Nora Kay Love ~ 34 Weeks

Plugging along with another week down...I honestly can't decide if the time is flying by or dragging on...either way, 6 weeks from now I'll have a baby girl in my arms! 

How far along: 34 Weeks!!

How big is baby: Cantaloupe; 4.75 lb

Gender: My sweet baby girl, Nora Kay!

Weight gain/loss: I honestly feel like I've stopped gaining weight anywhere except for my big ole' belly...which I consider a good thing.  My face is still a little round, but as you can tell from the photos below, it's not nearly as round as the first time around. 

Sleep: It's truly hit or miss.  I can always fall asleep just fine, but some nights I seem to have a bit of insomnia around the 2-4 am mark.  I always manage to fall back asleep, but it's those nights that I also wake up early, like around 5:30am and can't go back to sleep.    

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I've been really trying to watch my sodium intake to avoid any access water retention...which was certainly a problem last time around.  I'm not really craving anything specific, but I know all the Halloween candy, followed by my annual cookie exchange, followed by Thanksgiving will be rough!  And we might have stopped by a donut shop this morning for breakfast...but I've made it this far so I can indulge right?!?

Movement: Yesterday at work I think she literally must have been doing some sort of hip-hop routine in my belly...which makes no sense since I had Christian worship music playing on my computer.  This girl moves ALL. THE. TIME.  But I'm not complaining, for the most part those kicks, jabs, and full body rolls are just a sweet reminder of how close we are getting to actually meeting her! 

What I'm loving: The nursery!  & my sweet Elyse.  The nursery is pretty much finished and is more than ready for a little baby girl to occupy the space.  You can see nursery reveal pictures in yesterday's post.  And can I just brag a moment on my first born daughter?  She is truly the light of my life and while I know there will be plenty of room to love another daughter, I've just been overwhelmed recently with the fact that God blessed me with a daughter like Elyse.  She truly is going to be a great big sister, and a huge help to this momma.  I love her with every bone in my body and I'm really trying to soak up these last few weeks with her. 

Symptoms: Thanks to a forced, relaxing weekend my ankles have actually stayed ankles and not CANKLES!  Woohoo!  I've still got the frequent bathroom breaks, round face, and really round belly but the heartburn & Braxton Hicks have also subsided quite a bit.  I still get uncomfortable fairly easy and I'm having to take a break during my morning routine because I just get worn out.  However, these are all pretty minor things that I can deal with.  

What I'm looking forward to:  Some down time.  But I'm not exactly sure when I'm going to get it.  I'm trying to be much more intentional about not over-planning our schedule because that's when I get worn out and exhausted.  I'm also really looking forward to Halloween on Friday...that is if we can get Elyse to actually WEAR her costume.  Right now she's protesting, but Hubby and I have big plans of implementing bribery!  ha! 

 

Best moment of the week: Maternity photos were truly a lot of fun.  Elyse cooperated pretty much NOT, but we got some great shots and I'm excited to share them soon.  While maternity photos are definitely an optional thing, I'm so glad that we chose to do them again.  They remind me that I really do look beautiful during this process and it's a great reminder of what amazing things the human body can do.  Babies truly are such a miracle of life!   

 

 

And just for fun...here's a comparison shot of me at 34w with Elyse.  I actually think I look a LOT better this time around! 

Nora's Nursery Reveal

Last week and over the weekend I was able to finish up a few details for Nora's nursery, so I figured it was time to share the finished product!  Gigi is still working on a few pillows, but otherwise all this room needs now is Baby Nora! 

*detail links posted throughout

Wooden Name Sign:  MoonSnailCreations via Etsy
Paint Colors:  Sherwin Williams Begonia & Dishy Coral?  (not certain on these) 

You can see Elyse's original nursery reveal here and even though we moved back in May, everything pretty much stayed exactly the same.  I knew that when I started planning Nora's nursery, I wanted it to still be girly, but lighter, more airy, and still something that she could grow into.  We also knew that we were going to buy a second crib for two reasons:  1.  Elyse is still sleeping like a hibernating bear and I wasn't about to mess with that.  & 2.  Elyse's crib actually converts to a full-size bed so it didn't make any sense to buy another super-expensive covertible crib/bed this time around. 

