This Chair...Take 2

Remember this chair? I bought it from a thrift store in February with high hopes of reupholstering it for the living room. I received lots of suggestions for how to tackle the project (thanks Kate your tutorial was great) and fabric ideas. However, I did not have the courage to even start my 1st upholstering project. So, the ugly chair sat in my living room creating quite the eye sore.

It sat for months and months until I added it to my get-done-before-baby-comes list. As the list dwindled I knew the project was imminent. I gathered up all my courage and began to deconstruct the chair. I decided to use the existing fabric pieces as a template for my new fabric. This approach would be helpful later, but it made taking the chair apart quite the task as I spent hours gingerly removing the fabric, piping, and using a seam ripper to take apart the cushion. And my sweet husband spent lots of time removing the million staples.

Once deconstruction was complete I was even more intimidated by all the pieces that had to be put back together again. So, again the chair sat and was even more of an eye sore.

While the chair sat I did a lot of searching for fabrics, but could never make a commitment due to the cost and my cowardness. Then one week Jo-ann's was having a huge sale on upholstery fabric so I promised myself this was the week I would purchase fabric. I found a couple fabrics that I liked, but the one I really wanted was found in the remnant section and it was not enough fabric for the project. So, I asked the sewing desk if they had the actual bolt of fabric and low and behold they did and it was 50% off. Plus the remnant pieces were 50% off of 50% off. I was sold. The upholstery grade fabric was originally $30 per yard and I ended up getting 2.5 yards for $23! Because I got such a wonderful deal I was motivated to keep going.

From the beginning I assumed I would paint the chair to help modernize it. However, after purchasing my fabric I realized that the brown wood of the chair actually complemented the fabric quite nicely. Yay, one less step for me. Now I was really on a roll.

Next I tackled the piping. I tore the old fabric off the piping material and simply recovered it with my new fabric. This cut down on the cost (I didn't have to buy piping) and I knew it was the perfect length.

Then I used the old fabric pieces as a pattern and traced them onto the new fabric. Then I cut out the pieces.

Kyle tracing the old cushion on the new fabric to create a pattern. I knew that OT textbook would come in handy some day :)

Once all the fabric was cut I sewed together the cushion. It is a removable cushion with a zipper. I used the existing foam piece. This was my first experience sewing a zipper. Not sure I did it correctly, but it works so I'm pleased. Sewing the cushion was pretty easy until I reached the final piece that included 3 sections, a turn and piping. While it certainly doesn't look professional it fits snugly and I'm happy with it.

And for the final pieces I added some new batting and used a staple gun to secure the new fabric in place.

The final step was to hot glue the piping pieces to give it a finished look.

The finished product:

This was a time consuming project and had I known all of the steps I probably would have chosen an easier chair. However, I LOVE how it turned out! And I would encourage anyone who is on the fence about reupholstering to make the jump. It's not as hard as you might think. In fact the actual job of reupholstering (stapling/hot gluing) only took about 1 hour. Just take lots of pictures of the "before" object and use the old fabric as your guide.

38.5 Weeks Update & The Date

7/29 this was the day I envisioned this little one arriving. I wanted her to have a July birthday, so her special day wouldn't be overshadowed by football activities in August. It was 10 days before her due date, which is when her older brother arrived. It was a Friday so we would have the weekend to begin our transition before Kyle had to return to work. Those were my plans, but obviously God had another more perfect plan...we're still waiting to find out what that is :)

So, even though the little lady did not arrive on 7/29 it was a rather eventful day.

1) It was my last day of "work"

2) I had BH contractions all day

3) I've been experiencing quite a bit more pelvic pain than usual. Basically it hurts to sit, stand, or walk. Which is a-ok if my body is working on getting this baby out :)

4) I had a doctor's appointment. I saw the midwife and everything seems to be moving along quite nicely. My blood pressure and weight gain were good (only 1 lb. in 1.5 weeks and that included a lot of ice cream :) The baby was moving around and her heart rate was up to 164 bpm. The midwife said that was a good sign...moving around+increased heart rate=working neurological system. She is still head down and very low. In fact when they measured me I was measuring at 30 weeks pregnant, but they were not concerned about her size, she is just down to far to get an accurate measurement. She also mentioned I will not have a ginormous baby, which will be helpful when I'm trying to get her out :) I am only 1 cm dilated (boo), but I am fully effaced and she is at a zero station which is pretty low considering I'm not in labor. So, we continue to wait.

