One of the many things I love about my husband is that he is a builder. Having gone to school to be an architect before switching to dental, he learned many valuable tools of the trade that have allowed him to make our lives and home more beautiful. Having built our wedding alter and the dining table for our home, he surprised me this past week after building our soon to be son or daughter a cradle. Major swoon moment. You can see the cradle here along with my #MothersPromise, diaper choicie & first letter to our future babe. It was in this moment I thought about the natural touches one could add to make their nursery space more authentic and I have put together a little list of ideas & crafts that are easy to do. || WOODEN BLOCKS || There is just something about wooden blocks that I adore. Something so simplistic and educational about their innocent little ABCs and 123s that adorn them. These are simple to make and take minimal supplies. 1.) Head to your nearest craft store and purchase 2" square blocks or your nearest hardware store and get a 2" wooden beam to cut into blocks. 2.) Make sure they are sanded well, as to prevent any little hands from getting scraped or splintered. 3.) Get crafty! You can use wood glue to adhere small wooden letters or numbers from a craft store, or you can stencil or paint them on. 4.) You can leave them natural wood for a more rustic feel, or get creative and colorful with a paint palette of your choice. 5.) Make sure all surfaces of paint and glue are completely dry before allowing children to use. || CHEVRON NURSERY LETTERS || One of my favorite items for a nursery wall is the monogram. And chevron is still trending. Mr. Charming and I are unable to incorporate this as of yet, since we don't know if we are bringing home a boy or girl, but when we do, trust I will be making one of these. 1.) Go to your local craft store and pick up a large wooden letter that is the first letter in your babies name. 2.) Make sure to purchase two wood-based paint colors that compliment your nursery palette, wood glue, craft tape and a roll of burlap ribbon. 3.) Once home, tape off a chevron pattern in the desired thickness and using one of your paint colors, fill in the first color. Once dry, repeat, this time painting the opposite of the chevron pattern. 4.) Once dry, tie a decorative burlap bow and adhere to the corner for a rustic & natural finishing touch. || MAKE OLD NEW AGAIN || If you're feeling adventurous you convert an old piece of furniture into something new for your baby or toddler. Some ideas include: 1.) Turn a thin nightstand into a wooden "refridgerator" converting the drawers into a "freezer" and "fridge" door. 2.) Turn a small desk or entertainment cabinet into a play kitchen. There are many tutorials online. 3.) Repurpose old wooden frames into chalkboards with a little chalkboard paint. || THE BIG BOY/GIRL STOOL || My neice adores helping in the kitchen, but little arms and little legs can get frustrating for little ones. revive an old wooden stool with a new finish or stain and paint. Paint their name or a fun nursery rhyme character. Or better yet, let them join in on the fun and make their own abstract art. They'll get to be creative and be mom's tall helper next time you're in the kitchen. || FURNITURE || If you're feeling adventurous like we were, or if you have a handy hubby too, below is a list of ideas for one-of-a-kind touches you can make on your own nursery.
Have you made any toys, crafts or special furniture pieces for your little one? I'd LOVE to hear your ideas. Share them in the comment below. Also, if you have any questions about our cradle or any of the projects, feel free to ask away!