Swivel Rocker/Recliner: La-Z-Boy Rowan (I honestly can't find the specific fabric color
NightStand:  HomeGoods
Floral Embroidered Knit Blanket:  Nordstrom

However, when we bought Elyse's nursery we bought the matching crib, chest of drawers, & hutch/changing table combo.  So...to avoid buying ALL new furniture for the new baby, we moved the hutch/changing table into the nursery & the chest of drawers now holds most all of Elyse's clothes that don't go in the closet.  This worked well, except her furniture was the super dark Espresso brown, so I had to work with that to still get the light, airy, girly feel I was going for.   

Hutch/Changing Table:  Baby Appleseed Davenport Collection
Wire Bow Holder:  Hobby Lobby
Hamper:  Walmart (similar here)

 

Colored Spools, Glass Pacifier Jar, & Follow Your Heart decor:  Hobby Lobby

I found several inspiration nurseries on Pinterest, and used details from all of them to pull together a nursery that I'm pretty smitten with.  The thing that I love is that you can actually see parts of the nursery from the living room, and it simply makes me smile as I look in there! 

Top Left:  Vintage 1 Samuel 1:27 art (this actually hung in my room the entire time I was growing up)
Bottom Left:  Frame - Hobby Lobby, Print - Printable Wisdom via Etsy; Middle:  Frame - IKEA, LOVE Print - thewheatfield via Etsy
Right:  White Shelf (who knows?!?), Coral Vase & Floral filler - Hobby Lobby

Lamp:  Target ; Table Frame:  Unknown

One of the things I'm most excited about, just as I was with Elyse's room, is the bedding and window treatments...because Gigi made them!  This time around Mamaw also had a hand in helping out with some serious ironing and I'm so thrilled that the major points in Nora's room are a labor of love from her two fabulous grandma's. 

Window Valance & Curtains: Handsewn by Gigi & Mamaw, all fabrics from Joann Fabrics

Crib Sheet, & Ruffled Bed Skirt:  Handsewn by Gigi, all fabrics from Joann Fabrics

Ribbon Mobile:  DIY, all ribbon from Hobby Lobby

This is actually the view that I see from the hallway...I know I'll be spending many long hours in this nursery room, rocking and nursing, and snuggling my new baby girl!  And trust me, I've already tested it out, there's more than enough room for this momma to hold a baby in one arm, and have a precious toddler girl sitting next to her.  Those moments are what I'm dreaming of now. 

 

Nora Kay Love ~ 33 Weeks

 And here we are again...another week down, and another belly photo.  33 weeks and moving on...

How far along: 33 Weeks...this is getting crazy folks!

How big is baby: Pineapple; 4.25 lb

Gender: My sweet baby girl, Nora Kay!

Weight gain/loss: Who knows, who cares!  I was actually right on track at my appointment last week...so I was pleased with that.  My face seems destined to become round again this pregnancy...I think that's the part I hate most! 

Sleep: It's truly been pretty great.  Rolling over and readjusting is certainly becoming more of a chore, but thankfully I seem to be able to shift positions and visit the bathroom multiple times without waking myself up too much.   

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: The sweets left around the house from the shower and various Fall gatherings are definitely calling my name.  I'm trying not to go crazy, but I've also made it this far so there's not much I can do about it now! 

Movement: Bladder kicks, sucker punch to the stomach, more bladder kicks.  Of course according to a quick ultrasound last week we have a girl who is head down and ready to go...so I guess it's not technically bladder kicks, but bladder punches.  Thankful for a girl who has already assumed the position!

What I'm loving: Wrapping up the nursery details.  With my shower on Sunday we made it a goal to get all the bedding and curtains put together before all my guests arrived.  I'll have a full recap soon of the nursery, but it looks wonderful and I'm always so happy when the vision I have in my head comes to fruition in real life! 

