Rounding Out and Projects a'Plenty

Saturday at work = no makeup and bedhead.

Have I mentioned that my mom was here for 3 weeks? She was. She left yesterday morning. After a tearful good-bye, she drove off in one direction and I drove off in the other (heading to work) and then I remembered she'll be back in 6-7 weeks. Hooray!

33 weeks

She was a busy little worker-bee while she was here.

I have a LONG to-do list still, but here are a few things she got done:

Rocking chair - primed, painted, seat bottom made (I have to upholster the seat for it still. It's on the docket for next week)

Nursery painted - ceiling, baseboards, walls, closet. It was a beast of a project.
Crib Sheets - one down, 2 to go.

Cradle sanded and stained - this was my little pet project. I was dragging my feet on sanding the last piece and she totally got it done while I was at work one day!
Crib Bumpers - custom made and sewn
Cradle Bumpers - custom made and sewn

Cradle Mattress - custom-fit and covered with vinyl (we waterproofed it by using a vinyl shower curtain liner. My mom sewed it the last night she was here, working into the night long after I'd crashed)
Gigantic 30"x40" frame - this was a totally from scratch project. We came up with the design we wanted, printed it, took our 8x10 picture to FedEx/Kinko's and had it enlarged to a 30"x40" proportion and then she taped all the edges (basically laminating the pattern) and then cut it out, traced 3, cut 3, routered 3, and sanded 3. It took several hours! But the cost per frame was roughly $15, so not too bad considering if we purchased it they would have each been more than $100.
Terrariums - this was a fun project she wanted to do so we gathered all the supplies she'd purchased and put our own together on Sunday night. So much fun! I'll need to get a picture soon.
Curtains - hung

And I have to mention that my dad and Ryan also did some awesome 'chores' around the house: Switched out all the almond-colored electrical outlets/switches/faceplates to crisp white ones, hung a ceiling fan in the nursery, & cleaned out/up the garage. OH! and they replaced the microwave above the stove! It's awesome!

Want to know what I have left? Sure you do. Otherwise, you would have already closed the page.

• Dots on the walls in the nursery closet
• Painting the dresser/mirror
• Painting the tv stand (a dresser in its former life)
• Upholster the rocking chair seat and add felt pads to the bottom
• Find/make/hang shelves for the nursery
• Paint 10-12 picture frames and fill with art
• New guest bedding
• Find wire baskets for above the changing table
• Growth chart
• Changing table pad box

And as you can see, I'm getting rounder by the day. (...AND apparently think it's acceptable not to wear makeup in public while continuing to take pictures in public restrooms.Ugh.)

I think that might be it for now. But that's not including the house chores I need to keep up with (I have about 8 loads of laundry I could do tomorrow) and the reorganization that needs to happen. We have stuff EVERYWHERE!

Thanks for sticking with me! You deserve a medal. But you'll have to make it yourself. It's not on my list.

Alive and Kickin'

Kind of quiet here lately, huh?

My mom is in town {my dad's flying in tonight} and we've she's been working away all week on painting the nursery/guestroom, hanging curtains {I threw a 5-yr-old sized tantrum - it wasn't pretty. Long story short, it was really frustrating and should not have been that difficult}, priming the rocking chair, dresser/changing table, and next we're going to make some wall art and start sewing the cradle bedding and the crib bedding. Oh, and I've stained the cradle. It's gorgeous. I can't wait to show it off and put my sweet lil babe in it.

So, since that's all going on, here's a picture I took yesterday of my bulging and ever-expanding bump.

They're still there!

Bumpdate - 28 Weeks

{another awesomely flattering picture in my office's bathroom}

I'm feeling great. I've been exhausted lately, though, which I read is probably a result of the anemia I was just diagnosed with, so it looks like it's iron supplements from here on out. I hate taking pills but it's a whole lot less expensive than steak dinners every night! I'm just glad my glucose levels came back all normal. Can you image me giving up sweets for the next 3 months?!

