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Ten Weeks
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Eight Weeks
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Six Weeks
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Welcome to Wild and Living!
Welcome to our latest and hopefully greatest attempt at blogging! I’ve always enjoyed keeping a blog but never really had too much to say on it other than posting my last recipe attempt or DIY project. With the wonderful news of my first pregnancy, though, I think we’ll have a lot more to share with the world.
From adorable pictures to funny stories, from adventures in the sun to rainy days at home, from first-time experiences to daily routines, our life is about to change and we’d love for you to follow along!
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Thanks for reading!
xo Bonnie
Twenty Seven Weeks Update
We’ve officially made it down to the double digits! Twenty seven weeks along today and only 91 days to go – can’t believe it. This is also the last week of my second trimester and then the final trimester begins! It seems like so much has happened in the last few weeks that I don’t know where to start! I think a bullet point list would be the easiest way to organize this post.
• A Growing Belly: It’s starting to get a bit difficult to turn from side to side in bed, tie my shoes, sit up from a lying position, hug people, and bend over. My belly button is slowly making it’s way out and I can literally feel my skin stretching somedays. I told Josh the other day I’m at the point now where I feel like I’m actually carrying a baby in there. My belly doesn’t just feel bigger anymore but heavier, too. I can’t even imagine what it will be like when I’m nearing the forty week mark! Our bodies are seriously so amazing and accommodating. I’m constantly in awe of the entire process.
• A Busy Calendar: Our schedules are starting to fill up quickly with doctor’s appointments, chiropractor and massage appointments, prenatal yoga, and birthing classes. We start our first Confident Birthing class tonight, which is taught by our doula, and we are so looking forward to it. Speaking of our doula, I received my first prenatal massage from her and it was the best massage I’ve ever had! I felt like a million bucks the next day. My muscles were pretty sore for a couple days but I felt so great. I’m still enjoying my prenatal yoga class immensely. There are definitely nights where I whine about having to go but once I get there I’m happy I made myself and once the class is over I’m even happier. I feel great and am very proud of myself for doing something so good for me and our baby. It’s also been an awesome way to connect and chat with other pregnant women a couple times a week. And check out my disappearing toes below!! See what I mean about the growing part?!
• A New Symptom: I really don’t like referring to the things I’m experiencing as pregnancy symptoms but I don’t know what else to call them! A new one that just started today is dizziness and it has me a bit worried. I drink at least 3-4 liters of water every day so I don’t think it’s caused by dehydration. If it continues, I plan on calling my dr’s office and seeing what they think. It is definitely not fun, though.
• Wide Awake: I’m still getting veeeeery little sleep at night. My mind isn’t racing and my body feels tired but I just lie there awake for hours, tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable and fall asleep. Also not fun. A friend of mine let me borrow her pregnancy pillow, called a Snoogle, and I liked it for the first night (although I still didn’t fall asleep until 4am that night) but now after using it for a few nights I feel super claustrophobic almost when it’s around me. So, last night I went back to the regular body pillow and slept a little better but still not great. This is still, by far, my most frustrating pregnancy symptom.
• Some New Friends: We found out some exciting news over the last couple of weeks! Josh’s oldest brother and his wife are expecting their first baby due just 3.5 months after us! So Baby O will have a sweet little cousin joining the family soon after her. They live about four hours away from us but it will be so much to see them together during visits and holidays. We also found out that our good friends, who are due just two months or so after us, are having a girl! I’m so excited our little girl with have a little playmate so close to her in age! It’ll be so much fun.
• Date Nights: Josh and I are continuing our date nights and enjoyed dinner downtown with friends and a lot of game/movie nights. I love being married to him – we have so much fun together and are constantly laughing. The laugh attacks, though, are getting a little scary now that I’m this far along and have resulted in me darting into the bathroom a few times!
