22 week bumpdate

22 weeks is kind of like turning 22 years old...not all that exciting. 21 weeks was like I was over the halfway hump and 22 weeks is just ho hum...no matter, though! This babe is growing and moving and I love him so!

How far along?  22 weeks

Baby's size: a papaya! There is a large range of how big baby is this week, but I would place cold hard cash on the fact that he's easily over a pound now and almost a foot long! Eeeek! No wonder he keeps kicking me!

Total weight gain: not sure, I haven't weighed myself in a while!

Maternity clothes? Yep! Same as usual. I've definitely popped more during these last couple of weeks and more of my clothes are uncomfortable or just weird. For instance, I thought the flowy shirt I wore earlier this week was going to hide my bump...ummm not so. I'm reaching more for my wide band shorts rather than my Nike shorts that tend to dig into my stomach. Ahh, pregnancy.

Sleep: So-so. I've been falling asleep around 10:30 and getting up around 7 every morning. I'm getting into the bad habit of waking early and taking a daily nap on the weekends - not good!

Best moment this week: Squealing in joy as my DIY vision for baby's room is coming together. I had an idea for his room that I personally think is GENIUS! I can't wait for it to come together! I posted about it here yesterday and it may be the easiest DIY project everrrr!

Worst Moment this week: 8 hours in the car with an aching back and not much room in your stomach doesn't always make for the best time...but it was all worth it to see my friends!

Miss Anything? I tried on swimsuits this weekend. Let's just leave it at that.

Cravings: Sweets. This baby is alllllll about the sweets. I think that goes against the usual gender prediction signs but this boy LOVES sweets. Usually if I get too many sweets I start craving something salty but not so during this pregnancy. Give me all the sugar!

Symptoms: Kicks, backaches, and braxton hicks? Maybe? There's an 80% chance it's just gas...

Looking forward to: finishing up the bulk of the nursery (Mom - time to start sewing!), and moving Mark's clothes into his 'new' closet. I'm excited for this nursery to be used as a nursery rather than a construction zone!

       week 16                                week 17                                        week 18

    week 19                                week 20                                   week 21

a DIY project for baby B's nursery

I tend to have creative spurts here and there and the impending arrival of baby boy has me in overdrive! 

I mentioned in my nursery post that I really wanted to do some sort of felt balls or bunting in baby B's room. I was brainstorming some other decorative ideas a few days ago and suddenly came up with a GENIUS idea that just happens to involve those felt balls I was talking about. Right now, I'm waiting for MY other half to finish up THE other half of this great idea of mine, but I made my felt garland and thought I'd share it with you!

(I'll have to do my 22 week bumpdate tomorrow so be sure to check back for that!)

I checked the websites of all the major craft stores (Joann, Hobby Lobby, etc.) and checked out Amazon but I ended up finding these felt balls through a fellow Etsy store. I liked the colors, size, and the price so I ordered one 50 count package. 

All of the colors are different and they are so pretty! First, I separated them out by color just to see what I was pulling from.

Then, I pulled out some embroidery thread (bright white) and a regular needle. I had purchased a felt needle from the same Etsy shop but it did NOT work how I wanted it to, so I quickly switched to a standard needle I already had on hand.

It was simple! Just poke a hole straight through your felt ball and start gathering them together. Don't worry about spacing at this point.

I tried to vary my color pattern so no two colors were very close together. I didn't want it to seem like the garland fell into any sort of 'theme'. Once I had all of the felt balls on there, it looked like this:

I took the thread out of the needle and made a thick knot at that loose end.

From there, I measured about a hand width and started my spacing. 

I would push the bulk of the felt balls down the thread so I could work my way down. As they got in the way, I pushed them down further. 

I continued spacing the balls down the thread by comparing the space between 3 of the balls, see below.

When I was done, I had about 10' of garland!

I wrapped it around my neck to keep it untangled and place it in the nursery. What do you think, new necklace trend?

Here it is in it's temporary spot...as well as a sneak peek at the nursery! I LOVEEEEE love love it already and can't wait to show you guys the final product.

My felt garland brings me so much joy and it was SO easy! Make one for yourself!

