How to Give Yourself a Black Eye Without Really Trying

Because I am a paranoid, crazy person new mother I decided to pay outragous shipping costs to get it as quickly as possible purchase a Snuza movement monitor.  This tiny little device clips on baby's diaper and sends off an alarm if it doesn't detect movement, like breathing, for 20 seconds.  We've had a couple false alarms, one where we didn't think it was a false alarm resulting in all kinds of medical tests, and overall I am couldn't sleep at night without it happy with my purchase. 

So, Miss Em has been sleeping in her own crib for the last 2 nights.  Only by the grace of God did Paul not find me curled up in a ball on the nursery rug.  I think I've done very well with it.   Some of the fears I've had were that I wouldn't hear her, wouldn't hear the snuza, etc.

1st nap in the crib...notice the Snuza and the very appropriate diaper with skull & crossbones.  Classy!

So, last night the battery on the monitor died.  For some reason I assumed it would beep to let me know the batter was getting low, but I guess not.  Of course I was sleeping when this happened so I didn't know until the following events occurred.  Although I do feel better knowing I can still hear her fairly well without the monitor.  That doesn't mean I'm going to stop using the monitor, but I did lower the volume from ear shattering down to a more tolerable level.

I am super asleep having some very bizarre dreams when I hear the Snuza going off.  I bolt out of bed and can't find my flashlight on my nightstand so I just start heading for the nursery.  Apparently I wasn't quite awake because I bounced off our bedroom door frame using only my face.  As impressive as that was it was more impressive that I then didn't fall down the stairs as I pinballed into the hallway.

Turn on the nursery light and Em doesn't even stir.  Unzip her sleeper and the Snuza was going off because she had squirmed it off her diaper.  Whew...false alarm.  I turn it off and figure that since I'm up and she's stirring I might as well nurse her and check her diaper.  No poop and surprisingly no pee yet (which she has more than made up for this morning by not only peeing on Paul, but also by peeing on me).

I wonder how long she would've slept if the Snuza hadn't gone off although historically she probably wouldn't have gone much past 4:30am or 5am.  She then woke up again at 6:30am and then only slept until 7:30am although she was content to play with her hands in her crib until 8am. 

I am pretty certain I've cracked my cheek bone and am still waiting to see if I'm going to have a black eye.  lol

Our plans for today include going to look at the Dodge Caravan and looking at new grills.  You'd think we would've learned last year when our new gazebo got demolished by the mild winter we had to bring our stuff inside in the winter.  We did not and this winter claimed our gas grill.  Paul told me there was no repairing it and I was sure when he was TDY this past week that I could get out there and shine it all up. 

I could not (I hate it when he's right!).

The Nursery with pics

Finally the nursery is DONE!  Okay, almost done (we still need a cover for the changing table pad), but it's done enough that I feel happy to be able to post pictures of it.  Several people got my crazy help me pick a nursery theme emails when I first got put on bedrest.  I used to spend HOURS a day looking up crib bedding sets online.  Do you know how many websites there are devoted to crib bedding?  Rest assured when I tell you it's a LOT.  I thought for sure I'd end up with a pink and brown toile bedding set with a sleigh crib in cherry or white.  What we ended up with was totally different, but I love how it looks. 

After lots of research on Baby Bargains (my go to guide for all things baby) we ended up choosing the Graco Lauren crib in expresso...mostly because Target had it on sale for $160 and it included the changing table.  Can't beat $160 and the price made it easier to say bye bye to the sleigh crib.  Plus Baby Bargains gave it an A rating.

Emma's name over the crib.  Yay for Home Goods (minus the fact that none of the Home Goods near our house had all the letters and my MIL had to search in FL for the final M and mail it to us!  The butterflies covering the hooks were Paul's idea and I think they look fantastic!

The changing table.  Finally able to use my Longaberger baskets for something and they hold our cloth diapers nicely. 

The changing table fits perfectly in this little window alcove. 

My glider in the corner.  The quilt hanging on the wall matches the crib bedding. 

Daddy's gift to Emma (the rocking horse) and his gift to mommy (the Vera Bradley diaper bag)

A close up of the decals I used from Pottery Barn--aren't they so stinkin' cute!!!!











The dresser with an antique mirror from my dad. 

A teddy bear made by Sherry for the Little M. (yes, I put a picture of both Paul and I on M's dresser)















A Christmas gift from Auntie Karin.  It's a hand made glass ball.












The time out chair Daddy bought for the Little M. 








So the one thing Paul didn't want was an all pink nursery...oops!  I really had good intentions with the pink and green bedding and decals, but from there it sort of snowballed into this pink cotton candy dream.  In case you can't tell the walls are painted a very light pink (but Paul actually agreed on that color--of course this was before he saw the final product).  Oh well--hopefully the Little M likes it! (not that she'll be old enough to like or dislike it while we are in here)

And this afternoon I washed baby bottles which means it must be almost time for the Little M to get here!  2 weeks 2 days until my cerclage comes out.  Can't believe this journey is almost over, but then the best part begins!