Today I have my 38 week doctor’s appointment. We will confirm or postpone my already scheduled induction date (Oct. 25th). I have to say, I am leaning towards postponing. A part of me really wants this baby girl to come from spontaneous labor. I have been seriously considering the postponement since last Thursday. That being said, I wonder if the universe is trying to steer me towards induction…Since then, I have noticed certain “signs” that living an hour and a half (with no traffic on a really good day) from the hospital may not be in my favor. In other words, living in the country has its advantages and disadvantages:

Advantage = lots of land/fields in which to play soccer, sled in snow, let your children run wild.

Disadvantage = no proper place to deliver a baby within 75 miles. Oops!

Ok so here are the “signs” I have noticed since last Thursday:

1. Two people randomly telling their “almost didn’t make it” birthing stories…unsolicited…one includes not making it at all. Yikes!

2. A lady telling me how her father had to deliver a baby in the field yesterday. I’m not kidding. No, he is not a physician. He is a farmer. His comment was, “I’ve done a lot of things but I’ve never had to do that before.” DOUBLE yikes!

3. On the way to a false alarm visit to the doctor, it began raining cats and dogs and traffic came to a full stop on the interstate. Read: very real possibility of having baby girl on I-64. NOT okay.

4. There are slower drivers in my area on a regular basis, it’s true. But lately, everywhere I go and every time I go anywhere in the last week the people in front of me drive 40 mph in a 55mph zone….all the time…with tough passing situations (read: two lane country roads abound).

5. Large farm equipment magically appears in front of me (not just a tractor…a combine) going 20 mph in a 55 mph zone. Combines, if you didn’t know, take up the space in both lanes of the two lane road, thus, thwarting any passing attempt. S.T.U.C.K.

Above is a stock photo. Below is an actual photo of this happening to me yesterday.

Look closely at the green mass in front of the cars. Yep. Combine.

Funny or what?! So, what am I to do? My doctor will give us more information this afternoon and I’ll let you know!

Adrianne

I can officially say that I’ve reached the pre-baby zen period.

Do you know that feeling? For me, it applies to all major planning events such as a wedding, a big party, the arrival of a wee babe…you plan and plan and work hard to get everything finished to perfection. Then, you are finished…or, it’s so close to the “event” that if it’s not done, it won’t get done and that’s okay. You have no choice but to stop worrying and fussing over everything and just enjoy the moment. That’s where I am mentally these days…even looking like I swallowed a “Crenshaw Melon”:

Yes, very interesting, indeed.

Miss Babe is due in exactly four weeks. She may come sooner or later. Regardless, her room is ready (minus a rug…minor detail…and the mural which I will finish as soon as I post this blog!) and my hospital bag is packed. I know, truly amazing and calming!! So, to keep you on pins and needles…the big nursery reveal will be after she arrives. I have her “top secret” name all over the place in there!

Stay tuned, Choppers.

Adrianne

My latest pondering is about little Davis, our three-year-old. He has a big adjustment coming with Miss Babe’s arrival. As any mother would be, I am worried about his mental state when she actually gets here. Naturally, I am doing what I do in any situation of pondering – madly searching for a book with words of wisdom. Have any suggestions? I found these cutie books for Davis:

This pondering has led me to think of many other things that may ease the transition for him. Remember my post on what to bring to the hospital? Well, I left of a VITAL checklist item…a present for our older child from the baby. I am thinking of compiling several small gifts into a tote bag (activities for him while he is visiting in the hospital) as well as one big gift from Baby Girl. Here’s what I’ve found so far:

Hard to read but it says, “Big Brother: Baby’s Idol, Dad’s Helper, Lover of Sports.”

Amazing and genius. Davis and I were going to make these the other night and laminate! From Paper Source.

Match the baby animals to their mommies…seems appropriate!

Courtesy, Land of Nod.

Davis is currently obsessed (not just a little bit) with puzzles. Perfect!

And, last but not least, what little boy doesn’t need monster stickers???

(Last two gifts also Land of Nod…obvie, they have a great gift section, no?)

I am also planning on bringing several family photos to the hospital. Davis will love that I have a picture of him and all of us in there and, it will be a nice thing to focus on during labor, wouldn’t you say?

Anyone have two children with stories to share on sibling adjustment?? Let us all know about it!

