Baby's Bassinet

This is the bassinet that little Ilah will be sleeping in {in our bedroom} the first few months being home...

Brand: Bertini Wood Bassinet, Valencia

It's a top registry item at Babies-R-Us and is highly rated on many websites. When we saw it in person, not only was it visually pretty but had many features which we liked.

The bassinet can rock or be locked into the stationary position. The soft retractable canopy allows for easy access to baby. It has comfortable quilted bedding that's machine washable. There are 5 soothing songs with an auto shut off after 15 minutes to help baby fall asleep. And then there's the storage shelf that helps keeps baby items within reach.

I read many recommendations from mom's who were all about a bassinet in the first few months of their little ones life and highly recommended that other mom's do the same. Both me, and my husband, slept in bassinets from 0-3 months and both of our moms said we slept wonderfully in them. Every baby is different, as not all take well to a bassinet, but we decided for several reasons to go this route. I hope our baby girl takes well to this bassinet and sleeps good in it!

Kourtney Kardashian Baby Shower Invite

Kourtney Kardashian is a beautiful woman who looks great pregnant and definitely has the pregnancy glow! Her baby shower is soon approaching and no doubt it will be a lovely affair!

Check out her gorgeous shower invitations {she's having a boy}...

The invite reads: "Please join us for a baby shower honoring Kourtney Kardashian, November 14, 2009, Noon". The invite is in gold lettering on light-blue stock. The invites were designed by Los Angeles-based invitationers Lehr & Black, who also produced Khloe Kardashian's wedding invitation. The shower is being thrown by Kourtney's sisters Kim and Khole, and their mom Kris.

I can't wait to see the photos from this shower; it's sure to be chic!

Pretty Staircases

Both my husband and I love the look of a carpeted runner along a staircase. I decided to do some online browsing to see what I could feast my eyes on and I came across these lovely ideas....

Aren't they all just gorgeous? Each of the looks fit the overall feel of the house. In our next home we have decided that we will incorporate both wood and carpet on the staircase to achieve a lovely look as displayed in the pictures above.

A Few More Baby Must Have's

There's two particular things that nearly every new mother that I have come across on the blogs have recommended:

The Happiest Baby on the Block {DVD}
The hubby and I will be watching this together before baby arrives

The Sleep Sheep

The hundreds of reviews on both of these items {which you can read here and here} convinced me that I should purchase them....so I have. I'm trying to get as well equiped as I can!!

Preparing to Pack My Hospital Bag

This morning was quite productive! Although I'm just approaching 29 weeks, I have an "A-type personality" and like to be "early AND overly" prepared for things so I did the following today:

• In preparing for the birth of our little girl I made an appointment for the husband and I to take a tour of the hospital's labor and delivery and family center care areas. The tour is designed to help us get comfortable with the environment that we will be in when delivery day comes. It's a one hour tour and we will also be able to ask questions we may have regarding the hospital experience.

• I researched pediatricians and found one just a few miles from our house. I found some reviews online that noted how great their offices are {they have 3 different offices which are all close to us}. They offer an “Expectant Parent Open House” and I made an appointment at the location closest to us to get acquainted with their office and the few pediatricians that will be there to meet with expectant parents and answer any questions we may have.

• I phoned my insurance provider to inquire about labor and delivery coverage {just so there are no unaware financial "surprises" later}.

• I comprised a list of essential items to pack in my hosital bag for when "that time" comes! Now that I'm in my third trimester, and knowing that there's the possibility {even though it's slim} of going into early labor, I want to start getting my bag together now. While although the list may seem a bit lengthy I don't want to omit anything on it because I'd rather be overly prepared and have a peace of mind knowing that I have many comfort items than be underprepared and be lacking items that I wish I would have brought.

My Perfectly-Packed Hospital Bag:

• Birth plan and copy for hospital/Dr. Insurance info, pre-registration hospital forms, completed birth certificate form
• Overnight toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, hair brush, face moisturizer, body lotion, make-up, deodorant)
• Comfy pj's {and oversized t-shirts} to wear aside from the hospital gown after labor
• Non-slip socks (4-5 pairs cause I like fresh socks!) and slippers
• Light robe? Maybe
• Underwear and heavy flow sanitary pads {will use the undies and pads that the hospital provides if I like them. If not, I have my own!}
• My own pillow
• Towel and washcloths
• Hair ties/headband/clips
• Chapstick
• Breast pads
• Magazines and/or a cd player/ipod
• Snacks/mints/water/drinks
• Hand sanitizer
• Toilet paper
• Cell phone and charger
• Laptop {check to see if the hospital has free WIFI otherwise will leave the laptop at home
• A camera that is fully charged with plenty of room on the memory chip. A videocamera too? Undecided
• A comfortable change of clothes to prepare for visitors/going home. A few sportsbras – no underwire for me, thanks!
• Pen & paper for questions I may want to ask the doctor or the pediatrician since I might not remember all of them off the top of my head
• A plastic bag so that I can put anything dirty in it
• Valuable advice from a mother: Take each and every pacifier and nasal aspirator from the hospital you can get your hands on. You will never purchase ones that are better than those provided by the hospital

