John's been on a roll lately with all these diy's and crafting. Last week he helped me with invitations and this week he finally got around to some wood work. One of his long time buddies at work is also expecting a baby boy in Feb and has asked some of their co-workers to bring in some letters to contribute to the nursery. John picked the letter 'E' because all the other letters he wanted was taken. He said he wanted something different and not any from Michaels or whatever craft store because he knew thats where most people were gonna go. So what does he do? Makes his own letter of course! I wasnt really paying attention to him cuz I was doing something else and would just sneak in on him every now and then to check his progress. I know he started with one of the many scrap woods we have in the garage and sketched out the letter E before cutting it out! I was wondering what he was doing in the garage! Then he finally put to use the wood burner/carver that I bought him a few months ago to do the drawing of the rope to give it that rustic/nautical vibe. The couple has chosen a nautical theme for their boy's nursery, so I think this would be perfect!

Materials Used:
Scrap wood that we had (1 x 6, I believe is the size he used)
Dremmel Wood Kit to cut out the letter E, not sure which tip he used to cut it out.
Versatool Wood Burner/Carver (can be bought from any crafts store)

Total Cost: Free

A few days later, he worked on the blocks that he cut up from scrap wood a few weeks ago. I finally stained it! I originally wanted baby H's name on it but I changed my mind and asked him to do 'explore' instead. I think Im gonna put his name somewhere else. I tease him about opening up our own shop and sell all of these things we've been making for the nursery! But keeping up with shop inventory would be a pain, so nah! With photography,  me working part-time, his work schedules and a baby on the way.. I think we have our hands full already. Plus he plans on going back to school in the next few months so keeping up with a shop would be too much to add to our agenda!

It turned out pretty neat!! I love how the original wood is exposed through the stain. I didnt do that intentionally, I was trying to get it stained quick so that I dont spend too much time inhaling the smell! It took me about 5 minutes to stain all 7 blocks. I like how it turned out anyway! It is now displayed on the shelf!  I'm gonna have him work on more blocks for another project! Its for something i'll need for when the baby is born! ;]

Materials Used:
2 x 2 wood (from scrap wood we have in the garage) cut into blocks
Saw
Rustoleum Stain - Carrington (left over from another project)
Versatool Wood burner/carver

Total Cost: Free


I love when I catch them sleeping and cuddle on the couch! If they aren't on me, they're cuddle up next to each other! We say that Pax likes to cuddle with me during the day and come night time, he loves cuddling with Dada. I love these two and soon I get to add one more boy to this picture! I cant wait!!

Xx,
Jenn

John finally got started on the banner I wanted him to do. We all know that when it comes to writing or wannabe calligraphy, I am at level 0. Haha! I wasn't sure what quote I wanted so I had him choose between several and he chose this. This quote was part of our pregnancy announcement, so I guess it worked out! He sketched different designs before going with this one. He didn't love it, but I did! After he was done, I let the fabric marker dry over night before finishing it off. I ended up cutting the ends into an upside down triangle before sewing it up. This was one of the quickest diy's we did and is just one of out two banners he'll be making for the nursery. :)

Materials Used:
1/3 yard of Muslin fabric - the canvas ones
Fabric Marker
Wooden sticks (i forgot what they were called)
Twine rope

Total Cost: $1.00 (for the fabric), everything else we had from previous projects

I gotta give Pax the furbaby some blog lovin! He has been very protective of me lately and has been loving to cuddle his baby bro. I mean he used to do it before but he does it all the time now without me having to call him over. He's also loving the new tribal blanket that John bought. We have so much throws on the cough that each one of us has our own! I've also been catching John and Pax snuggling in the cutest ways on the couch lately, usually after we do projects or get chores done. When baby H comes, we're still going to make sure that Pax gets as much loving as he needs. We said we'd take turns playing with him. If I had the baby John would be incharge of giving Pax attention and vice versa. He's our first bubs, and nothing is going to change, we're just adding another member to our family! :)

Happy fall!! Its officially the autumn season! & Oh my goodness! Are we really at the end of our second trimester? I still wake up some days feeling like its all a dream, until Baby H kicks my ribs to remind me that it is certainly real. We have decided to keep his name private (at-least from the social media world) until his birth, since we share a lot of our journey online, we wanted to keep some things to ourselves before sharing him with the world. 

