The Nursery: Murals

I posted a sneak peek of the unfinished murals in the nursery not too long ago, and I am happy to report that the murals are now finished!!

After dissolving into tears several times because Horton's paint wasn't quite right, I am so happy to finally be finished! I think it was largely due to the pregnancy hormones raging through my body, but I felt an overwhelming need for this room to be PERFECT, and you can pretty much imagine the trainwreck Matt had to deal with when I realized that I had gotten paint on the carpet.

Paint! On the Carpet! The sky is falling! Doomsday is here!

The man is a saint I tell ya! But anyway...on to what you guys really want...the pictures!!
Yes there is a teddy bear in the crib. Yes it is wearing a bib, also a diaper. And yes...sometimes I pick it up and pretend our baby is here. What?? I'm hormonal dangit!

Again, the lighting is a little off here, the walls are blue, not white, and Horton actually looks a little lighter gray in person (in elephant?).
This guy is taller than me! Here's hoping our child isn't afraid of Star-bellied Sneetches!
And last, but certainly not least, we have the environmentally friendly, tree-hugging, mustached Lorax. How can you not just love him?

So...what do you think?

Pay it Forward

Quite a while ago I signed up for something called "Pay it Forward" over at ColoradoLadys website. This means that she will send a handmade gift to me and two other people, and in turn, I have a year to send a handmade gift to the first three people to sign up here!
So...you interested? If you are one of the first three people to leave a comment, I will send you a handmade gift (email your name and address to bekah@countrymousetales.com), you in turn then pay it forward on your website to three other lucky people.
Take a look at the beautiful gift I received from her! How could she have known that I needed magnets for my fridge? Or that I happen to love fabric flowers? Did she intuitively know that those birds match my bedroom decor PERFECTLY? How does she do it? And do you see that little pink jar? That's lotion. Lotion that she MADE. And let me tell you people...it smells DIVINE! I rub it on my ever expanding belly every evening.

So, if you are interested in participating in this Pay it Forward campaign, please leave a comment! If you are one of the first three, expect to see a little package from me show up in your mailbox over the course of the next year!

Oh...and just for fun, here is a photo of my nephew sitting in a wheelbarrow full of dirt.
Sometimes it's hard for me to not bite him. A love-bite. Just a little one, you know?

A Very Un-lady-like Post

I don't even know how to say this without turning red all over, but I feel the need to put this out there so maybe some other pregnant girl will find this someday as she is frantically googling at 12:30 in the morning.

My um, my boobs...they are leaking.

Oh dear...I just wrote that. I have been told this is normal...but it is still really, REALLY strange. I know, I know, it's normal, but seriously? Ew.

And don't worry...this is one instance where I did NOT think a picture was needed.

Behold, the Glaringly White Belly

Tomorrow marks 23 weeks of pregnancy. And can I just say, I am enjoying it SO MUCH MORE now! Our little Sweet Pea is bumping and thumping around in there all the time now, and the disconnection I felt to the baby in the first few months has really eased off. It's a whole lot easier to believe there is a baby in there once you can feel it giving your kidney a swift uppercut!

And now...for your viewing pleasure...

Bam! Sorry about the funky shadow, we waited until there was no natural light left, then remembered to take the picture. Woops!

Also...someone else is finding new ways to connect to our little one still in utero.

(The plaid bump is my belly!)

Seriously...how stinkin' cute is my baby-daddy? I can't wait to actually see him holding OUR child.

The Nursery: Sneak Peek

Matt and I have really been working hard in the nursery this weekend.

Wow those colors are WAY off! The walls are actually very, very light blue.

Can anyone guess the theme we are working (loosely) with? I can't wait to show you guys the rest of what we have finished, as well as maybe pick your brains on a thing or two.

For instance - do you think we really NEED a changing table? Won't a dresser set up with a changing pad be pretty much the same thing?

So Many Questions...

Matt and I had our 20 week ultrasound last week, and I think it is safe to say that we are both completely and utterly smitten by this little life inside of me. The baby did not stop moving the entire time, to the point that the ultrasound technician told us that she is worried for us when this child reaches two years of age...judging from my childhood antics this is not surprising. In fact...I think I can hear my mom laughing from here.

What's that Mom? I deserve this wild little dervish for all the times you had to pull a toad out of my jeans pocket? Probably true.

We learned that our little Sweet Pea is on the big side(but developing perfectly)...already over 1 pound! We have made the decision not to find out the sex of the baby until he or she makes his/her way into this world in November.
As I looked at this precious profile I couldn't help but be overcome with questions. Boy? Girl? Will the baby have Matt's endless brown eyes? Or my light blue ones? His straight hair, or my curls? Will (s)he be tall and slim like Daddy? Will the baby have my dimple?

Despite all the questions that have yet to be answered, I still can't help but pull my ultrasound pictures out of my purse (yes I carry them in my purse) and stare at the most beautiful person I have never seen.

As you may or may not have noticed, I have added a new poll to my website, where you can weigh in on whether you think I am having a boy or a girl. Feel free to ask me any questions that you feel will help...for example...I am carrying low and I crave mostly salty stuff.

The Tattoo

You guys are too smart! April had figured out why my husband was sporting a silky smooth leg mere minutes after I posted the picture!

Matt has indeed gotten his first tattoo! After much planning and a whole lotta talking, Brandon (that annoying old brother in law of mine who just happens to be a very good tattoo artist on the side) came over to our house and drew all over my husband.

Here is the finished product. It is a band of images representing his travels that runs around his calf, and what a fine silky smooth calf that is!
The shield in front is for the Dominican Republic, where we met and fell in love. Alright, alright, that's not entirely true. We met then, became friends, then fell in love 4 years later.
The griffins/gargoyles are from a building we saw in Barcelona, so they represent Spain, where he studied abroad and where we honeymooned. The parrot is an image taken from a necklace he got for me in Peru, where he spent some time teaching shortly after we started dating. (The red flower represents the red daisies I carried at our wedding, as well as the one red daisy he wore - awwwww he came up with that on his own). The griffin and parrot repeat on the other side to form a complete band.

And lastly, the Celtic cross is representative of the time he backpacked through Ireland.

This boy gets around huh?

You Have Three Guesses

Does anyone out there want to hazard a guess as to why my husband is getting shaved in this picture? (Family - HUSH...you already know you big ol' cheaters!)
Anyone? Winner gets a...well, actually...nothing, other than street cred. of course!

*Every time I say "anyone?" I want to follow it up with "Bueller? Bueller?" and you know what? I have never ever seen that movie. That urge comes purely from hearing that specific quote over and over. And over. And over. You get the point.