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Last night Mr. Charming & I went to start our registry. Insert all the girlish, happy, blissed-out squeals here. We decided to do it earlier than later, because we are already to starting to make some of our own, larger purchases, and we wanted the amazing rewards from Babies R' Us that go along with it. (No, this is not a sponsored post. I just think their registry program is that awesome.) Along with this post just being a super happy dance on paper, er screen, I also recommend my suggestions for where I think organic is best. In almost two hours, we only made it through about a quarter of the store. Most of our time was spent choosing what we believe is the best stroller and car seat for us. I let Mr. Charming take the reigns on this, since I chose the crib. We found a perfect match for both of us and baby. It's sleek, streamline, lightweight for little ol' Mandi, comfortable, high safety ratings and converts to last until baby is 4 years old! Win. Win. Win. And can I just say, seeing your husband testing out your first child's stroller? Priceless, endorphin surging, swoon moment of a lifetime. Seriously almost cried. Thank you Jesus for these moments. It's an overwhelming selection of EVERYTHING when you go to register, and when ours is complete, I'll post what I believe we needed vs. what I felt we didn't. Doug's five sisters and my three sisters have had plenty of littles over the years, so we've got to learn a lot about need vs. want when it comes to infant gear. Although, the wiper and bottle warmer were pretty cool. I mean, would you want a cold, wet rag on your behind in the middle of the night? Doesn't sound too pleasant. I try to put myself in their booties when weighing what's necessary. Right now I'm researching some organic brands offered at Babies R' Us to see which we are going to go with. Burts Bees vs. Honest vs. BabyGanics Vs. Earths Best. I also like the attributes of Pampers Premium to protect my little baby's bum So far, Burt's Bees has the best lavender lotion, as I miss the old J&J lavender night lotion of the past. BabyGanics smelled too earthy for us and Earths Best seems to have a good selection. New waters to explore, and so many options. But happy there are so many organic options. With Johnson and Johnson and other popular baby companies coming under fire for so many harmful chemicals, it's good to know we can opt for better options for our developing little one. The items below are where we are going organic or chemical-free in the nursery and our home, once completed I'll publish my faves, once I've tried them out. All Bath & Diaper Products Our Crib Mattress Most Clothing Mittens and other items that touch the face Toys (Eco Friendly and Chemical Free) All Cleaners For Home & Baby Clothes I'd love to hear your feedback on your favorite organic baby brands! Leave it in the comments below! From the first post in my First Trimester Chronicles to here, it's been a roller coaster of sickness, fatigue, emotions and sheer joy. I've always like to share my journey as is, so I thought I'd keep going with my series to allow you all to glimpse, well 1. why I've barely been blogging, and 2. what's really going on with me while I grow this little miracle. And without further adieu... part two of my First Trimester Chronicles from a tired mama. My Husband Deserves ALL The Brownie PointsMy husband has always been the doting kind. Generous, loving, strong, romantic. But these last three months? Oh man, he has carried the weight of working, taking care of home and taking exceptional care of me and our baby-t0-be on top of it all. He truly gets ALL the brownie points. And the brownies, just as soon as I feel good enough to bake them and stomach the aroma of baked goods again. "Morning" Sickness or All-Day Sickness?This has been the hardest part for me. I ADORE that I'm pregnant, starting to picture our little family and our adorable surprise bundle, and I've struggled with the guilt over the frustration of feeling so sick for almost 90 days straight. But I met some other blessed mama's-to-be who gave me some advice and some ways to extend to grace to myself and I am starting to accept the fact that I need to rest in this season. But yeah, the person that dubbed it morning sickness is a liar. A big liar. From 6 weeks to about 11 weeks it was all day long. From 11-13 weeks it hits me mostly at sundown until bedtime now, which is much more favorable than all day. So I'll take it. Grow baby grow. Staying HydratedFrom a self-professed water lover, I absolutely had no idea how hard it would be to stay hydrated. My body craves water, but water makes me want to vomit. So. It's been a challenge to say the least. I spend many moments in the day finding creative ways to get water down. Some days it has to be SUPER HOT for me to tolerate it, so Peppermint and Decaf Green Tea has been my friend. In the beginning it had to be SUPER COLD, so that was easy, i'd just refrigerate it. (I'm normally a room temp kind of girl from my days as a professional singer). And some days it has to be in soup broth or a diluted juice form or it's just not going down. When To TellThis one was easy for us when it came to immediate family, (we chose right away, since it was amazing to have their support through our loss last year) but we waited the traditional 12 weeks for everyone else this time, including our close friends. We just wanted to spend the first trimester in prayer and with me being so sick and sleeping so much it was easy to not run in to too many people. Had I seen them. I totally would have blabbed. I'm just so stinkin' excited. Paleo Had To GoThis was really hard for me. I always said when I was expecting I'd stick to my Paleo or even my #Whole30 lifestyle. Ha. For being as sick as I was for 6 weeks, I ate what I could get down. I'm still 100% gluten-free and dairy-free, but some days carbs, such as rice pasta or oatmeal, was all I or baby could stomach. I had to start listening to my body while still being conscious of my health and the health of Baby P. Now that I'm in week 13, I'm craving meat and veggies and most of my day is Paleo, but I want to stress that it's ok to listen to your bodies cues and make sure your getting the vitamins and minerals needed. My body is making a whole other person, I couldn't do that without carbs, and I dropped 8 lbs in my first trimester. I am now entering my second and have yet to gain a pound. Make sure you ask your doctor about any health, weight or food concerns you may have.
