Pinterest: Doing It Myself...When I Have Time

I have a board on Pinterest aptly named "Doing It Myself...When I Have Time" and I have yet to actually do any of these things, hence the name is actually true. However, I really want to do some of these things before the baby is born in July. Here are the ones I want to do [ I'm not banking on actually doing them all, but one can hope! ]...

Painted Mason Jars for vases/potters

I actually have all of the fabric and pillow inserts to make 9 pillows...I purchased those a year ago!

Is there an organic version of RIT dye?

This would be perfect since Tom rowed crew all through college. But we can't actually hang them on the wall since we have plaster walls, but they would be cute even without hooks as a decorative piece in the nursery!

Again, this would be wicked cute in the nursery!

Make your own maxi skirt...can you say perfect maternity wear?!?

Ok that's all I can possibly do in the next 4 or 5 months. Lets see how many I actually do :)

19 weeks

How far along?: 19 weeks

Maternity clothes: Mainly leggings and my maternity jeans which are sooo comfortable and all regular shirts. 

Best moment this week: Finding out we're having a BOY! It makes it much more real and now we can buy clothes!!!

Symptoms: More energy but I've been noticeably more hungry the last three days. I haven't felt anymore hungry than normal up until the last few days. Oh and my hair is now really curly. Normally when it is this short it won't curl but I decided to try this morning and boy was it mega curly. Its as curly as it was in high school when it was its curliest and its longest. 

Miss anything?: Still nothing.

Movement: I'm still waiting for the first flutters. 

Food cravings: Just more of it haha

Have you started to show yet?: Yep! 

Gender prediction: It's a boy!

Mood: Happy but still busy.

Looking forward to: Feeling some kicks! We saw him moving like crazy during the ultrasound, he even flipped over, so its only a matter of time!

Baby Boy Clothes are the Cutest!

So my weekend was spent looking at little boy clothes and they are so freakin cute I can't stand it! And a co-worker introduced me to Burt's Bees Baby which now makes baby clothes that are 100% Organic and they are cheaper than most regular baby clothes. I basically want the entire line now. Oh do I love baby Gap too, there is not one piece of clothing for little boys that is not cute on that website. I seriously could be given everything from baby Gap and not hate one piece of it, its just that cute. Anyway, here are some of my top favorites from both although I love them all!

Gender Reveal...

It's Thursday...Random Things About Me!

Trying to think of some posts besides baby things I figured I would let you all in on some things about me and share a few pictures at the same time that may or may not have anything to do with the post...

I've been a vegetarian for almost 6 years, but I always hated meat

I have my degree in Communication Management and Design

But I never imagined I would be a graphic designer even though it was part of my degree

I love Sauvignon Blanc

I also love beer - good beer - none of this budweiser crap

At a brewery - we go to a lot of those!

I used to listen to rap in high school...and country music

I now only listen to NPR and Dave Matthews Band

At a Dave concert this past summer

I went to grad school for one semester for Environmental Studies and hated it

I want to get my masters in graphic design to learn more and teach at a collegiate level one day

I smile, a lot

Smile!

I have one brother who is younger than me but by no means little...he's 6'5

And he's even grown since this picture!

I've never colored my hair - just crazy sun-in when I was 12 and a rinse freshman year of college - those don't count I've been told

I love romantic comedies - When Harry Met Sally is my favorite

85% of my clothes are solids, 10% are stripped and the others have designs and I usually never wear them

Cutting down our first Christmas tree last year - VT mountains are like nothing else

Since I was 10 I wanted to be a hippie - born in the 60's - I braided my hair, wore bell bottoms and flowy shirts and burned incense [ under parental supervision...sometimes ]

I hate talking on the phone - I enjoy email or texting much more since I can get all my thoughts down and face to face is my favorite way to communicate because I read body language pretty well I think

I have the coolest parents ever even though they are truly nerds [ my mom is a civil engineer and my dad is a computer programmer ]

My cool parents at a beer festival with Tom and I this September!

