Baby's Nursery - Before Baby

After a successful trip to Ikea this last weekend I was able to pick up some of the final pieces of the Baby's nursery including white shelves, picture frames, and book shelves.  I also picked up a few drawer dividers for the Baby's small clothes.  I'm sure once the Baby is here the room will change but for now here is our little Baby's room!

Best Husband

I realize that I waited a long time and didn't settle.  Some how I knew there was a reason and something gave me hope.  I needed to find the perfect one.  Nick is the BEST husband hands down.  He is perfect for me in everyway.  More than I ever even imagined.  If there was a challenge called 'Best husband', I would enter it and I would win.  I'm sure of it.  As sure as I am that Nick is the perfect, best husband in the universe.  This past weekend he made two breakfasts', two dinners, snacks to munch on in between.  While I was shopping ALL day in Chicago he dusted, did all the laundry (including hanging my stuff up!), and changed the sheets.  He even cleaned out my monster hair ball thing out of the shower drain!  I never asked him to do any of this.  He win's the Best Husband award.  For sure.  I love him so much!

TGIF

This week has been a long one.  I don't know if it's just waiting for the baby to come, or just the normal long work week that we all wish would end.  Well it's finally Friday.  Today I go to the Dr.  Not my Dr. but someone filling in for my Dr. while she takes care of a family emergency.  I'm glad I go today because I have been feeling funny.  I've had the feeling for a few days now that the baby is going to come soon.  This morning it was harder to breathe, stomach a little tight, and slightly crampy.  I'm also uncomfortable especially after I noticed stretch marks on my back :(  Nick said he would take them if he could.  I really wish he could. 

Today Nick has a well deserved day off of work and is golfing in a charity golf outing.  We golfed it last year and I remember it rained - today looks like clear skies.  So now that I'm having some pre-labor symptoms I'm relieved that we got so much done in the nursery this week.  We got the recliner, which is so amazingly comfortable.  My sister and aunt got this for us.  I love it.  We also made the crib bed skirt.  I will post pics soon of the finished room.  Tomorrow I'm going to Ikea with my Mom, sister, Jellie, and my good friend Kim.  After this trip we should be able to finish the room up and take some final pictures!  Anyway, TGIF and let's hope the baby stays in my tummy a bit longer.  I still have to pack my bag for the hospital - mamma is not ready yet!

34 Weeks - My little cantaloupe

The baby has bulked up like the average cantaloupe!!  Weighing about 4 3/4 pounds and almost 18 inches from head to heel.  I am in the safe zone and because of this, me and Baby won't have to do any internal ultrasounds, drawing blood or swipes of glue this Friday when we see the Dr.  I'll do the normal pee in the cup and she'll measure my belly!  Should be quick and easy just like the delivery :)

Fun-filled weekend!



Friday we celebrated Ellie's 3rd birthday.  We went to Lannon Quarry Park during the day and in the evening had pizza, cake, and ice cream (me and Ellie's fav)!  She received so many gifts, almost all were Hello Kitty.  Nick and I tried to count but after 20 we couldn't any more.  It was a lot of fun though! 



Ellie and I waiting for
GiGi and BaBa before the park!



Sunday, Nick's family had a baby shower for us.  His sister-in-laws threw the shower and we got so many nice things!  Now that all the showers are over I plan on going shopping this week to get the rest of the things we'll need for our little baby.  I will have to take Heidi with me because I don't know what else we need.  Right now I'm focused on the temperature thing for the room, baby laundry detergent, and the stroller.  Time seems to be slipping away from me all of a sudden.  I wonder if other Mom's feel the way I do.  At this point I'm super excited to meet the baby but just want to enjoy this for a little longer.  The baby is so quiet in my tummy, keeps me warm and keeps me company.  I will miss this time so I'm going to enjoy it as much as possible.  Stretch marks and all!  :)



Ellie is THREE!

Ellie is three on 7/20.  My little niece has grown up so fast and has taught me so much.  Before Ellie, I had no idea what it was really like to take care of a baby.  Besides learning the basics of bottles, diapers, and nap time, Ellie has taught me many things.  How to play in the jungle gym, the importance of Hello Kitty, splashing in water can be fun, and some Japanese words to name a few things she has taught me.  As I prepare in becoming a Mamma soon, I will always be grateful to my sister and niece for teaching me how to be a Mom and what it likes to feel like a kid again.  Happy Birthday Elliana, your Auntie LOVES YOU!

Ellie - 7.5 months old. 
We're at Fazoli's and Ellie was learning how to sit up!

One of several pics I would get from Ellie's Mamma!
I probably bought her those pj's :)

Ellie teaching me how to use my iPhone, she's so smart!

