What will Lucy look like?

We got to see both sides of our family in the month of April - Brad's family at the beginning and my family at the end. During both trips I collected pictures of Brad and I as babies and young children - I thought it would be fun to imagine what Lucy will look like as we looked through pictures of Brad and I as kids.

I hope you enjoy imagining alongside me. :)

Birth

(Sarah, born 11-11-1987)

(Brad, born 1-29-1986)

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Grandparent Love

(Sarah, held by Grandma Chisholm)

(Brad, held by Grandpa Buning)

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First Days

(Sarah, enjoying her swing)

(Brad, going home picture - taken by the hospital)

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Play Time

(Sarah, on a blanket stitched by Grandma Addington)

(Brad, his sense of humor started at an early age :) )

(Sarah, enjoying tummy-time)

(Brad, checking out his toys)

(Sarah, exploring)

(Brad, "I'm coming to get you!")
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Eating

(Sarah with Daddy)

(Brad with Mommy)

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Life Jackets

(Sarah with Mommy in Cross Lake, Minnesota)

(Brad with Daddy)

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One Year Old

(Sarah)

(Brad)

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Playing with Siblings

(Sarah with Becca)

(Brad with Amy)

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Pictures with Mom or Dad

(Sarah, with Mom and Becca - this picture was sent to Dad when he was in Saudi during Dessert Storm)

(Brad with Dad and Amy)

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All Dressed Up

(Sarah)

(Brad)

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Growing up

(Sarah - silliness starts early)

(Brad - gotta love the early 90s)

The Evolution of a Nursery - Part 3

Lucy's room is almost finished - just a few more finishing touches are needed - but it feels so much better now than it did a week ago. Where disorganization once ruled, organization now reigns.
The lanterns I ordered ended up being just what this corner needed - color and fun. :) I found the two baskets just inside the door (lower right) at the Salvation Army - $8 total. The amazing crates in the bookshelf were all gifts and have really come in handy for organizing Lucy Lu's toys.

The dresser is one of the things that needs to be finished - but Chicago's weather has not been cooperating with our efforts. I got tired of waiting to organize Lucy's clothes so this last weekend, we ran two loads of laundry, cleaning all her little outfits, blankets, towels and burp cloths in preparation for her arrival. It was really fun to go through, snip off tags, wash, dry, fold and organize all the adorable clothes we have received - we felt very blessed looking at the coffee table and realizing that Lucy has pretty much everything she needs for the next year.
If you are observant - you will notice that my seeds have enjoyed their soil and are all growing really well. I think I am going to give them another week or so before transferring them to pots outside.

It pays off to decorate your room in high-school in the green/pink/blue because then you can use a lot of your decor when accessorizing your firstborn's nursery. The above shelves have been in many homes and have held many of my treasures - it makes me so happy that now I can use them in Lucy's room. We decided to lower the crib mattress - mostly so that we could hide the lovely golf clubs that reside underneath. I also really like that the crib skirt now falls to the ground - the 2 foot gap was bothering me before. :)

Bear and Racky were Brad and my buddies growing up and they may be two of my favorite things in the nursery. Their well-worn bodies speak of childhood devotion and love. I can't wait to see what special stuffed animal Lucy becomes attached to.

So there you have it, Lucy's nursery. The only things that remain on the to do list are 1) buy blinds, 2) paint the dresser, 3) paint the mirror white (hanging directly opposite the door - another Salvation Army find - I love the shape of it), 4) paint the book shelves white and 5) figure out curtains.

Goodness, that list is a bit longer than I thought it would be - but all the essentials are done, we even have the car seat and stroller in the car. Whenever Lucy decides to make her appearance (Her due date is 30 days away! Augh we-can-hardly-wait!) we are ready. Or, as ready as we can be. :)

The little "Aunts" in San Antonio

We got to spend about a week with my family in San Antonio at the end of April - it was so good to see everyone, relax and play with the little girls.

It is pretty difficult for me, when in the presence of these two, not to have a great time.


