craigslist

yup. both of these items i got on craigslist. i still can't believe it myself.

after experiencing the craze that is craigslist in california, i came back to connecticut with a new appreciation for the site. yes, the east coast does not use it nearly as much as people on the west coast do, but i felt like a pro now & started browsing everyday to see if i could luck out. and boy, i did.

i went into it thinking of very specific things that i wanted and would search for them once a week instead of wasting time browsing through lots of stuff i knew i didn't want. the first major score was the car seat. i read the reviews of this infant car seat on Little Baby Garvin, we all know that's one of my favorite blogs, & i just trust her opinions & advice. the week i made my registry, i put the car seat, the Peg Perego Primo Viaggo in black (available here), onto the list & it was $350. i thought to myself: if only i could find that car seat for cheaper, so i could take it off the registry. i mean it's an infant car seat, you have to get a bigger one after a certain amount of months anyways. 

so i searched for it one week and bam. there is was. not only was it the exact car seat, in the exact color, but it was for $75 and literally down the street from me. i was jumping up & down.  the very next day i drove to the house of the nicest mom in the world. she has two boys & starts telling me how she kept the car seat in perfect condition & how she washed it for me & everything. & then she shows me her beautiful house, pointing out the things i had to get for the baby. i stayed for over an hour & listened to all her advice & promised to meet up with her after my baby was born. and there ya go. that is what it's all about. finding the perfect product for the perfect price & meeting awesome people along the way :)

and then there's the mamaroo. i always knew i wanted to get one of these, but didn't even bother putting it on my registry. i had read & heard enough about it to know that it was amazing & would be like an extra set of hands to rock/swing the baby to sleep. so i searched for it for about a month until i finally found someone selling it nearby in the color that i wanted. it was a half hour trip & i paid $160 when they retail for $220 here. score. it came in all of its original packaging & box. never was used. the mom received it as a gift & was just going to donate it, but figured what the heck, i'll throw it up on craigslist for a bit & see what happens! 

so now i have two great items that i will obviously do reviews on when my baby uses them :) but this post is to inspire all of you to get out there & start browsing craigslist for whatever your needs may be. these two items are proof of how great the site can be!

33 weeks!

time is flying & baby boy's name has officially been picked!

33 weeks!

i remember seeing women at this stage in their pregnancies, when i was just at 13weeks, and thinking, oye, that is soooo far away, and now it is here... & the countdown has begun! i have the month of february & then it is go time for baby boy's arrival!

i have been feeling great aside from the start of some spinal pain. he is growing a half a pound a week now & it is starting to take its toll! i was walking in target over the weekend & got that groin pain that makes you want to waddle & thought "it has begun!" i am really lucky to still be carrying small, but it has definitely made an impact on my back & spine over the past few weeks.

still craving sweets, & fruit, & special k with red berries. still sleeping well, still having a boy!

i meet the doctor who will be doing my c-section this week & also meeting with the head anesthesiologist at high risk. i am so looking forward to both appointments & hoping they both go smoothly! 

over the past week...

 i celebrated baby with a shower consisting of my closest friends & family

...the favors were little jams & the party was a woodland themed affair!

 hairstyle of the week was a messy pony & 

kai took naps on me rocking the same pose & smirk (like mother, like cat)

 i picked out this vibrant color to redo another bookcase for my own bedroom this week

(i'm drawn to bright colors these days to make up for the cold weather!)

 i got around to putting together baby boy's mode of transportation:

 the baby jogger city mini GT

& i finally, finally purchased this fox hook i've been crushing on for the back of baby's door. available here !

hope you all had a great week & happy sunday!

maurice sendak exhibit!

ever since i was a kid, 'where the wild things are' has been my all time favorite book. max, the wild things, the illustrations, all of it. maurice sendak was an artistic genius and i deeply admire all of his work. so when i saw in the newspaper that there was a special limited time exhibit on his work, i jumped at the opportunity to go. it did not disappoint. they had all of his original drawings, paintings, & even a sculpture. they had all of his books including Little Bear (a fan favorite) & had the movie adaptation playing on a big screen in a separate room with tons of little kids lounging on bean bags. i have such a love for art & illustrations, especially in children's books, & i only hope to instill that passion in my children.

by far, one of my favorite exhibits of all time :)

nursery sneak peak!

