Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween! I have about fifteen 55 gallon tubs of Halloween decorations to prove it. Unfortunately there is very little Halloween spirit/decorations in the Taylor household this year, but that's okay. It'll just be more exciting next year with a little girl who will be into everything!

Cory put together the bookshelf for the nursery last night so I was finally able to finish putting things in their place. As soon as we get the new fan up this weekend I'll take some photos for your viewing pleasure!

 

For now, here's a baby bump (or .. more like mountain now) photo.

[caption id="attachment_659" align="aligncenter" width="560"] 37 Weeks and 5 Days![/caption]

 

I think I definitely feel pregnant now. The first 37 weeks were a breeze and I really have nothing to complain about. But as of Tuesday, I'm thinkin' she definitely wants outta there. No braxton hicks that I've noticed, just sharp pains when I sit or lay down that feel like she's using talons to burrow into the ole pelvis.

We're so close to the end/beginning! Hopefully nothing crazy happens between now and Sunday. We're having our driveway concreted and our cars are currently at the very end which is about 2.5 football fields away and surrounded by dark scary woods and a cemetery...

Baby Photography

What? Another post within 24 hours?! Crazy. This is my 45th post on this particular blog which well exceeds any other blog I've had. Congratulations to me!

Anywho. I thought I'd take a moment to show you a couple of things I've been working on for my up and coming baby photography business. Any by that I mean, the business of taking photos of my own baby. I'm no baby photographer, but I'm pretty excited about taking photos of my own little model.

A month or so ago I finished the backdrop holder and over this last weekend I finally finished the posing bean bag. Rolling around on the floor to get it cut out was not fun, but I got it done. Here's the finished products. *Full disclosure.... These are terrible iPhone photos*

[caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Backdrop Holder and Posing Bag[/caption]

The backdrop holder is 3/4" PVC pipe and the posing bag is flannel backed vinyl with bean bag filling. This project ran me about $100 total. The most expensive part is the bean bag filling at about $15 a bag and you need about 4 bags. If you happen to have old bean bags lying around or can find them at yard sales, you can get by a lot cheaper!

Tutorial for the posing bag HERE.

Tutorial for the backdrop holder HERE.

Non-DIY posing bags run about $75-80 (with NO BEANS... and remember I said that was the bulk of the cost....) and blanket/backdrop stand about $50 (for the one I made up there) to about $200 for a real one.

I consider this a win in my book. I also found some great blankets/throws at Ross for a little over $10/ each. I'm so excited!

[caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Stand with blanket[/caption]

 

Pretty soon I'll be able to put baby Colette on there and take billions of pictures with my real cameras and lights and most definitely not and iPhone. I hope you're all ready for Christmas pictures.

 

[caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Sheep.[/caption]

Finished packing!

Well, I think I finished the whole "packing for the hospital" thing. So in the event that you're interested, here's what's in the bag:

1. The Husband Bag

• Gym shorts


• Sleep pants in case it's freezing


• 2 tshirts


• Boxers


• Socks


• Basic toiletries (toothbrush, deodorant)

2. Toiletries

• Toothbrush and toothpaste


• Hair tie and headband


• Face wipes


• Shower essentials (shampoo, conditioner, deodorant)


• Lotion


• Chapstick


• Hand sanitizer


• Lanolin


• Nursing pad


• Maxi's


• Sample vitamins


• Towel

Most of these things I already had since I like to collect travel size things. But I did purchase a new toothbrush for a whole buck. I also thought it was a good way to take advantage of all the free sample vitamins I've received over my many months of prenatal doctor visits instead of having to remember to pack my big bottles.

3. Clothing

• DIY hospital gown #2


• Giant walmart undies


• Nursing bra


• Tank top


• Yoga pants


• Zip-up hoodie


• Non-slip socks

Pretty basic here. I plan on wearing my DIY hospital gown #1, leggings, robe, and flip flops into the hospital.

4. Warmth

• 4 walmart pillows in blue cases


• Fleece blanket

$2 pillows from Walmart in some cheap cases. The nurse at the hospital said to be sure and bring our own because they're quite scarce around the hospital. I put them in a vacuum bag to take up less space for now. I know I won't have a vacuum for the trip back home, but odds are I'm not going to care about it then. The fleece blanket is for Cory on his poor little couch bed.

5. Boppy
Pretty self explanatory. I'm taking my mini boppy to the hospital and leaving my full size at home.

6. Bag o'Colette

• A couple of coming home outfits


• Little hat


• Swaddler


• Blankets


• Pacifier

Pretty basic here too. Blankets for coming home, a wubbanub paci just in case, couple of outfits because I can't decide just yet and don't know what size she'll be, and a hat with her name on it.

7. The Paperwork

• Phone charger


• Birth plan


• Triage questions and answers


• List of people to call/text/email


• Baby book


• Pens


• Paper

All my paperwork is nice and neat in a little folder, ready to go. I found a list of possible/usual triage questions upon entering the hospital. Cory and our doula will be with me and in the event that I'm unable to answer a question because of a contraction or something, perhaps they'll be able to find the answer on the sheet and I can just confirm.

And that's it. The only other things I would possible like to pack are some Harry Potter DVDs. Call me crazy but during those lulls after delivery when/ if I can't sleep etc. it'd be nice to have something playing in the background.

I'm also happy to report that both guest bedrooms and the nursery are clean and ready for occupancy. The only thing the nursery is missing is the bookcase and it will be here late this week. Ahhh sweet relief. Only 3 weeks to go.

