A Happy Elephant

It's here!  Ellie's first decorative piece for her nursery has arrived.  A few weeks ago, I posted a pic of a pillow I found on Etsy...

I thought it ws just the happiest little elephant, so I ordered one in our nursery colors.  I've always heard that you should choose one inspiration piece for a room and then work out from that.  I'll use this pillow to match our other pieces we'll use to bring in the coral and aqua to the room.  I think it turned out great!  It will have a happy home on our glider.  It's made by a lady out of Beaufort, SC who has a company called Cecil Clyde.  She was awesome to work with!!  I highly recommend her for any of your decorative pillow needs!  Here is our happy elephant...

Our Life in Pictures

I've ended up with a few phone pictures lately that I haven't had a chance to post anywhere.  So, I'm taking this space to just post some randomness from the last month or so!  :-)

Letters at Buy Buy Baby that I swear were like this when we got there!

Ellie's Baby Book
Super excited to get to work on this one!

Buddy's Favorite Day...Laundry Day.

Vineyard in Asheville for Claire's Bachelorette Weekend

Anna Loving on Ellison

Our Secret Note...Will Live Forever Under the Paint :-)

Scary, Terrible Fire in the Neighborhood.  Caused by a Cigarette.  Yikes.

Buddy Watching the Firefighters the Next Day

All Dressed Up for Steve and Shannon's Wedding in Raleigh
4/28/12 ~ 21 Weeks 6 Days Pregnant

We Wear Our Sunglasses at Night.

Week 22

Dear Ellison,
You are 22 weeks old now! You are now weighing in at a whole pound!  Head to heel, you're about 11 inches long.  Your lips, eyelids, and eyebrow are very distinct and you are forming tiny tooth buds under your gums.  Your eyes have formed, but they haven't developed their color yet.  Here are the little details of the week.

How Far Along? Twenty Two Weeks...126 days to go!

Weight Gain?  About 10 pounds?  I'm really bad about checking at the same time of day/same day each week.  We'll see what the scale in the MD office says this week.

Sleep? Sleep is great still...as long as I'm in my bed!  When we're out of town, I don't sleep that well.

Miss Anything?  Same old stuff...but nothing too much.  I have been wanting a turkey sub from Jersey Mikes again lately!

Movement?  Everyday. :-)  I feel her most often when I start to get hungry or right after I've eaten.  I feel her wiggling around quite a bit in the evenings once I settle into the couch!

Food Cravings?  I loaded up on fruit today at the grocery store, so hopefully that will help!  I also really wanted some tomato juice today!  I picked up a low sodium V8 juice.  :-)

Any Aversions? Oh...you know...just poor eggs still.

Gender? It's a GIRL ~ Ellison Gray.

Symptoms?  This past week was when people really started noticing the baby belly!  It has obviously been around for several weeks now, but I guess I'd been hiding it a little still.  I have fully embraced the belly, and I guess people are noticing!  Side effect - more random belly touchers.

Best Moment this Week?  I got to see my mom and my sister this week, and I haven't seen either of them in about a month or so.  So, this was the first time I'd really looked pregnant and it was fun to see/hear their reactions!

Looking Forward To...  We have another appointment this Wednesday.  We'll have another ultrasound which we love because it means we'll get some more photos of our baby girl.  They'll be looking at her heart again because they didn't get a great peek at it last time (her hands were up in front of her face the whole time!).  I think I'll have them make sure she's a girl again too...it's the Type A in me!

Project Guest Room Update

We are moving along quite nicely with the new guest room!  Wall's up...doors in...furniture is moved downstairs!  Barrett has some painting to do, and then we'll set up all the furniture downstairs and we can check it off our list!  Here are some photos from the process...

Week 21

Dear Ellison,

You are 21 weeks old now!  You should be weighing in at about 12 ounces and should be just about 10 1/2 inches from head to heel.  You're just about as long as a carrot.  :-)  You now have eyebrows and eye lids.  You're digestive system is in full swing and your teeny tiny ovaries are filled with about 6 million eggs! Here are the little details of the week.

How Far Along? Twenty One Weeks...133 days to go!

Weight Gain?  Still at about 8 pounds.

Sleep? Sleep is great still!

Miss Anything?  Real sushi!  Barrett and I went out to grab dinner this week and I wanted to go get some sushi.  It's just not the same when it's all cooked and fried and not fresh and delicious!  I have already placed my order with Barrett for my favorite rolls after baby is born!


