Finished and New Projects and a Culinary Adventure...

We had a full weekend! I was able to finish one project for Lucy and begin another. And we embarked on a culinary adventure and were pleasantly surprised at the results. :)

Lucy's Afghan

I crocheted two different colored yarns together - pink and white. The result is a thick, beautiful blanket! I am so pleased with it!

It is a little wider than it is long, but it is pretty much in the shape of a square :)

I made up the pattern, but stole some stitches from the instructions I used to make Anna's afghan. I love the bumps.

I also started a new project: Lucy's Quilt. Thanks to a Joann 40% off coupon, it was super easy for me to cut these fabrics! I purchased a rotary cutter, mat and guide! So excited! These are tools that I will use in years to come, they make me so excited to sew!

In fact, it was so easy that I was able to cut all the fabric and sew all the squares - in one afternoon! Here they are:

Not quite finished yet, but you can see the shapes of the squares (which are actually rectangles in this pattern). I am using a patten from Amy Butler's book Little Stitches for Little Ones. This is the Crib/Play Time Quilt. (The picture is a little yellow - sorry - it was taken at night....)

I really enjoyed spending my Sunday afternoon working on the quilt - it was so relaxing! I can't wait to finish the quilt top. I need to find a fabric for the back still - thinking about something with a bit more grey in it - we will see if I can find in real-life what I am picturing in my head. :)

Last weekend, we also went to a Sushi restaurant to celebrate a friend's birthday. It was super fun! Brad had only had end-of-the-day "grocery store" sushi, so he wasn't so sure about trying it again. So, the two Kidders - who love food - jumped into the culinary world of sushi not quite sure what to expect... It is love. We really enjoyed the food - I couldn't believe that I enjoyed items that had the word "spicy" in their description! Brad's favorite was the "Uncle Bob," made with crab, avocado, cucumber, spicy mayo and tempura flakes. I enjoyed it too - although I really like the simple California Roll. We also got an Avocado Roll which was a favorite among all at the table. Now that we understand how to order sushi (it can be a bit confusing if you have never ordered it before), know of a great restaurant and know that we enjoy the food - I think we will be eating Japanese food more often. :)

* Do not worry - I stayed away from raw fish and tuna :) I was careful. Wouldn't want anything to happen to my Lucy. :)

This afternoon, we are expecting Amy (Brad's sister) and Kaleigh (a MI friend) to come into town for a visit! They will be here through Sunday morning. Since I do not have Spring Break anymore I had forgotten all about it - but it is that time of year - and I love that it frees students like Amy and Kaleigh up to come see us! The only thing we have planned for their stay, so far, is a movie night on Friday night. We are going to have some friends over and watch "Up in the Air."

It is rainy in Chicago today. I love that all the rain is washing away the snow - but remembered why I loved the snow in the first place: It covers up all the trash that gets blown about. Oh well.... I will gladly see a bit more litter if it means I do not need to wear a coat! Plus it is kind of fun picking it up and seeing the results afterward: a clean yard. :)

Spring is coming!

Pregnancy Belly

17 Weeks

21 Weeks22 Weeks

25 Weeks
And still growing.....

Lucy's Closet - Part 1

I have stolen this idea from a friend - Autumn. She posted pictures on Facebook of the clothes that she has gotten for her daughter, due very soon, for her family to see. Like Brad and I, she and her husband live a few states away from family - and I know Grammy Jo and Grandma Lori would love to see these little outfits. :)

So without further ado... here is Miss. Lucy's closet,

We got this at Macy's - I love the "vintage" print with the blue pants - on the butt of the pants it says "Lovely." The only age Lucy will be allowed to wear pants with words on the bottom is infancy. :)
Gotta love Cost Co. This little number also has accent's on the bottom - pockets with cute white buttons (like the one at the neck).

I love this little onesie - it has ruffles on the rear. A cute romper for a warm summer day at the park. :)

Cuddly PJs - she will match her room with this outfit!

This is one of those great two-outfits-in-one-purchase deals. The onesie goes with the green pants....

And there is a matching romper! :)

Brad brought this onesie home before we knew "for sure" we were having a girl.

Another great two-in-one deal. I like the pink with red strawberries. :)

And this little onesie is so cute - I love the ruffle around the waist.

Thanks Aunt Amy for this sleeper! Pay special attention to the "shoes" - they have little bows. Cute.

And thanks to Miss. Kate for this bib - I believe her prediction is correct as Lucy's daddy's heart already is melted toward her. :)

Lol - this is one of my favorites! Brad brought this one home too (penguins are his favorite!). This is for Lucy's first Fall Fest at church! :) Hopefully it will fit... if not, we will take a cold "wintry" picture with it and have it be in our Christmas card. :)

That's all for now folks.... These are only the newborn/0-3 month clothes, I'll try to keep you updated as more outfits come into the closet.

