This update is coming later than I originally planned for a couple reasons. 1. I got some sort of wretched stomach bug/24 hour flu a couple days ago, barfed my brains out (for the first time this pregnancy!) and spent almost the entirety of yesterday sleeping and/or complaining. I was even too sick to tweet! *GASP* 2. Uhm, the kid is HOME now, which means productivity levels went from nearly a 10 to 1, and blogging suffered because of it, wouldn’t you know.
I’ve been itching to tell you all about it, though, so let me just start by saying it was one of the most wonderful weeks ever! I mean, as much as we enjoyed our vacation to Sonoma earlier this year, I think we got more satisfaction out of this one, and we didn’t even leave our zipcode most days. Our outings mainly consisted of those to Lowes since we decided on a whim to redo the kid’s bathroom, complete with ripping up and replacing tile.
Side note- the Pica is still going strong. The little bits of mortar that my husband was chipping up from the bathroom floor looked as appetizing as Cheddar and Sour Cream Lays Potato Chips, the grout he laid down looked as delicious as buttercream frosting. I kid you not. Yes, I spoke with my midwife about it. No, she *wasn’t* alarmed. This is… common??
My mother is an angel and the world’s best grandmother, or “Nae Nae” as Kendall insists on calling her. She had him for a solid 7 days, and we got SO MUCH DONE. We really must make this a yearly tradition. It’s not like I didn’t miss the kid, because I surely did, but the anxiety I felt after dropping him off rapidly faded and was replaced with the awesome sense of accomplishment as we crossed things off our mile-long to do list.
Sure, our week wasn’t as full of resting and relaxation and formal date nights as I’d hoped, but we still managed to connect and have fun together. I’m fairly certain we never even got into a heated argument a single time we were at Lowes (though there were still several disagreements). When you are away for vacation, I think it’s expected that your relationship will perk up a little bit, the arguments will subside, but it was so nice to experience that same feeling while living our “normal” life at home. Β And since Kendall’s returned, I find we’re both working harder to be a little more patient with him and with each other.
So a rousing recommendation from me for more kid-free staycations!! You should really give it a try if you haven’t been so lucky to yet.
Now, time to brag.
As you may recall, I spent much of my week in my own personal sewing hell. Not only did I have my temperamental sewing machine and her bitch-ass bobbin to deal with, but I also had a new frenemy, the Olfa Rotary Cutter, who damn near sliced off the top of my finger. (For real, people, do not underestimate the deadliness of this crafty tool. I’m sleeping with it under my pillow the nights Scott is gone so I can get deadly crafty on intruders if need be.)
While Scott slaved away on the bathroom remodel, shouting obscenities at his equally deadly mortar scraper thingy (hmmm.. I’m beginning to wonder how much our relationship really benefited from having inanimate objects to scream at for the week), I sweatΒ and swore and knocked out baby girl’s crib skirt, baby blanket, and curtains lined with blackout fabric.
I still have a few sewing projects to tackle, like the crib rail guard and a couple pillow covers, and we still have some furniture and accessories to add to the room, but here’s what I’ve got so far.
The baby blanket is definitely a labor of love, but not so much skill. Crooked stitches and wonky ruffles turned “pleats” abound. Never, ever try to hand ruffle 9 yards of fabric. Never.
Not quite satisfied with the curtains. I think I’m going to move the rod up a bit and put them on those clippy hook thingies. The blackout fabric was a huge PITA, but it makes all the difference. That room feels 10 degrees cooler.
This is the next big project I’ve got to tackle. We’re adding a hutch to the right of the changing pad where we can display her “worldly souvenirs,” like the Matroyshkas I just won on Ebay! Then I have some crafty things up my sleeve for decoration above it. The dresser is from Ikea (surprisingly sturdy, I’ll add) and the trash can is for cloth diaper laundry.
