Nursery and Baby Reads
Thank you SO much for all of your awesome feedback on our baby registry. I’m going to make some changes per your recommendations – you’re amazing. I just feel so thankful to be sharing this with all of you because I know so many of you are moms and know what’s up –I appreciate your tips so much!- or yet-to-be moms and friends who have offered much-needed support. <3 <3 It’s funny because I was apprehensive about creating the family page, and it’s ended up being one of my favorite parts of the little blog.
I received a few questions about what our baby nursery looks so far, so I thought I’d post a couple of scary pics. We really haven’t done anything yet.
Our nursery:
It’s going to be super convenient because it’s attached to the master bedroom. This way, little nugette will be close to us, but not too close. [I’ve heard that if they’re in the same room with you, every sound will wake you up]
I also enjoy the fact that it doesn’t feel confined. I’ll be spending a lot of time in there, so it’s nice and open and we’ll be able to see the living room from up there.
[That pic made me realize I’d like a new ceiling fan. Haha]
Nugette’s room:
*shudders*
The people who lived here before us had 4 kids- this was the little boy’s room. It had train tracks and race cars all over. Needless to say, we have a paint job to do 😉 I think after the Pilot’s last project, he’s willing to hire someone for this one 😉 It’s pretty sizeable for a kid’s room and I can already tell the shelves will come in handy.
Part of me wants to wait it out until she’s here to decorate her actual room, since her room will be the nursery for quite a while, and the other part is thinking that we should get as much done as possible now.
Also, I’m trying to figure out whether we should get a crib that converts to a bed, or just get a regular crib because ideally (and god-willing) we’d like to have at least one more little one.
Here are the books I’ve been reading that my friend Jeni sent. [She’s an angel. The top book was lent to me from my cousin]
I finished Babywise (which I wrote a little about *here), have skimmed the others, but have *really* started reading Baby 411 and the New Mother’s Guide to Breastfeeding.
Baby 411 is AWESOME. It has everything in there that you could ever want to to know. It answered a lot of my questions about baby care (cord care, when to swaddle, feeding) and can already tell it will be our go-to reference book when the baby is here.
New Mother’s Guide to Breastfeeding has been helpful because it’s something I knew NOTHING about. It’s cleared up a lot of areas and while I won’t know what works for our little family until she gets here, it’s helping me to have as much info as possible.
I’m definitely a book girl when it comes to things like this. I like to study and flood my brain with everything I can, take what I need from it and leave the rest. When the time comes, it will also be nice to have different options and information to refer to.
Every time I feel her kick (which is many times during the day now, I love it so much), I just want to meet her so badly. It’s hard to be patient, but I definitely want her to cook away and come out healthy 😉
Things I can already tell she likes:
-Bread (this is not an Atkins baby. Every time I eat carbs, she goes crazy)
-Chocolate (a girl after my own heart)
-Smoothies
-Chicken. I don’t even like chicken that much, but baby does. A lot.
-Salads (after yesterday’s salad beast, I had to recline on the couch and feel her move around because it felt like she was doing flips)
-PIZZA 🙂
Tom can actually feel her kick now, too, which is awesome.. proof that there’s a real little person in there. Last night (after eating a huge kale salad, which she went nuts over), we were laying in bed and he had my hand on my stomach. She was kicking and fluttering about and then there was a huge, unmistakable kick. The biggest I’ve felt. He said it gave him the chills <3
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how COOL is it that you can track a baby’s reaction to foods this young? gosh. I still can’t get over it.
I’m totally in love with your living room.
and you in general. 😉
Reading your posts makes me feel the anticipation of the baby all over again! I love it and am so-ooo excited for you! You’re both going to love being parents so much! It’s so wonderful! 🙂
So, so, sooooo cool! I can’t even imagine how excited you’re getting! I’d be so impatient too! 🙂
So cool that you can feel the kicks — must be an amazing feeling!
But does the baby like roons?
YES. baby likes sugar in general, haha
I love those first “REAL” kicks that everyone can feel. Congrats!
