Hannah's Nursery Complete!

Well we finished it. After a lot of research, gathering, shopping, and pulling it all together, my precious baby girl's room is ready. Of course this is mostly for me and Brandon to enjoy, but I'm sure baby girl will love it one day too. Let me share some of the photos and details with you.

This is what you see when you walk in the door


I got the chair from WalMart.com (Thanks Dad!) and the owl pillow was made by my very talented Nana. I got the curtains from Land Of Nod


The side table was actually in my nursery and was in my mom's attic for many years. My Nana made the table skirt to go on it and I just love how it came together. The lamp came from Target and the little pink H and cute alarm clock came from Hobby Lobby.


My wonderful husband made the shelves. I saw these on another blog and was inspired to have some in Hannah's room. I love how large they are and that you can stack a lot of stuff in them. The Barbie dolls were Brandon's moms which makes them extra special. The little donkey was a gift from my brother and sister-in-law and the rabbit is something I picked out when I was in Dallas over Thanksgiving. Love all the bright colors of the books and toys.


A lot people have asked me if I painted her name above the crib. No I did not. It's actually a wall decal that I found online here.


I love this wall by the dresser and window. The number art is mine and I picked up the frame and matte at Michael's for really cheap. Cheap but cute art. Also the print underneath is so special because it was created by my dear friend Shanda. Love it! The lamp also came from Target.


Her dresser was found on Craiglist for $125! What a steal considering if you buy it new at Ikea it costs over $300. The knobs were on sale at World Market and they had just enough in stock for me to buy them on the spot :) The changing pad matches the pink in the curtains and also was purchase at Land of Nod.


The flower shadow boxes were painted and made by my oh so talented sister-in-law Brittany. Love how those pink flowers just pop.


Here bedding came from here. It was a splurge but I just love the way it looks. I bought a cheap sheet online that matches with the rest of the pink.


Finally here's a look into baby girl's closet. I don't think this baby will be in lack of something to wear for a long time. I have so many cute things I can't wait for her to be here so we can start playing dress up :)



Well I hope you enjoyed the nursery tour. Check back tomorrow or maybe Thursday for my weekly update.

35 Weeks Only 35 Days to go!!!

Well I'm a little late in getting my 34 week post out. Things were a little crazy this week. This past weekend Brandon and I drove to Andrews, Texas, which is about 1 hour and a half southwest of Lubbock. We went there for a wedding that Brandon was a groomsman in. There isn't much in Andrews, but Brandon's uncle Barry and aunt Susan live there. So Saturday we met up with them for a little Hannah shopping and lunch. We got the cutest outfits for miss thing at this cute little boutique. Here are two of them. The last one is the one is what I think I'm going to have for her coming home from the hospital outfit. I love how feminine it is and that it comes with a matching hat. Too cute!!!





Sunday we ventured over to Babies R' Us and Target to return a few items we got double of and pick up a few things as well. We had a car seat and stroller combo, but it was generously used and I really wanted to get a new one.

So we traded in the old one at Babies R' Us and got a new one 25% off. With the items we returned plus a few gift cards (Thanks Aunt Susie and Nathalie!) we basically got it for nothing.

Monday was Valentine's Day. I worked all day, but my sweet husband sent me flowers. Isn't he nice!


That night he cooked steak, lobster tail, and sauteed veggies. And for desert, chocolate cake in the shape of a heart. We decided to stay in instead of fighting the crowds and I'm so glad we did. It made for such a nice and relaxing evening.

In other news I'm 35 weeks today. I'm feeling pretty good. Just getting more and more anxious about the delivery. We had child birth class on Tuesday and learned more about our options and also more labor techniques. I think it's really been helpful. I go back to my doctor on Monday and I have some questions for her so I hope she's ready.

Here's my 34 Week Bump Photo

33 Weeks!!!

Well I'm 33 weeks and 6 days pregnant today. Yay :) I'm so glad the end is near. I know I probably say that every week, but it is so so true. Pregnancy is hard. It's hard on your body, it's hard emotionally, it's just hard. I'm trying to stay as busy as I can and it really is making the time go by, but I'm just ready for it all to be over.

Last weekend was the Addy awards. UMC took home 10 awards 1 gold and 9 silver. We won the second most out of all the agencies/business that competed.