It has definitely been an amazing journey thus far. A bit overwhelming at times, emotional even, but I wouldn't have it any other way. John and I have definitely created a whole new bond during this pregnancy. He's become a lot more protective thats for sure. Now that we're entering our last and final trimester, I just want to quickly look back and reflect on some things I've learned/experienced throughout this pregnancy so far. 

Im not a fan of...

Gas (& gas bubbles)- I was never a gassy person, but boy oh boy! Since getting pregnant I've definitely felt like a man.. burping and farting very often. John just laughs and jokes with me and says "Ew! Thats not very lady like!" But he's just teasing of course. He calls himself the fart king, and he says I am now the fart queen, and Pax too has been gassy. He says we'll be a family of farters. Haha! Its a little embarrassing when Im in the store, and I have to try and hold it until no one is around. =X

Bloody Nose - this was definitely a first for me! I don't know what causes mine, but its not the usual runny ones. My nose for a while has been very congested and dry. I read that some mommy-to-be's experience this, so Im assuming its normal. I will definitely have to ask my doc about it at my next appointment. 

Insomnia - this is the most frustrating one! Since about 22 weeks, my sleep patterns have been out of whack. I hear people talk about not getting enough sleep after the baby is born, but no one ever really talked about experiencing it during pregnancy. The first few weeks I started experiencing lack of sleep wasn't even because of the baby, I just couldn't seem to get my mind to shut up! 

Shortness of breathe - Lately, breathing is a struggle. I'm not sure if its him hanging out and squishing my lungs, but sometimes I have trouble breathing. It reminds me of cheer when Id get dropped from the air. Im constantly trying to catch my breathe. I could be sitting down and run out breathe. Its worse at night when Im laying down, mainly when Im laying on my left side. It drives me crazy. I definitely have a lot questions and concerns to address with at my next doctors visit. 

I love...

Movements - I started feeling movements very early, around 17 weeks, but they didnt get stronger and more frequent til about 20 weeks or later. I used to feel the most movements just before bed time now its all day. His kicks are getting stronger that sometimes it catches me off guard and Im like "whoa, what was that?" I can also see my tummy move up and down from my peripheral vision. Its so funny because he wont let me record him. As soon as I press record, he stops. His popcorn like kicks are my favorites because they don't hurt. The ones that are in waves and are slow, those are somewhat painful. It still amazes me that a life is growing inside of me. Its definitely a reminder that I am never alone. When I start to feel lonely because John's stuck at work, baby's kicks makes it all better. Lately, he's been snuggled up next to ribs or way below near my pelvic area and boy, do they hurt! He mainly hangs out on the left side during the day and then the right side at night. John is really good at figuring out where he is. He's been more responsive to his dada too. Before he'd shy away and stop moving as soon as John puts his hands on my tummy. But now, he lets his dada know that he can hear or feel him. 

My non-existent stretch marks - I dont know if its still too soon, but I am glad to say I have none. John has more stretch marks near his butt than I do! Haha! 

Being an outtie - Odd I know! But I have been waiting for my belly button to finally pop out, and it has! I usually check at night after I brush my teeth to see if it has poked out yet! I looked down two weeks ago and saw that it was slowly starting to stick out and when it finally did I went out of the bathroom with a big 'ol smile and showed John and said "LOOOK! My belly button is out!" We both started laughing. That just means my belly has definitely gotten bigger! Some people still say I'm small, but hello, I was petite to begin with! I love how big my belly is, its big for me. 