Aww, what a gorgeous nursery that is going to be! I can’t wait to “meet” her either!!! And to find out the name! 🙂
Awww so sweet! I loved feeling my baby in my tummy!
As far as the crib goes, we purchased a really nice convertible bed and never used the convertible. We ended up buying our toddler a big boy bed that he absolutely loves! The crib is now stored in the basement waiting to be used by baby #2 one day.
Gina, I have been reading your blog for like…the last three years. Ive emailed you a few times over the years about my eating disorder and overcoming it and advice. You have been nothing but kind, warm, and sincere with me. and I just needed to let you know, that I have finally overcame my Anorexia and Exercise Disorder. I went to Remuda Ranch in December and stayed for three months. I am now on the other side and am SO full of life and happiness. Anyway, the point of this is mainly to tell you how much I <3 you and how much I adore your blog! I check so many times a day to see if you updated! Hahah. My boyfriend loves what I share about your blog too 🙂 Tom reminds me of him sometimes 🙂 Anyway, I am so happy for you to be having this baby! You deserve happiness, health, and joy! 🙂 <3
nicole!!
i’m so happy for you and so very proud of you.
keep taking amazing care of yourself- you know you always have me to cheer you on!
lots of love to you, friend <3
xoxo
That is so cool and beautiful – it must be an amazing feeling for you both, to connect with your baby together – it makes me smile and hope that one day I get to experience that joy too! So happy for you both! 🙂
And I’m sure you will get the nursery and bedroom sorted in no time – I cannot wait to see how it turns out, but with your flair for interior decoration I’m sure it will be gorgeous! xyx
PS: Your baby girl has very good taste in food – chocolate! 🙂
Just adorable. You sound like you’re so prepared, and even though everyone says that you’ll throw it all out the window when the little babe gets here, I feel that I’d be the same way. I’d far prefer to have 15 options in my head than wonder what the heck to do. I love reading how much you’re enjoying this pregnancy (every.bit.of.it), and I want to thank you for sharing something so intimate with your readers. It’s been awesome to “follow” your journey. =)
That’s so great that she’ll be able to sleep in the little adjoining room. It’s perfect!
think it’s so incredible that you can tell when she loves something.
What an awesome chapter in your life… I’m so happy Tom is home for you… can you imagine if he was still deployed? What a nightmare. Things happen when they are supposed to right? <— im a huge believer in fate!
I can't imagine how great it must feel to be able to experience the baby kicking together… that must be such a magical moment between you two.
I think **
So sweet! Cant wait to see the nursery when it is done! I saw your registry post before, you picked out great stuff!!
Ahhhh baby kicks, most amazing feeling ever : )
This is all so exciting! How cool that you have that room right off the master to make into a nursery! What a great idea! And you can always paint the room and make it nice and then she can make little changes as she gets older! How awesome that you can feel her reactions from what you eat! My mom always tells me that when she was breastfeeding I was very picky about what’d she ate. If she would try and cut 10 calories from her diet I would cry and cry haha wonder if the nugette will be like that too!
Awww…that is so sweet. Feeling those little legs and arms moving around is almost surreal! Just wait until she gets really big and you get a nice big head butt in the bladder 😉
Ahhh, I just love reading your Family posts! It reminds me again and again how much I want to have a baby. Unfortunately right now it’s not possible…but we hope to in the next few years. I’m living vicariously through you!! You know what I’ve been oogling over lately?? All the super cute handmade owl stuffed animals on etsy.com. I desperately want to decorate our future little one’s room in vintage, quirky cute owls 🙂
How crazy that certain foods get such a reaction– sounds like she’s a pretty healthy gal already 🙂
Every time you mention Tom’s reactions, I melt, mainly because I can see my boyfriend saying the exact same stuff when the time comes for us to have some nuggets of our own. It’s a long way off, but he’s already saying things like “I cannot wait to have a baby with you,” so I know that when I actually AM pregnant, he’s going to be over the moon. You guys are so lucky : )
I love your setup – especially the nursery being so open! And hearing you talk about nuggette’s kicks and Tom’s reaction melts my heart…it’s absolutely adorable and that lil angel is so lucky to have you both as parents 🙂
Skip the convertible crib. When the time comes they are better off going right into a twin bed. The crib that convert to full beds look weird as beds. The end is too high and they still look like cribs.