FOR HUSBAND:

• Cash for parking/Change for the vending machine
• Slippers, change of clothes, and hygiene products as he will be able to stay the night with me

FOR BABY:

• A coming home outfit for the little one, along with a swaddle blanket, hat, mittens, socks {and a pretty hair bow for pictures!}. As well as diapers and wipes and a bottle - and a few extra outfits just in case
• Boppy pillow
• Properly installed infant car seat ready for her first ride home!

Although this is already quite an extensive list, if you are a mom who has "been there/done that" please let me know if there is anything that I may have left out that I should add to the list. And while I may seem like I'm packing for a mini-vacation I won't be delivering too far from the airport so who knows...maybe I'll jaunt off to some tropical island right after pushing out my bundle of joy. Ha....Wishful thinking!

French Toast Recipe

Friday night I had a sudden craving for French Toast so while at the store fulfilling another craving {for tootsie-roll pops} I grabbed the ingredients to make French Toast. I love ordering it at a restaurant for breakfast but never attempted to make it myself. I thought it was about time to take a stab at it. So I did. I found a recipe online and tried it out and let me tell you....it was the best French Toast I have EVER had!! So quick and easy!!

I used Texas Toast so that it came out thick and fluffy!

And had a side of diced strawberries...

PREP TIME: 5 Min
COOK TIME: 10 Min
READY IN: No time!

INGREDIENTS FOR 2-3 SERVINGS:
6 thick slices bread
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Beat together egg, milk, salt, desired spices and vanilla. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or skillet over medium-high flame. Dunk each slice of bread in egg mixture, soaking both sides. Place in pan, and cook on both sides until golden. Serve hot.

A few tweaks that I made to the original recipe:

• As I mentioned, I used Texas Toast so the french toast would be thick and fluffy!
• I added more cinnamon than what the recipe recommended
• I omited using vanilla extract
• While the bread was cooking, I covered the pan so that the bread would cook at the way through!
• Don't forget the powdered sugar & warm maple syrup! {optional}

The hubby, who never eats French Toast, loooooved it!!! It's now going to be a staple breakfast in our home : )

A Weekend of Online Shopping

I did some online shopping this weekend on Etsy and purchased some pretty things for Ilah {which I will showcase when they arrive!}.

I mentioned in an earlier post that my mom bought me this cute diaper bag...

A classic combo of brown & pink

I found the below pink & brown paisley wipe case that matched the colors of my diaper bag and I just had to buy it. Honestly, you don't find these kinds of beautiful things in the stores {well, I don't anyway!}.

And then I noticed there was also a matching burp cloth!...

I got the wipe case and the burp cloth for $11.99 + shipping.

For those who are already Etsy buyers you already know that you can find some awesome handmade things on the site! For those who have never heard of Etsy, head there to familiarize yourself with it. But be forewarned: you will likely spend hours on the site!

Glucose Screening Test

Yesterday I visited my OBGYN for my 28 week visit and I did a glucose screening test. I'm in the clear. PTL!

Most healthcare practitioners routinely recommend a glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT) between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy to check for gestational diabetes, a high blood sugar condition that some women get during pregnancy.

Curious as to how the screening test done?....

When you arrive for the test, you're given a sugar solution that contains 50 grams of glucose. The stuff tastes like a very sweet soda pop (I got a tropical punch flavor and surprisingly it wasn't all that bad); you have to get all of it down in five minutes. Yes, there's a timer. An hour later (if you thumb through some magazines - and do a crossword puzzle with your hubby like I did - the time flies), your practitioner or a technician will call you back into the office to take a blood sample {finger prick} to check your blood sugar level. The idea is to see how efficiently your body processes sugar. My results were available immediately - not sure if it's the same at all Dr. offices. My results came back negative but if the reading is abnormal (too high), your practitioner will have you come back for a three-hour glucose tolerance test to see if you really do have gestational diabetes.