Movement?  Oh yes!  On Thursday night, at 20 weeks and 4 days, I felt her for the first time!  It was the happiest little flutter!  I've felt her everyday since.  She gets pretty active when I start to get hungry and also right after I eat.  It is really such an amazing feeling!  I can not wait for Barrett to be able to feel her too!

Food Cravings?  I've been really wanting lots of fruits and veggies lately.  I am SO ready for summer produce to get into full swing!

Any Aversions?  Oh...you know...just poor eggs still.

Gender? It's a GIRL ~ Ellison Gray.

Symptoms?  I've noticed myself getting out of breath a little easier lately.  I don't really have to do anything strenous...just normal walking/talking/moving will do it to me these days.  I guess my lungs are starting to get a little crowded out!

Best Moment this Week?  Feeling her move!  Really...pretty indescribable.  We also got our french doors installed in the new guest room and all of the furniture moved dowstairs.  Barrett's got a good bit of painting to do, but I feel like we're making big progress around here!


Looking Forward To...  Getting the nursery completely emptied out and starting to get it together.  I've got lots of ideas floating around in my head and am ready to get them started!  I am also looking forward to the mail everyday...I've been doing a little online shopping for baby girl, and it's so fun to get tiny little baby goodies in the mail!

Baby Flutters

On Thursday night, at 20 weeks and 4 days, I felt my first little baby flutters!  I had just eaten dinner (and crushed a banana pudding milkshake from Chik-fil-a) and started to feel a little something that I thought might be Ellison wiggling around.  I wasn't sure at first, but it kept on for a little while, so I told Barrett that I thought I finally felt her!  He was pumped, and pulled out the video camera.  :-)

It's the happiest, sweetest, most awsome feeling in the whole wide world.  I'd heard people describe it in different ways...like gas bubbles or swimming fish.  To me, it was almost like a little vibration...like being kissed by butterfly wings.  I've felt her a little each day since then...usually after I eat.  I had a real live latte this morning (my first real coffee drink in about 4 months) and she really got a little crazy after that!  Her little flutters are so sweet now!  I can't wait for Barrett to be able to feel her too, but for now I'm enjoying this little time we have for just us.

Baby Girl Has A Name!

Our sweet baby girl has a name!  Actually, she's had a name for about a week now.  :-)  Introducing...

Ellison Gray Brooks

We'll very likely call her Ellie, but I think I like Ellison so much that I'll want to use that too!  Gray is a family name from the Brooks clan....It was Barrett's great uncle's middle name.

We can not wait to meet our sweet Ellie bean...and I can not wait to start monogramming!

Cutest Booties on the Block

Thanks to our fabulous friend Mary, Baby Girl now has her first official ECU attire!

She will so be rocking these as we cheer on the Pirates from the couch this fall!

Week 20

Dear Baby Brooks,

You are 20 weeks old now!  I can't believe we're halfway there!  It seems like it has gone by so fast, and yet it still seems like meeting you is still so far away!  You should be weighing in at about 10 1/2 ounces and should be just about 10 inches from head to heel...the size of a banana!  You are doing lots of swallowing these days!  I read that research has shown that babies tend to enjoy foods that they have exposure to during their time in the womb.  Note to self:  eat a wide variety of healthy foods!  Here are the little details of the week.

How Far Along?  Twenty Weeks...140 days to go!

Weight Gain? About 8 pounds.  Definitely have a baby belly now.  I can't suck it in anymore.  :-)

Sleep?  Sleep is still pretty good.  I definitely can't complain.

Miss Anything?  This weekend I was at a bachelorette party for my friend Claire.  Spending an entire weekend with a bunch of girls, particularly when that weekend includes visiting a vineyard, can really make a girl crave a nice glass of Cabernet!

Movement?  Still nothing yet.  The MD said that I'd probably feel something around 20-22 weeks for the first time, so I'm still holding out!  I am thinking about going to get a nice big cup of coffee this week to see if I can get her going a little!

Food Cravings?  Same old stuff....I REALLY wanted a big, fat, juicy, straight from the garden tomato a few days ago.  I can't wait till the Farmer's Markets really get up and going and all the summer fruits and veggies are in full swing!

Any Aversions? Still eggs...And I still haven't felt brave enough for fish.

Gender? It's a GIRL!!!

