The Evolution of Cline's Room

I am taking some time today to update odds and ends. Upload pictures from our baby shower in Duncan this weekend, clean up my office, sew together some headbands I am going to make for Cline (2 for $0.65!), and blog. Outside of the baby shower I spent the entire weekend grading for the online course I work for. It's not really a hard job, just time consuming and it's tough to grade such a variety of answers that you get when you ask undergraduates what they "think" about a topic that they don't think at all about (most of 'em). 

Cline's room is now 99% finished so I thought I would depart from all the serious work and update you on the room. Remodeling an entire room from start to finish is quite the endeavor. Originally the room was grey and to save time, energy, and money I decided no matter the gender it would stay grey. I thought I had a picture of when it was a guestroom but I can't find it. It was our OSU room. So shortly after we found out the baby I first cleared out the closet which was a catch-all for everything from my wedding dress to wrapping paper. Finding homes for all that stuff was an adventure in itself. 

So we started with a blank room. We had to find out the gender before we could really get started. If she would have been a he, then he would have had an OSU/western room. But instead we went with a theme I had been planning a long time. See below for the construction of a nursery based on an impulse buy. 

And then Matt started making my vision come to life. 

 And his vision. He added crown molding. Totally practical.
To be fair, it was an inexpensive project because he did it all by himself... but crown molding?? For some reason that makes me laugh.
And more stripes.

 I tell you, painting straight lines isn't for everyone. I would have given up a long time ago.

And things got really real when the crib came in. Like, we were totally going to have a baby.

And Pistol helped. 

And then the room looked like this for a long time. 

And then we added vinyl letters for her name. We used this company, New York Vinyl on etsy. I thought their prices were totally fair. We even got a 10% discount for liking them on Facebook and they applied it retroactively. She sent me a couple of different proofs. I was really impressed with the work and it all came in a single sheet so we didn't have to worry about it coming out on the wall straight (applying individual letters would have created a lot of opportunity for error). 

I also ordered custom bedding on Etsy. I rarely splurge on things but I had a vision of what I wanted and after endless searching I just could not get what I wanted so my mom was so sweet and bought it for us. It was completely perfect and worth the splurge. I am sure for baby no 2 I'll be much more practical about basically everything. I think we are definitely your typical first time parents. Suckers. 

But speaking of furniture, we have done a good job of searching the internet for good materials but at great prices. We have used wayfair.com and they have free shipping and 10% off if you join their email. Her book case is from Target and insanely heavy. She can keep it forever. They had some furniture sale and free shipping. It was tough to put together but a good purchase overall. 

And since she is named after Patsy Cline, I went to a local thrift shop and found 3 vinyl albums. I went to Hobby Lobby and got some black record frames for much cheaper than I could find on the internet and painted them all. Well, Matt painted them, and I assembled them. 

And another testimony to marrying an engineer who watched a whole lot of "This Old House" growing up. I asked Matt if he could make a dresser like this for her closet. I wanted something with good storage potential and could use up the free space since baby clothes are... well... short. 

And a few days later I got this! It is awesome! We saved so much money and he just drew out the plans himself and put it together. He also added a shelf at the bottom with a door that opens up for storage. There's a lot of diapers down there now. 

So here's the big reveal of the room. 

Lisa made a metal letter for her door. 

And this is the distance view. 

We added the music notes to her name. The vinyl company included them for free. 

And we added a chair and ottoman (another splurge after scouring the internet and the usage of several coupons. This thing is going to stay around for many years to come. MANY). 

 And then we have this project. I asked several friends and family to make a canvas with lyrics that would be appropriate for a nursery and songs that meant something to us. I gave each person the lyrics and canvas and said, "Do whatever you want. Just use any shade of pink, grey, and white." The project could not have turned out more perfectly (we have one more coming any day now). The creativity of each individual has just been awesome. I so appreciate the individuals that have worked on these for me. I have felt bad because I think everyone felt a lot of pressure to be perfect--but I knew the whole time that their personal touch was all the project needed. I love it. It is perhaps the best decorative idea I have ever had. I hope Cline knows how much love went into these.