Adrianne

One of my dreams in life is to build a successful business in a big, big way. One woman that has done just that is Tory Burch. I have been very aware of Tory Burch for a while now, as are most of us. But, I didn’t realize she has grown her company in such a big and fast way. Did you know her first store opened in 2004…only SIX years ago? I was FLOORED and totally impressed, immediately “gaga.” Naturally, I started to research everything out there on Tory (short of calling her) because I want to know HOW she did it and what I can be doing to mimic her success.  And, I really may call her. I am not afraid!

Of course, she was a guest on the Oprah show in 2005…we all know that if Oprah discovers you, you’ve hit the jackpot! (Oprah – please have Lambchop Designs on your show!!)

After my research project, I, of course, began browsing on Tory’s website. I stumbled on some super cutie kids things while I was at it:

I only hope to be this fashionable…

This girl is after my own heart. I never met a cardigan I didn’t like!

Yes, this is a girl’s size. Ahhh, wallet, you have it coming to you with this little girl on the way!

All of these yummy girlie things naturally launched a search for mommy goodies to dream about.

I love that this shoe is dubbed “Wanda.” I would wear these when I felt like kicking some you-know-what (and being effortlessly chic in the process)! You know, like a totally sophistie “Ta-Wanda”??

As you should be…

Um…UNCLE! I need this. Not want. NEED.

Now all I need to find are baby tunics. I have seen them out there with the TB label…maybe this Spring?! As for the business side of things, I find myself ever in awe and just may have to make that phone call.

Adrianne

People: why does it seem like everything for our children is being recalled these days? Every time I turn around, it’s something else. Don’t you feel that way? Isn’t it no less than terrifying? It is especially for me since, for some reason, we tend to buy every toy or piece of furniture that ends up on the recall list…three years later…i.e. the drop-side crib deal:

This is the Sleigh Crib from Pottery Barn Kids we bought for Davis in 2007. They now only sell it in a fixed gate style. Not familiar with this recall? Read about it HERE.

So, the crib thing is a BIG deal, obviously. Well, how about the email I read this morning about FORMULA?!!! WHAT?! I know. Similac is recalling formula because they found insect part contamination. Let me say that again. INSECT PARTS in the formula. Thankfully, they shut down the production line immediately and issued the recall. Read the press release HERE. Still, it makes me nervous to put anything in my child’s mouth! Can you trust anyone to make anything quality anymore?

As I write this, I know I will nurse my baby girl for a while but I also know that she will end up on formula at some point. I’m not trying to start a political debate on nursing vs formula, etc. I believe that whatever works best for the mother (and mother knows best, even a new mommy) is what works. I only say that because I am staring at a can of Enfamil that I bought a week ago in case I have severe trouble breast feeding. Are they next?? (Davis lost a pound in the hospital because I thought he was latching on but he wasn’t…another story for another day. I don’t want this to happen again.)

I don’t know what else to say about this except that we always need to be aware and try to research where our food is coming from as much as possible. It’s a crazy world out there!

Take care of yourselves!

Adrianne

I have a minimalist philosophy when it comes to being a parent. I don’t subscribe to what I call the huge travel system stroller ideal (complete with diaper bag on shoulder, purse on shoulder, baby in hand while shopping), I don’t pack everything in the house in my diaper bag, and I absolutely do not think you need toys wherever you go with your kids. Some don’t agree. For you, this post will not be your favorite. For all of you that like to travel light, however, this is THE post for you.

Yesterday I talked about what to bring to the hospital with you when you deliver your baby. It may have seemed like a lot but it’s really not once it is all neatly packed in your overnight bag and diaper bag. Yes, that’s it. Two small bags. If you missed the post, read it here!

Today I’m going to talk about what you DON’T need in the hospital. I consider the following superfluous items that will simply stay in your bag during your stay…just adds extra weight. Who needs that?

DO NOT BRING:

1) Jeans or more than one outfit.

You need the pajamas and cute robe and you need a comfy going home outfit. That’s all. Jeans (or tight, restrictive pants) will either not fit right or be uncomfortable (cut into your C-Section stitches or be terrible…for reasons that are pretty obvious, I think…after a vaginal delivery). Save them for a few weeks out. Any other outfit you bring you won’t wear because you just want to be comfortable after the delivery marathon. Trust me.

2. Diapers and Wipes = bulk, bulk, bulk. Plus, they give you all of this in the hospital.

3. Heels. Do I really need to explain this one? NO.

These DO rock, however. I DO want them, STAT. Cole Haan

4. Snacks and drinks.

The hospital most always provides you with  a snack station and plenty of fluids (if you are allowed to have them) for during labor and in recovery. Like I said yesterday, bring the cash for the pizza post-delivery. That’s all.

