Summertime...

If you know me at all - you know that I'm not really a hot weather kind of gal. I love snow...I love big heavy sweaters...I LOVE winter hats (my collection is near 20 now!). So, needless to say, I'm not always thrilled to have the summer arrive. Of course, when I was young I loved the fact that I didn't have school, loved the County Fair (yes I'm from a 4-H background...get over it), and loved being involved in everything that summer brought with it. However, in my older years - I've learned to appreciate summer for the adult highlights - having a beer/margarita at BBQ's or on restaurant outdoor patios, being on stage in various productions at my theater, hosting a seriously awesome 3rd of July party every year in my backyard, etc.

I have to admit this year I've been a bit of a Debbie Downer. Little Boogie is not allowing me to partake in the things that made summer tolerable for me. I get wiped out in the heat fairly easily, I can't go for drinks without being a little sad that I can't have one with everyone else, and we passed the torch on our 3rd of July party to Evan and his roommates. Add that to the fact that my theater (though re-opening VERY soon in Geneva) was closed this summer, even though my sleeping habits would not have lent themselves to a rehearsal schedule anyways! (I get did to act at our murder mystery fundraiser dinners last weekend, so that scratched a bit of my itch!).

I realized my poor attitude on the matter when talking about "enjoying my summer" with my outdoor sales rep on the phone a bit ago. He was talking about street fests, Lollapolooza and tons of beers - and I simply just said "I'm pregnant". That's not a good attitude at all! I realized that summers, especially this summer - have brought some amazing things...and I love them all:
-Getting Dairy Queen treats on a bi-weekly basis (lay off I'm pregnant)
-Taking walks outside with a moderately behaved Penny
-A visit from my sister and too-cute nephew
-Heading to Florida with my mom for Sarah's wedding
-Getting not one, but two visits from my BFF sister-in-law Stephanie
-Sharing excitement with my future sister-in-law Marcy over her wedding plans
-Cheering on Rambone softball at the games that aren't too late in the evening
And perhaps the best thing of all:
-Feeling Boogie kicking for the first time, and now every day

So, no, I still don't love summer - but it's been a pretty great one this year if you think about it...

Boogie

I've mentioned that Dain is no longer okay with anyone calling his son Petunia. So, I'm trying not to do that anymore! However, we needed something to call the little person that is continually growing inside of me - and kicking me all day long! So, my mom randomly asked my 3 1/2 year old nephew what we should call this baby in my tummy, and he was dead serious in suggesting "Boogie".
It's a winner. From now on - we will refer to him as Boogie. Embrace it.
Thank you Adam!

Winners

We finally have a winner! Dain and I have finally made a decision on something serious...the nursery furniture. This whole process is such a...well, PROCESS when you have to compromise on literally every decision. But, we finally realized it was time to get some things decided, starting with furniture. We looked again at the JC Penney furniture - but something just wasn't right to me. I wasn't about to go back to Babies R Us to look around (see my previous blog on that nightmare). SO - I just started pulling options from online again - and it all has always gone back to the first crib I liked, that I posted in one of my opinion requests. So, we're going with it.
We're going to go with the dresser that matches. It's a little more than we thought we'd spend, but it's real wood, and not that pressboard with the cardboard bottoms that all our other furniture seems to be...so we're thrilled.
I am not thrilled with the changing table that goes with this set (plus it's ridiculously expensive) - so I'm finding out if my dad can build me a simple stand/table that I can put those baskets in. I think it will work a lot better for our intents and purposes, and I'd really like it if I could have something my dad made in the room. Here's a photo of one I like that I sent him to see if it's even a possibility.

FINALLY! Decisions are being made!

Go Green!

So - we MAY have reached a compromise!

I was sitting and thinking..."how will I possibly find a way to: compromise with Dain, still incorporate a handmade quilt, be able to put my creativity to use, and be happy with a room all at once"?? Then it hit me! Everything we liked as an idea, and a lot of things we both enjoy are GREEN or can be associated with green. SO - the green room has been born! (Plus, the backstage area where actors get ready for a show is called the Green Room as well - PERFECTION).

