Toby's new "crib"

Okay, so Toby doesn't have a new "crib." He has exactly the opposite of a crib.

TOBY HAS A BIG BOY BED!

A few weeks ago he attempted to climb out of his crib during nap time. I spent the majority of that nap staring intently at his monitor, watching his every move, ready to pounce should he try to escape. He went a couple of weeks without any further attempts and I thought nothing more of it.

Until.

Saturday 9/13/14 I put him down for his nap; business as usual. About 20 minutes later, I heard the toilet flush upstairs. I ran up to find him playing in the bathroom. He took one look at me with his little "I know I did something naughty but, I'm going to make myself look irresistibly cute" smirk and said, "Mama- me boo-boo." That was when I knew it was time. While I enjoyed him being in a crib (read: it was easier for us to know he couldn't wander) I knew he could now escape. So, it was time.

Remember last week when I posted about not paying attention to "the lasts?" This is exactly what I'm talking about. Little did I know that when we put him to bed on Friday, September 12, that would be the "last" time he slept in a crib. It makes me want to pay close attention to every single thing that happens with him. If only I could turn back the hands of time and kiss him goodnight on that Friday evening, knowing it was his last crib night. I know, I'm being dramatic. I'm allowed.

Anyway, we took the side off his crib to make it into a day bed and I just really really disliked the way it looked; it reminded me of a hospital bed. So, last weekend, we made the journey to IKEA to pick up a few things (and even got him a new toddler bed!) On Sunday, we spent the entire day doing a little "mini makeover" to his nursery.

While I still wanted to keep the theme nursery-like (meaning, I'm not moving on to trucks or dinosaurs or whatever I predict he will want in the near future) I did make his room feel a little more big-boy-esque.

Toby has a thing for puppets. Mama has a thing for organization. Papa Dan has a thing for woodworking... so, Toby has stands for all his puppets.

This is his "new" reading nook. I used to have a chair here for when I'd rock and nurse him to sleep. *sigh*

 We added a little bookshelf on the side and put some of his very favorite books there.

His crib used to be against that back wall- on the slope. Taking it out really opened up the room and perfectly fits his new big boy bed and his rocking chair. We also added an additional bookshelf here to hold his nighttime prayer books/bed books.

He actually picked out his own comforter at IKEA. He picked one with frogs, foxes, owls, and other woodland creatures. I was relieved because if he had picked an airplane or dinosaur one, it wouldn't have really fit with his artwork/mural, but thank goodness he's still liking the theme I picked for him.

  

 

"Written by Mama, Illustrated by Dada" Oui?

It's no secret that my husband is an incredibly talented woodworker; I've made mention to this fact several times. In looking back over the last few years, it occurred to me just how much my husband does for me, our son, and our family. 

In our relationship we've often joked about how I'm the "writer" and he's the "illustrator" (literally.) I will come up with an idea and he will make it happen; come hell or high water, he will make it happen.

Allow me a moment to brag about his work:

 

 

The shed he built for us in 2010

Our son's nursery used to be our office. I wanted it completely remodeled... and he did it. He did it while working full-time. He even added a few of his own touches to the room. What he did to the floor in Toby's closet almost brought me to my knees. I had NO idea this was happening (being pregnant, I mostly stayed out of the room while it was being remodeled- especially when the floors were being done.) This speaks to how much he loves me and our son.

He also put a bookshelf into the wall. Granted, I wasn't happy about it at first but, now I appreciate his penchant for utility in our tiny little house.

And one of my favorite pieces (among the many not even mentioned here) is the ticket booth for our little ringmaster's first birthday. When I told my husband I wanted a ticket booth built from wood, to be used for just a couple of hours... just a prop for our son's first birthday.. he didn't flinch. He just did it. And it took him months.

The dude loves his son and his wife, what I can say?

Well, the other morning as I was moving some things around, I flipped Toby's Christmas box over to find this, burned into the bottom:

Again, I had no idea he did this on the bottom. I would never think to look at the bottom. This just speaks to Aaron's style; he does things for us without any expectation of return or praise. (But, you can certainly bet that I'm going to make note of it.)

I don't even really know if I'm making any sense here. I just felt this was something that needed to be documented forever in the archives of this blog; our virtual scrapbook. And, in the spirit of the season, I just have to acknowledge one of the greatest gifts life has given me is the unconditional love of my husband. Loving me is a tall order. Aaron never ceases to step up to the plate and illustrates, on a daily basis, the depth of his love and commitment to us. Therefore, it must be written. Oui?