5. More than one book or magazine.

Listen: I had the longest delivery ever. EVER. If you want details, email me. I never touched my mags and books. I was either sleeping or concentrating on the labor thing. That’s the funny thing about labor…it’s a little distracting! Then, post delivery, let’s be honest. You will be taking care of that baby and resting.

6. Any legal paperwork other than your registration materials and insurance information.*

Be safe so you don’t lose it. If it becomes an issue, you will likely have your husband or a family member run off to get it for you. The likelihood is that you don’t need it so don’t risk it.

*Make sure to ask your hospital/doctor to make sure.

7. A WHITE or similarly solid colored pillow.

DO bring your own pillow. DO put it in a crazy pillow case. If you don’t, it will be easily whooshed away with the standard issue hospital linens. Oops!! That would stink.

A super fun and bright option from PBTeen

8. Expensive jewelry or other seriously valuable items. You will be tired. It’s hard to keep track of everything. This is another “just in case” scenario!

I’ll settle for this ring as a baby present from my hubs…hint hint, honey!!

There are a myriad of other silly things to not bring with you. I am assuming we all have common sense, however. If you have any questions or thoughts about what to bring/not to bring, let me know!

Adrianne

I know you’ve been itching to see what I was able to grab at last Friday’s Kid’s Layne sale! While I don’t think there is physically enough room on this post to show you everything I bought, I will show you the TRUE steals and leave you drooling. There was such a benefit to getting there early (preggers and grandparents could shop two hours earlier than everyone else). By the time I arrived, two of my friends had already piled up a bunch of girl things for me. You are thinking I spent a fortune…I know. How about $300. YES. $300. And, most of it was brand new. I don’t mean to be tacky, but it was such a score…

Ok here are the besties of what I bought:

Yes, of COURSE I bought her a ladybug outfit!

Yes, bugs, okay. BUGS!

Look closely – this may well be her “coming home” outfit. It’s soft, soft cotton. Look at the embroidery and ribbon! YES, in the bag are the matching blanket, bonnet and booties. MAY I be tacky again?? $10. Brand NEW. $10.

This satisfies my need for Chanel in my life. It’s not Chanel but it should be. Chanel for babies…that could be dangerous!

Aww…nordic baby. This is not a new item but is 100% in new-like shape.

Tea Collection…brand, spankin’ new Tea Collection.

Again, brand new Tea!

Tea three times!

Yes, Tea to the fourth. And, I found the leggings to match all of them. I know. I CRY with excitement.

Her Halloween outfit for next year (or her 1st b-day party outfit…if this chick comes a little early)!

Her Turkey Day outfit for next year (or her 1st birthday party outfit… if this chick comes late)!

And, the pinnacle find of it all…the Feltman Brothers dress for $15. I found the SAME dress in Nordstrom for $68. The SAME one.

Never underestimate a good, old fashioned sale.

Happy Tuesday!

Adrianne

Happy Monday! I thought I’d start the week off on a positive, clean note. Remember what a disaster my pantry was last week?? If not, here are a few totally embarrassing pics:

Oh NO!

GRACIOUS! Again, observe rum next to protein powder next to nursery duck snow globe next to protein powder next to Terro ant killer…

The mish-mash…

So that’s really, really bad, right? Well, yesterday I couldn’t take it anymore. My friend, Sara, (bless her heart) had offered to come out and clean the pantry for me as a baby gift. (That really says how bad it was when your friend will do it for you!) I will still take her up on an assisted trip to buy multiple containers to store things in for the pantry but, I HAD to do something about the mess. I couldn’t take it anymore. I started with a good, old fashioned game of “Let’s Be Honest.” Have you ever played that game? Here’s how it goes:

1. Evaluate the project at hand. Realize you need to devote at least an hour…to get started. Hope it won’t take that long!

2. Begin going through each item in the cluttered area.

3. With each item ask yourself, “Have I used this/worn this/needed this in the last six months?” The answer is a BIG FAT NO most of the time. Sometimes you fudge because you are emotionally attached to the item in some way (a wedding coozie, the black, worn-out flip flops you wore on your Honeymoon). Well…you need to SMACK your FACE and say, “LET’S BE HONEST: I NEED TO GET RID OF THIS OR IT WILL SIT THERE FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS.” Then, throw it out.

