Nursery!

Bridgett came up Tuesday afternoon and we were able to get the "fun" paintings started in the nursery. Here's another sneak peek! I won't be able to show the finished product until baby is here since the name will be incorporated. If you haven't heard, we have finally decided on the name!! BUT...we're not telling! I know how annoyed I've probably been when people knew and didn't tell but I guess I'm trying to see how long I can keep a secret. :-)

The nursery is still in disarray until I can get the name/initial done, as well as some finishing touches--hanging a shelf, decorating, etc. I have been to Hobby Lobby 2ce in the last 2 weeks and managed to find plenty of cute stuff each time. :) Girl stuff is so cute!! I've never been a 'pink' girl but the room has kind of turned out more pink than anything else but I am loving it! I originally planned on a few different items in green from Pottery Barn but ended up with the pink bins, which I love, pink curtains, pink shag rug, the list goes on. And I do love the brown furniture. My mom also gave us a chandelier that will be hung - thank you Travis! - with some really cute green beads to drape on it.

This was Bridgett's project. It is sooooooo cute! I love it!! The baby's name will go inside the oval/frame with a cute little butterfly. The changing table will go under this design.

My project is the one you see me painting above. Both ideas courtesy of Pottery Barn. :) Why recreate the wheel, right? My mom and I browsed the magazine and I think she actually found the ideas. The first letter of baby's name will go inside the big circular shaped design in the middle with a kind of modern leafy design around it. I knew I'd be way too anal to do the little swirls on the right and left side just by hand, so I bought stencil paper and drew the design, then cut it out with an xacto knife so they'd be the same. Way easier anyway! Duh!

The crib will go against this wall under the design.

I haven't quite decided what I'll do about people that might come to our house before baby because there's no way I'll wait until the baby is here to finalize the paintings. Hmmmm...any thoughts? (uh, besides just tell!). I guess we'll need to invest in a padlock! hehe!!

I am feeling a lot better about the projects at least being started. It won't take me long to finish. With 24 days to go, I am freaking out a little about school. Luckily I go to 1/2 days in about 12 days so hopefully I can get things done then! AND I have a great sub lined up who is already offering to take things down for me and prepare for the end of the year. And I'm really not stressing too much. Whatever happens, happens!! You can't plan it all!

I'm sick...of being sick!

Well, I am finally feeling among the living again! I woke up at 4am Sunday morning vomiting and continued to vomit and have diarreah (yeah, TMI, sorry!) pretty much all day Sunday, as well as a low grade fever. I had a scheduled dr. appointment today anyway so since I called in sick, I was able to move my appointment up to 10am instead of 2:45. I was just concerned that everything was ok but it all checked out fine! I lost 3 lbs since last Monday but baby is measuring just fine. They went ahead and hooked me up to the fetal monitor to evaluate the heartbeat. Her heartbeat is just fine! I felt lots of movement in that time, too. It also monitors contractions and apparently I had 2 while I was on it! I had no idea...meaning that nothing is going on. My dr. will check me next week to see if I'm dilated, etc.

I plan to go to work tomorrow (heading to bed as soon as I finish this post!). No more nausea, just a little tired and weak but I've been able to actually eat a little, though not much of an appetite. I am taking the afternoon off Tuesday for my sister to come up and help me work on painting/decorating in the nursery and it should be ready to go!

Also, come to find out, there were about 15-20 people from Fairview (my 2nd school) that had flu-like symptoms and we had a luncheon there last Thursday so we might have all had food poisoning! I am not sure how long it takes for symptoms to occur, etc, but it is definitely a coincidence that a bunch of us were sick!

I will say that being able to rest and be off my feet for a full 2 days was awesome! My ankles were swollen Saturday night and no swelling right now!! Whohoo! I know it'll come back but at least I'm going to work 1/2 days soon so hopefully that will help. I even noticed that my spider veins were way less noticable! Dang teaching! :)

Happy Birthday Travis!

Today is Travis's 27th birthday. Happy Birthday Honey!

We celebrated by going to Schaumburg on Friday night to his FAVE place--Texas de Brazil. He has been signing up for all kinds of email birthday deals so we got a buy one get one free dinner there (and you need it b/c it's not cheap!!). It's the Brazilian Steakhouse we went to over Valentine's weekend. Once again, Travis' card pretty much remained on green, while I was smart and turned mine to red before I was too miserable. It is delicious though! We joked that he had a meat hangover!! He even got a complimentary dessert, which we had for breakfast. Yum! We stayed all night and did some light shopping the next day. (I got a shirt at Pea in the Pod maternity store - Happy Birthday Travis, huh?). It was nice. Then I put him to work the rest of the weekend moving some things around in my office to make room for the pack n'play. We also put the car seat/base in my car so it's ready to go! That proved to be quite the task for us first timers. :) It wasn't that it was hard but we (ok, or should I say Travis...I was the lovely assistant sitting in the backseat) had to redo it a couple times to make sure it was tight enough and then check to see that the little window on the side was 'only showing blue.' I'll probably have someone check it JUST to make sure. My friend Casey (with the law enforcement background) said we can even go to the police station to have it checked.

