Natalie's Specials

I am very blessed to have a lot of super crafty people in Natalie's life as well as tons of people that absolutely love her to pieces and we've accumulated a bunch of "special" things that I'm planning on holding on for her to put in her own house someday or to pass on to her own kiddos.  Here are a few of the special items that have been either made or lovingly bought for Natalie.

One of my mother's dear friends Gretchen made this blanket for Natalie and it is a constant feature of our bedroom.  It is always lying on the ground ready for some playing with toys and lots of tummy time.

This snuggly blanket was made for Natalie by my super crafty friend Amy (who made a ton of other stuff for the nursery as well) and it is a fixture in her crib at night and during naptimes.  It is soft and cozy and is definitely going to be her favorite security blanket.

I had this great idea to make a family quilt for Natalie with each of the family members writing a special message to Natalie on a quilt patch.  I got the idea from my friend Kristin's wedding where the wedding guests did something similar at the reception.  Unfortunately, I had absolutely no idea on how to put together a quilt so I employed my mother-in-law and her quilting friends to put the finished project together.  I haven't gotten it out for Natalie to play on yet because I am afraid that she will spit up on it and ruin some of the words.  It has a cute matching pillow and pillowcase that will be perfect for cuddling up on the couch with for family movie night someday.

My square - it was so hard to write on the material!

I love this square because Alexander and Ford (or FORB) wrote their own names and then had Nonna (my mother) write special messages from them to their baby cousin.

Natalie's square from her Daddy.

And of course, big sister Angie had to have her own message as well.

Over the course of my pregnancy, my mother and Natalie's godmother Kate gave me some really special items but I wanted to display them in a way that would preserve them properly.  My mom and her friend Gretchen (same Gretchen as the blanket above) put the items in a shadow box for me!  The pink cross is from Kate, the tiny medallion has a picture of me as a baby which was given to my mother by my grandmother and the large Madonna and child medallion was my grandmother's that hung over her bed in her house in College Station.  My mother gave me this medallion at Christmas and of course, I was pregnant and in tears as I opened it and realized what she had given me.  This box hangs right by Natalie's crib so that she will always have three very important women (her godmother, her Nonna and her great-grandma) always looking over her.

When I received my Confirmation, my middle brother Mike gave me the this famous Footsteps story which originally had a gold frame and a glass cover.  I had it hanging in my high school, college and grown-up apartment but I couldn't quite find the right spot for it in the house that I share with Craig.  Through the process of moving, the glass broke and it spent the majority of it's time in the closet under the stairs.  When I was cleaning out the closet about a year ago I found it and realized that it would be perfect to put in the new baby's room because Mike would be the godfather!  I had my dad repaint the gold frame to a nice silver so it would match and now it hangs right by the box of special items that my mother gave me.

I found the inspiration for this artwork on Pinterest and I made my own using Power Point.  It has our name, our birthdate, length and weight as well as the time and town that we were all born.  Natalie is by far the biggest baby in weight and length!  If we have another child, I might convert the colors to black, white and gray and hang all FOUR family member's in the hallway or living room or something.

These were my white dress shoes when I was a baby and I have them sitting out on a shelf in Natalie's room.  She wore them to church a few weeks ago when I stayed at my parent's house for the weekend!

My middle brother Mike and his wife Laura Renee currently live in Maine and over the past few years that they have lived there they have made a few trips over the Canadian border into the Frenchier parts of Canada.  On one of their trips last fall, my sister-in-law saw this super cute ceramic piggy bank with the words of the animals in French!  My brother carefully bubble wrapped it and brought it with him when he came to meet her last March.

Natalie has received tons of stuffed animals which I am sure she will enjoy playing with someday, but she has gotten four very special animals: a red lobster which was brought from Maine by her Uncle Michael, a green Beanie Bear given to her by the men at the baseball card shop where she often goes with her daddy, a brown bear brought to her from Colorado by her Aunt Sis (Craig's younger sister), and Marie the cat from Aristocat's given to her by my friend Amy's daughter Emma.  Emma bought Marie for Natalie with her very own money and wrote that she wanted to give Marie to Natalie because Marie is HER favorite toy to play with so she thought that Natalie would love her too.  Such a sweet little girl.

These three figurines were given to me by my mother's very good friend Kathy G.  The middle one came to me while I was pregnant last December and then other two were given to me after Natalie was born in March.

In February before Natalie was born my two good friends Heather and Amy came over one Saturday afternoon and helped me finish up decorating and organizing Natalie's room.  I had this frame hanging on the wall with no picture but I had plans to put a really pretty newborn or family picture into it once Natalie was born.  Amy took it upon herself to drawn her own interpretation of the Nelson family (including Angie!) to occupy the frame until I could get a better picture.  I remember Amy drawing similar pictures for me when we were in junior high and high school and now that she's moved off to Washington state, I just don't have the heart to replace it.  I like looking at it and thinking of Amy and how much she helped me through the pregnancy and the transition to new mommyhood.

