Sew cute

Here are some of the little projects I've finished for Baby Margaux

This is the quilt for her crib. The one it was going to cost me $78 to have quilted at a shop, so I decided to hand quilt it till I buy an attachment for my sewing machine.
I purchased a bumper and crib skirt from target that is dark brown with white polka dots to go with. And my Mother is making back and seat pillows for the wooden rocking chair out of the same material as the quilt.

It's not really fancy or intricate. I should have broken up the center instead of leaving it all one piece, but I'm happy with it. Here is an up close of the farm animals and polka dots.

Here is Margaux's first onesie applique that I've made for her.


And for Momma, a necklace from anthropology that I saw a tutorial on how to replicate. I have a few girls night groups that I thought this might be a fun project for, but I wanted to test run it.

Here's mine. I placed my flowers too close together so it looks like one big ruffle. I get a flash back to the Seinfeld pirate shirt episode. And I'm not real happy with how it hangs but I'm going to try some things to get it to hold its shape better.

If all else fails, I've decided I'm going to use it as a headband. So I'll get to use it some how.

Here's another idea from Ann Taylor Loft I could do. They attached them straight to the tank top. I could dress up some cheap Maternity tanks maybe.

22 down, 18 more weeks to go

22 weeks

Well, Matt and I picked out a car seat this weekend. Geesh! I cannot get over how many different types there are. Car seats, strollers, and travel systems OH MY! We ultimately made our decision on the amount of space they took up. We found a combo system (that the stroller had to be bought separately) that folds small like an umbrella stroller. Awesome! Seeing that both of our cars are small, and the jeep doesn't have the biggest storage in the back. It's neutral colors, so it will work if we are blessed with a male heir one day and it has great safety ratings.

We also went on a flooring excursion. We've made our decision and will be buying it pretty soon (its on sale for a week). We are putting down actual bamboo hardwood this time instead of laminate flooring. I'm pleased with the laminate we did last summer, don't get me wrong. But I'm glad we are investing a little bit more and getting actual hardwood. The laminate was a PAIN IN THE NECK to put down, and it sounds funny like its hollow when you walk on it. But dang was it cheap! So we will be able to begin that project soon. I'm pretty excited that Margaux will have a nice clean floor to crawl around on. No more stained (dip spit, coffee, and various others), burned (for real, it's burned in one spot), cigarette smoked, and pet hair (dang cats) carpet.

Other recent things. I man let me get in front of him at the grocery because I was "carrying around an extra". He also said I was gorgeous and glowing. I thanked him, but I didn't tell him that the "glowing" he was probably talking about was the constant rash/blotches due to the extremely sensitive skin I have been plagued with since becoming pregnant. Probably TMI. The cat laid on my belly Saturday morning and started vibrating and purring. In response, Margaux started wiggling around like crazy. I'm not sure if she liked it or hated it, but it was funny. Speaking of movement, Matt can feel it now. She was thumping around pretty hard at the top of my belly the other day. And lastly, we have been given so many ADORABLE hand-me-downs for her, and I'm super pumped about all the cute goodies. I even came across a dress that my Great Grandmother (Clara Belle), that Margaux is getting her middle name from (Claire), made. She is so getting a picture in that dress.

Half way

Well, baby Margaux is moving around like crazy now. I can't believe just a few weeks ago I only felt her move once or twice and now it is all day long. I went to a Zumba class and had a great time with a group of girl friends last week. The next day, Margaux did her own Zumba. All day.

We had her 20 week ultrasound about 2 weeks ago and were amazed at all the things you can see. Nose, lens of the eye, brain, 4 chambers of the heart, etc. She looks healthy and right on track. She has my feet. I'll have to scan the picture, but let's just say, she is definitely going to be cursing shoe designers when she's grown. They are pretty big, and she has my long toes. Monkey toes.

Matt still talks to her most everyday. He also bought her a snowboard. Yes, a snowboard. I have to admit, it's pretty dang cute. But he has been instructed that his next purchase needs to be something that can be used within a year of her birth. I have a little journal I've been writing to her in, telling her what all has been going in anticipation of her arrival and how much we already love her. I've also been taking pictures of the belly about every 2 weeks. I've been including more information about my pregnancy since we found out she's a she. I figure she might find it more useful one day than say a boy would have. Here is the 20 weeks shot of me and my growing belly.

There is so much to be done around the house, but luckily we have plenty of time. And slowly but surely, we are seeing progress. At least the weather is starting to look up.

As my dad put it, I’m “getting fat”! :)

My response, "I sure am."

My belly is getting bigger and bigger every week now. Somewhere between 16 and 18 weeks it really started coming out. Matt still talks to her a lot, he tells her he loves her, goodnight, and good morning most everyday. I've felt her move once and known for sure what it was. She did a little roll one morning, I've laid down and tried to feel it again, but nothing yet. Everyone tells me I'll feel plenty of moving later.

