Baby Brine Style: Nursery Updates!

As I mentioned yesterday, I had quite a successful Target shopping trip on Friday. Here is an updated inspiration board, even though most of these items have already been purchased! 

Starburst Mirror-White Shelf-Dark Brown Milk Crate Basket-Urchin

I bought one large Milk Crate Basket, two small, and one longer rectangular basket for toiletries. The color matches our hardwood floors to a T, which is perfect. I didn't want to do white (the changing table is white) or pink, since many of the shades are off from our paint color. I also didn't want to drag in any more colors, as I wanted to keep the palette at pink, white and antique gold. 

I'm not sure if I shared the bedding we registered for. We chose the Maya Floral Nursery Bedding from Pottery Barn Kids. I felt it was the least baby-like and very subtle. 

I'm really excited to put everything together once it's all purchased and cleaned! I think my vision is coming together quite nicely, and it's not always easy to accomplish that! 

30 Weeks!

Hola! I can't believe we've hit 30 weeks this week. Considering March is rolling on in in just a few days, I think it's safe to say that we're in the home stretch. Hubs and I had an uber productive weekend finishing up some things that we needed for the nursery. We picked out and installed her light fixture. We ended up with a gold and crystal flush mount piece so that we didn't lose a lot of headway with a chandelier. 

I had the day off yesterday, so I crafted up a storm. I finished up the gold bling hangers from this post, and started working on the DIY crib mobile. I'm SO excited with how this is turning out. Can't wait to post the final product. 

I also picked up some white feathers to doll up the DIY ombré art from this post, so I'll post those pictures when I finish that up as well. 

I picked up two white picture frames for the Love and Oh La La pictures from this post. We're hoping to hang them once we decide on the final layout of the room. 

Overall, we had a really productive weekend and I'm feeling more and more ready for her arrival. Our shower is next weekend, so I think we'll be starting on the nesting train! 

I'm also was working on a little "Thank You" for our shower hosts, so more on that after the shower next week :) 

And now for this weeks bumpdate! 

How far along?: 30 weeks

Weight gained?: 20+ pounds

Showing yet?: Yes

Stretch Marks?: Not yet!

Clothes?: Maternity clothes all the way. 

Cravings?: Nothing... Cut back on sweets last week though...

Aversions?: None

Sleep?:  Great lately!

Gender?:  Girl!

Movement?: Yes...although I had to pull out my Doppler last week because she wasn't as active as she had been.

Symptoms?: Stuffy nose, linea nigra, back pain...

Miss Anything?: Cute spring and summer clothes, sitting for long periods of time without feeling any back pain, not being hormonal all the time ;)

Wedding Rings on or off?: On

Belly Button in or out?: In

Bluum Box: January Review

I know it's already February, but I finally received my January Bluum Box this week! You can see my review of my box from December here.

1- This Soy Nut Mix is the only thing in this box for Mama (or Dad, for that matter). The trial packet is full of nuts, raisins, pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips and sunflower seeds and it is delicious. I just wish the sample was larger ;)

2- I've seen Ella's Kitchen Smoothies at Target and other retail stores, but figured that we'd have to wait a long while for our baby girl to be able to eat them. I was right. The expiration date on this is August 2013, and she'll only be 3 months old and unable to eat this (the recommended age is 6 months+). Hubs decided he was going to take one for the team and try it out. I'll let you know how that one goes...

3- At first I thought that babybug was a book, but after researching further, it's actually a magazine subscription for babies! You can order 9 issues for $33.95 on Amazon. The January 2013 edition is what we received, and it has short stories, songs, and nursery rhymes all wrapped up in 20+ pages.

4- The Raz Pacifier is great in concept, and when I dropped it from our dining room table, the shield closed right on up! It also will be great to toss in my purse or diaper bag since it acts as a cover for the nipple. Plus, the bear on the front of the pacifier is super adorable.

5- The Sippi Grip comes in a 2-pack; one orange and one green, orange and purple. I've seen DIY cup holders on Pinterest, but I think these are really cute and functional. You can also use them on toys, teethers, and other baby items that are likely to end up on the ground. :)

All-in-all, I really liked that last month's box included 3 items for Mama, and 3 for Baby. I'll have to wait to test most of these out, but it's also such a nice and fun thing to open each month, especially the way that baby items seem to change daily. 

I'll say that 4/5 of the items are for baby, not Mama. It's hard to review most of those since our baby girl isn't here yet, but I will do what I can!