4. Once something is in the throw out/give away pile, that’s it. You cannot retrieve it or change your mind.

I know that sounds harsh but people like me NEED that kind of harshness in the game. Hence the name, “Let’s be honest.”

Okay so here are the beautiful results of my game with the pantry:

Everything in it’s place…the cooking gear in on a cooking shelf, the cookbooks on a cookbook shelf, canned goods on a canned goods shelf…

Pasta on the “pasta” shelf…no sign of whey protein, snow globe, Terro ant killer anywhere. Sub in “snack” shelf complete with sassy mermaid bowl for yogurt raisin boxes, goldfish packs, etc.

That’s right, the rum moved to the liquor shelf:

Please note 1/2 the coozies are there now as well as 1/2 the liquor. That’s right. I threw out booze. It was hilarious…we had four bottles of Wild Turkey in there. No one in this house drinks Wild Turkey. I may have been called that once or twice but, well, you get it. We didn’t need it in the pantry.

Oh! And, look at that beautiful space on the floor. Now we have a lovely space for our recycle bin!

I hope this inspires you with your nesting, Spring Cleaning, “lighten your load” projects! I promised you Sara’s Top Five organizing tips…she is visiting family so I’ll get back to you on that one.

Happy Monday!

Adrianne

If you have been pregnant or are pregnant now, you probably know that BabyCenter.com sends you weekly emails telling you about the state of your unborn child. You also know that included in this “state of baby” email is a comparison regarding his/her growth. Sometimes this can be helpful and you can picture the size of your baby right away. Par example, “This week your baby is about the size of a lentil bean.” Yes! I got it! I know exactly what a lentil bean looks like:

Your baby at six weeks. And, yes, thank you for the quarter comparison…just in case you didn’t know the size of a lentil bean.

Or, a lime at twelve weeks along:

After twelve weeks, it gets a little tricky to compare growing baby to a vegetable or fruit. For example, the avocado is the item of comparison for 16 weeks. As a friend of mine asked, “Is it a smaller, organic avocado or a medium sized avocado or the biggest avocado I’ve ever seen?” I just don’t know.

Wow! A spaghetti squash! That is pretty big at 22 weeks, right! But, then, at 24 weeks, your baby is demoted to an ear of corn:

It seems odd, doesn’t it? Now my baby is long and thin. I didn’t feel long and thin at 22 weeks…

So, you ask, how far along am I now? 28 weeks. What is my veggie comparison? A Chinese Cabbage.

I have to say that this one is dead on. I feel this much bigger than a quarter….MUCH bigger.

Now I’m off to Richmond for the “smocked outfit smackdown” I discussed yesterday. If you go, find me! I’ll be the pregnant lady whose belly looks juuuusssst about the size of a Chinese Cabbage.

Adrianne

That’s it! I have HAD it with clutter in my household. I don’t know if it’s because I am probably “nesting” before kid #2 gets here or what. But, it doesn’t matter. I want everything OUT, GONE, BYE-BYE. The funny thing is, we did this a year ago before we moved! And, we gave away LOTS of things and threw out even more. How did it all come back??

So, what is exactly on my task list for this organization effort? It’s soup to nuts, unfortunately: the laundry room, the pantry, the FIVE junk drawers in the kitchen (we started with only one), my dresser, the bathroom drawers (used to be organized with only what I needed), my closet, Tripp’s closet, Davis’ closet, the nursery closet. It’s a lot but I think with strategic planning and consistent execution (and a trip to the container store) we’ll be okay. My friend, Sara, is a MASTERhttp://www.lambchopdesigns.com/website/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=4143&message=10 at this process. She puts Martha Stewart to shame. Needless to say, I have enlisted her help with this massive project. Our first challenge is my pantry. Observe:

This is an overall pantry shot. It’s embarrassing. I am really opening myself up to all of y’all so be easy on me!

This is HILARIOUS!  1) What is whey protein doing in my pantry? My husband does NOT drink it nor is he a weight lifting competitor. 2) Why is Davis’ duck snow globe (from when he was tee-ninsy) next to the whey protein? It just looks weird, right?!

3) There is a huge bottle of rum next to the protein. Hmmm…. 4) Terro…on the shelf…in a pantry. WRONG.

The spices used to be organized. The napkins used to be in a nice little stack. The Ziplocs and foil used to not be slammed onto the shelf. What gives?? I PROMISE you we are not slovenly people!!

