Poppy's Nursery!

 Mal and Jordan made this cute banner for my baby shower.  I love it on the door!

As we count down the days until Poppy gets here (not that we know how many days that is - let it be today!), we fall more and more in love with our baby's nursery.  It is truly the best room in our house, certainly the one we have spent the most time and energy into decorating.  I love it in there and even though it is finished and organized, I just like to go in and spend time.  All we need is our baby (and the rocking chair which is hopefully coming in soon)!

Here is a little nursery tour.

View from the door.  Light fixture from Pottery Barn kids.

 View from the opposite corner.

 And another corner view.  Plus a view of the amazing closets that Aaron built.  That used to be all one closet, and he made it into a closet with a door on the left and built in's on the right.  Baskets from Target.  Shelves from Container Store.

 Changing table.  I LOVE how our dresser and "changing table" turned out.  They were my old bedroom furniture that Aaron painted white and I got the new knobs at World Market.  We were so happy not to have to buy a bunch of new furniture, since this will all be useful down the road too.  Changing table pad from Pottery Barn kids, lamps from Target.

 Just a little detail that I love - I found this elephant bowl at World Market too.

 Little basket for the changing table - ready to go!

 Swaddle blankets washed and folded - just need a baby to swaddle up!

 Beautiful quilt that Nana (Aaron's sweet mom) made for us!

 Our crib, bedding, and mobile are all from Pottery Barn kids.  LOVE this Taylor bedding.  The white blanket was made by my best friend Sharon...I absolutely love it!  The pictures were purchased from Etsy and we found the frames at IKEA.

 Aaron IKEA-hacked this little side table from two IKEA lack side tables.  It is right next to where the rocking chair is going as soon as it gets here.  Seriously - such an awesome DIY.  Those tables are $7.99 each, so we got a great side table for $16!

 These cute shelves are also from IKEA.  Rocker will be right below these shelves.

 The frames and colorful animal prints - IKEA, of course!

 The rug is one of my favorite parts of the room.  It is also from Pottery Barn kids and matches the bedding, but it was discontinued and sold completely out back in December.  I had been so sad to not get it and was looking at other rugs online, but my mom surprised me and actually got it for me right when she knew I was pregnant!  Love this rug!

Paint color - Shaken Not Stirred from Valspar. It was our perfect shade of gray!

Well there it is!  I can't wait to put a little baby in there one day VERY soon!  11 days until the due date!

Houston Trip (Showering Poppy, Part 2)

Back in May, Aaron and I got to head down to Houston to see most of my best friends from college for a little baby celebration honoring me and Sarah, who is due with a baby boy just a few weeks after me.  Pam and Meagan were so sweet to plan a fun day for us - we ate at Lupe Tortilla and opened lots of fun baby gifts, got treated to mani/pedis, and shopped/hung out for the day.  It is always great to see my college friends, especially knowing this would probably be one of the last times I would get to see them for awhile.  I keep hearing that once you have a baby, it's not as easy to just pack up and head out of town like you used to.  We'll see!

Future college roomies like their momma's? Future spouses? Only time will tell...

Quick 37 week update on Poppy...

We had a sonogram yesterday and the baby was weighing in at around 7 pounds, 10 ounces, which means it is not the gigantic toddler that we were thinking!  It is a great size, though, and we have checked out very healthy so only time will tell when Poppy wants to make his or her big debut.  We are waiting and trying to be patient, but these last few weeks are hard!  

Trying to get my sample sale up tomorrow or Friday - stay tuned!  There are many pieces that I am sad to pass on, so I am still contemplating a few. 

Showering Poppy, Part 1

We have been so blessed to have several celebrations honoring Poppy.  My co-workers at school threw me an amazing bumblebee-themed shower back in May.  The craziest part about it was that they didn't even know about me and my love for bumblebees (not the real ones, but growing up, I collected bumblebee stuff and decorated my first few classrooms with bees).  The theme was "What will it bee?" and everything was super cute!  I loved the awesome bee hive cake, cupcakes, and the table center pieces.  The ladies who work in the front office and my co-assistant principal worked so hard to throw us such a fun shower, and I love working with such a great staff.