Even through my nauseous, exhausted haze, I'm still floating on cloud 9 that we are expecting a little bundle of joy this summer. I'm sorry posts have been few and far between since the holidays, but it's been a little rough and I've been sleeping. A lot. And trying not to feel guilty in the process. I am starting a short series through my first trimester titled the First Trimester Chronicles. Feel free to share and comment your experiences as well. I love the community of women I've already met so far that have been so supportive in all this newness of being a first time mommy. I also realized I was lying to myself when I said I'd "bear any symptoms angelically, simply for the fact we were finally blessed with a baby." While I appreciate this journey a million times more because of how long and hard the road has been, I also have to realize, that this is hard, all of this is new, and I need to be kind with myself and realize it's ok to seek advice and support and comfort in those that went before me. Because being nauseous for 90 days straight, no matter how happy you are, can make any girl break down and cry, many times. Or maybe that's just me & my raging hormones. ;) Cravings are REAL.My goodness. You hear about the stereotypical "pickles & ice cream" cravings, but I thought that all started way later in pregnancy. Thanks, movies. But by week 9 I was already full on dreaming, and day dreaming, of food that I had to have, like, NOW. And the most frustrating part... my body is craving foods I can't eat. For seven days, it would NOT let go of a cheese quesadilla from a Mexican restaurant I haven't dined at since I was 19, or a Sonic Drive-Thru Grilled Cheese Sandwich. GLUTEN. DAIRY. WHY, BABY, WHY? And let me tell you, vegan cheese and rice tortillas aren't faking anyone right now. I didn't crave this hard even through my Whole 30 challenges. Fourth-Meal Is Now A ThingI no longer find it weird, three months in, to wake up at one or two in the morning NEEDING to eat something so that I don't want to vomit. Mix that with my zombie like state of exhaustion from growing this little miracle and its a struggle between choosing to get out of bed and actually make something, or starve. Food usually wins. OK, every time it wins. Superwoman MetabolismEven with the extra carbs and middle of the night nosh sessions, I've lost eight pounds. Making babies burns calories like no other. Luckily my doctor says this is normal and come my second trimester it should all even out. ZzZzZzZzI think I've napped, since Thanksgiving, a total of 5,835 hours. Or, it's felt like it. The guilt of taking time from the blog and work hit me HARD when I learned what "pregnancy fatigue" truly felt like. How come NO ONE tells you these things? I'm here to tell you new mamas, and future mamas, if you feel like your eyes are weighted down by anvils, its totes normal. And take it from me, don't let the guilt ruin your day. Sleep in. Nap. Take a day off. Go to bed by 7pm (I do most nights). Mr. Charming has to remind me that I'm making a person over here. I can't expect to be bouncing off the walls and working all hours of the day and night like I did when I was just sustaining myself. I'm someone elses life source right now. And that's pretty darn cool. So nap on, mamas. There's a lot of Netflix out there to be enjoyed. The Most Magical MomentThrough every single moment of this roller coaster of amazingness that God has entrusted to us, seeing the heartbeat took my breath away. Shaking and nervous walking into our first ultrasound, I held Mr. Charming's hand as our baby flitted onto the screen for the first time. And there he or she was, nesting comfortably in the womb God created within me. His or her home, that I pray can be a safe haven until he or she gets to join us this summer.
