Emma's Nursery

When we bought our home, we knew this room would be the new nursery when the time came and used it as a guest room in the mean time. We miss having a guest room, but always referred to the room as "the nursery" from the day we moved in. I couldn't wait to turn the so-so room into something special for a very special baby. Boy or girl, I knew I wanted to paint it a soft white with a gray undertone. Shopping for white paint is so much harder than I expected! There's so many undertones and I didn't want it to be too bright or harsh. I really love the color we chose, it looks great in every corner of the room that gets different sunlight throughout the day.

When envisioning the room for Emma, I didn't have any particular direction to start. I wanted it to have pastels and be calm and feminine. When browsing Target, I found the floral crib sheet and I knew then I wanted to do a floral theme. What could be more soft, gentle, and girly? I like to keep both of the girls' rooms simple, they have a play room that's busy so I like for their rooms to be a place they can unwind and relax and fall asleep quickly in. I really love how Emma's room turned out, I think it's just perfect for her!

Paint: Glidden Raindrop White
Crib

Sheet

Crib Skirt (from Ellie's set, similar here and here)

Quilt made by my Mother in Law

Lamb

Glow Worm

Elephant (no longer available, similar here)

Glider (hand me down, similar here)

Throw Pillow

Throw Rug (draped on back)

Laundry Basket (Home Goods, similar here)

Dresser

Lamp (out of stock, similar here) // Shade (out of stock, similar here)

Sound Machine

Changing Pad Cover

Pad Liner

Monogram

Hand/Foot Print Frame

White Frames

Mirror

You Are So Loved (Home Goods, similar print here)

I Am Because You Are (Home Goods)

I Am A Child Of God Print

E Letter
DIY Diaper Genie Post 

Baby #2 Faves

One of the best things about having a child after your first, is that you know what you're doing (for the most part, I mean you kid is still alive and well taken care of right?). You also know what you like and what you didn't. Granted, every child is different and may prefer one paci or bottle over another, but you can navigate the aisles of any baby store like a pro to find what will work.

Most of what we used with Eleanor has been working with us, we purchased a few of the same things that needed to be replaced or bought the updated versions of them. That's another plus for the 2+ child is that you own most of the baby items you need!

Rock and Play : Ours is one of the OG styles and is no longer available, but now there's so many options and patterns to choose from! Ours is in perfect condition, but I would love the one I linked to that rocks itself, how magical is that? Me and all my mommy friends all swear by this and it's the first thing I tell new mommies they need to get. When checking out of the hospital with Emma, the baby doctor came by and had a picture of a Rock and Play and said that if we didn't already have one to stop on the way home to pick one up! I'm telling you, they're a must-have!

Zip Swaddler // Velcro Swaddler: We love swaddles for sleeping, both naps and overnight. I prefer these swaddles that make it super easy for me and hard for the baby to escape. We don't really have a preference for one over the other, the biggest differences is the zip is pretty tight whereas the velcro has some more wiggle room for Emma. The zip swaddle will be great when we start to transition out of swaddling since it opens on each side to let an arm out (I'll have to get a larger size when Emma is ready for that). She is actually outgrowing these right now and I'm going to pick up the next size this week for her.

Swaddling Blankets (first two, the next four, last three): One can never have enough blankets! I love them and went a bit overboard with Emma. We use them at home, when we're out, as a nursing cover, to throw over the carseat, to lay down for playtime, etc. There's so many uses and Ellie still uses hers all the time- for her babies, as a lightweight blanket for herself in the summer, and in the car. The top two blankets aren't as big, but the fabric is thicker. I like that they're a heavier fabric for cooler days and make a good transition blanket for the season. I also prefer my blankets to be large, over 40 inches each way.

Boppy (I have this and this slipcover): Anytime I nurse at home I use the Boppy. It's just the most comfortable way for me to nurse and it was the same with Eleanor too. I also brought it with me to the hospital for both babies, it was great for me to use and for visitors who wanted to hold the babies.

K'Tan: With Eleanor, I tried several carriers before finding this gem. It's super easy to use, I can put it on really quickly and by myself. With Ellie I used it mostly because it kept her calm and my hands free, but with Emma it's a whole new ball game. This is the only way we can go shopping! I put Ellie in the shopping cart and wear Emma at every store. It makes errand running so much easier! I'm thinking about picking up the breeze version too.

These are my tried and true favorites that worked for both our babies. I swear by these products and have been so happy with my experiences with them. It's only been two years since my first baby and so many of these items have been updated with new features, colors, or prints. I thought about getting some new items just for the updates, but I'd rather just save that money for college...or headbands.

What are your favorite baby items? What worked best for your growing family?