 

putting together the room for the baby has been one of the most enjoyable things so far. this room was in need of some major TLC before i even thought about what would go in it. i took everything out, cleaned, stripped, & then painted the room a very, very light grey with just a tiny hint of turquoise. then i went on a furniture makeover binge like the piece above. i found this deep in a corner of my basement & went to town. couple days later, bam. bookcase (& apparently shoe rack!) for the little guy! most of the books are from when i was a child with new ones added after my baby shower. the most important thing about this room was for it to be colorful, bright, & full of old & new.

above:   crib / rug / crib sheet

below: alligator / moccasins 

the daybed was a must for this room. i needed a place to be able to lie down & nurse with the baby, but also have it as a spare bed for any visitors. the map above is a coast guard chart from when little man's dad was stationed in new jersey. the blanket that matches the crib sheet is from here. the dresser below was another makeover project. i sanded it down, put four coats of semi-gloss paint & had a blast picking out knobs for each drawer!

my diaper bag could not be any more my style & is from here. his closet is full of new clothes & tons of hand me downs from his uncles (notice the stock pile of diapers & wipes above that i have collected... thinking ahead!) the little plastic animals i scooped up from my mom's kindergarten classroom & spray painted gold for the windowsill & the stuffed animals are three very important ones for the baby. the bear was hand crocheted by my mom, the bunny is from his grandparents in switzerland, & the elephant was mine. 

hope you enjoyed a little sneak peak! it is all still a work in progress, but i'm just so happy with how well it is coming together :)

tea time.

this morning i took a cruise down 95 to meet up with my lovely friend & fellow blogger Devon at the cutest little spot Lorca for some hot drinks & baked goods. obviously i ordered a chai latte since they are my absolute favorite & never fail to warm my heart & soul. it came in an alice in wonderland sized cup & saucer & i only burned my tongue once.

we chatted about life, the cold ass weather outside, & our big plans for the future. she also surprised me with the sweetest gift for the little guy: a moose printed & footed onesie from Vermont... sigh. i can't wait to bundle him up in it & snuggle him :)

love her.

oh & did i mention she is the founder of Wendy Darling Co. where she designs & makes her own whimsical clothing line... launching this month. you can be sure i'll do a post when the website is up & running! love you devon, can't wait to team up with you & make some creative awesomeness!

32 weeks!

 TOP: H&M

PANTS: Old Navy maternity

how far along: 32 weeks! time has literally flown by. little dude is almost 4lbs & the size of a squash!
gender: boy... or basketball? 
complexion: nice to be out of the little red bumps phase and into the smooth skin phase. i use Burt's Bees Belly Butter on my stomach everyday. so far no lines or anything except an outie for a belly button. but i used to rock one of those when i was a jacked up gymnast in my teens so it's not that hard to get used to.
hair: blonder, but in need of a trim before little guy is born!
maternity clothes:  rocking my Old Navy maternity skinny jeans & black skinny jeans like it's no body's business, but still getting away with all my normal tops. 
energy level: perfect. i go to bed earlier than later because i'm up every two hours to either pee or rub my belly while he has the hiccups. i figure the getting up every two hours is a good thing ;)
food cravings: chocolate, caramel, donuts... you name it. if it has sugar i'm all over it. & fruit. this has been a total "sweets" craving pregnancy.
best moment this week: everyday has been full of best moments. i have been soaking in the remainder of my time being pregnant & loving this last & final stage!

*i obviously took a break from blogging for a bit (look how little my belly was below!) but i am ready to be back to daily posting! i have had the greatest pregnancy so far (as far as symptoms go) & picked my c-section date the other week. i always knew i would be having a c-section due to my surgery last year, but actually picking his birthday was surreal and emotional. baby boy will come into this world on march 11th early in the morning & i can't wait to meet him. he has gotten so big, even though i am still carrying relatively small (a blessing for my spine) and i can feel actual limbs pushing & flipping in these last weeks. i swear one night it was his little hand that he pushed up and held it there & i rubbed it. i can not wait to meet this little guy!

nursery tour & much more coming soon :)