I could live off of nachos and beer...oh and pizza too

I love the show Friends - we own every season and have watched the entire series at least 10 times - I often talk about it as if they are actual people in our everyday lives

I love to give presents

I have very curly hair that won't curl when my hair is short, it's crimpy curly when its medium and is ringlets when its long [ which I haven't had since high school ]

Example of medium length, curly/crimpy hair

I hate games - of any sort - even if they include alcohol

I love wrapping presents - especially in kraft paper with crafty ribbon and usually flowers

I believe in best friends forever and soul mates

Us with our beautiful wedding party :)

I have a tendency to take on too many things at once

Oh, and I have the cutest puppy ever! [ although he's a little bigger now! ] 

18 Weeks

How far along?: 18 weeks

Maternity clothes: Leggings are still my best friend, but my amazing mom went out and bought me some maternity jeans, a few rouched maternity tanks and a long sleeve shirt and they are all beyond comfortable - every jean should have an elastic waist! She also bought me a dress which will be great for all of the bridal showers I have coming up in the next two months. 

Best moment this week: Spending Valentine's Day with Tom - it was the last one just the two of us which kind of made me sad but very excited too!

Symptoms: I definitely have more energy and I'm able to run longer at the gym even which is a nice change.  

Miss anything?: Nothing really - although I wished I could have some wine at our Valentine's dinner [ we only go out to dinner on special occasions and that usually includes a drink or two ]. But I don't miss wine and beer much anymore in general. 

Movement: I sit at night hoping to feel the first flutters. The midwife said that because I still have a lot of muscle in my stomach from running [ and continuing to run ] it may take a little longer for me to feel anything. 

Food cravings: Nothing out of the ordinary.

Have you started to show yet?: Yep! 

Gender prediction: I've always thought it was a girl but now that I've got my mind set on that, I feel like maybe its a boy now!

Mood: Happy but busy.

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender...FEBRUARY 22!

Happy Valentine's Day!

P.S. I started using Twitter as it seems to be a requisite of blogging s follow me @shann583...THANKS!

Ash Wednesday

As a born and raised Catholic who went to Catholic school from Pre-K through Senior year of high school, Lent and Ash Wednesday are part of life. It is customary to "give up" something during lent and the first thing I can remember "giving up" was gum! I was in third or fourth grade and I do remember that I was successful but that it was hard since I chewed gum A LOT. This year since I am already "giving up" some things for 40 weeks I decided to eat more fruits and veggies which helps both me and this little peanut inside me.

I'll also keep up what I do every year and be even more thoughtful than normal about how I treat others. See my family is not the type of Catholics who read scripture, we were taught our faith through actions. My parents very specifically taught us the Catholic belief of social justice and instilled empathy and kindness in us. This translates into my everyday life as I try not to judge others before knowing them and I never assume someone's situation in life based on a first impression. During Lent I always try to be even more polite and smile more at people who look like they need a smile. I believe that just being nice to someone and telling them to have a good day can help no matter how small the action and reaction may be.

So for those Catholics out there ready to "give up" for lent, and for those who just want to help this world to be a little nicer, remember to think before you act and to smile just a little more...

Hunter Boots Giveaway

I have always wanted a pair of Hunter Boots but I have never been able to justify the cost - although I'm not sure why since I did live in Upstate New York for 23 years where it rains 75% of the time! Anyways I've always looked for them on ebay and on sale sites, but I have never been able to find a pair that I either liked or was at a "reasonable" cost. But today I came across this amazing giveaway by Shades of Gray and a Pinch of Pink and I got very excited at the possibility of winning a FREE pair of Hunters. Thought I would share this fabulous giveaway for anyone else who has dreamt of owning Hunters too.

17 Weeks

How far along?: 17 weeks

Maternity clothes: Leggings are my bets friend and the only thing I wear nowadays. Tom and I went to Old Navy and I got two long shirt/tunic things, a long cardigan and two belts - all in my regular size except the belts which I got as a large so that they last throughout the pregnancy.

Best moment this week: Knowing we now have a stroller and crib thanks to our awesome parents!

