Blogging about the Blog!

I don't have a lot of hobbies. Most of my time is taken up with working full-time and being a full-time mommy and wife. But the one thing I really enjoy doing and that I try and make time for is blogging. I like being able to share what's going on in our lives with my friends and family who don't live in Memphis, but most of all, I want to document as much as I can so that Case and Emery can look back one day read all about their lives (from my perspective).

It's basically electronic scrapbooking, which is perfect for me because I don't have the creativity or the patience to keep up with a "real" scrapbook. However, I'm the kind of person that prefers to look at pictures and read stories in hard copy format rather than online. So....I've found the next best thing to a "real" scrapbook. Blurb.com. Thanks, Rachael for blogging about it! It's a software you download that assists you in turning your blog into a bound book. It took me a couple of days over the holidays to get 2008 done, but it arrived in the mail last week and I love it!! It turned out so great. I still have 2009 and 2010 to do (not sure when I'll get the time), but I plan to make a hard-bound book out of each year.

Transitioning the Nursery

With Case into his new room, I'm trying to focus my efforts on getting Emery's room ready. I made some progress over the long weekend and wanted to share a few bits and pieces in progress.

Since our house is on the market, I didn't want to go to a whole lot of trouble in the event that it sells soon before or soon after she arrives, but also wanted to have it well-established in the event that the house doesn't sell for a while. We are prepared to stay but would be thrilled to pack up and go! :) So, the walls, rug, crib, dresser and rocking chair all say the same. All are neutrals and I found bedding that would go great with all the existing stuff...

This wooden "e" I ordered on Etsy and was so thrilled with how it turned out! I love Etsy!

And then my extremely talented mother-in-law painted these birds in colors that matched the crib bedding. Thank you, Maw Maw! They are precious and look so cute in the room. I look forward to finishing it all up and posting pics of the final product!

Big Boy Bed

It has been a big week in the Nowlin household. Case has officially moved into his "big boy room" and has been sleeping in his big boy bed. I'd say it's quite the accomplishment but it makes me so sad I could just ball. I wish I could figure out some way to stop the time from flying by...it's killing me. How can it be that he's not a baby anymore????

We've had his new room set up for about a month now, but he's just been playing in it and sleeping back in his old room during naps and at night. But we convinced him to start napping in his big boy bed last weekend but we had planned to start the full nighttime transition when I returned home from my work trip to Ohio. Much to my surprise in my hotel room one morning last week, James texted me with a pic of Case waking up in his big boy bed and I couldn't believe it. I had been fully anticipating an all out battle at night, but James said he had asked to sleep in it and the rest is history. It's been a breeze. I had dreaded it for nothing. Case even said he's giving his crib to Emery. We shall see if he remains so sweet upon her arrival! :)

Now, I had planned to buy one of those hideous guard rails that keeps him from rolling off the bed, but James insisted that it wasn't necessary and that he needed to learn not to roll off, so we've done without and just put a blanket on the floor and he's only fallen off once. It was rather uneventful. I just went in and found him on the floor and he got right back up in bed and went back to sleep.

Case, we are so proud of you!

Pregnancy...the good and the bad

This is me, one day last week, at 26 weeks and 3 days preggo. Pregnancy is a fascinating nine month journey and this time around has been different in many ways than the first time around, but also similar in a lot of ways as well. I think I preferred it the first time around when I really didn't know what was ahead. Ignorance is bliss, so they say...

Here are a couple of lists of some of my favorite and some of my least favorite things about this temporary state of being.

Things that are well, unpleasant:
1. The all-day sickness that lasted until 16 weeks.
2. The ordeal that is, every time I roll over at night.
3. The horrible teenage-like skin that has emerged all over my face and body.

Things that make the unpleasant worth it:
1. Feeling kicks, punches and somersaults inside from little "E"
2. Back rubs every night from the hubby.
3. The anticipation and excitement of meeting and seeing her for the first time in a few months

I mean, there is a real live person growing inside of me...so so crazy...

Snow Day!

Snow day in Memphis today! Too bad I'm in Ohio for a video shoot for work and am missing all the fun with my boys. Makes me so sad! James texted me this picture earlier...and as you can see, we weren't really prepared, dress wise, for Case to frolic in the snow...hence the plastic bags covering his tennis shoes! :) James said he didn't like them at all, but once he got outside in the snow he got distracted and forgot about them. And Case is using the ice scraper for the car to clean off his slide on the deck. He apparently was very concerned about it being covered in snow! Hope it doesn't all melt before I get back on Wednesday!