My fun group of friends from Yale also threw me a little shower - we all met up at one of our favorite Richardson restaurants for dinner, which was perfect - casual, laid back, and we just got to sit and laugh while we all caught up.  When I began my teaching career at Yale, I really thought that all of my blessings would come from the kids (and they certainly did bless me), but had no idea that I would make such amazing friends there too.  I met some of my very best friends during those years, and I could not be more grateful for my four years there.  We are friends from all walks of life, different ages, different life situations, but we always have a great time when we get together.  And, of course, in true Becky fashion, I forgot to take any group pics (I have GOT to get better at this when Poppy comes - Mom 101).

 The cake was probably the best part - poor Sharon tried so hard to explain to the bakery that the cake should say "Baby Stevens" and this is how it turned out.  We love Baby Bevens too! And that cute elephant!

Excited about some new wash cloths and burpy bibs!

Stay tuned for an AMAZING Stella and Dot sample sale!  I am getting all of my retired items together this week to sell and get ready for the new Fall collection that debuts later this month!  I'll be posting the sale soon!

Full Term!

My first thought this morning was - it's July!!  I have never been so excited for July to be here!  It's the month we will meet our baby (unless he/she is 9 or more days late, so let's hope not).  Our due date is in 3 weeks today, so today makes us full term at 37 weeks!  I guess it was Aaron's first thought this morning too because that was the text I got from him this morning. (He is coming home today from his last work trip until Poppy's arrival).

Aaron thinks he is realllll funny.

I swore I would not be a false-alarm girl, but I guess the waiting makes me anxious...so this is how we spent last Monday.  I literally caught Aaron as he was boarding a plane for Tulsa and he had to cancel his trip.  Besides me being ridiculous, it turned out ok because it forced me to pack our bags, do a practice run at the hospital, and it turns out that we know a great nurse in the labor and delivery department from our Sunday School class!  I won't go into details on why I thought I should go to the hospital, because it's TMI and truth be told, I am still a little confused.  BUT, everything was still looking great, I am not in labor, and my "bag of waters" is still in tact.

Contractions were confirmed!  The top line is the baby's heartbeat and the bottom line was a contraction monitor.  They are really basically nothing and not painful right now, but at least I do know what I was feeling was a contraction.

Hope to keep you updated as we go through these next few weeks - we are so excited and anxious to meet our little one SO soon!

 

PS - LOVE the Beautiful Mess app!

Nesting - Beauty Edition

"Real" nesting (like the cleaning, organizing, nursery kind) occurred really late for me compared to some people.  I didn't really start obsessively cleaning and straightening until last week.  I had a crazy work schedule this year, typically working 50-60 hours a week, and being pregnant on top of that didn't leave me much energy for getting things going in the nesting department.  Plus, I really don't like starting projects that I can't finish all in one doing, or at least within a certain, defined amount of time.  So, the nesting instinct was put off until late pregnancy for me and Aaron really took care of most of the nursery projects.

I did, however, realize that I am constantly looking and trying new beauty projects and regimens during my pregnancy.  I guess it was the type of nesting that I had the time for, and I started several new routines and fell in love with certain products/services over the past few months that I wanted to share!

I'll start with skin care...

My face was a disaster for about the first 7 months of being pregnant.  My chin was constantly broken out and I was left with several scars.  It's still not perfect, but it is definitely better than it was due to the Unblemish line from Rodan and Fields.  I have several friends who sell R&F products as consultants (Abby, Candess, and Traci), so I linked to their different websites below.

I also have been using Rodan and Fields microdermabrasion paste, which works wonders sloughing off dead skin cells and leaves my face feeling super smooth.  I LOVE this stuff!  I really like their self-tanner and lip shield as well.  I use all of my R&F products constantly - it is truly a great skin care line!

I have also been recently reintroduced to Arbonne from my friend Jamie who is a consultant.  They also have great skin care products, that are made of pure and clean ingredients and you can trust that whatever you are putting into your skin is good for it.  Lately, I have been obsessed with their Detox Spa line - especially the Re-mineralizing body lotion.  I typically would not spend this much on lotion, but it really does make the biggest different in my skin and lasts at least 24 hours.  I can tell a noticeable difference in how my skin feels when I use this lotion.