Symptoms: What symptoms don't I have?  Swelling ankles that don't go down as easily, Braxton Hicks, heartburn, frequent trips to the bathroom, round face, really round belly...etc., etc., etc.!  Not to complain, but I feel as if I'm already much more uncomfortable this time around compared to with Elyse.  Maybe it's the fact that I'm chasing Elyse around...but by the time Elyse goes to bed at night I'm ready to just put my feet up and relax. 

What I'm looking forward to:  Maternity pictures tomorrow!  We're having our fall family photos combined with a maternity session tomorrow.  I've got the outfits laid out and I think we're good to go.  Now if Elyse will just cooperate with a few grins here & there we'll be golden! 

Best moment of the week: My shower of course, but maybe more importantly than that was last night.  Things didn't go quite as I had planned and I was left feeling worthless and like a failure...which at 33 weeks pregnant meant LOTS of waterworks.  I'm not sure Elyse had ever really seen me cry and it was absolutely breathtaking to see her "mother" me and let me know that everything was going to be ok.  She brought me some of her favorite toys, gave me multiple kisses and hugs, wiped my tears, and continued to ask if I was ok.  Oh that girl...she has my heart & I know I won't ever get it back!   

Showering Nora Kay with Love

Yesterday afternoon I was incredibly blessed to be surrounded by LOTS of family & friends to celebrate Nora's impending arrival.  I'd honestly be lying if I said it wasn't a little bit of a rough day.  My grandma wasn't there.  And she would have been.  She wouldn't have missed it for the world, regardless of how she was feeling she would have been there.   But she wasn't.  And this is the first of many celebrations and family occasions when there will be an obvious presence missing. So...in a bittersweet celebration we all gathered to celebrate the little girl who's going to be named after one of the most amazing women in my life. 

I honestly didn't expect to be thrown a shower, considering this is my second baby and also because we've got this same gender thing going on!  However, my bestie insisted and she put on a beautiful, but simple shower at my home yesterday.  Truly, it was nice having it at my house...just a little bit of picking up here & there but they took care of everything else and I didn't have to spend time loading up my car with all the goodies afterwards! 

 

Sorry for the following abundance of cookie pictures...but they were just too adorable!  We actually have several left over that I'm freezing for a later day--they'd make great gifts for the nurses at the hospital!   

 

My hostesses, 3 of my very best friends, and my sister-inlaw...so incredibly thankful for these girls!

And of course Nora's grandma's...Gigi & Mamaw!

Elyse even had her very own cookie...shaped in an "E"...and when I asked her E for what?  Her quick response...E for ME!  Smart girl! 

As you can see, I had ladies there from every aspect of my life...I'm so blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful women!

Elyse was all about helping me unwrap the presents...she truly is going to be a great big sis!

And of course the other granddaughters weren't going to be left out of the presents...Elyse & Harper both got new stuffed animals from Gigi and Elyse got a Melissa & Doug horse stable set that hasn't hardly left her side since she opened it!  These 2 little girls are going to be an absolute mess once there's another darling girl added to the mix! 

It was a wonderful afternoon, but man I was exhausted.  We made it to small group, but I promptly came home, put my feet up, and had a glorious night's sleep. 

Midweek Photo Dump

I just realized as I was loading my phone pictures onto my computer, that I had several pictures that hadn't made their way to the blog.  That probably has something to do with the fact that I'm lucky to get in one post a week...and I still need to post about our little family getaway to Kansas City...but one thing at a time! 

 

Just a few days after we visited Fall Fest @ the Farm, my mom took Elyse over to my aunt's house so she could ride horses there.  Elyse could not have been more excited and she definitely didn't have much interest in leaving! 

Last week I painted my toenails for what will most likely be the last time this pregnancy.  Don't look too closely, they are a mess.  I'm thinking pedicures from a salon are the only option for me from here on out! 