Picture this: I'm having the woman restart a new quilt in all shades of green. It will be fantastic! Then, my mom will make the bumper and skirt (you will, won't you mom?) in a shade of green. We'll paint the walls greens (I'm thinking stripes!!). AND THEN, I plan to make small canvases with simple black outlines of "green things" with a green water-wash over them, and hang them all together to make cool art. Some of the green things are: a tree, a DINOSAUR, a baseball diamond, PETER PAN, peas, a recycling symbol, a CRAYON, a frog (Kermit?), etc. etc. etc. I'm excited - so if you don't like this idea...don't come over :)

Florida

So I'm FINALLY getting to my Florida trip! Almost 2 weeks ago, my mom and I headed off to the panhandle of FL for my friend Sarah's wedding. (For those of you who remember my wedding, she was the MOH).
It was going to be exciting from the get-go. My mom and I are probably two of the world's worst flyers...and we were going on a regional jet (the only plane that went direct from Chicago to Fort Walton Beach). This little guy held about 45 people - one seat on one side and two on the other. It was small - and I couldn't get drunk OR be medicated before boarding! Luckily, my mom held it together - and I did well. We jumped on that Friday morning and arrived in HOT HUMID Florida that afternoon.
My mom and I wanted to stay someplace homey and quaint (two things that do not sit well with my husband or dad) so we booked a stay at a little B&B - Sugarbeach Inn. Super cute place with a super nice owner.
Once we got our things in the room, we headed out to the rehearsal dinner. Here's a photo of us with the SUPER TAN bride! (I had just chopped off 6 1/2 inches of my hair - and pay no attention to how yucko I look after a day of plane-ing). The views that night from the rehearsal dinner location were amazing!
The next day we got up early and had the wonderful breakfast at the B&B. The cook was so nice, and she was even referring to Eve by the 2nd day (although this is when we thought he was a she!). Afterwards we walked down the path to the gorgeous beach. SUPER white sand and clear water. It was a bit rainy and stormy so we couldn't stay long.
Then we had some free time. It was nice. We visited Sarah's family's rented beach house to see the girl's getting ready and had a bit of lunch. Then we headed out to some of the cute local shops. What a fun area up there. Everything is local, and boutiquey.
That evening we headed out to the State park where the wedding was held. It was POURING rain - so the outdoor wedding idea was scratched and it was moved into this adorable pavillion. It ended up beautiful, as it was screened in, and the trees were in the background.
It cleared up in time for them to get photos outside. Here's me and the ultra-gorgeous bride! I was obsessed with a tree on the grounds of this park - it looked like 6 trunks grew together.
They had a beautiful tent outside the pavillion with the dance floor and lights. It was so much fun. I had a bunch of pictures - but my favorite is the dark one that turned out fuzzy!
The next morning we got up - finished a few shopping errands that we wanted to do, went to a picnic lunch in the park with the wedding people - and headed out!

All in all - a great trip - my mom and I both had a great time. It was hot and humid as ALL get out...but we loved getting away...and I was so glad I could be there for Sarah's big day.

Decisions, Decisions

Well - now that SHE is a HE - we went back to the drawing board with the decor decisions...

It was nice when the baby was still thought of as a girl, as my husband did not have very many opinions on how to decorate. He trusted me to handle it. He just didn't want to paint the room pink, which was NO problem - because I hate pink.
Now things are different...suddenly he's Mr. Opinions.
SO - here we go. I need some opinions. We're working on "compromising" on a decor theme. Once again, the pre-bagged sets don't really do it for me. I want something a little more original and that I can make my own. (For those of you wondering, the WONDERFUL girl who made the quilt I previously posted is going to start a new one for me, or I can buy one she has pre-made, so I'm not stuck with the girly one!)