Now for the impulse buy story. See the pink violin on the right? Well, once upon a time in college I got the great idea to buy a pink violin... on eBay. It was $50 and $35 for shipping. Do you know how much a real violin costs? The answer is a lot. Like... a lot a lot. So what the heck was I going to do with a $50 violin? Could it possibly be quality (completely ignoring that it is pink). The answer is no. Good grief no, ya nut. In college I did not have an extra $85 in my life. What was I thinking? This purchase has haunted me for years. Several years ago I decided, well I will just have a pink music theme if I ever have a daughter so I can redeem some peace of mind about wasting that kind of money. Then, it just so happens that a couple of years ago I fell in love with the name Cline...and too much time went by before I realized that it all came together as the perfect theme for us. 

I love her room. Matt did such a good job making everything come together. It's not often that you take on a project and it comes out just the way that you wanted it to. Now I am ready to put my sweet little baby in there! 

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My OKC Shower- All the Feels

Several months ago I was talking to Krissy (my big in Alpha Delta Pi) on the phone and at the end of the conversation (which included the usage of the Chinese Gender Predictor) she told me that she wanted to throw me a baby shower. I was pretty excited to know that someone wanted to host an event for me to welcome our child (no gender yet) into the world. Not long after Anna (my little in the sorority) lets me know that she and Hasley want to throw me a shower. And very shortly after that Lo says something like "So what's going on with your shower? How do I get involved?"
Anna also mentioned when she offered that I needed to butt out of the whole thing because I tend to want to plan and know what's going on. So after an email to help them collaborate and a spreadsheet for the guest list, I left them to plan what turned out to be one of the most special weekends of my life. Maybe it's the hormones talking but to have the fact that I have incredible friends play itself out in the form of so much love over a weekend, I barely have the words. Well, really, I always have words. So here they are.

On Friday afternoon Hasley showed up to my house with the cake and shortly thereafter Krissy came in the door from her flight. We went to lunch at The Mule for some local OKC fare. Then we went shopping and Krissy bought me a top for my shower. We ran around and picked up a few things for the shower because there were so many sweet details. We had a calm evening and then all of the festivities began the next day.

We had a light lunch at our house for those who were already in town and my parents and Matt's got to spend some time together. Then we were off to the shower.

The Wonderful Women that Threw My Shower

The shower embraced the colors of Cline's room (pink, white and grey) and sprinkled in little legacy themes. Of course my mom made the cake and she did a great job. 

We have a Motto? Theme? Saying? in Alpha Delta Pi which is First. Finest. Forever. Therefore this inclusion on the cake made me a little weepy.

 And so we did the whole gift unwrapping thing which was interlaced with games which really helped pace the party and offer some variety. Good thinking!

 Is this not the cutest little bathing suit you have ever seen? And it came with sunglasses. And she got a pink one. I hope Cline swims like her mom... Maybe not this year. Or next, but eventually.

 And there were some winners of the party games. It's only appropriate that pink champagne would be a prize at my shower.

There were so many sweet gifts full of personalization, practicality, and creativity. These are onesies and socks shaped into cupcakes. Adorable.

This is my adeepi family.

 You may remember them from this other very special event. They mean so much to me and to go through these seasons of life with them makes me realize even more how important these relationships are to me.

 And the women of Alpha Delta Pi. I pledged the sorority in 2005. Nearly 10 years later I say this was the most incredible investment. The fact that I am more than willing to share in their joys throughout our lives as they have in mine says a great deal about the staying power of sorority life.  #foreverismyfavoritepart

 And my roommate Lauren came to Oklahoma for the very first time to celebrate Cline. She didn't get to stay long so I didn't get to introduce her to as many Oklahoma things as I would have wanted to, but every moment she was here meant so much. She is getting married in May and I am a bridesmaid so we have even more celebration of life events to do!

 And of course my mom. She has been great with this baby business. She is so excited I fear she may forget who I am after March. But if I can get in a few naps, I'll let her have her fun.

