Not A Peep

Even though I don't have a nursery, I'm still decorating corners of our apartment. As we accumulate baby items, the apartment does seem to be getting smaller and smaller, which is stressing me out. We're still not sure if we will move in December when our lease is up to a 2 bedroom, or bite the bullet and save money by staying in a 1 bedroom. I think for my sanity I need the extra bedroom, but we'll see.

LOVE the crib bedding my Mom bought from Land of Nod.

Hand me down crib from my sister. 

Pre-washing all our our cloth diapers. Alex thoroughly enjoyed this...weird, but I'm thankful. 

Time to shop

Loving this super comfy maternity dress from Old Navy (only $20). As much I enjoy stretchy waistbands, I am beyond ready to do some real shopping. All I want for my birthday and Christmas are gift cards! Mama needs a new wardrobe : )

I'm wondering how long it will take me to get back in to my pre-pregnancy jeans. I bought a super tight pair of bell bottoms right before I got pregnant, so I might have to hang those on the wall for motivation.

32 Weeks

"Get in my belly!!!", actually it's rather the opposite when it comes to the baby, but I find myself saying that a phrase a lot. It's usually when I'm talking to my food. I've been dreaming about 1/2 Coke 1/2 Cherry Icee's constantly, and I don't think I've gone a week without having one the past few months. Terrible? Yes. Amazing? Yes.

This baby is almost 4 lbs and 17 inches long. I am definitely beginning to feel the effects of pregnancy. Mainly a stiff back in the morning and tired/swollen feet at the end of my work day, but I'm not complaining! I'm ready to be the big lady waddling to and from...that just means I'm closer to meeting my future child. Wow...I'm going to have a kid, that's weird. I hope he's ready for one crazy Mom & Dad.

Bullet Points

 I've lost all ability to write at the moment so I'll just use bullet points to explain my weekend.

Saturday

- Early morning walk & weight lifting 

- Had an AMAZING prenatal massage (scored an awesome Yelp deal for a $35 hour long massage)

- Ate Philly cheesesteaks downtown at Phatso's food truck (great food but worst idea ever on a HOT afternoon)

- Met up w/my Dad and his music buddies for dinner

- Celebrated my bro's 32nd birthday at the Volstead Lounge

Sunday

- Attended Austin Stone's early service @9:15 (Feels so much better to have those few extra hours on Sunday)

- Cleaned the apartment/washed clothes

- Found the perfect flowy dress at JcPenney for my maternity shoot (I was trying to find Alex a shirt, but came back with something for me instead...sorry Alex)

- Ate dinner at our favorite Greek restaurant, Zorba's (used another Yelp Deal - $10 for $20 worth of food) 

- Worked on a DIY Mobile for Turner's room (aka our living room). I don't know what has gotten in to me, but I'm actually enjoying crafting.

Alex actually enjoyed crafting as well

32 week belly (Old Navy Maternity Dress)

Cloth Diapers

Well, we have decided to use cloth diapers.  Honestly not my decision, but Alex was all about it so I went with it.  They seem like a bit of a hassle, but they are super cute. Our decision was purely based on saving money, but I guess helping the environment out is a plus as well : ) Here's the breakdown of the costs/savings.

Disposable Diapers:

A baby will go through about $2,000 worth of basic diapers in 2 years, and up to $4,000 depending on the brand.

Cloth Diapers:

We will have bought the following by the time Turner arrives. 

24 BumGenius 4.0 diapers ($18 x 24 = $432)

24 OsoCozy Pre-Folds ($44)

3 Thirsties Water Proof Covers ($13 x 3 = $39)

2 Snappis ($6)

All of the above will cost us a total of $521. You also must account in the costs for the numerous wash loads.  Our hope is that most of these diapers will last for our future children as well. 

We plan on using the pre-folds with the water proof covers when Turner is a newborn, and switching over to the all-in-one cloth diapers after a month or so. Honestly, we have no idea what we're doing, but we're ok with that. We're going take it one day at a time, and see what works best for us. We will still have to buy disposables for when Turner goes to daycare.

Bought Turner his first stuffed animal. I imagine it being drug around, ripped apart, sewn back together, and maybe even have a nick name such as BoBo...at least that's what I came up with.  Maybe this will be the toy Turner sleeps with until his girlfriend makes fun of him.

Alex practicing his cloth diapering skills. I don't mind giving him diaper duty : )

If you have a baby, do you use cloth diapers? If so, any advice? 

All Dressed Up

I fell in LOVE with this dress 4 years ago at St. Vincent's thrift store in Abilene. At the time it was part of their Rent Only costume section . Ugh, so frustrating. St. Vincent's had hundreds of amazing costumes and dresses, and I was extremely depressed I couldn't buy any.  One day, I walked in and saw that all the rentals were finally for SALE! I went crazy and bought a ton of vintage pieces, and this was my top pick.  It didn't fit, had a torn zipper, but I absolutely loved it and still do to this day.   

Last night I was playing dress up in my closet, since I'm trying to figure out what I want to wear for my maternity shoot in a few weeks and this beauty popped out! I put it on and gracefully danced in to my bedroom where Alex was. His reaction..."You're crazy." When Alex doesn't like my outfits, especially my awesome vintage pieces, I usually reply with; "You have no style, Alex. Be quiet." Might be a bit harsh, but he just laughs at me. 

