34 weeks pregnancy update

photo from last week but I just love it too much not to share, he's going to be such a good big brother!

How Far Along? 34 weeks - 40 days (until my due date that is)

Size of Baby: Cantaloupe melon (almost 18 inches and about 4 3/4 pounds)

Gender: Girl!

Weight Gain: At my appointment Wednesday I was up 25 pounds according to the scale in the Midwives office.

Maternity Clothes: Oh, yes. And mostly just the dresses, skirts and tanks. I need to go buy a few nursing tanks and bras but I've been putting it off. I'm planning on getting the Target tanks plus a few of their bras, which I need to try on (I know what size tanks I need). I have had Riggs with me every time I've been at Target lately and it's something I'd prefer to do by myself. 

Nursery: Her little nook in our room is pretty much ready and waiting for her (I haven't taken the rock n' play out of the box because I don't want it taking up space before we need it). Still need to decide on a coming home outfit and pack bags. 

Movement: Still very active, especially at night when I'm trying to fall asleep. Also very responsive to touch and different sitting/laying positions. I can definitely feel entire arm and leg movements lately, it's exciting and yet sometimes very uncomfortable. 

Symptoms: Most noticeable 'symptom' is fatigue and lack of patience in the evenings. Other than that I really feel great. Still sleeping well and able to get around just fine. Having to use the bathroom much more frequently which can make things interesting (like yesterday when I was on a walk with my sister and our kids and we had to rush back because I was about to pee my pants haha). 

Cravings: Kettle potato chips, mint chocolate chip ice cream, big yummy salads (that I don't have to make) watermelon.

What I Miss: My old clothes. Being able to move about freely (not having to squat when I bend over haha). 

Best Moment This Week: Hearing that baby girl is head down at my appointment Wednesday. Now let's just hope she stays that way!

Looking Forward to: My parents getting home from their trip and bringing my little sister with them!!

Also looking forward to sending out birth announcements! I love sending and receiving 'real' mail and so any occasion is a good excuse to send something out, especially the birth of a new baby! I've been looking around and was surprised that I didn't find much I like for girl birth announcements on tinyprints (I usually love them!). But I have found a few that I LOVE on Etsy so that's probably where I'll order them from. Here are a few of my favorites (click on photo for link):

I also love the idea of this keepsake birth story print, I think it would be beautiful to frame and hang in their room. If I did get one for baby girl I'd probably go find a boy one to make for Riggs too and hang them near each other:

This pillow is adorable too, and I thought it would be too cute in newborn pictures (for the record 'Mia' is not the name we've picked out, it's just the shops sample):

two hats and some longies

{today I am linking up to one of my new favorite blogs, Frontier Dreams, as part of her Keep Calm, Craft On group.  

Be sure to head over and check everyone else's craft projects out!}

I'm making another Little Gnome Hat.  This time I'm going to adapt the pattern to use some lighter weight yarn to make a soft silky hat for around the house.  The colors are light and bright to remind us that spring is truly coming.  It's a little hard to believe right now with 121.8 inches of snow...but more on that later.

I'm also going to knit another little hat for Riggs in this lovely brown tweed, as he has quickly grown out of his other brown hat, which I crocheted for him to come home from the birth center in.  This will be a Foxy hat, designed by Liz at The Sitting Tree.  I simply love her stuff!  I splurged a bit and ordered two pairs of upcycled longies from her Etsy store, and cannot wait for them to arrive.

They are 6-12 month size, so will probably be too big.  Which is sad because I want him to be able to wear them right now, but for the price I wanted to get more wear out of them, thus the bigger size.  I am in the market for some more organic cotton/bamboo/hemp fitted diapers to go under his soakers/longies and am hoping for some opinions on brands.  Right now we are having problems with the one-size pockets because they are not breathing enough and his skin is so sensitive!  So you if you have a favorite brand or type of fitted, non-waterproof diapers, please share in the comment section!

I managed to get to the thrift store to pick up some wool sweaters for making a few pairs of my own longies and soakers for Riggs, and have them cute out and ready to sew up.  I need to get them done this week so that he can wear them on our trip to Seattle.  I am so excited to get out of this snowy town and have a vacation.  It will be so fun, and my little sister, Beka, will finally get to meet Riggs in person.