27 Weeks!

Holy case of the Monday's. This weekend flew by way to quickly for my liking, and I sadly finished it off with a crappy night of sleep and a Raven's Super Bowl win. I can't believe we're 3 months (and 1 day) away from D-Day. I feel like just yesterday we were sitting in the ultrasound room and the technician said our little one was due May 5. Cinco De Mayo. Now we're hopefully wrapping up winter and are beginning to prep for our little one's debut. 

Last week the invitations to my baby shower were mailed out. I can't wait for this day to come, and if you know my family, you can expect it to be over the top and fabulous! We're so lucky we have so many wonderful people in our lives that are going to spoil our princess rotten! 

Here is this week's bumpdate, 27 weeks! 

How far along?: 27 weeks

Weight gained?: 14ish pounds

Showing yet?: Yep! 

Clothes?: Maternity clothes all the way- living in leggings at night and on the weekends

Cravings?: Sweets. After my first trimester aversions I never thought I'd want a piece of cake, cookie, or ice cream. But alas, the stereotypical craving wins again.

Aversions?: Nothing...

Sleep?:  Pretty good, except for last night!

Gender?:  Girl

Movement?: Yes...mornings and evenings are her favorite and during the day sometimes I see my belly shake.

Symptoms?: Stuffy nose is going away, but I can't get comfortable on the couch lately, unless I'm laying down on my side. The linea nigra appeared late last week. It's very faint but I think it's weird looking. 

Miss Anything?: Being able to get up off the ground without grunting, wine....

Wedding Rings on or off?: On

Belly Button in or out?: In, getting more and more shallow

We definitely have some big events coming up this month. In 2 weeks, we spend an entire Saturday at the hospital, starting off with a breastfeeding class, followed by a baby preparation class. I think it'll be a long day, but Hubs and I both thought we'd rather "waste" our Saturday all at once. 

We have our first Lamaze class at the end of the month, and the second one a week later. I'm really excited to start feeling more prepared about giving birth. 

Now that our basement demolition is complete, I get my husband back. I'm hoping we can knock out the rest of the items on our nursery list (sans anything on the registry) so that once we have the shower, we know what else needs purchased! 

Baby Brine Style: Swimwear Edition!

I know, I know. It's way too early to think about swimsuits and summertime, but yesterday, my Godmother and I were out shopping and stopped by Janie and Jack to see their adorable spring and summer lines. They have THE cutest swimwear for babies. I've poked around Target and only could find bigger sizes. I figure our little one will be in 0-3 months come summer vacation, so that just won't work! 

Here are some of my favorite swimsuits and matching cover-ups (sun safety, people!).

Don't the terrycloth cover-ups just make your heart melt?? Also, I wouldn't ever put the swim cap on our little one, but I think it's hysterical that they offer one at all! All styles found at Janie & Jack.

Gap and Gymboree also have some really cute, and more affordable, swimwear for babies. These are some of my favorites, but I love the cheetah one the most. If you know me, this doesn't come as a surprise! 

25 weeks!

Here is a bumpdate from this morning, sans my photographer since he had already left for work. 

How far along?: 25 weeks

Weight gained?: 12 pounds

Showing yet?: Yep! 

Clothes?: All maternity pants, mostly maternity tops

Cravings?: Sweets. I think because I had my GTT today, I told myself to cut back, so I craved them. Of course! 

Adversions?: Nothing...

Sleep?:  Much better since Hubs and I switched sides of the bed. It's getting harder to get in bed with all my pillows, though! 

Gender?:  GIRL!!!

Movement?: Yes! Love when I'm laying down to sleep or get up in the AM and she gets moving, since Hubs can feel her moving about! 

Symptoms?: Stuffy nose, tired/sore legs, and being tired. I asked the Dr. about this weird leg pain, and he said that your body is straining itself in every way possible, and your legs have to carry it all around. Going to start propping my legs up at night to help relieve the pain. 

Wedding Rings on or off?: On! 

Belly Button in or out?: In

Happy Tuesday!! Hubs and I got a lot done this weekend, along with a lot of help from my parents. Saturday morning, the ladies in my family got Mani/Pedi's. It was so nice to have a leg/foot massage, especially since I've been having some leg pain lately (more on that lately). 

We went out for lunch and poked around some local boutiques and a children's consignment shop. I got our Baby Girl some really cute, barely worn outfits for much cheaper than at the regular store! 

