The Nursery

So when I found out I was pregnant, I already had my nursery planned.  But then I didn't want to jinx anything by actually setting it up.

My mom and dad gave us the gift of our crib, which I am so thankful for.  She told me to just go ahead and get the one I wanted from Pottery Barn when we were in the States last August.  I was only 10 weeks pregnant! Craziness.  But I did it because not only was the crib on sale, but since we had been across the border for 2 days we didn't have to pay duty.  Plus we had the truck.  (You can buy this crib at Pottery Barn in Canada but it was like $200 more).  Then the crib sat in our basement for awhile because I refused to start the nursery until after our 20 week ultrasound!

The dresser I found used on Kijiji and saved about $70.  The room is much too small to have an actual change table, so using the dresser as a change table is perfect for us.  I know some people don't use them at all in the nursery, but I have never changed Parker's diaper anywhere but on the table.  Because we have a bungalow it's convenient to just go to the nursery for any diaper changes rather than having diapers and wipes stashed all over the house.

Luckily, we did get a good start on the nursery, so it was pretty much ready despite Parker's early arrival.  All of the furniture was in, it was just the small details such as decorations and a closet organizer that needed to be done.  Honestly I'm still working on some of the small details but I just couldn't wait any longer to share.

I fell in love with the look and price of this glider.  (I got it on sale for $350!)  But actually getting it was tricky.  I didn't want to buy it too early and then when I actually did go to buy it, it was backordered.  At one point it wasn't even on the website anymore and I was afraid it had been discontinued!  Luckily it eventually came back.

I made the mobile and am so happy with how it turned out.  

I bought the You are My Sunshine prints when we decided to start trying for a baby.  It was the one thing that I let myself give in and buy because I knew no matter how long it might take I wanted them.

I love Parker's nursery.  I find it very serene.  I wanted something that I enjoyed being in.  I'm not into all of the baby prints and bedding.  Because honestly Parker could care less what it looked like!

Crib: Pottery Barn
Crib Sheet: Target Canada
Crib Skirt: Material is from Hobby Lobby but my mom made it
Side Table: Old Soul Resale
Lamp: gift
Glider: Babies R Us
Shelf above glider: Ikea
Picture Frames with Parker pictures: Homesense
Parker's newborn pictures: JVL Photography
Owl on Shelf: Scentsy
Lion on Shelf: From Mexico
Baby Age Blocks: Indigo/Chapters
Dresser: Ikea
Change pad cover: Target Canada
Curtains: Target US
Blackout blind: Ikea
Diaper Pail: Ubbi
Book Shelves: Ikea Photo Ledges
You Are My Sunshine Prints: LilyGene Prints Etsy
You Are My Sunshine Frames: Ikea - Ribba
Crib Mobile: DIY - tutorial here
Poof Foot Rest - Target Canada

Parker at 3 months

Parker is 3 months old!  If you don't have kids that doesn't seem like a long time.  If you do have kids you will understand how those 3 months have flown by.  I can't even remember what our lives were like before this little guy came along.

Weight: 7 lbs 11 oz  He's had some slow periods, but he typically is gaining the ounce a day that he's supposed to.

Hair: Still has the old man hair do!  I think it's actually getting worse!  

Clothes: Still in newborn clothes.  He's over 7lbs so some 0-3 month should fit, but it's pretty big on him.  I like just putting him in sleepers, but some other people think that he needs to wear real clothes, so I'm trying to put him in pants and onesies when we go out. His real clothe options are limited at the newborn stage and I refuse to buy more because he should outgrow them any day! (I've been saying that for a month now.)

Diapers:  Will we ever get out of newborn diapers?  I bought 12 used cloth diapers, so we do half and half now.  I'm actually not minding the cloth diapering at all and am loving the cost savings!

Feeding: We definitely aren't scheduled.  I feed on demand, so it totally depends on how much he wants to eat at a time.  Sometimes he is eating every hour, or it can be 2, 3 or 4 hours between feeds.  

I try to give Parker at least one bottle a day, to keep him used to it and sometimes I just need a bit of separation!  

Sleep:  He fairly consistently does at least one 5 hour stretch at night.  We have had a few 6 hours, 7 hours and one 8 and 9 hour stretch (ridiculous!)  The 9 hour was just last night and I didn't sleep well because I kept listening for him.  I tried to feed him after about 5 but he wasn't hungry!