After knowing I was in the clear, I returned home and had one of these:

A big ol' root beer float {minus the whipped cream - and that's just because we didn't have any in the fridge!}. Notice the left side of my blog that I've added "root beer floats" to my latest pregnancy cravings!!

Baby Gear

I finally made a decision as to which travel system {stroller/carseat combo} to go with. If you recall from this post, I was initially deciding between Safety First and Gracco but there were some things that I really didn't like about the Safety First travel system which is why I've been so hesitant to buy it...and I would have to blindly purchase the Gracco travel system online because it isn't available in any stores to physically see. I appreciate the comments and private emails from all you mom's who have "been there, done that" in terms of choosing which product you have found to be the best. Offering up your personal opinions as to which features I should look for, and making your own brand recommendations, were things that I took into consideration and I'm glad I held off on buying either one of the travel systems I was initially considering.

With all that said...we went to Babies-R-Us yesterday and they had a new Chicco travel system that wasn't there before. Both the hubby and I absolutely loved it. And not just for the newly unisex designer-looking pattern : )

Many of you suggested Chicco and I flat out overlooked the brand because it wasn't one that I was already familiar with. Chicco (pronounced key-co) is an Italian company that manufactures a variety of high-quality baby products. Little did I know that they are #1 on the market. As I took to the internet for reviews about the Chicco products I am considering I was so impressed with all of the nearly 5 star reviews by hundreds of people on varying websites.

Here's the travel system we will be going with:

#1 rated infant car seat in America

• Chicco Cortina Travel System, Luna
• One-hand fold stroller - loaded with extra features
• Mutliple position, fully-reclining seat and adjustable leg support provides comfort for your baby. The seat has "memory" recline for your convenience - it remembers the position you last left it in before folding.
• The adjustable, removable canopy is water repellent.
• Large basket accessible when the backrest is fully reclined providing plenty of storage
• Linked rear brakes and a 5-pt harness provide safety and all-wheel suspension gives a smooth ride to baby.
• A height-adjustable handle make strolling comfortable for Mom or Dad.
• The KeyFit infant car seat accomodates infants from 4 to 22 lbs. The car seat harness has one-pull tightening & loosening for quick harness fitting. The thickly-padded infant insert gives extra support for a smaller baby around the head, neck, back & bottom.
• Stroller holds child to 50 pounds.
  

The carrier shell is lined with energy absorbing foam. It features an innovative latch management system, easy belt routing and a spring-loaded leveling foot to make the infant car seat installation easy. The "one-pull", centrally located tightening strap has made securing the latch attachment simple. The KeyFit base also has wide belt routing loops with a built in belt locking system for vehicles without latch. Leveling the base is easy with a spring-loaded leveling foot and easy to read liquid, bubble level guides on both sides of the base. The enclosed underside of base protects vehicle seats from damage. Usage: from 4-22lbs, newborn insert from 4-11lbs.

And then there's this hidden compartment for storing toys on the go!...

The same pattern on the above travel system is also used in Chicco's Lullaby LX Playard...the #1 Rated Playard in America!

Playard features:

• Roll down shade to act as sunlight blocker
• Thickly padded, quilted mattress that can be removed for easy machine washing.
• Includes a bassinet with an elevated changing table.
• Toy gym for use on the bassinet or as a playmat on the floor
• Electronics with remote control that feature music, vibration, and nightlight
• Push-button compact fold and matching travel bag
• Perfect for use at home and on the road.

Matching highchair:

Highchair features:

• Seven height positions and three reclining positions for increased comfort
• Most convenient maneuvering with one-hand seat recline and tray removal
• Cushioned seat pad that is easy to wipe clean
• Phthalate free vinyl seat pad
• Adjustable footrest to accommodate growing children
• Safety comes first with the five-point safety harness
• Convenient tray storage for the slimmest fold in its class
• For children up to 37 lbs
  

Infant Carrier:

We originally registered for the Bjorn infant carrier but I just may be on a Chicco kick now. This carrier features:

• Soft, breathable lining gives baby a cool, padded, comfortable ride
• Unique cuddle pocket lets baby feel your comforting touch
• Mesh side panels increase ventilation and comfort
• Adjustable padded straps for proper fit and shoulder comfort
• Machine washable fabric for easy care and maintenance
• Snap-on towel protects clothes from dribbles and drools
• Recomended for use with 7.5 to 25 lb baby
• They comes in a few other colors - this black one being one of them:

Seeing, feeling, and testing out ALL of the above baby gear products solidified our decision all the more to go with Chicco. An extra bonus was the luck we had with a new pattern hitting the market that I am absolutely smitten with!

