autumn shots

I've mentioned my love of the changing seasons... I have been super inspired lately and it's killing me to not be able to get out and photograph beautiful faces in the beautiful scenery. So this morning as the sun was peeking through the trees, I grabbed my camera and snapped a few shots while standing on our deck in my pjs. Here are a few of my favorites:

And because I personally cannot get enough of the colors outside, I have uploaded a few of these shots to the desktop wallpaper folder in case anyone would like to use them as their desktop background like I am. :)

still here... still thankful

Yes, I am still here. I have not had a baby yet. I have, however, continued to list the things I am thankful for but the list has been building over on my phone. Here's a quick review for my blog reading friends (all pics taken w/ my phone): 11/3/2011

I am so thankful for the chiropractor. I had never been to a chiro before this pregnancy but I have seen great improvement in my aches and pains since I started going. If you are a local, check out my chiro, Dr. Likins. He will take great care of you!

11/4/2011

Today I am grateful for a flexible schedule. I've said this before... but I continue to be so very thankful for the opportunity I have to work for myself. It is not a typical lifestyle in our country... at least not with such flexibility. But I am passionate about encouraging others to do what they can to add quality to their lives. If that means living debt free so that you are free to follow your dreams or travel the world, or if it simply means to work for yourself so you have the flexibility to lead the life you want.

11/5/2011

Grateful today for a healthy body.... with all four limbs and the ability to run if I need to. Today Tommy completed the MMTR 50+ Miler and I couldn't be more proud or inspired by his accomplishment. All I can think of is how grateful I am for the ability to do whatever we put our minds to.

11/6/2011

So very thankful today for time to rest. I am also very glad Tommy is feeling good (albeit sore) and has energy after his big race.

11/7/2011

I am so glad Tommy has Mondays off. They are our personal Saturday together (since I often work Saturdays or we have events to attend)... Monday is the day we run errands and eat lunch and generally participate in productive activity together, uninterrupted. I love it.

11/8/2011

So glad that our little pups are beginning to finally come back around after Red moved back home. It has actually been a whole week since we received a little present on the bathroom floor... something that had been happening almost daily for a while there. (I know, that's a little TMI, but I am REALLY grateful it's not happening anymore.) We love these little ups and can only hope they will adjust to a new baby a lot better than they (never really) adjusted to Red.

11/9/2011

Today I am grateful for having inspiration right outside of my window. I find I am so inspired by the weather and the changing seasons. The change, the freshness of something new... I never desire to get out and photograph more than I do during the changing of seasons. I am grateful for four seasons and how much they inspire me.

More to come, I'm sure. I've plenty of time while I sit and wait for baby. <3

11/2/11 Girl's Night Out

11/2/11 - November Thankful Project

Today I am grateful for last night's Girl's Night Out. :) One of my closest friends, Carrie, came into town for the night and we treated ourselves to dinner and dessert in downtown Lynchburg. It was a long overdue get together full of intimate conversation and tons of smiles. Something I really needed.

I feel refreshed and grateful.

November Thankful Project

So I expect this next month will be one of the most emotional periods of my life. With hormonal ups and downs and huge changes around our home, I am sure I will be all over the place. In an attempt to stay grounded and to remain focused and grateful for all the blessings in my life, I am committing to a November Thankful Project. The basic premise is that I will be blogging daily about something I am thankful for. I hope to have photos to accompany these things... but I am keeping expectations low. ;) I'm sure I'll fall behind, I mean, I'm hopeful there will be a wonderful distraction that shows up right in the middle of the month. :) But I plan to come back and catch up as needed.

11/1/11 - November Thankful Project

Today I am grateful for the little fact that I can work from home with my feet up and my PJs on. I'm still dealing with end-of-pregnancy-swelling and there's nothing better than putting my feet up while also getting work done, as well as having the opportunity to take a break whenever I need to get up and get my blood flowing.

I seriously can't wait for the day that I can see my ankle bones again. Maybe that'll be something I'm thankful for near the end of the month. ;)

our gender neutral nursery

I call this our gender neutral nursery because it is still incomplete. :) It will be completed after we know the gender of our baby. But for now I think you can get the idea of it. I have some options for prints and other complimentary items that will bring it all together as either a girl or boy's room. I'm still collecting a few ideas over on my nursery pinterest board. You'll see a few of our unfinished to-do's in the pictures below, but if I don't post these pictures now I don't know when I ever will. So... here's what we've got so far!

We started with a big shopping trip to Ikea in which Tommy wanted to spend more money than me - a first in our marriage! I had my eye on this white furniture for months ahead of time. I knew Sweden had better safety standards than the US and with the prices Ikea offered, I didn't want to buy our nursery furniture anywhere else. :)

This bedding was my inspiration for the whole room. I loved the simplicity and neutral-ness of it.

Once I had the bedding, I picked up a few paint swatches at the store and let Tommy pick the final color for the walls. (I narrowed it down to a shade of soft yellow & this grey/aqua/blue. I think he made a good choice!)

The closet is my favorite area in the room. I have a soft spot for organization and I really enjoyed sorting and designating a place for every thing. :)

The three bins on top hold (from left to right): all things breastfeeding, all things bath, and a stash of clothes in larger sizes.

This little stack of plastic drawers holds baby clothes, shoes, socks, hats, and some extra linens in the bottom drawer. On top of the drawers are cloth wipes, disposable wipes, a wipe solution, diaper rash cream, and other baby diaper changing essentials.

I have a whole drawer of GOWNS. I am really excited about that! Gowns may just be the only thing our baby wears for the first few weeks/months. :) (Don't be mistaken, the other drawers are full of clothes and onesies as well.)

Under the changing table I have a stash of extra baby wipes and a container of larger diapers that should fit baby up until potty training. I am really excited that we've got all we need for our cloth diapering journey!

The bottom shelf holds burps rags and tons of baby blankets. I had so many receiving blankets that I actually cut up four of them into smaller squares to use as cloth wipes (see the stack on top of the drawers above). Feeling SO blessed!

And the newborn diaper stash... just about ready to go. They just need to be washed once again before baby arrives!

The four baskets on the bookshelf are also full of baby goodies! One holds all the carriers I've stocked (a boba wrap, a baby k'tan, an ergo, and some feeding covers), one has a small stash of newborn baby toys, one is holding more blankets (fuller and fluffier than the receiving blankets), and one is empty to leave room to grow. :)

And all the little things...

I decided to go with animals to accessorize the room in a gender neutral way.

My sister made this sweet canvas for the baby. I adore it.

My fun diaper pail! Complete with the fresh scent of tea tree oil. Mmm mm.

My mom stocked us up with some girl and boy items for the first few days. So we've got our stack of items ready to go... one will be wrapped up and returned to the store and the other will be tossed in the wash and used. It's so fun to wonder which one we'll be keeping!

So that's what we've got! And after baby arrives, here's what our to-do list looks like:

1. Purchase and frame 2 prints for room.
2. Paint two lamps with complimentary nursery color (boy: orange/red; girl: rose/khaki)
3. Replace all outlet covers. (Should do this BEFORE baby... we shall see.)
4. Paint the closet to match the walls (hopefully this will happen someday!)
5. Wash & replace the fluffy rug that belongs on the nursery floor.

I am loving the nursery. It's calm, peaceful, clean, and super organized. I think it's safe to say this room is my favorite in our house right now. :)