Curtain Tie Backs in the Nursery

So, remember the curtains I made (technically, just converted) for the nursery?  I told you I would get some tie backs for them.  I thought and thought about what I wanted to do, and honestly, I think this was probably the easiest and cheapest (while still being cute) thing to do.

So, how did I do it?  You'll seriously be amazed at how easy it is.  I hammered a long nail into the wall on each side of the window.  Then, I hot glued a big flower onto each of the two nails.  Viola!  Pull back the curtains, and we're in business!  Told ya it was easy!

What?  You want to see pictures?  Okay.

Cute, purple flower.  I got a small bushel at Dollar Tree, so super inexpensive!

Doin' its job.

I love how they open now!  Sorry the tie backs aren't in this one.  The window is huge, and I didn't want you to see the messy room.

Thanks for reading!

Baby Shower with Lance's Family

This weekend, Lance's family threw me a baby shower.  It was so much fun!!  It was held at Lance's dad's and Laura's house.  The decorations were super cute and girly.  The refreshments were divine!  We also had a great turn-out of guests.  It's always nice to get together with family you don't see on a regular basis and catch up.  We received so many wonderful gifts. 

We now have a small diaper and wipe collection.  Yay!!  Every time I go to the store and look at the price of diapers, it makes me want to cry.  They're so expensive!  I'm sooooooo glad to get them!

We also got a bunch of adorable little outfits.  Some are sweet and some are sassy, just how I like it!  I've been admiring them and dreaming of dressing up my baby girl.  She is going to be stylin'!  When I get to bring her home, I may be tempted to change her clothes a million times and have her do a fashion show for Lance and me.  Tons of pictures would be involved, of course.  Ha ha!

Here are a few pictures of the gifts.  We're definitely spoiled!

All our gifts lined up on our couch.

From Grandma Laura.  Soooo cute!  The kitty one is super soft, and I love the froggy feet on the other one!  The bibs have my favorite animal, giraffe!

From Grandmacita (Lance calls his mom Mamacita, so we'll have the baby call her Grandmacita).  The sheep one has cute little sheep feet, the onesie hints about dancing, and the lavender sleeper is so sweet!

Thanks to everyone who helped put it together, came, and/or sent gifts!  It was perfect!

P.S. There were tons more gifts, but I decided to put the Grandma gifts on the blog, because we all know how important grandmas are!  :)  They're almost as psyched for the baby as Lance and I are!

33 Weeks

Well, I was right.  Tiny Dancer is 5 lbs.  I could have her now, and she'd just be a small baby.  But I think we'll be safe and keep her in a few weeks longer.  If she keeps up her 1/2 lb per week weight gain, she'll be 8 1/2 lbs on her due date.  Honestly, that makes me a little nervous for myself, but very happy for her.  I'd much rather have a chunky, healthy baby than a small, fragile baby that I'm afraid to touch.  I'll go through anything to keep her healthy.

Things are still going great!  Also, still no face picture.  She's very prepared for delivery with her head down and face down.

She's energetic as ever.  Any time I sit and relax, she's moving something.  The doctor even commented on how wiggly she was today.  Her favorite thing is to kick me under my ribs, an interesting feeling.  It sort of hits a nerve, so sometimes I jump or twitch.  She's just letting me know she's still in there. 

She likes to press against people's hands now.  I had my niece, Brielle put her hand on my stomach, and the baby pressed hard against it.  I asked Brielle if she felt it, and she replied, "She pushed my hand away!"  It was so cute!  I also have had my niece, Savannah feel the baby move.  She thought that was pretty awesome.  I tried to have my nephew, Declan feel the baby, but she wasn't in the mood to move when he put his hand there.  He was so cute cuddling up to my belly, though.  Lance laughs whenever he sees my stomach move.  The baby is so big you can see the movement really well, especially if it's a time of day when she's super alert, or if there is music playing.

Well, wish Lance and me luck for the last seven weeks of pregnancy.  I can't even describe how much we love this little girl already.

