Some exciting news

At 2:00 am on March 16, sweet Meo woke up in his room and while Robbie went to get him to bring him to our bed, I got up to pee on a stick. I was almost a week late and hopeful; this was our first month of trying though and I tried not to be too eager. Actually, I have to tell you about the month prior before I tell you the result (aha, see how it feels to wait three minutes for the test to respond??).

Robbie and I had been considering trying for another baby, but we were really worried for a variety of reasons. Mainly we were worried that Meo wouldn't be ready. I was/am afraid that I won't be able to give him nearly as much attention once there is a newborn in the house AND I won't be able to give the newborn my undivided attention like I did Meo. It will have to be completely different. But I love how we have been able to raise Meo so far, and it scares me to death to think about changing things. Second, I know some moms have difficulty breastfeeding through pregnancy. Meo is certainly not ready to be done and neither am I. Third, we were worried for financial reasons. So after trying just one time, we changed our minds and decided to wait a few more months. Well, during that month I started getting really tired and having to pee like crazy. Then wen my period was late, I thought for sure I was pregnant. I took four tests over the course of that week, and after 6 days I had a very bad morning when I started my period. I was confused because I had had about 4 periods since Meo was born, and they were always one day after the predicted day. When 6 days went by, I had been so convinced I was pregnant. Robbie and I were so disappointed, we realized that maybe we didn't want to wait after all, and we started trying the next month.

This month I was feeling tired again. I decided that maybe I need to be running more because sometimes I get sleepy if I don't get enough exercise. I had been walking a lot, but not running like I used to. I was still tired after running though. Also, I started getting fat this month! I thought I was bloated and was going to start my period soon for sure. But My pants were all getting sooo tight and uncomfortable I was getting anxious. I hadn't been eating any differently and had been exercising. I decided that if this was how bloated I was going to get every month, that my periods were going to suck until menopause, because I did not like being that bloated. Even Robbie made a surprised face when I showed him how much much stomach stuck out, and I got frustrated and told him, "well watch Meo so I can run more!"

Then my period was late again. This time I didn't buy any tests though. I decided I wasn't even going to consider the possibility of being pregnant until Saturday morning (6 days late) when I had yoga class and would need to know either way so I wouldn't hurt the baby if I was (you need to do poses differently while pregnant). So Friday night we bought a test, and early Saturday morning I took it.

And...

I am pregnant! I was so excited and a little shocked because I really hadn't allowed myself to hope. I thought I would go hide the test on Robbie's phone so when he went to turn the alarm off in the morning he would see it. But when I walked in the room, I couldn't stop smiling and blurted it out right away. We are so, incredibly happy :).

I should also note that we don't really have all the concerns we had before. Meo is already getting to the point where he plays independently happily for good stretches everyday, and he already enjoys helping do things around the house. Nine months from now (he will be around 2 years and 3 months old) he will probably really enjoy helping me take care of his new sibling. Plus, Meo has a real nurturing nature. He kisses his stuffed Gobo and feeds him crackers, when we met a newborn baby, he sat next to me with a big grin and gently patted and kissed the baby, and when he was around a baby doll the other day I showed him how to hold it and he walked around the house cradling the baby and giving it kisses. I think he's not only ready, but will be a wonderfully sweet over brother. I will do my best to find balance with both children...I hope it comes as naturally as parenting just Meo has so far.

So far, (I am writing this at 5 weeks and 4 days pregnant) this pregnancy has been going great. Meo is still nursing like a champ...for a little while after I found out he started nursing a lot more than usual, but now things are back to normal. There was also a couple days where my nipples got a little sore when he nursed, but that has seemed to stop as well (or I've already gotten used to it and don't notice any discomfort anymore). I am already showing...I heard things happen more quickly the second time around and it's certainly true. It's like my body registered that I'm pregnant and instantly popped out into "pregnant belly mode". My pants are too tight so I wear sweat pants and yoga pants a lot except when I go out. We aren't telling people that I'm pregnant (except for immediate family and a couple friends) until at least after my first appointment in case anything distressing happens. So hopefully people don't just think I'm getting fat and lazy hehe.

One thing that is different about this pregnancy is that I don't have morning sickness (so far at least)! My appetite isn't quite what it used to be and sometimes I feel slightly queasy, but not enough so that I feel even remotely like vomiting. Last time it seemed like I couldn't keep anything down, I had to eat just the right combination of things otherwise I would throw up, and I usually had to have a cup of ginger tea with every meal or I would be nauseous. Also I had morning sickness through my entire pregnancy. So not having any so far is kind of amazing.