Sunday we stayed inside and watched the Super Bowl. I don't think I really left the couch all day. We are still putting the final touches on Hannah's room, but it is now about 97% complete. I just love how it all turned out. More pictures to come soon.

Well I was debating to even talk about this on my blog, but I thought I would anyway. I really have struggled with my body image throughout this pregnancy. I have never been very confident with my body, but I've been shocked on how much weight I have gained. People say I look great, but I just don't feel it. Well my worse fears were brought to life when I went in for my doctor's appointment on Monday.

I went and saw a different physician in my doctors practice, the 4th one I've seen. They make you see all the docs in the practice in case my doc insn't on call the day I go into labor. From the beginning of the appointment he made me feel uncomfortable and incompetent. I just wanted to get out of there. He was smug and so sure of himself and talked to me as if I wasn't educated at all. He then looked at my chart and asked if anyone had discussed my weight with me. They actually hadn't. None of the other docs have been concerned with my weight. He then proceeded to tell me that I had gained too much weight and I should have only gained about 20lbs instead of the 35lbs I have gained. He also rudely explained to me that I would not be able to lose the weight after the baby is born and that some women never lose the weight. As if I realistically believed the weight would magically come off right after delivery. He said I could continue to eat the way I do but I would just become more and more unhealthy. It was up to me though. I explained that I don't eat unhealthy but I wasn't able to really exercise because of my lack of energy. He smugly said well no one exercises during pregnancy it was my eating habits that got me this way.

I have never been treated so poorly by a medical professional in my entire life! I left the appointment feeling like a failure, humiliated, and more down on myself than ever. I cried for about 2 hours afterward. I'm really disappointed because all the other doctors I've met in the practice have been so wonderful, but this doctor really left a horrible taste in my mouth. I will not have him deliver my baby. I rather have anyone else but him. I plan on talking about it with my doctor in two weeks and see what she says about the situation. I'm getting over it, but I'm still really hurt by the whole situation. I think the important thing for me to remind myself is that God still thinks I'm beautiful and He's provided me with good health and a healthy baby throughout the pregnancy and not to worry about all the other stuff. As long as she's healthy that's all that matters.

Anyway I hope everyone stays warm and has a wonderful rest of the week. It's about 10 degrees outside right now.

33 Weeks Bump Photo

32 Weeks & A Big Weekend

Well I'm 32 weeks & 5 days pregnant today :) I am feeling big, really big, and did I mention big? I was really emotional about it yesterday. If it wasn't for my awesome husband telling me constantly how much he loves me and that I was looking great, I probably would have had a bigger meltdown than I was already did. Ha! I think there are women who love pregnancy. I know they are out there, but I am just not one of them. I know my life is about to change in such a drastic way, but I really am ready for baby girl to get here and not to be pregnant anymore.

I had a doctor's appointment last Thursday and everything is right on track. I have been having pains and pressure so she did examine me. I haven't dilated yet, but I'm about 30% effaced so my body is getting ready :) She told me the baby is running out of room in my pelvis and I need to lean back more in my chair at work, because she's getting squished. Sorry baby, I'll do better this week.

32 Weeks Bump Photo


This weekend was a busy one. My friend Kari and her husband Brad came into town from Oklahoma Saturday evening, but we had to go to the UMC Gala so they had to fend for themselves for awhile. The gala was beautiful. Such a great party. I thought Brandon was lookin good for sure. We weren't party animals though, and left around 10:30pm. On the way there, Brandon's truck ran out of gas. Our neighbor had to come and rescue us so we could take my car to the gala. We later learned his gas gage is broken. We're glad that's all it was.


Sunday was my baby shower. To say I was overwhelmed is quite an understatement. We feel so blessed by all who attended and the wonderful gifts we received. I feel so loved and so grateful to have so many wonderful women who love us and our precious baby on the way. Now I just have to organize everything :)



I wanted to give a special thanks to these special women for hosting the shower and making everything so lovely and perfect. Thanks Caryn for opening up your home and to my sister-in-law Brittany for organzing everything. You are truly amazing!!!

Finally I wanted to give a sneak peak into Hannah's nursery. It's about 85%-90% complete. I have to hang some more artwork, get my glider chair in there, and do some finessing, but it's coming together quite nicely. Don't you agree?



Brandon built these shelves and the Barbies were his mom's.

My artwork




I'll post more photos when it's finally finished. Have a great week!

