what i’ve been doing

like my post title? my brain doesn’t really work in the summer, (or when i’m pregnant…bad combo) which means that i couldn’t think of anything creative, so i figured i’d just go straight for the facts!

i have to confess…i am enjoying the laid back, no schedule days of summer so much, that the last thing i really feel like doing most days is working on my computer. hence, the lack of activity. but that’s not to say that i haven’t been busy doing bloggy things. in fact, i’ve got LOADS coming up to share with you. we have been busy little bees, trying to get this house and nursery all ready for Baby Berkeley’s upcoming arrival. my sewing machine has been getting its full workout, so i will be coming back with some new sewing tutorials. and of course, be on the lookout for the Nursery Diaries soon, with lots of details…but i’ll give you some sneak peeks of our progress so far below.

i thought for today, i’d just dump some unedited photos, straight from the iPhone, to show you a bit of the going-ons around here. if you follow on Instagram (leanak), then you already have a fairly good idea of what we’ve been doing, but here are some more details. and for the rest of you, enjoy a peek and i’ll be back soon!

we’ve all been anxiously wondering what this new baby girl is going to look like…will she have darker features like her brother, or blonder hair, green eyes like her sister, or her dad’s baby blues? i’ve only had one dream about this baby, and she had dark skin, dark eyes, and dark hair..so who knows! but while we’ve been wondering and dreaming, my parents brought over some old photos of me as a baby and child, and wow…i think i might currently have a twin: (me on the left, Bella on the right)

i indulged in the most amazing treat a few weeks ago…a Smores Blizzard….two of my favorite things combined…smores and blizzards! it was worth every stinking calorie, GMO, and artificial flavoring, and before the summer is over, i think i might have to have another:

Bella and I took a little girls trip to Chicago, and Bella later told me that it was the most fun weekend she’s ever had. i’ll be back later with the full rundown of our trip and what we did, but if you’ve ever contemplated taking your little girl to the American Girl Place to experience all that they have to offer, i can with full confidence tell you that its worth the trip!!

we spend almost everyday in the pool, and my kids favorite game is to pretend like they are orphans, stranded in the middle of the sea, about to be attacked by sharks. i didn’t know whether to be concerned or crack up laughing…so i did a little of both:

Berkeley is definitely growing…and moving…and rolling…and although i’m very grateful that i get to grow her in my belly, i would be lying if i didn’t say that i’m counting the days until she’s out of my belly and in my arms instead

I realized that there are quite a few baby items that i still need, as i got rid of all things baby after having Bella, so with some baby showers coming up, i was encouraged to register. i did realize in the process that i need much less than i felt that i did with my first, so it was kinda fun to get to really think through what is necessary and what isn’t. it felt weird to do that all over again, but Bella came along, and we had an absolute blast! she was my official scanner, and took the job very seriously: (and for the record, i plan to use cloth diapers and hope to make my own baby food, i’m officially in love with the store Buy Buy Baby, which was not around when i had babies before, and there are lots of new and fun items available for babies now that were not in existence 9 and 6 years ago…like the Bumbo, video baby monitors, sleep sacks, IPhone Apps to track feedings, sleeping schedules, etc, …all of which i’m thinking might change my life!)

we live in Florida, which means you can pretty much count on many summer afternoon thunderstorms, during which we take the opportunity to do some reading. Canaan has been asking to read Harry Potter, and because i wasn’t sure what i thought of them, i told him that i needed to read them first before i decided if he could. i am currently on Book #4, and i’m so completely engrossed in them that i have been staying up WAY too late trying to read just a little bit more through very tired, droopy eyes because i simply can’t put them down! i haven’t fully decided yet what my decision is on him reading them, but i can say that i think they are one of the most creative books i’ve ever read in my life.

when i was sick at the beginning of this pregnancy, and was watching more TV than i care to ever watch again, i kept seeing commercials for these Hot Buns. i wanted to, so badly, pick up the phone and order some. i almost did, but somehow the thought of ordering something off of TV just felt funny to me (i never have, although my hubby once did…he bought the complete CD set called “Monsters of Rap” and it is, to this day, one of the best CD sets we have.) but…my friend found the Hot Buns at Target recently, so i scooted over there the very next day and picked them up, and i’m so glad that i did…they really do work! (and yes…i’ve tried the whole sock bun trick using a rolled tube sock, but it has never ever worked for me. however, Hot Buns do the trick!)

as my nesting is now officially full blown, i pulled some old newborn clothes of Bella’s out of our attic, only to find that so many of them had yellow stains on them…which weren’t there when i packed them away. i’ve heard that can happen, as protein stains from breastmilk and spit up can seep back through. so after much googling and research, i soaked them in smoking hot water and lots of Oxi-Clean for about a day and half, and low and behold…almost all of the stains disappeared!

i promised you some nursery sneak peeks, so here they are. the gold crib turned out exactly as i was hoping it would, and i’ll be back to tell you how we pulled it off, because we definitely learned some things along the way. i ordered the crib sheet from Land of Nod, and although it was a little bit more than i would’ve liked to pay for a crib sheet, it is absolutely perfect and i’m so happy that it is what we decided. the white swiss dot fabric will be made into the bumper and crib skirt:

my hubby and father in law did the most fantastic job of painting the nursery, and we added stripes to the wall where the crib will be. paint colors always always always throw me for a loop, and i can’t tell you how many times we’ve finished painting a room, only to end up really disliking the color. however, this time, the colors were perfect and exactly what i wanted. i’ll come back to give all the details in my Nursery Diaries posts, but the lighter grey is Sherwin Williams Eider White, and the darker stripe is Sherwin Williams Repose Grey.

iPhone pics don’t quite give you the actual color, so later on i’ll show you some Nikon shots, but i love the gold crib up against the grey stripes: (btw: i’ve always wondered…is it “grey” or “gray?” what’s the difference?)

now that the fabric for different baby projects is beginning to arrive, sewing is underway. (and i promise i’ll post tutorials before long.)

i just finished the curtains, made from this Amy Butler fabric on the right, and the Michael Miller fabric on the left will be a changing pad cover. you’ll have to come back to see it all completed!

our dear sweet friends surprised us with this beautiful wooden cradle, which we will use as a bassinet. its crazy to think that a baby will soon be in there:

we are also revamping the girls bathroom. i found these coral towels that i absolutely love, and i’m thinking of painting the walls a very light mint green:

these kiddos are super excited to meet their baby sis:

as of late last night, these were my current diaper bag favorites. i’m thinking $42 sounds a heck of a lot better than $139. however, i’m totally open to diaper bag suggestions, as its actually one thing that i’m struggling to find! so mommas, what are your faves? i think i’m looking for one that doesn’t necessarily look like a diaper bag, but more of a chic bag that you’d carry around even without a baby, but that obviously is still very practical as a diaper bag (i.e.: lots of pockets, room, etc)

i hope i haven’t bored you to death with all our baby excitement, but as its currently what’s happening around here, its hard to not talk about it!

i’ll be back tomorrow with my July Sponsors, so be sure to check them out, as there are a few new ones this month that i think y’all will really like!

see you soon,