Emmalyn's Nursery!

Well, Emma's nursery is (pretty much) DONE!! There are a couple things we still need to get, like crib sheets and a sound machine -- little things like that, but the FUN stuff is pretty well done! And we LOVE it! Its exactly what I pictured in my head, which almost never happens:)


 
Sorry for the bad lighting -- these were taken at night! There are better views of the ceiling in other pictures, but the ceiling is a dusty pink and the walls are beige. Garrett did an incredible job painting, and he INSISTED on installing crown. I didn't think it was necessary but he was sure it was, and I have to admit that I LOVE it! It really makes a contrast between the 2 colors. Its basically impossible to match pinks perfectly, so I knew that if I painted the walls pink, I would drive myself crazy trying to find the exact match of pink for other parts of the room! Instead, its pretty much a mish-mash of different shades of pink!
 
 
 
The beautiful white crib from Emma's Lowe grandparents! It fits the room perfectly I think:) I made a simple crib skirt (yay for Pinterest:) that should be adjustable in length as we change the mattress height. We will see.
 
 
 
This is maybe a better picture of the ceiling color. And the mobile is just a wooden hoop, ribbon, fishing line, and cardstock bird shapes, which Garrett, wonderful husband that he is, cut out for me after I literally fell asleep with the paper and scissors in my hand:)  Time consuming, but ridiculously easy!
 
 
The rocker from Caleb's room, since he no longer needs it...that did make me a little sad -- he is just getting so big!!
 
 
 
And here is the blanket that's on the rocker -- I totally fell in love with this fabric and Jo-Anns, and it had birds on it, which I wanted in the nursery. So its the same fabric that is on the curtains, crib skirt, and a couple other little things around the nursery.
 

 
The little basket is going to be her hamper for now, and it actually is hiding a pretty big spot of pink paint on the carpet! We were in here working on things and suddenly Caleb appeared around the corner COVERED in pink paint. A moment when you just have to laugh...and it definitely could have been worse! And that frame on the floor is going to be another headband holder...Emma had already outgrown the one!

 
This gorgeous dresser is definitely one of my favorite parts of the room! Mainly because it is from Emma's Biehl great-grandparents, and is actually a really old piece made by a great-great uncle! Its a really neat story how it came through the family, which my grandma is compiling for me, and I'll post it later. I was looking for an antique looking dresser exactly like this on craigslist or somewhere, and it turned out this one was in my grandparents' garage! My grandpa is an EXPERT re-finisher, and he did a really incredible job on this piece -- its slightly 2-tone, which I LOVE. It was the very last thing we put in the nursery, just last week, and it fits perfectly:)
 
 
 
Our sweet girl's name in vintage frames over simple scrapbook paper:)
 
 
 
Simple brown curtains plus some of that lovely bird print on the bottom. These pink birds are actually supposed to be hooks, but they totally work to hold back the curtains! They were on Hob Lob clearance and they were blue -- yay for spray paint:)
 
 
 
 
 
Caleb's old bookshelf that he didn't need when Grandpa built him a much nicer one! We just painted it white to match the room and "shopped the house" to find little baskets for Emma's tiny socks, hats, etc! Can't wait to fill those frames!!:)
The closet to the left is FILLED with clothes for our little girl already! We have been given so many hand-me-downs from others that she already has 3 times the clothes Caleb had after 4 baby showers! What a blessing!
 
The other night after we finished the room Garrett sat in the rocker and announced he is now very ready to meet Emma. Caleb is too -- he LOVES spending time in her room. Whenever we go upstairs he says "Emma peese?" over and over until we go in her room. He will bring some of his animals in the room and put them in her crib...though he always wants them back:) He talks about her all the time too -- she really needs to be born soon so he has a face to put with the name he loves so much! I can't WAIT to see this guy as a big brother!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Well...I know I said I would be better with the updates, but the last few weeks have been craziness. Garrett has had a lot of changes (for the good!) at work, which have been huge, wonderful answers to prayer, but have also made him super super busy! The Bubs is always busy, and I'm just feeling like I am decidedly in the third trimester. I announced to Garrett at around 28 weeks that I was officially done with this pregnancy. Seriously, 6 months is surely long enough. Then we got a 28 week-er on the unit at work, and I changed my mind. Sweet Emmalyn can stay and bake as long as she needs to :) ( well, actually only until August 23 when our C/S is scheduled!).
So a quick update by way of pictures!