Other symptoms include being emotional (I tend to cry a lot more easily than usual...I won't go into specifics hehe), being more forgetful and being super tired. If I'm home, I take a nap with Meo, otherwise I am a zombie by the time Robbie gets home. This week we were busy and out almost every day, and I thought I was going to fall asleep in the car. It's pretty bad. I keep telling people I'm tired, and I think especially the working moms are probably rolling their eyes because who am I to complain that I am tired when I can make my own schedule. I can't wait to be able to tell people so I don't feel so silly in my sweatpants, with my tear-stained tired eyes. Well, I hope it's not that bad hehe.

I'm trying to keep up with at least walking everyday, and I am also continuing to do Iyengar yoga at the Portland Yoga Studio. Unfortunately they don't have enough interest to have the prenatal class that I took last time (and met some amazing mothers), so for now I am continuing in my normal class with the same teacher I took prenatal yoga with. I also try to find time to do yoga at home. We can't afford a gym membership, so I am not doing water aerobics and cardio at the gym like I did last time, but I am trying to run at home. So far we have only been able to figure out how to fit it in once a week, but now that the sun is out longer, we might be able to work it out so I can run a little more. Meo and I have been doing a lot of snowshoeing though, which is just as excellent a form of exercise in my opinion. Especially with an over 25 pound toddler on my back. I have to pause more often because I get winded so quickly now!

Running (4 weeks, 6 days pregnant)

Very tired snowshoe ( 5 weeks, 4 days pregnant)

So everything is going great, and we hope that everything continues going well and that we will have a strong healthy baby joining our family sometime around November 18, 2013!

41 Weeks Pregnant!

Fetal development at 41 weeks

Wow, I never thought I would make it this far. I was so convinced that because of the amount of exercise I did all through pregnancy and then seeing a couple of my friends give birth at week 30-31 that I would have trouble not birthing Meo prematurely. I guess I shouldn't have been worried about that! Apparently I should be worried about Meo clawing his way out of my womb though (just kidding, I just think it's interesting that the fetal development ticker update for this week just says "baby's hair and nails continue to grow everyday"). The main thing I was actually worried about once I got to 40 weeks is that little Mattimeo is going to get really big and he's not going to fit into any of his cute newborn clothes when he comes out. I know this is a silly thing to worry about, I am sure he will be the right size for my body. Plus, one of my friends told me he was born 3 weeks after his due date and was 7 pounds and 7 ounces, which sounds great to me! I would love for him to be between 7 and 8 pounds.

Everything is going well. I still feel really good, I just have more trouble getting around and am crampy more often. But I feel really happy, healthy, and still love walking, swimming and yoga. This weekend we thought for sure he was going to be born. I was having contractions off and on all day on Saturday, then on Saturday night they picked up and I was having them every 3-4 minutes and they were about a minute long. The midwives had told me to call when my contractions ever get to that point, so I called at 10:30 pm. The midwife on call asked me a bunch of questions about how I was feeling and what the contractions were like. She said that since I was able to walk around and talk really easily and because I felt like I would have no problem going to sleep that I probably should just go to sleep. She said I could take a warm bath to slow things down, or try to take a warm shower to get things going. She also said I could come into the hospital to get checked, but there would be a chance that I would just be sent home if things were still early. I decided to just stay home and try to get some sleep. Robbie and I actually ended up making ice cream sundaes and playing a board game before bed and the contractions slowed down a lot. By morning I wasn't really having them anymore. Yesterday and today I have just been having contractions off and on so I guess I'm still not quite ready. Hopefully soon though!

Robbie and I haven't been wanting to go anywhere far outside of Portland just in case I go into labor, so we've been taking lots of walks and doing stuff around here. These past few days we went to the farmer's market, took a walk at Gilsland Farm, went out to dinner with Dad and Sue, looked around some shops, went out to ice cream with Dad and Sue, read books, played board games (we have been playing a lot of Ascension, which is an awesome game that our friend Rob bought for us- thanks Rob!), and I just took a nice long walk with my Mom. So it has been nice, but I am definitely excited for Meo to be born and to start taking him on little adventures!