Not too shabby for a week’s worth of work in the third trimester, eh? We also managed to organize the garage a bit and finally figured out what to do with 3 of our 5 strollers (and I swear, every SINGLE one of them gets used- or will be- and has a purpose). Scott screwed in some $9 bike hooks to the studs and whala! Β So much better than the real estate they were taking up in our front room, temporarily turned stroller garage.
I wish I could say we accomplished everything on the list that gives me anxiety daily, but at least we made a considerable dent. To top the week off, we got to go to a bar where we watched, in it’s ENTIRETY, the Mizzou Homecoming game vs. OU, and we got to see the most epic smackdown, not missing a single play. We ate greasy, spicy appetizers and Scott drank like he was in college again, which I found to be pretty amusing and was secretly jealous. Best. Date night. Ever. GO TIGERS!!
Mizzou Homecoming 10 years ago
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44 comments
The nursery is GORGEOUS! That is one lucky little girl. I love the pic from Mizzou. I spent my first two years there. WAY ahead of you, I’m sure. π
We have that same dresser in Joshua’s room, but in black-brown. I love the entire Hemnes line!
Oh, and the nursery looks fab! Love the fabrics!
I’m jealous! You have a chair and curtains….. I need those bad. I’m just starting my own personal sewing hell myself. I’ve decided it’s a great idea to hand quilt the crib blanket and make the valance and curtains myself! Why do we do these things to ourselves….
Right?? Good luck to ya.
The nursery looks really cool. Very relaxing yet funky.
Can I ask, in the homecoming picture, why are y’all sitting on piles of garbage?
Ha! It’s not garbage, they’re the white rocks that make up the big M at one end of the field.
Ahh, that would make more sense.
PS. I feel like a girl names Violet would live in that room.
PLEASE provide a linky to that dresser on the Ikea site. I have been searching high and low for a low white dresser for DD’s room and all I can find are chests! PLEASE?!
Sure! http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00067830
So fun! My brother is a freshman at Mizzou and rushed onto the field at the end of the game.
So jealous! Our team was tragically terrible the whole time I was there.
M-I-Z baby! My husband is still on a high.
Love the colors in the baby’s room. LOVE.
Your nursery is seriously amazing. I wouldn’t attempt so much sewing on a normal day, let alone a pregnancy day, making it all the more impressive! I love the color combos.
I love you even more now that I know you went to MU. My husband and I went there. He works there. We live so close to the stadium now that I charge people to park in our extra parking spot and I can hear the game from the deck.
I love Mizzou like a fat kid loves cake. I love Mizzou beating OU (where many many of my high school friends went to college) like an obese kid loves deep fried cake.
It turned out wonderfully, Jill! Great job on all counts.
The nursery looks amazing! I just might have to hire you once I get around to having kids. You did a great job!
Also… Boomer Sooner … because I have to – I’m graduating from OU in Dec π
That’s okay, I’ll forgive. We wouldn’t be so stoked about beating OU if you guys weren’t so damn good to begin with.
Oooooh is that a window seat? I’m super jealous. Not so much of you but of Baby Girl – I always wanted a window seat as a kid. Then I could sit in it, dressed very romantically in ruffles and ribbons, when the lawyer came to tell me I was mixed up at birth and my *real* parents (The King and Queen) wanted me to come live with them.
I had a very active imagination.
It is! Kendall has one, too, but the last time he played on it he fell out his window, which I will never ever leave open again. I bet this girl will appreciate hers much more, though. Love your imagination!
What a great week!
I want to know more about your 5 strollers – which ones do you have and what various functions do they perform?
Mommy has that same IKEA dresser in her room, but in the espresso color. π
1. Quinny Buzz- single, everyday, heavy duty stroller. Used it a ton the first year of Kendall’s life, hoping to attach a buggy board to the back and get more use out of it with this baby.
2. Maclaren Volo- single, umbrella stroller. It’s taken the place of the Buzz now with Kendall since it’s light, easy to get in and out of the car, and I don’t need a stroller that reclines anymore if we’re just making quick trips.