Symptoms: I feel like I have my energy back, but still going to bed early - nothing has changed.  

Miss anything?: Jeans! I love leggings but they only go so far and it means I have to wear shirts that are long enough and I miss my regular shirts too!

Movement: Hopefully soon!

Food cravings: Nothing out of the ordinary.

Have you started to show yet?: Yep! 

Gender prediction: Girl. Tom thinks its a girl too!

Mood: Happy but busy.

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender...FEBRUARY 22!

7 Quick Takes

Late as usual linking up with Jennifer!

1. FINALLY got a haircut on Wednesday. I had gotten it cut back in October and chopped it off the shortest its ever been. I liked it for a few weeks but then its started to grow out really weird which has never happened to me before. And once I became pregnant my hair has definitely been growing faster than normal [ and my hair normally grows super fast ] making the grow-out even worse - I have to admit it was slightly mullet-ish. Basically the hairstylist cut off the mullet part so my hair is back to being pretty short. I have two weddings I'm in during June so I just hope its long enough to put into some sort of up-do thing. My hair and humidity do not mix - at all - so keeping it down or half-down for either wedding is not really an option unless we want Diana Ross to show up!

2. Tom and I decided on Friday to go out to dinner for Valentine's Day since basically every restaurant around us only has a prix fix menu the day of and they are always all meat. So for us vegetarians its not really fun to go out on Valentine's Day, plus its way more expensive and our student loans won't pay themselves! Anyway we went out to our favorite local restaurant - Little Harry's - got the usual and since I wasn't drinking I swear its been the lowest we've ever paid at a restaurant! 

3. Tom has been researching strollers and found one that is perfect for us - Bumbleride Indie Ocean - it is sturdy and lightweight and just so happens to be a jogging stroller too. They are pretty expensive though but Tom found it on sale at Diapers.com for 30% off plus an extra 10% off for new customers and his parents decided to get it for us/baby! It came in TWO days and we love it! [ oh and its the natural edition so the fabrics are made from 50% bamboo and 50% recycled fibers - making me a much happier/hippie mom.

4. Because this is one spoiled baby, my parents also helped us out and bought us a crib! I had been looking for organic/non-toxic cribs and let me tell you they are expensive - like $800 expensive!!! I finally found one I liked - Hudson 3-in-1 Convertible Crib - that was still expensive at $400 and it just so happened to pop up on Zulily.com for a flash sale so I called up my mom to let her know. Tom and I couldn't decide between the grey or the white so I told my mom to surprise us. The crib is made from sustainable pine wood, has a non-toxic finish and is lead and phalate free. It may seem a bit overboard to be buying organic furniture but the baby will be spending a lot of time in the crib so I want the environment to be as safe as possible. Again, making me a much happier mom!

5. As I am typing Tom is learning to ski. He has wanted to since we moved here two years ago and in ten years doesn't want to regret not learning when we live ten miles from one of the best ski resorts in the East. His first day was yesterday and because he is great at every sport he tries [ at least one that does not include a ball - sorry hun! ] he caught on quick and the instructor started giving him more advanced things to try. He was addicted right away and we went out and bought him ski boots on our way home as an early birthday present [ his birthday isn't until the end of April ]. Before I was pregnant he said I had to learn to ski with him this year so that he didn't have to go on his own. I reluctantly said ok [ I have absolutely no desire to ski whatsoever ] but as soon as I was pregnant I had an excuse not to learn - I'm a klutz as is so probably not the best idea to be falling while pregnant. So he's off today and will probably be gone every weekend he can skiing. I have a ton of freelance design work to do before the end of winter so I'm totally ok with this!

6. With President's Day Weekend coming up we have a HUGE paper coming out this week. I normally don't work weekends, but I worked four hours yesterday while Tom skied [ I work 5 minutes from the mountain ]. I will also be going into work at 7am on both Monday and Tuesday and staying until 5p.m. both days in order to get the paper out and looking good. So needless to say I will be beyond exhausted come Tuesday night and my creative juices will be gone. I am not looking forward to this!

