Suzanna Grace's Nursery

Y'all, when I say that this is my absolute FAVORITE room, I say it with tears in my eyes thinking about how perfect it is for our little girl.  It is literally more beautiful than I could have ever imagined and I spend countless hours just sitting in it an admiring.  I know that it will be the most perfect little room for our Suzanna Grace.


This beauty will hang on our door at the hospital with all of her stats filled in and we will bring it home to go in her room too!  Here's to hoping that she comes in March!

Walking in to the room:

 View from the door

If this doesn't scream "precious little girl room" then I don't know what does.  This labor of love was nearly thrown out the window by Suzanna Grace's Daddy and [Grand] Daddy B.  Kyle would now tell you that it was worth the time and sweat...but that he'd never do it again as it came in no less than 1000000 pieces and required many man hours of labor.

 Suzanna Grace LOVES her room...I love it too...especially that oversized monogram!!

Oh how I LOVE our Best Chair glider and recliner.  My Daddy made the open front shadow box for the Ashford Collection dress that I wore when I was a little girl.  Suzanna Grace will have her own Ashford Collection handmade heirloom dress too.  

 Suzanna Grace PINK ribbons made with LOVE by her Mommy, SuSu, and Auntie MA.

My Daddy made the headboard for our daybed and MA, of course, made all of the linens.

We are planning on using the all white bed as the changing table too...I joke that we will just put plastic down everywhere to protect all the white..."joke."

 Ahhhh!  I LOVE this!  We took it down to just two big pink pillows and added a smaller white monogrammed pillow.  Look at that sweet lamb from Sissy too!

Book end/mini-shadow box of Suzanna Grace's SuSu.  A barrette that says "Suzanne," SuSu's little girl picture, and baby pearls...love!  We are hoping to make one with some Grandmother Grace items too!

Bonnet collection, a southern belle must:

We took the folding doors off of the first closet so that we could more easily access everything that we needed.  I found this refurbished dresser on Craigslist and it fits perfectly!

Onsies and play clothes for 0-3 months:

Updated room picture with crib mobile and little girl chair with sMg monogram!

Picture/card holders:

Sweet framed print:

Suzanna Grace's growing library of baby-friendly hard books:

Little girl chair and mini-chandelier night light:

Sweet little monogrammed mug and other goodies on her dresser: 

Well y'all, now all we need is a little girl to go in this beautiful room.  Countdown = 2 weeks!  We love you Suzanna Grace!

Final Touches and LOTS of LOVE

Both my Momma and MA were able to visit Kyle and me before Suzanna Grace is born. 
Each of them wanted to come to check in, make sure that everything was the way they thought it should be for her arrival, and to spend time with us before our worlds are forever changed.  


Friday was a busy day as we worked, worked, worked and checked, checked, checked items from our list.  The day started with a DR appointment where we got to hear Suzanna Grace's beautiful heartbeat AND see her with a sonogram!  The nurses LOVED Momma Ray and have asked about her each week that I have gone back.  As we gave ourselves a tour of the maternity ward she quickly made friends with the folks there too.  

We finalized the hospital bag, bought some "much needed" items, and ended the day with a yummy supper out.  Kyle knows how much I enjoy having my Momma to myself and luckily he was occupied with going away festivities for our friend Pat as well as with school. Of course, Momma and I were at home and in bed by 10:30 each night anyways.

We put the stroller back together and practiced strolling around the house.  We also practiced taking it apart, getting it up the stairs, and packing it away in closets.  These are things that you sometimes just need someone to do with you and laugh.    

 

We also went and purchased a KTan which my cousin Cori recommended.  We watched  several videos on how this thing works and I am no pro...but I think it will be nice to have.  We will get another carrier for Kyle to use after she gets here too.  I told Kyle that he was welcome to wear this one too and showed him the picture below.  He was not amused.   