3. BOB Ironman- single, jogging stroller. By far, the most miles have been put on this one. We started running with Kendall when he was about 6 months old. This thing was a lifesaver while I was training for the marathon, and now Scott uses it at least 3 times a week to take Kendall for long runs to the park so I can regain some sanity.
4. BOB Revolution Duallie- double, jogging stroller. This is our only double stroller. We’re hoping it will function as a good, heavy duty stroller while out and about with both the kids at places like the zoo, and that we can continue to go for runs with both the kids.
5. Graco Snugrider frame- to snap the new infant seat into. I sold the Maxi Cosi infant seat we used with Kendall that snapped into the Quinny frame because I hated it. We are replacing it with a Graco Snugride and hope to use the Snugrider for the first month or so for ease of use.
I am so jealous of the garage! Is the Bob hanging in your garage? And if so, what part of the stroller did you hang it by? I have got to get ours out of the dining room!
Hey! Sorry I’m just now seeing this. This is in an old house, but yes, it was in the garage. Hung by the handle π
Thanks so much for all the compliments!
I just read about these cookies in which the author writes, “These cookies kind of taste like wet concrete smells.”, and I immediately thought of you what with your craving for dirt, grout and mortar!
http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2010/10/buckwheat-pine-nut-biscuits/#more-3752
Enjoy?!
Hahahahahahaha! I’ll have to try those???
Love it! Looks so beautiful!
On the curtains – I wouldn’t change them because I think they look great. The problems with the clippy things are 1) they let in a LOT of light at the top and 2) they make an irritating noise opening and closing. I regret switching to that in our old bedroom.
I do like curtains that go up to the ceiling though, so moving the rods up sound like a good idea.
If you want some more detail at the top, what if you added a second rod pocket below the first and then the first can sit up above?
Again, I like them the way they are, so I wouldn’t change them.
Oooh, good point. Thanks!
Did you say that you got the pattern for the crib skirt online? I’d like to give it a try but I’m still a sewing novice and my machine is also somewhat temperamental. How impossible was the crib skirt? The nursery looks adorable.
M-I-Z!
Hereβs the link to the tutorial I used
http://dkhibler.blogspot.com/2009/06/crib-skirt-tutorial.html
It was actually really easy. Would have been super duper easy if I didnβt even bother with the pleats. You can do it!
I’m in love with your crib & rocker! Where are they from, if you don’t mind me asking?
Thanks! They’re both from Babies R Us. We got them about 2.5 years ago before Kendall was born. The crib is the Tampa Lifetime Crib by Baby Cache and the rocker is a chocolate microfiber Wendy Bellisimo rocker.
go you, great productivity!
also, I WAS AT THAT MIZZOU GAME! go Tigers! π
Jill! The room looks so great!
Spending some time alone together before baby #2 came along is something I really wish my husband and I had done. Good for you!
Also, if you went to Mizzou 10 years ago you probably know just about everybody I went to high school with. It’s a small world . . .
On the “I crave dirt” bit…a friend of mine craved soap. It was so weird. She would lick her hands after washing them. Crazy π
The nursery is looking gorgeous! You did a great job with all the sewing! =)
Love the stroller storage! We have both the BOB Dualie and Single Revolution. With three children, they still get used a lot, but take up so much room! How did you get them to hang and stay folded? Did you clip the handle to something? Use the safety strap somehow? I’d love to do this, but I am afraid it will just swing open on me. Thanks for your help even two years after your post! Ha! Yay Pintrest!
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Where did you buy the hook for the storage. It is hard to see in the picture. I want to do exactly what you did. I also have the single and the double.
Hi! We got them from Home Depot. They are bike hooks.
Where did you get the hooks for the strollers?? lOVE them!!
Hey! They are bike hooks from Home Depot. Look in the garage organizing section.