Compliments - People tell me that pregnancy looks good on me. I love getting compliments especially on days when I dont feel very pretty and instead feel really huge. I also like hearing it when its from random strangers when Im out running errands. I get the "Aww! you're such a cute preggo! When I get pregnant, I wanna be as cute as you!" I've gotten that twice! Or I'll be out with John and ill walk by people and they'll say "Did you guys see her? What a cute preggo." And i'll just look back and smile at them! Definitely a good ego booster! 

Im glad...

That this pregnancy has been going great and normal thus far, aside from being mildly anemic that is. Which Im currently taking iron supplements on top of my prenatals. But thats nothing new to me. Ive been diagnosed with anemia before, back in 8th grade. No major concerns gets brought up during doctor visits, so I guess its a good thing. I've also only gained 16 lbs so far, which I think is where Im supposed to be. I've got 12 more weeks to put on some weight. Yikes! I was told I should be gaining one pound every week from now on. That means by the end of this pregnancy, I should have gained around 25-30 lbs. Wowsers! I think all the weight has gone to my belly (& boobs, these babies have definitely grown! My bras are getting much much tighter nowadays!)  I'm one of those pregnant ladies where if you saw me from behind you would never guess Im pregnant! 

I know these next 12 weeks are going to fly by just like the first two trimester did! I've definitely been trying to treasure every single moment and experience, both good and bad. I told myself before that if we ever fell pregnant again that I was not going to let the bad outweigh the good. So I promised myself from the start that I will not let the negative parts of pregnancy keep me from enjoying this experience. I keep telling John that once baby is out, I know there will be days when I'm going to miss him being in my belly. So Im embracing it, rubbing it, and enjoying it, no matter how painful it may be. Its funny cuz Baby H isn't even out yet, and John's already talking about the next baby. Slow your roll, buddy! 

To Baby H, 

I can't wait to meet you. I haven't met you yet, but you've already made me fall so deeply in love with you. You've already changed the course of my life in more ways than one, in a good way of course. I love you son.

Love, 

Mommy

__________________________________________

Dada's thoughts: Its been a while since I got to write anything, work schedules has been a little crazy. I'm just going to make this short. Momma is starting to not sleep so well.   Baby H seems like he's either working on his black belt or breakdancing, or maybe both? I always joke with Jenn that the baby will come out with the karate stance. Also now that baby is getting bigger, Momma's back is starting to become more sore than usual.  You know what that means, more time for me to work on my massage hands.

So, I was told baby can hear me better now.  I wonder what kind of music he likes? We sometimes put my earphones on Momma's tummy and let him listen to songs. I get a kick out of watching him move through Jenn's stomach. Its so alien like. It used to freak me out, but now Im used to it. 

We checked out one of the parks we liked to see if the leaves have changed colors. Its one of my favorite locations to do a session during the fall season! It hasn't completey changed colors yet, but it is getting there! Give it a few more weeks, Im sure by mid October it'll be ready for my fall sessions! When we got there, there were a bunch of people kayaking and I got a little jealous because we haven't done too many outdoorsy things like that all summer. But its okay, we'll make up for it next year. Before heading to the parks, we ate some Korean food because I started craving it when a friend I was talking to that morning mention KBBQ! Oh my goodness! The original spot we go to was closed and I started tearing up in the car. I was seriously crying. John was like "you dont have to cry! We can go somewhere else!" He just doesn't understand the struggle, the hormones and the cravings all in one and its messing with me! We were almost going to grab some sushi (dont worry I only order the cooked ones!), but decided to try a new Korean spot we havent been to. Eh, it was okay, not the best, but I guess it somewhat satisfied my craving. Nothing beats your usual spots though, right?!