16 weeks

18 weeks

see Hans wondering if the big lady is going to give him any food:)

We've pretty much decided on Margaux Claire as the name. Margaux just because we like it, and Claire after one of my Great Grandmothers, Clara Belle, that I have very fond memories of. We are going to use the french spelling because it looks much prettier than Margo, and I'm not doing the Margot/Mar-GOT spelling. She'll just have to deal with it being misspelled, but people have the same problem with Brittany/ Brittnye/ Britnie, Laura/Lara, Lindsey/Lindsay. Obviously she'll be fine. My mother didn't gag when she heard this one. She either wasn't repulsed by the name, or she knew better than fight it. Baby Margaux also got her first Valentines day card from her Grandpa (My dad), it was super sweet and is totally going in her baby book. Her room is currently awaiting a lot of work. I have started on the quilt, after much debate as to whether I wanted to personally hand quilt it or not. I have decided to do it myself, and I enjoyed starting on it last night. Its very therapeutic to work on something. It has farm animals on it (of course), hot pink and polka dots. And if this cold weather ever goes away we will start work on the paint and replacing the carpet with laminate. I refuse to start moving furniture in a room that I am just going to have to move it all back out of to replace the flooring. Correction: I guess I'm not really lifting and moving crap, but you get the main point. Next week I have another doctor's appointment and ultrasound, I'll be about 20 weeks. I can't wait to see how big she is getting. So until then…

My Happy Valentine

Last weekend I made Matt very happy. The man got to go snowboarding. He's been dying to go for some time now, and for a short stint in January he was driving me crazy to let him go all by himself. I was not having it and told him he if he could not secure a buddy to go with, he was just going to have to wait till I could make the trip with him. Well, good things come to those who wait because he was able to go last weekend over the 3 day break. Of course I could not ski, so I watched him some and then went inside the lodge to thaw my rear end from sitting in the snow. I did get to snowtube a few times, which was fun. Anyhow, it was quite crowded. And there I sat at the bottom of this hill looking at people all dressed alike wondering if I would even be able to spot my husband. I was seriously delighted to find out that I could pretty much tell which snowboarder was him by the way he rides. People would shoot down the hill, turning occasionally to reduce their speed a bit. And then I would see someone coming down the hill carving out huge swooping "S" shapes in the snow. Just gliding back and forth. That was him. Matt said it was the "old fart" style. I saw a few other people that rode in that style, but not too many. It made me really wish that I was able to ski, but skiing is a big "no no" for me and baby.

I love that he always wears his helmet

On Valentine's Night we decided to check out one of the Riverboat Casinos. Matt and I aren't much on gambling, but we'll play a small amount. Well, the funniest part of the evening was when I gave Matt $5 to play video poker on the nickel machine (Wooo! see what High rollers we are). He wasn't gone 2 minutes before he returned with this confused look on his face. I asked him if he had cashed out. He explained how he had sat down, put his money in the machine and hit "Max Bet". Only after he lost that first bet did he realize he had just used 100 credits (his whole 5 dollars). He was surprised because the machine we had just left the Max Bet was 6 credits. "SOB took my 5 dollars" was what he kept saying with his confused puppy face. I just gave him 5 more dollars and told him to keep his finger off the Max Bet button.

Our drive home was pretty nerve racking. We woke up to a lot of snow in Ohio to begin our trip home. They were expected to get around 9 inches. Needless to say it took us longer than usual to get home, but we made it just fine. Worn out, but safe and sound.

Snow, Snow, Snow

Man we have had quite a bit of it this winter. Weekend before last we had bout 6 inches of solid thick snow. Then it warmed up. Now the rain the weather man called for became at least 2 inches of wet, slushy snow.

Matt out with his babies in the first snow

the second snow

Matt and I went to Lake Cumberland in Kentucky last weekend. It was quite beautiful and we had a wonderful time. Matt spent time with his Dad at an antique gun convention, and I spent time in the lodge's pool. It was what I was really looking forward to doing. Oh, It was great to swim around and really get my legs moving. I think I need to look into a short membership back at the Y so I can have access to a pool. I thought that a bathing suit was going to be depressing, but I was pleasantly surprised. reason 1- I have a belly with an excuse! reason 2- the girls haven't looked this good since I was in high school. But I'm sure if you ask me again in June or July when I'm closer to the due date, I might have a different opinion.

the view from our room at Lake Cumberland

Next weekend we will be going out of town too. Matt has been dying to go snowboarding, of course I can't. But the man is itching to be able to go down a slope. I figure that we should do it now because who knows what we are going to be able to do, and not do, in the next few months.

Pink or Blue???

Well… as I mentioned earlier, we went on the 23^rd of Jan. to see what the baby's gender was. But the baby was quite shy and modest. It kept its little legs crossed, or covered the business area with its little hands. I did jumping jacks, ran around the little room, bent down and touched my toes, did yoga positions, I think I pulled a muscle. I was definitely tired, but the baby did not turn or move, or uncover. So after 30 minutes, we rescheduled to go back and try again. Matt was dying to know, and then I had to reschedule, my reschedule. Oh the agony of being so close to knowing.

Today was the retry, and I prepped with a cup of coffee (guess who might have trouble sleeping tonight) and juice. Well it didn't take long this time before SHE showed us the important place. That's right… It's a girl! I was very wrong in my boy prediction. She covered up a few more times with her little hands, but we got a clear view. Matt and I are having a little girl. I've got my fingers crossed for some red hair!!

Here's some pictures, I can't tell what from what in most of them but I'll do my best.

Profile of the baby

Baby laying on her head, with her legs crossed above her.