 

It snowed (story of my life this winter) on Saturday but we still enjoyed a 2+hour sit in Starbucks as we sipped hot chocolate and did some excellent people watching-a favorite activity of ours.  Momma could not get over the fact that it snowed so quickly and that people were still carrying on with their lives instead of buying out the milk and bread at the WalMart and staying inside.

Her visit also welcomed Suzanna Grace's birth month! 

 "Happy March SG!"

Southern Belle in a midwest snow storm. 

Kyle and Toes nearly froze to death watching the Blackhawks play outside!

Momma had an early flight out on Sunday morning but was able to leave us with only a few things left for MA and me to do on the "To-Do List."  Poor Kyle kept saying, "I thought you told me TWO weeks ago that we were ready for Suzanna Grace to come..."  We were...and still are...Momma and sister visits are meant for the small details and "wants" not necessarily needs. 

The following week Mary Agnes' school came for a field trip to Chicago, so she had the privilege of being a chaperone for 60+ 7th-8th graders before spending Friday-Sunday with me.  After my call to her from the DR on Thursday she was just positive that SG was on her way and already had the bus driver ready to drop her off at the hospital.  Luckily, SG decided to stay put and we were able to get lots of extras checked off of our list.  We had the car seat installed, ate lots of spicy food, and got our nails done Suzanna Grace pink with sparkles in anticipation of her arrival.  

We also used the massage gift cards that SG got Kyle and me for Christmas since Kyle refused to use his, stating that he just "didn't feel right about doing nothing for an hour while someone touched him..."  MA and I had zero issues with his concern and very much enjoyed ourselves.  I scheduled another prenatal massage for closer to SG's due date in case she needs a little more coaxing to come on out.  

After our work day on Friday, Kyle treated us to supper at Bistro Dre, plus dessert...the key to any womans' heart...pregnant or not.

Saturday after our massages we met up with Renee downtown at the Four Seasons for tea and snacks.  What a fun cold weather activity.  3 hours later we had figured out SG's arrival, solved all CPS and world problems, and done family planning for all three of us.  Love this sweet friend. 
  

Sunday Kyle had us WALK to church so that he could get a one up on some of his coworkers and their FitBit challenge.  We ended up walking a total of 6 miles both ways and after he realized that walking induces labor (around mile 4) he nearly carried me home.  Needless to say we spent the afternoon napping and watching movies.  MA helped me to do a final cleaning of the nursery before we dropped her off at the airport.

I cannot say enough how blessed I am with the best Momma, sister, and Chicago sisters in the world.  Suzanna Grace is going to have the best female role models and I cannot wait for us to all get our hands on her!  

Full Term!!! 37 Weeks

How Far Along? 

37 Weeks = FULL TERM!!  Hip, hip, HOORAY!  Cominse the power walking, eating pineapple and spicy food, thinking positive birthing thoughts, etc so that we can meet our girl!

Size? 

Suzanna Grace is:

At the doctor on Thursday she weighed 6.6 pounds!  With 3 weeks to go, she is for sure going to be a 7 pounder! 

Maternity Clothes? yes. 

Weight Gain?  At the doctor on Thursday I weighed 142 so thats about 22-25 pounds 

Stretch Marks? Nope,  Burt's Bees Momma Tummy Lotion twice a day.  

Gender? A precious baby GIRL, Suzanna Grace!     

Sleep?  So much better this week for some reason.  I go to sleep sitting up but by my 2-3am bathroom break I can lay down and feel fine.  It has been a science, that's for sure.  Now that's not to say that I wasn't writing thank you notes at 3 am the other morning but that had nothing to do with not being able to sleep and more to do with a racing mind and a check-list. 

Movement?  ALL. THE.TIME.  Even when I am standing and moving around she moves.  I think that her space is limited so I probably feel them even more too.  Dr. Heraty was able to SEE her moving as she checked the heartbeat on Thursday too.  I am also pretty sure that my excitement and adrenaline are pumping into her.  Lord knows she is excited for spring and to enter God's beautiful world...she's doing her happy dance! 