One of the biggest jobs I had to do was reorganizing Elyse's closet, and organizing Nora's.  This included sorting through all of Elyse's newborn clothing to see what was clean & reuseable and also going through all of Elyse's current clothing and packing away what wouldn't be worn for a bit.  It took two weekends and quite a bit of work...but we ended up with two very organized, very stocked closets full of little girls clothes!

Elyse doesn't always have much interest in playing babies...she would rather do puzzles or color or play with playdoh...but she has recently been paying more attention to them.  I think she's going to be a fantastic big sister...we just have to get that death grip that she has on baby's head under control!  

My goofy girl isn't all that excited about wearing her Halloween costume...as in she may not wear it at all...but maybe we'll just put socks on her hands as "mittens" and panties on her head as a "hat."  I mean, what more do you need?!

One of the biggest things we ordered in preparation for Nora's arrival were two, count them TWO, new swivel, rocker-recliners.  Hubby and his dad went and picked them up last week and they have found their new official home.  I can't wait to put these to LOTS of use with both Elyse & Nora.  

This girl.  There are no words.  She brings joy to my life that I never knew existed. But man...she has no idea how her world is about to be rocked!  ha!  



Nora Kay Love ~ 32 Weeks

And just like that we are less than 2 months away from meeting our little girl!  How is that even possible?!?  I've really got to get on making a to-do list for her arrival...along with all the events that are planned to happen before then!  Let's see...we've got Halloween, an annual cookie Exchange Party, Thanksgiving, lots of family activities and gatherings...and then right after Nora arrives, I've got one special little girl who'll be celebrating her 3rd birthday!  Whew...it's gonna be a crazy 12 weeks! 

 

How far along: 32 Weeks

How big is baby:  Large Jicama; 3.75 lb

 

 

Gender: My sweet baby girl, Nora Kay!

Weight gain/loss: Just hanging in there...and not really caring at this point.  As long as Nora is healthy, then I'm good.  I've been around several other mommas who have done a great job of boosting my self-confidence recently...because last week it hit a little bit of a low.  So thankful for encouraging friends!  I was measuring a little big at my last OB appointment, so Wednesday I have another ultrasound scheduled just to check on my sweet girl.  Not gonna complain...it's been nearly 3 months since I've seen her!

Sleep: It's been ok...but when I wake up in the mornings it's hard to go back to sleep.  I'm starting to struggle with getting comfortable, but I still seem to find a good place to be for most of the night.  Let's hope this good sleep continues on.   

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: Just food.  However, I am getting to the point where I have to watch the quantity that I eat because I get overly full really quick.  This is definitely probably a good thing...of course there's always room for an evening treat! 

Movement: Still moving like crazy.  She hates it when I rest anything more than my hands on my belly...iPad, book, glass of water, anything...and she always goes to moving around and kicking when that happens. 

What I'm loving: Daydreaming about the days to come.  Honestly, if I didn't truly know that she needed to stay in there a little longer...I'd love to have her in my arms right now.  However, I'm loving the quality time with Elyse right now and I'm trying to soak up every moment that I can with her as an only child. 

Symptoms: The Braxton Hicks are still pretty intense if I don't stay hydrated--I seriously wondered if Hubby was going to have to take me to labor & delivery late last week...but this cold had my dehydrated and once I downed a big glass of water I was good to go.  I felt great during my entire trip to KC, but definitely got tired a lot more easily and the pelvic pain set in pretty intensely after walking for 3 hours at IKEA!

What I'm looking forward to:  More Fall activities with the family.  Getting the bedding and curtains hung up...my mom is all finished and I can't wait to see it all come together!  Another ultrasound on Wednesday. My baby shower on Sunday.  The St. Louis Cardinals hopefully winning the NLCS!  (Hey it happened when I was pregnant with Elyse, it could happen again!) 

Best moment of the week: The trip to KC with my bestie. This was seriously a great time...even if I was only away from the house for less than 30 hours! 

 

Babymoon with the Bestie!

After Hubby's golf trip back in the summer...we decided that I needed to take a quick trip before Nora arrives for a Momma's Weekend Out!  So, I quickly looked at some various possibilities, talked with my bestie, and we decided on a quick overnight trip to Kansas City this past weekend. 