Game that our friend Rob got for us that Robbie and I have been playing 4-5 times a day

My boss from Portland's Paws just stopped by and gave Meo some really cute board books about puppies and kittens, plus an adorable onsie with a pup on it. That was sweet, thank you! Seeing her and the two dogs that were with her in the car really made me miss my job and seeing the dogs everyday. That really was the best job ever! Maybe we will just have to get a puppy of our own sometime soon... :)

38th Week Update

Development at 38 Weeks

I can't believe tonight concludes my 38th week! We are really are getting down to it now! I had a great week, here is an overview:

Exercise: On Monday and Wednesday I had prenatal water aerobics. I especially enjoy this class now that it is so hot outside because it feels amazing to spend time in the pool. Plus I can still cruise around in the water 'like it ain't no thang' which makes happy. Thursday I had prenatal yoga which was great. I have been incorporating a lot of yoga into my days as well as it helps me be able to breath and to have less back pain. This boy is getting bigger and heavier everyday and I definitely giving my back muscles a workout trying to hold him up all the time! On days that I didn't have class, I made sure to go on at least an hour walk each day because it just helps me feel good.

Midwife Appointment: Friday morning I had my regular midwife appointment accompanied by my mom. Everything is great. My blood pressure was a happy, healthy 92/68, and although I only gained a half pound, I had a bit of a growth spurt and my fundus height was 38.5 inches. I have been having nausea more frequently in the morning these days, but luckily I have been keeping my food down. The midwife said as long as long as I am not vomiting a lot, than the nausea is perfectly fine. I am taking it as a sign that my body is preparing for a new transition...childbirth. The baby is doing really well. His heart rate was perfect this week between 135-140 bpm. He is also in a great position with his head way down low facing towards the right, his back curved towards the left, his knees up to the right, and his busy kicking feet up in my right ribs. I asked her how big she thinks he's going to be and she said he is not going to be huge (which I am very relieved about), but probably somewhere between 7-8 pounds. This sounds ideal to me! I am very happy that we are both strong and healthy and hope this indicates we will have a smooth and gentle birth experience.

Other Fun Stuff: On Monday evening  Robbie and I hung out with our friend Andrew at Bard's coffee shop. Robbie and Andrew played their usual game of Go while I read a book and chatted with them.

On Tuesday Mom came over and we walked around Mackworth Island together. It was a beautiful day, but very hot so it was great walking under the shade of the trees and dipping our feet in the ocean water. That night Robbie and I hung out with our friend Lindsay and played a fun game, "Shear Panic".

Shear Panic (click for a link to info about the game)

On Wednesday I went with Robbie to his dentist appointment in Waterboro. He had to have a lot of stuff done on his teeth and we weren't sure how much pain he was going to be in on the way back. Fortunately he felt fine afterward. I got to visit my parents while I was in town which was nice. That night we watched Harry Potter 7.1 in preparation for the opening of the last movie which was coming out later in the week.

Thursday I had the pleasure of finally meeting up with one of my yoga buddies, Kasia, after she had her baby premature. She was due today, but had her baby a week after Mother's Day. Thankfully both her and the baby are doing splendidly, and he was able to go home for the first time a couple weeks ago. So I was really excited to see Kasia and meet her little Henry. He is adorable, and it was wonderful to be able to hold him and interact with him. He makes the cutest little sheep/goat noises! We took a nice long walk on the east end beach trail (Henry took a nice nap in his Ergo Baby pouch close to his mommy's heart) and I really enjoyed chatting with Kasia. I am so glad I have gotten to know some great people with babies that Meo and I will be able to hang out with!

On Friday Mom and I went to see the final Harry Potter movie. I wanted to see it early that day just in case I went into labor (it was a full moon that night, and even though there is no scientific evidence that full moons trigger labor, there does tend to be fuller maternity wings on those nights). I have been excited about this movie for months, and I thought it was good. It was action packed and eventful just like the second half of the book. Friday was also our friend Gib's birthday, and to celebrate a bunch of us had dinner together at the Great Lost Bear then went to Lindsay's house to play a couple games. Lindsay picked Robbie, Rob and I up to carpool over to the restaurant, and while attempting to find a parking spot Lindsay accidentally drove the wrong way on a one-way street. Unfortunately a cop was on the ball and pulled her over before she had a chance to turn around. Luckily she just got a warning, but the police officer poked his head in the car and said "Next time be more careful, especially with fatty over there in the car"! I couldn't believe it!  In all these 38 weeks of pregnancy, no one has called me fatty before! I just burst out laughing, as did everyone else in the car. What a thing for a police officer to say!