The room is going to be beautiful when you’re done with it. I can’t get over how much space you guys have…the beauty of houses. We live in a condo and urban and we have so little space but the house that we lived in when Skylar was a small baby…oh we had so much space in that house… and so many baby things…most of which I never used!
Book reading. Good for you for educating yourself in advance, as much as possible. Nursing. I strongly, strongly advise taking a nursing class. As a lactation educator, I cannot stress the importance of this enough. You will be feeding the baby 10-14x a day for the first many months…she will live at your breast. It seems like you just put them there and the magic happens but this isn’t always the case.
Real live LC’s who teach the class will be sooo helpful and if you do run into any nursing snags, being able to have a local woman who you can call or pay for a quick housecall visit in those early days will be worth it’s weight in gold. Proactive thinking so to speak.
My parents actually never painted my room any color, just white and it was a great transition into a grown up room!
I vote for a regular crib! It was nice to be able to move my son to a big (double) bed out of the crib so we could comfortably snuggle with him if he was sick or just needed a little extra cuddle time.
I urge you to please do research on Ezzo and his background before following a single piece of his advice. Happiest Baby on the Block and The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding are 2 books I would recommend!
“i’ll trade places with you in a second- i want a daughter more than a spa day”
Hi Gina,
I am a long time reader, but first time commenter and I was looking for a recipe on your blog tonight and came across this statement you made in response to another comment. Back in December of 2010! I just think its funny when we think back on how much we want things and then somehow, life always happens the way its supposed to! I am so happy for you….we have two boys and a little girl and they are so much fun, you won’t even be able to stand it! Good luck!
Oh, and regular crib all the way! That little chica can sleep in it for a good two years and then buy a toddler bed or a twin bed that she can grow with. That way, the crib is reserved for bebes:)!!
no way!!! amazing.
thank you so much- and you’re right, it’s incredible how things work out <3
xoxo
WOw I can’t wait to get there. It’s like seeing into a crystal ball with you being four weeks ahead… I am 19 weeks and very occasionally I feel the baby move slightly but nothing that is “kick” like and my poor husband is sooo desperate to feel something. I will tell him be patient, just a few more weeks!
PS Check out this website (it’s Australian) http://www.mymunchkinhome.com.au I love the wall stickers so much and they don’t leave a mark. They’re all so gorgeous but I have my eye on the animal tree house silhouette for our nursery! xx
amazing- thank you!!
yes, it will happen soon! i was so bummed when i was around 19 weeks, waiting for *real* kicks. and then they started happening, out of nowhere 🙂 it will rock your world
as a girl who had 3 kids in 33 months, go for just a regular crib 🙂
k 🙂
way to crank em out, too! that’s awesome
Oh My Goodness! I love reading about your little kick stories. I am so happy for you guys! I ‘d say get a crib that converts into a bed. Then it can be “Her” bed, and when you have your second, they can have their own bed, you know?
I love that she’s kicking enough for Tom to feel it now. That must be so fun.
Can I just say that I’m super excited to see her?!?! I know she’s going to be adorable!!
i can’t wait to meet her! january seems so far away, but i know it will be here soon 🙂
Get as much done now as possible! Even if she won’t be in her actual room for a while it is hard to get ANYTHING done with a baby around. Also, even low voc paint will give off fumes because the colorant is probably not low voc. Get it painted, open the windows, close the door to the room, and let it air out for as long as possible. Same thing with new carpet if you’re planning on it. I can still smell the new carpet smell and we got it in Feb. Good luck 🙂
http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2011/08/motherhood-mondays-what-to-register-for.html
I love the style/life blog A CUP OF JO and the author, Joanna, posted this comprehensive list after having her baby…thought it might help!
awesome, thank you!