What's On My Baby 2 Wish List

The nesting period is upon us, I've been making lists and checking them off and racking my brain about what we need and don't need for #2's arrival. Luckily, we have a ton of great stuff from Eleanor that we can use for our next little one (and any little ones after that!). A few weeks ago we went through the garage to kind of gather stuff up and all of it is still in pristine condition, even all of her newborn and 0-3 clothes. I didn't check the older sizing of clothes yet, but Ellie didn't really start playing hard and staining stuff until recently now that she's older and on the run. I've been trying to put together a list of items we would need for the second baby and have asked some of my mama friends what they needed and here's the list I have so far.

Take Home Outfit- Every baby needs a take home outfit that you put away for years and years to give them when they have their own children. I have all of Ellie's items, including her hospital bracelets, in a vaccuumed ziplock for her and will do the same for this little girl. I absolutely love this outfit, I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. I found it half off last week and scooped it up in a hot second.

Blankets- I obviously had to buy the matching blanket set for the outfit too. It was a given.

Stuffed Animal- One of the first things I bought for Ellie was a soft, adorable bunny and I wanted to get Little 2 one as well. We used the stuffed animal for maternity pictures, and for monthly updates to show how fast Ellie had grown in comparison. She loves her bunny and we keep it in her room and I know it will be something we have forever. Matt has a couple of stuffed animals his mother kept and I think it's so precious to have something that was so important to you as a child. I just bought this one last week and I can't wait for it to come in!

Book- I love and collect so many books for the girls. When I had Ellie I brought a BabyLit Alice in Wonderland book as a guest book for our visitors to sign and it's one of my favorite mementos. I plan to do it again and always tell expectant mothers to bring something for guests to sign and write notes. I'm gonna stick with the BabyLit books and love this Secret Garden for our little girl.

Headbands and Bows- Baby girls needs a ton of headbands and bows, duh. You can never have too many! We have a ton of sets from Ellie, but I can't resist this adorable Grow With Me Set from Willow Crowns. Ellie and I already have the bottom lace one and now we can all be triplets when we wear them together!

Muslin Blankets- These are the best blankets ever, just muslin blankets in general, we used several brands with Ellie. They're perfect all year and now Ellie uses hers all the time for herself or her dolls. I love the colors and prints in this set, still feminine, but not pink. We have so much pink stuff, and I love it, but I want to incorporate some more color for both my girls. I've seen this set at BRU, but they don't have it online. Even though I had Ellie just two years ago, so many new prints and sets have come out!

Diaper Genie- In theory, I would love to have Ellie potty trained before the baby comes, but I'm not sure if we will. Plus, her diaper pail is broken and we would need a new one anyways. We have one by Munchkin and want to pick this one up instead, it seems to be a better one than ours after using it at a friend's home.

Sound Machine- Ellie still uses hers, mostly for a nightlight now, but if we have people over we put the white noise on to help block out sounds and keep a constant noise for her to sleep better. I like that this one has a timer so it's not on all night, which is a nice feature and it also has images it can project onto the ceiling which could be cool.

Double Stroller- This has been one thing that I haven't looked too much into because I'm dreading it. Two of my mama friends said to get a jogger because it's more lightweight and easier to push/use and I believe them! I used one for a walk we did in April and it was like pushing air on a dirt path. Matt and I are going to look for one soon. I linked to this one because it fits the carseat we have so I wouldn't have to wake the baby transitioning her from car to stroller and such.

Tote Bag- We have a monogrammed bag we use all.the.time for Ellie and I want to get another one for this little babe. I love that this tote comes in different sizes and strap lengths and I'm really digging the lavender shade. I also love anything that can be monogrammed of course. My favorite part is that it zips! Woohoo!

Those are my top ten items for baby 2, I'm sure I'm missing something so please help! Let me know what you guys used/needed with your second babies and what strollers you like best.What has been the biggest life saver when your additional children arrived? Thanks for any tips, tricks, and ideas!

Baby #2 + Bump Pics!!

Ellie is pretty stoked to be a big sister

We are so excited to be having a second baby girl! We finally announced on social media this past Saturday,  thank you so much for all of the love!! We are over the moon happy to be having another girl and appreciate everyone's kind words and excitement. Our hearts are so full!!

So there's been lots of secret keeping and questions and I hope to answer all of them in this post, if I've left something out, ask below!

Our first look at our sweet baby girl!

What's your due date? My due date is August 12, and if we have another c-section the baby will be scheduled to arrive around August 3-4.

Will you have a c-section again? With this pregnancy, if everything stays great and the baby is healthy and not breech, then it is my choice what kind of birth we will have. We have not made a definite choice yet, but we are leaning towards a c-section. I had a wonderful experience and a great recovery, plus we know what to expect.