5) The Hall of Fame activities have begun and I got to participate in my favorite one (well really it's the only one I've ever participated in, but I enjoy it). We went to the hot air balloon invitational. This is the first year we took Sawyer and he L.O.V.E.D. it.

Sorry no pictures the cameras have been packed away so we don't forget to take them to the hospital. Sawyer is not allowed to do anything cute until his little sister arrives :)

Our Rock Star

Sawyer has always loved music. He's even started singing around the house. His best tune is the ABC's. The words may not be intelligible, but he's definitely got the tune down.

He's also trying to look the part.

Yeah, I'm cute and I know it.

Get those cameras out of my face. The mom paparazzi is just too much.

Is he the next Justin Bieber...well we hope not, but we think he's pretty adorable!

Last...

This past weekend we savored every minute as it was our last weekend before football started in full swing, last date night before we become a family of 4, and last Saturday to enjoy a full day of family fun until football season is over.

So we made our way to Cleveland to give Sawyer his 1st taste of a splash park. Troy, Candace, and Gracie also came along to play. Sawyer was a little hesitant of the water in his face, but he did enjoy splashing. He was so cold he was shaking like a leaf, but that didn't stop him from playing. He got even more brave when we gave him a ball to throw in the water. There was also a playground at the park. So, in between splashes he went down the slide.

Dad & son ready to go

Trying to squash the water

Some little girl really wanted to help Sawyer but he was not having it

Gracie protecting Sawyer

Splish splash

Throwing the ball into the ring of water was a favorite activity as long as someone went into the water to retrieve the ball

slide time

Escaping from mom and hiding under a bench. It was actually a pretty great place to "hide" since I can't really bend down that far right now and I couldn't pull him out because I'd scrape up his tummy.

After a picnic lunch at the park we sent Sawyer home with his aunt and uncle. Kyle and I stayed in a Cleveland for an afternoon of fun. We walked around a mall, went to see a movie together for the 1st time since before Sawyer was born (we saw Transformers 2 and ironically Transformers 1 was the last movie we watched before Sawyer was born), then we went to Little Italy and had some wonderful, authentic Italian food and homemade gelato. All in all it was a pretty great Saturday with good family time and good couple time.

Now the laundry is done, the hospital bag is packed, and the house is picked up (trying to keep it this way)...come on baby girl this would be a great time to make your entrance. If you wait too much longer I'll have to do laundry again :)

Little Lady's Sprinkle

Recently my wonderful SIL, Candace, threw me and the little lady a baby sprinkle. A few of my closest friends in the area came over. It was very laid back we just chit-chatted, ate and opened presents for a few hours. It was perfect and the little lady was blessed with many adorable girly things!

The adorable decorations: I love all the feminine touches

Food table

Flower arrangement

Look at that donut tree...too cute

Mantel decorated w/ a dress I made and pink flowers

The guests and gifts:

Little lady was very blessed with some adorable clothes.

Candace put together all the decorations and the food. The yellow and pink themes was so cute and the food was delicious.

Now we're all prepared for the little lady to arrive! It's becoming more real everyday...could be any day now!

Little Lady's 1st Photoshoot

Sorry if that title got you excited she is not here yet. However, my SIL Candace (Candace Lynn Photography) was gracious enough to take capture maternity images for this pregnancy. A certain little 18 month old was not super cooperative, but at least the little girl will have a few belly shots.

Here's a sampling:

Our best attempt at getting Sawyer to give the baby a hug or kiss

Candace Lynn Photography

Comparison & 37 Weeks

As we are quickly approaching the end of this pregnancy I thought it might be fun to do a little comparison between pregnancy #1 & #2. Here's a side-by-side shot of me at 8 months.