• New Movements: One of my favorite memories from this pregnancy occurred last week. Josh and I watched my stomach for a good half hour while lying in bed in total awe and fascination. Baby was moving around like crazy in there and it was the most we’ve actually been able to see the movements happening. It was like a fireworks show with a lot of OooOOOo’s and Aaaw’s. So beyond awesome to see. I’ve tried multiple times to record my stomach but I can’t seem to catch a good enough stretch of kicks and punches like that. I’ve also started feeling hiccups which is beyond adorable! I actually searched it on Google the first time I felt them because I didn’t know what it was! Those little rhythmic movements are just so cute.
• Preparations: We have our back up doula reserved now which is a big relief! Our doula will be leading a doula training/conference event here in town for a few days, as well as out of town for a few days, right around my due date. So, it’s pretty likely we will be in need of our back up doula. That is one big item we can cross off the to-do list now and I have full trust in who our doula recommended as our back up. I’ve also started doing the cat/cow stretch a couple times every day to try and help baby move into the correct position. Squats are another thing I’ve been practicing every day, especially the low ones I will be doing during labor. Stretching feels sooooo great lately and I look forward to my mini stretching sessions each day.
• Shelves!: We finally put up our Ikea Ribba picture ledges and they seemed to add so much to the room! I need to find some cute accessories for the shelves on the right and I know the baby books will come along soon to fill out the shelves on the left. I also finally designed the art to go in the frames above the dresser and plan on printing them in the next week or so. It’s so exciting to see everything come together!
Overall, I’m feeling pretty great these days minus the sleep thing (and now the dizzy thing). We are down to just 13 weeks (more or less) and I just cannot wait to hold her close, see what she looks like, kiss her little cheeks, and become a family of three. We are very excited to become parents for the first time and experience a whole new world of firsts – together.
Twenty Six Weeks | Accessorizing
I’ve always been a sucker for a bald baby with an adorable frilly headband. Knowing both Josh and I were both bald as babies (and, actually, I really didn’t start having noticeable hair until I was at least two… it’s true), I figure I better start stocking up now on some cute headbands for our baby girl.
Josh and I are extremely lucky to know some ridiculously talented people and Erin at Sweet Smile Creations falls into that category. She will actually be traveling here for a newborn session with us once Baby O arrives and I couldn’t be more excited. Not only is she an amazing photographer but she is also quite the crafty one! These headbands arrived yesterday and were ordered for Baby O from her Etsy shop and I was blown away when I opened them!
The quality is seriously amazing and the colors and textures are just perfect for our style. Vintage, feminine, cute, and classic all rolled into one. I took a few snapshots outside today but these pictures don’t even do them justice. If you love baby headbands as much as I do, visit her Etsy shop and order a few of your favorites! She also has the cutest little ties for boys – seriously, adorable. I can’t wait to put these on our baby’s sweet little (bald) head come spring!
26 Weeks | DIY Blackout Curtains
The nursery used to have some pretty horrible-quality roman shades in the windows. We always knew we would get rid of them eventually but wanted to wait and see what the best solution for a replacement would be. I knew, after painting the room, that I wanted curtains in the nursery for two reasons: 1. I love the look of curtains and how they add a richness and softness to any room and 2. I didn’t want to worry about safety issues with blind cords, etc.
The next step was finding the right curtains. I needed them to be pretty long in length (98″) and had such a difficult time finding that length in our budget. Most of the curtains we could afford were the typical 84″ long but I knew I wanted to hang them higher up to add some height to the room. It’s an optical illusion you have to try – seriously. So, to Ikea we went. Or, rather, to Ikea’s website we went! We have an awesome business here in town of a few people who make monthly trips to Ikea and then deliver your order right to your door for quite a bit less money than Ikea charges for their own shipping. Love them!
We decided on the AINA curtains from Ikea and I am so incredibly happy with our choice. I wanted a soft gray color since the room will eventually have a lot of pops of color and patterns going on. Also, if we end up painting the room in a few years, the neutral gray curtains should still work well in there. Not only are they the perfect 98″ in length but their width covers the windows and much more. The best part is that they come with two panels to a package! Most curtains I was looking at only came with one which would double the price since we, of course, needed two panels. But the very very very best part is they were only $50 for the pair! Such a steal when it comes to curtains at that length.
