A Marital Conversation

Nicole: You are going to think my levels of nerdiness have reached new heights when I tell you what I want to do.

Husband: What?

Nicole: I want to take a sewing class, so I can make dresses and jammies for the kids. And I want to take cake decorating classes at the craft store.

Husband: What happened to the girl I met with the pierced belly button?

35 Weeks

I know you will all ignore the mess behind me, as you gaze upon the baby belly. 4 weeks to go! Several of my blogging buddies are expecting around the same time and some have even begun to pack hospital bags. Of course, these ladies are either going to be induced early or will go into labor on their own, so they need a bag ready. I have only gone into labor on my own one time, and that was sudden and unexpected and I did not have a bag packed. I suppose I could pack one now, but it just too soon. I'm fairly confident I won't need it until Feb. 27. What goes in my bag, you may wonder? Well, you probably don't wonder, but I'm going to tell you anyway. I definitely take my own clothes, but not just jammies. I pack the lazy pants and a tank or two for sleeping, and then I like to have some regular shirts to wear during the day. You never know who is going to stop by or when, so I like feeling as much like myself as possible. I do always buy a new pair or lazy pants for the hospital (it is cheaper than the Mom jewelry I will never get). Of course I take a nursing bra and other undergarments. I don't do slippers, so I make sure I have socks. Usually I just have bare feet and flip-flops nearby for getting up. I of course bring my makeup and my own shower goods. For the baby I will have a take-home outfit. Since we don't know what we are having, I will buy a girl one and a boy one and keep the receipt. I plan to buy this one the weekend before baby comes, to give me maximum time to return the one not needed. I might pack an extra sleeper or two, just in case, but usually the hospital provided shirts suffice for our stay. Finally, I pack books (I buy a couple right before going in) and snacks. This time I think I will be on my own more, as Husband will be at home with the kids most of the time I'm in the hospital, so I will have reading time. It is so exciting to think about getting ready for baby! Also a little scary, but mostly exciting.

Bloggy Giveaway

I'm actually participating this time! Maybe this will give me good karma and enhance my chances of winning someone else's giveaway. Really, I just wanted to share some of my favorite things with others. I am not crafty, so my giveaway is all purchased items. I'm giving away a cute spring bag from Target with some suprise goodies inside. Just a few things that I enjoy. Everything is new and unused. I'm including a picture of the purse, so you can decide if you want to enter. I hate to say it, but this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. To enter, just leave a comment and I will use the world famous randon number generator to choose a winner on Friday, Feb. 1 at 4:00 p.m CST. Go see Shannon's giveaway blog for the vast and overwhelming list of people participating in the this carnival.

5 Weeks to Go!

Whoa! Five weeks. That will go by in no time. I got the results of the MRI today (to check for placenta accreta) and all looks normal. The doctor said they will still be watchful at delivery, but that we should feel confident that things are as they should be. Apparently I have a spot or cyst on a kidney, so I'm going to have to have an ultrasound on that. Hopefully that will be nothing to worry about. Now I can spend the next five weeks free from at least one anxiety and focus on getting ready for this baby. I have to say, the idea that I might not have any more children was causing a great mix of emotions in me. On the one hand, I kept reminding myself to just be grateful for the five children I've already been given. Knowing so many women long to have just one, it seems selfish to mourn children you may never have, when you have a houseful already. Still, I was sad at the thought at times. And of course I had lots of anxiety about long-term effects of having a hysterectomy at such a young age. Now I can release those anxieties. Yea.

I'll get Husband to take a picture of me later today, to show the full bloom that has occurred. :)

We're Grownups! **Updated**

I suppose you could argue that having birthed 4 children and being in the process of growing another one, and owning a home, and so on, could qualify Husband and I as grownups. Whatever. We all know you are a real grownup when you buy bedroom furniture and bedding that you would have hated when you were a teenager. So it is with us. Our furniture finally arrived! After poring over way too many websites, I was still undecided on bedding. So I decided to just check out a couple of stores yesterday. Well, I hit the jackpot at the first store. A 20-piece bedroom set! We are not using all 20 pieces. I couldn't justify buying "Euro" (square) pillows just because I had Euro shams. We don't have windows that are conducive to valances, so those are going unused as well. We are weird and don't sleep with a top sheet, so we just keep those handy for visitors. Anyway, here are some pictures. After the pictures I'll give our views after one night sleeping in the new digs.

