nolan turned 3 weeks old yesterday. where has time gone? he is awake most of the day now and it’s so fun to see his personality develop. we’ve been able to get out quite a bit and he is learning to tolerate his car seat. yesterday we went to my doctor’s appointment and then went to meet his great grandma. i’ve been getting the hang of timing out his feedings and learning what he likes/doesn’t like. overall (knock on wood) he’s a pretty happy baby.

his favorites are:

• getting warm water poured over him on during bath time
• wiggling his belly around (usually generates a little grin)
• mornings, just like his mom!
• eating, eating, and more eating
• laying on b’s chest before bedtime
• sitting up, so he can watch what is going on
• being burped
• striped onesies (okay, that’s my favorite.. but still)

i’m savoring the time i am able to spend at home with him and trying not to focus on having to leave him 3 days a week starting in march. i’m thankful for a job that will let me spend 2 days working from home and somewhat excited to get into my working routine. god knows i need a job to pay for all of the cute clothes that i buy for him.

yesterday i hit the 40 week mark. to be honest, i was pretty sure that nolan would be here by now. doctors indicated that he could come as early as november 26th (my birthday).. fast forward two weeks and no baby! i started my maternity leave last tuesday, which has allowed me to get A LOT of sewing done- but the days go slower and i have been getting more anxious to meet this little man!

• Size of the Baby: he was projected to be around 9 lbs on my due date, so i’m estimating he is around that weight currently. maybe around the size of a watermelon (per my iPhone!).
• Sleep: hasn’t been too bad, i usually get up two times a night for an hour or so, but i’m trying to get up at some point during the night to make the routine when nolan is here easier.
• Best Moment of the Week: my best friend (who lives in south carolina) calling to “surprise” me that she is coming to visit once nolan is here.
• Movement: not as much as before, which is expected because he’s getting larger and running out of room. i’m able to feel his body parts more when he moves and stretches.
• Labor Signs: saturday’s tests showed that i was having contractions, but they aren’t consistent and are difficult for me to feel.
• Wedding ring on or off: i can still get it on, but getting it off is another story..
• What I miss: sleeping on my stomach and drinking high amounts of diet mountain dew.
• What I am looking forward to: meeting nolan, watching b hold nolan, bringing him home, dressing him up in all of his adorable outfits, seeing how bailey reacts to him.. i could go on forever!

any not so crazy ways that you recommend inducing labor?

i’ve been walking stairs every 30 minutes or so- at this rate i’ll be in tip top shape come nolan’s arrival! otherwise, everything else i’ve read seems a little out there. castor oil? no thanks.

i’ve been SO excited to share with you nolan’s finished nursery. i absolutely love how it turned out and often find myself sitting in his room just because i love it so much. it’s hard to believe that he will be here in less than two weeks (hopefully..). i didn’t have a theme for the room and was open to tying in as many colors as possible. my main goal was to make as much as possible.

i picked out the fabric for the quilt first and then based everything else off of the colors and patterns from the fabric. i ordered most of the quilt fabric from fabric.com and etsy.com. my mom carried out all of the sewing duties and it’s easily my favorite part of the room.

 she also made a coordinating pillow with the scraps. aren’t moms the greatest?!?

 i found this little guy at target and decided to spice up the lamp shade and even made him a matching collar. i decided to name him “watt” and every time i look at him i crack up. i hope nolan loves dogs as much as i do!

this train set was given to us by our family (thanks mike and katie!) and it’s bailey’s favorite part of the room. she initially tried to eat them, however now she just goes up to them and sniffs. i wanted something in nolan’s room that had his name on it, without it permanently on the wall.

i ordered these wood frames online from cut it out and found acrylic paint that matched the quilt. b painted all of them and we debated whether or not to put pictures and prints in them- but decided against it for now. the clock is from target.

see that mobile in the window? i have a few changes i want to make to it and then i’ll share, i promise. (remind me if i forget, i think i’ll be busy the next few months).

the changing pad cover was made by… ME and i was/am so proud of myself for it. love how it coordinates with the room i have a few other fabrics waiting to be made into covers as well.

 i also made the bunting with some of the left over fabric from the quilt and some bias tape.

i also used some of the left over fabric to make some additional wall decor. super easy and love how it turned out. all you need is some embroidery hoops and coordinating fabrics. i used fabric paper to make the hoop with bailey, b and i, and the one one the top right is an article about my grandfather. the two mirrors are from hobby lobby.

i plan on continuing to add things as i learn more about his personality. i wonder if he will like bright colors like his mom or more neutral colors like his dad? we shall see!

we had our 34 week check up on monday and got to see this handsome little face. everything is looking good, but our not so little guy is measuring 39.5 weeks and already weighs around 7lbs. today we see the ob gyn who will be delivering nolan and should have a better idea if that will impact his due date. below is a video b took in the ultrasound room- you can see his pouty little lips!

overall i’m feeling good- sleeping has been difficult, but i haven’t been extra tired.

no cravings- other than diet coke and anything salty.

i’m still able to wear a few of my favorite non-maternity clothes, but don’t be fooled- they were baggy before i got pregnant and now fit pretty snug. today i’m wearing yoga pants to work and am pretty excited about it!

nolan’s nursery is done and i’ve been certainly nesting in the sewing room.

my anxiety about the house being clean has gotten a little worse, but i’m trying to focus on something else because i know once he arrives i won’t be able to dedicate 3-4 hours a week on dusting, mopping and sweeping.

hopefully he stays cozy for at least another 3 weeks. we need to make it to our baby and breastfeeding classes.

the winner of the bundle giveaway is….. RENA. please contact me within 24 hours to claim your prizes.

(frames in progress for the nursery)

it’s been amazing to notice how much our lives have been changing over the past few months, preparing for our little one to arrive. when i found out that i was pregnant i stopped drinking soda (i’ve started drinking it again, just limiting myself to one a day), and immediately changed some of my daily rituals that were in the baby’s best interest. our garage is currently full of frames drying for nolan’s nursery and our day consisted of shopping for diapers and clothes. i’ve began to love someone that i haven’t met yet and have been consciously noticing how every part of the day revolves around this little guy that won’t be here for another two months. i recently reopened the shop, with hopes of having it help with some of the costs associated with being a parent and am in the process of figuring out some adjustments at work for when i return from maternity leave. 90% of my phone conversations revolve around something baby related and b gets calls/emails at work on a consistent basis telling him how nolan started moving around after he heard bailey bark or how much he liked the hershey kiss i had at work.

i’m looking forward to embracing all of the changes in the future, as we continue to prepare for the arrival of our son. looking forward to sharing the journey with you!