On my registry I had a couple of packages of receiving blankets and my friend Heather's mother bought a pack of the blankets and then used her embroidery machine to personalize the blankets with pictures and Natalie's name.  Of course my personal favorite is the one all the way on the right with her name and a basketball with two volleyballs.

This isn't nearly as creative and spectacular as some of the things that other people have made for her, but it was my own contribution to her bedroom.  I took a normal white canvas and stapled on some leftover polka dot material and then painted her name (without using a stencil or anything like that) onto it.  I haven't quite finished the flower design at the bottom...but it's fine for right now I suppose.

These are a few of the special outfits that Natalie has received.  The top left hoodie was given to me by the PTA at my school - I'm sure she'll be sporting it to lots of volleyball games!  Last fall when Craig and I went to our yearly "Meet the Stars" season ticket holder event, we bought an infant jersey and had all the players sign it!  The sweater on the right was made by my mom's friend Marge who I used to help in the nursery at church!  She also made the bonnet at the top of the picture which will be worn with her christening gown at her baptism which I have tentatively scheduled for September-ish.

My friend Beri made Natalie two cute towels with hoods and her name embroidered on the hood.  The towels are really thick and cushy - great for using after a bath, but even better for drying off from swimming!  They are regular size towels so she will be able to use them for a very long time.

I think that's about all the "special" stuff I could find when I searched her room and bathroom.  I am so blessed to have so many people that took their own time and money to make such beautiful things for my baby.  If only I was creative and talented to make things like this for them and their families!



Baby Loves

There are definite items that we purchased or put on our registry that I can't live without for Natalie.  Such as...

- The pack n play by Graco in the (now discontinued) Hamilton pattern.

We have the pack n play put together as seen above in the picture with the changing station, the diaper and wipes holder and the bassinet all installed.  It is sitting right next to my side of the bed and at night, using the light from the nightlight, I am able to get her out of the bassinet, nurse her or change her, and put her right back without having to go to far or turn on any major lights that might wake her up.  I also love that it has the hanging little mat right underneath the changing table and bassinet because that is where I store all my nursing supplies (creams, pads and etc.) as well as any toys or blankets that we're using at a particular time.

- Summer Infant Swaddling Blankets:

Obviously this is not my child in the picture because my baby is MUCH cuter than this.  After being recommended the Happiest Baby on the Block book by my friend Beri which teaches the principles of swaddling, I chose to try this method of getting Natalie to sleep at night (and nap during the day).  There are swaddling blankets out there that you can use to wrap a baby up in, but Natalie is a little Houdini and somehow manages to get her arms up and out of even the tightest of swaddles.  She also seems to scream and cry a lot more when being swaddled in a blanket compared to being put in one of these Summer blankets.  The Summer swaddles are easy to use because you just put the baby's feet in the bottom and then wrap and velcro one sleeve, then the other sleeve while making sure the baby's arms are tightly contained.  I love them because they are easy to redo at night if I have to take her out of the swaddle to change her diaper.

- Stuffed Musical Giraffe:

We have a stuffed giraffe that plays the ABC song that is similar to, but not exactly like the giraffe above.  It is a magical giraffe because it helps lull Natalie to sleep.  In the middle of the night when I'm putting her back to sleep after eating or being changed, a few times winding up and letting the giraffe play its music will gently get her back to sleep...thus letting ME get back to sleep.  I love this giraffe.

- Sleep and Play Full Bodysuits:

These little bodysuits are Natalie's "pajamas" and every night before bedtime we change her into an outfit like this (she has several) and we begin our bedtime routine.  They are great because, again, in the middle of the night when I am changing diapers, all I have to do is unzip or unbutton her, do a quick change and then close it back up and it's back to sleep!  Sadly, she is already outgrowing her newborn pajamas because her body is so long that she is getting to "tall" for them!

- Boppy:

Up until yesterday the Boppy pillow had been used strictly for nursing purposes.  I've had to supplement the Boppy with another pillow from our bed underneath just because my torso is so long that I need to boost Natalie up higher in order to save my back and not be aching while I'm nursing.  Yesterday though, the Boppy found a new use!  Natalie is big enough and has gained just enough muscle control that I can put a blanket over the Boppy and she can lay on it and just kind of...hang out and be happy!  This made for a VERY happy momma yesterday morning when I was able to put her on the bathroom rug on her Boppy while I straightened my hair and put on make-up.  Hurray!

- Angie:

Now this last item is a limited quantity item and is most certainly one of a kind.  You'd be hard pressed to find anything like it in any other location other than my house.  She has been such a blessing to me - she is up with me at night keeping me company and she is my little watchdog when Natalie is sleeping and I'm downstairs trying to sneak in some laundry or a snack...if her ears perk up and she takes off up the stairs, I know my little munchkin is awake.  Angie likes to "give kisses" by licking people incessantly and her licking gets even worse when Natalie is fussing and I'm trying to calm her down.  I think it's Angie's way of trying to calm ME down so that I can focus and take care of Natalie.  Craig and I and our families joke about Angie taking care of HER baby Natalie, but I am so proud of how well she has adjusted and how fiercely she has accepted Natalie as part of her pack.