Symptoms?  I had my first real raging hormone moment this weekend!  At the bachelorette party on Saturday night, as everyone was getting ready to go out...I totally lost my mind for no apparent reason.  I think I had just worn myself out a little.  I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before and we'd been going all day.  Out of nowhere...the tears came a running.  I cried, I laughed like a lunatic, and was sweating like crazy all at the same time.  I seriously felt like a crazy person.  I just kept saying, "I really am fine...I'm just pregnant!"  Whew....hormones.

Best Moment this Week?  Making it to the halfway point!  We have got lots to do still...but I definitely feel like we're plugging right along!

Looking Forward To...  Spending this weekend at home getting things in order.  We plan to tackle the guest bedroom closet, drawers, and get furniture moved down to the new guest room.  Once it's cleared out...let the Project Turn the Room into a Nursery commence!

First Registry Treat

Today at work I got the sweetest surprise.  One of our pet therapy volunteers stopped by just to drop off a gift for baby girl!  She was so sweet about it....said she just couldn't wait till September to give it to me.  In fact, she couldn't even wait until she was supposed to come in on Monday to give it to me!  It is the blanket that goes with our bedding set for the nursery and it's the first item we've received off of our registry.  It is the softest, cuddliest cable knit sweater material.  I can't wait to snuggle up with our sweet girl and this yummy blanket!  I seriously work with the best people.  So blessed.  :-)

Nursery Goodies

We have made lots of decisions in regard to the nursery and I am so excited to get started on making it fabulous!  We ended up going with the pretty, neutral bedding a mentioned a few posts back.  It's khaki and white from Land of Nod and we think it's fabulous.

We are going to accent the white and khaki with little splashes of coral and possibly some aqua.  We're also going to throw in some happy little elephants into the room to complete our "theme."  Etsy has become my new best friend and I found a few little gems that I am ready to get my hands on.

I found this fabulous little elephant pillow for our glider....

You can customize the colors and fabrics.  I think it is just the happiest little thing I've ever seen!

I also found a couple of prints that can also be customized to match the colors of the nursery and can be personalized with her name.  One of them has a line from the best lullaby ever...the one from Dumbo!





Checkers Game

Barrett and I spent Easter afternoon at the Charlotte Checkers game.  The Checkers are Charlotte's hockey team.  I don't know a thing about hockey as far as rules go, but they are a lot of fun to go to.  Bonus: I got to eat some nachos...which were pretty divine.  Baby was happy.  :-)

Week 19

Dear Baby Brooks,
You are 19 weeks old now!  You should be weighing in now at about 9 ounces and measure about 6 inches.  You're the size of a large heirloom tomato.  :-)  Your sensory development is in full swing and at this point you should be able to hear our voices!  Here are the little details of the week.

How Far Along?  Nineteen Weeks...147 days to go!

Weight Gain? About 7 pounds.

Sleep? Sleep is OK.  I am getting up to pee more in the middle of the night and I've had a terrible cough this week that's keeping me (and probably Barrett and Buddy) awake all night.

Miss Anything?  I've really been wanting some good sushi lately!!

Movement?  A few days ago I thought I might have felt a little something.  It definitely felt like little butterfly wings, and the moment sort of passed before I realized what was happening.  I haven't really felt anything since though, so maybe I wasn't really feeling anything!  I think I've been trying to pay more attention lately though! 

Food Cravings?  I think I may have had my first official realy craving a few days ago.  Out of the complete blue, I really wanted some hot wings.  Not just any old hot wings.  Hot Honey wings from Fox & Hound.  Don't know where that came from, but guess where we went for dinner that night? :-)

Any Aversions?  Still eggs.  Poor eggs/

Gender? It's a GIRL!!!

Symptoms?  My allergies have been raging, angry beasts this week.  My eyes itch.  My ears itch. My throat itches.  I'm congested and coughing and relatively miserable.  I've got about 3 solid minutes after I take Benadryl before I'm passed out for 8 hours, so that's not really a daytime remedy option for me.  Claritin's never really done it for me either, so I'm just trying to tough it out with lots of water (which, in turn, sends me to the bathroom about 64 times a day) and cough drops. 

Best Moment this Week?  Narrowing down our list of baby names for our baby girl!  Now that we know what we're having, this process can finally come to an end!! We've also decided on our accents colors and "theme" for the nursery.  I have become completely obsessed with Etsy and use every spare moment to browse around!  We also added a few more things to our registry this week.  Adding some pink goodies to the list was definitely fun!