First, I love the bedding, so you better not say anything bad about it! So do we like the new arrangement? Well, Husband is a most particular sleeper, and his first night in a new bed is never good. That held true here as well. He is just not used to it. I bought king-size pillows to fit in the new pillow cases and those proved to be too big for Husband. I like them, but they need to get a little flatter. So, I used one new pillow and one old pillow. I love, love, love the mattress. It is so nice and firm. I have been sleeping on my couch for the last six months. No more. Now I have a mattress that supports the belly and the back and everything else. It is one of those mattresses where my movement doesn't disturb Husband and vice versa. Very nice. Now, with the new furniture we have had to make some other choices. It looks like the treadmill will be going back in the garage. I hate that, because it will be harder to use it regularly and it will be HOT in the summer. But, I need to get it out of my room. I want a relaxing space in here. Also, we have two bookshelves that are going to be relocated. One to the living room and one to the boys room probably. In their place will be our new laundry baskets that look nice, not random plastic ones. Also, there has to be room for the baby and the pack n'play somewhere. So, we are still working that out. Our desk matches nothing now, but we don't care. Hopefully we will have a house with an office someday, and the desk can be moved there and I won't have anything in my room but what I want there. Oh yeah, the lamps are new too. I decided matching furniture called for matching lamps. So what do you think? (Be nice!)

**UPDATE** Well, y'all are full of questions. I got the bedding at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Yes, the comforter is folded over and is brown on the other side. It looks silky, but is some blend fabric. We will have to dry clean it, due to its size as much as anything. The top sheet issue is really Husband's quirk, but I have to go along with it. I love that you suggested I could make pillows out of the extra fabric--so funny! I have no idea how to do that, and really, we don't need anymore pillows. I mean, the ones that are there just get thrown on the floor at night anyway. As for a table runner, that is a nice idea, but it would not match my kitchen at all. I have a friend who does the Ebay thing regularly, so I will probably ask her to sell the extra stuff for me. The lamps are from Target, their mix and match selection. Did I mention I made two trips to BB&B and two trips to Target and one trip to Wal-Mart yesterday? Because I did. And today I'm not doing anything. Well, that's not entirely true. I'm doing the minimum.

Additionally, all this new stuff is making me covet curtains for my living room (found some I love, but at 30 bucks a panel not likely to happen), throw pillows for my couches, and a whole makeover in the girls room. Plus, I really want to paint our bedroom and bathroom now. A girl is never satisfied, it seems.

Nesting

I have lots of pictures today. This first post will be about my mad organizing skillz. Or not. Really, just photographic evidence that I do occassionally clean up and get things in order. I mentioned the shelves Husband built in our laundry room. I finally have them in use, although there are still a few minor changes to make. Here are pictures of them in all their glory.

Next, I mentioned cleaning my bathroom cabinet. Well, I was on such a roll with the picture taking that I decided I would show all of you my gloriously clean bathroom cabinet. Now I just need to do the same thing in my bathroom.

And finally, I have pictures of the boys' room. I will be adding some canvas storage baskets under the bed for baby clothes and baby toys. I love that the bed is high enough to allow for that, because I have no idea where baby clothes would go instead. The dresser in the closet was in our room. Now it is for the boys and I had to put the shoes on top because they used to be in a bin that was in the closet but no longer fits. Actually, I hate the organizer that was in there before and will be trashing it soon. So, here you go.

My Eyeballs Hurt

Our furniture is coming Sunday! Yea! I still have no bedding. Boo. I have been to a few stores and there are some potential winners out there. But, I want to be sure I'm getting what I really want. I don't want to settle, since it won't be replaced for some time. And I can't decide if we should go traditional comforter or get a duvet. We don't sleep with a flat sheet, so the comforter is the main source of warmth and snuggliness. Anyway, a massive weekend of cleaning and sorting and rearranging looms ahead, as we move various pieces of furniture around the house to make room for our new stuff. I'm already tired thinking about it.

Oh yeah, the eyeballs. I suppose it is from perusing far too many websites on the hunt for the perfect bedding. Naptime is calling my name.

Success!

Husband built the bunk beds this weekend. Buddy was very excited about his new bed. He showed it to all of my friends when they came over for Bible study. However, he and Monster ended up in the living room that first night. Since then, they are both sleeping in beds with no looking back! We do have to be firm with Monster to keep him in the bed (oh the temptations of freedom!), but he is doing great. Naps are also challenging, but we're working on it. So, they will be comfortably established by the time baby comes. I was worried about Monster climbing the ladder, but he seems to have already grasped that he is not allowed. When he tries a big kid is quick to tell him no and come to me. So, yea!

