38 Weeks - Baby #2

I had my 38 week appointment today and I really left feeling like it could be any day now.  I know that only time will tell but things are really progressing for me which is blowing my mind!  I had my 37 week appointment last Wednesday and was only dilated 1 centimeter.  I came back today and am already at 2 centimeters.  I have been experiencing mild, sporadic contractions since Thursday and apparently they were doing something in there!!!  They come and go and are not time able yet but there is certainly something more going on in there than just Braxton Hicks.  They are about as painful as period cramps, not as awful as I know they can be, but certainly more painful than Braxton Hicks.  I keep comparing this pregnancy to Jillian and I am a lot further along at this point than I was with her.  It's starting to get exciting and a little real!!!  I can't believe he could really be here any day now. 

How far along? 38weeks - 2 more weeks or less!

Total weight gain/loss: OK, I am going to be real here because I want to be able to look back and hopefully one day say I lost all the baby weight.  I started off at 120 pounds and stepped on the scale today at the doctors office and hit 170.  Oh my word!!!  How many french friends and bowls of ice cream have I eaten this pregnancy?  Apparently several.  I am at the point in my pregnancy where I am not that hungry anymore and the cravings seemed to have stopped. I am hoping my appetite and weight gain will stay in check these last few weeks.   

Maternity clothes: I wear only pregnancy clothes and am pretty much limited to just a few outfits right now.  I am starting to pack up the clothes that no longer fit me.  There are so many maternity tops in my closet right now that could pass as half shirts, it's ridiculous!!!!  Nothing seems to fit these days.

Stretch Marks: None at the moment and I never developed any with Jillian.

Sleep: I am in that uncomfortable stage of pregnancy but am still getting decent amounts of sleep.  Simple tossing and turning takes a lot of effort and can be a bit painful in my hip area.  I started to develop mild contractions on Thursday which will also wake me up a few times at night.  Once I am up, I usually then waddle to the bathroom and cross my fingers that I can fall back asleep quickly.  Sometimes I am successful, other times I will lay there thinking of all the things I need to do before our little man comes!
Best moment this week: Jeff and I were laying in bed this weekend watching TV when all of a sudden a foot started protruding out of my belly.  This little guy has long legs!  Jeff and I just looked at each other in shock!!!  It was amazing!!  He kept doing this for about ten minutes.  We had so much playing with him that night, it was such a fun moment between just the three of us. 

Movement: Our little guy moves pretty strongly when he is moving.  His movements have slowed down a bit because I think he is running out of room and resting up for labor.  Jillian did this at the end to a point where I was so nervous I went to my OB's office to get her checked out.  I am fortunate enough that my doctor puts me on the monitor each week and our little man is doing fine even though his movements have slowed down a bit.  He still tends to get the hiccups at least once a day.  I always feel so badly when my babies get hiccups, I wish I could somehow help them!!!
Food cravings: Like I said, I really am not craving much of anything anymore.  My stomach is squished and I seem to just graze throughout the day on small meals. 

Gender: BOY!!! Our little guy is still nameless. We are still stuck between Jeffrey or Nicholas.  I honestly don't think at this point we are ever going to come up with a name!!!  Jeff and I were talking in the doctor's office today about what to name him.  I think we have just been so stuck between these two names for so long, we don't know what to do with ourselves.  We seriously need help.  I don't know if seeing him will help or what but I am starting to give up on us coming up with a name before his birth!!!

Labor Signs: This little guy is really confusing me.  I was 1 centimeter dilated as of last Wednesday and already at 2 centimeters at my appointment today.  The mild contractions that I have been having these past few days must have been doing something in there.  I experienced almost 24 hours of HARD contractions before even going into the hospital with Jillian.  Once I arrived, I was ONLY 2 centimeters.  It's crazy how much I am progressing with him than I did with her.  I imagine it's because it's my second pregnancy but oh my goodness, I wasn't expecting this.  I am so confused, I feel like at this rate it could be any day, although I know I could also stay like this for several weeks now.

Belly Button in or out: Out.

What I miss: Feeling normal.  I am so thankful to be blessed again with another baby and am trying to embrace what could possibly my last pregnancy, but I have hit that point where I am ready to be done and feel like myself physically.  I am ready to take the next step in this journey called motherhood and meet this little guy who keeps kicking me! 

What I am looking forward to: Meeting my little man, wrapping up work once and for all, having my energy back, and wearing normal clothes!

Milestones: Reaching 2 centimeters dilated -- wow!

I am started to cherish every day with Jillian likes it's our last as a family of three.   Last night the three of us sat on the couch and watched one of Jillian's favorite Disney movies, "The Great Fairy Rescue."  It was such a special night and hope that Jillian knows how much we love her!!!

Looking for Bloggers for A Parade of Homes!