What A Morning

Last night when I was thinking of blog titles the first thing that came to mind was "A Peaceful, Easy Feeling."

I'll have to save that for another day.

It's been a busy week for the Taylor's, but a good kind of busy. We had a baby safety class on Monday night and a childbirth class last night that included a tour of the women's services area. I'd been in there once before, but at that time wasn't really thinking about having any kids yet. It's a really small place so there won't be too much hassle when it's time to go and the birthing suites are really nice. I think the baby classes were pretty successful in terrifying Cory and getting me a little more familiar with the hospitals policies.

And then we had a doctor's appointment this morning. Sort of.

The last 4 or so visits we've been to have had exceptionally long waiting times. I thought today was no different but after an hour and a half of watching EVERYONE in the waiting room come and go, Cory got up to ask what the deal was. Well, I had been marked off the sign in sheet but not checked-in and my doctor had already left for an emergency. *Insert rage here* I was not only incredibly irritated, but I hadn't eaten anything yet which made me very hanrgy. As I've noted in a previous post. You won't like me when I'm hangry.

After storming out and a fruitless 40 minute drive back home, I got a call to reschedule and they're also throwing in a free 3D ultrasound. So, it could be worse. Although I will say I'm not terribly fond of the 3D ultrasounds. The images of the babies all squished in there freak me out a little bit. You won't be getting posts of those.

End ranting.

I feel like I've posted a few negative Nancy posts recently and I apologize. I'm actually feeling pretty content. The list of things to do is still large but I feel like we're finally in a place that if Colette decided to show up early, we'd have everything we need in place and the rest could wait. We actually have way more than she could possibly need, but being the taurus I am, I feel like she needs to have a lot of "things." The last of the 'things' on my list came yesterday, THE DIAPER BAG. Wahoo. And I do love it. The label on it boasts about it's simple design and superior functionality and that's exactly what I wanted. (SoYoung Charlie Bag).

Next week is going to be busy as well! We have a prenatal appointment with a pediatrician, our weekly check-up and ultrasound, and thank you notes to send out! I'm such a failure when it comes to thank you notes. BUT THEY'RE COMING FOR YOU, I PROMISE! We are incredibly thankful for everything and everyone who's blessed us with gifts and love. We're (and by we I mean me..) just a little slow in the *need to get things done* category.

Well, let's get back to work! We're down to one month exactly before my due date and maternity leave and I'm officially freaked out that I'm not going to get all my work to a place where someone can take over. Eeek.

I leave you with this baby bunny.

Revisiting The Pre-Baby Bucket List

One of my first posts consisted of a pre-baby bucket list for home improvements. Now that we're a measly 5ish weeks from our due date, I think it's time to revisit that list and see what we've accomplished.

• Remodel Master Bathroom – They're finishing this one up today! It looks great and I'm going to be so happy to have a bathtub in the house. The vanity and toilet are our responsibility, but they're ready to go in the garage.

• Finish the Remodel of the Guest Bathroom – Well, what we thought was going to be a quick clean up and 10 sq ft tile job has pretty much turned into another remodel. When I showed the room to our tile guy the words that came out of his mouth were "That's probably the worst thing I've ever seen." Luckily it's just a tiled shower and not a cast iron tub like our master bathroom.

• Landscaping – Partially done. Cory has done a lovely job of ripping most everything out and trimming, but there's still some left to do.

• Critter Removal and Blockage – Ah.. nope. Didn't quite get there unfortunately.

• Rewiring – Don't get me started on that one.... We're not actually going to be completely rewiring, thank goodness. But I just don't see it actually happening before Baby Colette gets here. Which is a shame because we've got lights and fans that need installation and a few exposed wires that probably need to be removed.

• Find a New Home for the Office – Check!

• Hang Smoke Detectors – Got a new box of detectors from my mom a while back, still need to get them up.

• Clean Out and Organize the Garage – Thanks to my family for that one. We got everything out and cleaned. Of course, that was a few months ago and we have since found a way to fill it back up. The good news is that we're getting a new garage door so we can actually park a car in there one day.

• Clean Out and Organize Everything Else – I think this is probably a lifelong project, but I have managed to get most everything put away in an orderly fashion.

• BURN THE BURN PILE – Got that done too.

• Hang New Eaves Around the Porch – Not there yet either. One day.

• New Doors – Didn't think this was a big deal at first. But unfortunately one of our doors has taken a turn for the worse. We can't even open it. It somehow collected a ton of moisture. Oops.

• The Nursery – I'm so close! The big thing left is hanging the new fan and pendant lights... And we need to paint/hang the mirror and wall art. I also need a white bookcase.

I'm fairly content with the progress. The only thing I'd really like done (yesterday) is the electrical, but there isn't a whole lot I can do about that.

In the realm of baby things, I think we're officially covered in the most important things. We had our baby shower with Cory's family and friends last weekend and it was most excellent! It was beautiful as well as delicious. (Let's take a moment for a little self-loathing because I definitely forgot my camera...)

Carseat and stroller: Check!

Baby Bedding: Check!

BOPPY: CHECK! (Love a good boppy..)

Diapers: Well... we have at least a solid week's worth.

Pack n Play: Check!

Diaper Bag: Check! (Not here yet, but it has been ordered!)

I'm very thankful for everything that everyone has done for Cory, me, and Baby Colette. Who knew anyone could be so blessed with such an outpouring of support and love.

I know I had some other things I was going to write about, but it seems they've all slipped my mind. Oh well! Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!