Food Cravings? Just the usual...anything sweet. 

     

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope, thank goodness. 

Labor signs? When I was being monitored on Thursday the nurse told me that I was having contractions but I could not feel them.  I am assuming that if your contractions aren't painful then they probably aren't anything to get too excited over...or maybe painless/not so painful contractions are a godsend. :) 

Belly button in or out?  Out and flat.  By the end of the day she's poking through my shirt.

This was not even the end of the day...rather a poor wardrobe choice.  Not sure that the picture shows an actual representation of how cropped this shirt really was.  Thank goodness I had on another shirt underneath.  How inappropriate, Georgia Anne. 

  

Wedding rings, on or off? It's on but not as loose as it has been.  Still think the freezing temps are keeping the swelling down.

What I Miss? Nothing.  

Symptoms? As my mother pointed out last weekend...I waddle.

Happy or Moody? Happy, happy, happy.  I could cry at just about every mention of babies, friends, family, and all sweet things but, as my Momma would say, that are always happy tears.  

Dr. Visit Update:
On Thursday I started my once a week appointments and met with Dr. Heraty.  When she measured me I was only at 33 weeks but SG was moving all over the place and her HB was just fine.  Even though I have been measuring 2-3 weeks behind the whole time she thought that 33 weeks was significant and suggested that I go down to be monitored and to have the grow sonogram early (I had one scheduled for Monday already).  She told me that if Suzanna Grace was in distress then she would not have been moving so much and her HB would reflect an issue but that she just wanted to take a peek to make sure that she was growing alright.  I called work and told them that I would need to take a half day (thank you Lord for this amazing school!) and went to register downstairs to be monitored.  They hooked me up for about 45 minutes while I watched daytime TV and chatted with sweet Nurse Barbara who, of course, is a southerner herself from TN.  During that time SG rolled and stretched and kicked the monitor around and showed off her superb HB.  The nurse even said that I was having some contractions.  I sure do hope that the contractions that I was having, and didn't know about, are the kind that bring SG into the world.  HAHA--wishful thinking. And even if they are I would never tell anyone for fear of being hated by every woman in the world. :)  The sonogram went well too.  Everything was normal.  Fluid levels were great and she is in the 54th percentile which just means that she is an average joe.  She also weighs 6.6 pounds!  WOW!  Thank you Lord for our healthy girl!  I will go back each week to be monitored and to check fluids too.  Dr. Heraty told me that she is on call on March 29 (one day after SG's due date) so I am hoping that if SG does not come before then, we can talk about helping her to come when Dr. Heraty is there.  

Best Moment of the Week: 

-Getting to peek in on our little girl and finding out that she is healthy

-SPRING...this may seem silly to anyone in the South but this screenshot of the weather is pure gold to Chicagoans as anything higher than 22 degrees seems like a warm front and to see multiple days in the 30s and 40s means that spring is surely right around the corner...and as we know...spring means Suzanna Grace!  If she decided to come on Monday when it's "hott" I wouldn't blame her one bit. (PS-Rude, polar vortex, just RUDE.  You can't get up to 39 one day and snow the next...) Update: It's 8 am on Saturday morning...and it's snowing. :(

-Car seat installed = CHECK!

Looking forward to... 
-Meeting our precious little girl any day now...or at the very least, in a few short weeks

-Bowling Party/Baby Shower that my students and their families are throwing for us next weekend

Sweet things and Life in General:  

If this doesn't just make you squeal then I don't know what will.  Thank you to Mrs.Miriam Thames for this precious searsucker backpack!  I am already a little jealous of all of SG's adorable fashion and this just adds to it!