Pregnancy Questionnaire

A friend of mine did this questionnaire on her blog just before her baby was due.  I liked it, so here you go!

surprise or planned pregnancy?
Um, both?  We tried and tried without success, then right after we got approved for adoption, we found out I was pregnant, so a surprise for the timing, but very much wanted.

boy or girl? did you have a preference?
Girl!  We didn't have a preference, but I've always wanted a little girl to play dress-up and have tea parties with.  Lance needs a little girl, because I see how he melts for all of our nieces.

pregnancy symptoms?
Food aversions, slight nausea in the first trimester, and fatigue were the biggest ones.

how big is baby?
At 31 weeks, she was 4 lbs, so I'm assuming now, she's 5 lbs (two weeks later).  I'll find out on Thursday.  If she keeps up with her weight gain, she'll be 8 1/2 lbs by her due date!  (Taking after Mommy!)

your weight gain?
About 27 lbs right now?

favorite things to wear this pregnancy?
Pajamas!  But in public, I like to wear my blue and white striped shirt, which oddly enough isn't maternity.  It just was so loose I can still wear it now.

stretchmarks?
Not yet, but I've still got 7 weeks to go.

how are you sleeping?
It depends on the day.  But lately, I just can't get comfortable.

best moment of this pregnancy?
When we found out it was a girl, any time she moves (especially when I first started feeling her), when we told people about the pregnancy (it is so fun to watch people get so excited for us!), etc.  So many great moments!

worst moment of this pregnancy?
Round ligament pain.  It's excruciating!

how's the baby's movement?
Very active!  She's definitely my tiny dancer.

where have you carried her?
Pretty high, I guess, and in the front.  From the back, you might not be able to tell I'm pregnant . . . until you watch me waddle.

your cravings?
Not too many.  Lots of sweets.  Pizza and spaghetti.  Chinese food.  Mexican food.  Spicy!

your bellybutton?
Poppin' out at the top, but it still has room to grow.

any labor signs?
A few contractions, but not regular at all, and it's usually when I tighten those muscles, or when the baby moves a ton.

what do you miss most?
Being able to get things done fast.  I do the smallest task, and I'm exhausted!  It gets annoying waiting for everyone else to do things for me!

what are you looking forward to most?
Being a mom to this sweet little miracle, cuddling her, seeing her personality blossom, etc.

Pinterest Goal Update

So, remember last week, how I made a personal goal list for my pinterest pins?  Well, here's a status report on how the first week went.

-Recipe: BBQ Chicken Pizza - YUM!!!  Lance and I loved it!

-Church Ideas for FHE: Oops!  Didn't get this one done.

-Dating/Hubby idea: Well, we didn't have time for a date last week, but we do spend time together in the evenings, watching shows or just talking.  We've had tons of talk time!

-Workout: Like I said last week, I may have to wait until I'm a little more energetic.  Just doing my chores exhausts me!

-Hairstyle/beauty tip: I used shine serum on my hair after a washing.  I also focused on massaging my scalp more while washing.  My hair has been super silky!

-Craft: I haven't done it yet, but I want to make 2 ribbon flowers and glue them on nails as curtain tie-backs for the baby's room.

-Sewing project: Curtains for the baby's room (I blogged about it on Wednesday)  :)  So cute!  They'll be even cuter when I get the tie-backs up.

-Cleaning tip: I was lucky just to get the dishes done...

-Organization tip: I bought an over-the-door hook rack for Lance's and my hats.  $3 at Big Lots!

-Book I'm reading: What to Expect, the First Year.  Very helpful for me right now!

So, yeah, not every goal was met this week, but it's just a guide for me right now.  I'll tweak it to fit me better as the weeks go on . . . and as things change.

Here are a few of my favorite pins from this week:

It's so true.  I miss dancing!

Sound advice from Ms White

I'd love to make this for my kids someday . . . even Lance would have a blast!

Love it!

Ha ha ha!  Sub woofers . . .

Happy pinning!

What's in a Name?

Hi everyone!  As a result of having a baby soon, we've been thinking a lot about names.  We like one name in particular, but it keeps going back and forth with a few others.  I guess we'll see what she looks like when she comes, and then decide which name fits her best.