Arbonne's makeup primer is also a wonderful product - it leaves your face super smooth before you put your make up on, and helps the make up stay on longer throughout the day (which has always been an issue for me).  If you ever want to try anything from Arbonne, or host a little get together and get products for free, you can contact Jamie here.  Or order online and enter her ID number when ordering (11025199).

For both Rodan and Fields and Arbonne products, the prices listed are not always the deals that you can get, so I would suggest contacting the consultant to make sure you are getting the best deals possible.

Another new love of mine is Dry Bar.  There is one now open at Northpark Mall, and it is wonderful.  In case this is new to anyone, Dry Bar only styles your hair, and they have all different styles they can do.  They don't do cuts or color, though, just the style.  I got a blow out for two of my baby showers and was really happy with the way my hair looked and how it stayed so long.  I didn't have to wash it for 3 days!  They have fun movies playing to watch while you are getting your hair done, and it is very clean and cute on the inside.  

Dry Bar is where I was introduced to what is now my favorite hair spray.  This stuff does not leave any crunchiness at all, and really helps keep the humidity out of my hair as well.You can buy it at Dry Bar, and also on Amazon and I am sure a bunch more places.

Last, but certainly not least, my very favorite thing that I have been doing in the beauty department is getting prenatal massages from Katina Chapa.  She is located near Knox-Henderson, and she is the most fabulous thing that has happened to me in pregnancy!  I found her because I bought a Living Social deal and couldn't stop going back.  The best part is if you go back to her after the first time, the 60-minute massage is only $40.  It is a GREAT deal, and I feel so great every time I leave there.  (She does more than just prenatal too).

I really credit taking care of my skin and hair (and muscles from those massages) to at least part of the reason why I have felt great being pregnant.  Finding things that worked for me helped boost confidence and make me want to get dressed in the morning and put make up on.  If you know me, you know I always prefer to be in sweats and a ponytail, but these things have probably helped me not to end up as another victim on the "People of Walmart" website (at least I hope not)!

Thanks for reading, friends!
Until next time,

Becky

8 Months of Poppy (aka the Home Stretch)!

About 33 Weeks (another portrait from my work bathroom!)

36 weeks!

Hello Friends,

On Monday, I will be officially 36 weeks pregnant and today we are exactly one month away from our due date.  I have to say, I have feel so good about where we are and definitely feel more ready than ever.  I know you can never be really ready, but I can tell you that the week I spent organizing that nursery was probably the best thing I could have done to relieve anxiety and stress.  It has really come a long way (mostly due to my wonderful hubs), and I was blessed with the time to do it now that I am not working nearly as much.  In fact, starting Wednesday I am really off until October!  It's a weird feeling since it's only June, but oh so great knowing I will be able to spend at least 12 weeks at home with our little one.

Also, I have been at such a lack for anything to write in this blog for a long time, but I now have a list of about ten posts that are coming up!  I am really going to try to get into the habit of posting now that I have time on my side, and hopefully can keep it up once Poppy gets here and we get settled (do you ever get settled with a baby?  I'm not sure, but I do see moms posting blogs, so now I feel better).  Anyway, you'll notice a new design that I LOVE (it's still in the works, but almost finalized), and hopefully a lot more posts.  Here is our 8-month update on Poppy:

8 Month Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 36 Weeks

Size of baby: Poppy is the size of a honeydew, supposedly.  Apparently, I was really measuring big because remember at 30 weeks how I said it was 3 pounds?  Well, at the 32 week sono, Poppy was more of a 5 and 1/2 pounder.  4 weeks later, no telling how large this guy or gal is.  We are getting another sono next week, so we'll have a better idea of what kind of "fruit" I'll actually be giving birth to.  I come from a family of huge babies, my mom gave birth to three kids over 9 pounds, so this comes at no surprise. 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I honestly have no idea.  I felt like I was getting obsessed with the number and had to stop weighing myself.  I don't look at the number at the doctor's office either, but I do ask if it is on track, and they always tell me I am doing great, so hopefully they aren't lying.  Trying to nip the body image issues in the bud now - it is a daily prayer not to pass on these types of insecurities to my kids, especially if Poppy turns out to be a girl.