Sweet Kyle is gearing up for his last week of classes before his finals (the week before SG's arrival) and I could not be more proud.  This quarter has flown by but I have never seen someone work so hard yet balance work, school, and family so well.  Even though that ole Kyle doesn't read this blog, I do make sure that I tell him every day.  Sometime when I say, "I am so proud of you..." He'll say, "Why?"  I think it just goes to show how hard work is simply in his blood. Working full time, taking 3 MBA classes, having a life. and managing me all seem to be NORMAL to him.  Thank you Lord for that Kyle Moore.  

We, of course, want Suzanna Grace to come on HER time...BUT if she could just come ONE WEEK early then her Daddy sure would appreciate it seeing as he would be on his school's "spring break" and would get to spend all of his nights with her.  If she waits and comes later though, like always, he'll make it work perfectly.

Suzanna Grace's Chicago Baby Shower

On a chill day in January our sweet Chicago friends, new and old, helped us celebrate our sweet girl by hostessing a shower in our honor.  Momma and MA were able to make the trip from MS and Jessica travel up from Indy as well.  With the freezing temps and snow, just making it to the shower even if you lived in Chicago was quite the feat and I was oh so grateful for the hours that we were able to spend together.  

My sweet Coonley Friends gave Suzanna Grace a "Happy Everything" goodie bag full of outfits for her first everything...from Easter to 4th of July and Halloween to Christmas, she is set!

 Sweet Hostess: Ashlee, Amanda (Boozie), Leslie, Momma-To-Be, Liz G., Renee, and Michele                                       (Sweet Meggo Carlstedt was stuck in Indy)

These girls are some of my Chicago sisters (plus our AL Boozie) and I love them dearly.  They teach me daily what is means to be a good and caring friend.  I don't know what I would do without them!  Thank you girls!

Hey there Miss Suzanna Grace!

Thank you to everyone who was able to make the shower and to those who could not make it but sent their love from all over the country.  Suzanna Grace is one lucky and LOVED little girl.  

Week 36 Update

How Far Along? 

Holy moly- 9months?!?!  Where has the time gone?  Suzanna Grace has surely made her presence more and more known as the weeks have passed.  Check out that big round bump!  Oh how I LOVE it!  

And yes, I was practicing my "strolling" throughout the house.  What else does one do when it has been winter for the past 5 months?

Size? 

Suzanna Grace is:

I cannot believe that she weighs 6.5 pounds...but if she doesn't then she is probably close.  WOW.  Again, even though I am getting bigger, I wonder how that large of a human is stuffed inside of me.  Truly amazing.

Maternity Clothes?  Yes and I have the same rotation of clothes each week. I love my black leggings and Piko tops.  What life savers!  Chicago and the polar vortex are jerks and still think it is winter so my sweaters are also getting A LOT of wear.  I very much look forward to burning them all once we get some decent weather.   

Weight Gain?  22-25 pounds :) Steadily gaining about a pound a week...grow baby girl!  

Stretch Marks? Nope,  Burt's Bees Momma Tummy Lotion twice a day.  

Gender? A precious baby GIRL, Suzanna Grace!     

Sleep?  Sleep?  What's sleep? Not only do I sit up when I sleep but I have also started elevating my feet.  It is super ridiculous looking and poor Kyle basically sleeps hanging off the bed.  I just cannot seem to get comfortable and feel nauseous when I lay flat on my back or sides.  I guess that is just my body preparing me to be able to survive on just a little sleep for the rest of my life. :)  

Movement?  Bless her.  This sweet girl moves and grooves and practices her dancing skills all day and all night.  Last week I watched (and felt) a limb move from my belly button across to my right side.  Based on how we think she is positioned I think that she was stretching her legs!  She gets the hiccups a lot too.  My Momma was able to feel lots of her big jerks when she was here this weekend.  I am really going to miss this part of pregnancy.   

Food Cravings? Just the usual...anything sweet.  We got some nurse and doctor happies this weekend and I am afraid that all of the candy is just about gone...

     

Anything making you queasy or sick? Just trying to lay down to go to sleep.  

