The Belly and the Window..

I suppose when you are in the grocery store, and someone comes up to you and asks when you are due, it's a sure sign that you are clearly pregnant! Personally, I could tell the difference for weeks now, and I suppose anyone who sees me on a pretty regular basis could too. I just didn't expect a stranger to come up and ask!

By the way, I wasn't wearing this shirt when I was at the store. That would have been a dead giveaway!!

I am also happy to report that yesterday the new window in Darby's room was successfully installed! The original windows were drafty and old, and not up to fire code. There had been 2 side by side windows, and they were replaced with one larger window. I wish now that I would have taken a before picture to help highlight the change, but I didn't prepare like I should have. Here is the NEW window!

The deal of the week was this shabby chic mirror I bought off of Ebay for $5.99!! Shipping was $15, but I still think that was a steal! I plan on hanging it over the dresser when we finally get the furniture in.

Next on the nursery to do list: put up the rest of the waynes coating and chair rail and finish painting!

Wheel of Fortune!!

FYI: Eric's cousin Francie is on Wheel of Fortune tomorrow night, Wed 2/27 at 7:30pm PST (if you don't live around LA, check your local listings for time in your area). They taped the show back in January and I know she loved being on it... and from what I hear it paid off! Be sure to watch to see how she does!

Stuck in the middle...

We are still in the quest for the perfect middle name for our little Darby. We have plenty of time and aren't ready to decide just yet! We still want your opinion, but we have added a few more options!

We are starting fresh! Even if you had already voted, we need you to please vote again!

Here is a recap of the choices, along with the new additions:

Darby FERN - after Erics Great Grandma on his Dad's side.

Darby ANNE - after me!

Darby EMMA - after my sister, Emily.

Darby MYRA - after Erics Grandma, who was one in a million.

Darby LYNNE - after Erics Aunt.

Darby MAE - after my Aunt.

Darby HART - Erics Mom's maiden name.

Darby HOPE - Something we have needed a lot of this year.

If you have any ideas, feel free to leave me a comment. We are always open to suggestions!! Of course the final decision will be ours, and we don't plan on basing it on how many votes each name gets. We just like the input of our friends and family along the way!

Halfway Baked!

We are so happy to say that we are now halfway to holding our little Darby in our arms! Time really did fly by and I hope these next months go by just as fast. We just can not wait for July to be here!

Our little princess already has a closet that is getting full of cute dresses and girly outfits!

Both of our Mom's, Eric's Aunt Lynne and of COURSE both Eric and I have all had a hard time resisting the cute baby clothes and just had to buy some! Darby is going to be quite the fashion plate!

We are so thankful to be where we are with our baby Darby, it is an amazing feeling to be beginning to work on our 21st week of pregnancy.

Easy Breezy

Another task has been checked off our nursery list! This past weekend, Eric hung up the new ceiling fan in Darby's room. We even picked out a moulding piece to go around the top to girl it up a bit!

Eric did a great job installing it, such a handy man!!

On another exciting nursery note - We came across a great sale and bought a crib and dresser! Right now its just in boxes in the garage, the room is clearly no where near being ready for furniture. We have some time before we need furniture in there anyway, but there's no passing a good sale when you find one, right?!

The new window should be installed on Friday, so hopefully the rest of the waynes coating and chair rail will go up soon too.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Happy Valentines Day!

Having time to do fun little things is so nice! I realize that once Darby is here time will run much thinner then it does now. This year I decided to take the time to decorate some valentines cookies for Eric's court staff. Boy, did I take time decorting! I think I worked on these cookies for a few hours, but it was so fun! Let me tell you it was hard keeping Eric from eating them while I was decorating!

This year we have decided to forgo the busy crowds and overpriced set menu's. Tonight I am cooking a nice romantic dinner for the two of us. We are having flank steak, baked potatoes and steamed artichokes, with chocolate fondue for desert! I hope it all turns out as good as it sounds!

Happy Valentines Day!

Thinkin' Pink!

Even though little Darby is only halfway baked, we are already preparing her nursery for when she is here! Of course what other color would we paint other then... PINK! I picked a pretty color called Sweet Pink to grace the walls.

On Tuesday, Eric's Dad helped to start installing the waynes coating and chair rail.

The next thing on the list is a new big window in the room that should be installed sometime next week. Then the dynamic duo can put up the waynes coating and chair rail on that last wall and its done! With a coat of primer and some bright white paint, it's going to look so fabulous!

After all the painting is done, we plan on getting some neutral berber carpet installed. Our little Darby is going to have quite the little girls room!

What do YOU think?

We want your input. On the right hand column of this page you can vote (once) on our little Darby's middle name! Each name is significant to us and we just can't decide!

Fern - After Eric's Great Grandmother on his Fathers side. We just love the name, it's different and so cute.

Anne - After me of course!

Emma - After my sister, a variation of the name Emily.

Myra - After Eric's Grandma (his Mom's Mom), who was one in a million.

If you've already voted and changed your mind, don't worry! It's easy to change your vote!

Thanks for your help!

Already Adorable.

Here are some pictures of our little Darby (yes, that will be HER name!). She is the cutest thing and we can't wait for her to finish baking so we can hold her in our arms!

Here she is sucking her thumb...
and her little toes...
her profile..
and the money shot!

We have a DVD of our ultrasound too, it was amazing. We are already so in love with our little Darby.

And the Dr said...

She gave us a 90% chance. (I've heard that some couples are given that 90% until they give birth for liability issues) so we are thrilled to be welcoming our little girl in July!

Bring on the PINK!

Helloooooooo Maternity Wear!

The day has come! I have sent my regular clothes away for awhile. Nice and snug, folded away and organized under the bed in tupperware for the next few months. I am officially a maternity wearing pregnant chick and I love it! I have found the most comfortable pants ever from Motherhood Maternity called - The Secret Fit Belly. They might look silly (like most maternity pants seem to look) but they are heaven compared to some other maternity pants I have tried on.

My ever expanding bust has been demanding the extra room maternity tops provide since probably about my 7th week of pregnancy. But once you are in the pants, I believe is when the maternity wear is official!

So where's my membership card?? Oh, yea! The proof is in the baby belly! (Pictures of that to come really soon!!)

Little buds that WILL bloom...

Pregnancy loss is truley something I will never fully understand. Even if there is a clear explanation as to WHY, I just can not understand why not. This week alone, I have known 3 couples that have experienced it. It is so much more common then anyone would have thought.

One of the people that lost their little one this week was given a blanket at the hospital. Inside of it was a tag with "Budded on earth, to bloom in heaven" written on it. That is so comforting to me, and it is so true. I always refered to our 2 losses as our "heaven babies" so it just went hand in hand with how I already felt.

I believe it takes a special woman, and couple, to go through a pregnancy loss. Once you find out you are expecting, your world changes and your focus IS that baby. It is heartbreaking to know your baby has been sent to heaven before you even got to pick out the nursery color.

I wish no one ever had to go through it, and it always seems to happen to the most deserving couples. My heart breaks along with theirs.

To them, a reminder that no matter how difficult it seems, each new day is full of PROMISE and HOPE.