Maternity Clothes: Target and Gap have been my favorites!  That is true for my non-pregnant life as well.

Movement: Poppy loves to kick hard when I lay down to take a nap, take a bath, or go to bed.  It is basically such a reassurance every time I feel those movements.

Sleep: Definitely getting harder.  My Pinterest and Blog Lovin' activity has gone WAY up lately due to not being able to stay asleep.  It's really not that bad though, and I don't want to complain since my mornings are not nearly as early as they were.

What I miss: Happy Hour.  Tying my own shoes.  Clear skin.  Margaritas. Not running out of breath when I am simply talking.  Nike shorts.  Hanky Pankies.  Camp Gladiator.

Symptoms: Heartburn, lack of breath at times (especially when talking for awhile), not so good sleeping.  The worst is probably the amount of crying that goes on somedays over NOTHING!  I seriously had a sobbing fit right in the middle of church last week just singing!  I get overwhelmed so easily, but it's never about a bad thing or stress - it is just hormonal I guess!  I am SO blessed with very little swelling, great doctor's visits, low blood pressure, and energy.

Nursery Progress:  The nursery is all set up and so cute!  I love it so much, and Aaron does too.  I catch him going in there just to peek at it sometimes. :)  The last thing we need to do is put stuff up on the walls, and as soon as that is done, I promise I am posting pics.  It is organized though, clothes and blankets washed, bedding set up, and ready to go.  It is nothing super amazing, like the ones you see on Pinterest done by professionals, but it is perfect to us and it makes me very happy.

Life savers lately:  The snoogle body pillow!  Sure, it seems ridiculous, but I do love sleeping with this thing!  My reef flip flops.  Lemonade.  Luna bars.  Air conditioning.

We are SO looking forward to the next few weeks and seeing how this whole thing goes down.  I can't believe how incredibly close we are to meeting our little one, knowing it's gender, and calling it by name.  I could cry just thinking about it.  Better stop typing or I actually will begin crying and I was really going to try to hold it together today.  Poor Aaron.  

Be back soon!  Becky

7 Months of Poppy

Hello Friends,

I seriously cannot believe how long it's been since I have blogged.  Apparently, this is a very busy time of year working in an elementary school - who knew! Ha!  But, it actually has helped time just fly by lately, and I am in disbelief that I am giving an update on being 30 weeks pregnant.  The last update I did was at 4 months (19 weeks), and I am just sitting here laughing at my tiny little bump from back in the day.  Oh my goodness, I have changed, and I know I haven't even seen anything yet!

We have had a ton going on lately - and hopefully I will squeeze out some more blog posts soon.  For now, I really just wanted to document this month so I could remember it later.

I like to call this..."My How Things Have Changed.  Portraits From my Work Bathroom."

  

7 Month Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 30 Weeks

Size of baby: Poppy is the size of a cucumber, about 16 inches long and 3 pounds.  I'm measuring big, but my doctor's office doesn't like to stress me out with "facts and figures", so I'm not really sure exactly how big I am measuring.  PS - I LOVE this about my doctor!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained about 20 pounds.  Not the best, not the worst.  I am actually not heartbroken about this at all - I feel like I could have gained a lot more at this point, so I am happy with this number.  We'll see how it goes in the next few weeks, though, because I am getting hungrier and hungrier by the day.

Maternity Clothes: Duh. My favorite right now are Target maxi dresses.  Cool, comfy, and cheap!

Gender: We are dying to know!!  The 32 week sonogram that we have coming up is going to be tempting, but we are sticking with the surprise.  I have had many women tell me they think it's a girl too, based on the way I am carrying Poppy.  It's more of a wide bump than a basketball, but I rock it proudly.

Movement: I started really feeling Poppy's movements at week 20, and in the last ten weeks, not a day has gone by that I didn't feel him/her moving.  We apparently have a very active child on our hands, which I am so thankful for at every kick and punch.  Poppy especially moves after I have eaten or when I'm taking a bath.

