Nursery Update, and Little Reese's Pieces!

Justin and I are big planners. Despite our short-lived indecisiveness about baby names this time around, we had everything planned out - nursery design and name included - by about 22 weeks. While I totally admire my "Team Green" friends who choose not to learn the sex of their baby until he/she is born, I'm pretty sure we would drive ourselves crazy if we ever went that route. Which brings me to the point of this post: Reid's room is almost done! Since Colin has an "under the sea" themed room, we wanted something different for Reid. We ultimately decided to go with a jungle/safari theme, which I think is coming along quite nicely.

We are putting the finishing touches on it now. Pretty much all that's left is to hang some curtains, stock the closet and dresser with sweet little newborn things, and set up the changing pad. The most recent addition, which I am SO excited to share with you, are Reid's wall letters, which are now hanging above the crib! Drumroll please.....

Aren't they awesome?! These letters, which fit in perfectly with the nursery theme we picked, were hand painted by a dear friend, Corinne, who just happens to make and sell all kinds of amazing pieces in her Etsy shop, Little Reese's Pieces. I'm not exaggerating when I say that if you can think of something, she can do it. Her shop is full of personalized wall letters, paintings, and growth charts, and most recently she has listed some beautiful Christmas pieces, just in time for the holidays. Everything in her shop is customizable, and can be based off of a favorite book's illustrations, a bedding pattern, a color scheme... seriously anything you can think of. Here is one of her original holiday pieces, which I have been drooling over since she posted it on her Facebook page. Isn't it just to die for?

My suggestion? Run, don't walk, to Little Reese's Pieces on Etsy or Facebook and check out Corinne's beautiful work. If you don't see what you're looking for, let her know and she will work with you to create whatever you need to add that perfect touch. To sweeten the deal, use coupon code FREESHIP for free shipping when you place your order. Not too shabby!

I'll post some more "after" photos of Reid's room once we've finished with all the final details. He won't even be sleeping in there for months, but I just can't help myself. At 7 months pregnant, I think I've flung myself head-first into nesting mode!

More to come. ♥

Mornings are hard.

I'm starting to dread weekday mornings. When Colin moved up to his current class in daycare, there was a definite transition period where he had a tough time and cried when I dropped him off. Within a couple weeks, though, he got into the groove and started running happily down the hall to his classroom each morning. Suddenly, just this week, my sweet boy has regressed back to his "don't leave me, mommy" phase and it breaks my heart! Monday and Tuesday were really hard. Both mornings, he broke down into weepy tears before we ever even made it inside the building. This morning was better, as there were no tears, but Colin still refused to walk and plopped himself down in protest once we rounded the corner and started down the hall. I had to pick up my gigantic, 30 pound toddler and carry him to his room.

Colin enjoying a Nutri Grain bar for breakfast

The sudden change in my little man has made me wonder. Was he that upset when I left for a few days to attend Nana's funeral in Arizona? Does he think I'm going to leave him again? Is he starting to sense that our family is about to grow by one more, and is he acting out as a result? Am I looking too deep into what is likely just a normal toddler phase?

Colin is 21 months old today, and while he is still an early riser, he seems to be less of a morning person these days. I wish I could explain to him that I don't like this any more than he does, and that I wish we could stay home together in our jammies instead of rushing out the door before 7 am each morning. I thought about letting Justin drop him off instead, but it works best for our work schedules for me to do drop-offs and for Daddy to do pick-ups for the time being. Obviously we'll readjust when Reid is born, and do whatever we need to do. But for the moment, I'm on drop-off duty, and it's hard when he want his momma to leave him there.

Daycare mommies: Has your toddler gone through this phase? If so, please tell me it didn't last very long. I'd love to believe that he'll get better about this soon!

State of the Uterus: 28 Weeks

How far along? 28 weeks, a.k.a. 7 months! Whoa.

Due Date: January 6, 2012

Total weight gain/loss: Apparently I gained 2 lbs this week for a total of about 14 lbs gained so far. I don't know what happened there. cough Ben & Jerry's ice cream cough

Maternity clothes? Yep, other than a couple roomy tops that still fit.

Sleep: Sleeping well for the most part.

Best moment this week: On Friday night, Justin and I hired a sitter and went on a spontaneous, much needed date night. It was fantastic. We went out to dinner, strolled through Target (making note of a screaming toddler and thinking "yep, that'd be our kid right now") and going to see End of Watch. Really good movie, by the way. Also, on Saturday, I had the immense pleasure of meeting Erin and Jackson from The View From 510. Even though Colin had a couple mini-meltdowns at dinner, we all enjoyed ourselves, and I look forward to future play dates with them! Basically, this weekend was full of awesomeness.

Movement: My second son is very active in there! This morning my belly was visibly moving all over the place. It looked like Reid was ready to bust out of there, Alien style.

Food cravings: Thanksgiving food!! I can't wait. Yesterday, I made some whole berry cranberry sauce just for the fun of it. It was delicious.

Food aversions: Still none, really.

Gender: It's a boy! Reid William Vaughan.

Labor Signs: Still having some Braxton Hicks contractions here and there.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: Sleeping in on the weekend... but that has nothing to do with being pregnant. A certain little 20 month old still gets up around 6 am every day, so this momma still requires a cup of coffee to get moving each day.