As happy as I was with our curtain choice, there were still a couple of problems. 1. They were extremely difficult to open/close when directly hung on the curtain rod… something I know would be an issue when I have a newborn in one arm and only one arm left to operate these. 2. See how they lose their bunchiness on the ends toward the middle of the window? I know, not a huge deal but my perfectionism was annoyed and this little bit irked me every time I looked at them. 3. I wasn’t thrilled with how very little sunlight they blocked when closed. The nursery gets a ton of natural light, which I absolutely love, but I know I won’t love that fact when I’m trying to help our baby sleep later into the morning or during naps.
So, we went through a couple of options, one of which failed miserably and ended with a return at Home Depot. Finally, I decided I could create some DIY blackout curtains on my own on one single condition… they had to be no-sew DIY blackout curtains. Jo-Anne Fabrics was where I found and purchased my blackout lining material. I found it for $4.19 a yard and was able to purchase 5.5 yards for just over $20. Pretty good considering most of the blackout curtains I looked at purchasing were around $150! Blackout lining not only blocks out light but it also helps reduce outside noise and heat/cold so it’s a great option for nurseries.
I then laid out the fabric and measured it to be 2 inches shorter than the length of the curtain panel. That way it wouldn’t be peeking out the top or bottom. I cut out two equal panels from the lining (thankfully the width was already perfect so I didn’t need to adjust that). Then, I took my curtain rings we purchased and clipped the lining to the curtains from the back, a few inches below the top. The reason I clipped them this way was we already had the curtain rod hardware installed on the wall and I knew the curtains would be too long if I had to add a few inches to the height to the due the rings. Also, clipping your curtains this way creates a beautiful custom look as you can see in the below photo.
Next up was to hang them! I still wasn’t super impressed with the light flooding the room around the edges but I knew that was fixable. I simply took super strong magnets and hot glued them to the wall and curtains. One on each side of the window and two in the middle where the curtains connect.
The magnets work so great and I love how easy they are to just snap together and apart, unlike velcro which would be a nightmare!
So much better! The room isn’t 100% pitch black which I’m actually okay with. That way I can still get around the room without tripping over something or fumbling in the dark. But it is definitely dark when these are closed and will be perfect for daytime naps. I love love love how they hang now – they look custom sewn and you can’t even see the curtain rings behind them. So nice! And yes, I am very much against ironing, thank you very much.
I am absolutely thrilled with this project and how it turned out. I love how they look and more important love how they work. We spent way less money than we if we had purchased blackout curtains already made and it probably only took 30 minutes! Here you can see the before and after:
Top Row = Curtains without lining or rings opened and closed
Bottom Row = Curtains with lining and rings opened and closed
Such a difference! I’m sure Baby O will appreciate the darkness for morning sleep and nap times… at least I’m hoping she will! 🙂 Next projects up are hanging the Ikea shelves we purchased and making the DIY mobile!
20 Week Ultrasound Video
A video compilation I made of our baby’s movements during the 20-week ultrasound.
This is love.
Every time I watch this (which is, of course, on repeat) my heart melts into a million tiny puddles.
Twenty Five Weeks Progress
I know I say it every post but I really cannot believe I am twenty five weeks already and we only have 15 weeks left or so until we get to meet our little miss. Between Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s it’s been a pretty busy month since my last post, which has really helped time fly by. Here are some updates on my pregnancy and feelings throughout:
Oh, sleep, how I miss you:
I am already subconsciously preparing for a newborn by getting accustomed to waking up multiple times in the middle of the night and being awake at the oddest of hours for (sometimes) hours on end. Of course, if I could choose to have it another way and be able to sleep soundly for eight hours I definitely would but this pregnancy insomnia just isn’t letting up. There are usually a couple nights a week I sleep pretty well but other nights I’m up 2-4 times thanks to my scrunched bladder and horrible hip pain that pillows just don’t seem to be helping. I’ve reached the point of pregnancy where sleeping on my back and stomach is just no longer an option so that leaves me tossing and turning between my left and right side every night, which is also getting more difficult to do with my growing belly. I can’t even imagine how sleep will be when I’m 30+ weeks! This is probably my number two pregnancy complaint with first-trimester morning sickness taking first.