Diaper Bags for Men

There are going to be some days where my husband will have just "daddy/daughter" days with our little girl. So I was doing some online browsing for a masculine diaper bag to buy for him so that when he's out and about with our little girl he's not embarassed by carrying around my really feminine diaper bag. Dad's need to have their "cool gear" too!

With our baby due in early January, I think one of these bags from Diaper Dude would make a great Christmas present for my husband:

The Real Housewives of Orange County - Season 5!!

I will admit that one of my guiltiest pleasures is watching The Real Housewives of {any city} - {with the exception of Atlanta - the majority of those women are pretentious and are a total train wreck. I'll give Lisa a pass and buy Kandi a high horse to put her on...she is authentic, has class, and shows more unrelenting determination {and we see the fruits of HER labor} than all of the other women combined. Whoops...did I just judge outloud?? That was so wrong of me. But because I'm honest I won't go back and delete that remark!}.

Moving on...

The Real Housewives of Orange County {my favorite of them all} are back for another season and I can't wait for the premiere on November 5th!!

This is going to be a WILD RIDE of a season!!! The introduction of a new housewife, the backing out of another, home foreclosures, a divorce contemplation, plastic surgery...I'm telling ya...it's gonna be a good season and I can't wait!! I won't give away any spoilers about which storyline belongs to which housewife but if you want to know what Season 5 has in store for these ladies click here to watch the juicy preview!

A Day of Being Out and About

Yesterday the hubby and I made a trek across town to our favorite french bakery to pick up some petite fours. I couldn't even wait until we were home to have one; I delved in the box pretty immediately and did an inner happy dance. Isn't it wonderful to fulfill a sugary craving?!?

We spent a few hours out and about and little Ilah was just movin' and grovin' inside my tummy. Her movements are getting even more strong - although it's momentarily uncomfortable, I personally get a "kick" out of it {literally!}. It does bring a smile to my face and I tell her constantly that she's growing into a big girl!

I told my husband as we were driving in the car yesterday that maybe we should charge Ilah a monthly occupancy fee...a 9 month rental charge for the space she's taking up. I'll just hand the nurse an invoice to give to her right after she's had her hands and feet imprinted. Hey...I'm just trying think of ways to make this pregnancy more fun!

---

I picked up a free copy of American Baby Magazine in a local baby store that we went to yesterday and I wanted to share with all of you expecting moms and current moms {of especially infants and toddlers} how much I love this magazine. I've paid for a few pregnancy magazines and got some good advice and information from them but I gained something from practically every page of this free magazine. You can go here to sign up for a FREE subscription!!

Announcing My Wedding Planning Business: Peonies & Palettes!

If you were an avid reader of my blog {which was formerly named “An Atlanta Bride”} while I was planning my wedding, then you know that I was totally enthralled with the process of creating a stunning day that we would cherish forever {you can see numerous images and view my many wedding recaps here}. With our wedding all said and done, it’s awesome to know that a feature spread of our big day will be in the 2010 Winter/Spring print issue of The Knot! {to see other features go here}.

Although the planning of our wedding has come to an end, my love and total enjoyment for weddings hasn’t. I can’t help but to still be submersed in all things romantic, glamorous, classic, unique, and chic!

Since returning from our honeymoon in late April, and soon after finding out I was pregnant, I decided to give thought to following my passion for weddings and the prospect of starting my own full-time, home-based business. After many months of contemplation, and taking many endearing compliments into consideration [from friends, colleagues, my own wedding vendors, and event professionals who I crossed paths with], I decided to officially launch my wedding planning business {Peonies and Palettes} this month! I’m elated to begin this new endeavor!

You will notice that I have added a button along the right side of my blog {under “About Me”} that, when clicked on, will take you to the Peonies and Palette’s website. There you will find extremely affordable packages and see that we can extend our services to any bride, no matter her location!

If you, or someone you know, is planning a 2010 {or beyond} wedding, I would love to assist them with bringing their vision together {or if need be, help them create one}!

A special thank you to all of my readers who, over the past year, sent me sweet comments encouraging me to do wedding planning for a living! I’m all in now!!!

Sorry Lover

Why hello Third Trimester. It's great to finally meet ya!!
But I gotta say...

Now let's talk about how I could probably melt butter on my body...

Although the days and nights are getting cooler, the husband needs to understand that I always feel like a fiery furnace therefore he cannot turn on the heat in our home. Or in the car. It's a good way to get his hands cut off. And who likes ER visits at any hour of the day? He also needs to not confuse my body for a space heater. Although he loves to cuddle up to my warm body heat the feeling right now, while being pregnant, isn't mutual. I suggest he gets used to the idea of layered clothes and bundles of blankets and love on me from an arms length away; sweet verbal sentiments will do just fine too. I love you honey, but I'm just sayin'.

