What's In My Bag | Hospital Edition

Our bags are officially packed. We are officially as ready as we will ever be for this little man to come into the world. I'm due on Friday and now we just hurry up and wait. I remember this feeling from last time and Marin decided to take her precious time and wait until ten days after my due date to grace us with her adorable presence. I know a due date is just an estimate, more like a little suggestion to make pregnant mothers go a little bit crazy. 

I am a planner. The waiting and suspense just about kills me by this point but I'm trying to just tie up lose ends at work. Get the the house ready. And wait. And wait and wait and wait. Everyday I go to bed at night I wonder if we will be having a baby in the next 24 hours or not. So far, not. 

Last time we did this, I feel like I packed more? Maybe I did. I honestly don't completely remember but I feel like this time around, we are in a good place packing wise. There's one bag for the hospital and a canvas grocery bag full of snacks and random other items that we will throw in last minute. I plan on putting some minimal make up in and my flat iron. We will need to toss in the phone chargers. But overall, the bags are packed. 

I've also packed a bag for Marin because once I'm in labor and we head to the hospital, she is heading to the grandparent's house and will hang out there until she can come meet her new baby brother. 

Not pictured:

Minimal Hair Stuff

Gift for Marin/Gift for Sullivan

Phone chargers

Assorted, Minimal Makeup 

Now we wait. I'm ready to not be pregnant any longer and to meet this little guy. Come on, Sullivan! 

My Person

Last night's anniversary dinner. 

I woke up this morning and today is like most days. The kiddo is starting to stir in her bubble gum pink room and the husband is snoring next to me. My first thoughts, especially now that I am pregnant, is that I need to go to the restroom. My next thoughts are about coffee and the anticipation of some quiet time before the rest of my world fully wakes up and our day starts once more. 

Today is different though than most of our days. Today is special. Today we are celebrating eight years of marriage. 8 years of wedded bliss. 8 years. I do wish we were waking up on a tropical beach somewhere and I was wearing a bikini and there was a margarita in my hand. But, instead, we wake to a home full of toddler toys and bedhead, waffles with peanut butter, a strong cup of coffee. We wake to a world with a dinosaur nursery that is just waiting for its new occupant to arrive. We wake to a world where I can't see my ankles anymore and my bladder has rebelled against me. We wake to a world where we will both go about our day working hard for our jobs, take a trip to the grocery store, prepare meals for the kiddo, and pray that nap time is long. 

I like waking up here. 

I was thinking about the past 8 years of our lives and how much has happened and how much has changed. We aren't the bright eye and bushy-tailed young-ins anymore. We've now lived in our home for 7 years. We've changed many things about our home....painted some walls, new floors, new appliances, new roof, new furnace and ac. We've lived with roommates when we needed the money. We've brought home a new baby from the hospital and will soon do that again. We've had so many band practices over the years and now I am left trying to hold onto those memories. 

I just can't help but realize that I have found my person. My only person. Ryan loves me for me and all of my weird ways. He puts up with my obsessive vacuuming and how I am constantly working on some home project. He mows the lawn even when I know it's the last thing he wants to do. He helps empty the dishwasher because I might hate that even more than folding and putting away laundry. We have played lots of gigs together and sang many songs together. He gets it. He gets me. 

Even when life is predictable and each day seems to blend into the next, my person is always there. We are in this together and I wouldn't have it any other way. When we met 9 years ago, I was not looking for him. He was not looking for me. But God brought us together just the same. Our worlds suddenly collided and we haven't looked back since. In brokenness and heartache, we found each other. We found our people. 

I truly wouldn't change anything from the past 8 years of our lives. I am looking forward to many more. When you find your person, hold on to them tight. You will make it through the hard times. There will be plenty of good times as well. It will all be worth it. 

Happy Anniversary, to my very favorite person. 

It's the Weekend | Number Fourteen

I've been pretty good lately about waking up earlier than everyone else in my house. I'm trying to savor these quiet mornings because we will soon be adding a newborn baby to our normal chaos and I'm sure I will sleep a lot less and everything will be a lot louder. I also have to get up to use the restroom a few times each night and usually one of those times is early in the morning. I lay in bed contemplating whether or not I should get up. My bladder always wins but then I find myself in our quiet living room, coffee cup in hand, and my Bible. I've been working through the Bible In a Year via the YouVersion app. I love it. It's simple. Straight forward. I've been reading a lot of the Old Testament lately which is always interesting, especially when there's chapter after chapter about how things should be built and sacrificed. I'm in Leviticus currently and it can get a little dull, but I'm pushing through.

This week has been a good one. We had air conditioning installed in our home on Monday and I feel like my life is forever changed. This overheated, very pregnant gal is super thankful for that update. Yesterday was the hottest day we've seen yet this year and I was, for once, comfortable in the rooms in our upstairs tri-level. Best money we've ever spent. We are done with home improvements for this year though. It's only June and we've replaced our roof, kitchen appliances, furnace, and air conditioner this year. No more spending money for a while. But, I love our little home. Sure, there's things I would change about but as of today actually, we have lived here for 7 years. Our first home. We've made a lot of changes and I am very happy with all of them. 

