The Kids' New Room

Last week I debuted our new master bedroom, so here's another big project we've been working on:  the shared sleeping space for our kids.  I didn't realize how big of a challenge this would be.  We explored every option that our 1,000 square feet have to offer, and a shared room seemed to be the best option for us.

In addition to the challenge of beds, toys, and clothing for two crammed into one small room, we have a boy/girl combo here.  So that kind of rules out a ton of design schemes.  I wanted something that could look a little girly, but not too bad for Little Dude.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I saw an ad for Sherwin Williams that used the paint chip Aquatint.  I fell in love with the color, and wanted to use it somehow in the room.

We ended up using 50% of the color, and love the way it looks.

 

The first thing I decided on was brown accents.  I picked up a few of those brown polka-dot crib sheets at Target {on clearance}, and was then on the hunt for the Sunbean's bedding.  I knew it needed to have aqua and brown, and I wanted something undeniably girly, since the rest of the room would be more neutral.  I found this at Pottery Barn {clearance + free shipping!}.  It was the perfect piece to pick up some more color for the room.

I really love the reading nook we made for the Sunbean {and Little Dude, I suppose}.  It's the old elementary school teacher coming out in me.  We used this tutorial, and really didn't change much.  The wonky part of the wall?  That's the Sunbean's actual name spelled out in wooden letters.

I totally scored this white dresser at Target one day.  Loooooong story, but it was clearanced down, we bought and started to put it together, only to realize it was damaged more than we thought.  I called back and spoke to a manager, and I got to name my own price.  A brand-new white dresser that needed minimal repairs for $50?  Yes please.

The outfit is Little Dude's blessing outfit.  I've never had anything monogrammed before.  It was exciting.  The poor little guy has quite the girly stack of cloth diapers up there.  My favorite part is the number knobs.  Originally from Pottery Barn, we found them on eBay and painted them turquoise.  I made the changing pad cover.

Here's Little Dude's space.  Love, love, love this crib {from Walmart, of all places}.  I love the modern lines.  It doesn't have a huge presence, so it's perfect for a small room like this.  You can't see it super well, but I made a crib skirt that matches the stripes on the changing pad.  I also DIYed the lamp shade cover.  Little Dude's name is hanging to the right of this picture, but I cropped it out.

Our DIY light is probably one of my favorite parts of the room.  It's just three chinese lanterns from Ikea + three light kits {also Ikea}.  MacGyver is super skilled, so he rigged it right up to the light-socket-thing, and we added that little cap {just a few bucks at Lowe's}.

This is probably the most accurate picture of the colors, too.  We added crown moulding {my new obsession}, and painted the ceiling with the leftovers from the bathroom.  I think it's called Limelight.

For the main artwork, I picked up a pack of cute flashcards at a boutique when we were in Florida.  I've seen them other places, though...they're called Alphabeasties.  I mounted them on scrapbook paper, and framed them.  They are hung all around the room, accented with those white flowers that I can't get enough of.

I DIYed these in Photoshop {heavily inspired by something I found on etsy} for above Little Dude's crib.

We all love the way it turned out, and the Sunbean claims that she's excited to share her room with Little Dude.  It has been a fun project to satisfy my nesting needs!

N is for Nesting: Quite the Productive Bedrest

After being on bedrest for about, uh, 20 minutes, I made the executive decision that sewing is absolutely included on the list of allowable activities.  In addition to the boppy slipcover, the peepee teepee, some random burp cloths, and a few other things for Little Dude, I added the following to the Sunbean's summer wardrobe:

The paper bag skirt, made with this tutorial.  I'm totally making one of these for myself, too.

I have been wanted to make these cute little round yolk dresses for a long time.  I bought a pattern a few years ago to make one for a wedding, and it was a total disaster.  Maybe because I started at, like, 10pm the night before we left.  But this time it worked out well!  I just ditched the pattern and did it the way I wanted.

Here's the other one.  Both of these were made with fabric from here.

I made this knot pinafore dress based on one I found on etsy, but I didn't have a pattern.  It was really easy.  The most amazing part?  I sent MacGyver to the store to pick out some fabric and this is what he came home with!  Aren't you impressed?  I sure was.

This bubble dress is another thing that's been on my list for awhile.  I used a pattern, but then ended up changing almost everything.  Sometimes these pattern-makers just don't know the best way to do things!  Also, when did I become the crazy lady who thinks she knows better than the pattern?