12 Weeks Along

How far along are you? This Wednesday I'll be 21 weeks, over halfway!

When did we find out? We found out December 8, 2014. It was kind of already obvious to us since I was a week late, but we like to test just for confirmation.

14 Weeks Along

How did we tell our families? It was so hard not to tell everyone right away, but we told our parents and siblings on Christmas. One of Ellie's gifts was the Super Sister Tee she wore in the announcement and two big sister books. It was such a fun surprise and seeing everyone's reactions and how soon it clicked for some! Lots of tears, hugs, and smiles were shared and it really made Christmas special.

15 Weeks Along

Why did we wait so long to share? We slowly told our friends and extended family, but not everyone. Some family/friends we were hoping to surprise later found out when we saw them because we couldn't keep a big round basketball belly a secret in person! We decided early on that we would officially announce when we knew the gender. However, at every appointment either the cord was between the legs, her legs were crossed, or her legs were so close together the doctor couldn't see anything to be sure. Otherwise, we would have spilled the beans a few weeks ago!

Are we sure it's a girl/Did we want a boy? Well, a baby of any gender coming at any time is considered a blessing around here! It really didn't matter to me what gender the baby would be, I'd love to have more children so maybe the next time I might root for a boy, but this time I honestly would be happy either way. It's also a running joke that Matt will be the only boy again (he grew up with 3 sisters!) so part of us almost expected to have another girl. I only had a sister growing up and I love the bond that we share, she is my best friend and I'm happy that Ellie will have that chance for the same bond (that's not to say a sister/brother bond isn't just as special- I just don't know that first hand).

16 Weeks Along

Did you have a feeling one way or the other for gender? Not really. I flip flopped back and forth between what I thought it was, but didn't have a strong feeling one way or another. The old wives tales all said boy (except the heartbeat), even the Chinese Gender Chart and Ring Test, which I swear is 99% accurate. At my 12 week appointment for the NT scan, the nurse said she'd bet her paycheck it was a girl based on the behavior and heart rate, but couldn't give me a definite answer because the cord was between the legs. 

How is this pregnancy different? It's really not much different than when I was pregnant with Eleanor. I even looked back through my Bumpdates to compare notes. I don't have cravings for fruit and frozen yogurt this time, but want crunchy, vinegary stuff and sweets. I would have an upset stomach early on, chicken didn't gross me out, but didn't sound appetizing to me (I could still eat it), and I had a few waves of nausea, but they came and went in a moment.  No morning sickness again, woohoo! Because of those few differences, I thought maybe it was a boy, but I didn't think they were different enough to have a definite gut feeling about it.

18 Weeks Along

Do you have a name picked out? We finally settled on one this week! We still have boy names from when we were pregnant with Ellie that we plan to use should we ever have a boy, but we've been going back and forth about girl names since we found out we were expecting. I love baby names and knowing what people are naming their children and if there's any story behind the name. We had a hard time finding one we liked, we wanted something that would flow well with Eleanor and the boy names we have chosen, plus a middle name and our last name. I didn't want to have Eleanor, an older feminine name and pair it with a new trendy name. I love when sibling names have a nice ring to them, a theme, etc. We finally settled on one and once we did Matt and I both can't identify this little one as anything else. We refer to her by name when we talk about her and when I picture her and her nursery, I think of her name and how I imagine her personality will be. I probably won't announce the name on the blog/social media until she arrives though, sorry to keep you waiting!

20 Weeks Along

Does Ellie understand a baby is coming? She knows something is changing, we talk to her a lot about the new baby sister she'll have. We read her big sister books nearly every night and she understands that she's the big sister and not the baby. She's also become obsessed with babies and all baby related items- carseat, strollers, playing mommy with her dolls. I know it's part of her age/development, but I'm happy that it's corresponding with the upcoming changes. Our daycare provider recently had a baby and Ellie is obsessed with her. She does really good at daycare around her and doesn't touch the baby or give it kisses (we practiced at home before she arrived so she would be prepared at daycare), she loves to wave to the baby and say hi. It's so cute!

Can I feel the baby move? Yes! It started a little earlier than with Eleanor, but I knew what it felt like this time. She's mostly active first thing in the morning and mid-afternoon. Matt felt her move last week, just the smallest of movement for him, nothing really strong yet.

Here are some side by sides from this pregnancy (on the left) vs with Ellie:

 

Will I do weekly bumpdates again? Honest, I'm not sure. I don't want to bore everyone with pregnancy details, but I don't want to look over the second baby either. She's just as special! Let me know what you think and what you're interested in seeing- if there's an interest I'll be sure to share!

Thank you for all of the love and sharing it with me. It really has been so heartwarming to receive everyone's comments/messages/texts to our announcement!