What I am looking forward to: I am so excited to show you Reid's gorgeous new wall letters later in the week. They are up now, but they deserve a post of their own! We are also still shopping for curtains for the new nursery, too, which is fun.

Milestones: Baby should now be able to blink and cough. I know he gets the hiccups, too, because I've felt them. :)

At this morning's prenatal check-up, everything was great. My belly was measuring right on track at 28 cm, which is reassuring, because at my 24 week visit I was measuring a week behind. Looks like my little guy had a growth spurt! Maybe that explains some of the weight gain this week. But let's not kid ourselves, it was probably the ice cream.

Baby Reid's heartbeat was a strong 148, and when the doctor palpated my uterus, he said that baby is currently head down. He could tell that because he felt his "doughy bottom" up top above my belly button. Ha. That explains why I've been feeling huge kicks way up high. That's where his little feet are! He still has room to move around, though, so he may not stay in this position for long. One thing is for sure, though: he is a very busy, active little boy, just like his big brother.

I go back for another check-up in 3 weeks, and from there we'll be moving to appointments every 2 weeks. I can't believe we're already at that point in this pregnancy. I guess this means it's time to start thinking about getting all our newborn stuff back down from the attic!

Check out the 28 week update post from my first pregnancy!

Pizza Pizza! Who wants some Little Caesars?

Okay y'all, let's get real for just a minute. We moms of small children simply do not have the time to make a gourmet meal every night of the week. (If you are one of the few people out there who does, please don't tell me. It'll just make me hate myself.) Don't get me wrong; I try to make sure my little guy eats from all the food groups every day, and that he eats nutritious dinners. But every now and then, you just need a pizza night. It's quick, it's affordable, and it doesn't require any thought at all. That's where Little Caesars HOT-N-READY $5 pizzas come in. Colin's daycare just happens to be located within a mile of a Little Caesars, which is pretty much the best thing ever. On those days that I just don't have the time or energy to cook and I want to put something on the table that the whole family loves, I swing by Little Caesars. And do you want to know the best part? Their HOT-N-READY pizzas are already sitting there, hot and cheesy and glorious, just begging me to take them home. Score! Bonus: Their crazy bread and marinara sauce makes me drool, too. Aaaand now I'm getting hungry for pizza at 9 in the morning. Hey, give me a break. I'm pregnant!

Since I'm sure I've put you in the mood for pizza too, you'll be happy to know that the awesome folks at Little Caesars want to give one of you a $10 gift card so that you too can experience the awesomeness of a HOT-N-READY pizza (or two)! First things first: a little hilarity to brighten your day.

Little Caesars doesn't horse around when it comes to value and convenience!

At Little Caesars, there's no calling, no waiting... there's NO RULES! Well... just one rule.

So, to recap, at Little Caesars you can pick up a large cheese or pepperoni pizza for just $5, and there is absolutely no waiting involved. Perfect for a busy family on the go! Now who's ready for pizza night? Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below! (offer available to US residents only.)

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{Almost} Wordless Wednesday

We let Colin have his first sucker the other day - a Tootsie Roll Pop! Unfortunately, a few seconds after this was taken, he bit down on it - HARD - and made his gums bleed. I guess we're done with suckers for a while.

 

Mommy's Little Helper

It is so hysterical to watch Colin get all serious when you give him a job to do. One day, he saw me doing the laundry and decided to "help" by putting everything I was folding back in the hamper. Now this has become our ritual. Before I can fold a load of laundry, he has to put it all back in the hamper... and then take it out again... and then put it back in. When he's finished with his "chore," then it's my turn. Silly boy.

Toddlers are so adorably quirky, aren't they? I'd love to hear your silly toddler stories!

Linking up with Melissa for Toddle Along Tuesday today!

State of the Uterus: 27 Weeks

Well hello, third trimester!

How far along? 27 weeks. Only 13 to go!

Due Date: January 6, 2012

Total weight gain/loss: I've gained roughly 11 pounds so far. That's 2 pounds less than I had gained at 27 weeks last time. Not bad!

Maternity clothes? Oh yeah. Some people are still saying I'm small, but I sure don't feel small! I love me some elastic pants.

Sleep: No sleep issues this week really, except for a couple leg cramps that woke me up. Still occasionally getting up to pee, too, but not all the time - yet.

Best moment this week: Getting to see my family, despite the circumstances. Nana's funeral was very "her," and very much a celebration of her life. It was very moving to see how many people were there to say their goodbyes, and the burial service in Sedona was just beautiful.

Movement: All the time! I've got another strong little boy in there. My mom, sister and aunt all felt Reid kick while I was in Arizona.

Food cravings: Same as usual - sweets and spicy foods. Mexican food is so delicious!

Food aversions: None to speak of.

Gender: It's a boy! Reid William Vaughan.

Labor Signs: Still having some Braxton Hicks contractions here and there.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: When Colin went to bed every night at 8 pm. He's been pushing it later, little stinker. 

What I am looking forward to: My next prenatal appointment on the 15th. Nothing exciting other than hearing Reid's heartbeat, but I still enjoy those visits.

Milestones: If my little guy were to be born now, he would have a great chance at survival outside the womb. As far as I can tell though, he has no plans of coming out that early. He's nice and snuggled up in there.