 

I've always loved thinking about what to name my kids.  When we started our adoption journey last year, I decided to look up names and write down a list of the ones I like.  It took a long time, because I went to a web site that probably had thousands of names.  Some of them were quite . . . unique.  But I wanted to share with you my list in case you need some ideas of your own, or if you just want to try and guess what we'll name our little girl.  Oddly enough, I liked more boys' names than girls' names.  But there are still plenty of each.  This is my unrevised list from a while ago, not Lance's.  What we've done is, I come up with a list of names, and he gives me feedback.  Then we decide from there.  It has worked out nicely for us, so far.

So, here are the names.  I may put the one we're thinking of, and I may not.  Also, after looking at these again, some of them aren't what I'd choose any more.  You'll just have to be in suspense for another month and a half to see what we choose.  Wow, that's so close!!

 

Boy Names

Alden

Ashton

Axel

Baxter

Beecher

Beckham

Bentley

Bracken

Brady

Braden

Breck

Brody

Camdyn

Carson

Carter

Damien

Dash

Dawson

Dempsey

Edge

Embry

Emery

Jericho

Kale

Kyran

Keegan

Lincoln

Luke

Lyndon

Marcel

Milo or Myles

Oliver

Quinlan

Sadler

Sampson

Sanders

Tayson

Teegan

Tennison

Toren

Topher

Tristan

Zachariah

 

Girl Names

Afton

Annabelle

Aspen

Bernadette

Bianca

Claire

Daphne

Deverie

Ebony

Evony

Felicity

Ivy

Jaycie

Kamryn

Kiely

Kinsley

Leah

Leila

Lila

Lily

Lucy

Lydia

Molly

Noelle

Oakley

Paisley

Pemberley

Sasha

Scarlet

Shelby

Sonya

Sophia

Stella

Twyla

Violet

So, you see our predicament?  There are so many cute names!  See any you like?

Why I Don't Like to Answer My Phone

I really hate phones.  I mean, really.  I've always hated talking on the phone.  Perhaps it's because I think my voice sounds like a little kid.  Perhaps it's because you can tell so much more from a conversation by paying attention to body language.  Perhaps it's because I'm a little shy and don't really talk much.  Well, all of the above are definite contributors to it, but the biggest reason why I don't like to answer my phone, or why I simply don't answer it at all sometimes, is salesmen.

Multiple times during the day I just let the phone ring, because I know for a fact that it is a salesman.  Grrrrr.... they irritate me!  I realize that it's their job, and they deserve respect, but seriously, if I tell you I'm not interested, that's not an invite to tell me why I should be interested, and if I tell you to put me on your "do not call list," that means don't ever call me again, not to try again tomorrow.

Today, I had two sales calls that I actually answered, and they both happened before lunch time!  Big mistake to answer.

The first one was at 8:30 am.  Eight freaking thirty, people!  Don't sales people know that common courtesy for phone calls is between 9:00 am and 9:00 pm?  Strike one.  It was a realtor trying to get us to choose him to sell our house.  His greeting was this, "Hello, I'm so and so, the best real estate agent in the world."  Um, no.  First of all, you woke me up . . . grr.  Second, you shouldn't tell me you're the best agent in the world.  That immediately turns me off and makes me think you're a conceited jerk.  Strike two.  Then, he asked me if I knew why our house didn't sell.  Of course I know why it didn't sell!  We took it off the market of our own free will!  Strike three.  I politely said, "Yes, I do.  We took it off the market."  He continued his spiel about wanting to be our realtor.  Then asked again, why we thought it didn't sell.  I replied, "We took it off the market because we didn't want to move."  Thank goodness for my response that put his foot in his mouth!  We've had many calls like this, and many letters in the mail like this.  It frustrates me, because they're assuming that our agent did a bad job.  We liked our agent and will use him again if he's available when we decide to put our house on the market again.

The second one was a little later.  Thank you, courteous saleswoman, for calling at a decent time.  However, she needs to get her information updated.  She was from dealer services and inquired about our 2009 Dodge Journey.  Um, we traded that in for our Pathfinder over a year ago.  And, I think we have changed our phone number since then, so that makes me think, "stalker company?"  Also, we get calls from this particular company every single day, and I think we have told them to put us on their "do not call list" a couple of times, and yet, they still call!  Argh!  Oh, and when I told her we traded it in, she asked if we owned or leased.  Seriously, lady, just let me go and update your information!

