Monday Mornin' Update

Good Morning Ya'll!

It is a beautiful Monday morning here in the DC metro area. It's 75 degrees outside and I'm enjoying the Today Show from the sofa with a cup of coffee (decaf after my "1/2-caf" debacle yesterday) and a bowl of whole grain cheerios. Pretty much my idea of a perfect morning (maybe I should've thought this doctor thing through a little...). Sadie is outside sunbathing and Bella is on the double-dog bed beside the sofa standing guard, making sure I don't go into labor.

This weekend was a HUGE finish-baby-things weekend for us and very successful I might add! The "babycan'tcomeuntilwedothis" list now looks something like this (in no order of importance):

1. Install carseat
2. Have car seat checked to make sure installed correctly (went to our local firestation and couldn't find a single person...seriously crickets...not reassuring in the event of actual emergency/fire...)
3. Get Pack'n'Play
4. Learn to use carseat/stroller
5. Find/meet pediatrician
6. Make window decor for nursery
7. Install closet organization system in nursery (b/c what baby doesn't need two bars for hanging clothes and a shelf for all her shoes...duh)
8. Pack hospital bag (1/2 way accomplished after a monster Target run yesterday)
9. Stock up pantry/Costco run
10. Get infant car seat adapter for stroller
11. Make absurd number of cool burp clothes and baby quilt
12. Make bedskirt and rocker cushion to match aforementioned baby quilt. (Done! thanks to GiGi)
13. Instructions from OB to "Relax. Put your feet up when not at hospital so as to try to make it to due date" (oops)

I'm sure there are other things but you get the idea. We have accomplished a ton! MAJ said lots of stupid things this weekend like "we're ready...she can come now...etc". Things that make me panic and almost have a heart attack. Speaking of, I am no longer allowed to have a single ounce of caffeine. I had a half-caf iced coffee WITH soymilk (should read more like coffee flavored milk...like maybe 3 ounces of caffeine) yesterday and almost had a panic attach for about 6 hours. No more.

So onto the fun stuff...a few of the crafts I've been up to recently! Nesting is real people. And it's serious.

First project I tackled - Burp clothes...maybe to excess (you can never really have too many burp clothes right?)

we will be burpin' in style

Second - I have been intent on making a baby/stroller quilt since I found out I was pregnant. I picked out fabric when I was in North Carolina months ago and it has been taunting me since then. I finally but the bullet last week and sat down to attempt to tackle this (without a pattern...because I'm impatient like that) and am pretty much obsessed with the finished product. I love it in general but it's that much cooler to me since I made it for the wee babe. I am excited to stroll her around with it keeping her cozy in the fall months (lets just hope it actually gets cool enough around here to need a stroller quilt at some point this year).  I love the fun colors and now my mom is working on a crib skirt and rocker cushion to match (which should be arriving momentarily)!

Next - feeling very accomplished that I had completed those two projects that were "musts" I found this cute tutorial where else? on Pinterest - Ashley's Crafty Closet Dividers. I love the way these turned out as well!

Action shot of these puppies doing their job coming soon - but this was an EASY project for reals and they look awesome in action!

This weekend's crafting will have to wait since I can't find the memory card for the camera but it mostly entailed a trip to Home Depot and JoAnn's Fabrics (where Matt's most poignant question included "Is this what old ladies do? Come to JoAnn's and crop dust everyone??") for all the supplies to make DIY fabric covered cornice boxes for the windows. Easy cheesy project as well. After GiGi arrives with the final nursery items I will make a more concerted effort to find the memory card and do some real nursery photographing. But its pretty cute/cozy/warm/funky/colorful/calm/us...here's a little sneak from the door.

Other than crafting, running errands and generally not relaxing (even worked a 12 hour shift in the ED in there), we finished the weekend up with a fun evening on the back porch with a couple of old friends who live on the other side of the beltway who we don't see often enough and a pork butt smoked on the BGE. They surprised us with the news that they would be welcoming their first in early February so there was lots of baby talk and nursery oogling goin' round. The boys talked business and generally ignored us but the food was great and company even better.

Matt in action loading up the egg.

I'll also pass this along and it was too good to forget! I made this two weekends ago with some smooshy peaches and cherries that were threatening to go bad in the fridge and it was so good we decided to go for round two this weekend. Recipe here: Jersey Cherry Peach Crisp

Yum!

Overall, it was a great weekend and I have been soaking up every minute of these last three weeks of my "Elective/ED month". It's been a real blessing to have this time to rest, nest and feel comfortable getting all the finishing touches on the nursery and hopefully even packing a bag so when this little lady does decide to make her debut we might actually feel 1/2 way prepared!

I'll leave you with this...

Almost 36 week belly (and booty apparently) - whew!

Happy Monday! Enjoy your day - I'll be hanging with my momma for the next few days while MAJ goes to Florida for his last business trip before he gets "grounded" in DC in preparation for d-day.