I love this -- Garrett reading Caleb his Jesus Storybook Bible story in the morning...on Thursdays he goes in a little later to work so he can stay for breakfast. I love how sweetly and intently Caleb listens! However, he has started to call all of the pictures of Jesus "Daddy". Could be an issue later on...



First pool party! Caleb and his girls -- Kherington and Nora :) He enjoyed it soooo much, and loves his playdates with both of them!




Love this of C and Kher -- saving it for their future wedding slideshow ;)



Maybe he will be a doctor someday?



First play-dough experience! He doesn't really get it, but he enjoys pulling it apart...anything that entertains for longer than 20 min is toddler jackpot in my book




The new fav toy! We had been looking on Craigslist for one of these -- they retail for about $80...insanity. Then I went to help at the Nine Thirty-six project at church and they had 3 there they needed to get rid of! Yes!



Usually Howard sits next to him and Henry gets the bucket seat in the back




We have officially started having Caleb help around the house -- he LOVES it. He can now empty the bottom shelf of the dishwasher and feels very special doing it (actually we have to empty the top when he's not looking, or he will go get a stool and climb up to help).



He also swiffers, helps vacuum the kitchen floor, and "dusts" with wipes. Ok, so he's not very efficient, sometimes swiffers the carpet, vacuums the kitchen table, and dusts the dog...but its the concept right? He understands "clean up" (pronounced "nee-no") and can help clean up his toys, and at this point he thinks its fun, so this is when you take advantage of that right?!



Uncle Griffin taught Caleb how you REALLY use the breadmaker -- to bake your best friend into a bread! He puts Howard in, closes the lid, pushes the buttons, says "beep beep all done!" and takes him out. Favorite morning activity. Seriously.



We had our first trip to the zoo where Caleb was actually excited to see the animals! Here he is waving and saying "Hi Wino" to the Rhino.


We rode the zoo train and he hasn't stopped talking about the "choo choo" since



Life with this little boy is so fun -- no matter how tired I am in the morning, he ALWAYS has energy and a sweet smile. Sometimes I find myself just watching his sweet antics in the mirror in the car or as he buzzes around the living room, just thinking what an amazing privilage and blessing it is to get to watch him grow up!! Also, I wish he would slow that process down.

PS, sorry for some blurry pictures, but you think I'm kidding when I say how much this boy moves?

THIS is how most of my pictures turn out

A New Toy...



So I have a new toy, and I may be slightly obsessed. My lovely mother in law bought me a sewing machine for my birthday! She knew how much I would enjoy it even before I did, so she convinced Garrett that I needed one. He finally agreed (theres a chance she bribed him;) to become more "encumbered" by a sewing machine, and I LOVE IT. Shortly before my birthday was when we found out we were having a girl...and how fun it is to sew nursery things for a girl:) Things like baby blankets:


Caleb had a couple of personalized blankets people bought him off Etsy for showers (not to even mention the drawer full of other blankets he got!) so I want Emma to have a couple of those too.

I also made a Maya wrap:


I'm thinking I'm going to be carring Emma alot more than I carried Caleb, out of necessity. I am just not talented enough to use a moby wrap -- it would take me an hour to just get it wrapped around me! And when I saw a friend use the Maya wrap and how easy it is, I really wanted one. The thing is, they run about $75-$85 -- seriously! Instead, there is an incredibly easy  tutorial on how to make one on pinterest! So fabric at $10 and two slingrings at $5 including shipping...its a no-brainer! So excited to use it! Oh, and there was so much fabric left over that I made a super easy nursing shawl, too. I love that it covers your sides too, not just the front like a typical nursing cover

                                                      Pinned Image
And I found a fun tutorial for a portable changing pad -- I"ve seen some people get these at showers and they are so cute and so convenient...and so, so easy!