But seeing that heart beat, that little fast, flickering, white glow, was the closest thing to heaven I think you can see while on Earth. And I thank you, God, for that little glimpse into our babies life, every single day. Thank you for the fatigue. Thank you for the nausea. Thank you for the hormones. Thank you for the cravings. It all means that this little one is coming first and that my body is working on making him or her it's first priority, Something that I've wished and prayed and dreamed of for so long. Until next time! With more from my First Trimester Chronicles. Share your stories below! I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. - 1 Samuel 1:27 Today was one of those days. One of those magical, beautiful, glorious days that you have only a few of in your life. Like, the day you graduate. The day you get engaged. The day you marry your best friend. And the day you see your baby's heart beating for the very... first... time. We are blessed and happy to announce, we are EXPECTING!!!!!! Our baby. Our baby we've prayed for. A baby we've waited for. Longed for. Dreamed of. And tried for. Since 2013.
God blessed us with a miracle & today marks 11 blessed weeks as I write this, and last week was our first ultrasound. Nervous and excited we got to see our little jelly bean. A miraculous, growing, living little baby. Their little hands and feet. Their little head and body. And their glorious, life giving heart beat. A strong 176. Our little Baby P. Words can't even begin to explain the joy & elation my heart is feeling. This magical day in our journey of life. A day for the books. Praise be to God for His beautiful blessings. Prayers appreciated for a healthful journey for our little gift. "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Our family recently took a trip to California to visit Disneyland this month. Normally a magical, wonderful & happy place, I can tell you from experience that there is no where else on earth that will remind you how much you want to be a parent than in that park. And while I had a lot of fun celebrating with our sisters, nieces and nephews, and being in Disney with Mr. Charming is always magical, there were definite moments when I felt I couldn't quite catch my breath as a chubby little baby squealed with glee over seeing Mickey for the first time, or a mom pushed a stroller by filled with bags of perfect, tiny little Disney onesies and stuffed animals. Today is a little harder for me than I thought it would be. I've been blessed to know God's amazing peace in this journey, but as I am still human, some days get the best of me. It's hard to know so many mama's are hurting, not just today but through their journey. And I want to hug them, squeeze them like I sometimes need to be squeezed and let them know it's OK. That God's got us, and our lost littles and our hopeful future littles all in His plan. That His timing is perfect. And that He knows far more than we do. But I know sometimes it still hurts. It hurts in remembering due dates, and birthdays. It hurts knowing it's been almost a year since the anniversary of our loss. It hurts thinking back to the doctor, our friends, heck, even us, thinking that it would only take a couple of months and we'd be pregnant again. We weren't. We aren't. But we are hopeful. In honor of Infant and Pregnancy Loss Awareness Day today, I want to take a moment for our little one we lost last December. For those of you who are new to Nosh & Nurture, Mr. Charming and I have been trying to start our family since September 2013. We tried for nearly one year before visiting the doctor and after tests found out I have a late luteal phase, causing me to ovulate a week later than most and I have very low hormone levels due to (??!!??!!) (we are undergoing most testing soon). But back in November 2014, once adopting the Whole 30 diet for a month, we found out we were pregnant. It was some of the warmest, joyous days I'd ever felt. Knowing my body was working for our family. Receiving God's blessing. I knew the high chance of miscarriage before week 12, but since I'd been trying so hard for so long to feel this feeling, I wanted to enjoy every second of that pregnancy. For however long God allowed it to last. We told close family only, but we soaked up those moments. Pinning baby things. Perusing the baby stores. Talking about plans. I had to do that. I needed to do that.
Our next step was picking up the phone to schedule more tests. And I have an appointment next month. More decisions. More waiting. And most importantly, more praying. For prayer is the most important part of all. He's writing our story, have faith, His plans are greater.
Prayers appreciated, and I will be praying for all of you who are also waiting. Love you all you mama's and dad's. A guest post by Rebekah of My MSPI Baby It’s that time of year again, kids and teachers are either already back at school or will be shortly. That means your family is going to be exposed to all sort of germy goodness in the weeks to come. I don’t know about you, but keeping my family as healthy as possible is definitely at the top of my back to school list…even if it might not be printed on that lengthy list of supplies we all get from the kiddo’s schools! There are many ways that you can help your kids and yourself to support strong immune systems. Here are some of my personal favorites, and many that we use in our house on a daily basis.