What do YOU think of these ideas for a nursery?
-Peter Pan (the original, not Disney)
-Crayons
-Dinosaurs (Dain's favorite idea, not really mine)
-Buddhas
-Where The Wild Things Are (my favorite, not Dain's)
-Alphabet

There were SEVERAL more ideas - all of which were immediately shot down. (Including Beatles, and Shel Silverstein).


On a SEPARATE "decision" note - I'm DISAPPOINTED with the finale of "Legally Blonde: Search for Elle Woods" on MTV last night. (Yes, of COURSE I watch this - it's a theater casting show). They totally picked the wrong girl. Boo Broadway.

STOP - HOLD EVERYTHING!

My life has just been turned upside down!

We went in for a Level 2 Ultrasound yesterday - - and they broke the biggest bomb of all time!


YEP - our little girl is actually a boy...and this time it's 100% sure.

Of course we're thrilled with either - and the doctor said it was the best looking baby he'd seen all week. VERY healthy.

Parts of me feel weird...and Dain's mom agreed. It's like we've all grown attached to the little girl. Everyone was now referring to her as Eve (Genevieve), which was her to-be name. Everyone was "thinking pink" and starting the shopping process. It's almost like we completely started over, and lost her or something...even though secretly she was always a boy...we just couldn't see the extra parts :)

MORAL OF THE STORY: If the ultrasound tech says it's not 100% that the sex of your baby is one way or the other...DON'T BELIEVE IT!

So HOORAY FOR BOYS. This kid is going to have the best set of uncles (both real and "adopted") that may teach him more than I ever want to know. It's already one of the "dudes"!

PS> Dain says you're not calling his son Petunia anymore!

Party Time

NO - these still aren't my Florida photos - I'll get to them next time.

I just wanted to post that apparently it's party time in my stomach! Petunia is rockin out in there!

She had been kicking me...but it just felt like little nerve pinches. My doctor confirmed that, in fact, that was her. It was amazing to know that - but still didn't really feel like much to me yet. Plus Dain (and my mom on the plane) was frustrated that he couldn't feel what I felt. It was still too soft to feel from the outside.
This progressed to feeling her swish around in there - almost like she was doing somersaults in my belly. Again, amazing, but not the exact feeling of a baby that you see/hear about/feel on your sister's stomach.
THEN CAME THIS MORNING...I had picked up a bagel at Dunkin Donuts this morning as I was famished upon waking up, and washed it down with orange juice. (I normally can't drink orange juice because of my ulcer - but this kid LOVES fruit). About 5 minutes after finishing my last bite of my bagel - the party started! I felt her kicking (or punching) the top of my stomach. I would have thought it was just rumblings - except for the fact that my stomach was jumping - and I could feel the movement on the outside - finally! What an amazing experience. I can't explain how awesome it was to feel that for the first time.

This makes me want a bagel and orange juice every day. (Wow, I really AM my dad!)

Baby Room Planning

No - I haven't got the Florida info to post yet. I will do that tonight...

Now it's time to talk BABY ROOM.

I posted cribs a ways back, and got many opinions. I even wanted to paint a crib to make it my own and more colorful. Well, after looking into it - it's not really a good idea to paint cribs. Kids chew on them, and they flake, and blah blah blah. So, Dain and I decided to just get a new one. (See the "Scenes From A Babies R Us" blog). We're still deciding on a style. MUCHO compromise going on now. We're also still deciding on whether or not we're going to accommodate the old dresser or not. But, that's an argument we'll save for actually ordering the crib.

The "Alice" theme for my baby's room was shot down as I mentioned, so I was on the search for something else.
Once again, I am not satisfied with the selection of packaged baby bedding. I don't know - it's just not my style. Nothing really fit or looked like anything I really was interested in.
So, I headed to etsy.com to look at the handmade bedding. After searching through "baby afghans", "baby bedding" and "baby quilts" - I found a quilt I LOVED! It was juts a random assortment of retro/vinatge fabrics as strip pieces. PERFECT! Except....
It was only 24 x 32 - and that's too small for a crib blanket! SO, I e-mailed the quilt-maker and she agreed to make me a bigger one based on the smaller one, using some of the same and similar fabrics...she even let me pick a few I liked!