Sleep: Still sleeping like a champ for the most part.  I am getting hot in my sleep a lot, and frequent bathroom breaks are necessary, but nothing to complain about.

What I miss: Happy Hour.  Tying my own shoes.  Clear skin.

Nursery Progress:  After ten weeks, the closet renovation is complete!  The walls are painted a really pretty shade of gray, a cute light fixture installed, and the crib is all set up (without bedding, etc).  Aaron's Mother's Day gift to me was getting all of that done, and he did an AMAZING job on the room.  I am seriously in awe of his handiwork.  Best gift ever!  Pictures of the progress will be posted on here soon, I hope!

The Dad: Aaron is getting really excited about Poppy too.  He has been super supportive, going to a breastfeeding class with me, and never complaining about tying my shoes.  What I look forward to most is seeing him holding and loving our little one.  He is going to be the best dad.

We are blessed!!

4 Months of Poppy

Well friends, I am officially 19 weeks and some days pregnant and feeling absolutely wonderful!  Being (almost) half way through feels unreal.  We still have so much to do (like everything), but it also feels like we have quite a bit of time in front of us to get it all done.  I truly love being pregnant - I am loving watching my body changing, which is something I definitely did NOT expect at all.  My anxiety in this area is gone.  I know some pregnant women get upset when people comment on how big they are or how much they are showing, and I guess no one likes being called "big", but I honestly love it when people comment on my growing belly (again, a sentence I would have never expected to utter).  I don't mind when people put their hands on my stomach, and not even when people have asked if I was having twins (no) have I been insulted by it.  Pregnancy has been pretty awesome, all in all, and I am so completely blessed with this.

4 Month Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 19 Weeks

Size of baby: Poppy is the size of a mango, and almost a banana.  I am not sure how these fruits are calculated in size, because some seem backwards.  Poppy is 11 ounces and about the size of a can of Coke.  He/she has 4 chambers of a itty heart, 2 kidneys, a bladder, and all kinds of perfectly working little parts, according to our 18 week sonogram.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 7 pounds.  Eek.  That part is starting to get faster, but really 7 pounds and being half way done is something that I am going to check off in the positive category.

Maternity Clothes: Yep - love them.  Whoever invented these maternity work pants is a genius. I may never give them up. Sorry Aaron.

Gender: We aren't finding out Poppy's gender until birth, though I am still feeling very strongly that Poppy is a girl.  Our family members are totally split on this, but I mean, let's face it - we all have a 50/50 shot.

Movement: I still don't really feel him or her moving, but I possibly have felt one tiny flutter.  Hopefully soon!

Sleep: Still sleeping like a champ.

What I miss: No longer miss cheese, thanks to Liz for teaching me the truth about pasteurized cheeses.  Really, I don't miss anything, except an occasional margarita at Happy Hour.

Nursery Progress:  Changed my mind about the grey and white with "pops of teal" to grey and white with "pops of mint".  Aaron and his friends have broken ground on the closet renovation and we've been looking at paint samples.  As soon as the closet is complete, we can start working on painting walls and furniture.

The Dad: He is hands-down the best husband I could have ever asked for - he has been so helpful and understanding and it makes me incredibly happy to see him so excited about our baby.  He loves to hear about the baby and what is going on with us.  I am so lucky to have him!

Thanks for listening - I feel like this is all pretty typical, but I don't want to forget this time in our lives so I am glad to be writing it out. Until next time...

3 months of Poppy

My first post on pregnancy!  Tomorrow, I will be in my 15th week of being pregnant - though "the bump", in its infinite wisdom, will say I am in week 14.  I am 14 full weeks, but in the 15th week, so I think it should say 15.  It honestly is too much for my pregnant brain to think about anymore!  I've been confused for weeks.  It is so crazy to me how close we are to being half way there.  It seems like this is going by way faster than our 7 month engagement.  We have plenty to do in our next 25 weeks (God willing), so I am thankful God gives us 9 months to get it all done!  Speaking of getting stuff done...ANY advice on registry items would be super helpful!  Leave me a comment or email me, if you have anything that you feel strongly about (brands, what you couldn't live without, what you didn't need, etc).  The baby registry is quite the beast!

