28 weeks down... 12 to go!

28 weeksAll I can say is...WOW! Only 12 weeks to go... factor in the end of the school year, grad school classes, baby preparation classes, finishing touches on the nursery, summer plans, and showers and Lydia will be here before you know it! We are planning on touring both Methodist and Proctor hospitals soon to determine which one we want to deliver at. Both hospitals offer some great advantages, so we want to get as informed as possible about which one will be the best match for us. Originally we had assumed we would go to Methodist because it is a larger facility, but we have heard great things about Proctor's individualized care and nursing staff. This week I have noticed an increase in Brett's anticipation and excitement for Lydia... He has always been excited, but I think as my belly expands and he feels her move, it is becoming more real for him. He loves talking to her and telling her how excited he is to meet her and be her daddy. When we went on our evening walk around the park tonight, we thought about how fun it will be to include Lydia on our strolls! We have talked about doing another mini-baby-moon this summer. We are thinking about Galena for a long weekend... Just to relax by the pool and enjoy some quiet time together. We will likely do this sometime in June.

This weekend we went a little overboard on purchasing some things for Lydia, but we got some great buys. She now has a few more pair of shoes, lots more clothes, two tummy time mats, another boppy, a bathtub, and some bottles. This picture is just of what we got this weekend and not the stuff that was already in her closet... Needless to say, being expectant parents of a little girl is dangerous! There are so many cute things out there to choose from! My mom and dad also purchased a pack-n-play for Lydia to keep at their house for when we come visit.This picture is all the treasures from our weekend excursion, before we did laundry and put everything away! My main task today was to wash ALL of her clothes. I opened any packages, removed any tags, and washed every outfit, onsie, and hat. I wanted to make sure that nothing irritates her sensitive skin! It was amazing to see all the pink outfits drying on the drying racks in the sun. Everything smells so fresh and is just awaiting a little body to be worn on. I then organized her closet... I originally had it done by color, but after reanalyzing my work, I determined that by size was more appropriate (although by color looked better). So now the closet has a section for each size from 0-12 months. I even have a couple things for after 12 months. Each size is done by color and there is a special Hawkeye section! My task next week is to wash all her bedding and get the 'stiffness' out of the sheets. I had to take a commemorative picture of this first load of baby laundry! I also need to find a bookcase, a floor lamp, and a night light for the nursery. With the majority of the nursery done, these final pieces will finish it off. The bookcase is going to become a necessity pretty shortly as I keep accumulating books for her. I already love reading to her as I sit in the rocker glider. We are in the process of hiring someone to repaint the guest bathroom upstairs. We want it to be a bright white and we will then use colorful accents to give Lydia a little girl's bathroom. We also wanted to be forward thinking enough not to paint it too girly so that we have a room that would be ready if we needed/wanted to resell in a couple years. I found a shower curtain at Target that I really liked that I would probably get (once it gets back in stock). It was pink, green, turquoise, and chocolate brown. I really liked the brown and will use that color for some of the towels and bathmats... Now Brett just has to find someone to sand, prime, and paint the room!

I am sure this week will go by fast as I have something occupying my time each night: Grad class, PlayHouse Committee Meeting, grad class again, book club... then we have a three day weekend for Memorial Day! I am already looking forward to the BBQs we have planned and hanging out with our friends.