Thanks for the suggestions for Netflix. Y'all sure do watch a lot of series TV! I have to say that we are unlikely to watch those, but keep the movie suggestions coming.

Virtual Shopping

I have spent a lot of time perusing various websites for bedding. And diaper bags. Yes, I have 4 children and I am shopping for a diaper bag. I have decided that I am no longer going to be bound by practicality. Yes, the hospital will probably send me home with a free bag. Husband can use that one if he so desires. I'm getting something fantastically fun. Like these. I especially like #128 and #127. I might even add the monogram, only just my last initial, so I could use the bag beyond the diaper stage. Go see what I like.

Also, I have a sickness. It is called lackofsleepitis due to readingtoomuchness. I stayed up until 1 a.m. reading Into Thin Air last night. I just couldn't put it down. I think it is incredible that Krakauer had the courage to share his own role in a tragedy. Also, I'm terrified of heights and hate the cold and would never be tempted to climb Mt. Everest, so it was definitely entering a foreign world for me. Still, it could have waited to be finished until today. Now I'm tired and cranky, and since I'm not 2, I can't just throw a fit about it.

I joined Netflix yesterday. Husband and I don't watch a lot of movies, because we never plan ahead and find ourselves on a weekend night channel surfing wishing we had a movie. But, by then, all the good movies are gone and we are in lazy clothes and no one wants to leave the house. Give me any suggestions for adding to our list.

As for the bedding, I have decided I have to see it in person to decide if I like it. So I either get a sitter one day and drive all over creation to various stores, or I drag the kids (and possibly Husband) out on a marathon journey. I promise to post a picture when it is all settled.

Speaking of pictures, I almost took a picture of the cabinet in the kid bathroom that I cleaned out and organized this weekend. However, I don't have a before picture, and without that it just doesn't have the same impact. Just know that prior to the cleaning, the bottom surface of the cabinet was not visible. Now it is. Yea.

Just Because

He is so stinking cute. His little world will be upended when Baby comes, poor guy.

Did you Do It?

Remember this? Did you do it? Did you read something yesterday? I did. Of course I did. I read something every day. In fact, I read a magazine and finished a book. I read my weekly Sports Illustratead (I've been subscribing for 10 years at least). I also finished reading Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. It was fascinating. I previously had no interest in reading this book. Even the fact that it was made into a movie did nothing for me. However, I had read just about everything else in the bag of books given to me by a family member. So I picked it up. So glad I did. It is the story of a young man who leaves his normal life behind to hitchhike around the country and eventually try his hand in the Alaskan wilderness. Ultimately tragic, it is still an interesting look into a personality and lifestyle I know nothing about. Krakauer did an excellent job retracing the subject's steps and introducing the many people the young man encountered. It is a true story, or a true investigation anyway. Now I want to read Under the Banner of Heaven by the same author.

Because I Know You Have Nothing Better to Do

We're getting new furniture! Well, we already purchased it, but it is not here yet. I'm so excited. Every piece of furniture in our room except the desk and a cheap bookshelf has been given to us. None of it matches. When we bought the bunkbed for the boys we lost the storage in the captain's bed that Buddy has been sleeping in. So, rather than spend 80 bucks on a cheap chest of drawers for the boys, we decided to finally buy us some grown-up furniture for ourselves and pass our dresser on to the boys. We are finally going to have a king size bed. I can't wait for it to arrive.



So, what does my title have to do with this? (Honestly, I hate coming up with titles and could use help there too I'm sure). I want you all to look for bedding for me. I'll be looking myself too, of course, but I can't look everywhere. I'm really drawn to the turquoise and brown combination that is so popular right now. However, I'm willing to consider other things. So, give me your best suggestions. I guess we would want to keep the bedding under 200 dollars (cheaper is better). Husband has no preferences, but I like simple patterns and nothing too frilly. Here's a picture of the bed to help you.

I clearly did not proofread this post, as I realized today. Thanks for your tips--keep'em coming. I am getting the dresser (no mirror) and two nightstands too. Some rearranging might be in order in our room, as the treadmill might not fit with the new bed. I don't know. Anyway, I'm going to check out some websites now.

The furniture is from Ashley furniture. It was not cheap, but not terribly expensive either. It was about the same price as a kind bed set at Rooms to Go. The mattress cost as much as the furniture! However, since you keep it over time, it is not all that expensive. A good night's sleep has no price. :)

I Could Not Pass This Up

Shalee led me to a great idea. Soccer Mom in Denial is challenging people to set aside their blogging time on Thursday to read. Read anything. A book, magazine, newspaper, something printed and not online I guess. You can read her post about it. I already read every day, and often skip my blogging time if the book is really good, so this will be easy for me. But maybe it is not for you. Read and then share about it.