We went to Portillo's for lunch. They have the best chili dogs!

Only 4 1/2 weeks to go. I had a dr. appt. today and all is still going right on track.

We're off now to Springfield to have dinner with Trav's family at Darcy's Pub--for some yummy horseshoes! (though I am going to have to eat now before I starve!).

OK, so we thought this sign was funny! You actually had to turn left and then another right so maybe technically this sign is correct, if you have the ability to walk through walls. :)

I'm a dork!

So, the following pictures/posts are backwards. Feel free to read the 'Showers' post first and then scroll up. I ALWAYS forget when you do multiple posts, that is how they post. I think I need to have Katie show me how to put more than one collage in a single post so I don't have to do it that way! :)

Enjoy!

Shower Pictures

It was great to see all of my friends from back home and family.
Clockwise from top/left:
Me and Kristy--best friends since High School
All the Bettis Babes!
Me, Anne, Julz and Jaime--best friends and college roomies! Go 224 N. Ward!
Bridgett, me, Megan--"cousin" (in law), and Megan's little one, Reddington
Me and Amy--we went to high school together but she was in my sister Tammy's class. We became friends during our time at good 'ol Spoon River Community College. :)

Shower Pictures

Since college, we've had a plastic rat that we used for pranks and now it gets passed around for misc. occasions. I actually think I have 2!!!!!! Hence, the rat in the pictures below. :)

Shower Pictures

My Grandma also made the cookies.

Olivia got a new puppy--Marley. She is soooo cute!!

Showers

I am going a little out of order with my posts but I am waiting to get the pictures from the shower that Travis' office threw us. They all went together and were able to get us our carseat/stroller, pack n' play, AND a gift card to Target. Whohoo! I really want to post the pictures because the decorations were awesome. One of Travis' co-workers MADE and decorated THREE cakes! I was blown away! They matched the butterfly themed plates, etc.

This is the cake she made especially for Travis and I to bring home. Yum!

I had my last baby shower on Saturday. It was technically given by my sister Bridgett and best friend Anne. They did a great job! Thanks to everyone else that helped, though: Megan for bringing the veggie tray, Mom for all of your help, Jaime for bringing the gifts for the games, Julz for helping set up, Anne's mom for making the diaper cake (so cute!) and Grandma B. for making the AWESOME cake. It means a lot that my Grandma took the time to BAKE AND DECORATE a cake for my shower. If you've kept up on my blog, you might remember that my Grandma has been making cakes on the side for family, etc. since we were little and I love them!

The shower was at Bridgett's house and turned out perfectly. It was a fun and relaxing atmosphere, though I think I opened gifts for almost 2 hours??? :) Thanks everyone! I loved all of the decorations. Anne had the great idea to print out baby pictures of me and Travis and hung them up around the house. I've heard time and time again that I wasn't the happiest baby and Travis, who has had the nickname "Smiley" forever, was a much happier baby. Everyone commented on how he hasn't changed a bit! Hopefully Baby C. will take after him in that department. :) I would prove it in pictures but I can't get the scanned pics to upload.

For one of the games, I had to sculpt misc. baby items with play-doh and the guests had to guess what they were. Pretty fun!

One of the gift tables. We were able to use the flowers again from my Bloomington shower. So cute!

Isabelle (3rd grade), drew this picture of me. Notice the 'baby' in my tummy. Love it!

Olivia (4 years) drew this picture. I assume it was inspired by Isabelle's. :) As Olivia described it, my arms are up in the air and my mouth is open saying "Hooray!" and the person up in the air to the right is God. Awwwwwww!

Go Cubbies!

(not sure what is up with the weird, cheesy smile...but anyway!)

It's the opening day of baseball so I decided I'd wear my "Lil Cubs Fan on the Way" shirt to school today. I don't think I'll be able to wear it much longer! Plus, I was just looking for an excuse to be comfortable. My tennis shoes are my new best friend and I'm less concerned lately with being 'cute' and 'stylish' and am most concerned about being comfy!

I'm excited this is a short week--only 2 more days to go! I have a busy week, though. Tomorrow is already Tuesday--after school I have an art lesson and then a hair appointment, and Wednesday I'll be spending it with Travis and packing, I'm sure. I might even try to squeeze in a shopping trip so I can get something cute to wear to my shower this weekend. I plan to go home on Thursday night and hang with my sister, Mom and Anne before my shower on Saturday. Can't wait! Julie is also coming into town so I'm excited to see her, as well as Jaime! I wish I could see them all EVERY DAY!! I love it here but I miss them and always wish we were all closer in distance.

Travis' office had a baby shower for us last Friday afternoon. It was AWESOME! Look for that post soon!