I've been getting progress photos from her...she is fantastic....this was all done within a week....she's willing to change any fabrics out if I'm not happy and we're collaborating on the backing materials!
Here's the latest progress photo:

It's not finished yet - but close. It may not fit your fancy, and you may think it's not baby enough - but I love it, and Dain even likes it. The random retro prints and colors are a perfect match to my style. Now we can do whatever we want on the walls, and we can have my mom make a bumper and skirt to match in whatever color we want. Plus this opens the doors to SO many paint colors!

And - here's a set from JC Penney - I don't like the crib one bit - but I LOVE the "organizer/hutch" piece, and the changer/dresser isn't bad either - plus it's all VERY affordable AND on sale. (Of course if we went this direction it means DAIN WINS and we remove the old dresser - so that's a negative). I'm still thinking about it...I really don't like the crib.

Yes, I'm Still With It

Unfortunately I haven't had time to post since last Wednesday it seems!
I've been super busy with my theater, my job, chopping off my hair!, and a quick trip to Florida with my mom for a wedding from Friday to Sunday night.

I will post about Florida hopefully tonight or tomorrow night...it was a quick trip like I said, but to a beautiful area, and to see my beautiful friend Sarah get married. Petunia and I survived the flight, that's the important part!

Hope everyone is doing well! Oh yeah, and a big PS to those of you asking...no we're NOT really naming the baby Petunia...it's just what she's referred to in the womb by my sister, and it rubbed off on me. (Dain's not thrilled).

I Love Books

I got to go to one of my favorite places tonight on my way home from work...the bookstore.
I don't know why I love going into bookstores so much...I was never a real page-turning crazy person. Don't get me wrong, I love to read, but it hasn't been one of my number one hobbies of all time. Something about bookstores always grabs me though. I think it's just being literally surrounded with so much creativity. There are books on everything and someone, somewhere sat down and wrote those books. Someone poured their heart and soul into writing those words. Someone else created cover artwork. Someone else compressed everything into a book format, and that's almost an art in itself to me.
I think it's a line from an under-appreciated movie, Mad Love, where he says "You love books, not necessarily reading books, but books themselves." I've always thought that line applied to me.

My reason for my venture today was to get a new book for my weekend trip to Florida to my friend's wedding. I was finishing up a book at home (just finished a minute ago), and wanted to have something fresh for the plane, B&B, down time, etc. I got a new book by Jodi Picoult, who has become my favorite author over the past few years. She writes amazing novels about touchy subjects. They are always hard to put down once I start them. Pick up anything by her. She's amazing.

I've been thinking about books lately because of Petunia. I really wanted to decorate the nursery for our girl after my favorite book of all time, Alice Through The Looking Glass. Yes - it's a real book together with Alice in Wonderland - their not just movies and a Disney cartoon. I had grand plans to use the Lewis Carroll's (the author, people) imagery and drawings to put on the walls, and create bedding based on the inspiration from the book (tea cup fabric, chess piece fabric, flower fabric, white rabbit fabric). Here's one of Lewis Carroll's illustrations, there are tons! This was all well and good - and then my total opposite husband stepped back in :) Dain hates the idea, as he thinks Alice's stories are "creepy" - and doesn't want our daughter to sleep in a room based on a drug-addicted pedophile's fantasies. Boo! Okay, so YES Lewis Carroll was obviously on some awesome drugs, and YES he did write the Alice stories based on his obsessions with a little girl named Alice and her sister...but COME ON. So, here we go...it's the crib saga again. I'm working on other ideas, and have actually found a few things that I like online...so he may get his way...but do YOU think Alice is out of the question??