I swear, I've had a textbook pregnancy thus far, anemia aside. My face has started rounding out, boo, but I'll take it any day for what comes after these 9 months.

I'm feeling quite a bit unprepared for this kiddo. The nesting bug has hit but unfortunately, my nesting involves the need for power tools or money, so...lots of home improvement projects on my honey-do list! My mom is coming to town in 3 weeks, which kind of scares me that she'll be here to help with the nursery and there will only be 9 weeks left before the baby comes. It's a good thing the kidlet will just need diapers and onesies to begin with!

{taken on Monday - 28 weeks}

We've been slowly stocking up on everything else. The big things are already taken care of, now it's just a matter of getting it all set up! But first, painting the nursery/guest room.
{where Gran comes in}
This silly job of mine gets in the way of that...

Also, I turned 29Again on Thursday. Yikes. This birthday was infinitely better than last year's. My sweetheart brought me home some beautiful flowers with a sweet note that made me cry {which is a daily occurrence lately}, I went to our Relief Society activity that my friend Bren and I were in charge of {cake decorating! how fitting!} and the sneaky girls on my committee decorated the kitchen for my birthday! Additionally, a few sweet friends spoiled me with flowers, notes, and other lovelies. It was such a great day and I'm so lucky to have everything I do.

Saturday I ventured out on my own for a pedicure and to see if I could get a last-minute massage (didn't happen) and a little thrift store shopping and ending the night with friends and their little darling at a BBQ joint out of town that was FAB.U.LOUS. New fave.

All in all, February has been a great month!

Bring on March.

Cravings: taco bell nachos, chips and salsa, wedding cake
Weight gained thus far: 20 lbs :(
Feeling: Good! Starting to make involuntary noises when I bend over
Sleeping: GREAT. I can still sleep in the same position I always have. Double points for baby!
Nesting: I made a little soft toy! Made from this pattern, but modernized.

Building a Nursery

Exciting Friday night here at the Alexander house.

We dined on a delicious dinner of pulled pork sammiches (a la Biemer's BBQ) and onion rings, washed down with coke/diet coke for mr. and me (respectively), and I rejected the suggested movie and alternately suggested going to the theater to buy popcorn and come home and watch something we have in our colección--which is large--but that was also rejected.

So, we came home and he got on his computer and I played Super Mario Bros. downstairs on the Wii.

We're a thrill-a-minute around here!

I was about to fall asleep at 9:30pm, but then we started tonight's episode of Nikita.

Still awake? Good. I dozed off for a minute.

So, I have been planning the nursery.

Here's the crib we bought, which has been sitting in the back of the car for the last...oh...month?

And then last night I bought this fabric for bedding:

which, doesn't look like this really, because I found a pillow made from it on etsy:

{source found by clicking on image}
I'm pretty excited.

I haven't decided exactly what look I'm going for, all I know is that the words 'farm-house' 'modern' and 'vintage' need to fit in there somewhere.

I'm actually really antsy to get going on some projects. Maybe it's the nesting bug I keep hearing about. If only I didn't have to work this weekend I could get cracking on them! Good thing that's what I have Monday for!

Not that anyone cares, but here's more inspiration I've gathered for this kidlet's abode.
Building a Nursery Board

Starting with that foxy little fox. Felt will be ordered tomorrow.

Bumpdate

I've been exhausted lately!

Why did no one tell me this baby-growing business was so tiring? Oh, wait...I'm pretty sure EVERYone has said it at one point or another.

I'm now almost 24 weeks (!) and I've popped!

Here's a picture of the lil peanut, taken about a week and a half ago.
And here's a picture of me at 21 weeks


And again at 23 weeks

Isn't it amazing what 2 weeks does?

Also, please pardon the gay bathroom picture. I truly do not have a full-length mirror in my house and work, although the bathroom is less-than-desirable, will have to suffice!

I've been feeling great with the occasional heartburn. I bought costco-sized containers of tums the other day - one for my desk at work, and one for the house.