7. And last but not least, Tom asked me to feed the dog tonight and I guess I forgot so he was just fed...at 8p.m.....whoops...pregnancy brain!

Michael Kors Watch Giveaway!

This isn't my giveaway but I wanted to share it with all of you for those interested. As a newfound lover of watches I could not resist this giveaway! I have VERY small wrists and because of that I basically never wear bracelets unless they are cuff-like and I can bend them to fit. I actually have a few thin cuff bracelets that are child's size thats how small my wrists are. So because of this I have never really worn a watch before. That was until the big watch fad began and I finally found a watch that I could take enough of the links out so that it fit my wrist and wasn't falling constantly.

So now that you are informed about my wrists, head on over to Shanna's blog for this awesome giveaway!

Week 16

How far along?: 16 weeks

Maternity clothes: My awesome mom decided that I can't be uncomfortable in my jeans so she went and bought me some maternity jeans [ since there is nowhere within 50 miles of us that sells them ]. She ended up getting me a few other things as well and I am beyond excited to get them in the mail :) 

Best moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat for the first time!

Symptoms: I feel like I have my energy back, but still going to bed early.  

Miss anything?: Being able to wear any of my clothes and not just the comfortable ones. It is making for some pretty creative outfits!

Movement: The midwife said I should start to feel some flutters any moment now!

Food cravings: Nothing out of the ordinary.

Have you started to show yet?: Yep! But I'm sure to those who don't know me/know I'm pregnant probably just think I'm a little chubby.

Gender prediction: Girl. Tom thinks its a girl too!

Mood: Kind of sad thinking that these next 24 weeks are going to fly by because we are sooooo busy.

Looking forward to: Finding out the gender...FEBRUARY 22!

7 Quick Takes

Once again linking up with Jennifer and this time I'm almost on the right day!

1. We had our 16 week appointment on Friday and we heard the heartbeat for the first time! It still seems surreal that we're having a baby but hearing the heartbeat makes it more real :)

2. We are scheduled to have our next (and last) ultrasound on Feb.22 to find out the gender. I can't wait, I hope the next three weeks fly by!

3. One of the perks of working for a newspaper is free tickets to local events. Tom and I went to see Capitol Steps on Friday and it was an awesome show! They mock politics through song and it was actually hilarious - I was a little skeptical before we went. If they are ever near you, I would totally suggest you go check them out.

4. I'm currently cleaning out my office for the soon to be nursery. We have three bedrooms but the third bedroom is our guest room and due to its small size there's no room for my office stuff in it. So I have to clean out the nursery and put most of my things in the basement although I'm going to have to keep one shelf of office things in the nursery since I use it on a fairly regular basis and don't want to go into the basement every time I need something. Here is the before of the office/nursery, also showing the new color of the nursery :)

5. So now I need to start figuring out maternity leave. I know I'm going to take 12 weeks, but after that I'm not sure. I would love to just go back part-time until the baby is 6 months but we can't really afford that. Our office is very family friendly and in the past they allowed one of the women to bring her baby into work since she wouldn't take a bottle at all and was exclusively breast feeding. It would be impossible for me to bring the baby into work on Mondays and Tuesdays since I work on the paper those days so I'm hoping to ask to bring the baby into the office Wednesday-Friday until they are at least 6 months. I would love to stay home for the first full year but school loans aren't going to pay themselves!

6. Tom and I have been trying to figure out what we do and don't need for the baby and the nursery and Tom has decided to make some of the furniture. He's going to be making the co-sleeper, the changing table and a sort of armoire. We need an armoire since there are no closets in our house because it was built in 1900 when closets didn't exist.
Here's what the co-sleeper will look like: [ its instead of a bassinet and I'm not comfortable co-sleeping in our bed since I move around A LOT ]

7. Tom has to work 1 weekend every 6 weeks at the hospital which means I'm home by myself working on freelance work. I'm also "cleaning" the office/nursery which is proving to be harder than I thought. Instead of cleaning though I'm writing this - cleaning may be postponed until the next time Tom has to work a weekend :)