And last, a tuxedo shirt and ruffle pants.  Ruffle pants are pretty much a staple of the Sunbean's wardrobe, but she didn't have any for the summer yet.  The tuxedo shirt is based off of something I saw on Pinterest and one that Matilda Jane sells.

I read two books, watched a million movies, completely wiped out my PayPal account, and made this cute stuff.  Not exactly what I had planned, but not a terrible way to spend two weeks.

Little Dude's Birth Plan

 

The Sunbean at one day old.

 

After yesterday's mind-numbingly boring post, I thought I'd share my birth plan.  I have a meeting with the birth planner at our hospital tomorrow, so I'll warm up by sharing here.

With the Sunbean, I really wanted a natural birth.  I didn't want to be induced and I didn't want to use pain meds.  I prepped by reading lots of books, practicing self-hypnotism, and by meeting with my doula (aka...birth-loving friend).  I *really* wanted this natural birthing experience, but I just didn't have the knowledge I needed.  It was like setting out to make the perfect homemade bread with no yeast.  Not gonna happen.

This time around, I've got my 'yeast'.  Not only am I way more 'crunchy' than I was three years go, but I'm more confident in my decisions as a mother.  I'm not going to be afraid to be an advocate for myself and my child.

Don't get me wrong...I'm all about delivering in a hospital, surrounded by the most advanced medical equipment possible with highly-trained professionals (I sound like a hospital commercial).  I just don't want to have to use it.  That being said, as soon as something becomes medically necessary for the well-being of my child or myself, I'm all about it.

So I have a plan.  A birth plan.  But there's a secret to birth plans.  You have to make it look like you only have a few simple requests.  The nurses get all flustered when you hand over a 13-page document with tons of ridiculous details.  So my plan of attack is to have some things actually written on the paper, and other things just in my head.  For example, it is really important to me that MacGyver or I is always with our child, 100% of the time.  No exceptions.  This is so important to me that I don't need to write it down.  I will have the presence of mind to speak up about it.  And if, for some reason, I don't, MacGyver will.  He's in my corner like that.

So here's a basic idea of what I'll be waving in the nurses' face when Little Dude makes his debut:

During Labor

• No routine IV (an access port may be placed if needed).
• I will hydrate myself with water, ice, or electrolyte beverages.
• I will walk around and stay mobile.
• I will use a birth ball, the birth tub, and other natural pain-relief equipment.
• Please do not offer pain medication.  I'll ask if I want something.
• I'd like the option to chose my position for pushing.

During Birth

• I'd rather tear than have an episiotomy.
• If I do tear, please give me local anesthesia before repair.
• Please do not give me routine pitocin to deliver the placenta.

After Birth

• Please place the baby on my chest immediately after birth.
• I will hold my baby while all initial assessments are performed.
• Please delay the clamping of the umbilical cord until it has stopped pulsing.
• I want to breastfeed as soon as possible after birth.
• I will decline the eye drops.  I'd be happy to sign any waivers needed.
• Do not give my baby the Hepatitis B vaccine.  We will have our doctor administer this later.
• Please give my baby a pulse ox test for at least one hour between 24 and 48 hours of birth.



So that's the plan.  I'll bring it to my appointment on Friday and run it by the birth planner, but I think it's pretty run-of-the-mill, really.

Anything you'd add or change?

N is for Nesting: A Really Strange Tutorial

In my life right now, there are about 1 million pregnant people.  No, really.  Friends from high school, friends from church, friends from mom's group, friends from college.  That makes me sound like I have a lot of friends!

If you're like me, you like to stay away from the boring baby gifts.  I love giving handmade gifts, especially for a baby.  Well.  If you are looking for a unique shower gift, I've got you covered.  This one takes the cake for unique.

First, a little background.  So far, I just have a little girl.  Changing little girl diapers is a cinch; nary a leak or spray.  A few days after we brought the sweet Sunbean home from the hospital, our friends with a one-month baby boy came to visit.  And during a diaper change, that darling little boy produced a spout of urine that arched clear across my couch!  Yikes.  I saw a product similar to this, and it got my wheels turning.  So, without further adieu:

N is for Nesting: Boppy Slipcover Tutorial

Hey....did you know that I'm having a little boy in just a few weeks?  Well, I am.  And I've got a house full of girly stuff.  So the pink and yellow flowered slipcover for the boppy really needed to go.

Don't get me wrong, I love the boppy.  I use it quite often when I'm nursing my newborns, and then even for playing when they get to that I-think-I-can-sit-but-I-really-topple-over-quite-often stage.  You know the one.