Finally, I have been making Emma all kinds of bows and flowers for headbands. I'm betting money that she will take after her mother, father, and brother, and be bald for quite awhile...so girly headbands are really a necessity;) Plus, pinterest (again:) has so MANY fun tutorials and felt and fabric is so cheap!



We (aka Garrett) painted the nursery this weekend, and the crib is set up, too! My grandparents are refinishing a really neat old family dresser for Emma's room, so I am itching to get all the rest of the things set up in there! I know its early, but seriously, being pregnant in the spring really must bring on the nesting :) I will post pictures when we get it all set up! 



Oh Springtime!!





Well it is officially spring here in the Midwest and we (mainly Caleb) are loving it! He has been outside at least once every day, usually all morning, and then a walk after his afternoon nap. His first words when he wakes up are "bye-bye?" -- his word for outside:)


Really doesn't take much to keep this kid entertained outside -- just a broom thank you very much.  He drags the broom all around the neighborhood...wonder what our neighbors think...and is very thorough with his "sweeping".


Really he likes to just RUN. Maya loves to have a running partner, although she gets a little too excited and knocks Caleb down alot. He just says "uh oh" and moves on.


As evidenced by his bruised and scraped legs (pretty sure this is how his knees will look all summer), he does not mind falling down at all. However, for some reason he doesn't think he can get up on his own when outside? He falls on his face, doesn't cry, folds his hands in front of him and says "eh-mee" (help me) very calmly until we go pick him up.

So cute.


We introduced Caleb to the wonders of the neighborhood park this spring and he is totally addicted. The problem is, he is by FAR the youngest kid on the playground, which was really built for much older kids...and he has no idea. I'm pretty sure he thinks he is at LEAST 5 or 6 -- and he tells the other kids so.


He has to be friends with everyone, so he runs all over the playground (with Garrett or I running behind him grasping the back of his shirt...he is also sure that if he jumps OFF the playground platform several feet off the ground, nothing scary at all with happen) finding other kids to "talk" to. He runs up to them, insistantly babbling in jibberish with a giant smile on his face. The other kids usually smile hesitantly and run or back away...

Caleb does love to play with his friends -- his most frequent playmates being Kherington



and Nora



FYI there is a giant bin of toys on that deck and the two of them spent most of the morning painting...with water. This is why if I ever ever buy toys they are from a yard sale!

Caleb was sick for the very first time in his short little life a couple weeks ago:( We feel extremely blessed that he has been so very healthy, but for this paranoid PICU mom, it was a long week or so

(yes, I listened to his lungs enough that he now knows how to work a stethescope...this is the life of a child with a nurse-mommmy!)

...he got a little bit of croup and his cough kept him from sleeping well at night or from napping. Finally, he fell asleep while Grandma rocked him to one of our old kids music cassette tapes!



In other news, the reason we were in Upland while Caleb was sick was that my brother Andrew got engaged!



We are so excited for Caleb (and Emma:) to gain another Aunt -- Keren White! Unfortunately (for us), they will be moving to Connecticut after they are married on September 21st for at least a few years for Andrew to finish his Masters. However, we are praying that they will be moving back to the Indy (aka the Promised Land;) as SOON as he is done!

And now, just a few more pictures:)



Oh the emotional trauma of accidentally dumping your best friend out of the wagon!


Caleb can now (most of the time) eat with a fork! Its great because he hasn't yet figured out how to take food OFF the fork except to eat it...so if he's not eating enough veggies, I just spear some on his fork, and he HAS to eat them if he wants to stab anything else...I know this is short-lived, but I'll take it for now!


We have officially entered the stage of "pretend" -- his favorite "pretend" is to cook "soup", which he does nearly every night while I make real dinner. Caleb carefully picks out spices/herbs, puts them in my stockpot, and stirs and stirs. He always offers me at least one bite, then "tastes" it himself and says "mmm". Tonight, apparently, we are having nutmeg and cummin soup with red and pink sprinkles.  Should be good. ;)