Saturday was a great day. Robbie and I took a nice walk by Bug Light (a lighthouse in South Portland) and watched the middle aged men fly their impressive kites, the cool sailboats in the bay and observed a cormorant diving for shiny silver fish. Then we went to Silly's to get milkshakes (they have the BEST milkshakes, and Robbie had never had one before) and enjoyed slurping those down on a shaded bench on the eastern prom overlooking the bay. In the evening we went to see Harry Potter (again for me, but the first time for everyone else) with Gib and Tatyana. It was fun, and I thought worth seeing two days in a row.

Silly's (http://www.sillys.com/)

Finally, today Robbie and I went to visit my Pepere Gosselin who is living in Kennebunk. He hadn't really seen me since I was pregnant, so it was a lot of fun for him to see how big I was. We had lunch together and ice cream sundaes for dessert (yum!). He shared an article he had found in the paper with us about the benefits of teaching children to be bilingual. Apparently it has been Dr. Ellen Bialystok's (a researcher at the University of Toronto) life work to study the benefits of bilingualism, and she found that children who are bilingual have an easier time solving complex problems and multitasking. She found that bilingual children process languages more easily as well. She also found that as people age, they are less likely to develop Alzheimer disease if they are bilingual, and those who are bilingual who do get Alzheimer tend to have the disease progress more slowly (Click here for a link to the article in the New York Times). I was really glad Pepere shared this article with us because it gives us further encouragement to teach Mattimeo French as he grows up in addition to English. The rest of our visit was wonderful as well and I am glad we were able to spend some time with him today.

Pepere Gosselin and I (38 weeks, 6 days pregnant)

37th Week of Pregnancy

Development at 37 Weeks

I have found myself slowing down quite a bit this week. Though I have been making sure to keep up with exercising (we went swimming at the beach twice, I had water aerobics, yoga, and went for several walks) I definitely haven't be moving around at as vigorous a pace. I find that I have a lot of pressure in my pelvis after I walk for a bit, I get tired more easily, and I still get out of breath quickly even though the baby has dropped down. It's definitely a good thing I stopped working when I did, I can't imagine having to walk multiple dogs in the state I was in this week, never mind the heat. So far I have been tolerating the heat fairly well. Before being pregnant, I really loved being warm and would keep a blanket on me at night even on the hottest nights. Now I haven't been sleeping with any blankets, and I have been needing to use air conditioning in the car (which is something I would never do before). I still go out and walk when its hot out and feel fine, but I definetly am more effected by heat than I used to be.

As far as other symptoms during this last stretch of pregnancy, I have been having a bit of nausea again to the point where I've even thrown up a couple of times. It's different than the morning sickness I had my first (and pert of second) trimester in that it doesn't last as long and kind of just comes on quickly before or after I eat breakfast. The midwife said it's okay for me to feel like this, and it is normal as long as it doesn't happen all the time (which so far it doesn't). Also, I have been sleeping even less at night now (I wasn't sure that was possible). I find that my bladder must be the size of a pea and I literally have to get up every 1-2 hours. This might be prevented by not drinking so much water, but if I don't continue to drink through the night I wake up with a headache and a dry throat (even with the humidifier on). But I usually feel pretty awake during my night walks, and find myself looking at the clock and calculating how many more hours I need to try to sleep until it is a more acceptable time to wake up. I would never do that before I was pregnant...I love sleeping and would always be sad as I saw it was getting closer and closer to morning. I guess I really am on a mommy schedule now, which is for the best I suppose. Finally, I have been experiencing a bit more swelling in my hands and feet. Mostly it comes in the form of stiffness and usually only when I'm hot. But I've noticed the my arches are less flexible than they used to be, which is an interesting thing to adjust for. Also, I am glad I took off my wedding ring and wear it around my neck instead, it would certainly be very tight these days!

Mattimeo seems to be doing well. In all the pregnancy books I read, they say that the baby should start slowing down and not moving as much in the 9th month of pregnancy. But not our Meo; I think he has been even more active than before. He loves to stretch out and make himself as big as possible which forces me to move into poses to make my tummy as roomy as possible (otherwise I can't breath). He also rolls, kicks and punches a lot. Sometimes I can feel both of his little heels jutting out just under my ribs. And when he rolls, my head feels flooded and I get a wave of slight dizziness, which a very interesting feeling. He is most active during and after meal times, though he also moves a lot now when I am in the pool or even when I am trying to walk around. I think he is going to have strong muscles when he comes out of me.