Clearly, we have a case of the “oh, I think that goes in the pantry” syndrome. Lesson #1: Not all things in the kitchen/for the kitchen belong in the pantry. Lesson #2 (maybe a spin from #1): Just because you have a spacious pantry doesn’t mean you should use it all for everything. I showed these pictures and seven more to Sara today. She said to me, “Why don’t I just come out there and do it for you? You watch the kids for an hour and I’ll do it. It’ll be your baby present.” DONE. I have asked her to give us all her TOP FIVE tips for organizing all the true clutter that somehow just happens to your closets and drawers while you are sleeping. (No way it’s because of you, right?!)

Keep reading every day for these tips and my progress. I can’t wait for it to be pristine (a la Real Simple Magazine)!

Adrianne

If you regularly read my blog posts, you know I am a total geek at heart. I love school supplies! There is nothing like buying a set of brand new #2’s or an untouched, thick, college-ruled notebook. Ahhh…the smell of that clean, fresh paper! I think I get really excited about the potential for that paper, too. You know, I wonder what ideas will get jotted down or what doodles will pop up. In my world, there are always doodles that pop up. Therefore, needless to say, I was VERY excited to get Davis’ “back to school” school supplies list in the mail this week. The list is so beautiful: we get to buy brand new crayons and Elmer’s glue. We are going today!!

Because of the bounty of school supplies we’ll be buying, Davis will need something to put it all in…which brings me to my other love…brand new backpacks! I know, can I get ANY nerdier? At least I admit it. So, here’s what I found on the market for pre-schoolers.

I looked at L.L. Bean first, naturally:

I love this backpack. It’s smaller for preschool age kids and has a truly sassy shark design! Plus, I always had an L.L. Bean backpack…still do. You just can’t go wrong. These things last forever!

The girlie version is cute, too. Lime fishies!

How about this cutie collection from Garnet Hill? Who knew they did kid’s packs? These are designed for kids ages 4 and up. I love the prints!

Now, if we want to get crazy cute, check out all the following from Skip Hop:

I love red and dark brown together…especially on this sassy monkey! Check out the banana zipper…hilarious!

The precious zebra…and, last but not least from Skip Hop, the BEE. So cute!

And, of course, the standard Pottery Barn Kids.

You can also get the matching tote and lunch box…and personalize it.

Winning as one of my favorites…the Bookosaurus Backpack from Land of Nod.

And, the Little Lady Backpack from Land of Nod:

I’ll take one of each, please! Cannot wait for the organization and smell of September, Choppers.

Adrianne

I know everyone has been chomping at the bit all weekend wondering how our potty training/naked experience has been going. (Remember, Davis now refuses to wear diapers so we have had to kick this potty training thing into HIGH gear.) The official report is Davis gets an A on all fronts!! Saturday was exhausting…all we did was go back and forth to the potty (he was naked) and hope for something to happen. I was so tired after the morning I took a three hour nap. CRAZY! Here is the all-intimidating potty:

Distractions were important to get him to stay on the potty for longer than 30 seconds. These were a strategic mix of watching Curious George cartoons (one about the zoo, in particular, over and over and over) and playing in his sandbox (yes, we put the potty in his sandbox….).

For FOUR hours, nothing happened. NOTHING! FOUR HOURS! I know. It’s like when he’s naked, he doesn’t want to have an accident. But, as soon as that underwear or diaper is on him, BAM, it happens. Anyway, finally at around 6:30pm Saturday, we had our first huge potty success. Then, Sunday, we had another potty success (and he didn’t have to sit on it forever – just three minutes)! Of course, when there is something to be celebrated, the Buggs truly celebrate it. When Davis finally went on the potty, we had cookies and stickers and silly bands and dancing to 80’s music. It was a lot of fun!!

I am extremely encouraged by his progress this weekend. It also encourages me that moving him to a big boy bed is the right thing to do. We decided to get him special new sheets (they are a surprise so don’t tell),

(His quilt from Pottery Barn Kids)

We’ll be alternating between “choo choo” sheets and, naturally, Curious George sheets (both from PBK as well):

a “big boy bed pack” including a flashlight and brand new books,

Isn’t this flashlight from Little Tykes hysterical?

a special monkey clock that will tell him when he can “wake up” (code for get out of bed…we don’t want to point out to him that he will be able to get out of his bed now). The monkey named “Momo” will open his eyes at a preset time, thus, telling him it’s okay to wake up. I hope it works (truly crossing fingers)!!

Hopefully, we will continue to move in this direction! If you have any advice or tips for me, as usual, let me know!

Adrianne