Anyways, here's some link love for this lovely Saturday. 

Money Savers for Boy Moms. I will need this. 

5 ways to survive entertaining as an introvert. I would like to think I'm not an introvert, but I really am. I'm not the life of a party but I do like when people I love gather together. 

It's pretty much summer time. Here are some fun, budget friendly ideas to keep kids busy this summer. 

A $2 lunch idea from Trader Joes? Sign me up. 

Money is a touchy subject. Sometimes we have things we want to say about money but we never do. 

How to create when you just don't feel like it. 

As a millennial, do I have an obsession with self-care? Interesting read. 

Have a great weekend! 

Baby Sullivan | The Nursery

The nursery is finally pretty much ready. I'm pretty proud of us choosing to paint these walls light green for Marin when she was a little babe. It made the transition to having a boy so much easier. Here is how the nursery looked for Marin.  Lots of black and white, with green accents. 

When we found out we were having a little boy this time around, I knew that I wanted there to be lots of dinosaurs. This nursery was based solely on the Crib Sheets and curtains I found on Amazon. We kind of branched out from there. 

The cradle on the side of our crib was one that I slept in when I was a baby. We might move it into our bedroom for a while, but for now, it's the stuffed animal hangout. 

This garland was a decoration at the baby shower. It now hangs by the books. 

I spent many hours nursing Marin in this rocker and I know I will be spending a lot of time here once more. We have had a lot of late nights and early morning rocking in this chair. 

My mother crocheted this awesome blanket. 

Now we wait for his arrival. I love how this room turned out. 

Sources: 

Crib Sheet & Curtain | Amazon

RAWR Pillow | Amazon 

Wall Decor | Hobby Lobby

Rug | RugsUSA

This post may contain affiliate links. When you make a purchase through those links, I am paid a small amount in advertising fees. Thanks for your support.

It's the Weekend | Number Thirteen

I didn't do a weekend post last week...Oops. But, here we are again, and it's Saturday and another weekend is already here. I feel like I blink and it's another week lately. I probably say that in every one of these posts, but seriously. Where is time going? Marin was up nice and early today so she joined me for my quiet time. That's always fun. 

I've been in full prep for maternity leave mode. I've been organizing cabinets. I've been creating lists. I've been getting the nursery slowly finished and am thinking about what needs to go in my hospital bag this time around. I am due in a few weeks and I'm trying to prepare myself emotionally and mentally for leaving work for a really long time. It's messing with my head lately. It will all be fine, I am sure, but 12 weeks is a long time. It will be fall by the time I fully return. I'll be working part time from home for a good chunk of it, but still. It's weird being away from anything for that long. 

Ryan and I are celebrating 8 years of marriage in 10 days as well. We are trying to figure out even a night have a date night. Life is super crazy. I've been daydreaming about taking a big trip once we hit ten years. I want to be on a beach for at least a week. No kiddos. Lots of margaritas and some good beach-y reads. That's all I want. We have 2 years to plan and save but of course I'm already thinking about it. It gives us something to look forward to. 

Anyways, here's some link love for the week....

A Summer Reading List.  Sometimes I need to not read parenting books and dive into a delicious novel. 

I've always dreamt of owning a breakfast place. Breakfast is where it's at. 

I'm always working on our budget. Here are some budgeting methods to swear by.

Last time I had a baby, it was in the dead of winter. Now, it will be summertime. Here are 6 heath benefits for getting babies out in nature. 

I love snacks. These energy balls aren't bad for you and sound delicious. Even Marin would eat these. 

Our cat has single handedly destroyed our sectional in our family room. He's lucky he's a part of the family. I'm dreaming of a new sectional that's kid and cat friendly. Someday, maybe. 

I like meal planning. Here is a podcast about it and how to meal plan with your Bullet Journal. 

Have a great weekend! 

A Baby Shower for Baby Sullivan

A few weekends ago, my awesome family, mostly Grammy & Grandmadoo,  threw a baby shower for Baby Sullivan. We are planning on having a dinosaur themed nursery so we had a dinosaur party as well. This little guy is super blessed to have a family like this and we haven't even met him yet. We ate lots of amazing chicken from Raising Canes. There was potato salad and cheesecake. It was wonderful. 

So obviously, if you didn't catch it already, we have decided to name him Sullivan James. We have been spending the last few weeks preparing for him and everything is almost ready. I am very ready to not be pregnant anymore. I'm in the uncomfortable phase where I have round ligament pain almost all of the time. I have to go to the restroom a million times per day and I'm up a few times at night. Pregnancy insomnia has been pretty bad lately too. But, overall, everything is looking good and baby boy is growing well. I was 36 weeks on Thursday. Only a few more weeks. 

I'm very curious as to when we will actually meet this little guy. Will he arrive early? Will he arrive ten days late like his big sister? Who really knows. Now, we wait. I'm packing my hospital bag this weekend. We are working on getting the nursery ready. I'm organizing closets and cupboards like a crazy person. 

Thank you to everyone that poured so much time and awesomeness into the baby shower and to bringing this little guy into the world. He is already well loved and I am so thankful for all of it. Marin also loves all of the dinosaurs that now inhabit our home.