Our glider… 
Archives for May 2005
Our cute “Braidy Bunch” Rug 
Bunch o’ Stuff
Well, I was going to title this post “Two Baby Bonnemas!” but I thought it would be a little too misleading and might cause some of you some unnecessary excitement (or worry!). So, no, I am not having twins, but my beautiful sister-in-law, Alicia, is having her third baby!! I am so excited! She has already blessed me with the most adorable niece and nephew ever, and now I get a cousin for my little one! I think everyone wants their children to have a cousin close in age so that they can grow up and be best friends, and now I get that too! The blessings keep coming I swear! Alicia’s due in December, so the babies will be about 4 months apart. Can’t wait to see if they’re the same sex. In fact, Alicia and Brian will find out the sex of their baby before we find out ours! And as much as that tempts us to find out, we’re still sticking to our guns on this one (sorry Grandma Bonnema! :o)
Lots of other stuff going on this week. Besides my meltdowns about not being able to any cribs we like (or can afford), Jeff and I did manage to decide on a few things (funny how I don’t feel that much better — I think I require stress to live!) Anyway, we have ordered our changer (courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa Bonnema), which I absolutely love. I’ll try to post a photo from home this weekend (not that any of you believe me on that one). I actually borrowed the idea from my partner in pregnancy, Cara, who has it in black. Thankfully, she is willing to share her good taste, although mine’s not quite as hip as hers — mine is white. I actually considered the red, but my unofficial Dutch side came out and I picked the “classic” choice. I always like to think my style isn’t predictable, but in the end, it is. I always go the conservative route when there’s money involved. I guess I was destined to be a wooden shoe after all! :o)
I also bought our glider today. It is white with blue and white striped cushions. I actually managed to find one that doesn’t look like it was sold at a craft fair, which was my goal. It looks just like a traditional white rocking chair, but it glides. I also found a fun braided rug that has all my colors in it. I surprised myself on this one because I’m not a braided rug kind of person, but this one was fun. Maybe I just fell in love with the name – “The Braidy Bunch” — but it had a unique twist to it (no pun intended) that I really liked. Plus the colors were a little brighter than my bedding, so I thought it would complement what I already have without being too “matchy, matchy” (as my mom would say!). Again, hoping to post some photos so ya’ll can see what I’m talking about.
The furniture dilemma has yet to be finalized, but Jeff and I have narrowed down some options and will most likely make a decision soon. We’re buying the paint this weekend, but we decided against the denim finish. Besides the fact that it costs $50 to buy the tools to simply attempt the finish (not including paint or glaze), we’re not convinced it’s going to turn out the way we want. Plus, sometimes simple is better (especially in a small room), so we’re going that route. We picked a denim blue and a light yellow that I think will be strong enough for a boy, but soft enough for a girl. The chair rail will also dress things up, so I’m happy with what we decided. Hopefully it looks as good in person as it does in my mind!
Phew, that was probably more than you wanted to know about the nursery (which is currently a very unorganized office), but it’s nice to finally have a plan, even if it isn’t complete. I also managed to embark on a few milestones this week — I did end up getting my line “negra” down my belly. It’s very faint, but it’s there. Not all that exciting, but my mom never got one, so I didn’t really expect it. (It’s also nice to have some proof that my overactive hormones are not a figment of my imagination!) I also had to put a Band-Aid over my belly button twice this week so that I wouldn’t gross anyone out at first glance. It even shows through pants! I’ve always considered my belly button quite small, so I’m a little surprised (and disturbed) by how much it sticks out. Oh well, there are worse things I guess…
I’ll close with a final random thought… one pregnancy symptom they didn’t mention in my books was wrinkles. No not on my face, but on my clothing. I swear, ever since I have been pregnant, no matter how much I iron, I always look like I’m in desperate need of a dry cleaner. And it’s not just my belly area that’s wrinkled… it’s everywhere! Maybe it’s some sort of secret conspiracy the maternity clothing people have created so that I’ll somehow think it’s my fault I look so horrible and that buying a new shirt will help, I don’t know. All I can say is that between the wrinkles and my protruding navel, I might as well wear sweats to work. At least then I’d be comfy! :o)
Have a great weekend everyone!
On a Misson…
Okay, so we’re finally going to get our butts moving on the baby’s room. So far, we’ve been trying to tie up loose ends around the rest of the house, but I finally realized yesterday that the general house list is much too long to finish before starting on the baby’s room. So, I started my frantic mission yesterday, searching the Web for everything from cribs to wall art.
So far, the only thing we have is the baby’s bedding (courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa Bernard), which is a good start. I have the crib sheet, crib skirt, and window valence, but I am on a waiting list for the bumper still. That’s supposed to come in next week. The bumper is actually the “inspiration” for the room, so I’ll feel much better once I have it in hand. You can check it out at Pottery Barn Kids.
As some of you may have already heard me say, the room won’t really have a theme, but be more of a primary color “hodgepodge” of everything baby. That’s my goal at least. So, I’m only doing the Kasey bumper and some mix and match bedding. The sheet is green gingham, which matches one of the stripes in the bumper, and the crib skirt and window valence are primary color animals that are just adorable — a lion, a chicken, and my favorite, a green frog with a yellow crown. He’s so cute!
Paint colors will most likely be yellow and denim blue. Yellow on top with a chair rail separating it from the blue paint on the bottom. We’re going to attempt Ralph Lauren’s denim finish, but we’ll see what happens. Our experience with faux painting hasn’t been so great…
The rest is, well, still up for grabs. I know I want to do wooden crib and armoire cabinet and possibly a white changing table and glider. My struggle has been to find affordable, cute furniture that is also safe. It’s a little stressful buying this stuff, knowing that it is going to hold your little one. Do I get a drop-side crib for convenience and take the chance that the hardware might loosen? Do I get a crib that converts to a toddler bed or is it a waste of money? Everyone has their opinions — and I’ve heard them all — but we have to figure out what ours is. It’s just so much to think about.
Accessories will most likely be the fun part, although I feel like I can’t focus on those until the big stuff is finished. I know I want lots of red in there and some fun lamps. I may even get creative and make a lamp shade I saw on the Web that I’m too cheap to buy. We’ll see how that goes. I guess I can blame that on the whole nesting thing (and all the HGTV shows I can’t seem to get enough of!) ;o)
Well, I’ll keep you posted on our progress, but I can assure you something will be finalized by this weekend! Just pray that Jeff survives my very determined agenda!!!