I’m so glad I journaled through my pregnancy — I wish I had something like that from when I was a baby. Hopefully, my daughter will appreciate it. Quick thought on your nursery — I have a 4 month old and we are making the transition to the crib (that involves a whole ‘nother series of books!). Now that she’s out of the newborn phase, they sleep like us – quiet and dark. Since we live in a 1 bedroom cottage, she’s in an entry way. Big mistake since we can’t get it super dark in there. It looks like you have a huge and beautiful opening/window on the right side. You may need to come up with nap location alternatives when you are home.
that’s a good point- she’ll probably nap downstairs with me, since i can close the blinds in the sen and keep it a little darker
I know this is a long way’s off but have you thought about the kinds of foods you will feed her? Obviously the whole breastfeeding thing first but do you plan on making your own baby food when she gets older? Do you plan to raise her vegetarian? Like I said, I know this a long way’s off but this is something that I’ve thought about for myself (..and I’m not even pregnant or have kids haha!).
yep i plan to make her own baby food in the vitamix 🙂
she will probably grow up eating organic meat (red meat maybe once a month? i don’t eat red meat and the pilot will have it at home very rarely) and can make her own decision when she’s older
as far as other foods go, she’ll eat what we eat. organic, whole foods with occasional treats. if she goes to a friend’s house and eats processed junk over there, we’re not going to say anything about it (or make any food seem “bad” or “forbidden”) but let her learn on her own that whole foods will make her feel better 🙂
I think that’s great!!!! I am still on the fence about the red meat…it skeeves me, even though Michael eats it (not at home much at all). I am so torn though about making the decision for her.
it skeeves me too, but i don’t want to never introduce her to it and then have her have it for the first time at a friend’s house and get really sick
I would also HIGHLY recommend The Happiest Baby on the Block… There is also Happiest Toddler on the Block which is helpful now that my son is almost 2! 🙂 Another great book is Nuture Shock but it is more bigger picture issues parents can struggle with and discusses studies that have been done on how different things impact children (amount of sleep, praise, etc.). A very interesting read. Congrats on such an exciting time!! 🙂
That is so sweet!!! You and the Pilot are going to be great parents!
You should also read The Happiest Baby on the Block. My sister says she likes that way better than the other baby books, including Babywise. She said it was the most intuitive and helpful for her. It’s on my list to read soon! 🙂
We have a convertible crib but I don’t plan on using it that way (it is just the one I liked). We plan on transitioning her from the crib to a big girl bed and then using the crib for baby #2 (hopefully!).
That’s great that you have a nursery attached to your master – that will be super convenient!
You’l find that most cribs these days seem to convert into a full size headboard/footboard. I couldn’t really find one I liked that wasn’t convertable. The thing that I think is weird is that they make full size beds. Little munchkins look so tiny in those big beds! I grew up sleeping in a twin size, so maybe that’s just me!
i grew up sleeping in a twin, too 🙂
Hey please keep it up with the Baby kickcs stories. I love hearing about them, so heart-warming. 🙂
I love hearing about the lil nuggett kicking!!! Ella loved smoothies…and I can’t believe it’s been 4 months and I am already forgetting what else. She def went crazy with certain foods! Beet juice, smoothies, and anything with sugar (mama peas pb cookie balls were her fav).
i just made cookies and my little one is doing flips in there!
You should definitely buy the happiest baby on the block. He’s like a baby whisperer!! I bought the dvd and the book. Amazing!
You guys sure are keeping busy! http://www.kellymom.com is a great website for parenting and nursing info. Also Babywise can be quite unhealthy for a breastfed babe. Just a heads up! I was given the book too. Good luck with the nursery
I love your blog and I’ve been a long time reader. I lived in Tucson for a year and actually delivered my son at TMC. I’m happy for you and jealous that you have a midwife that you love!
I know that you don’t know me and I don’t know you, and I have never offered unsolicited advice to strangers on the internet but it might be a good idea to do a few Google searches on Babywise before you try it or take any of it’s message to heart. I know Mothering.com used to be a good research for Ezzo information. I’m not sure that is still the case.
I have three happy and secure children that are no longer babies. When they were small I read Babywise and promptly threw it in the trash. Attachment Parenting is were it’s at! It wasn’t popular 10 years ago but we now have the science to back it up.
You seem so intuitive and sweet, you are going to be a great mom!