So I took the plunge and bought a Sony Alpha! I have been back and forth and contemplating for months whether or not I want to go ahead and purchase my own. I decided not to get it, until this good deal came along! I was scrolling through OfferUp, as I do at least once a week, and the a6000 popped up for $350! That rarely ever happens! We were JUST at the Nex during the weekend and I turned down the sale they had for it, for $749 for the bundle. I didnt really need a bundle. I just needed a small enough camera that takes amazing photos for everyday use, because we all know how bulky a Nikon d600 is! So I contemplated all morning until John got off and asked for his opinion since he already owns a Sony a7r (the full frame mirrorless dslr model). And he said go for it, its a good deal! So I offered to buy it for $300, and was afraid the guy would turn me down! Nope, he accepted and off we went to meet him at Town Center. Prior to paying for the camera, I had John inspect and test out the camera. It came with the 16-50mm lens, 8g memory stick, international plugs, and a case. I was so excited! The a6000 is the cropped version of John's camera! He hogs it when were out or traveling, so now I have my own to use and the best part, we can share lenses again! I still have my Nikon d600, thats for business use. I call it my money maker! ;] I snapped that picture of John after I officially owned it! 

I am loving it so far! I just snapped a few photos before we headed back to the car! I can't wait! Blog photos will definitely be a lot better (vs. using my phone all the time) or using John's camera. His files are always so huge and my Nikon is usually tucked away in my camera bag, so sometimes I get lazy to grab it! Ha! It was tough going out and spending the money on this because baby funds are the priority, but I had some cash put aside. Plus!  I've been selling a few stuff on OfferUp as well, and have broke even already. I sold 2 old canon cameras that I used to use for vlogging ($200), and is in the process of selling our Nikon d90 plus two lenses ($500), and other knick knacks that I no longer use. So I didn't really spend money on this, as I like to think of it. lol!

I only asked him to do two for the night because he wanted to finish watching Game of Thrones (yeah, we finally got around to catching up on it). It took him 15 minutes to do both. When he handed it to me, I said "that was quick!" While he watched, I got all my materials together and started stamping away. Take note, this was at 11pm at night. It took me about an hour and a half to get done, and after I was finished I just hung them on our bar stool to let dry over night before ironing and setting it.

Total Spent: $15. Certainly beats paying $26+ per hand-stamped swaddles! 

Xx,

Jenn

I've taken a little break from doing any baby diy. Last time I sewed was on Wednesday because I spent most of Thursday cleaning and catching up on editing so that I can send off the galleries Ive been working on, and organizing baby H's closet! John also came back Friday at 4am! I was so excited I only got about 4.5 hours of sleep because I had a doctors appointment at 9am that morning! I was so exhausted, the fun part, I had to do my glucola test. Yikes! Luckily, they recently started doing the 1hr test and no fasting! Thank goodness! The actual drink didn't taste as bad as everyone made it seem, the fact I had to chug that bottle within those few minutes nearly made me gag! She handed it to me and I thought I could sit out and drink it until I asked and she said "no, drink all that here right now." So i took a few sips at first, before chugging the whole thing. So sweet! I waited in the waiting area for an hour before getting my blood drawn and then met with an ob/gyn for my routine check up! All went well! Baby H kicked the heartrate monitor as soon as the doc put it on my tummy! It was hilarious! It startled the doc and she started laughing and said, "jeez! That was a strong kick!!" Heart rate is at 150 bpm! Healthy sounding wiggling baby, just what I love to hear! :]

The house is slowly filling up with baby items and clothes have definitely been a few of them! That picture is my second load of baby laundry! Second load, already?! I like to do separate loads for him and not mix it in with ours because I use Dreft (stage 1: newborn) laundry detergent! Oh my goodness, it smells so good!! It's been really weird doing baby laundry! I'm still trying to get used to folding them. Actually the onesies that go in the drawer, I roll up so its easier to spot. Most of his clothes are hung. I've only laundered clothes I've bought second hand. Crazy how quickly they've piled up! But those onesies were $1.00 each and leggings were $0.50 each! It definitely beats paying $5.00 a piece! I've been mostly buying a bunch of newborn/3months second hand because I know how quickly he'll grow out of them! Some of the stuff I've bought still had tags on them, so its definitely a steal!