3 Month Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 14 Weeks (I have anxiety about how much I am showing already, but I read this is normal for short people - I hope!)

Size of baby: Poppy is the size of a lemon - about 3.4 inches and 1.5 ounces.  The Bump calendar says she is sucking her thumb and wiggling her toes. Are you kidding me!?

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 1 pound! You can't imagine how happy I am about that one.  Weight is such an issue for me, and I know it will be a struggle internally for me during pregnancy.  My goal is 25 pounds, so I am really glad I didn't waste half of that in the first trimester, like I thought I would.  Gaining one pound in my first trimester also made me feel better about showing so quickly.

Maternity Clothes: I probably should not be wearing any yet, but my sweet sister-in-law handed down some amazing black work maternity pants to me and those babies are too comfy to pass up!  She also gave me some black maternity sweat pants that are amazing, and while my other sweats still fit, they are definitely in the rotation.  

Gender: We aren't finding out Poppy's gender until birth!  I do have a strong suspicion that she is a girl, though Aaron is holding strong that it's a boy.

Movement: I don't feel anything yet, but during our 10 week sonogram, Poppy was going crazy, waving her arms and kicking around like crazy.  Even the doctor said, "Whoa! Your baby is active!" He also said, "Wow, that's a big baby already!" Grrrrrreat.

Sleep: I sleep great!  Just have to get up to use the restroom a few times (sorry TMI), but no problems in this area, which is typical me.

What I miss: Feta cheese, goat cheese, anything revolving around cheese I am not supposed to be eating. :) I would say sushi and margaritas, but neither sound good to me at all, surprisingly.

Cravings: fruit, fruit, fruit - all I want is cantaloupe, oranges, strawberries, pineapple, etc.  And pickles.

Symptoms: I am feeling much better lately - I used to feel sick when I even thought of chicken.  And don't get me started on what happens when I see a sign for a McRib sandwich.  It isn't pretty. I do have a small headache pretty much every afternoon, but it isn't bad at all.  Feeling tired is probably the biggest thing, but nothing to complain about.  Also, I cry all the time....at a Garth Brooks song in the car (not even a sad one), at the end of Princess Diaries (how does this happen?), and at the Baby Gap looking at tiny clothes.  I can't make this stuff up!

Nursery Progress:  Our second bedroom is pretty much cleaned out.  We had to get rid of the guest room furniture and I had to really condense my clothes that were in that closet.  It feels like we made a lot of progress, though.  We have decided to decorate in gray and white, with some "pops of teal" (Aaron's words...haha kidding!).  And incorporate elephants as the theme.  I love elephants, and thought they were the perfect color for a gender neutral little room.

I am overwhelmed with how much I love this baby already - he or she is already such a big part of my heart, it is crazy.  I definitely did not expect to feel this strongly for a baby already, but I just do.  I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow to listen to the heartbeat, so I will post an update on that soon!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  I know it's been forever since the last post, but I wanted to come on here and wish everyone a wonderful year and great success on all the resolutions that are being set this year (more on mine later).

One resolution that I do have is to blog much more frequently.  In August and September, I changed jobs twice within two weeks and just never got quite caught up.  We spent the holidays giving our house a good ol' cleaning out and organizing, and though we are not done yet, I am finally feeling free to sit down at the computer and write a bit.  There will be plenty of reasons to blog this year, though.  One of them being this:

We are filled with such JOY over this baby, who we call Poppy for the time being.  Poppy is due July 22! How cute are the little arms and legs already at 10 weeks when this photo was taken??  (I am 12 weeks now).

The other (somewhat less important) reason that I am excited to start blogging again is that this is back:

And Jillian is back!  So, my BL blogging hiatus can be over now that I feel like it has returned to the real BL.  I plan on really keeping up with it this season, though I won't exactly be losing the weight that I usually hope to do while watching the show.  I'll just try to save the inspiration for after Poppy arrives.

I hope your holidays were as great as ours!