I am so thrilled to announce my very first Parade of Homes guest blogging event!!! I am looking for bloggers who are passionate about decorating their homes and even more passionate about showing off them off! And who doesn't love a good home tour? I know I love looking at beautifully decorated homes!

I am looking for ten guest bloggers who are interested in guest posting on my blog and showing off pictures of their homes. Once I receive ten volunteers, I will assign your day to participate in the tour. Please email me at karenathomeblog@yahoo.com for more details.

The tour will begin on Monday, April 2nd and go through Friday, April 13th. On the last day of the parade, I will be hosting my very first linky party for everyone to participate.

I hope you are excited about this as I am. I can't wait to see all of your beautiful homes!!!

Tidbits & Trends Thursday

Good morning friends and Happy Thursday!  Today is a pretty significant day for me because it marks the last day of daycare for Jillian.  Can you believe it?  I can't.  As happy as I am about starting this next chapter in my life, it is a bittersweet time as Jillian says good bye to the little friends she has made over the past two years.  I am so happy that I am friends with a few of her friend's Moms and hope to arrange playdates in the near future.  We have certainly had our ups and downs with daycare but in the long run know that she will be happiest at home with me and her brother.  Jeff and I have planned to pick up Jillian together tonight on her last day and I know I am going to end up an emotional, teary-eyed mess saying good bye to everyone we have met. 

• I have some pretty amazing news to share with you!!!!  I received an email today and also heard on Twitter that there is going to be a replacement for Picnik!!!  According to the email, a few of Picnik's employees have teamed up and created a new website called Picmonkey.com.  I really hope this new website is just as good, if not better, than Picnik!  Perhaps this is the answer to all of our prayers?  Let's hope it's up and running by April 19th when Picnik is planning on closing it's doors. 

• I had my weekly doctor's appointment and my first internal exam yesterday.  No baby yet, however, I am dilated 1 centimeter.  I wasn't expecting anything so 1 centimeter surprised me!  I know it's not much but it's the start of something, that is for sure.  I have been experiencing a lot of Braxton Hicks and light contractions this week so something is certainly going on.  I was also hooked up to the monitor for a stress test on our little man.  So far all is well!!!  There was also talk of possibly inducing me on the 18th when my doctor is on call so we shall see.  It's all up in the air and ultimately up to my little man!!!!

• The nursery is SLOWLY coming along!  Here is a little sneak peek at the paint color we chose, Tradewinds by Sherwin Williams.  His crib has also been put together this week and his dresser is partially assembled.  This has certainly been the slowest project ever.  I still have not bought his bedding yet either, I just can't bring myself to do it.  I am not sure why I keep dragging my feet on this.  I love it so much, I just know how little he is actually going to use it which is why I keep going back and forth with it.  Am I crazy for thinking this way? 

• I am sure by now you have all heard about the horrible tragedy that took place on Monday at Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio.  Chardon is about 15 minutes from where we live and this whole situation hit very close to home.  If you are from this area, I am sure you are shocked that this could affect a cute little town like Chardon.  Chardon is known for it's old fashion style town square and is the epicenter of the snow belt in Cleveland. Please pray for the friends and families who have lost loved ones in the Chardon shooting and with those whose lives were changed forever. Events such as this one scare me to death as a parent. Our kids should be safe at school, not terrorized. I don't think a day has gone by this week where I haven't cried watching the news. 

Hope you are all having a good week!  Thank you so much for stopping by!

Hanging a Picture Using a Pop Tab

I bet that got your attention, right? However, I actually did do just that....I hung a picture using a pop tab and it was actually perfect for what I needed it for.

Let me step back for just a moment and start from the beginning of this crazy home decor tale. As you know, I have been trying to complete my huge to do list before my little man comes and one thing particularly on that list was to add more wall decor to our home.  I am so picky when it comes to accessorizing our home, I sometimes over think the process and don't end up with anything on my walls at all.  I don't want to drill any unnecessary holes in our walls for something I don't absolutely love.

I happen to have these two beautiful pictures from Homegoods just sitting in our basement that I never hung on the wall. The color scheme matched the Kitchen and Great Room perfectly, however, I just couldn't find the perfect space to hang them. I decided one Sunday after noon to hang them in narrow space between our kitchen and great room curtains. The pictures contained colors that matched both sets of curtains perfectly and would really tie the two rooms together. The only problem was that they seemed a little too big for the space, however, I was determined to make it work. I wish I would have taken photos of this whole process to give you an idea of how this small project of hanging two simple pictures turned into a HUGE project. You may have to use your imagination to fill in the blanks.