Looking Forward To...  Getting the room downstairs finished up!  We are in the final painting stages and then the door can go in and we'll be set to go!  I am very, very ready to start clearing out the nursery so we can start filling it with baby goodness!

Week 18

Dear Baby Brooks,

You are 18 weeks old now!  According to our latest doctor's appointment on April 4, you weigh 8 ounces...a whole half a pound!  You are kicking and punching and flexing your little muscles like crazy!  Here are the little details of the week...

How Far Along?  Eighteen Weeks...154 days to go!

Weight Gain? About 7 pounds.

Sleep? Sleep is still great. I'm sleeping like a rock!

Miss Anything? Not much!

Movement?  I don't think so!  Of course, I'm not 100% sure what it should feel like, so I may have felt something and just not realized it yet!  My doctor said I definitely should in the next couple of weeks though.  Baby is kicking and punching up a storm!  My placenta is up and to the back, so there is nothing cushioning me from feeling any movement.  Can't wait!

Food Cravings?  Still fruit.  I have had my fair share of sweets lately though.  Working in healthcare is terrible for your waistline!  No one ever brings in veggies trays or a fruit basket, but we've got plenty of cupcakes, cookies, and candy to last us a lifetime!  I think I may seriously be sick of it though.  The last thing I can think about eating right now is another baked good!

Any Aversions?  Still eggs.  It's really not the thought of eating them, I just think they smell so bad!  And, the chicken thing may be coming back.  I was reading one of the baby books, and they compared the baby at this stage to "that chicken breast you may be having for dinner."  Really?

Gender?  It's a GIRL!!!

Symptoms?  Still stuffy.  Other than that, I really feel great!  Can't complain!!

Best Moment this Week?  Finding out that we'll be welcoming a baby girl to the family in September!!  Getting to see our baby girl moving all about on the ultrasound and hearing that everything looks perfect is so amazing!!

Looking Forward To...  Finally getting focused!!  Now that we know baby is a girl, we feel like we can really get down to business!!  I think I've got the nursery all planned out in my head, so I'm excited to start browsing around for accessories.  We are also going to nail down a name for this little one very soon!!  Barrett is going to the Masters this weekend, and he is super pumped.  I have made myself a little appointment for a prenatal massage while he's gone and am starting a prenatal yoga class tomorrow.  We are taking full advantage of this feeling good second trimester!  We've got lots of work ahead of us and are so, so excited to keep rolling!

Drumroll!!

Polka dots, ruffles, ribbons, and pearls.

Oh, thank heaven for sweet baby girls!

We are so excited to finally know that we will be welcoming a beautiful baby girl into our family this September!  We are so happy to finally know...we feel like we can really focus and get down to business!  It was such a wonderful day!  Barrett met me over at the doctor's office for our appointment this morning.  We went straight back to the ultrasound room, the tech asked if we wanted to know the sex, we said absolutely, and it was the first picture we saw!  I knew right away when I saw the view that we were having a girl!  We are pumped...especially because that little hint we got about six weeks ago was right on the money so we've already caught ourselves slipping and saying she/her.  Now, we won't have to retrain our brains!! 

 

 

The rest of the appointment was wonderful as well.  Baby girl has a strong heartbeat at 154 BPM.  All of her major organs and body systemns look perfect.  The only thing we didn't get a great picture of was her heart.  We saw that there were four chambers divided appropriately and the heartbeat was regular.  There just wasn't an awesome picture because she had her little arms up in front of her face the whole time.  Because her bones are calcifying, the ultrasound waves can't "see" through them.  So, we'll get another ultrasound at our 22 week checkup.  She is weighing in at 8 ounces...a whole half a pound!  And, she's measuring right on track.  I'm 18 weeks and 3 days right now, and she is measuring 18 weeks and 2 days.  Baby girl is nice and cozy too.  She's cuddled in and was sucking on her fingers pretty much the whole time.  :-)

 

 

Last night, I went to the store and bought pink and blue dove chocolates to pass out at work once we both got back from the appointment.  When people asked what the baby was going to be, we'd pass on a yummy pink wrapped chocolate.  :-)

 

 

The girls I work with rock socks, and at lunch they surprised me with a pink balloon and yummy cupcakes from Polka Dot Bake Shop (my fave).

 

 

Needless to say, we are completely smitten!  We can not wait to meet baby girl!!

Next project...name this little nugget!