Houston

I was up and at 'em on Saturday morning for the four hour drive to Houston. I was heading down to visit my friends Emily and Heather who just moved into a super cute 1920's duplex about a month ago. The drive went well and I had sunny Texas skies for most of the way until I hit the storm that was dropping lots of rain on my destination. The weekend ended up providing great weather though and we enjoyed some relaxing time together, not doing much of anything!

Our visits usually consist of food and more food so we made sure to check out Local Foods, Petite Sweets, El Tiempo, and of course Chick Fil A for this prego! We had brunch at Downhouse on Sunday as well!

I had two furry (and meow-y) passengers on the way down. As I mentioned here, Emily and Heather have graciously agreed to adopt our two grown cats. They were feeling a little lonely in their apartment and Mark and I were up to our eyeballs in fur and living beings in our modest home. We knew that with a baby on the way, it was just going to get more stressful! This was the perfect situation - we know H & E will provide a loving, safe home for the cats and will really enjoy their company. Plus, we can see them whenever we want!

After some laziness and naps, we all hung out in Heather's room with Kitty (she was being much more social than Flip, who wasn't quite sure what to think of Houston).

I got Kitty in the spring of 2009 when I lived with my friend Jody in Lubbock. She was just barely 6 weeks old and the tiniest kitten! She has been such a good cat. I'll miss her a lot, but I know where to find her (and I've made them promise to give her back if they don't want her anymore and/or if we decide we can have her back). 

Houston was kind to me with good weather, good food, good company, and a good nap on Sunday afternoon before I headed home. 

Bye, Houston! Until next time!

currently... (check out the coupon code at the bottom!!!)

currently...

watching: Land Girls. I've been searching Netflix for something new to get into after finishing Friends and I landed on Land Girls, a show from BBC. I love it! If you like semi-historical shows and a touch of drama, go for it. I'm going through it pretty fast though so I'm thinking about watching Damages or Scrubs next. Any other suggestions? When is Scandal going to release the next season on Netflix??? ugh.

reading: Happier at Home. I read The Happiness Project a few years ago and really enjoyed it. This is kind of a sequel to that. I love me an evening bath (our next house NEEDS a jetted tub) so I started taking this book in with me to relax a little and expand my brain. I felt so refreshed just reading a few pages. I always forget how I love a good book!

working on: I've had some creative spurts lately and have gotten more into blogging (have you noticed) as well as my Etsy shop. Like I mentioned before, I picked up an embroidery machine this week and I've taken to it quickly! I made these shorts on Tuesday night, had an order Wednesday, and posted them for sale on my Etsy site. They are a fun take on the seersucker shorts you see everywhere now. Perfect for bridesmaid gifts or even that expectant mama (yep, they fit under my belly!) You can bet I'm living in mine from here on out! 

I'm also revamping my Etsy listings so be sure to check it out and see some of my reduced prices as well as new items. I'm offering monogramming now so contact me if you need something monogrammed! 

Plus, I've added a special discount for my readers! Enter "BLOGSHIP" at checkout and enjoy FREE SHIPPING on any item over $20! Hurry, you have to order by Monday! Also - don't forget I do custom items so email me for anything! Free shipping will apply to custom orders as well! ;) Check out my reviews to see how my customers LOVE their camera straps!

Here are some of my favorite things in the shop...

metallic gold lace camera strap

red lace camera strap

polka dot scarf camera strap

follow my Etsy shop instagram here!

So that's what I'm up to! I linked up with the ladies for five on Friday yet again. ;)

This weekend I'm off to Houston to spend some quality time with my girlfriends. Follow me on instagram to keep up with our shenanigans! Y'all have a happy weekend!

babymoon

Our babymoon desination is...

...back to where it (sort of) all started! Mark is a neighbor from our north; he hails from America's hat. He's a canuck through and through! 

The stars have aligned for us and because of some very generous family members, we are heading up north this summer to visit Toronto and the surrounding lakes. Mark was born in Alberta but moved around quite a bit before his family moved to the U.S. He hasn't been back to visit Canada in a long time so this will be fun for both of us!

We're actually traveling with my parents because we got a pretty sweet deal out of it so don't be surprised when you see them in photos! 