Dance, Baby, Dance:
I’ve spoken with so many moms who tell me how much they loved being pregnant and I can tell you right now I am not going to be one of them! That probably sounds horrible and actually isn’t 100% true (there are times when I really do love it) but I just miss SO many things from my pre-pregnancy days and I have definitely had my fair share of annoying/painful symptoms versus a smooth “I-wouldn’t-know-I-was-pregnant-if-it-weren’t-for-the-ultrasounds” pregnancy. I will say, though, that I will definitely be one of the women who misses certain things like crazy about being pregnant and one of those will definitely be feeling my sweet baby move inside of me. It is absolutely something that you can’t understand unless you’ve experienced it. There are so many wonderful and lovely emotions rolled into those movements and they bring me constant joy and peace. I absolutely love experiencing them from the inside, feeling them from the outside, and being able to actually watch them now, too. And this baby is a mover! I feel her multiple times through out the day and it’s almost guaranteed she’ll start moving if I sit on our couch with my feet up on the coffee table. Usually around 11:00pm or so she starts dancing in there, too, and it cracks me up how on time she is every night! I will definitely miss that part so much.
DIY Projects:
The pillow for the glider is complete! I totally had to just create my own little tutorial for myself because the dimensions were completely different than the 18″x18″ square the original tutorial used. But it (magically) turned out perfect! It’s an envelope cover so I can slip it off and wash it during what I’m sure will be many spills and messes to come.
I also finished lining the dresser drawers and have them all organized with pajamas and empty drawer organizers from Ikea. The rest will fill up in the next three months I’m sure!
And we also ordered the 3-pack Skubb boxes from Ikea for the closet – yay for storage!
And we also hung curtains! I can’t believe how much of a difference they make. The room actually feels like a room now. We have cordless blackout pull-down shades on order so the curtains are more just for looks than anything else (excuse the not-so-great iPhone snapshot).
Registry:
I spent a week or so researching baby items, reading reviews and ratings, and finally creating a registry. Mostly I was just shocked at how much we still need! So many things you don’t even think about… It was extremely overwhelming but so much fun at the same time. The baby shower invites went out early this week and the shower is scheduled for early February in just a month. Can’t wait to celebrate with some of my favorite women!
Prenatal Yoga:
I used to love yoga! I got out of the habit a year or so before my pregnancy and haven’t really done much over the last six months, either. Our local hospital where we are delivering offers prenatal yoga classes at a totally amazing price ($30/month for twice a week classes = $3.75 per session!). The best part about the class is they have it at a location that is just five minutes away and literally right down the hill from us. So convenient. I had my first class last night and loved every minute of it. I felt a bit awkward this being my first time back to yoga after such a long hiatus but I know after a couple classes it’ll feel so natural to me again. The instructor is fabulous and being in a room with only pregnant women is so freeing and comfortable. One of the women taking the class is due just one day after me! I’m really looking forward to continuing it until the end of my pregnancy and am so thrilled it’s twice a week. (Again, excuse the not-so-great iPhone snapshot…and Lucy).
Date Nights:
Josh and I definitely realize our lives are about to change in a wonderful and massive way. We are trying to get out and be spontaneous on a regular basis (oxymoron?). We’ve enjoyed some great date nights together – some out and about on the town and other times staying in where it’s cozy and warm for a movie. We know that the stability of our relationship and marriage will be so important to our children and it’s the little things as much as the big things that keep it strong.
My brain just doesn’t work the same these days and it is seriously difficult to write even one blog post without sounding like a complete jumbled mess so that’s why my posts are now few and far between. I’m hoping this will clear up once the baby is born but from what I’ve heard it just transforms from pregnancy brain to mommy brain so we’ll see I guess! 15 weeks to go – can’t wait!
Wild & Living 