Steve and I made the decision before Riggs was born that we would rather he not look at TV or computer screens until he is older, but have made an exception for short Skype sessions with his aunt Beka, since she left Anchorage to go back to college three days before he was born.  It is going to be so special to finally see them together; that is probably what I am looking forward to most about our trip.

I am also very excited to get away from the snow for a while.  Usually I love the snow, and wish it would snow more.  But this year we have had lots and lots of snow, and it just keeps coming!  {It's starting to snow softly outside as I type this}.

I mentioned this in an earlier post, but it is just no fun having so much snow while living in a basement apartment.  We feel very confined and are worried about the spring when it all starts to melt.  I also think I feel a little more isolated and oppressed by the snow as a result of having a new baby and not being able to get out and go skiing on a whim like I did before.  Despite all that, I cannot deny how beautiful it has been.  It has also put me in the mood for crafting, which is always a good thing.

My sister-in-law gave me One-Yard Wonders as a Christmas gift, and I have been planning several projects that I hope to start once I'm finished sewing the longies up for Riggs.  I'll be sure to share them here when I do get started on them.  

 I also have this fleece that I need to do something with.  I bought it when it was on sale because I liked the big stripes, but I have not done anything with it and am growing very tired of having it around, especially since I don't have a designated spot for sewing/crafting.  This is the current storage system for my sewing supplies:

Everything is in heavy-duty reusable shopping bags because I like to bring my stuff to my sister's house to sew with here there.  It is very frustrating not to have everything out and organized, especially because I love organization.  But I simply do not have a better place for it, so for now this is what I have to do.  When we move, I cannot wait to set up a permanent space set up with my sewing/crafting supplies, even if it is not my "dream" set-up.  Anything will be better than shopping bags!

Nursery Decorations!

Last week I received the prints and number cards I ordered off of Etsy but unfortunately I wasn't at home to get them all set up so I've had to wait.  Plus I had to go pick out frames for the prints, which I finally did yesterday.  I spent all morning holed away in his room getting things set up, and it's finally done!  I'm so happy with how everything turned out, what do you all think?

view of his little dresser and crib
the cards are from InkTreePress

larger view of the prints - I love them!
they are from ohhellodear

nursery decorations and John Denver

So I purchased a few things for the nursery today on Etsy and I had to share.  Hope you love them as much as I do!  I can't wait to post some pics of them actually framed (if applicable) and in his room :)

adorable woodland number cards to hang above the crib
by InkTreePress

here's a perfect example of how they will look - pretty darn cute!

(and if they fall off the wall they won't do permanent damage,  like

a heavy picture frame.  I just kept thinking, earthquake, earthquake! 

even though so many of the nursery designs with heavy stuff above

the crib are so cute)

here's one of three 8x10 prints I got for his walls
I love this one so much!
these are from Etsy:  ohhellodear's shop.

here is the second one:  "favorite story"

and here's the third one:  "hullo"

I'm in love and like I said can't wait to hang them.  Now I need to go find some pretty frames for them.  I think I'm either going to go antique store shopping or go to value village, get the frames and spray paint them the blues and yellows that I want. 

PS I just wanted to add a note remembering John Denver as it was 14 years ago today that he died at the age of 54 in a plane crash.  I love his music and wish I could have seen him in concert.  I've heard people make fun of him and his music more times than I care to remember, but I truly love the lyrics of his songs and his voice.  I've added one of my favorite photographs of him as well as one of his songs that's been stuck in my head lately and is one of many of my favorites.

So you speak to me of sadness and the coming of the winter

the fear that is within you now that seems to never end

and the dreams that have escaped you and the hopes that you've forgotten

you tell me that you need me now, you want to be my friend

and you wonder where we're going, where's the rhyme, where's the reason

and it's you who cannot accept, it is here we must begin

to seek the wisdom of the children

and the graceful way of flowers in the wind

for the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers

their laughter and their lovliness could clear a cloudy day

like the music of the mountains and the colors of the rainbow

they're a promise of the future, and a blessing for today

though the cities start to crumble and the mountains fall around us

the sun is slowly fading and it's colder than the sea

it is written from the desert to the mountains they shall lead us

by the hand and by the heart, they will comfort you and me

in their innocence and trusting, they will teach us to be free

for the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers

their laughter and their lovliness would clear a cloudy day

and the song that I am singing is a prayer for non believers

come and stand beside us, we can find a better way.

Rhymes and Reasons

John Denver, 1969