So, it's been an adventure today, to say the least.  Thank you for letting me vent.  Honestly, I try to be polite to these people, because I'm sure they dislike their job, but when I tell you I'm not interested, I mean it.  Just end the conversation, and don't push me for a sale.

Nursery Curtains

I feel so productive and proud of myself today!  I made curtains for the baby's room!

Honestly, it was a really easy project.  I got two twin-sized flat sheets (I could have gone bigger, but I went the cheap route) from Wal Mart ($4.97 each), ironed them, unpicked the side of the large hem just at the top so I could put the curtain rod through, hemmed up the bottom 12 inches, and viola!  Instant curtains!  They're super cute, too!  Polka dots!!  Have I ever told you how much I LOVE polka dots?

Don't make fun of me for getting them at Wal Mart.  I looked EVERYWHERE, and that was the cheapest route, and the fabric is super cute!  Why is it so hard to find inexpensive pink-ish sheets?  Most cheap colors are white, cream, grey, blue, and green.  Sometimes a red will be thrown in there as well, but hardly ever any pink.  Okay, venting done.

I've been thinking about changing the curtains for the nursery for a long time.  The others were pretty, but they didn't really say "nursery" to me.  I think I'll put them in my bedroom.  They'll look nice in there.

So, here are some pictures of the cute little things:

Curtains before

Sheets

Polka dot fabric.  So cute!

 All put up

Opened

Oh, I almost forgot!  Each sheet came inside a matching fabric bag that closes with a snap.  Bonus!!

So, with nursery preparations, we have the ceiling fan fixed and curtains.  We still need to kick out the computer desk, rearrange furniture, and put up the crib.  I also might get some cute decorations.  We'll see...

Personal Pinterest Goals

Are you annoyed with my Pinterest posts yet?  It's been a while since my last post about my favorite, ever so distracting website.

Confession: I have over 5,000 pins.  I know, I'm a junkie!  I just see so many great things that I absolutely must pin!  People are creative and clever.

When I tell people this, they ask me questions like, "Do you do any of those pins?" or, "Why do you pin so much if you're not going to do them all?"  or, "Why do you spend so much time on there?"

Well, to answer, yes, I have done many of the pins.  I've used tons of recipes, done a few crafts, used cleaning tips, hair tips, make-up tips, and so much more.  No, I haven't done all of them, but I pin things that are interesting to me, and just because I haven't done a specific thing doesn't mean it hasn't inspired me to do something different on my own.  Also, many of the pins I pin are quotes, pictures, and sayings that either make me laugh, make me feel good, or inspire me, so there's nothing I can really "do" with them, except look and admire, but I want to keep them for future reference as well, or share them with others. 

Oh, and why do I spend so much time on there?  Well, my energy level has decreased in the last seven months, and it's probably the most entertaining thing for me to do.  Plus, it gives me tons of ideas and helps me learn new skills.  And I just plain like it.

Anyway, I realize that I spend way too much time on there right now, and I spend more time looking for new pins than the ones I've already got.  So, I've come up with some Personal Pinterest Goals to get me headed in a better direction.  Granted, this may be reaching far for me, and will probably change drastically when the baby arrives, but at least I have a plan for now.  So, here you go:

Personal Pinterest Goals

- Make at least 1 recipe per week (probably Monday's dinner)

- Use ideas from my "Church Ideas" board for FHE once a week (Monday)

- Use an idea from my "Just me and the Hubster" board once a week (weekend)

- Try out 1 new work-out per week (maybe Tuesday?)  I may have to save this one for when I'm able to exert myself more.

- Try at least 1 new hairstyle/hair tip/beauty tip/make-up trick per week (Tuesday night while Lance is at scouts)

- Do at least 1 craft or sewing project per week (Thursday)

- Use at least 1 cleaning tip per week (Wednesday)

- Use at least 1 organization tip per week (Thursday or Friday)

- Read 1 book per month from my "Books to Read" board

There it is.  It might be a little much, but it's a start.

As a treat from me to you, here are some of my favorite pins from my "Hilarious" board:

What are your Personal Pinterest Goals?

Getting Closer!

