Nursery Sneak Peek

I (we) have been collecting decorative items for the nursery.  Today my absolute favorite item so far came in the mail!  I must thank the Personalized Blocks by Alison shop on Etsy for making the adorable blocks pictured below!!  I can't wait until we move into the house and can start putting the room together.

Mom and I are currently crafting using the silk roses.  I've got more fun stuff in store for the nursery and hope everything will love it as much as I know we will :)

So Excited!

I'll let the pictures do the talking!

 Guest bath

 Practicing :)

Our doorbell works :)

Another Mental Milestone

I'm officially 30 weeks pregnant!  Only 10 weeks away from our due date.  The mental milestone this week is that our first doctor appointment was when I was only 10 weeks pregnant.  That is when we first saw our baby (we didn't hear the heartbeat until 4 weeks later, but we got to see that tiny pulse)!  The time is really flying and Eliza and I are really growing!  Here's the proof: 

Sorry about the quality.  The lighting in our living room isn't great.  Next time I'll have the photographer stand closer so the flash works better ;)  I'm adding something new this week I've seen other moms-to-be include on their blogs.  It's a diary of sorts.

How far along? 30 weeks (3/23/2011)

Total weight gain: pshhh, like I'm telling!  :)  I'm in the healthy range.

Maternity clothes? Almost exclusively for quite some time.  I'm lucky to still be able to wear my button down shirts under my awesome maternity sweaters (definitely not on their own) and my pants still work with a belly band covering up the open zipper :)

Feeling: I really don't have complaints, but I am getting more tired during the day and my legs are starting to bother me.

Sleep: I'm sleeping fairly well, since I figured out my ideal pillow situation about a month or so ago.  As long as I'm tilted and avoid the right side (Eliza doesn't like that...), I'm good.

Food cravings or aversions: Since the weather has gotten warmer, I've definitely been wanting berries and fruits.  And this one killer salad Gary and I invented (or we like to think): pears, craisins, white balsamic vinaigrette, and a touch of blue cheese.

Best moment this week: Ordering something very special for Eliza's nursery (hopefully I can post pictures next week when it arrives).

Movement: boy-oh-boy, do I feel movement!  and see movement!  I waited nearly 24 weeks to feel strong, consistent movement and it is a great thing, but--this little miss knows how to make her mama uncomfortable.

Gender: Girl!

Labor Signs: none, thank goodness.  No "braxton hicks" contractions, either, that I know of.

What I miss: Bending over freely and without discomfort.  (I also really missed having a frozen margarita in San Antonio!)

What I’m nervous about: Oh, just about everything there is to worry about.  

What I am looking forward to: Receiving the very special something for Eliza's nursery!  

Milestones & new this week: Baby is nearly 3 pounds and 16 inches head to heels.  From babycenter.com: "Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face."  I say: already taking after her mama!  :)

Starting to sink in...

that we have a house!  Our final closing date has been set for late next month, we've locked in a lower interest rate (!), and the exterior is nearly finished.  WOW.  Isn't it pretty?

 Exterior as of yesterday (March 17)

 Our address block :)

 Exterior as of last Sunday (March 13), a much brighter day.

We'll continue to update as progress rolls along!  They will pour the porch, driveway, and sidewalk concrete any day now and then it will truly look complete on the outside.  On the inside, we've got primed walls, vinyl flooring in upstairs bathrooms/laundry, ceramic tile in master bath, and granite surround fireplace all installed.  The cabinets, flooring, and countertops are ready to be installed! 

Date Night for Gary's Birthday Present

For Gary's birthday present I got him (us) a Mexican cooking class designed for couples at Kiss Z Cook in Carmel.  It was a blast and the food was great!  We learned a couple of tricks and I grilled my first steaks.  Here a few pictures!

Baby Clothes Follow-Up

After my post awhile back about baby clothes, my Dad jokingly asked me if Zebras were on the no-no list of animals.  For those that might not know, Gary and I are graduates of one of only a few schools in the nation with a Zebra for a mascot.  The Fighting Z's has a nice ring, don't you think?  My Mom had quite the collection of Zebra gear, which helped accessorize my senior pictures.  She put them away after I graduated.


ANYWAY, I came across this adorable collection from Gymboree and had to share.  Zebras are totally ok (Oskie WaWa!):  Baby Zebra clicky link

Third Trimester...wait, what?!?!

You read that right.  I have entered the third trimester of pregnancy.  Crazy business.  I receive weekly emails from a couple different websites that give information about the size of the baby, common symptoms, etc.  When I got the 26 week email and read "you have 14 weeks left," I had my first "wait, what?!?!" moment.  Because for some reason hitting 14 weeks last fall/winter was a major milestone for me mentally--so seeing that I had only that many weeks LEFT hit me hard.  Being in the third trimester now just seems unreal.  But there is so much left to do and get ready!

Oddly enough, the start of the third trimester has also brought with it the first of any comments from strangers.  I have heard stories (some horrifying) of strangers talking to pregnant ladies, asking questions and giving unwanted opinions or even touches.  I hadn't had a single experience like that--until this past Saturday.  And since then, I've had multiple strangers comment on my pregnancy!  All very nice and flattering things.  To be honest, it was a relief to finally have someone notice and say something!  It was also a huge confidence booster to have a random lady working a festival booth in San Antonio yell at out to me, "You are just too cute!  Yes you are!"  :)  And when it rains it pours, and the comments continued over the weekend and at work today.

So, here is the reason people are finally taking notice:

This stretchy orange tank top, which I assured my mother would fit for 40 weeks of pregnancy, is reaching it's coverage-limit!  Baby Eliza is growing more and more each day!

Puffy Tacos 2, the Roms 0

One of the main reasons for our trip to SA were puffy tacos, a SA specialty. This is my plate of chicken (Abby ordered beef) puffy tacos. Instead of a normal corn tortilla that is grilled then deep fried, they are just deep fried and they become puffy.

Well, we ate too much before hand and we were unable to finish our plates. Nonetheless they were absolutely delicious.

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Our First Stop on the Riverwalk

We are at Rio Rio Cantina's awaiting "super nachos."

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And then there were walls...

It's time for our house update! They started putting up drywall on Monday, and today all of the drywall was completely installed. According to Gary, the next step is taping the joints and mudding (or muddin') the holes. We have our mid-construction meeting next week and by then the walls should be done! We are on schedule to close in two months---two months!!! Here are some pictures:

Great Room from the Dining Area

Kitchen/Dining Area from the Great Room

Bonus! Me at 27 weeks in the Nursery

Our huge shower with bench

Tray Ceiling in the Master

Entry Way from Dining Area

Still loving the process!

Our brick and we like the color, phew!

We are headed to San Antonio, Texas this Friday morning for a "babymoon"! We're very excited to get time away before the baby comes, to explore the River Walk, and especially eat our favorite style of food: Tex Mex. :) We'll also sample some BBQ and Gulf Coast seafood. We'll update next week with pictures and commentary about our last vacation before our lives change forever!