Wedding Album

We finally got our Wedding Album from shutterfly.com.  It took me about 2 weeks to put it together and about 2 weeks to figure out how to post it here.  I LOVE it and hope you like it too.

tip: it could take a few moments to load, but once it is all loaded, view in 'Full Screen'.

http://nickandwendicoraggioweddingalbum.shutterfly.com/pictures/8

Refinished Dresser

My amazing husband completed the Baby's dresser this weekend.  This dresser was a piece of furniture that his parents bought him a long time ago.  When Nick moved in with me, we decided to store it at my parent's house in my old bedroom.  Who would've thought just 1 1/2 years later that it would be refinished, painted green and put into our Baby's room!  I LOVE it.  You can't see from the pictures but he wrote a personal note to the baby written inside the dresser.  Just when I think he's stolen my heart he does it again.  He worked so hard on this and it shows.  Me and Baby are so proud and can't wait to begin filling up the drawers!

Hardware taken off

Sanded

Sanded again and again

Nooks and crannies Sanded

Primer coat ONE

Primer coat TWO

Quaking Grass, aka light green -
Two coats with Polycrylic for final finish

Lot's of drawers for Baby stuff :)

Completed in Baby's room!

Pretty green knobs from Target

32 Weeks

I knew from my sister's pregnancies that a woman is actually pregnant for 40 weeks or roughly 10 months.  Now that I am 8 months into my pregnancy I really am wondering why everyone say's 9 months?  Why wouldn't it be rounded up to 10 months to give the mother some credit.  I'll have to google that one. 

So now the baby weighs 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in my uterus!  No wonder I am getting heartburn and short of breath lately. But the cool thing is, the baby now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair. The baby's skin is becoming soft and smooth as he/she plumps up in preparation for birth.  How exciting!  I wonder how this is all going to turn out.  I'm nervous but it can't be that bad if woman continue to have babies.  Recently a co-worker and a friend of mine just had their babies.  And with Kourtney and Jessica also recently giving birth I know I can do this :)  What choice do I have anyway?  I am very excited!  So to get an idea of the size of the baby it can be compared to a large jicama.  I'm not even sure what a jicama is, lol!  I'll have to google that one too :)

4th of July

What a great, long weekend!  Being off since last Wednesday only made it harder to come to work today, but the time off was awesome! There's other reasons I'd rather not be back to work too.  Along with going through 'Nick-withdrawals' and 'Jellie-withdrawals' it has been difficult to get motivated.  I'm not only working really hard at being a good pregnant mamma but I'm also working really hard at changing my environments (yes, that is plural).  I know it can't happen over night but soon we'll be in a different home and I'll be traveling somewhere different Monday thru Friday.  I'm excited about change, I always have been.  For the majority of the time, I enjoy living in the moment.  Here are some great moments from the weekend.



The first pic of Ellie prompted a trip to Wal-Mart for another kiddie pool.  Nick ended up using it for his feet. Lucy & Meeko also used it to keep cool!  With the hot weather and kiddie pools I got excited and squeezed into my old swimsuit - needless to say I didn’t wear it but did laugh hysterically!  Thought you all would enjoy a good laugh too!

My favorites - Ellie & Jack! 

Nick took me and baby to Summerfest.  He is the best husband!

   We got the appetizer platter from Saz's, not to mention a lot of other food!

Somersaults waking me up!

At 31 weeks this week, me and baby are doing very well!  Last week's doctor appointment was a little scary.  I was there on Wednesday for my normal check-up and she asked me to come in the following day to get a Preterm labor test called Fetal Fibronectin which tests the 'glue' and is able to tell if I were to go into labor in the next two weeks.  Luckily this came back negative however the Doctor still asked that I don't lift anything heavier than 10 lbs and that I take it easy.  'Taking it easy' has become do-able in the last month but not lifting anything heavier than 10 lbs isn't so easy.  My Jellie's (Ellie and Jack) weigh more than that so it kinda bummed me out that I can't lift my niece and nephew.  But it is temporary just like the cellulite and stretch marks that have recently appeared.  Also what I've realized is just temporary is the pinched nerve in my back as well as this little acrobat I have in my tummy!  The baby is moving A LOT.  Somersaults and kicks mostly.  Occasionally I do think the baby uses my bladder as a punching bag but it's ok, as my sister say's "It only gets worse"....lol!  Friday I had to take the 3-hr glucose test (results pending) and finally celebrated my Mom's birthday with dinner and ice cream! 

With all the doctor drama last week I realized we need to get going on the baby's room!  Nick worked so hard all weekend on the dresser and has put the first coat of primer on.  Can't wait to pick out the color but this will be a little stressful.  Please submit any suggestions!  Saturday we took a trip to Ikea and got some much needed baby room items - picture frames, cubbies, shelves, curtain rod, etc.  Heidi came over yesterday and helped me with the picture frames.  I can't wait to show you all but I'll wait until we get a little further.  Here is a picture of me and half of Jellie :)  She is always playing with my camera phone!