Observations:

1) Our camera was awful for pregnancy #1. So glad we invested in a nice camera when baby #1 came along.

2) I love my hair in pregnancy #1. Must try to recreate before baby #2 arrives.

3) Hate my hair in pregnancy #2 picture because I lost my hair straightener. Must invest in a new one before baby #2 arrives.

4) So far this whole comparison thing is only making me add stuff to my to-do list...that was not my original intent as I have plenty to accomplish before baby #2 arrives.

5) In terms of belly size the photos seem pretty similar. However, I feel much larger this time than I ever did with #1.

6) I appear to be carrying baby #2 a little higher which I find very strange since she feels so low to me.

That's all my pregnant brain can conjure up at this time. Hope you enjoyed the riveting comparison.

We're getting down to the wire, but I don't have a whole lot to report I just wanted to recap my 37 week doctor's appointment.

Overview

• Officially full term
• Was having a contraction when she was doing the exam
• Little lady's heart beat was 164 bpm
• My blood pressure and weight gain were good
• Negative strep B test
• No internal exam (probably won't have another unless I go past my due date)

The actual doctor's appointment went well. However, I was thrown through a loop when my doctor informed me due to a family emergency she had to return to India. She will most likely be gone from July 20th - August 20th...so it's highly unlikely she will be available for the delivery. Thankfully she has back-up physicians, so I don't have to search for a new doctor. The rest of my appointments I will be seen by the midwife which is perfectly fine by me as she is quite knowledgeable and thorough. My only concern is the actual doctor and delivery situation. I chose this OB/GYN because she had a private practice and I was able to build a relationship with her and not have to worry about what doctor might be on call when I deliver. However, now I will be delivering with a doctor I've never met. I know the doctor is only in the delivery room for 5-10 minutes so it's probably not that big a problem. I just hope this doctor has a similar philosophy with my doctor and is willing to listen and talk with me. The last thing I need while in labor is a disagreeable doctor :)

From my experience with Sawyer I know the nurses are what make a delivery an "enjoyable" experience, so I'm not going to stress over the doctor. Just wanted to document this turn of events.

What have we been up to?

As we anxiously anticipate the arrival of our little lady we have been cherishing our last moments as a family of three. We've been soaking in the

snuggles

smiles

& wrestling w/ daddy

It's been difficult to balance my need to finish the to-do list and my desire to enjoy every last minute as a family of three. But I'm really trying to slow down and spend as much time with my guys as possible. So, we've been spending a little more time snuggling and a little less time finishing house projects.

Girlifying the Nursery

Since we plan on Sawyer and the Little Lady sharing a room I've been working on ways to make her side of the room a little more girl friendly.

Here's what I have come up with. First, the new room layout. These are pictures of both sides of the room. The armoire will be moved to the corner of the blue wall and Sawyer's "new" bed will be placed where the crib now resides.

The crib will be moved to the wall/corner where the armoire now sits. And that wall/corner is where I'm focusing my girly design while maintaining the white, blue, and orange color theme.

Inspiration for adding some girliness to the nursery.

I L.O.V.E. this print from esty shop thewheatfield

It has all the right colors (blue, orange), a little vintagey feel which I adore (if my 1st child was a girl I was going to do a vintage nursery), and it's girly without being over the top.

A fabric covered letter. This tutorial from Prudent Baby makes it seem pretty easy. Since we know her 1st initial, I would like to have a letter hanging over her crib to mimic Sawyer's "S" above his bed.

And to add some texture and visual interest I'm going to try and create a mobile. Still deciding on the direction. I could hang tissue paper poms or here are some other ideas I like.

Butterfly mobile from Simple as That via Kiki Creates

Circle mobile via the Stir

Also, I bought a girly mirror at a thrift store that will probably make an appearance.

I can't wait to get started. Speaking of which I probably should get started. Oh Kyle, ready to move some furniture?