Anna Ruth keeps me smiling :)

And Laura Rae keeps me laughing... :) (Meet "mini-me" - she looks just like I did when I was her age, and has the same constitution too :) )

They are so excited for Lucy to come - Right after I got into San Antonio, Anna asked, "Where's Lucy? I want to see her." I had to explain that Lucy is still in my tummy, and we have to be patient and wait until she is ready to come out. (Although I'm just as anxious to "see her" as Anna) A few times over the weekend, Anna would come up to me, stick out her tummy and say, "My tummy is fat because I have a baby inside me." She is great.

It's crazy to think that these two sweet girls will be my daughter's aunts. I really hope they have a sweet relationship with Lucy and all our future kids.

While in San Antonio, we attempted to play "Sorry"...

...had fun showing the girls (and Uncle John) our iPad...

... enjoyed watching Grandpa read to the little girls (I remember when Grandpa used to read to us, "Mr Poppers Penguins," and "Summer of the Monkeys,")...

...and we got to celebrate Jana's graduation too!

We had such a fabulous trip, our time in San Antonio always feels a bit short (time with family always does these days). But I get to see my mom in June (She is going to come up for Lucy's arrival), Jana in July and the rest of my family in November at the Addington Family Reunion - We can't wait!

The Evolution of a Nursery - Part 2

I believe this is where we left you on the Nursery's progress:
This is how it looks today. Grey walls, soft rug, and baby gifts galore! (It is not as dark as this picture suggests - I probably should have had the flash on. :) )
The dresser has been stripped and is ready for its treatment of paint or stain (We still haven't decided). We have truly been "showered" with gifts and until the dresser gets done - I'm afraid this is where they are staying. :) Organized chaos.... organized chaos. :)
We have ordered new cushions for the rocker and ottoman. Our fingers are crossed that they come before Lucy does - we'll see. :) Both Brad and I love to sit in this room and dream about what it will be like to have a baby in the house. Chloe usually comes and sits on our laps - and we gently tell her that our laps will not usually be free when sitting in the rocking chair. We hope she is beginning to understand. :) We are planning on getting a bookshelf for under this window (to the right of the rocking chair) for added storage space and a surface to hold a lamp and any nursing supplies that we (I) need. :)
Toys and stuffed animals have invaded this corner - along with decorating supplies that will be put to good use once a few more items arrive.
Brad and I are not alone in eagerly awaiting Lucy's arrival! :) She has quite a few buddies who can't wait to be held and played with. :) (Each of the shapes on the Elephant's nose plays a different musical note. Mortimer the Moose is a favorite of mine - his face just says, "Play with me please? I am so excited to see you!")
I have chosen the fabric for the curtains, it matches the bedding perfectly and is a fabric in the quilt I am working on too - something to bring a bit of "cohesiveness" to the textiles. :)
Here is a close-up so you can see how well the colors match up. :) To continue with the "round" theme - I ordered three paper lanterns online the other day, (white, pink and green - all different sizes) to hang above the rocking chair and function as a mobile for Lucy to gaze at while snuggling with mom and dad.
My wonderful husband Brad bought me a walking foot for my sewing machine - it helps feed the fabric through evenly, from the top and bottom. (A regular sewing machine foot feeds the fabric through from the bottom - which usually works great, but not when you have 3 layers of a quilt going through the machine.) This little tool makes working on the quilt so much more easy and fun! :) Progress is happening - not quite done yet - but there is progress. :) Thanks to everyone who has given Lucy gifts and helped us prepare for her arrival! We are having so much fun getting ready for her!

The Current Reigning Princess

Chloe Cat is the current Princess on the throne at the Kidder household - we wonder how the transition will go when the new Princess - Lucy - arrives on the scene.

The other day I was clearing a spot on our bookshelves for our new printer. I left the room to put away the dusting supplies, came back and Lucy Chloe (edited by Brad, I am pretty sure she meant Chloe I find it quite hard to believe that our unborn baby escaped the womb and sat on the shelf) had stolen my workspace. It was as if she said, "Thank you for clearing and cleaning such a nice resting spot for me!" Blankets are always available in our living room - for us and guests. We keep our house pretty chilly in the winter time, so we like to provide plenty of blankets for snuggling and containing body heat. Chloe also enjoys them too. Does this picture remind you of a fairy tale? Possibly the "Princess and the Pea?"
We love our cat. :)