Getting Ready for Baby

So, my dear friend, Ash, pointed out that I haven't blogged in 4 months and with all we've been doing to get ready for our baby, I'd better get on it!

It started in December, when my mom took the boys for 2 whole days (and the night in between) so that Brian and I could start to get the house reorganized.



Our house was looked like a tornado casualty before it looked better! We worked hard and I'm glad we got it done so early, because we had a LOT more projects coming up!

In January, Brian received his bonus from work, so we were able to purchase the materials to take the carpet out of our dining room and put in laminate wood floors in the entry, dining room and kitchen.

Here are the BEFORE pictures:




Here are the AFTER pictures:


I'd like to give a shout-out to my wonderfully talented and hardworking cousin, Shauna, for her help in this project. She worked tiredly for 2 days with Brian to get this done. (Don't worry, I made it worth her while {i hope} by paying her with a massage.)

We also painted in the 1/2 bathroom:



We had to paint in the boys room before my wonderfully talented and hardworking Father brought his grandson's the rest of their Pirate Boat Bed!


And here's a sneak-peek at the mural that my wonderfully talented and hardworking friend, Heather, has been painting on the boy's wall:


The other big project that we've been working on is the Baby's room. If you look up to the very first picture in this post, you'll see her room. It was our office. Our office is now in our bedroom, along with my craft station. (Sorry for the mess in this picture. I'm blogging instead of cleaning!)

Don't believe that I'm crafty? Well, if you don't believe it, you DO know me well, but I had to learn some things in order to accomplish my baby goals. Check it out:



I had the help of one of my wonderfully talented and hardworking mother-in-laws to make the valance, but the boppy pillow cover and the flowers I did ALL BY MYSELF! (You can be impressed now.)
All of that, along with lots of painting and making chair rail fit on walls that aren't straight, brings you to the final product (minus 2 pictures that still need frames):



We've worked really hard on her room, and I'm really proud of it. Thanks to Ash, who helped me finish it with the flowers this morning!

Don't worry, I did take time in amongst all that hard work to party! A baby shower is a very important part of getting ready for a baby and my wonderfully talented and hardworking friend, Ash, threw me the most fabulous shower!







We had delicious parfaits, a cake that was SO perfectly me, fun games, and the rest of the pictures are of hand-crafted gifts that my wonderfully talented and hardworking friends made for me. It was a great day and I feel so blessed by all that helped make it special for me.

In case you haven't noticed the trend in this post, I am surrounded in my life by all sorts of wonderfully talented and hardworking people who have blessed my life in so many ways. I couldn't have accomplished all that I have in the last few months without their help. I am more than lucky. I know my Heavenly Father has blessed me with these individuals (and with so many others that I haven't even mentioned in this blog, including all of you reading) and I want them to know how much I appreciate their love and support and acts of kindness and service. I am humbled by your love for me. Thank you.

Our sweet baby girl arrives on Monday, and I will try to update as soon as possible.