A little girl's nursery...

Slowly and surely the nursery is coming along

It has been so much fun making her little space in our house

Sometimes me and Ryan just like to be in there- talking about stuff- getting her little room ready

Knowing that soon she is going to sleep in there

These pictures are little old but

I still have one more project to finish before I share the finished room

  but wait till you see her closet...

it is the cutest

What else are Saturday nights at midnight for besides sorting baby clothes???

The vintage rocker was a present from my mom and dad

it belonged to my great grandmother

and my grandpa re-cained it 

It's my favorite thing in the room

The other things are just odds and ends 

A cupcake that makes the room smell like a baby,

Kittens and stuffed animals 

because no little girls room is complete without those items

It all stays in the room 

but some things have found a new home 

Ryan likes to go in and rearrange 

and sometimes I allow it

cause he says

"it's my baby too"

Fine.

Move the kitten then...

I am sooo excited to share the finished results with you!!!!!!!

Cha-cha-changes in the kitchen...

A few weeks ago before I was done working I had some vacation time

and so I sent myself to work in the kitchen

It had been 3 years since I had gone through all my kitchenware 

and let me tell you-

IT WAS STUFFED TO THE BRIM!!!

 I had sets of three for almost everything

too much stuff

and so I purged,

and purged,

and purged some more

and let me tell you...

Purging when you are 8 months pregnant takes time!  

Getting down on my hands and knees and cleaning out cabinets...

It was not an easy feat

I think my dad and brother would have enjoyed watching it 

almost as much as they enjoy watching me attempt to work out to a fitness video

{I am horribly uncoordinated}

By the end my kitchen had never looked better 

inside and out

but we all know

the fun photos are of the outside...

My kitchen is my happy place

I wish had some before pictures so you could really appreciate

just how far it has come 

from bachelor days

to domestic bliss

Why 28 is great...

This past weekend I turned 28 and my one of my younger sisters turned 18.

And it really got me thinking...

What a difference 10 years makes.

Her adventures are just starting

and while I am settling down starting a family.

But it's all that time from 18-28 that makes all the difference.

If I could go back and tell myself anything at the age of 18 it would be the phrase above.

Live your life and live it to the fullest.

You never know when you are gonna meet "the one"

You never know where you are going to end up

You think you know

but you don't...

How to feel great by 28

Laugh a lot cause life is hard sometimes...

Don't be afraid to get lost in a big city all by yourself, somewhere there is limo that will pick you up and take you where you need to be...

Dance when you get the chance, even if it is 4 in the morning in a Turkish restaurant with napkins or in a bar in Austria all by yourself to Dancing Queen...

Don't be afraid to talk to the American boy on the train to Venice- he could be the one to save you from the creepy Austrian guy trying to cop a feel...

Kiss someone in the rain it is magical {even if he turns out to be a loser}...

Fall in love with the wrong guy it will teach you what you really want...

Don't be afraid to do things alone, see a movie, eat out, or even shopping because if you can't enjoy your own company- who else will?

Go on a trip with your mom where you can quote French Kiss, drink coke, and hit on gondola men- and never step foot in a museum...

Don't date a boy who tries to change who you are- whether it is how you dress or what you do for a living- if he doesn't want mommy and daddy to meet "the nanny" then you don't want to meet mommy and daddy {no matter how big their house in the Hampton's is}..

Don't be afraid to move somewhere near or far- you can always go back home but you won't always be able to  move...

Don't go to Croatia with a guy you just met- not even I was that stupid and naive- trust your gut when it comes to reading situations...

Don't be afraid to be different or stand out- college is not the way for everyone and despite what people will tell you it will turn out fine as long as you are determined to be successful and happy...

Learn from those who are older then you- this includes parents- right now you think you know better then everyone but you will soon look back and realize you really knew nothing...

Don't be afraid to be bored.  Life won't always be this pace.  I never believed my mother on this one but it is sooooo true.  Enjoy it because you will not be bored for a long time after you get married and have babies...

Learn how to read a map a girl shouldn't need a guy just to get somewhere...

Don't look the other way when you run into "that guy from high school"  he could just turn out to be "the one"...

Know that at 18 you don't have to have it all figured out - there are adventures to be had and mistakes to be made...

So for those of you just starting out on these years 

take a deep breath and jump

because these are the years that make you who you are

they take you to where you need to be

and if you aren't up for the ride 

who knows where you will end up instead...