Note: Somehow I didn't get a picture with Matt's mom but it was special to have her there as well. She got us a diaper bag which was more like a Mary Poppins bag with all the sweet items that were in there.

After the shower several of us went back to my house and ate and hung out and I laughed so hard I nearly cried. I certainly did not have much of a voice the next day. Below are the remnants of a great time... with only 6 eligible drinkers. I say good for them.

The next morning we had brunch and said our goodbyes. Obviously I had an incredible weekend. We are much more prepared for Cline's arrival now. Also during this wonderful celebration I acquired a sinus infection because I am the idiot that mentioned last week I haven't been sick this entire pregnancy. And  now have been on my death bed. I used my last shred of energy on the weekend. At this moment I am rekindling my relationship with the Gilmore Girls, my hand is cramped from writing Thank You cards, and wrapping up this blog while it's fresh on my mind. I am just grateful for the whole experience.

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Update: Maternity Photos, Garth, 2 Showers, Cirque, Extreme Makeovers, and Life in General

A lot can happen in a couple of weeks, especially leading up to having a baby. So let's knock out a few things first:

How do I feel? 
Pretty good overall. About 2 days a week I am too tired to do much of anything. Laying in bed all day is also uncomfortable and makes me feel so lazy because there's so much to get done but I really can't complain.
Am I ready to have the baby?
Yes. If I could have her today and she would be fully developed and perfectly healthy, I would happily admit myself. But she still has some cooking to do so I'm just gonna let the good Lord do his magic and be grateful (yet sleepy and big) for the experience.
Is the nursery finished?
The nursery is about 90% finished. We have some canvasses that some friends and family are working on that will finish the decorations and I think I should probably buy a lamp but other than that we are done with that project. When it's done I'll do a blog post.
Cravings?
Not really. Protein and milk shakes always sound good. I try to be reasonable because I don't want to spend the rest of my life trying to lose this weight. Nursing is only going to take me so far.

Everything with the baby is going well. We had our last ultrasound last week. She is weighing 5lbs 5 oz which is supposed to be right on track. They didn't have any concerns and wished us a happy delivery (where we get our ultrasounds is different than my normal OB). She moves all the time and we can see her from the outside which is fun. I started back in pre-natal yoga. I wish I knew as much about any topic as that woman knows about babies and pregnant ladies. I'm still not necessarily "nesting"... I don't think. I am determined to get everything out of our pantry so everything is fresh when she comes. That has made for some interesting dinners... I also plan to have a huge cooking party (of one) to make a bunch of frozen crock-pot meals and then I can just send Matt out to get the fresh items with a list I will have already prepared. That sounds right up my alley... I also feel really compelled to stock up on shampoo and toothpaste and such so if you have any coupons send em my way! So I don't think that's nesting... just preparedness. I think when I am nesting Matt will know it. Look out.


The weekend of Jan 17 was a busy one for sure.
On Jan 16 we took our maternity pictures. I wasn't really convinced I wanted to do them just because this isn't my favorite version of myself and I am vain. But I was afraid I would regret it. Tiger Photography did our pictures. The prices were very fair and she did a great job. She is also really nice and easy to work with.

^^^ This picture reminds me of the picture below. How things have changed!

And I think this picture basically sums up our pregnancy. 

We made a pact with two other couples to all try and get Garth Brooks tickets in Tulsa. We were all on a group text ready to click the moment they went on sale. I am so glad we made the pact because I was immediately put into a long line but our other friend got the tickets! I mean, it's Garth. GARTH. So we went to Inola after the maternity pictures and stayed the night with my parents.

We met up with Bryan and Jessica and went to dinner with Love and Sarah. Then we took the obligatory couple selfie at the concert.

 This is Sarah. She is married to the lucky securer of tickets. She knew far too few Garth songs. I hope this experience has changed her forever. And by changed her, I mean inspired her to buy the boxed set. That sounds like an archaic statement but that man's music is too hard to get electronically.