Wednesday Oui? Planet Alien: The final sneak peek!

So, here is where our precious little son will be sleeping. Toby's crib is actually where a large closet used to be; Aaron gutted that out and rebuilt the area perfect for a crib.

It would be negligent if I didn't publicly thank all the people who put in their time and effort to make my dream nursery a success: McPepe, Uncles Matt & Nelson, Uncle Jason and Papa Dan: thank you for all your help. I love this room and it is EXACTLY what I've been dreaming of.

Lastly, Aaron: You are the best husband in the world. You are so incredibly good to me. Your final little project, totally sums up how you feel about me and your son; our family. I could not ask for a better partner or father for our child. I love you!

Finally, Aaron's gift to Toby. A custom closet with a handmade floor.

Planet Alien: Apology & Nursery Sneak Peek #3

Most of you know that reading is something I love to do. It's so important to me that Toby has a deep respect for reading and education. (Although, if he doesn't, I'll deal with it and still love him just as much as I would if he was a little bookworm, like Mama.) Because of my love for reading, Toby, logically, has over 250 books. Therefore, we need plenty of places to keep these books.

Above is a picture of the beautiful built-in bookshelf that Aaron built for me... as a surprise.

If you know ANYTHING about me, you will know I HATE surprises. I am not a good person to surprise. I get incredibly angry when someone tries to surprise me with anything. Even if it's something I want, I have to know about it ahead of time (this posed a *slight* problem when Aaron proposed to me but, once he opened the box and I saw the ring he was very quickly forgiven.) So, in short, if I know about it, we're good. If I don't, I get all weird and angry. I think it's my need for control... angry probably isn't even the right word.

Needless to say, when Aaron changed the entire structure of Toby's room without my knowledge, I was not pleased.

I left for work one morning and this is what the wall looked like. Aaron had intended to put up the chair rail and, when I got home, I expected to find the chair rail on this wall (and nothing else). Instead I found a bookshelf built into the wall.

This was my reaction. It wasn't pretty. Aaron worked really *really* hard on this shelf-- all day long. I'm sure he expected me to be happy. I was not. I just looked at it and then turned around and walked out of the room to gather myself.

See the thing about me is that I don't have emotional outbursts. I deal with almost everything by processing it alone for a few minutes/hours (sometimes, in extreme cases, even days/weeks) in complete and utter silence. I am not someone to yell or even raise my voice. It's just not my style.

The sad thing was that I really loved the shelf. I loved it immediately. It is perfect for the room; Aaron is amazing with woodworking so it is beautifully done. I was just so incredibly angry that it was a surprise that I'm sure I ruined Aaron's moment.

So, publicly, I am thanking my wonderful husband, who tries so hard to make me happy and surprise me with the sweetest things. The work he has put into making my dream nursery come true is beyond what even I could imagine. So, Babe, I'm wicked sorry I wasn't excited. I LOVE the shelf, it's so perfect, it is exactly what I would have wanted if I had known about it ;) You're the best and Alien's room is perfect! Thank you!

(And don't worry: I was only mute/angry for about 2 hours... then I let him know how much I loved, Loved, LOVED what he did!) ;)

Planet Alien: Nursery Sneak Peek #2

The room is finally done. It feels so good to be able to go in there and relax. I only have three days left to work before my maternity leave starts; one more day this week and two next week. I foresee several days in the weeks leading up to my son's birth being spent in that room filling out what I can in his baby book and reading.

Above is the second sneak peek of Planet Alien. Here you get a partial view of the built-in-bookshelf Aaron created for me, (as a complete surprise [more on that later]) but, what I really want to talk about today is the little rocking chair in the corner.

Aaron just recently refinished this rocking chair for our son. The chair was made for Aaron in 1978 by his Grandad. Aaron absolutely adored his grandfather, who passed in 2007. When we learned we were having a baby, I knew I wanted something important to be done with the chair so, Aaron spent several hours sanding it down and repainting it white to match our nursery.

*However* we were very careful not to sand the underside of the seat where his grandfather, 34 years ago, carved "Created for Aaron, Christmas 1978. Love Grandad & Grandma"

I love the fact that my son's little bum will be sitting on the same seat that his Dad's did so many years ago. I love that this chair was made for my husband by the grandfather he adored. I love that my husband worked so hard to restore the chair for our baby. It's all just too precious for words.