31 Week Update

Well it was a pretty good week. I had a few contractions the other night, but other than that I'm feeling really great. I go to the doctor tomorrow for my 32 week appointment. I can't believe in 2 months or less she will be here. I feel like I'm ready, but I still have some things to do before she comes.

I still have things to buy, but I'm waiting til after my shower on Sunday to see what those things will be. I need to go to the eye doctor and get more contacts. We start our childbirth class in two weeks. A breastfeeding class on Feb 3rd. I also have 3 big events between now and then starting this weekend.

Saturday night is UMC's big annual Gala. This year I was a lot more involved on the committee. I designed the save the date card, invitation, and program along with several other pieces that will be used at the event. It's a Chinese theme this year and the challenge to make Chinese modern and elegant was quite a challenge. Everything turned out really nice though.



I'm really excited because I found out yesterday that the invitation won an Addy award! The Addy awards, or Ad Federation awards, recognize local companies and agencies for the creative work they produce throughout the previous year. UMC entered 14 entries and we won 10. We find out exactly what we won next Saturday at the awards show.

My final event is the Laugh for the Cure event. It's going to be on Feb. 24th. I was on the committee again this year and I'm working hard to get all my stuff together for that. I really think it's going to be an awesome show. The only thing I'm worried about is I'll be 4 weeks out from my due date. Yikes! I hope I can make it to the show.

Another exciting thing that happened last weekend was we got a new computer for our home. An iMac!!! I absolutely love it. Can't wait to be able to use it a lot more once I'm on maternity leave.



Well I guess that's it for now. I have a really busy weekend. Cleaning house on Friday for my friend Kari and her husband Brad to come and stay with us, Gala on Saturday night, and my baby shower Sunday afternoon :)

31 Week Bump Photo

30 Week Update and Maternity Photos

Well this week was better for me. I felt better and the baby dropped again so I'm breathing better. Hooray! I have been having some Braxton Hicks contractions, but they go away after I lie down or drink some water. This baby is moving around a lot these days. I can see full body movements from the outside. It's so weird. I got a lot accomplished in her room this past week. I love how it's coming together. Pictures coming soon.

Here is my 30 Week Bump Photo


Yesterday I went out to this old rustic party house place downtown, called Old Town, with my photographer that shot our wedding to take some maternity photos. Now I'm not a fan of traditional maternity photos. You know the ones with the exposed belly with you top off. I just think those are so gross and I would have no idea what I would do with that type of photo anyway. However, I did still wanted to capture this time in my life of being pregnant with Hannah and maybe get a few to put in her nursery.

Domi and I have stayed in touch since she and Barry shot my wedding so I knew she would do a great job and not make me look cheesy. I just love her style of work. Well these are a few from the session. My favorite is the one with the book. I'm for sure going to use that in her room somehow.

30 Weeks Today 29 Week Update

Well I'm late getting my weekly update out. Sorry about that. I didn't have a very good 29th week. Last Wednesday-Friday the baby was sitting so high I could hardly breathe. I went for a walk Wednesday night and felt worse than ever. Usually I feel good after a nice walk. I think I really overdid it and my body was responding back in a negative way. So I took the whole day Friday off to rest. I felt a lot better by Saturday, but continued to rest through the weekend. I feel better today, but have to remind myself to take it easy. I don't want to go on bed rest.

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and everything is right on track. Her heart beat was good and they seemed pleased. However, I gained several more pounds from my last visit. Where does all this weight go? By the looks of my photo this week, it's going everywhere. I feel I look huge. Nothing fits anymore and I'm getting really tired of this whole pregnancy thing. Only 10 weeks to go :)

I can't wait for her to be here, but I still have some things I have to accomplish first. We start our baby care class tonight. I'm really looking forward to it. It's this Thursday night and next Thursday, then we have a Child Birthing class next month. That class is the one I'm not looking forward to as much, but I know it will be really beneficial for us to take it.

Really proud of my dad. He had his art show premier last Friday and it was amazing. He sold several pieces and everyone seemed to have really positive feedback about his work. Unfortunately I didn't take any photos because I wasn't feeling well. We only stayed a little while and I totally forgot to bring my camera :(

Well I guess that's it for now. Hopefully I will do better next week in getting an update out. I will also be posting soon about her bedding that came in. Quite the story.

29ish Week Baby Bump