Labor signs? NO!  I have talked to several friends and hear that you may not have any BH or other signs until it is "go time."  PLUS my doctors do not check you until 39 weeks and even then she says that they may not.  I am honestly very thankful for this as the anticipation and anxiety over this knowledge might drive me crazy. 

Belly button in or out?  Out and flat.  By the end of the day she's poking through my shirt.  She looks like a little piggy tail. 

A special thank you to my dear friends, The Rogers, who found this picture of me as an almost 2 year old with my little tummy hanging out.  Since I do talk about my belly button so much Mrs. Mandy thought it only appropriate that I take a look at this picture to be reminded that my BB has always poked out!  I can honestly say, and anyone who has seen it can attest, this is nearly exactly what my belly looks like right now at 9 months pregnant.  PS-How cute was I with those pig tails, crop top, and giggly personality. 

  

Wedding rings, on or off? It's on but not as loose as it has been.  Still think the freezing temps are keeping the swelling down.

What I Miss? Nothing.  

Symptoms? Aching hips. Sleepless nights.  My Momma confirms that she has no labor signs until her water broke with all of us...so....  

Happy or Moody? Happy, happy, happy.  I could cry at just about every mention of babies, friends, family, and all sweet things but, as my Momma would say, that are always happy tears.  

Dr. Visit Update: Kyle, my Momma, and I went to the doctor on Friday to check in.  We met Dr. Dennis and loved her just as much as we have loved the other doctors in the practice.  As soon as she entered the room she told us that she would probably do a quick sonogram to see if SG was still breech.  I quickly looked at Kyle and my Momma and gave them the "don't say a word" stare!  Remember we got a quickie the previous week and confirmed that our girl was indeed head down.  After her healthy heartbeat (which was again located on my left side--head down position) we felt confident that she was where she needed to be.  Once we got into the sonogram room though, Dr. Dennis told us that we should be looking for a white glow to show where her head was and that it was not pointing down...oh no!  Before she put the wand away with us thinking that she was still breech I piped in and told her that the week before we were told that she was in fact head down.  Dr. Dennis moved the wand a little to the right and quickly found that angelic glow that confirmed that Suzanna Grace was in fact still head down and that she had NOT flipped back into her breech position.  Praise the Lord!  I was told to schedule all of my remaining appointments as I now go every week.  We have a growth sonogram again on Monday and we cannot wait to get the pictures of our sweet girl before meeting her face to face. 

Best Moment of the Week:
-Our surprise sonogram, plus the fact that my Momma was there too.  To say that she was excited is an understatement.  Happy tears flowed...from us all. 

-A long weekend with my sweet Momma--separate post to come!

-Learning that Isla Claire Rosamond and Bailey Templin where born on Thursday.  These are the two babies that were to come before Suzanna Grace and now that they are here, SG can safely make her appearance!  Congrats Mallory, Tyler, and Alec and Walt and Kate!

Looking forward to... 
Mary Agnes' visit this weekend, tea with MA and Renee at the Four Seasons, constructing the hospital door hanger made by the ever so talented Dana Ingram of Tickle Me Tacky (picture to come), and meeting our precious Suzanna Grace in just a few short weeks!

Sweet things and Life in General:  

My precious Coonley Family showered Suzanna Grace with a surprise baby shower last Tuesday.  She received lots of children's books to add to her growing library and lots of cute summer time clothes!  Coonley has been such a blessing and I cannot wait to raise a family while working there. 

These booties were HANDMADE by one of my teacher friends, Heidi.  SG now has two pairs of booties (the other from Uncle Bryson) that Kyle and I both wish were big enough to fit us!

Yummy pink frosted cupcakes that I took home "for Kyle."

Books, books, and more books make this teacher Momma proud.  My dear friend and teaching partner, Cara, had her mother make the tag blanket and burp clothes.  Oh how I love any and everything that is made with LOVE.