the finished nursery

Right off the bat I feel the need to say I'm not super excited about these photos. I took them in the morning when the bright sunshine was reflecting off the 6 inches of snow outside both windows.

BUT I am super excited about our girl's completed nursery, which is just waiting for her arrival so we can all enjoy it together!

The funny space between the two gray frames on this gallery wall will hold a turquoise letter for baby's name. It's hidden in the closet until she actually arrives. My generous mom helped me arrange the entire wall AND kept her eyes closed so we could check the letter's fit without her seeing it. Thanks, Mom! :)

So many of the things in this room were given with love, saved from my childhood bedroom, or hand-made by friends or family members.

All the items were carefully chosen and the room already brings Joel and I such happiness. Sometimes I catch him in there, just looking around. More often he catches me in there, just rearranging the clothes. Again.

Also, here's a budget breakdown and list of where all the fun stuff in the nursery came from, if you're interested:
crib: wal-mart (gift from Grandma Alberts)
crib mattress: amazon (bought with $ from a friend)
dresser: found on the side of the road and re-finished/re-painted by us! The gray paint was left over from our bedroom. Free
curtains: similar from IKEA. $20
closet curtain: this set from IKEA. We only used one for the closet; the other is still available for use.  $10
elephant poster with frame:  IKEA, too. $20 total
white photo ledges: $20 for two
rocking chair: moved from our living room Free
off-white lamp on dresser: clearance at Marshalls $22
assorted wire and wicker baskets: Marshalls/TJMaxx clearance About $35 bucks total
pink "baby 'berts" banner: handmade by my friend Becca for our shower <3
gallery wall: (cross-stitch frame and Japanese girl in tree- from my childhood room; colorful landscape- made by Joel's Oma; curious George canvas- gift from my mom last year; colored paper in gray frame- wrapping paper I purchased at a boutique in Baltimore last year; kissing photo- taken on our first trip to Washington state together about 2 years ago) Free
clock: IKEA $15

Recommended reading

I've only been home from work for 15 minutes but I've already consumed multiple handfuls of sweet potato tortilla chips AND read two amazing blog posts.

I'd love to share the posts here, in case you are interested in some wise after-work reading.

1. http://kincaidparade.com/2014/01/when-your-new-years-resolutions-find-you.html

2. http://wheremyheartresides.com/2014/01/10/year-dates/

Ready to start the weekend, friends.

Next week I hope to share our little lady's finished nursery. So stay tuned for that.

pregnancy: week 37

Lookit me, posting all early this week.

We're 37 weeks and 5 days in here, folks. So basically 38 weeks. And totally full-term. This little lady can come anytime, in my opinion!

Week 37
0 comfortable positions for standing, sitting, or laying
5 days back to school
20 kiddos who are DYING to know this little one's name
3 nights of heartburn... it doesn't stop
1 negative test for group B strep. WAHOOOOOOO-- no antibiotics during labor!
4 nights when I woke up thinking my water had broken. Only to realize I was sweating and the crib mattress pad I'm now sleeping on had absorbed the sweat so it didn't soak into our mattress. Ha. Gross.

5 new cloth diapers purchased!!! (our total is now 9)
10-15 irregular but still uncomfortable contractions per day

our after birth meal

Our birth center's policy is to have new parents and their babies go home a few hours after delivery. One thing they require is that new moms eat a "real" meal before going home, so when you arrive to have your baby you're supposed to bring something that can be prepared easily after the birth. That way you leave well-nourished and ready to rest peacefully (???) at home.

The birth center has a full kitchen with fridge, stove, etc., so anything you bring is totally fine. I decided that the meal I'd like to have is one that I almost always make for friends at church whenever they have a new baby. It's from this great cookbook called "The Good Neighbor Cookbook" which I bought a few years back. (Joel loves it, too, so that's a plus!)

Because the recipe is one of my absolute favorites, I thought I'd share it here. Enjoy!

Toasted garlic marinara: 
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. 
Add 4-6 cloves of garlic (sliced) and cook, stirring until light golden brown. 
Add 2 (28 oz) cans of whole peeled tomatoes with juice, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon sugar, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, and a dash of black pepper. 
Bring all to a boil. 
Decrease heat and simmer on low, breaking the tomatoes up (I use a potato masher but you can use a wooden spoon). Let simmer about 20 minutes until slightly thickened.

