....Shawn and I have chosen to keep Baby Q's name a secret until he arrives.  But, take a peek at his door, and you can at least get a hint about his name...


First Initial!  We purchased this at Hobby Lobby months ago, and finally hung it yesterday.

I love walking into the nursery.  The color is perfect, the theme is perfect, and everything is perfect!  I must admit, I walk in daily, just to look around.  Sometimes, Shawn comes home from work to find me sitting in the room rocking in our glider, or just staring at everything. 


The view of Baby Q's room from the door.  I love our sun light and how it fits so perfectly with our theme.

 We chose the Leksvik Crib from Ikea.  Since the drop-down cribs are no longer safe, I was worried about finding a crib that I could reach into to pick up Baby Q!  On a girl's trip to Ikea, I found this crib, and knew it would be perfect!  I love, too, that we can remove the rails and turn it into a toddler's bed as Baby Q gets older.  Our Tree Tops rug, blanket, mobile, and sheet set came from our registry at Babies R Us, as did the breathable bumper.  Inside the crib is the Little Brother Teddy Bear that Abi made a few weeks ago.  I received the Rainforest Waterfall Soother as a shower gift, and everyone at the shower raved about its soothing powers!  I can't wait for Baby Q to fall asleep to the music or nature sounds. I also ordered a pillow from sweet*dreams*my*love on Ebay.  She also made our light switch cover, and a sign that will be hung once Baby Q comes home.  (Its personalized!) 

Take a look at Baby Q's closet!  He has some adorable clothes already.  Shawn is convinced I'll be changing his outfit multiple times a day because I have such a hard time picking favorites!  (I am convinced I'll be changing him multiple times a day for messes!)  We hung Newborn and 0-3 month clothes on the left side, and bigger clothes on the right.  In the middle of the closet, we hung our organizer that holds towels, washclothes, blankets, receiving blankets, and burp clothes.  You can also see a purple table in the closet...that was my old night stand.  My grandfather made it for me when I was a young girl, and it has followed me since then.  It started off pink, and since then has been painted at least ten times to match the variety of color schemes I've used in decorating my room.  When Shawn and I moved in together, Abi used the night stand.  Since we redecorated her room, we decided to use the nightstand for Baby Q.  Once he gets a bit older, we'll paint it (again!) and use it in the room.  For now, though, its holding random baby products, like diaper bag fillers and bath items.

On the wall opposite the crib, we've set up Baby Q's bookshelf.  His bookshelf is another piece that our family has had for a long time, and seen a variety of purposes!  My grandfather made it for my parents when I was younger, and we used it as a "chuck box" when we went camping.  It had doors on it at the time, and held our food and paper products.  When I moved to NC, I used it as a bookshelf and entry table.  I'm very excited to have this to use for Baby Q's books.  And look at all of those books!  We've already started reading to him, and we will continue to read to him once he arrives.  I ordered his night light from debgriz59 on Ebay, and the fox matches our theme perfectly!

Abi is very proud that we've hung her canvas paintings above the bookshelf.  She can't wait for her brother to stand up in his crib and look at the paintings.  She and Shawn did a great job, and I'm very happy with the results.

I'm so happy with the result of these paintings!  I think the hooks are perfect, too.

You can also see Baby Q's first piggy bank, or owl bank.  Shawn took me to Unique Designs Paint-Your-Own Pottery Studio the week before Mother's Day, and we picked out his bank and painted it together.  We've already started putting extra coins in there, so he'll probably have more money than we do in no time!  Shawn was very excited to find a Disney Exclusive Nursery Mickey, so we've added that.  The frame was a shower gift, and I can't wait to fill it with his professional newborn photos from Two Little Monkeys Photography!  She does amazing work, and I know I'll love all of our pictures.  Baby Q also has plenty of toys to keep him entertained!