This week was a great week. Robbie had Monday and Tuesday off because of the fourth of July, and we went to the beach both days. On Monday, we went to Bay View in Saco. It was pretty packed, but it was a really nice day to beach anyways. I went swimming in the ocean for the first time this season, which was really cold at first but eventually wonderfully refreshing. The only bummer about going to the beach pregnant is not being able to lay on your back to dry off in the sun. Robbie dug me a big hole to see if I could lay on my belly in the cool sand. That ended up not being very comfortable either, and I just got more uncomfortable being covered in sand. The second day we went the Ferry Beach State Park with my mom. There weren't as many people on the beach that day, and we had fun swimming for a long time again. Robbie decided to use the bucket we got at our baby shower to build a sand block fort around me; I felt very safe and secure.

Robbie at Ferry Beach

Robbie at Ferry Beach

I think Robbie is going to be a great dad :)

Robbie at Ferry Beach

Minecraft in real life

Monday night we celebrated the Fourth of July with friends. We met up at someones house for some homemade lemonade, then headed down to the eastern prom to lounge on blankets with drinks and french fries to listen to the symphony and watch the fireworks. I was a little bit nervous about going to see fireworks so late into my pregnancy, but I covered my belly with blankets to dampen the sound. Meo definitely started wiggling around a bit more when the fireworks started, but I rubbed my belly the whole time and that seemed to sooth him the rest of the time. I'm glad we ended up going; it was fun being with all of our friends and I had never been to the fireworks with an orchestra playing at the same time.. I enjoyed that a lot. Plus, I thought the fireworks were good this year.

Red, white and blue Fourth of July breakfast (strawberry and blueberry whole wheat pancakes)

Tuesday night we had a few freinds over to play a game of Mansions of Madness. Its a really fun cooperative game where you have to try to find clues and solve a mystery before something bad happens to everyone (there are lots of different scenarios). Pi was excited; he loves watching us play board games. He always sits in the empty box (I tell him to stay in there so he doesn't walk on the board and knock down pieces) and watches us play.

Playing Mansions of Madness with Pi watching

Pi loves his monkeys and also loves sitting in boxes

Wednesday I had prenatal water aerobics and Robbie played racquetball with Gib. Thursday I had prenatal yoga and Robbie played squash with Gib. Friday I took a delightful walk with my Mom and sister, Sam. In the evening Robbie and I went to play board games with a whole bunch of friends. We used to have a weekly game night but it had stopped for a while. Now it has been reinstated (except it will be every other week) and I am pretty excited about that. It's really nice to have that time to all be together and have fun. On Saturday, Robbie and I took a 1.5 hour walk/hike in the Falmouth Nature Preserve. It was hot out, but we were in the shade of the forest and it was a beautiful day for a walk. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and packing our suitcase for the hospital (since I could go into labor at any time now!). Today (Sunday) was my other mom (Sue's) birthday and my Dad planned a fun cookout birthday party for her. We sat out on the deck and ate corn on the cob and kabobs, had some birthday cake, and chatted. Robbie and I got her some flowers (some tall rudbeckias) and Robbie planted them while Sam sprayed Harley with the hose. It was a great day, and a great end to my 37th week.

Dad cooking kabobs

The birthday girl :)

Hiking Pleasant Mountain Pregnant

Robbie and I had a great weekend. Our good friend Paul, who recently relocated to Atlanta, came to visit for the weekend. So we enjoyed hanging out with him and our other friends by going out to coffee shops, taking walks, going out to dinner, and bowling. Amazingly enough I won the first game of bowling against the other 6 boys...not bad for an 8 month pregnant lady who is usually among the low scorers! We also had an opportunity to visit my Dad, Step-Mom and all the pooches. The just did some major landscaping in their yard, so it was pretty incredible to see how different everything looked. Plus it was fun catching up and going out for ice cream with them. There is a local ice cream shop near by that has the most delicious ice cream, and they serve such huge portions; a small is three giant scoops! I enjoyed some coffee ice cream on a homemade waffle cone dipped in rainbow sprinkles. Mmmm!

The other exciting thing we did this weekend was go for our first hike of the season. For the past two weeks it has been raining, so the warm, sunny weather of the last couple of days has been very welcome. We decided to go for a hike before it starts to get ridiculously hot and before I get even closer to the end of my pregnancy. It was the perfect day for hiking because it was a slightly breezy, which kept off most of the black flies, and about 78 degrees Fahrenheit making for comfortable shorts weather. We hiked up Pleasant Mountain in West Bridgton, Maine. This is the highest peak in southern Maine, but is a pretty moderate hike compared to others we have done. The elevation gain is about 1,900 feet over the course of 1.8 miles (3.6 miles total) and it usually takes about 2 hours to go up and 1 hour to go down.