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please confirm any information obtained from or through this web site with other sources, and review all information regarding any medical condition or treatment with your physician. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on this website. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Rebekah is foremost a Christian, wife, and mom to 3 amazing kids who range in age from 8 months to 14 years. She is a lover of all things healthy, especially for sensitive families. Swing on by her blog to find information on MSPI (Milk Soy Protein Sensitivity), allergy free recipes, tips for a chemical free home, and plenty of deals to keep your budget healthy too. - www.MyMSPIBaby.com A very special post today! I was honored to be interviewed by The Stealthy Kitchen Mama for her Children's Book Worm Series. A lover of all books, spending hours on end at traditional bookstores, and lover of the written word, I was so happy when she asked me to be a part of this. I believe wholeheartedly in planting the seed of the magic of books in children from a young age. Sometimes I think about you. I don't dwell a sorrowful dwell, but I think about you. And sometimes, I miss you. I think about the number of days that have passed. I think about how big you'd have grown by now. About your little fingers, your wiggly toes. I think about how by now you'd have become a little 'she' or a little 'he'. I think about you. I think about all the mother's around the world, who have their littles and who have lost their littes and pray warmth and love. Peace in all situations related to this journey of motherhood. My mother tried to conceive for 9 years before having me. Amazing faith and patience that woman has, and I am so thankful that she kept trying. That she believed with all of her, and had so much faith in God, that I would finally make an appearance. I like to say I was fashionably late if there ever was such a term. Today I choose to think about you, but embrace the love that surrounds me and Mr. Charming. Our beautiful, wonderful mother's who through God gave us life. And the mother's in our lives, like our sisters and our friends, who we get to learn from and support. To all the mothers that are and the mothers who aren't just yet, Happy Mother's Day. A Guest Post by Karly Three weeks ago, I stood in the baby aisle of my neighborhood grocery store analyzing all of the options there are today for baby food. It appeared like so much had changed since my last little one was born. Where did all these options come from? What happened to just regular Gerber baby food? And who thought up some of these awful food combinations – ham in ham gravy? Chicken, peas and zucchini? The color alone made me feel bad for the poor kiddos that were being fed those awful combinations. Then the price of the caught my eye – they wanted me to spend HOW much on ONE jar of baby food? Combine that with some of the preservatives and GMO ingredients that go into said pre-packaged baby foods… Needless to say I left empty handed and ran home to tell my husband of my adventure. I sat there, staring at my Ninja that I had received as a Christmas gift and realized, it would be just as easy to make baby food at home and probably a lot cheaper. I had seen multiple friends posting on Facebook their baby food making ventures and it sure did look easy. I also quickly added up in my head the cost of the handful of vegetables they bought in order to make those items and immediately thought they were on to something. I feel fortunate in the sense that my in-laws have their own garden out on their acreage and canned a lot of what they grow – and they so generously pass it on to their children. I had some jars of vegetables in my house thanks to them and decided to grab those, along with some additional items, and get to work. Start with whatever kind of vegetable or fruit you want, it can be fresh or frozen. I generally try to make a weeks’ worth of servings. There’s also a variety of ways to store the food – there are some affordable plastic baby food containers on amazon, but glass is the preferable method. You can also use Mason jars and scoop out individual servings as you go. You can also pour it into ice cube trays and freeze for them an hour then pop into a glass bowl, throw on a lid and put in the freezer. You would then pull out only what you need each day. The fruit creations are super simple, you throw your produce, preferably organic (if not then wash them REALLY WELL), in the blender, hit start until pureed and you’re done. For veggies there’s a lot of dicing, cooking, and then blending. But your little ones get much more nutrient dense food that way, so make sure to mix it up. I chop up my veggies and tend to steam most of them, then I put them in my Ninja with a little water and turn it on. If you are crunched for time, you can always do it once a week or even once a month and then store it in the freezer. A few times a week, I toss whatever vegetables the rest of us are having for dinner into the blender so my little one can eat the same foods we are. Karly is a true southern girl through and through. Wife and mama to two sweet boys, she is also a professional event planner and publicist and has traveled with her littles more times than she can count. The sweet tea, loving Granola Mommy is a first time blogger on Nosh & Nurture and plans to continue writing on topics on various platforms to help mama's make healthy choices for their children. |
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