 

The stage production of Mamma Mia was in town so we bought the best available tickets we could buy, made reservations at a fancy seafood restaurant and found a nice hotel nearby.  We headed out on Saturday about the same time that Elyse went down for a nap and drove the 3ish hours to our hotel. 

 We had a fabulous dinner with no kids menus and no "Momma, I need to go potty..."and then we made our way to the theater where we thoroughly enjoyed the Mamma Mia production.  And in true Momma-form, we headed back to our hotel, talked for a bit, and then headed to bed early.  We laughed as we saw a couple of different bachelorette parties just heading out as we were heading up to bed!  We were not ashamed that we were in our pajamas before 11 pm!  ha! 

 

And...as luck would have it, the new IKEA opened up in Kansas City about a month ago.  The nearest IKEA to us before now was Dallas...an 8 hour drive away!  So...these two crazy mommas lost their #ikeavirgin status and spent 3 hours roaming the craziness of IKEA.  We had a fabulous time and spent plenty of money but also had plenty of self-control. 

It was a refreshing weekend with my favorite girl in the world...and while we might not be able to do this once a month, or even once a quarter, we've already promised ourselves that we'll do it at least once a year!  Maybe more mommas can join us next time! 

Nora Kay Love ~ 31 Weeks

So...with the official Family Cold of the Fall 2014 and being almost 32 weeks pregnant limiting the drugs I can take...it's been a LONG week.  Let's just all pretend that this belly update went up as normal on Tuesday...even though we're no WAY closer to 32 weeks pregnant than 31! 

 

How far along:  31 weeks...we hit the 60 day countdown this week!

How big is baby: Four Navel Oranges; 3.3 lbs



Gender: My sweet baby girl, Nora Kay! We've certainly given her some big shoes to fill with being named after my Grandma Kay.

Weight gain/loss: And...after my dr's appointment last week, this will remain an unmentionable topic.  But, on the bright side I am still on track to only gain 1lb per week for the entire pregnancy.  Yeah, you do the math...not pretty.  But worth it. 

Sleep: We have all been sharing a family cold in our house which has led to Elyse not sleeping well...which means no one sleeps well.  Between her needing up to go potty, Momma getting up to go potty, and Elyse deciding she can't go back to sleep unless she's in momma & daddy's bed...it's been an interesting week as far as sleep goes.  Hopefully this doesn't stay our new normal! 

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: Still nothing here.  But guacamole tops the list as a favorite condiment.  Not such a bad thing since avocadoes are all healthy fat...right?!?  I also stocked up on pumpkin puree so I can do some fun fall baking in the next few weeks!   

Movement: Oh man this girl moves. She mainly likes to move early in the mornings, right before bed, and then if I wake up in the night to go to the bathroom...she likes to have a little dance party before settling back down.  I really hope this isn't a sign of things to come! 

What I'm loving: Checking things off my to-do list!  We're now 60 days away from her arrival and so I'm trying to get a lot of the details lined out.  Both the girls' have almost fully organized closets, the new rocker-recliners found their way to our house last night, and I've started actually getting the details ordered from Etsy to finish up Nora's room.  My shower is on October 19th and I should have her bedding in hand after that...can't wait! 

Symptoms: Still the same-o, same-o here.  Growing belly. Braxton Hicks. Lower leg cramps. Heartburn. Bathroom visits.  The heartburn and leg cramps have definitely been less frequent...but that's because I feel like I'm in a constant of floating with the amount of water I'm trying to drink!

What I'm looking forward to:  I have a girls' weekend planned with my bestie on Saturday & Sunday...we're going to Kansas City to see Mamma Mia, visit IKEA for the FIRST. TIME. EVER.  and we are just planning to have some good quality girlie time!  I'm leaving Elyse at home with her Daddy and we're going to have a blast! 

Best moment of the week: Since we're all dealing with this cold...the "best" moments have been pretty minor...as in being able to breathe!  ha!