2.19.2007

House post: Nursery In-Progress

House post: Nursery In-Progress

This weekend, we scooped out what used to be our bedroom, and painted little clouds and a tree on the walls for the nursery. Seriously, it is so dreamy, you will have a baby just looking at it.

Click for the set:


Above is the tree without leaves. As you will read in my flickr note, I was very tempted to leave the tree like this, because I completely depend on Plain, Drab Colors. However, there was no need for that, and also, the tree looked kind of spooky and dead. So, I left the house while Erik added leaves (read: blobs). We used Blickrylics acrylic paints in a nice mix of burnt sienna and raw umber, then pure green oxide for the leaves. And, of course, pure white for the clouds. We used little circle sponges for the clouds and the leaves - the same one. We had bought yellow with the intention of having different shades of green, and even yellow accents in the clouds, but holy god. That would have a) taken too long, and b) probably looked nothing like we'd planned, and c) would unsimplify the look too much. Erik also wanted to shade the tree trunk with lighter and darker lines depending on how the light hits it from the windows. It didn't happen yet, and I already put away the paints due to my Frantic Nesting yesterday.

I'm 33 weeks now (the belly, it is gigantic), and things are going as swimmingly as possible for a third trimester. After next week's appointment with the midwives, we'll start going in for weekly appointments. I've never felt so important! This also means that we shouldn't show up for said weekly appointments without a) a pediatrician lined up, and b) a carseat which we do not own yet installed into the car.

Which leads me to the Frantic Nesting phase that I mentioned earlier. The reality that we're having a BABY is kicking in, strangely. I'm starting to panic about having the nursery set up. I just tried to set up some of the cabinets we bought for the baby's room, and ended up just laughing at all the parts, and lining them up in a nicely arranged manner on the floor for someone else to deal with. Yesterday, after the painting was finished, I cleaned every square inch of baseboard and trim, and then washed the wood floors, something we hardly ever do. Mostly out of laziness, but rationalizingly out of the fact that we really don't need to clean them that often. Also, today I made a spreadsheet of Environmentally Friendly Things To Buy Before The Baby Comes That You Really Can't Put On A Baby Registry. I'm panicking about where the baby will sleep, and the great lengths we've gone to to make sure that the baby's crib/nursery is free of anything scary and chemical (i.e., organic bedding, using wool pads instead of waterproof/plastic things, untreated pure wool rugs in the nursery, etc) (sorry, sheep), but then realizing that half+ of the time, the baby will probably be in our bed, which is currently clothed in all sorts of pesticides. Making one decision about organic home products is like a huge, expensive slippery slope. Also, at one point I considered myself a Vegan Who Avoided Wool But Not Militantly. Yeah, not so much anymore. Wool is pretty much the only things remotely "waterproof" without the prefix "poly-" infront of it. So wool it is.

And if you question my ethics I will smother you with my overpriced wool puddle pad.

2.13.2007

I know, I know.

I know, I know.

Let's do this the easy way:

  • Hi. Hi! Here I am!
  • Still pregnant. Very much so. I'm now 32 weeks large. The clock is ticking. Since I'm due Easter Sunday, the fact that Ash Wednesday (the Official Countdown To Easter) is next week, that means that THE BABY WILL BE HERE IN 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS.
  • Sleeping has lost all of its luster for me. Especially morning snoozing, my favorite sleep ever. If I wake up in the middle of the night, or even at 5 am, I'm automatically awake for at least 2 hours after that. I do lots of thinking. And, of course, grumbling and whining.
  • Our house is upside down right now, as we remodel the back room. Hold me. We have two rooms empty right now (future master bedroom and future nursery), which means the other rooms are significantly more full than my current comfort level allows.
  • And when I say "master" bedroom, don't think for a minute that it's going to be luxurious or have a bathroom. Because we only have one bathroom, and it's still pink. Very pink.
  • I went on the Hardest Business Trip Ever last week. To Maui. In February. I know, I know. Pity my awful job. At one point, we moved a meeting out to some beach loungers. Torture.
  • My dear ex-work-girlfriend Jackie is A REAL ACTOR. She's going to be in the Vagina Monologues! If you know Jackie, you should go with us to see her. This totally secures her a spot in the Coolest People I Know category.
  • This weekend, my parents bought us an organic crib mattress with no scary poly-something waterproofing, and I almost cried I was so happy and be-swooned. The crib mattress is currently in our living room. It is so small; I can't imagine something being small enough to sleep on it. Erik and I hug and get sappy every time we walk by it. We're so freaking screwed when the baby wants to only eat cookies and whipped cream for dinner.
  • That, my lovelies, is all.