After the marinara is done, you can make the ravioli dish:
I buy about 3 pounds of frozen cheese ravioli and split it between two 8x8 pans. Then in each pan, stir in 4 cups baby spinach, 1 cup heavy cream, some basil leaves (optional), 1/4 cup Parmesan and about half of the marinara. I also sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top, but that's optional too. 
Bake at 400 until the sauce is bubbling and top is golden, about 25 to 30 minutes

pregnancy: week 36

Would you just look at this bump?!

I can't believe I thought my belly was big last month. AND the month before that. Holy smokes, we are growing! I'm super curious how much this little worm weighs and how tall she's going to be!

Week 36
35 minutes with the midwife who said the heartbeat is strong and my fundal height is 36 centimeters- perfect!
6 inches of snow in less than 24 hours
0 days of school
1 package arriving from Target which contained our humidifier and washable changing pads!! 
2 parents-to-be who managed to stay up till midnight on New Years Eve!
9 hours of sleep per night, average (vacation is awesome!)
3 pounds gained since our last midwife appointment two weeks ago
1 blood sample taken & 1 mini bruise that lasted about a week
3 nights eating pizza for dinner

third trimester favs

I know, I know, we still have potentially 5.5 weeks left to go before baby A makes her appearance. The third trimester definitely isn't over, but I've had enough weeks in it to be confident in listing a few favorites that have made the last couple months manageable/slightly more comfortable.

1. An exercise ball. This big blue guy has really helped my aches and pains because I can sit in a variety of positions and can use it watching TV, working at my desk, etc. I'll use it during labor, too, so this is a win-win purchase.

2. Cranberry ginger ale. Pretty sure this is a Christmas season drink, so maybe I should stock up before it's all gone. I could drink this all.day.long. Yum!

3. Extra pillows. I used to sleep with two- one under my head and another between my knees. Nowadays I need an extra pillow so I can have one between my knees whatever side I'm sleeping on. I don't have the energy or mental fortitude to switch the pillow from one side to the next every time I wake up. Plus, the extra support behind my back makes me more comfortable.

4. Clementines. OH my goodness, I eat clementines like candy. They are so easy, quick, and delicious. Baby may just turn out to be a citrus freak.

5. Walking. This has been a recurring theme  throughout my pregnancy. Even though the days are shorter and it's tough to squeeze in a walk during the busy weeks of school, walking always helps me feel better at the end of the day. My joints are happy; my digestive system is happy; my mental state is much more stable.

6. Chocolate. This is hit or miss. Some evenings chocolate contributes to my already brutal heartburn, but other times chocolate is just the pick-me-up I need when I'm feeling grouchy or tired. My favorites have been Lindt dark chocolate truffles and some peppermint bark chocolates Joel got from a student. Pretty sure he hasn't eaten any of them... oops.

What about you, friends? Any pregnancy life-savers that got you through the last trimester?

image here.

one month out: to-do list

In less than 6 weeks, Joel and I will be parents.

I hope it's a little sooner than that, because our due date is actually 25 days from now, but we have to acknowledge that little 'Berts could take her sweet time leaving her cozy, watery home in my belly. So, 6 weeks= max!

Things are really coming together and I think both of us are pretty ready to get this show on the road.

Today Joel assembled the cradle someone let us borrow and I typed out some notes about birth that we'll take with us on delivery day. I also added a few diapers in the next size up to her bag, just in case this girl is somehow really big. Joel also put together the bag he's taking to the birth center- complete with some clothes he doesn't mind throwing away because the midwife told him yesterday that things could get messy :)

Because I love lists, here are a few things still to do:

1. Go to the local breastfeeding resource center. My friend (hi, Andrea!) gave me her breast pump, but it needs some replacement parts that they sell at the center. Plus, I'll be able to get a few more supplies and also just say hello to the lactation consultants there.
2. Cross our fingers that the final shipment from Target arrives soon. We ordered a humidifier for the nursery as well as some washable waterproof pads for changing diapers on.... they are still not here, over a week after ordering. Ick.
3. Buy a few post-partum supplies for me to use in recovering from labor/delivery.
4. Wash the 2 spare crib sheets and the cradle mattress pad/sheet. Those and the tiny pair of leggings I couldn't resist buying for $2 on the GAP clearance rack...
5. Get the rest of our cloth diapers. I'm heading to the local cloth diaper store on Friday to stock up. We won't use them for a month or so, but it'll be good to have them here, washed and ready at that point.
6. Sleep. Relax. Go on dates. Hang out with friends.

Basically, that's it. We're as ready as we can be.