Anyway, my little guy needed a slightly manly-er fabric.  Well, as manly as Amy Butler fabric can get.  So, here you go:

Here's where I totally messed up.  I ordered about 3 inches too little fabric, so I had to piece it.  You really can't tell now that it's finished, but I'd recommend just measuring correctly.

Learn how right here.

 

Step Six:  Break out the zipper foot and sew on that zipper.  I apparently didn't think you needed a photo of this.

One thing I didn't mention (or, again, photograph) is running over the seams with the serger.  If you have a serger, I'd totally recommend this step.  I know I'll wash this sucker quite often, so finishing the edges is important.  If you don't have a serger, just do a zig-zag stitch on each seam.  And then tell your nearest Santa, Easter Bunny, or Mother's-Day-Gift-Buyer that you need a serger, stat.

Design Challenge: Boy/Girl Rooms

Have you ever had to design a space for both a boy and a girl to share?  It's tough!  Especially since they aren't the same age.  It's been a fun challenge, though.  Last weekend, we got the carpet down in the bedroom, along with fresh baseboard and crown moulding.  It looks so great!

I kind of want to wait until I'm all done to share pics, but here are some things I've been gathering this week.

These adorable knobs I found on eBay.  I've been looking for them for months, and they finally showed up.  I'm so excited to get them!  They aren't going to stay red, but I'm not sure what color they'll be.

This fabric from etsy.  I've got something super crafty up my sleeve with this stuff.



And this beauty should be arriving this week.  Just so we're clear, the bed, not the bedding.  It goes so well with the bed that MacGyver's mom made for the Sunbean (his resourcefulness is hereditary).  I love that it doesn't have a raised back, and the drawer underneath is a plus since space is at a premium in our house.

By the time all of these supplies arrive, hopefully I'll have filled, sanded, and painted the holes in the baseboards and moulding (from when we hung it).

Oh, and this cute little thing is on my Target list.  I'm freakishly obsessed with preventing SIDS (when I was a social worker, one of my clients died from SIDS), so a fan is a must-have.  We've always gone the ceiling-fan route, but the fan we have has got to go.  Sooooo ugly.  I can't find one that I like/want to spend money on, so we're trying the table fan this time.  We have a great idea for the ceiling light, so hopefully it pans out.  It's homemade, and you never know about these things.

I guess I can share that the room is painted in this color, though only 50%.  It's Aquatint from Sherwin Williams.

So those are the plans for the joint sleep space for now.  It has changed 100 times so far, and I'm sure it will change a little before all is said and done.  We've got less than 8 weeks until the official due date, so it's time to get moving!

Mid-Week Brain Dump

• Oh, man.  I've got so much going on for the next several weeks!  Mostly because I started a scoring project.  I occasionally score standardized tests from home.  It's a great job with fantastic pay, but it sure does suck up a lot of time.  I'm supposed to score at least 25 hours a week.  Plus, my other job gave me a few extra hours for the next month or so.  Let's just say that finding an extra 30 hours with a toddler running around is quite the challenge.  Payday is great, though!!
• In all of my busy-ness, I did find time to get my hair cut and colored on Monday.  Man, I feel better.  It is ridiculous how much that helps.
• On Monday night I grabbed two Starbucks and went to chat with a good friend.  It felt so good to just talk with no kids pulling at us (okay, her super-cute baby was around, but that certainly doesn't count).
• Nic and a friend are finally laying carpet in the kids' room this weekend.  I have been waiting for this project to get finished so that I can get moving on the room.  It has been at a standstill for a few months, and it is driving me crazy!
• I think we've pretty much decided that the Sunbean is going to preschool in the fall.  She'll be three, and is so ready.  Plus, it's just three hours, three times a week.  We chose a Montessori program, and I love it.  Since she has a late birthday, she'll be able to complete the three-year program, and then start up kindergarten.  It seems so strange to me that she's old enough to be thinking about preschool.
• We got our Peg Perego double stroller (we went with the Aria Twin 60/40) in the mail, and it is great!  The Sunbean loves it (and loves to watch Sesame Street in it....don't judge), and I love it.  Our carseat should come this week.  We sold the Sunbean's infant seat because we hated it.  We were much better consumers this time around.
• A friend gave me a coupon for a $20 gift card to Target.  Talk about a great friend!  I used it to get some new hair accessories, some Starbucks (duh), and I still have some left.  That was a good way to start off the week!
• The Subean is in the 'why' stage.  I might die if I hear 'why?' one more time today.
• At my doctor's appointment, she did a quick check of the ol' cervix (don't you just love those appointments?) and said, "Wow!  Did you know his head is right on your bladder?"  Yes, doc.  I got that.
• MacGyver is really into watching these strange documentaries on Netflix.  I guess I should be happy I'm not missing good TV while I'm grading.
• We're going to Ikea next weekend, and I can't wait to pick up a few things I need.  Why is it that the stuff I want isn't available online?
• I think it's supposed to break 50 degrees today.  I love me some winter, but I'm ready to ditch the maternity coat.