At night he sleep so well!  I put him in his crib and rarely have to do anything for him to fall asleep.  I know, I'm lucky, and I'm really hoping that this lasts!

We don't have scheduled nap times but he still sleeps for periods of time throughout the day.  I find that he's very awake after his first feeding and then will nap for awhile after his second.  On days when he's extra fussy if I go in the car or for a walk somewhere he falls right asleep.

Likes: Being talked to by mom, dad, grandparents and his aunts.  Being talked to during his bath.  I discovered that's Auntie Tal's trick, she talks to him constantly and I think it distracts him from what's going on.  Being held.  Playing with his tongue.

Dislikes:  Being left alone.  He wants in on the action, so if he can see us while we are preparing or eating dinner he's much happier!

Milestones:  Sleeping longer stretches!  He's still working on neck strength, we have smiles and the starts of giggles.  He's started focusing on people and objects a lot more.

When I put him on his tummy it amazes me how far he can move.  Luckily he doesn't move off his mat, he just seems to pivot counter clockwise on it.

I swear the kid wants to roll over.  He wants to be a big boy, but he's just so little!  

This past month:  We started going to prenatal yoga with another mommy friend and her baby.  It's not the most relaxing with all the babies around but it's nice to be able to do something somewhat active again.  I haven't really started working out otherwise because my basement is torn apart and Parker is so needy!  When he lets me put him down during the day I always have something else to do!  I never thought I would be that person who couldn't find time to work out....

We are settling in a lot more.  Most days we get out somewhere, even if it's just down to my mom's for a bit.  But it's nice to not feel house bound anymore.

Infertility Awareness Week

I want to preface this post by saying that I am not infertile.  It took Ryan and I almost exactly a year to get pregnant, which in the medical world is considered very normal for the average couple.  I feel very blessed that we did not struggle more and that our sweet little Parker is here with us!

But in that year that it took us to get pregnant, my eyes were opened to a different world and the situation that many couples face.  By about month 3 of trying to get pregnant you are worried that something is wrong.  You don't know whether it will ever happen, and for some couples it never does. 

So I just wanted to bring a bit of awareness to infertility.  Be cautious when talking about getting pregnant, how it happened first try for you and was so easy, because to somebody who can't get pregnant, that's a hard thing to hear.  (I heard multiple times when we were trying that getting pregnant is easy and we should get on it, little did they know it wasn't so easy for us.)  I try to never ask somebody when they are going to have babies anymore because you never know what they are going through.  They may have recently miscarried or had another negative pregnancy test.  There may not be an easy answer to that question because they might not know.  

If anybody reading this is trying to get pregnant and having trouble, feel free to talk to me.  Although we did eventually get pregnant I know how difficult that time can be and I went through a bunch of testing and know what the early stages of the infertility process is. So many women go through this alone and don't talk about the struggle, and it makes it so much more difficult.  

Baby Smiles

These days Parker is quite the smiling boy.  Generally as soon as I get my camera ready though he shuts it down, I guess he's camera shy!

Nothing in this world is better than baby smiles.  I find that Parker gives me the most in the morning after his first feeding.  He is so alert and happy.  He just sits there and smiles at me.  He also tends to be quite smiley at 4am, and although I try not to encourage him being too awake in the middle of the night, I just can't help but talk to him when that little face is grinning up at me!

A lot of times I feel like all I do during the day is feed him and stare at his face.  But with a face like that who can blame me!

Having a Boy

My entire pregnancy I told everyone I thought I was having a girl.  To be honest, I'm not sure that I was convinced, but I think I "wanted" a girl.  

In reality I wanted a healthy baby.  But having a boy terrified me.  Boys are high energy, they are dirty and smelly, they need to be watched.  Parker will get into things that I wouldn't even dream of because I don't think like a boy.  

I call him goober sometimes because he's already a dirty boy.  Puking all over himself, me, and anyone who dares to hold him! 

But we'll figure it out along the way.  I will learn how to be a boy mom.  He will challenge me more than I can even imagine I'm sure, but I'm looking forward to it.  Because as unpredictable and stinky boys can be, they can be just as adorable and funny as well.  

Already this little face makes me smile a million times a day.  He's big into the smiles these days, and nothing is better than when your baby grins at you.  Even if it's a grin with some throw up running out of his mouth!