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When I was a little girl, my grandpa used to sing a song to us grandkids that has always been a favorite of mine. The chorus goes:

Let's go riding on a cloud, where the angels play.

Where no teardrops are allowed, throw your cares away.

 

This has been my inspiration for Baby's nursery the last few months....all things clouds, dreams, and wishes. I knew I wanted a mobile that reflected such and turned to Etsy for help. Unfortunately, most of the cloud mobiles ranged from $40-$150. I decided to make my own, and here's how it turned out!

 

(tested it outside on a hanging plant hook because we haven't gotten a hook for the nursery yet...)

Hopefully Little Man will have sweet dreams under his "dreamy" mobile :).

 

 

I'm off to Colorado in the morning for a week of much needed vacation...I'll see you all soon!

Little Man

 

This morning didn't start off quite like we'd hoped. At 9am, my phone rang and I immediately thought it was my doctor's office calling with the results of the glucose bloodwork I had done last Thursday. It turned out to be my doctor, telling me the glucose screening was just fine but my blood count is pretty low. I felt my heart drop. She went on to say that I'm borderline anemic and is starting me on an iron supplement right away. I asked her what this meant for Baby and she assured me that he is just fine, and I will be too. After doing some reading on iron-deficiency during pregnancy this afternoon, it turns out that it's actually quite common in mommas-to-be. I'm feeling much better knowing that our Little Guy is safe and sound and has all the iron he needs to grow. My question for you Mommas out there is: Did you struggle with anemia during pregnancy? Any advice is much appreciated!

 

 

After talking to the doctor, Z and I had an eventful morning consisting of grocery shopping, a storage auction, and lunch at a new burger & shake joint that pretty much blew our socks off. Anytime we can get our hands on sweet potato fries, a juicy burger, and a milkshake, we're happy campers. Happy, gluttonous campers. We then headed to the hospital for Tiny's big ultrasound, which totally made our day. Week, actually. Maybe even month. According to the doctor, he currently weighs 2 lbs. 12 oz. (the average size at 28 weeks is 2 lb. 4 oz.) and is "picture perfect". This news blew the sweet potato fries out of the water. We've waited (semi)patiently for 8 weeks to hear this news, and it feels so good knowing that our Baby is right on track. Answered prayers, my friends.

 

 

A few close-ups:

 

pouty face

Zach thinks he looks like a baby polar bear here. Maybe we could get rich off Coca Cola commericals in a few years??

I usually try to keep posts light-hearted and happy, so I apologize for airing my dirty anemia laundry to you guys. It's just that y'all always have such great advice and are such amazing supporters. Thank you for always leaving the sweetest comments that truly make my day. You guys are the best!

 

 

Hugs,

Britt & Baby

28 Weeks (Third Trimester!)

Third trimester....say whaaa?! Pretty much staring at those words on the computer screen like a deer in headlights. It's shocking, yet wonderfully exciting, to think that we are so close to meeting our Little One. This also puts new stress on this Momma as I begin to think of all the things that need to be done in such a short time. Number one on that list? Soaking up every minute of Baby being inside my belly. Every hiccup, every karate chop, even every lovely bout of heartburn is a reminder of this indescribable time I get to share with our Little Boy. The appointments and to-do list can wait...I'm busy loving this tiny, new life.

 

 

To our Baby Boy:
We've taken you lots of places this past week and you kicked your way right through them all. You especially loved the Journey concert; you played tons of air guitar and seemed to really enjoy Pat Benatar. Good taste in music, Little Man! Never listen to your Dad when he says "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" is a chick song. You really want cheeseburgers and fries these days, and Momma is gladly giving in to your wishes. We are counting down the hours until we get to see you on the big screen for your 4d ultrasound tomorrow. Please flash us a smile! We love you, Tiny.

  

How Far Along: 28 weeks, 2 days

Baby Size: 15 inches, 2 1/4 lbs.

Total Weight Gain: 14-15 lbs.

