The Nursery Progress!

This weekend was a fun one at our household, stressful, but FUN! After thinking the nursery would be painted last weekend, we finally had it confirmed with our painter that Saturday was the day! Luke woke the three(four!) of us up so early Saturday morning, he was so excited, he felt like Christmas morning he said! The painter arrived and started painting after discussing the color, which I was still not sure of, but I decided to just trust it. He started with adding the crown molding, and eventually painting all the trim, baseboards, doors, and beadboard.

Sidenote: When we moved into our home, we thought it would be a few years there, then move on to a bigger, newer home, but as the economy has changed, we are still here. We were very lucky that our house was renovated a few years before we moved in, but the previous owners were "do it yourselfers". Which is great, if you are good at the "yourself" part! They were not so much. So we have done very little to the house, not wanting to put too much money into it, to not see a return on our investment. The neighborhood has gone down hill since 2008 when we moved in, lots of forclosures and just lots of homes built in 1979 that have never been renovated. We really only painted our bedroom and bathroom and added crown molding there, because it was painted a forest green color when we moved in. I guess we also painted a guest room, but it was a powder blue color with star stickers on the walls! The rest of the house, even though we don't love the colors, we have kept the same. Not to mention they painted it all themself, so if you are ever at our house during the day time, don't look up too much, they weren't good painters! The room we chose as our nursery, had beadboard already in it, but was painted an ugly brown color. So we couldn't wait to change it! It has always been my favorite room in the house, and when we moved in I remember my Mom and I saying this room will be perfect for a nursery- cut to 4 years later and we are painting it for our baby! So exciting! And basically I say all this because any improvements we make to our house are so fun and exciting!

He is coming back today to finish a few places, and touch ups, and then we will be able to move the crib in tonight! I am so happy with the result, he is a great a painter, and is so reasonably priced, If anyone needs a painter message me or Lucas. They are very clean too, which I LOVE!

Here are a few before pictures: (the green paint on the walls was a complete hormonal imbalance on my part, I was thinking it would look good painted like a Frog!)

(Daddy watching as his son's nursery is being painted!)

Here are some AFTER pics!

Lucas had his first Daddy Duty too! He put together the crib! He was so excited to put it together and he was super quick and seemed like a pro! We can't wait to put it in the nursery!

And just for laughs, here is what my big butt is looking like now at 22 weeks, not 34! Oh well, what can I do!

Jackson Allen , Baylor Allen- Who Knows! 21 weeks!

(Picture of baby boy at 20 weeks!)

Well, we are now 21 weeks today, and feeling.......BIG! (and swollen)and tired, and hungry!

Alot has happen in the past couple weeks, first of all we went for our big scan and everything looks wonderful with him, his heart is great, no signs of any of the birth defects or problems that some face. We consider ourself so very blessed. I am feeling real official kicks now, what I thought were kicks were not. I think I was feeling round ligament pains or something because they hurt, now I feel what everyone is talking about. The kicks don't hurt, they feel like little waves, or a fish splashing around. Well, at first they did. Now since they are constant, tehy are getting alittle old. I swear he doesn't like me, I would never kick someone as much as he is me. He chose me to be his Mommy, so I hope he decides to get used to me! I mean he is constantly moving around. I swear the kid does not sleep anymore. They say they sleep 18 hours a day, I do not believe that. Mine doesn't! He has had the hiccups a few times, and that feels pretty funny too.

Luke keeps trying to feel my belly, he said he has felt a kick once. I can't wait until he can feel them always!

The Doctor told us he is BIG! AND that he is! As of last Tuesday he already weighed 13 oz, and was 9.3". I am not goin to tell y'all where he should be, but trust me it is a lot smaller. The Doctor said it is fine, lets just hope he slows down, but we will deal with that when it comes time. Closer to 30 weeks he said. My husband was almost 10 lbs, and his brother Mike was like 12 lbs. I was 9 even, so we are in for a big guy! The next question I get from everyone is " Oh you must be eating everything in sight and gaining so much weight" Love that one, but no I am not, I haven't gained much weight at all actually. I have never been blessed with the skinny gene, so I am glad at least God has decided to let my weight slowly creep on! I hear horror stories of the 30 lb weight gain by now, so I am very thankful we haven't had that happen yet! And I am praying it doesn't! BUt whatever happens, happens I guess. It is in God's hands, he will protect us. I am trying to exercise as much as I can, but sometimes it's only about 3 times a week. The past week especially I have been so tired, and leaving for work at 6:45 AM and getting home around 6:30PM is hard work to cram a workout in. I have great pregnancy DVD's though and I will at least get in some yoga when I can.

My biggest problem is my swelling ankles. My Dr says it is fine, but I just hate how it looks, and I get so embarassed! My ankles are huge by the end of the day. Luke will rub them every once in a while and it feels great! I will just have to up my monthly pedicures to every two weeks!

I finally got some maternity pants, and shopping for them was pretty comical to say the least. I brought Luke, who was trying to help, but was more concerned with how my butt looked in all of them than anything else! (he also really likes the belly, which is odd, but I guess better than him being disgusted, he is constantly telling me how beautiful I look!) But he did convince me to go up a size, I never wear my clothes too small, I actually normally buy big because I hate feeling uncomfortable! But for some strange reason maternity clothes I was trying to buy like size 4's! And the women who work in those stores are not pregnant and for some reason show you all the styles they wear...... which is confusing to me! I had a major hot flash while trying to fit into some skinny jeans (not the cut, just made for a skinnier person!) at Gap, but we finally got out of there with a couple pairs of pants and new panties. (went up a size in those too!) Luke was exhausted to say the least and I had to just have a seat in the dressing room because it was too overwhelming! He was tired because he always thinks when we are in a store he has to keep everyone in stitches, and it is like he goes through his entire comedy routine and I just stand in the dressing room rolling my eyes at every single old joke he throws out- the girls laugh because it's all a new routine to them! It's like being married to Chandler on friends! The more uncomfortable he gets, the more jokes! I do the same thing, but I am naturally funnier than him, effortless for me.

We are having the nursery painted this weekend, so pumped! We have our crib and can't wait to put it together. After dogging on people who spend too much on cribs, I ended up getting mine from Pottery Barn, but it was the only one we liked!(Thanks Jomama!) We will post pictures of the nursery as it progresses!

(feet in the morning, pretty normal)

(feet in the evening! YIKES!)


And we are deciding between two names, either Jackson Allen or Baylor Allen. Baylor is a new choice, and it is from one of my favorite books Ya Ya Sisterhood. Vivi's youngest son is named Baylor. But we think he will probably stay Jackson, because he is already used to it!

(me and the baby at 20 weeks!)

(and me and the baby today, at 21 weeks! Whoa Baby!)