I've been worrying lately about not feeling the baby move as much. It's ridiculous. I know it's ridiculous, yet I'm unable to stop being paranoid. Last night I dragged Ryan to the store to pick up one of those baby womb-sound amplifiers. Thirty minutes later and my worrying was still there. Don't waste money on it. I promptly returned it today and last night ordered an FDA approved Fetal Doppler on eBay. Yeah...so...I'm a little anxious, what can I say. Peace of mind is worth the $48 I forked over for a little piece of equipment that will let me hear our little bebe's heartbeat. And I've decided that since I've gotten bigger, I'm just feeling the baby differently.

Of course, as I type, the kid's going crazy and I can totally feel them moving. Of course!

Here's something amusing.

Baby dreams. I have been having the funniest and weirdest dreams.

A few weeks ago I dreamt we were at the Alexanders for Christmas. But it was like National Lampoon Christmas - extended family, little kids everywhere, etc. So many kids that there were kids sleeping on stairs and so in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve/Early Christmas Morning I had to step over kids.

Apparently in the middle of the night I delivered the baby myself and handed him to my mother-in-law so I could get some sleep and whatever. So Christmas morning everyone gets up and gathers around the Christmas tree and my MIL comes in holding the baby and asks Ryan, "so what are you naming your son?"
Ryan wanted to consult with me--how considerate--and pulled me aside for a minute, wanting to get the ok for the name.

Chelsea: Okay, what do you want to name him?
Ryan: I think we should name him Britton Smoker Alexander
Chelsea: Smoker? Smoker. Hmmm...Where did THAT come from? Really, Smoker?
Ryan: (after a pensive pause) What?....I love barbecue!


Since this dream, Ryan's been referring to the baby as Smoker.

A Quick Favor {and a Sweet Reward}

**Thanks for voting, everyone! Comment #3 is the winner!** Also, it's not too late to vote! It's open until the 11th.

Two of my old roommates have a photography business together. Their work is really impressive and I wish they were around when I got married!

BUT, I have a chance to win a free photo shoot from them through their beYOUtiful Campaign. I am one of the 15 finalists.

What is beYOUtiful?

To sum it up, all women deserve to feel beautiful no matter what shape, size, or how they look. Cristi and Jessi want to promote this attitude and have done so with a little giveaway/contest.

For more information, click here to read Cristi and Jessi's post.

While you're there, if you could vote for #14, you would help get me in the running. Currently I'm totally out of the game. :( Bummer, huh?

So, I'm using all my internet tools to shamelessly request help.

What's in it for you?

I'm doing a little giveaway.

Please go vote, then come back here and leave me a comment. I'm going to give away a full set of felt hairbow headbands. That's 10 bows and 2 headbands. $60 prize for simply clicking a button.

The colors will vary from those above. I have more browns, tans, blacks, fall, and spring colors!
I've been wanting to do a giveaway for them for awhile, so this is a perfect reason!

Giveaway ends on Sunday night, January 8th. Not sure when voting at HiyaPapaya ends, so please vote soon! Thanks, all!

Vanilla - Out and About

Did I tell you my friend Laura designed the vanilla labels for me?

She did such an awesome job. I tweaked them a little because I fell in love with a shape that was/is exclusive to Silhouette, but the design is ALL her!

While at Spark I met April Atwater, an amazing woman, a strong leader, and a creative giant!

She's working on her own magazine, Simply the Sweet Life. This is her second year and it looks to be great!

I provided her with some product and I was supposed to provide her with a little bio, but, uh, yeah...I got really busy, really, really quickly and I dropped the ball. Still, she was SO kind to include me in her December/Winter issue of Simply the Sweet Life.

Which you can read here:

You can see my beauts on page 55.

Also, if you follow the amazingly cute party blog, One Charming Party, a recent post included a recipe and a bottle of 16oz Vanilla peaking up from the bottom of the picture:

It was pretty awesome to open my email for one of the daily posts and see a picture of something I created!

Now that December is over (the busiest month I've had in a LONG time), AND I'm well into my second trimester, I feel better and have a little more energy to get crafty and maybe even share it with everyone!