Maternity Clothes? Mostly dresses and flowy skirts with a few maternity shorts thrown in the mix.

Stretch Marks? No new ones to report!

Sleep: Sleep has been wonderful the past week. Praying it stays that way!

Best moment this week: Feeling Tiny have the hiccups (twice)...such a sweet feeling.

Miss Anything? Vanilla lattes from Starbucks

Movement: Lots, and still loving it

Food Cravings: Anything with ketchup. I didn't crave fried or fast food at ALL the first 26 weeks or so; I would turn down Sonic and Whataburger, which blew Zach's mind. Now the french fry/burger cravings are really starting to kick in. Little Man wants grease.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Not yet

Belly button in or out? Still an innie, barely

Wedding rings on or off? On & loose

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, but moody a time or two this week. Sorry Zach :/

Looking forward to:

1. Baby's big 4d ultrasound tomorrow afternoon. We can't wait to see his sweet face!

2. Going to a storage auction tomorrow morning....Zach is especially pumped. He watches entirely too much Storage Wars.

3. Flying to Colorado on Wednesday to spend a few days with one of my favorite people, Whitney (over at Keeping Up with the Cyperts). We plan on doing some baking and thrift shopping, two of our favorite things. I'm also getting to see my little brother and parents in Colorado Springs for a couple days. I've missed Ryan so much!

 

 

Hope you've all had an amazing weekend! Thanks for reading :)

Concert & Class

 

 Before Baby's first concert...Journey, Loverboy, and Pat Benatar. He enjoyed it and kicked/played air guitar through the whole thing. (officially 28 weeks and in the third trimester!)

 

I drove us through the Micky D's drive-thru at 11:15pm after the concert for a late night salty fix and to drive Zach nuts....
"What do you want, Z?"
"Ummm...I'll take two double cheeseburgers, plain and dry."
"Any way you want it, that's the way you need it."
"Right, so two double cheeseburgers."

"Hoooold on, hooooold on...."
Post-concert I always go a little lyric crazy. That's part of the fun, right? I'll be singing Wheel In the Sky for days. Weeks, probably.

 

Zach went crazy when Journey's lead singer came out wearing a Texas Aggies t-shirt...

image source: http://texags.com/main/forum.reply.asp?topic_id=2136585&forum_id=5

 

 Zach did not go crazy when we rolled into the hospital parking lot at 8:40am this morning for birthing class.

 

But Tiny and I know he's excited :)

Hope you're having a fantastic weekend! I'm off to do a little sewing while Zach plays video games. Aren't Saturdays the best?!

Maternity Style: Spunky

dress:F21, belt:F21, shoes:Converse All Star, bracelets:Glitter

While this is definitely not an outfit I'd wear just any old day, it's fun once in a while to dress out of the box. I feel like pregnancy gives a girl even more freedom to do so, since it's fun to play up the bump and try out new things on your "new" body.

Zach is not a huge fan of these shoes ("You're wearing those with a dress?!"), but Baby and I happen to love them. They're more comfy than most flats or heels, and polka dots just make us happy. Pretty good reasons to bust 'em out, eh?

What do you turn to when you're feeling a little experimental in the fashion department? A wild print? A funky shoe? I'd love to hear!

 

p.s. We're beyond excited to see Journey in concert tonight! Secretly, I'm almost as excited for the nachos and corn dog I plan on scarfing. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Trash to Treasure: Baby's Dresser

 

About a month ago, I was scouring one of our local Goodwills when I came across this lovely hunk o' junk. 

I knew it needed a LOT of TLC, but the potential was totally there to transform it into the perfect dresser/changing table for Baby's room. After tons of sanding, seemingly endless coats of paint, a little knob drama, and a few other minor hiccups along the way...here's the finished product!

 Please excuse the messy garage!

Now if only my Hercules of a husband can find a way to get this bad boy upstairs, we'll be in good shape. I can't wait to get it all fixed up with a changing pad and organize the drawers. In these pictures the gray paint looks more white, but it's actually the same color we used on the nursery walls as seen here.