Wow, what a week!  It has been very busy, but very good.  I co-planned and held an Activity Days day camp at the church, cleaned the house tons, did one of the year's biggest grocery runs, helped watch my niece and nephew with my mom while my sister was moving, recorded some music for fun, and celebrated two birthdays.  Crazy, huh?  I didn't know I had it in me.

Speaking of what's in me, I had another baby appointment this week.  Everything is still great!  Baby girl is 4 lbs now (probably more, since my appointment was a few days ago).  Once again, we did not get a good face shot.  She is head down, face down.  That's a good thing, though, because she doesn't have to be flipped for delivery.  I think we'll just see what she looks like when she's ready to come out.

The doctor asked me all these questions about my preparations for baby (pre-register at the hospital, childbirth classes, pediatrician, etc.), and I have done all of them except the classes, which are scheduled for next weekend.  He said that I get an A+ for preparations, and all we're waiting on now is the baby.  Let's hope she stays in there long enough to be a fully-grown, healthy baby, but not so long that I go past my due date.  The doctor also said that I have two more times of coming in every two weeks, and then it's every week from then on.  Ah!  It's so close!

She has been very energetic in the past couple weeks.  We saw The Avengers for our anniversary last week, and during the huge fight sequence in the city, she went crazy!  I think it was a little loud and startled her at first.  Then, she kept pounding on the walls as if to say, "turn that down, Mom!"  I think I got my first contraction from the prolonged beating she gave me.  Don't worry, though, the beating didn't hurt.  I'm still not sure if it was a real contraction, either.  My tummy muscles tightened, but it wasn't excruciating like you hear about.

I feel like I'm getting to know her personality a little bit already.  She'll definitely be a fun little kid.  I can't wait to introduce her to everyone!

Scout Camp

Last week, Lance went to scout camp.  He's the assistant scout master in our ward.  They went to Southern Utah.  They went to Zion's canyon, Bryce canyon, and the Narrows, which meant lots and lots of hiking.  They did get rained on, but not too bad, except for the very last day, when water got into one of the tents.  They came home a day early because of that.  I didn't mind, because I had missed Lance lots while he was gone.  Plus, the day he was planning on coming home was our anniversary, so I got to spend more time than expected with him.  Yay!  Here are some of my favorite pictures that he took.  Many are breathtakingly beautiful.

Campsite

Lance on the hike to Angel's Landing in Zion

Beautiful scenery

Lance on top of Angel's Landing

Angel's Landing.  Note the chain that everyone is holding on to.  There was a very narrow walkway, and a cliff on both sides.  Yikes!  I'd die!

They got to drive through an arch!

Bryce Canyon

This guy looked at them from the side of the road.

The Narrows.  Yeah, they had to hike through the water.

The Narrows

Lance hiked so much his shoes fell apart.  Really, it's from walking so much in the water.  Time for these shoes to retire.

I'm glad Lance gets to hang out with the boys, but I'm so happy he's home safe!

5 Years and Counting

Saturday, Lance and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary.  Wow, we're old!  At times it seems like we just barely got married, and other times it seems like we've been together forever.  I'm sure that's how most people feel.  Either way, I'm so happy we made the decision to marry.  I don't think anyone else could be more perfect for me.  Sure, we have our arguments (anyone who lives together does), but ultimately, I think we're the perfect match.  He's the best friend I've ever had.  I'm so lucky I get to spend eternity with him!

Here are a few pictures throughout the years.  Look how we've grown!

Wedding day at the Bountiful temple, August 4, 2007

 First anniversary, August 4, 2008.  We went to Temple Square via the Frontrunner.

2009.  No anniversary picture, but this one is close to it.  For our anniversary that year, we went to Cirque du Soleil's Saltimbanco (Most amazing performance ever!)

Anniversary celebration 2010.  We stayed at a hotel in Tremonton and visited Promontory Point.

Anniversary celebration, 2011.  We stayed at a hotel in East Salt Lake and then ventured up to Park City for the day.

 No pictures on the actual anniversary for 2012, either.  This one was a couple weeks ago.  To celebrate, we saw The Avengers (loved it!) and went to IHOP for dinner.  We also counted our Parade of Homes overnight excursion in the Provo area as an anniversary celebration in June.  We're spoiled!

Marriage ROCKS!!!