Luck in Chicago!

Scott was in Chicago these past few days attending a Stock Market conference. My search for the cradle ended when I found a listing on Craigslist that was only 4.6 miles away from Scott's hotel! Had to have been meant to be! It is beautiful and reminds me of a fairytale...so sweet. I cannot wait for my little guy to spend his first precious naps right next to our bed in this very sweet magical cradle.

Jack's Active Moves

As mentioned previously, Jack is a very active little boy!! I was able to capture some of his movement this morning on my camera and just had to share!! I think we're gonna have our hands full with this little guy...he already seems to have tons of energy!! ;-)

Who will Jack look like?

Will he look like Daddy?


Or Mommy?

25 Weeks

24 Week Appointment

I had my 24 week appointment today and everything went great! Baby Jack had a heartbeat rate of 150 bpm. They measured my belly and it is 23 centimeters...full term it will measure about 40 centimeters. I also learned that I've gained 12 pounds so far (less then I thought!)...he said I probably have another 12 pounds to go. The doc says I'm doing everything right and I look great! Next month they will test me for gestational diabetes which can be very common in pregnant women.

Update on Baby Jack:

Jack has been growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (about the length of an ear of corn) he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Jack has also been very active....I feel him moving all the time!! I think he's really starting to pick up familiar sounds...last week, it was really quiet in the office and nobody was here. I was sitting quietly at my desk....I think he was sleeping because I wasn't feeling him move at all. Once we left work, Scott and I got in the car and Scott got on his phone....if you know Scott at all, he talks really loud when he's on the phone....well, I'm pretty sure he woke Jack up because all of a sudden he started kicking me like crazy!! It was so cute....I think he's already familiar with his Daddy's voice! ;-)

Painting the Nursery - Check!

Step 1:
Measuring and Taping

Step 2:
Painting around the tape with Chocolate brown to form a seal so the white wouldn't leak through the air pockets due to the textured walls, letting it dry, then painting the white between the tape.


Step 3:
Close your eyes and rip the tape off....pray that it turned out ok! (Thankfully and luckily it did!!)

Scott and I were able to start and finish painting the nursery this weekend! It turned out fabulous! Those stripes had us worried since we have textured walls, but the lines turned out very sharp and professional looking! The trick was to use Scotch Blue(R) Painter's Tape" from 3M! ;-) We also used a laser level to make sure the lines were perfectly straight. This project took up about 25 hours of our weekend (taping took the longest!)...but our little boy now has the coolest room in the house!!! Oh - and don't worry, I double checked and was ok for me to paint - just had to make sure the room was well ventilated! ;-)

Final Nursery Furniture Step: The Cradle

My search for nursery furniture will be complete once I find this matching Bratt Decor Cradle. I am crossing my fingers I can be lucky enough to find one close to home for a great price like I did with the crib! I just love it...timeless, beautiful, sweet...I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I find one!

Step 4: Rocker

I just cannot pass up this rocker/glider I found on the Babies R Us website! It is espresso brown microfiber with white fuzzy trim. The ratings and reviews section on the Babies R Us website give this chair 5 stars. It will be the perfect piece to complete the room!

Step 3: Dresser/Changing Table

I plan on searching for something similar to this dresser. It is very versatile as the changing table part comes off for when the baby no longer needs it.

Step 2: The Bedding

I wanted the crib bedding to be very simple and delicate so it didn't take away from the beauty of the crib and also to offset the bold chocolate brown and white stripes I plan to have painted on the walls, so I ordered this bedding set online (it's actually shown on our crib too!)

Step 1: The Crib

Sorry it's been a few weeks since my last post! I've been really busy searching the perfect nursery furniture!! I was able to find the crib of my dreams on Craigslist over this past weekend! You're probably wondering why in the world I'd go with a second-hand crib from Craigslist....Well, let me tell you, this crib is very special and one-of-a-kind. It's made by Bratt Decor and it is timeless and beautiful...(retails over $1200!!) and I found it on Craigslist for............$300! It's a beauty and does not even look used...I was so lucky to find this treasure as previously these past few weeks, I could only find Bratt Decor cribs in New York, California, and Florida! I never thought I'd be so lucky to actually find one in Minneapolis, but I did!! The crib is a 3-in-1 crib...it came with a canopy top, or you can use it as pictured above, or you can take the long polls off. So, there are various ways it functions whether you have a boy or a girl! Please note this is not my picture, it's from the web! ;-)

Nursery Inspiration

I have finally found a nursery idea that I love! I will be using this picture as my inspiration as I start planning and decorating...or as some people call it "nesting." I love the thick chocolate brown and white striped walls - it adds a bold boyish statement. The vintage looking crib and dresser add a more delicate touch and contrasts well with the bold chocolate brown and white stripes....I keep thinking of it as "the bold and the beautiful." I like how they went half way down with the stripes and then placed the blue border at the bottom - this gives it a complete finish and also adds a perfect touch of color to give it a baby boy feel. I can't wait to get started on my hunt to complete this look in my baby boy's nursery!