What's on your mind?

30 Week Update

Here I am, with yet another riveting pregnancy post.  Here's my 30-week update.

• I love the comparison of photos here.  I've gained wayyyy less weight and I'm not retaining water this time around.  Because of that, I feel so much better.  It's crazy how much of a difference that makes.
• You can't really tell with these photos, but I'm carrying way higher this time.  So much more comfortable.  A kick in the ribs is no treat, but it's better than feeling like your baby is going to fall out at any given moment.
• As much as I'm feeling better physically, I'm a freaking mess emotionally.  My apologies to those who have to interact with me on a regular basis.  I swear, I'm trying to be normal.
• I'm feeling so un-ready for this baby to come.  I've been working some extra hours from home, so now I'm just waiting for payday to go on a shopping spree.  I find it strange how much I 'need', considering just three years ago we had a newborn.
• I've reached the point of pregnancy where I feel like I have no clothes.  I do have clothing, I'm just sick of it.  I don't want to buy more, because I'll only be wearing it for 10 more weeks.  Having said that, I just got a new shirt on Saturday.  I'll be wearing it tomorrow, and probably at least one more day this week.  Don't judge.
• I'm also to the point of pregnancy where I'm getting some fantastic comments.  I think maybe I'll keep a list and do a separate post.   However, today my favorite 11-year-old looked at me curiously and asked if I was having another baby.  He's just now figuring it out?  I'll go ahead and take that as a compliment.
• I'm getting so excited to meet this little boy and see what he looks like and acts like.  I'm starting to remember how much fun it is to have a baby!

N is for Nesting: Tutorial Round-Up

When I was pregnant with the Sunbean, we had 8 ultrasounds.  Yes, eight.  I was high-risk and my OB is *slightly* ultrasound-happy.  Not that I'm going to complain about all those peeks at our sweet girl.  Point is, we knew the Sunbean was a girl.  That 3D ultrasound pretty much sealed that deal.

Therefore, I had no qualms with going girl-crazy.  Everything we have is girly, girl, girl.  Perfect when you're having a girl.  Not so much when you're having a little dude.  What's a nesting momma to do?  Make some boy stuff, of course!

Let's start by talking about how ridiculously picky I am when it comes to boy stuff.  Even I know I'm ridiculous.  Get this:  I don't like light blue for boys.  Call me crazy, but I think it's feminine.  I don't like dinosaur and puppy-dog embellishments.  I just don't.  And I'm not too crazy about sports-team gear on my kids (unless it's a Buckeye football Saturday).  And that pretty much rules out 99.999% of baby boy stuff.  Oh, unless you're a millionaire and shop exclusively at Baby Gap.

I've been scouring fabric stores for some fabric to make a few blankets for my little guy.  I wanted some flannel and some knit.  It took me approximately 36 seconds to turn my nose up at everything at Joann's.  Hobby Lobby's flannel is a joke.  Boo.  I even went to two local quilt shops that sell the pricey stuff.  Seriously, some people don't like cars and trains on blankets for little boys.  Fabric designers haven't gotten the memo yet.

Anyway, I did find some knit and some cotton I fell in love with, so here's what I came up with, and the fantastic tutorials I used.

I did find some knit, at Hancock of all places.  I'm still going to order some Michael Miller stuff, but I wanted to practice on something that isn't $12 a yard.  I love a soft cotton knit blanket for a newborn, and this tutorial was perfect.  I made mine smaller since I want to use it right away, but I'll probably make the next one a little bigger.  And that hat.  Makes me excited to meet this little person!

Next, I wanted to make a soft flannel blanket.  Well, that's a pipe dream.  Couldn't find flannel I loved, so I went with some cotton, with a flannel back.  Still cozy.  This tutorial wasn't too bad.  It took me forever because I've never done mitered corners, but now that I know what I'm doing, these babies will be my go-to baby gift.  Pretty stinking easy.

My first-ever mitered corner.

And that pretty much sums up my Saturday night.  Exciting, I know.