After careful consideration, I asked Jeff if he could hang the two photos for me.  I had measured out the area that I wanted the two pictures hung and thought FOR SURE they would work out perfectly. One on top of the other, between the two sets of drapes.  However, once Jeff had drilled the holes into the walls, I wasn't so sure.  The top hole was higher than the curtain rods in order to get both pictures to fit.  My worst fears were confirmed as he hung up the two pictures.  They pretty much looked ridiculous and out of proportion with the drapes.  They were just way to high.  This is where my stubborn side sometimes interferes with my home decor obsession.  I just get a little too determined for something to work and I lose perspective on reality.  It may look cute in my head, but not always when it ends up on the wall.  Thank God for dry wall spackle because the pictures were only hanging for about and hour before I was already heading to the basement to find out tub of dry wall spackle.  Jeff was so not happy with me at this point.

We decided that since we really liked the pictures anyway, maybe just one would look good between the two sets of drapes.  So Jeff just spackled the top hole and then drilled yet another hole into the wall to center the single picture.  If you are scoring at home, that is now three holes drilled into the wall.  Fortunately, the single picture now hid two of the open holes and the spackled hole noticeably above the single picture was going to be painted over the next day.  At that point, I was happy we had the builder grade flat paint which is easy to paint over my "whoops's" that seem to occur from time to time. 

My stubborn side got the best of me again and I just did not like the single picture AT ALL.  I really wanted the look of a double picture hanging on top of one another.  After staring at the single picture all night, I decided I was not happy with just one.   It looked way to sparse for the space in my opinion.  Now I was really in trouble knowing that we had already drilled three holes in the wall and I wasn't happy with any of it. 

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Karen At Home on Pinterest

 

I then vaguely recalled a picture I found on Pinterest about hanging a picture with a pop tab.  I also found two square photo frames from Kohl's that were slightly small than the two original pictures.  Could I possibly manipulate the two Kohl's frames to work in this space using the pre-existing holes we already had drilled into the walls?  I got the two frames out and started hanging them on the wall hoping that the two pre-existing holes would work and wouldn't have to do anything drastic. Unfortunately that was not the case.... The top hole worked out well, the other, not so much. 

So I did the next logical thing, cracked open a can of pop and went to work trying to pull the pop tab off the top without bending it too much.  I held up the second frame to the wall and tried to eye where I thought the frame should go in proportion to the top frame that was already on the wall.  For the second frame to work, I needed the pop tab to be screwed somewhere in the middle of the picture frame.  I got out Jeff's tool box and found a very short screw and a screw driver.  I went to work twisting a screw into the small hole of the pop tab and then forcefully screwed the pop tab then into the cardboard backing using the same screw.  I did not use a drill during this process, it was easy enough to screw everything together with just a screw driver.  I made sure to twist the screw deep enough into the cardboard so it would securely hold the pop tab to the cardboard backing.  If you don't, your picture may eventually fall off the wall!

 

As you can see from my little "oops" in the picture above , it took me two attempts to get the picture to line up just right on the wall below the second picture.  Once I had the pop tab positioned to where I wanted the picture to hang, I bent the pop tab slightly back so it would catch on the screw already in the wall.  I placed the pop tab on the screw and held my breath, waiting for the picture to come crashing down to the floor. 

To my surprise, it worked!!!  And it's still hanging there today.  Jeff came home from work and saw what I had done.  He agreed that out of everything we tried for this space, this looked the best.  Then he about passed out when I told him the second picture was hanging from our wall with the help of a pop tab.  Ha!  Whatever it takes to drill less holes in our walls.  Now I only need to find two colorful pieces of scrapbook paper in the colors on the room.  I am getting a little tired of this woman staring at us as we watch TV. 

Today I am linking up with :

Hooking Up With Hooked on Houses

Transformation Thursday at Shabby Chic Cottage

Amanda over at Serenity Now for her Weekend Reading

Cheryl over at Tidy Mom for I'm Lovin' It

Rachel at Finger Prints on the Fridge for Feature Your Self Friday

Marni at Sassy Sites for Free For All Friday

Kojo Designs for Friday Fun Finds

Stories from A to Z for Tips and Tutes Tuesday

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating for Flaunt It Friday

Metamorphisis Monday with Between Naps on the Porch

Tuesdays Treasures with My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

One Project at a Time with A Bowl Full of Lemons

Tatertots and Jello - Weekend Wrap Up Party

I Heart Naptime - Sundae Scoop

Feature Friday Linky Party - Blissful and Domestic

Simply Link Party - Simply Designing

 

New Bloggy Makeover

As I mentioned in a recent post, I was anxious to give the blog a new design before the baby came and before Picnik shut down for good.  So in honor of my latest obsession with Chevron prints, I decided to give the blog a new makeover!!  If you read my blog in a reader, please hop and over and take a peek!  And, if you happen to notice something going a little wonky with the new design, please let me know. 

I had a lot of fun designing the blog header this time!  What a long way I have come from the first time I designed my blog header over a year ago.  If you can believe it, this header was a combination of Picnik, iPiccy and Pixlr.  All three of these websites had unique features that I felt contributed to the unique style of the new header.  I feel like I have learned so much in the year that I created my last blog design.  I hope you loving the new fresh and clean look like I am!