Last Minute Thoughts

The last week or so has brought on some crazy emotions regarding the mega change about to happen in our lives. I think it has finally hit me that this baby will be here soon. Very soon. As in, any minute soon. While it opens a whole new chapter in our lives it also means we are closing the Madelyn's chapter as my only baby. I am over the moon excited to meet this new baby and having Madelyn makes it that much more exciting. I have already seen how much you just fall for these little ones and how much they bring to your life and I can't wait to do that again.

On the other hand, I am sad that I won't be able to devote all of my time and attention to Miss. M anymore. I have been reading up on bringing new babies home and at some point Madelyn is going to feel unhappy (for lack of a better word) about the situation. Having siblings is awesome. I love being able to call my brother or sister up and chat. It is someone that knows exactly what you mean when you need to vent about your parents. (Sorry Mom and Dad) And growing up, it's basically a partner in crime! But I know the adjustment period is going to be tough on my little girl and that makes me sad.

Nick and I have been soaking up every possible moment with Miss. M and I get a little weepy thinking this could have been our last weekend, just the 3 of us. I have spent more time reading books, stacking blocks and dancing around the livingroom. Nick spent 3 hours just laying on the couch Saturday afternoon while Madelyn snoozed on his chest. We've been walking to get ice cream, bringing her into bed with us first thing in the morning, and chasing the dog outside.

At the end of the day, I know she will be fine and will be a fantastic big sister. She has recently gotten obessed with her dolls and brings them to me to wrap them in blankets and then she takes them for "walks" around the house in her doll stroller. I've caught her rocking them giving kisses the same way I do with her which is the cutest stinking thing ever. She even pulled out the baby's cloth diapers so I could put one on her baby. My latest mission is to find a baby cradle because I see her mimicking me when it comes to this baby. I guess we will see in a few weeks!

Nursery Reveal!

There are still a few more details to finish up but #2's nursery is mostly ready to go! We kept it pretty simple and I love it!!

This is just a general look at the room - the glider will go to the left side of the crib in the corner. I am still looking for a yellow pillow to go with the glider.

I spent hours on Etsy looking for "You Are My Sunshine" word art and couldn't find anything resonably priced that I loved. Or I would find parts of the song but not the whole thing. I ended up convincing Nick to create the artwork and I love love love how it turned out. At the end of the day it cost $4.00 to print the 4 pages and I scored each frame on clearance at Michael's for $3.99. Not bad considering the average Etsy price was $20-$30 for 2 prints, without frames!

My mom made all the bedding! We spent forever trying to find fabric and she ended up having to order it online. I found organic cotton gray sheets at Target and bought a queen size set that my mom is going to convert into crib sheets and possibly a changing pad cover. The crib is from Target and is the Graco Somerset. I ended up getting $70.00 off the price of the crib because the first one arrived broken and the second one also had some damage (that Nick was able to fix). The rug is from JcPenney and we were able to purchase it with gift cards we've accumulated over the years.

The dresser is from Target. Everything else is Babies R Us. Pretty basic set up here.

If you remember, this used to be a built in desk. Nick tore out the desk and built in some shelving. I found the containers on clearance at Target for $5 each. I was planning on DIYing some bins since they are some pricey but I wouldn't have been able to do it for 5 bucks so I bought these instead. The side is dry erase and I can label what is in each bin. Hi Madelyn!

My mom made the window treatment - love! The rods are going to be fabric book pockets once my mom gets the project done. I wanted to keep the books low in here so that Madelyn has something to do when I am taking care of the baby. I liked the look of the pockets over shelves and am hoping it will stay a little neater that way.

We are ready for you little one - come out whenever you're ready!!

37 weeks!

**I have a picture but am too lazy to get it off my phone. I'll add it later but I figured I should publish this post before it is outdated!

Full term! Only 5 more weeks to go! (or less)

I am beginning weekly visits with my midwife. We finished birth class and have met with our doula. Next doula visit is on Monday.

Group B strep test was negative! yay! My midwife recommended I take evening primrose oil a couple times a day and drink oodles of red raspberry tea. I have been drinking "pregnancy tea" for the past couple months which includes red raspberry leaf and nettles so we are good there. I submitted my birth plan and she said everything looked good. The only two potential issues are intermittent monitoring vs. continuous. Basically, it is up to the midwife on duty based on the initial 20 min strip in triage. Provided the strip comes out well, intermittent monitoring shouldn't be an issue. The second is having my doula present in the event of a c-section. I guess this one is up to the doctor.

My doula recommended I see a chiropractor since Miss. M was posterior and although this little one is anterior his/her butt is on the right side which could cause him/her to go posterior during labor. I am trying a new one since the last one I saw was unimpressive. My appointment is scheduled for Monday morning.

Nursery details - everything is done! (almost) My mom is working on the bedding and we are waiting on the glider but other than that, we are done! Once I get the bedding, I will do a reveal.

Madelyn's 17th Month

This could be Miss. M's last month as my only little one - (insert sad mama face).

She is turning into quite a little fashionista, running into her bedroom when she knows I'm picking out her clothes for the day and can't wait to get dressed in the morning. After she's dressed, she runs straight to the mirror so she can check herself out. She also knows that no outfit is complete without a great pair of shoes.

Madelyn is loving music this month and will turn her cd player on in her room during the day. She has also pulled out some instruments she's had for awhile and loves playing with them. The Easter bunny brought her some shaker eggs and she loves playing with those as well.

She is obsessed, and I mean Ob.Sessed. with putting things in baskets and boxes. We still have all the Easter eggs out because she likes to put them in her basket and walk around the house with it. She is definitely working on those fine motor skills. She has been this way since she was about 10 months old.

Being outside - loves it. I can't get her to draw with crayons or markers on paper but give the girl a box of sidewalk chalk and she will draw for at least 30 minutes. She loves the uneven ground of our yard and likes trying out little steps. Most walking is done at a run now.

Nick taught her what an elephant says this month, complete with throwing your arm up in the air like a trunk.

There was some more teething going on this month and she came into our bed a couple times. Once, she decided it was playtime when she got in our bed. I looked at her and said "you either lay down and go to sleep or you are going back in your crib". Miss. Smartypants laid down instantly and didn't make a peep until morning. She has also started leaving her pacifiers close to the edge of her crib and I will catch her throughout the day becoming ninja baby and swiping them out of her crib to suck them. Big no no in our house. She doesn't fight me when I make her put them back in her crib so I think it's just a game for her.

Also, the other day she actually walked into the kitchen and said "ni ni" (night night) and then went into her room. I didn't get in there fast enough to put her in her crib so she started crying and came back into the kitchen. The second she was in her crib, she was a happy camper and asleep within minutes.