meeting our new sister...

After the kids got out of school on the 17th, Brett brought them up to see me - well, not me as much as someone else. Someone they'd been thinking and dreaming and imagining about since summertime, and she was finally here!

They brought with them a beautiful pink bouquet and the sweetest card:

I thought it was cute how everyone was sitting on the couch or chair, but as soon as Daddy got baby sister out of the bassinet and sat down in the rocker, everyone jumped out of their seats and just "had" to stand close to get a better look! Charli was only hours old and already drawing crowds!

They were just as enamored with her as we were!

Nursery Ready? "Check"

Come on in!

Check out Charlotte's "crib" (pun intended)...

Since we had to combine Charlotte's nursery with Brett's office, we kept things pretty simple. Space was limited so I call my design style "minimalistic" (hahaha...as if I have ever had any sort of style!). But in the end I think it turned out very nicely, and even though one can't call it roomy, I don't feel it is too overcrowded and everything seems to blend together well.

Here's Brett's corner of the room:

The colors aren't exactly what one would think of instinctively for a girl, but I have loved this painting for so long, I wanted it hung in Charli's room. So everything else stemmed from the creamy yellows, gray-blues, and rosy reds Mary Cassatt used in her beautiful "Children Playing at the Beach".

I am super-duper lucky to have two mothers who sew beautifully! Dixie made a lovely quilt, which is just finishing up at the quilters. The colors are gorgeous and I'm amazed at her talent! In addition to all that work, she was willing to use extra fabric for this colorful runner to top the dresser. I love how it brings out the red from the painting!

And my fabulous mom pieced together this adorable Dick & Jane quilt,

which was entered into the County Fair and won FIRST PRIZE!!!

I couldn't bring myself to subject a prize-winning quilt to baby spit-up and diaper blowouts, so I hung it on the wall where it adds some color behind the glider. I love it and it's going to be a treasured heirloom for Charli for many years to come!

Halle wanted to add her own bit of decor, this picture of Charlotte's crib with Halle holding her new baby sister! Charli is incredibly lucky to have a big sister who is looking forward to her arrival with such anticipation!

If this is what it means to be "HIP", count me out

I have always gotten Charlie Horse leg cramps in my calves towards the end of my pregnancies. This time, I am grateful that it seems my calves have been spared. However, something worse decided to rear it's ugly head instead. I'm not sure what it is, and my doc isn't sure either, other than to call it a muscle cramp and that there's not a whole lot I can do about it at 37 weeks... HIP CRAMPS. It started out 3 weeks ago as your typical "hip" discomfort. I felt it deep within my joints so thought it was totally unrelated to my muscle, but more the bones. I assumed my joints were loosening up, getting ready for delivery. But then about 2 weeks ago the cramping started at night. For the past 14 days, I cannot lay in the same position for more than about 45 minutes. Depending on what side I'm laying on, the bottom side (the side on the mattress) startles me awake in terrible pain. My "joint" (which I now believe is not the root of the pain - I think it's the muscle surrounding the joint) cramps up and just throbs and burns. Oh, man, does it BURN! I can try to lay there and tough it out, but it just gets worse unless I get up and walk around for about 10 minutes. Then it starts to phase out and I can go back to bed. That is, until 45 minutes later when the next round hits. This goes on all night long, almost like clockwork! And then when I get up for the day, I can feel that area of my body has really been through the ringer and the soreness lingers for a couple hours. Thankfully it doesn't last all day and I think it just needs to be worked out through movement, etc., but at night I am not getting any real quality sleep. I tried to look on the positive: I won't be pregnant much longer, this is preparing me for midnight feedings, blah-blah-blah, but this morning I'm grumpy and frustrated and sleep-deprived and I have HAD IT! I am sure later I'll feel stupid for posting this but right now I just need to vent to cyber-space to feel like I've had my say and my say is,

"Poor, poor pitiful me!"

Hopefully sometime within the next two weeks!

Looking forward to filling these shoes...

( Click Here for more heartwarming photo by Dudley Photography)

Making Mumbo-Jumbo out of nothing over the Bumbo

Am I just totally "unhip"? I have checked at 3 stores for a Bumbo seat and each store ONLY had the yellow or lime seats. I just really do not care for those colors. Not that I have a distaste for lime or yellow in general, but in these specific cases the yellow is soooo bright and the lime just doesn't ring my bell. Gotta say I'm not the biggest fan of the lilac either, but at least it's toned down a bit - I could settle for that. And the pink and blue aren't too shabby either. Why can't stores stock up on the aqua? Guess I'll have to do some looking online, but I so did not want to pay for shipping.