I would totally wear this for the shoot, but the only problem is the color of the dress is almost the exact color of my skin.  I am pale as it is, so this color really washes me out. However, it is such a whimsical dress that could inspire an awesome photo shoot. Any takers?!

Port A Weekend

Alex and I took a short trip to the beach this weekend with my sister/bro-in-law and my nieces.  We went mainly so Alex could go fishing, but for the second year in a row he caught absolutely nothing ; ) Even though we were just a 10 min walk from the beach, we actually never stepped foot on it.  Kind of sad that I had no desire to go, but I'm just not in to the sand sometimes.  All 8 of us stayed in an RV, and boy did I learn quick that I do not want 4 kids (3 is now pushing it).  I love my nieces to death, but they are a lot of work! Not the most relaxing weekend, but always worthwhile when I get see family.

2010

2011

30 Weeks

 Finally hitting the weeks that start with 3 is very exciting!  I had a midwife appointment yesterday, and everything is going great. Turner's heartbeat is strong, I've gained 18 lbs, and my glucose test came back good.  Alex and I finished our birthing class, and I still feel like I have no idea what's to come.  Although, I refuse to watch birthing videos. I'm sorry, but I get way too grossed out. I try to imagine what I'm going to be like during labor, and what it will feel like, and in the end I just tell myself, "You can do it! Don't worry about it." Any advice on what to expect?

I've become a bit anxious about not having a nursery for Turner when he arrives, but I'm just going to have to deal with it. I just wish I had a place to set up all the cute stuff he's gotten. Our lease is up in December, so until then we will be nice and cozy in our 1 bedroom apartment.

Spice up your life

Weekends are too short, they always fly by way too quickly. Friday, I hung out with friends downtown and watched everyone enjoy many beers while I drank water like a champ. Saturday, I worked an Austin Fashion Week event at Langford Market, and Sunday I completed a bunch of projects around my apartment that I needed to get done (clean out the storage closet, take a load of junk to Goodwill, finish a yarn letter for Turner's future nursery, etc.).

I spent way too much time working on this, but I love it. 

 Sunday night ended perfectly with two words...SPICE GIRLS! Watching the Spice Girls perform at the Olympic's closing ceremony completed my weekend. I ran straight to the TV and sat indian style like a small child the entire performance taking pictures and video on my phone. My favorite was always a toss up between Sporty & Scary Spice. I'm sure if you're reading this blog, you loved the Spice Girls too ; ) Who was your favorite? 

Fashion For Less

After stopping in Old Navy the other day, I was pleasantly surprised by all of the amazing prints they had in stock. They may not have the highest quality clothing, but a woman on a budget can appreciate the prices and cuteness. It can be a struggle to find "fashionable" clothing that doesn't cost an arm and a leg (uh hum...Jcrew). Every item below is under $40. Where do you shop when you're on a budget?

Old Navy by jessecoulter featuring a leopard shirt

To Buy or Not To Buy?

I'm 30 weeks today, and finally starting to show to the point where I know people don't think I'm packing a beer belly. Shoe tying has become a bit difficult, but I haven't made Alex paint my toenails or shave my legs yet (but seriously, does that really happen?) I tried this dress on last weekend at Old Navy and fell in love. It's a size small but super stretchy, so I love the fact that I could still wear it post pregnancy. However, I had to decide between my yellow flats or this. I'm really contemplating going back to get it ($25). What would you do? 

Productive Weekend

Spent another quiet weekend here in Austin. Nothing too big happened just spent some time with my parents, watched the olympics, worked on some baby projects, and finally ventured out on Sunday to the grocery store. Here are a few pics to sum up our weekend.

Dinner at Apple on Friday Night (Alex is working over time to save for baby)...Grilled cheese & Queso fries.
Yep, I love cheese and bread.

(Old Navy Flats - $20) Saw these a week ago, and couldn't get my mind off of them.
Much cheaper than the Jcrew ballet flats I've been wanting.

Added my sis's hand me down changing table to our bedroom, and purchased these wire
baskets I've been eyeing at Crate & Barrel.

I'm obsessed w/the paper mache letters @ Joann Fabrics.
I will be crafting with these soon.

My Dad (far right) came to Austin to pick w/his old buddies.

Love-Hate Relationship

Anyone else tired of the sheer clothing fad? I pretty much don't buy anything that I have to wear a shirt underneath. Recently though I've been drawn to maxi dresses due to their stretch and coolness in the summer. The problem is most of them have very thin fabric, and I've had to purchase a full slip to wear underneath.  I fell in love with my silk slip until I stood in the sun for 5 minutes. 

Dress: Gap Maternity. Cardigan: Jcrew Outlet. Belt: Thrifted. Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters

Turning 2

This past weekend was all about one little girl, Miss Ella Ray. She turned 2, and we celebrated with cupcakes, playing in the dirt, and a ton of presents. I'm already the boring Aunt that gave her clothes, but she needed them and they were super cute. My mom's gift however, a Disney Princess bicycle, kicked my gift to the curb. 

Sister got Pinterest crazy and made this as well as 3 recipes for the party.
Maybe I'll make use of all my pins one day, probably not.

Got my hair did....VERY short in the back. Alex said he feels like he's
hugging a boy when he's the big spoon ; )