On a final note (this is a LONG WORDY BLOG eh?) - I have also been compiling books for Petunia that were my childhood favorites. I have the following:
Dorie and The Blue Witch
Bad Friends, Good Friends
Little Rabbit's Loose Tooth
The Daddy Book
The Five Chinese Brothers
Bread and Jam for Frances
King of the Dollhouse
Chicken Trek

I have the rest in my sights - and plan to collect them all for my little one:
Miss Suzy
Miss Nelson Is Missing
Harry the Dirty Dog
We Help Mommy
We Help Daddy
The Lorax
The Giving Tree
Jellybeans for Breakfast
Gregory the Terrible Eater
Where the Wild Things Are
The Teeny Tiny Woman
In the Night Kitchen
Corduroy
Caps for Sale
Mr. Poppers Penguins
Harold and the Purple Crayon
ALL the rest of the Dorrie Books
ALL the Ramona Books
and more...

What were your favorite childhood books?

Our Weekend - Other Than the Big News

So - besides finding out that Petunia is, in fact, a GIRL (see my previous post)...we had a pretty eventful weekend!

It was the 4th of July on Friday - and this usually brings Dain & I's annual themed party on the 3rd. With the development of Petunia, we passed the torch to Dain's brother Evan and his 2 roommates. They hosted a Hawaiian/Tiki Party on Friday evening. Here's some classic photos from that evening:
Evan & his dog Reggie - 2 of the Hosts
Firework Wrappers, A Greasy Plate, and A Plastic Cup - Sums It Up Well
Marcy & I's Classic Pose (I'm Really Not Drunk, Though I Look It!)

Saturday Dain and I headed to the hospital for all the news of our girl...then were off to the Kane County Flea Market - one of my favorite activities! This once-a-month event is HUGE, overtaking the entire Kane County Fairgrounds. You can find everything from plants, to sunglasses, to antique jewelry and furniture. It's great...but a bit overwhelming. We were just keeping our eye out for any storage benches for our living/dining room - when we ran across it...a legged cedar chest - antique and in beautiful condition - that seemed to look like a match to my grandparents dining set that graces our living room. After discovering that the price was a steal - we took her home... AMAZING! And, it DOES match our set, almost like they were SUPPOSED to go together! Just look at our china cabinet...don't they look like a set?? I'm so proud of our purchase.
After that my sister, brother-in-law, niece, nephew and friend all came up to see us and have dinner. It was super nice to have a great meal out.

So - it was a pretty good weekend. I took another picture of my GROWING self. Here I am at 19 weeks. (I missed my 18 week deadline for a photo, sorry!)


Next post will probably be about bedding for Petunia's room!

WE FOUND OUT!

Ultrasound #2 was this morning...we went in with my full bladder (30 more ounces of water in the hour before I went in)...and we found out...



It's a GIRL!! (I used a baseball "it's a girl" sign I found online for Dain's comfort). We're thrilled! We got to see the coolest images of her bouncing around in there, and literally crossing her arms in front of her face while we were looking in!! Everything looks good - and now the shopping begins!

Here's her first profile pic - head to the right - you can see her nose, mouth and chin! And, look at that spine!! (You can click on the photo to make it bigger).

A few interesting tidbits from our ultrasound:

1. Apparently it's just a 75% shot that she's a girl. The tech said the sex organs aren't full developed until 20 weeks, so testicles maaaaay not have dropped yet...however he pointed out the girl parts to us which looked real obvious. Also he referred to her as a "her" the rest of the appointment. Dain left saying that if we can see the kidneys and the umbilical cord that clearly - we would have noted the boy parts...so we're going with G-I-R-L!

2. I was 18 weeks and 6 days at the appointment, but her head measured at 20 weeks and a few days. Umm...I hope that head growth slows down - I don't want to think about pushing out a huge noggin!!

3. She weighs about a pound. I read in my book today that at 19 weeks babies weigh about 8 oz. - so is my baby just HUGE or what??

Disturbia

This is something you can actually buy for your baby...I'm too disturbed for further comment