A small rundown:
blue paint: valspar Filoli Morning Glory
gray paint: valspar Gravity
glass knobs: Hobby Lobby
sealer: Rust-oleum Ultimate Polyurethane, Satin Interior (we swear by this stuff!)


And one more look at the transformation:

A HUGE thank you to my hard-working husband for all his patience on this project. He basically had to rebuild the drawers and replace the entire back of the dresser, all while taking orders from me in the process. What would we do without our sweet men, ladies?


Happy Hump Day!
What projects have you been working on lately?!
 

27 (and a half) Weeks

I'm writing this post a little late, but Momma always taught us better late than never. I wish the library agreed with Momma; apparently they don't see things that way when it comes to returning books as I so wonderfully found out this afternoon. The infamous "pregnancy brain" is definitely getting the best of me.

We worked on a few new projects this weekend that I'm excited to share with you guys upon completion! Zach's actually outside on the table saw right now putting the final touches on Baby's dresser. I, on the other hand, am sitting here catching up on blogs and eating Sour Patch Kids. This is the life.

To our Baby Boy:
Dad is working like crazy to finish all the projects for your nursery; he even painted you something that looks amazing. I think you're going to love it. You've been staying up pretty late these days; you seem to come alive and wanna party around midnight. Does this mean you're going to be a night owl like your mom? You really enjoyed the library today and even helped pick out a few books. I interpreted one kick to mean "keep looking", two for "check it out". Although, thinking about it now, your enthusiasm could have been caused by the large Sonic Blue Coconut Cream Slush I downed on the way to the library. Nah, you're just Mommy's Little Helper. Thanks, Tiny! We sure do love you.

No, that's not a hat I'm sporting, or a furry animal...it's the World's Largest Bun. They weren't kiddin' when they said pregnancy makes for thick hair.

How Far Along: 27 weeks, 3 days

Baby Size: 14 3/4 inches, 2 lbs.

Total Weight Gain: 14 lbs.

Maternity Clothes? Still wearing normal clothes, just not anything that buttons. Couldn't button up a pair of my old britches if I tried (and yes, I have tried).

Stretch Marks? No new ones to report...thank heavens.

Sleep: Sleep has been pretty great the past week. Unfortunately I'm still waking up with a nasty migraine every morning, but I'm going back to the doctor tomorrow to see if we can't tackle this once and for all.

Best moment this week: There aren't any moments that are jumping out...honestly it was just a great week all around.

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my back and belly. So hard to keep from it!

Movement: Still lots, and at random times throughout the day. As Little Man gets stronger, some of the kicks are starting to hurt! I can't imagine what it will feel like in a month or so.

Food Cravings: Milkshakes, sweet potato fries, Taco Bell (strange because I'm normally not a big TB fan)

Anything making you queasy or sick? Had morning sickness one day last week...other than that eating like a champ.

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Not yet

Belly button in or out? Still an innie, barely

Wedding rings on or off? On & loose

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and excited

Looking forward to: So many things we're looking forward to this week!
1. Hearing our Little Man's heartbeat at the doctor on Thursday
2. JOURNEY concert Friday! We're all three pumped for that one.

3. Our birthing classes at the hospital Saturday and Sunday.

4. Seeing Tiny in 4d on Monday! Zach took the whole day off...this is a big occasion. Technically next week, but too exciting not to mention :).

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Auction Hunters

Yesterday evening, Zach and I made a thirty minute trip to the Magnolia Gardens Auction House, the cutest little auction we've ever been to. And let me tell you, my auction-loving husband has taken me to a lot. If you're in the Houston/Woodlands area, I would highly recommend visiting this auction house on a Saturday night. We felt like we'd stepped back in time; there were even complimentary homemade snacks and drinks to devour while you sat back and enjoyed the bidding.

Our original purpose was to bid on a few coins that Zach had his eye on, but they went for a tad bit higher than we had anticipated. When this baby piano made it's sweet appearance, I nudged Zach and our paddle went up immediately. We just couldn't resist. I'm hoping it will make a lovely little addition to the nursery, and luckily the wood almost perfectly matches that of Baby's crib. Score!

