36 Weeks

Hello and happy Friday of the long weekend!

Nesting is happening, but in random spurts. Most of the time I’m just thinking about how annoying the clutter/mess is and then doing absolutely nothing about it. Don’t you wish it was the man who got the nesting urge? I sure do! When I feel inspired, I’m organizing random drawers/spaces and generally eying every room in the house for how I can de-junk it. Nothing is safe! Or should I say, no one is safe either. The other day Eric came in the office to find me clearing off his desk. He was like, “Ange, control yourself!” hah. I just can’t help myself sometimes…I’m driving that poor man cra-zay.

I guess you could say I was nesting the nursery though. This week I wrapped up many of the nursery projects I’ve been working on dragging out. Designing this nursery is by far the most challenging home-related project I’ve ever taken on. Picking colour schemes, layout, and decor stuff doesn’t come naturally to me, but seeing this room finally come together gives me hope that I can do other rooms in the future. And it was actually fun!

Initially, I was pulled in two opposing directions for this room – bright and bold vs. airy and tranquil. In the end I went with airy and tranquil using a white, soft pink, and gray colour scheme. I know we’ll have many options for bright and bold rooms in the future, so for now this seems like a nice fit.

I’m going to do a full nursery tour in the coming weeks, but I thought I’d show you a few progress pics –

Here is the room after ripping out old carpet, installing hardwood, and priming:

and here is a sneak peek of the room now:

I did quite a few DIY projects and re-purposed old household items to save some money. I found some old antique frames from Goodwill, removed the glass, and then painted the frames with chalk paint. We secured the frames to the wall with hooks plus mounting tape so they aren’t going anywhere. I’m going to put baby’s first initial in the middle picture frame (I might order a letter print from Etsy or just paint a wooden letter from Michaels). It looks like this will probably have to wait until after the birth because we don’t have a name picked yet!

The most challenging DIY was this chevron pattern I painted on my white lamp shade (below). Here is a mid-way photo. The project seemed easy enough, but getting the pattern even was a big challenge and it took me a while to get a system down. In the end, I’m really happy with how it turned out! And since I used an old lamp it was much cheaper than buying a new one with a fancy patterned shade. I’m debating whether I’m going to add a small fabric trim on the top and bottom.

I also painted the wooden “dream” block pink (it was originally antique white, purchased from Winners). Eric spray-painted the bird cage (it was green before) and this Ikea UNG Drill mirror white. <— total Ikea hacker wannabees over here!

Anyway, a nursery tour to come later on!

Symptoms: After baby dropped a week ago, my right rib pain almost completely went away. It’s been amazing! The rib pain seems to have been replaced with lower pelvic pain, although it’s not too bad yet. Sometimes it feels like I’m walking around with a bowling ball between my legs. She feels so heavy in there! Aside from the pregnancy insomnia and sporadic pelvic pain/contractions, I’m feeling great. What a change from those 2 months when I was in so much pain and could barely walk or bend over.

Weekly OB appointment: I had my weekly appointment and he said my belly is measuring right where it should be and baby’s heartbeat is great. She’s head down and seems to be getting ready for her entrance into this world. My OB doesn’t check the cervix until 38 or 39 weeks along, so I won’t know details on dilation, effacement, etc. until then.

Days until due date: 24

Days left of kitchen renovation: It’s hard to say since there have been so many delays and issues, but I’m hopeful the majority of it will be wrapped up by Sept. 8th. Not much longer to go now!!

Appointments left: 3 OB appointments, 1 doula appointment, 1 lactation consultation, 1 car seat inspection. Good times!

Still in the box: Car seat, infant fold up bathtub, Mamaroo.

Baby names: We’re still very much undecided. We’ve been looking at our baby name book this week to see if anything else sparks our interest. I concluded last night that reading baby name books is similar to testing perfumes in a department store. You can only do so much before becoming desensitized! After that, I need to take a break and let the names sink in a bit. We want something easy to pronounce, spell, and a name that is special to us without being too “out there” or wacky. Oh and we want to like the nickname. There’s so much that goes into it! I’m sure we will know once we see her.

Innie or outie: It’s not an outie, but I wouldn’t say it’s an innie anymore. I’d say it’s almost completely flat against my stomach.

Maternity clothes: Still living in my Old Navy maternity tees (my fav) and my non-maternity Lululemon shorts and crops. The only problem is that my maternity tees don’t cover my entire belly anymore. Thanks hubby for pointing this out. So now I just hike up my shorts a bit higher and go on living my life in denial, blaming the washing machine for shrinking my tees! The nerve. When I’m feeling motivated to dress nice, I’m loving summery dresses lately. Anything light and breezy feels awesome right now!

Eating: Anything water-packed. I’m seriously eating my weight in cucumbers, tomatoes, red peppers, and veggie cocktail drinks (I love Lakewood brand – organic and cold-pressed veggie juice). I chop up veggies, arrange them on a huge plate, and pour on my fav lemon-tahini dressing and Herbamare. I only wish my stomach could fit more in there – I get full so quickly these days. Other must-have cravings of late: cashew-cheese kale chips (my current fav. way to get in kale), blueberry banana hemp protein smoothie (see here for the recipe), grilled tofu peanut bowls (a reno fav), plums, and salsa and chips. As for healthy fats, I usually enjoy the following each day: 2 tbsp chia seeds, 4 tbsp hemp hearts, 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil, and 1-2 teaspoons algae oil (for DHA). Avocado too. Love my healthy fats!

Current projects: Aside from finishing the nursery, I’ve been putting together a video documenting the pregnancy. We’ve been shooting short video clips of belly shots, nursery stuff, and other baby-related things here and there and I’m compiling everything in Windows Movie Maker. I’m hoping to record Eric on guitar and use that for the background music. It’s been such a fun project and I think it will be a nice keepsake.

Last maternity item purchased: 2 nursing tanks from Target – great price and they seem quite comfy/practical. They are already packed in my hospital bag and ready to go.

Looking forward to: The moment baby is placed in my arms for the first time. Seeing baby and her daddy snuggle for the first time. Kissing those tiny baby feet that have been poking me all these months!

Energy levels: My energy levels vary a lot by the day. It really depends on how much sleep I had the night before. Some days I feel awesome and like I could be pregnant forever, and other days I’m dragging my butt and can’t stop yawning. However, compared to the nausea and extreme fatigue of the 1st trimester and the shooting pains of the second/early third trimester, I’d say the past 1-1.5 months have been the best so far! It’s all relative I suppose.

Last baby item purchased: Eric bought the baby some pink, white, and blue Toronto Maple Leaf onesies for the upcoming “hockey season” lol. The other night he said, “I’m so excited to watch hockey games with our baby!” So cute.

Hospital bag: Almost all packed! Thanks for your suggestions last week. Plus, I learned a new word – padsicles! I don’t know whether to be amused or scared…

Wishing you the happiest of long weekends!