Only 6 weeks to go

With only 6 weeks to go before the due date, we've been working hard to finish up the baby room and prepare for the little guy to meet us face to face.  Stephanie's energy level is low and I'm ready to rest as well before our normal schedule gets shaken up.

We've got some baby prep classes scheduled at the hospital this month and a little decorating to do, but that's about it.  We look forward to sharing some photos soon of the baby room!

31 years and 31 weeks

Yesterday we celebrated Stephanie's 31st birthday and we also celebrated 31 weeks of pregnancy!

The new crib

It's getting closer now with only 9 weeks left!  We've been working hard to make progress on the baby room the last two weeks and it's really starting to show.  Since we completed all the trim and paint last week we've been itching to put together the crib.  No I didn't end up making the crib, even though I wanted to, time didn't allow for me to tackle that sort of a job.  We did get help from my dad though in purchasing the crib and it looks great in the room.

We still have to finish staining a dresser and bring in the changing table I refinished and then we can start decorating.  Stephanie's mom is sewing up the crib bedding and draperies and we can't wait to see how they look!

baby room design

Stephanie and I have been spending too much time trying to decide what sorts of furniture and colors to put in the baby room.  Of course we've already shown some before and after paint photos, and now we want to reveal a little more of the design theme we've had in mind.

The fabric choice was not a fast one, in fact we've had lots of discussions and input from friends.  I think the colors make for a happy setting for the little guy when he arrives.  Which, by the way, we forgot to mention here on the blog.  I guess that late is better than never!

We've already purchased the crib and are in the process of painting a sideboard table we were using as a tv stand that will become the changing table.  We also found a small three drawer dresser on Craigslist that will get stained to match the dark color of the crib.  The plan is to find a nicely priced mirror to go above the dresser, but we might just find a frameless mirror and building a frame out of some walnut I've got saved in the garage.

This weekend I'll be installing the floor and door trim, so I've got a little more sweating to do in this Texas heat before we start putting all the furniture in the room.

the face of our baby boy

Last week we were invited to get a free 3D sonogram at the Dallas Pregnancy Resource Center where Stephanie has served in the past.  We've both have been anxious to see the baby again, but Stephanie's doctor wasn't planning to have one performed anytime soon, so we accepted with much excitement.  A picture is worth a thousand words...

I think he looks a lot like Stephanie, but he's still got a lot of growing to do over the next 3 months, so who knows what he'll look like come delivery time.

baby room and belly bump update

We've been hard at work the last two weeks on the nursery and it's starting to look more inviting than the dugeon it had been for the last 2+ years since we got married. I removed every evidence of the old and worn out trim and primed every wall in preparation or the new paint job. It had taken us some time to decide on just the right color, but we made the decision and moved forward and we are glad we did. We sure hope the little guy likes his new digs - I know I sure do!

BEFORE:

From Nursery

From Nursery

PRIMED WALLS:

From Nursery

From Nursery

Here is a shot of us testing out the paint color we eventually decided to use. The wall color is Benjamin Moore Navajo White. And you'll notice we've decided to paint the ceiling too in Benjamin Moore Iced Green (1/4 shade)! We had seen some others do it and Stephanie's mom suggested. We bought a few foam poster board and painted them so that we could mount them in the room. We recommend that you try it next time you have a couple of final paint colors picked out because it really helps you get a feel for the how they will look under your lighting conditions.

From Nursery

AFTER:

From Nursery

It's hard to get a sense of the true colors we chose, but we'll be posting more progress photos soon when there is some sun streaming in the windows to help showcase things. Oh and doesn't that baby bump look good! Only 3 more months to go! I've got to install the new trim and crown molding next and then it's onto putting together a crib. Lots to do for sure!

Summer update

It's been a very fun summer so far!

We've been anxiously watching our baby boy getting bigger inside Stephanie...

From Summer 2010

hanging out with Dixie under the dining room table...

From Summer 2010

eating cinnamon rolls - one of our favorite foods!

From Summer 2010

giving Dixie her every-other-week bath...

From Summer 2010

building a new media center for the living room...

From Summer 2010

From Summer 2010

continue to watch Stephanie's belly grow!!!

From Summer 2010

and visiting Stephanie's family at Lake Conroe for the 4th of July weekend...

From Summer 2010

From Summer 2010

From Summer 2010

From Summer 2010

From Summer 2010

From Summer 2010

From Summer 2010

From Summer 2010

From Summer 2010

We've got lots of work on the nursery lined up for the next several weeks, so stay tuned for some construction photos and a sneak peak at some of the colors, furnishings and decor we'll be using.