In the corner of the room, we've set up Baby Q's changing table.  The diaper stacker, baskets, cushion and cover, and racoon on the shelf are from Babies R Us.  The changing table/dresser combo is also the Leksvik model from Ikea.  Just like the crib, we'll be able to use this for years.  Once Baby Q is potty trained and we no longer need a changing table, we can remove the extension and simply use it as a dresser.  His drawers are already filled with adorable clothes and shoes!  The baskets hold diaper-changing supplies and bibs that match his outfits.  On the shelf above the table (also Leksvik from Ikea) we've put up some frames (from Hobby Lobby), as well as the candle favor from my CT shower and the Stork cake topper.

In the other corner, next to the window, is my glider.  This is the most comfortable glider I've ever sat in!  I know the purpose will be to rock Baby Q to sleep, but I *may* have used it already to rock myself to sleep.  I love the pillow that Mom found for the chair, too.  Its perfect, but makes me tear up every time I read it.



Love this saying......



I think Riley will keep us company while we're rocking....

 I konw this has been a lengthy post, but THANK YOU for hanging in there and looking!  I'm so excited about the nursery, and couldn't wait to share it with everyone!  I can't wait for Baby Q to arrive and enjoy it with me.

Painting the Finishing Touches

I can't believe our nursery is almost complete!  The walls are painted, the furniture is set up, and the clothes have been washed and put away.  We only have two things left to do:  paint canvases to match the theme, and fix the mattress cover.  (Well, and add the baby, but we're working on his schedule, not ours!)

When we told Abi she was going to be a big sister, she asked if she could paint some canvases to hang in the nursery.  I was hesitant, to be honest, because I wanted this room to be PERFECT.  But, Shawn told her she could, and I went along with it.  I found some adorable hooks to use to hang the canvases on Etsy (at the VermontBranchCompany) and ordered those. 

Shawn and Abi started by drawing the Tree Tops scene on the canvases.  Since then, they've been painting the canvases little by little each night.  It has been a challenge to match the colors perfectly, but they've done a great job!


Abi is working hard on the leaves for her canvas art.



Shawn has helped Abi with the painting, especially matching the colors.



The canvases are almost done!

They should finish painting tonight, and then we'll be able to hang these on the nursery wall.  Once that is done, we'll take lots of pictures to show off the finished product!

Let's Play the Question Game Again!

I'm hoping to update the blog with the finished nursery soon, but until then, I'll answer those maternity questions again!

How far along?: Today, I'm 35 weeks, 5 days.
How big is baby?:  Baby Q is currently as big as a honeydew melon, or a laptop screen.
Maternity clothes?: Still wearing them!  I've also been comfortable in some of Shawn's boxers, as its been SO HOT here lately!
Movement: He's still all over the place!  I've been reading that his movement should be slowing down since he's running out of room, but he kept me up last night.  He's going to be my little wiggle worm, I think!
Total weight gain: Not sure.  I have an appointment this week, so we'll see.
Sleep?: I don't remember the last time I slept through the night.  (And yes, I know I need to get used to that!)  I'm up about every other hour!  Sometimes, Baby Q wakes me up with a strong kick, but usually I'm just up to use the bathroom or try to turn over, which looks more like an aerobic workout at this point!
Food cravings: Lemon Italian Ice.  They should sell it by the bucket!  I tried to get it in bulk at BJ's the other day, but they didn't have any.  :o(
Belly button in or out?: Its still an innie.  

What I'm looking forward to: I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday, and I'm hoping to learn if I'm making any progress toward Baby Q's arrival.  I'm also keeping my fingers crossed that the doctor will do an ultrasound to see what position he's in, and how big he is.

Best Moment this week: I consider myself a planner (and maybe a slight control freak!) so I was excited to be able to pack our hospital bag and diaper bags this weekend!  We still have our "last minute list" for the hospital bag, but it will be easier now since we at least have a start.  (And, it will be less for Shawn to have to run home and get!)

Milestone: We're officially in our last month of pregnancy! 
Nursery Progress: We just have to finish Abi's canvases and hang those, and get the mattress cover fixed, and the room will officially be finished!  I am hopeful that Abi will be able to finish the paintings this week, so pictures should be coming soon!