There were plenty of times that I just wanted to hit the fast forward button

but I would have missed so much if I had

and now I am so glad I had to get out there and live

because let me tell you

IT WAS FUN!

and I look back on those years 

as the best years

and they make turning 28 so much sweeter

because there are no 

woulda,

shoulda,

coulda,

Just memories- good and bad 

that have brought me to this moment

and I can now look back

&

 enjoy the journey

it took to get to 

28

Deep Thoughts and Belly Shots {week 37}...

GET THIS THING OUTTA ME!!!!!

jk...not...I am ready to go, I am ready to get my push on and get this squirmy little alien out of my body...

I actually lost 4 pounds this week- which even the doctor agreed was a good thing since I was getting close to gaining 50 stinkin' pounds and coming really close to passing Ryan up in the weight department...

Nursery is almost done, all her little clothes are put away, diaper bag is packed, baby stations are located around the house, everything is ready to go except her little bookshelf that needs to be painted- I may get to that soon...

I have found out that there is only so much Wife Swap and Real Housewives that you can watch before you are dying for real human contact and conversation- thank goodness I go back to work to answer phones for a couple of days next week.  My mind will thank me even if my ankles rebel and swell up to cankles again...I can deal...

Reading a new book called Bring Up Bebe One American mother discovers the wisdom of French parenting by Pamela Druckerman - LOVE IT but that is a post all in it owns.  Let me finish it and then I will share thoughts...

I turn 28 tomorrow and I am ok with that...

I get to eat at Olive Garden tonight and I am REALLY ok with that...

We have a stroller in the back of our car- the only time I really remember this now is when I take a turn to fast and it slams into the other side of our trunk...

We really need to have a car seat in our car too but I am too lazy to carry it out and strap it in...so it sits in the nursery- we can just grab it on the way to the hospital right???

Everyone keeps commenting on how calm I am- even my doctor was impressed.  It's funny but usually with something this big and life changing about to happen I would be freaking out, feeling really unprepared and not ready but I am not.  I feel ready, I feel prepared.  I know there will be lack of sleep and a new routine but I got this.  If you could see my hands you would see that they are steady.  If there is one thing I know it's babies.  Bring it on Charlie, bring it on...

Just don't have colic- k?  

Anyone have any good crock pot meals or meals that freeze well?  I would like to have some of those on reserve...

This baby better not end up having a wiener cause I have way to many pink, purple, and flowery outfits to take back now...if she does come out a he- he is gonna be one little girlie man...

I'll end on this conversation between me and Ryan:

Ryan:  Have you been doing your kegels?

Me:  Do you even know what kegels are?

Ryan: Yeah and I haven't seen you do one the whole pregnancy.

Me:  I am doing one right now.

Ryan:  Don't you have to like get down on the floor and do them?  Like a push up?

Me:  I knew you didn't know what they were....

Elephants, Pinwheels, and Butterflies {The sweetest baby shower EVER!}...

My sister-in-law Lainey crafted her assets off for this shower and it totally paid off.  It was so stinkin' cute.  It all started when we were in Philly and we saw these orange cake pops instant inspiration since my nursery colors were gonna be pink and orange.

Do you see those elephants?!?  I literally had those in my basket at Restore for the nursery and put them back!  Lainey came another time completely unaware that I had almost bought them.  SHE bought them all and painted them in colors that matched with poke-a-dots.  SO CUTE!!!

This shower was totally a family affair.  All the sisters and moms pitched in with food, games, and setting up.  So to all of you I say thank you.  Me and Charlie definitely felt the love!

My new job...

Today I got up with the husband

and packed his lunch

Too 1950's for you?

Not for me

It was a big moment- I felt like I had made it

I am officially the House Manager of the Sjuts residence

and I am lovin' my new post

I loved being a nanny

I loved being at home and taking care of the house

I like to grocery shop and clean

I had some good teachers in this art of making a home function smoothly

And now I get to do if for reals in my own house!!!

To Do Lists have become my new favorite

and my laundry no longer piles up and stares at me with angry eyes

I can cook a nice meal for us instead of eating Arby's for the third time in a week.

I have started clipping coupons and making PB& J sammy's instead of eating out

I wear a lot of sweatpants right now but this WILL not be my uniform after the baby comes

I have to make sure of this- for Ryan's sake

To my husband I say thank you for this opportunity to stay at home with my baby

Because for 10 years there is nothing I have wanted more

Thank you for saving for us to be able to afford this luxury

Thank you for trusting me to do what is right for our family

and knowing me well enough to see that I will be back to snapping pictures

 and making money again in no time

But most of all...

Thank you for giving me this little baby growing inside of me and making my dreams come true!