Since I am super pregnant at this point, we wanted to be extra careful that I didn't harm the baby or go into early labor. So it was extremely important that I stayed well hydrated (dehydration can trigger early labor) and took my time. When I breath, I am providing oxygen for both me and the baby, and if I start to get out of breath, the baby will not get as much oxygen he needs and this could also trigger early labor. So my midwives (and pregnancy books I've been reading) all say that a good measure that you are not over exerting yourself while pregnant is that I should be able to easily carry a conversation without sounding out of breath. Thus we took care to take lots of breaks so that I kept my breathing rate reasonable. Luckily, my legs are pretty fit and strong from all the exercise I've been getting, so I didn't feel really tired until the end of our hike on the way down. But it was warm and the trail was pretty steep so it didn't take much for me to feel a little winded and thirsty! Overall, with a lunch break at the summit, it took us five hours to complete our hike.

We saw lots of cool things while we were hiking. First of all, the view is spectacular. The mountain overlooks a pretty lake, then rolling hills and mountains covered in unspoiled forests stretch as far as the eye can see. When I am hiking up there I feel a little comforted that their still great chunks of land that are still untouched by mankind...it is beautiful. We saw lots of wildlife including butterflies, a hawk, some songbirds, and some super cute chipmunks. We also saw lots of beautiful flowers including pink lady's slippers. I think the flowers were all made more lovely by their brilliant green backdrop of fresh, new spring foliage.

Robbie and I really enjoyed the fresh air, the beautiful scenery, the peace and quiet of nature, and the adventure of hiking with a baby on the way. Below are some pictures from our hike.

Butterflies

Hobbit feet after splashing through the mud

Robbie and I on the ledge overlook

Hiking in my five fingers, 31 weeks and 6 days pregnant

flowers on the trail

8 months pregnant

Pink Lady's Slippers

Pink Lady's Slippers

Pink Lady's Slippers

Pink Lady's Slippers

Flowers on the trail

Robbie on the summit of Pleasant Mountain

Me on the summit of Pleasant Mountain (31 weeks, 6 days pregnant)

Painting completed

Yesterday marked the first day of my third and final trimester (7 months). I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going by, no matter how much I try to slow it down! Everything has been going really well lately; I feel really energetic and happy. I had my first prenatal water aerobics class yesterday, and it was really fun. I feel like it was just the right amount of exercise and I am excited to be meeting more pregnant ladies.

For the past few weeks, Robbie and I have been continuously working on getting the nursery ready for Mattimeo. We needed to switch our room with the office, rearrange the living room to make room for our computer (downsized to one computer for now), and make our old bedroom into a nursery. It was quite the endeavor and turned into a bit of a spring cleaning project at the same time. We also painted both of the bedrooms, so everything in our apartment feels fresh, new and clean.

For paint we used Olympic Premium (for more info about this paint, click this link). This paint has no VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which create indoor pollution and lead to the formation of smog. Zero VOCs also made it safe for me to help paint the rooms, as it is important for pregnant women to avoid exposure to toxic fumes.

Salute

Guacamole

For our bedroom, we chose the color Salute from the Harmony color collection (from twilight shadows to sunrise glow, the harmony color palette is inspired by the vision of the National Audubon Society), and for Mattimeo's room we chose the color Guacamole from the Grandeur color collection (from hazy peaks to mossy boulders, the grandeur color palette is inspired by the vision of the National Audubon Society). Here are some before and after photos of the two bedrooms:

Bedroom 1 before

Bedroom 1 after

Bedroom 1 before

Bedroom 1 after

Bedroom 1 before

Bedroom 1 after

Nursery before

Nursery after

Nursery before

Nursery before

Nursery after

Nursery before

Nursery after

Nursery before

Nursery after

Nursery before

Nursery after

The Salute looks really great with the new duvet cover Robbie got me for my birthday last month (it really highlights the blue birds):

Organic Duvet Cover and Shams

Organic Duvet Cover and Shams

And I think the Guacamole will look really great with the treetop theme I want to have in the nursery:

Carter's Treetop theme we want to use for our nursery

It feels really good to have the rooms all painted and situated now. This weekend Dad and Sue brought over the beautiful crib they bought for us, so now we have a bureau, crib, a bookshelf already full of awesome children picture books, and a comfy recliner for me to nurse in all set up. It will make it a lot easier to have a place to put things as we accumulate baby stuff, and Robbie and I have fun snuggling on the recliner together reading books to my belly.