The Waiting Game

Today I am 27 weeks pregnant. I know I haven't posted any belly pictures on here...I'm long overdue for getting one up. And I will. Even if it’s a headless one...because I'll be honest, I don't do much make-up and hair curling these days!

Moving on...

I was so bored yesterday. Although there were things to do around the house I avoided anything that I considered a "task". Instead I did a whole lot of nothing yet managed to still be exhausted. Go figure.

As a soon-to-be first time mom, I've been a bit spastic throughout this pregnancy wanting to make sure that this cute little nugget of ours is growing healthy. While most mommy blogs that I read are amusing, resourceful, and make me greatly anticipate the arrival of our daughter, there are some that I stumble upon in which mothers use their blog as a grieving outlet for losing their developing baby or their sweet newborn; it makes my heart sink when I come across their sad stories. And then it makes my mind go banana's with all the "what if's" and makes me want an ultrasound pronto to put my mind at ease.

Although all appointments have gone great and our little girl moves like crazy I wish I could have an ultrasound at every visit {my last one was done at 20 weeks when they determined the sex}. Next week is my glucose screening test; I called the office to see if the Doctor would also do an ultrasound during that visit {by that time it will have been 2 months since we've seen our little girl on screen and I just want to be sure that she is still developing beautifully} but like I thought, insurance only covers so many ultrasounds and I won't get another one until I'm 32 weeks. So that means that an entire 3 months will have gone by without seeing little Ilah. Boo!!

Last night, as I layed awake with my little kicker girl, and totally bored {although I should have been sleeping} I told her that I couldn't wait until she was here so that I could cuddle her, play with her, bathe her, feed her, rock her, talk to her, sing to her and make funny faces that will make her smile and laugh. Surely all boredom will surely go away in 3 months when I'm tending to a newborn, eh?

In the meantime, I'll just continue to feel like an elephant who has been pregnant for two years and continue to impatiently wait for January to roll around.

Another thing that I will continue to do....

Fulfill my cravings.

I'm off to Olive Garden to indulge in Salad and a heaping pile of their breadsticks:

Showcasing the Fall Decor in Our Home

Last year I hit up the "after Christmas" sales and "ooh-ed and aww-ed" at all of the gorgeous finds that I got at 75% off. I purchased chic stockings, beautiful tree ornaments, pretty tablescape pieces, and many other home decor elements in anticipation of our first Christmas in our brand new home. I couldn't wait until this Christmas when I could put all of those things in place and transform the rooms in our home into elegant Christmas spaces.

But I won't be putting anything out this year.

Our baby is due just a few weeks after Christmas and I don't want to go through the exhausting task of decorating our home while being 8 months pregnant and then tackle the chore of taking down all of the embellishments while also tending to a precious newborn. So all of my pretty Christmas decor will have to wait until next year to grace our home. I'm too much of a perfectionist to just "throw things up" and then "throw everything in a box" once Christmas is over. I take after my mom's system of doing things...which means properly wrapping up every single ornament and decor piece carefully...in bubble wrap...even if it takes 5 minutes to do just one.

With all that said...fall has officially made its presence known and I decided that I would at least subtly fancy up our home for fall, adding some little touches "here and there".

Have a looksie at the fall decor that I have in our home:

The wreath hanging outside our door:

I changed out the candles in our entryway...

And hung this pillow on the door of our coat closet:

Above the fireplace mantle I put these "Harvest" block letters in place...



The pillows on the below chairs were ones that I already had in place:


I just added these ceramic pumpkins on the table to spruce up the area a bit for fall:


On our kitchen island I filled an apothecary jar with fall foliage...

And decorated the place settings in fall colors...

I bought a Spiced Pumpkin candle to give off a sweet oroma to fill our house...


I already had these orange pillows in place on our living room furniture...


In the dining area, I put out just a few things to fancy up the table a bit...


I bought a new table runner, changed out the candles, and put some pumpkins in place...

I accented our desk area with an orange pillow, added some scented foliage inside of the vase, and placed a small pumpkin next to it...

I also bought a new cook book filled with yummy recipes! And bought the serving set to the left for just $5 on sale!

I didn't put out a large amount of fall decor but just enough to make me content. I spent maybe $100 in total on everything. A small price for a few months of bringing the beautiful season of fall into our home.