Planet Alien: Nursery Sneak Peek

Planet Alien is almost complete!

Until the "big reveal" I'll be posting a few sneak peeks of the nursery I've been envisioning for the past 9 months and boy (oh boy) is it amazing! There are only a few finishing touches to make (hanging the nursery art work) before we can finally say we are done!

This is a sneak peek of the reading/nursing nook. Aaron made the shelving unit and our chair just arrived from the furniture store last night! You may remember the story of my Pinocchio marionette seen on the shelf above. If not, click here.

Also, when my sister asked what color theme I was going with, I went online and found a fabric swatch I really liked that captured not only the theme (giraffes) but also the colors. Quinn, one of my oldest friends, (one of the people who helped my sister with my shower-- more on that soon) actually found and purchased the fabric online and gave it to me for my shower. So, I made matching Mama & Baby nursery pillows. Just wait until you hear the story of where Baby's pillow sits. 

It is amazing to think that in just a few weeks I'll be sitting in that chair holding my son!

31 Weeks: Planet Alien

How far along? 31 Weeks!! It seems truly unbelievable to think that Alien could safely arrive anywhere from the next 6 weeks (full term) to the next 10 weeks (1 week past my due date.) I'd like to go the full 40 weeks but, my doctors are keeping a close eye on his size since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes (GD). I don't want to deliver a behemoth of a baby (and, I bought a ton of cute newborn clothes; I'll be devastated if he doesn't fit into them!)

Total weight gain/loss: 26.6 pounds. I'm pretty proud of that. Although, I have lost about 6 pounds in the past 3 weeks (since they put me on my GD diet.)
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Baby's size? According to the websites I follow, Alien is approximately 3.5 pounds and 16+ inches long!

Maternity clothes? Yep.

Stretch Marks? NO! Still crossing my fingers.

Sleep: Ugh! Just... ugh.

Best moment this week: I got a lot accomplished last weekend. That felt pretty darn good!

Movement: All over; twisting, kicking, punching and turning.

Food cravings: Carbs and Milk. Although, I can't have many of the former.

Gender: Still a boy!

Labor Signs: None yet. We start our birthing class on Thursday. That should be interesting.

Belly Button in or out? Out

What I miss: CARBS! Sleep. Feeling energetic. The desire to be active. The motivation to clean my house. Caffeine, My feet. My waistline. A small grocery bill. A late bedtime.

What I am looking forward to: CARBS! Feeling energetic. The desire to be active. The motivation to clean my house. Caffeine, My feet. My waistline. A small grocery bill. Holding my son. Seeing my family hold and love up on my son. Seeing what Alien looks like. Smelling him. Eating a foot or a hand of his. 2 months off from work.

Milestones: Well, there has been a pregnancy casualty. After 16+ years together, my naval ring and I have decided to part ways. It was amicable, no need for sympathy.

Other baby updates? I think for the next few weeks I'm going to post pictures from "Planet Alien"; bits and pieces of things we've bought for him thus far, or gifts we've received. Because his room is still under construction, anything we buy/get for him is going in our dining room to keep it way from the dust. So, this little corner has been coined "Planet Alien".

When Aaron was born he had a baby blanket given to him. Legend has it that he LOVED this blanket and would actually sit outside of the washing machine waiting for it to be cleaned when his mother would put it in the laundry. Since I've known, him he has hung on to the ratty old thing and it was balled up and put in a Hannaford bag; tucked away in his closet. I knew it had to mean something to him because he couldn't get rid of it, even 34 years later.

I had an idea and there was only one person I wanted to help me with it. Aaron's mother. So, one night, I snuck the ratty old blankey out of our house and to hers where she brainstormed what we could do with the blanket that would help maintain its memory, but make it useful again.

Introducing, Dickey Bear! (Yes, I've named him Dickey- inside Molloy Family joke. Don't ask!)

Linda whipped up this gorgeous soft little bear, and the bear is holding a piece of the blanket that used to belong to Aaron. We gave it to Aaron for his birthday and he was very, VERY touched. This will be Alien's "first" stuffed animal.

To incorporate the theme of our nursery, Linda even made a ribbon for Dickey's neck out of the same fabric she is using for Alien's quilt. It's just too precious for words.