We are flying into Toronto and staying there for one night. I'm hoping we can get a small taste of the city. Are there are must-see's while we are there for a few hours? So far I've got my eye on High Park and the art museum...

After our short stint in Toronto (and my parent's visit to Niagara Falls) we are heading east to the land of the lakes (or at least it looks like there are a lot of lakes!) to stay at a family owned cabin. From what I've seen, it looks secluded, quiet, and gorgeous! It's right on the water so we'll be grilling, sunning on the deck, and those that are brave enough might even do some watersports. 

I can't imagine what June weather is like in Canada but I have a feeling it won't be hot enough to swim! We are super excited about this international and relaxing babymoon!

If you know the area, I'd love to hear some tips! 

21 week bumpdate

This 21 week bump picture brought to you by self-timer, a camera propped on a pillow, propped on a chair, and an absent husband (it was disc golf night).

First things first: here's what we learned at our 20 week appointment last week:

-baby boy is still baby boy, confirmed!

-he's definitely a mover and a shaker, as I suspected. He successfully frustrated the sonographer because he wouldn't stay still for her to take measurements!

-he's got some pretty cool bones and organs, but I just think that because I'm his mom ;)

-he is measuring a bit ahead...he was 9.2" long (!!!!) and 14 ounces. This matches up more with week 21 (see below) but he's still on the chunky side. We like chunky babies! 

(although I prefer them to chunk up AFTER they exit my body).

-he is already favoring his daddy in the way he sleeps and in his little side profile.

-he's got BOTH of his parent's stubborn qualities and refused to show his face straight on or move out of his crazy upside-down position.

-he's just the cutest and healthiest (yay!) and best thing ever (again, I'm biased).

How far along?  21 weeks

Baby's size: a pomegranate!

Total weight gain: 10 pounds. Ok, I'm noticing a pattern...I think I'm gaining about a pound a week! I better lay off the donuts...

Maternity clothes? Pants and dresses are all I live in at the moment! Still living with just one maternity shirt but I have a feeling I'll have to buy more to finish out the last few months.

Sleep: Not great. Again, I blame mostly allergies. I've been rising earlier than usual and woke up at 4am on Monday and was unable to go back to sleep. SOMEONE was having a dance party in my tummy, but I won't name names...

Best moment this week: Other than my consumption of multiple (five) donuts yesterday, the best part of the week was at our 20 week appointment on Friday. We got to spend some quality time with the sonographer and our baby and got to see him move all around and see lots of cool things like the 4 chambers of his heart and 3 parts that make up the umbilical cord. It is AMAZING how much they can see with an ultrasound. I'm still on a high from that appointment and we watch the videos (Mark videoed a lot of it but it was over 20 minutes!) daily. We loved it! 

Worst Moment this week: Monday as a whole was crappy. Between waking up at 4am and having HORRIBLE allergies, I was a wreck all day. I just wanted to get home and be in bed. I'm fearing next April with my horrid allergies and a 7 month old baby. 

Miss Anything? Seeing myself in the mirror is making me realize a whole new level of self confidence...being pregnant, I expect there to be a belly but sometimes I'll try something on and it's just NOT GOOD. It's more than just belly. I've grown everywhere! Trying to embrace my new figure and realize that my body will never be the same!

Cravings: Donuts. See previous mentions. I'm realllly close to being ashamed about how much I ate yesterday, but I read on my bump app that this week I'll start feeling 'ravenous' so I'm giving myself a pass.

Symptoms: Oy, my back. Old lady over here. We have something in our family we call the "Bennett back" so I'm thinking it's 80% hereditary and 20% pregnancy. These days I'm RARELY comfortable but not being able to get comfy when I'm sleeping is not so fun. 

Looking forward to: Getting some shelves hung in the nursery! Mark has been a ROCKSTAR and we are pulling the nursery together much faster than I thought we would. We have a lot done but he is currently building some shelves that I hope to have up in the next week or so and then I can go to town decorating them! :) I go sit in the nursery every single day and just smile. It's the best!

       week 16                                week 17                                        week 18

    week 19                               week 20

(dog pictured was not invited to be part of bump photos but has inserted herself by choice. She had a prior engagement during week 17, apparently...)