horray for zulily

horray for zulily & their deals.  i have been obsessed with the inglesia zippy stroller system since before i got pregnant & knew it was the stroller i wanted. i love how it has a classic, yet modern pram style. lots of conversion possibilities, compatible with the car seat we are purchasing...oh man, i am excited! i have read nothing but great things about the stroller system & i am beyond excited that it was featured on zulily today & i was able to get it for my little teddy graham.  yay for cute strollers!!!!

a few pregnant pics

 

hampton is 15 weeks old now & i am 18 weeks pregnant

18 weeks pregnant

grey & turquoise are my favorite colors

1: the style of dresser & color of dresser for the baby's room. we found an awesome dresser on craigs list for $40.00 that we are refinishing
2: dresser knobs we are putting on dresser (anthropologie cocktail ring knob)
3: the swivel/glider chair & glider ottoman we ordered from Oh Baby! 
4: the crib (oeuf sparrow crib in grey)
5: one of the accent colors in the room i.e. cushion for window seat, pillow for crib, pillow for chair, lamp base
6. one of the curtain colors (the ones we already purchased are linen c/ large brushed nickel grommets from restoration hardware) i am in search of cream sheer curtains with an interesting texture to hang with the grey curtains
7. accent color for wall that dresser will be on, very similar to the #1 picture (benjamin moore silhouette grey)
8.fabric for window seat pillows & crib bedding, bumper. 


I am still in search of:
- a new light fixture for the room
- a great print wallpaper with quatrefoils or lattice print for the room. i'm looking for something in the turquoise family with cream. very very difficult but i will make it happen.
- artwork. i know for sure i am ordering rustic industrial letters from restoration hardware once we know the gender & i have seen some creative graphic prints from ETSY but i don't want anything too "cutesy"
- shelving. found some i love from ballard furniture & west elm but i'm not sold yet
- a pop of another color but that is dependent on the gender as well

week 18

i am excited to go to charleston, sc in 1 week & to run the cooper river bridge run.  it's one of my favorite races & i am so thankful that i can still keep a decent pace & comfortably run 18 weeks pregnant.  someday it will be a stroller i am running with!?!  the whole thought of that is CRAZY! 

the UPS man has delivered a few more things :)

 throw for the baby's room. found this on copy cat chic's blog

another steal from 77 kids 

booties i ordered on ETSY. i mentioned them in a previous post but they hadn't come yet

the burp cloths i ordered from spider&olive on ETSY

turnip

i am not alone

the bump is emerging & i love it.  i am moving from the "i just feel fat phase" into the "i love my new pregnant body" phase. i am totally head over heels in love with my little teddy graham. i had no idea you could love someone so much that you never met!!  i don't know if it's hormones, how enamored i am with this growing baby inside of me or a combination of both but i came across this poem & it made me cry happy tears.

I Am Not Alone
Running errands and talking on the phone,
I am pleasantly reminded that I am not alone.
Little tiny hands a precious rounded knee
pushing and twisting that no one can see.
Oh sweet child kicking up your heels,
it is our little secret that only I can feel.
I look forward to your birth,
when I can kiss your skin,
but for now I will just smile,
As I feel you play within.
Author Unknown

i am so wrapped up in everything baby. baby blogs, baby magazines, nursery planning, day dreaming if this will be baby "E" or baby "A"...i think i am obsessed. philip and i have been doing LOTS of nursery planning the past few weeks (well really since i found out i was pregnant) but really starting to get things started. we even recruited puppa. thanks to his craftsmanship & free time we saved $255.00 on the changing station that matches the crib we are ordering.

 pups version of the oeuf changing station ($10)

oeuf's changing station ($255)

 

butch the bulldog

i found a bulldog stuffed animal for tabor tot on zulily this morning. i had to order it. 

butch the bulldog:

7 annoying people you'll meet in your pregnancy

now that my pregnancy is public it seems like everyone wants to give me their "advice" & their opinions on what i "should" & "shouldn't" do because it's how they experienced pregnancy and/or 1st time motherhood.  while i am appreciative of their "care" & "concern", i have to admit it's becoming quite annoying. 
let me qualify that by saying i totally appreciate people sharing their experiences as new moms, their pregnancy experiences & things that worked for them. i am annoyed by the criticism, negativity & comparison of pregnancies as if i am doing something wrong.
"you shouldn't run", "you shouldn't lift weights", "you shouldn't have any caffeine", "don't buy a warmer for your baby wipes, it's a waste of money", "baby booties are just for mom's", "you are going to have no life", "you aren't eating enough", don't do this, don't do that....ENOUGH ALREADY! 
then there is the person who asks how your pregnancy has been so far & if you have had morning sickness. when i happily say my pregnancy has been wonderful & i haven't had any morning sickness they respond with "well you are going to have a terrible labor or colicky baby".


it's comical! 