*I tried to upload a picture of her, but Blogger's picture uploader thingy wasn't working properly.*

Baby Gear

Yesterday I woke up feeling really great and so I convinced Craig to venture out to Frisco to look at baby stuff so we can get a good idea of how much money we'll be spending in the next few months while we prepare the house for the baby to come home in March.

Our first stop was the Stonebriar Mall where we ended up buying Craig a pair of new athletic shoes but didn't really find anything that we absolutely had to have for the baby. From there we had lunch at Applebee's (due to their special Weight Watchers diet) and then headed to Lonestar Baby which I had heard about through a friend. I was a little nervous because I thought it was a very upscale and fancy baby boutique where the prices were going to be astronomical, but it turned out to be my favorite place we visited yesterday because the prices were reasonable but the merchandise was very unique and much more suited to my tastes.

For example...

The baby girl bedding that I found and fell in love with:

Dahlia by N Selby Designs

We are going to be using the white dresser and bureau that my parents purchased for me many years ago when I got my "big girl" bedroom so that the only large pieces of furniture that Craig and I will have to buy will be a crib and glider chair. With the above bedding I would probably paint the walls a shade of lime green a little bit lighter than the lime green in the pattern. We'll be putting light brown/gray carpeting in the bedroom and I would find a chocolate brown rug to throw down in the middle of the floor as well.
Boy Bedding: Bali by Cocalo Couture

I know that the color palates are similar with the girl pattern above, but I can't help what colors and designs I am drawn to! I would also paint the walls in the babys room a light green to match this bedding as well and I think the bedding would go with white furniture too.

After Lonestar Baby we headed back south and stopped off at Babies R Us so that I could show Craig the items that my mother and I looked at last Sunday when we were shopping. She and I found a crib that is totally convertible from a crib all the way to a regular size twin bed which I knew Craig would love because it's hopefully going to save us some furniture money in the future. Our plan is to have the baby sleep in the room with us for the first few months before moving him/her to their own bedroom at the end of the hallway. BUT I didn't want to pay over $100 for a bassinet that the baby would only sleep in for three months or up until it weighed 15 lbs. Mom and I discussed other options and figured out that since Craig and I were going to buy a pack n play anyways, why not use that as the "bassinet" for the baby in those first few months?! Craig was sold on this idea (especially after checking out prices on the bassinets) and so yesterday we purchased a Graco pack-n-play in the Hamilton pattern. It is brown with green and turquoise dots (suitable for a girl or boy) but it also will match our bedroom and living room. Next month we're going to go back and get the swing for the baby as well. I don't think we'll be buying the matching stroller or high chair because the stroller looks too bulky and I am going to use a high chair that just attaches to the regular kitchen chair.

Registry Fun

Somehow, I got Craig to go register at Target on Thursday night. I was a bit nervous just because it seems that every new experience makes me nervous these days. I had a list printed out from the Target website about all the things that I needed to buy for the house. We're in a tough spot with registering in general - I lived on my own for three years before we bought this house and since buying the house, we've been blessed financially to be able to fill the house with furniture and decorations. There aren't too many things in the stores that we really NEED. Now there is plenty stuff that we could WANT, but I have a hard time justifying asking people to buy me things that aren't absolutely necessary for us to survive. I could have registered for a bread maker, a vegetable steamer or a electric vegetable chopper...but I don't really anticipate any need for those in the future. My mother somehow managed to cook delicious and healthy meals for the 18 years that I lived at home without the help of any of these items. And also - I don't have any idea where I'm going to STORE all the stuff that I'm not going to use!

Having said that...there are a few things that we really do need like new silverware, serving platters, plates, towels and outdoor equipment. And there is one thing on my list that I have absolutely NO idea how I'm going to use it but I want to have it on display in my kitchen: I really don't know what one does with a mixer like this, but it's in ice blue...and I love it.

Our general colors in the house go as follows:

Formal Dining room: green walls with darn iron and glass table, chairs and hutch

Living Room: Dark brown furniture with cream couches and brown and light green accents

Kitchen: Dark brown cabinets with dishes, towels and accessories in chocolate brown and baby blue

Master Bedroom: Dark brown furniture with green bedding

Hmm...I'm starting to see a pattern. I guess the green is just really relaxing for me and that's what I want most out of my house. Craig was surprisingly a great help in choosing items such as curtains for the bedroom and living room. My first thought was chocolate brown in the living room, because that's what I had at my apartment. Craig said that since all our furniture is dark brown, maybe we should go for a coordinating color like the light green. And he was totally right. I just appreciated the fact that he understood that picking out things such as curtains is important to me and he was very supportive.

Our next step is to register at Crate and Barrel for items such as glasses, serving ware, fun decorative items, silverware and kitchen towels, napkins and placemats.