By the way, I know I never posted a summary for the Fall Into Reading Challenge. I read everything on my list save one, and read about 20 more books not listed. I have a bad habit of reading too quickly and not really being able to write anything worthwhile about my impressions of the book. I know that is not helpful for anyone looking for suggestions for books to read. I guess because I read quickly, I rarely worry about a book being worth my time. Even books that aren't that great get read and muddled together in my head.

Purses

dcrmom, over at Musings of a Housewife, recently posted about purses. Her kids apparently think she has enough. Silly kids. :) She asked her readers to share how many purses we have and even pictures, if so inclined. I'm a little behind in participating, but that is not all that unusual for me. I currently rotate 3 purses. In the summer I rotate 3 as well, but two are different from the ones I'm using now. I love purses, but I hate clutter and I don't like keeping them around. I have a few extra right now, but am hoping to give them to someone who will use them this weekend when I host a girls' night that includes an accessories swap. Here are the purses I'm using currently.

The striped one is from Target. I love their canvas handbags because they are cheap (10 dollars) and they get new designs all the time. This purse also holds a lot more than you might think. I can easily fit a diaper and sippy cup in it when I don't want to carry the Spider-Man backpack.

This brown one is from JCPenney. I bought for my trip to Chicago. I love it. I feel very sophisticated carrying it. It also holds more than you would think at first glance, although I don't use it as a diaper bag ever.

I've had this black one for a few years now. I love the flowers--makes it seem springy even in the winter. The leather is also incredibly soft.

There you go. Insight into Nicole's world of accessories. Or at least handbags.

Not the Obligatory Resolution Post

There may be found some resolution-type statements in this post, but they are not to be confused with actual resolutions which are rarely kept. We all know the beginning of a new year is a time to reflect on the previous twelve months and resolve to make changes. We also all know that the changes we want to make are usually not the changes that occur. Besides, I am always talking about doing things better, so the new year is really no different. Still, there are some things I want to share, not at all related, but all in one post anyway. Perhaps I should resolve to blog coherently. Yeah, right.

Husband and I are embarking on a new course of financial discipline. We have been talking about it for a few months, but agreeed that trying to implement big changes in November and December did not make very much sense and would probably not be all that successful. We know what we need to be doing, but seem to have trouble with follow through. We are going to begin Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University series in February. We have talked to friends who completed it and had success. We already know some of the basic premises and are implementing those now. We sat down on Sunday night and looked at the previous quarter's spending. Oh my good Lord, how wasteful we are with our money. We agreed on an eating out as a family budget, as well as a budget for each of us to eat with during the month. Not coincidentally, this will help the kids and I eat better too. Less drive-thru, more cooking, hopefully. I determined an amount of money for weekly groceries and what will hopefully be a bimonthly trip to Sam's. We took cash out to pay for these things and away we went. We came in well under budget at Sam's, and at the grocery store. No big surprise, but grocery shopping at Kroger with no kids is a lot cheaper than grocery shopping at Target with kids. It felt good to have a goal and come in under it. It also felt incredibly nerdy to walk around Kroger punching numbers on a calculator. I'm sure to write more about this journey as it goes on.

We are going to buy bunk beds. I did not want to, but this seems the most practical (and affordable) solution to our sleeping situation. The boys will be in bunk beds. We are going to buy them this weekend with Christmas money and start to transition Monster to the bottom one. He has slept in a regular bed once, but the next night kept getting out of bed. We have some work to do, but I would like to have him comfortably in the big boy bed for before big baby day arrives.

I still have many organizing projects brewing in my head. More of that psychological nesting. I also want to completely redecorate my girls' room. We are going to take it one project at a time and spread the cost over several months.

This baby moves a lot! I'm so grateful for that, but also wincing in pain. For whatever reason, many of the movements hurt like crazy. This little one likes to put feet where they don't belong I think. My desire for a girl increases, as does my feeling that this baby is a boy. We'll just have to wait and see. Only 8 weeks to go! Holy crap! For any of my readers that may think I have it all figured out and am totally cool with this whole take them as they come approach to children, let me clear things up. Yes, it has been easy for me to let God take over the creating the baby situation. Still, I have many moments when I completely freak out about what is happening. 5 kids! 5 kids! Holy crap, I'm going to have 5 kids!

Now I must go and clean and bake more cookies (still loving the mixer) and maybe bathe. There's a resolution--shower before 10:00 a.m. more often.