Twas a GREAT concert. I was getting a little uncomfortable because well...  I just get restless at events these days but it was totally worth it. He played all the great songs. He put on an awesome show. Way to go Love!

And then we had our first shower in Inola. This was a shower for the NE Oklahoma/NW Arkansas family and friends. My mom and Danielle threw this shower. It was really cute with a Patsy Cline/Music theme.

Of course my mom made an incredible cake. 

We got a lot of really nice and thoughtful gifts from handmade items to practical items to adorable clothes to put her in. All things that will come in very handy. We quickly realized we are so blessed to have people love on us and our daughter.

And here's mom and dad after the shower

The next weekend Matt and I needed to get away. I had a lot on my mind and some stress that a pregnant person probably shouldn't take on and I wanted to spend some time with my husband before our life gets nuts. The weekend before was a lot of fun but it's also hard to go go go. We had also promised Matt's parents that we would watch their dogs when they went to an event in Dallas which is only fair since they watch our dog pretty often.  So Friday night after Matt got off of work we headed to the lake house. 

We rented a Redbox and got some snacks and I brought some "Fre" wine which is basically white grape juice in a glass bottle. We had chocolate fondue in what is essentially a scentsy for fondue. This was one of our infamous impulse buys. We tend to do that. Keep us away from home and garden shows. And fairs. 

The weather was so nice that we took the boat out. 

And on Sunday before we left Matt and I ate at a barbecue restaurant in Durant and went to some antique stores. There was this place I believe called the "Junk Junction". We wanted a little end table for next to the glider in Cline's room and sure enough they had 2 about the size we were looking for. One was pink and one was blue. Of course the one I wanted more based on structure and design was the blue one. After some negotiation it was mine for $22. We got in the car and Matt looks at me and says "You're the most generous person I know until you're negotiating with someone." What can I say?
So we brought it home and Matt primed it and then painted it with left over paint from the nursery. I went to Home Depot and picked out a new door handle and bada bing we had a $26 end table. I love it. Now all I need to do is get a little lamp and I am totally done with the nursery. Unless I find a pink rug... and THEN I'll be done. But rugs seem to be expensive so I am willing to wait on that.

Here's the table positioned in the room

As one of my Christmas presents Matt got us tickets to the Cirque du Soleil show Varekai. We went to dinner before at Sushi Neko (yes, it was cooked) and enjoyed the show. It was a little too family friendly for me... and by that I mean there was a lot of silly humor that children 4-12 would be really into but I really like to just watch people do life-threatening acts like hanging from their foot from a trapeze bar. I wonder if it ever stops being an adrenaline rush? That's probably when you get hurt...

Anyway, overall a night out with my husband is always okay by me so it was a win. 

And then we had another shower this past weekend.

This is Andrew and Sarah. Not only are they able to score awesome Garth tickets, they have also been extremely gracious ever since the moment they found out we were having a baby. They have a little boy so they know what all of this is like and have been an awesome support to us. In addition to all of the nice things they have already done, they threw us a "B is for Baby, Beer and Barbecue" diaper shower which happened to also stand for Bedlam Basketball.

 Matt is still close to several of his Delt fraternity brothers so they and their wives came over and brought packs of diapers. It's a very "boy friendly" shower because there's no opening of gifts or anything, just hanging out and having a good time--with the supremely helpful benefit of a stock of diapers to get you started. Matt and I brought them all in and counted 'em up. 1,005 diapers were given to us at this party. 1,005. I wish I had any idea how long that will last, but surely a few months. Right? Right?

Sarah had asked me if I had anything I was particularly liking. I said root beer and macaroni and cheese. Abita beer is really good (go ahead, try it, if you're able). She found Abita root beer. I kid you not, I had the best root beer float of my life. They also made brisket, beans, and macaroni and cheese. The Mac and Cheese was to die for, and I consider myself quite the mac-n-cheese critic. 

And here's a picture with Joe because what blog post would be complete without him?

 It's been a whirlwind but also incredibly awesome. We have more to look forward to this weekend when many of my girlfriends come into town!

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