ironically in this month's issue of "american baby", there is an article called "7 ANNOYING PEOPLE YOU'LL MEET DURING YOUR PREGNANCY". here is their list with how i have already experienced these people.
1. the know it all.i surely have meet 1 or 2 or 20 of these. it's quite amazing how everyone feels qualified to weigh in on my exercise & eating habits.  it's astonishing how many people try to tell me that exercising while pregnant is putting my baby at risk. my OBGYN praises the fact that i am still active & has encouraged me to remain active because it will help me throughout my pregnancy, labor & postpartum.  this person says "you just need to indulge, pregnancy is a time to not care about what you eat. i ate mcdonalds everyday." hmmmm....who is putting their baby at risk?! why would i become sedentary now that i am pregnant & why would i change my healthy eating habits to bad habits because i am pregnant...it makes absolutely no sense.
2. the bad news bearer. this person is compelled to tell me every horrific birth story they have ever heard of. every possible thing that can go wrong throughout pregnancy & how much they hate their life now that they are a parent.
3. the begrudging boss. thankfully haven't experienced this one.
4. the watchful ones. these people survey what you are eating & where you are spending your time. they look you up and down & quiz you on your decisions and choices as if they know better than you.  they zero in on your midsection without making eye contact while they talk to you as if there is a blinking light on your stomach.
5. the belly groper. yes i am going there because I DON'T have a belly. STOP touching my non-existent pregnant belly. i am totally okay with it when i have the official baby bump. until then don't touch me. you wouldn't have touched my mid-section prior to finding out i am pregnant, so don't do it now.
6. the busybody. ahhh, the invasive person who wants to know every detail of what you are planning to do so they can tell you what they did & why your plans are incorrect. "are you going to co-sleep because it's the best way to bond with your baby." they think they know way more than you do & disapprove of any decision you make that doesn't coincide with what they did. surely having a child qualifies them as a parenting/pregnancy expert. they must know more then my OBGYN.
7. the drop in. obviously haven't experienced this one yet. 



i think this comes in all facets of life. college, engagement, marriage, buying a new car, buying a house, work. i think it's because most people are socially awkward & don't know how to celebrate other people & their experiences.  people feel the need to congratulate people by telling them their own story, rather then just being there & supportive for somebody else.

i wish people would get that i am not completely oblivious to the fact that my life is going to radically change in 5 months...it's changing now. i am aware that i have never been a parent before and will face many challenges & obstacles. i readily admit i am clueless & will have to figure out a lot as i go.

the point is...if i want to buy baby booties for my 2 day old, don't criticize me because you think they are silly because they fall off all the time.
if i feel great exercising and stay fit while i am pregnant and you didn't, don't try and make me feel bad about it. 
if i want to buy hats/headbands for my 6 month old that will pull them off, who cares. 
if i want to spend, what you perceive as an exuberant amount of money, on a diaper bag...it's my money & i didn't ask you to buy it for me. 
because i am experiencing pregnancy differently than you did, or plan to parent differently or buy things for my kid that you didn't,  doesn't mean that you had a better or worse experience, or that you are right and i am wrong...it's not a competition. 

let me enjoy being pregnant & becoming a first time mum. 

16 weeks

{the baby is only the size of a raspberry here}

 

{the baby is the size of a green olive here}

{the size of lemon here}

it's hard to believe that since my last ultrasound the baby has already been an apple & is now the size of an avocado!!! i can't wait to see what he or she looks like in a few weeks when we find out the sex. 

drumroll please...

hello little bump...i am glad you have finally arrived!  i feel like it came out of nowhere. well i guess not "nowhere", my body felt like it was really starting to change last week.  it makes me smile because it's a reminder that my little teddy graham is in there.  i know i said i wouldn't be posting side belly shots but a few here & there are absolutely necessary to show the progression of my lovely lady bump :)

so it's not very big, especially for 16 weeks but it's there!

special delivery

i received a few things in the mail over the last week that i have ordered for the baby so far. the UPS man is becoming my new favorite person!

scored these awesome bibs @ ETSY from birdiestudios

aden + anais swaddling blankets & muslin washcloths super cheap from 77 Kids. i am obsessed with aden + anais & will be ordering more from their website

i stalked this SOYOUNGMOTHER diaper bag for a year, literally. i obviously had no reason to purchase it before now:) i could go on and on about the many reasons this bag is amazing; lots of storage, internally vinyl lined, gender neutral, something philip could carry. it's grey (my favorite color) i LOVE LOVE LOVE it! my little teddy graham will love it too!

   i have purchased a few gender neutral clothing items too. this is the inside of baby tabor's closet. i couldn't resist the cream cable knit, cross button layette when i saw it on GILT.com.

i am still waiting on some cute little booties from ETSY but they are coming from france & some chenille burp clothes from spiderandolive.

we are having a gender reveal party at our house on april 4th to reveal the gender of the baby to our family & i can't wait. i finished my invites today & will mail them this week. i am so excited. i picked up a few things for the party & pretty much finalized all the details today. here is a sneak peak:

 {i got the idea from a design Leslie Ann Jones submitted to minted.com}

there is a bun in my oven...

there is a bun in my oven which means i am going to be a mum & philip is going to be a dad. crazy right!?! oh how our lives are going to change...we are so excited!  since so many people we love & are excited to share the journey into my belly-hood with live so far away, i am keeping a photo blog to keep everyone updated. my goal is too keep it fun & interesting rather than the typical side belly shots.  since we have been keeping this a secret for the last 15 weeks i have already begun the documentation of this bizarre, beautiful & exciting process.  

{UPDATE: i was unable to run november 22-1st week of january because my left ovary became hyperstimulated during the hormone injections in preparation for iui. it torsed & i got really sick, although it un-torsed on it's own & they didn't have to do surgery. they monitored my ovaries very closely but one of the stipulations (which was torture) was no running until my ovary was a normal size.}

i am in week 15 this week & still feel great. my little teddy graham is the size of an apple, about 4" in length. i love being pregnant, although, i don't look pregnant.  i am definitely starting to lose muscle tone in my abdomen & know the bump will be here soon, especially since i have gained 3.5 lbs.