The Evolution of a Nursery - Part 1

We originally called this room the "Back Bedroom" although we secretly knew it was going to be the nursery. :) For the past few months, since we have moved in it has been the catch-all room. Where anything that didn't have a home, found a temporary one. This has all changed now, as I have been attempting to clean it out and get it ready for Lucy-Lu. I love the bright windows in this space - so cheerful. The windows above face East - so the morning sun streams in! We need to get some blinds for the room (so that sleep will continue to happen - hopefully - mornings) and I am on the hunt for fabric for curtains too.
Here is what the room looks like today. The Crib is from my parents - the same one I slept in when I was a baby (I LOVE IT!) - as well as the rocking chair and ottoman. We are planning on getting new cushions for the rocker/ottoman to fit in better with our color scheme and to freshen it up (Thinking green or brownish-tan to allow for future use in a boy-themed nursery and hopefully use in the Living Room when there are no more nursery's in our home).
Here is our thrifty find of last weekend! A solid wood dresser from the Salvation Army - $35. How can you go wrong? I can't wait to sand this baby down - I'll wear a mask. I promise - and give it a fresh coat of white paint. We are going to get new hardware for it too - I am thinking classy stainless steel, something traditional. :)

The little swing is also from my parents - score! I love that it is smaller than normal swings - it doesn't take up as much room. It will eventually be moved into the Living Room, but for now, I like it in here. Here is the crib, all ready for Miss. Lucy. The bumper and crib skirt are from some sweet friends here in Chicago who said they were done with them! Thanks Halpins! I love them! As you can see Minnie Mouse and Lambie are waiting for little arms to hold them! (Thanks Aunt Sue and Uncle Tom for the Lamb - I love the sweet note so much, I haven't cut it off yet!)
The Bumper pad has pink, grey and green lines - and so it has become my inspiration for wall color. We have registered for green storage crates/boxes (to allow for use in a future boy nursery) and I didn't really want a pink nursery. For one, it is so "typical." For two, I think it will add to the house if it was a more nutural, natural color. For three, I love the color grey. This is one room of the house we have not painted ourselves yet - it is a light blue - and although the color is nice, it doesn't fit into our color scheme for the nursery. :) Below are the paint chips that we are deciding on. The room is so bright that I don't think we need to fear about grey paint causing the walls to "cave" in - plus I love all the white trim (around the doors, windows and floor boards) and think it will pop with a grey wall. Right now I think we are deciding between Chip 1 (far left) bottom and Chip 3 bottom. We shall see. Chip 1 bottom is more yellowish - if you can say that - and Chip 3 bottom is more blueish.... I am in limbo.Here is fabric for Lucy's quilt! I can't wait to get started! I need to find a fabric for the backing too - hoping that it will have a bit more grey in it than the others to draw in the color from the walls. :) Another great thrift store find! A little doll bed for Lucy to play with. Some friends thought this was Kristen's bed (the American Girl Doll) but I don't know - what do you think? Ether way, I thought it was a steal at $2. :) I am planning on stripping and painting it. Found this little birdie at Pier One and couldn't pass him up. I have three white shelves that I am planning on hanging up in the room and I think that he will make a nice addition to one of them. Also going on one of the shelves - Baby Pam, "Racky" the Raccoon and "Bear" (Brad and my childhood stuffed animals and my baby doll) - I am so excited!

Well, that's it for now. :) We will keep you posted with any and all of the changes! :) We can't wait for Lucy to come!

Our Trip to The Sunshine State

I love sharing experiences with you all through pictures - I feel like it gives you glimpses into our lives. Plus, I have the memories recorded for the future.

Brad and I had such a great time in Florida at the end of January/beginning of February. We celebrated Brad's birthday at Medieval Times (his choice fyi - not what I would have wanted on my birthday.... but we had a great time)

I wasn't too sure what to think....
But Brad was having a grand time :)

A few days later, we headed to Disney World's Magic Kingdom. It was my first time there - Brad's second. We debated over two different days to go - should we be cold and dry or wet and warm(ish)? We decided on the cold and dry option and were so glad that we did - there were virtually no lines! We arrived first thing in the morning, got to ride everything we wanted and were walking around at 3:30pm wondering what to do next!

The man who started it all.... Mr. Walt Disney himself, and Micky of course :)

My favorite Disney Character (not counting Princesses!) - Minnie
Brad's favorite: Goofy (no surprise... :) )

On the Steam Boat - towards the end of our day, our steam was running out... :)

Couldn't miss this! It's the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House! I grew up watching this movie - I am pretty sure that VHS received more views than any of the others in our home.

The ingenious water system - this made me giddy! :) It was just like the movie!

As many of you know, the number 11 is my favorite. I had to smile when the lady directing us into the shortest line on the It's a Small World ride told us to go to line 11. :)

This is the world that we are entering with Lucy's arrival.... stroller universe.
Brad humored me and rode the Carousel with me - lol he enjoyed it. I promise.
I choose the prettiest horse! :)
This was at Downtown Disney, on a different day - Mr. Buzz Light Year was kind enough to pose with me. :)
And Brad got to stand with Micky and Minnie themselves!
We returned to Chicago feeling rested and excited to go back to Florida in the future with our kiddos. Oh - and we did end up getting Lucy a Minnie Mouse stuffed animal, it is waiting for her in her crib. :)