My dad came over to help Hubs sand, prime and paint the dresser for the nursery. Meanwhile, my mom cleaned our bathroom, bedroom and hardwoods. We're so blessed to have extremely helpful parents! I haven't had much energy during the week to do smaller housekeeping items when I get home from work, so this was a huge help. 

On Sunday, Hubs had our contractor neighbor come over to discuss refinishing our basement. We've always wanted to refinish it, but were putting it off. Apparently now is the right time to finish it, 6 months pregnant and all! 

I was off on Monday and my mom came over so we could start cleaning out the basement. We boxed up all of our junk so that my dad and Hubs could take it to the garage. 

This morning I had my Glucose Tolerance Test, followed by my 4-week prenatal visit. 

I will say that the juice isn't as bad as many people make it out to be. Fingers crossed I don't need to do the 3-hour test...

Baby girl had a healthy heart beat and after my next appointment in February, we start our bi-weekly appointments. So crazy!! 

22 Weeks: Happy New Year!

I can't believe that it's 2013. The year we'll get to meet our baby girl and become a family of three. This Saturday marks 4 months until my due date. While it seems like January, February, March and April will slowly roll on by, I think we'll be hitting D Day in the blink of an eye.

Sunday we hit 22 weeks. I enjoyed some much needed time off with Hubs, but getting back to work has been a struggle. I can't imagine how hard it'll be after taking off 12 weeks with our baby girl!

Last Thursday I had my monthly prenatal visit. I have to schedule my Glucose Screening for the 22nd. I hear some crazy things about the orange drink you have to consume before doing the test, so fingers crossed it goes smoothly and I don't need to do the 3 hour test...

Anyway, here's a bumpdate from Sunday. It's the same Steeler tee that I wore in my first post from when I was 17 weeks. It's amazing what 5 weeks does to your belly!

How far along?: 22 weeks

Weight gained?: 8 pounds as of last Thursday's appointment

Showing yet?: Yes, I am trying to decide if it's from the holidays or baby girl.... 

Clothes?: All maternity pants, still in some regular sweaters, though!

Cravings?: None, really...  
Adversions?: Nothing...

Sleep?:  Much better since my parents got me a Boppy body pillow!

Gender?:  GIRL!!!

Movement?: Yes! She's very active at night. The doctor kept finding and losing her heart rate last week because of how much she was moving around!

Symptoms?: Back pain, stuffy nose, and feeling like I'm already slowing down...

 

On another pregnancy note, I found this simulator that shows what happens to your organs once your uterus and baby grow. No wonder you get indigestion :)

Baby Brine Style: Shoes

One of the things I'm looking forward to most about having a baby girl is shoe shopping! When Hubs and I were looking for gender neutral booties for our annouvement photo, I couldn't help but notice how many options there are for shoes for little girls! Here are some of my top pics for shoes- and considering she'll (most likely) be a May baby, I think the Sperry's are my favorite!! 

1-2-3-4-5-6

Merry Christmas Eve!: 21 Weeks

Yesterday marked week 21! Can't believe we're over half way....Here is a bump pic update, and some current stats....

How far along?: 19 weeks

Weight gained?: 5.5 pounds as of last week
Showing yet?: Yes, but I feel like I should be showing more!

Clothes?: Yep, still in some regular sweaters, though!

Cravings?: None, really...   
Adversions?: Nothing...

Sleep?:  Getting better. Between the pillow propping, humidifier and saline spray, I'm working every angle to get some good sleep!

Gender?:  GIRL!!!

Movement?: Yes, I think...She's an active little lady, that's for sure!

Symptoms?: Back pain, stuffy nose, and my legs get really tired really quickly. Not good for Christmas shopping! 

Baby Brine Due 5/5/12

One of my new years resolutions was to start a blog. I added it to my bucket list in the hopes that even that would motivate me to start one.

Well, 11 months later, here I am! The hubs and I decided to start a family blog to document our growing family.

On August 27, 2012, we found out we were expecting our first Brine baby. We are over the moon excited!

As of today, I am 17 weeks, 4 days along, with a due date of May 5, 2012. Cinco De Mayo, baby!!

Here are some pictures we've taken to document our journey:

Andy made me take 2 digitals just to make sure...

Dating ultrasound on 9/14/12, 6 weeks 5 days

Crappy picture, hubs was out of town and I had to fend for myself! This was around 12 weeks.

Turkey Day Bump! 16 weeks, 4 days

Oh, we haven't establised we're big Steeler fans? Ya, so is Baby Brine! 17 week bump!