We even love the worn, well-played look of the keys. Gives it a touch of character and charm.

The children's chair (an Ikea purchase) was set there simply to show the size of the piano. Isn't it a cutie? The woman sitting next to me at the auction leaned over and said, "We have a baby piano just like that one. Our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren have all loved 'making music' on that thing. I'm sure your little one will, too". What a special piece to pass down through generations.

There's talk of building a small bench for Tiny to sit on while he "plays"...what do you think? Maybe miniature Beethovens prefer to stand?

Happy Sunday, friends! Hope your weekend has been a wonderful one.

Maternity Style: Pearls

pearls:gift from Z, cami:Target, cardi:Target, maternity jeans:thrifted, flats:Antonio Melani via Dillards

For my birthday last month, Zach gave me this beautiful pearl necklace and earrings (which I had hinted for just a few times...he's a good listener). I kept thinking they were only "church appropriate" or fit for an equally fancy occasion, not meant to be paired with jeans and a cardigan. I mean, do you really think when Miley hopped off the plane at LAX she had on a three strand pearl necklace? Doubt it.

All in all, I think it works. Then again, as long as I'm rockin' the baby bump, I'd probably go out in my pearls and PJs.

Do you ever "dress down" your pearls for a relaxed, yet more feminine, look?

This Week...

Baby and I discovered our love for Flatout. Wraps, pizza, breakfast burritos...the possibilities are endless!

We've enjoyed seeing our "pet", Mr. Frog, hang out on the patio every night.

We've devoured our chocolate covered macadamias from my parents' trip to Hawaii. So, so yummy!

They even brought Tiny a snazzy little beach outfit...

and a pineapple piggy bank...and a stuffed sea turtle named Limu. Thank you for all the goodies, Mom and Dad!

I started Julie & Julia, and am loving it so far. I never saw the movie but the book is a great read.

What made you smile this week?!

A Quick Thank You...

almost 27 weeks!

I know I've said it on here many times, but many is simply not enough. So to quote the immortal, semi-frightening Whitesnake, "Here I go again".

To my sweet, sweet husband:

Though you'll likely never read this, it must be said. You have amazed me time and time again the past six months, and in more ways than I could ever begin to type out. Your patience, support, and love for our growing Little Man continue to blow my mind every single day. It hit me really hard yesterday when we were discussing a table to put beside the rocker in Tiny's nursery. When I asked if you could make a "tree trunk table", which I'll admit is a pretty far-fetched thing to ask, you looked at me with the most selfless, loving face and said "Anything you want. If you want it, I'll find a way to make it". In that moment, I realized just how much you care for Baby and me. We are beyond blessed to have you in our lives, and I pray that you know just how much we love you, too.

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And, just in case any of you were wondering, Z came home from work today with a tree trunk in the bed of his truck. I didn't ask any questions....but I am one happy, lucky Momma.

World's Easiest Cherry Cobbler

Last month, I was scrolling through Blogger when I saw this post on my friend Sarah's blog, gracefully made. I knew immediately that Tiny and I had to have this cobbler in our bellies. It took me a month to get around to making it...apparently pregnancy makes you a little lazy. When I say 'you', I mean me. But alas, the cobbler was made and it was delicious. I'm talking melt in your mouth, tickle your taste buds, make-you-go-back-for-thirds kind of delicious. And the best part? It's the easiest dessert you'll ever make. For real. Hope this is one you'll all whip up; you'll be glad you did!

 

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 can fruit filling of your choice
2 sticks butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grab a pie dish or 9x13 pan and pour filling into the bottom. Cover the fruit with a thick layer of yellow cake mix (we are crust lovers, so I used almost the entire box...a little over 2/3 of it). Melt sticks of butter in microwave and drizzle over top of cake mix. Bake 40-45 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream!
(recipe adapted from gracefully made)

Happy baking, friends!