A Fairytale Forest Nursery for our precious Pearl!!!

So this is all of the furniture that I have picked out for the baby.  None of it comes in white except for one piece that I REALLY want!!!!  Do you think it would look funny???  Also, there is a picture of the rug, the curtains, and one of the hook shelves that I plan to get this weekend.

Forest Rug from Ikea

Owl hooks and shelf from Ikea

Curtains from Ikea

Dresser

Shelves... not sure if this will stand upright
like this or be on it's side

Adorable bookshelf I've been eyeing since
we found out we were pregnant

Changing table/combo dresser

Convertible Crib

I sooooooo want to do something like this!!!

Pearl Jo Dickson

Pearl Jo

          Since we were 19 or 20 Michael and I have been throwing around baby names trying to come up what we liked the most.  We had decided early on that whenever we had a son his initials would be RAD and that is what we would call him, but we never could think of a girl name that we liked.

          Almost exactly 5 years ago we both heard a little girl name that we knew would be perfect for a little girl and would be a great way to commemorate our brother, Cody's memory.  At Cody's funeral, Father Mark chose the reading "The Pearl of Great Price" and went on to say that he was a pearl of great price and that there was no other like him.  The reading was a perfect choice for him.  At that moment we decided the name "Pearl", although old fashioned would be the name of our first born daughter.  "Jo" is the name of my Great Grandma Josephine, my mother's middle name, and my middle name.  It's a name that I am proud to pass down to our little baby girl.

          We plan to call her PJ.  Perhaps, she will hate us a little less for her old fashioned name when she's old enough to realize how old fashioned it actually is.  

          Everyone says that once the baby is born there is a high probability that we will change the name because the name often times just doesn't fit the baby.  I'm keeping the name Ellie Jo in my back pocket just incase.  No meaning behind it.  We just think it's cute.

It's a....

         

          A precious little baby girl is quickly wiggling her way into all of our hearts.  With every little kick I feel more and more like a Mommy to be and with every shopping trip Michael is feeling it too.  :)  We feel so blessed to finally be expanding our little family. 

I love my daughter already

My baby girl's little face and waving hello

Our baby girl's profile

Tiny little baby girl feets

A big yawn

Waving hello to her Mommy and Daddy

Bumpin along...

         20 weeks and feeling great!!!  Went to a dear friend's wedding in Oregon... and somehow didn't get a picture with her.  lol  Took some other pics though.  We all had a great time and her parents were amazingly accommodating for all of us.  The wedding was absolutely beautiful.  I really wish Michael had been able to come with but he unfortunately had to stay behind for work.

          I feel little baby D wiggling around inside of me ALL the time now.  She sure knows how to party.  Got some pretty big kicks out of her today.  Every moment and with every kick I love our little girl more and more and more.  She sure has wiggled and kicked herself right into our hearts.

          This weeks craving... Carrot cake with super creamy cream cheese frosting!!!  mmmmm

My bump buddy Kara and I bumpin!!

Love these ladies

Telling the Dicksons

When I told Michael's family that end were pregnant I gave them these two little boxes.  They were thrilled.  Michael's sister was also there to peek in the box!!

Telling my family...

When I went home in April I almost unexpectedly got to tell mt parents that I'm pregnant.  Instead of me just blurting it out I had them open these two little boxes at the same time.  They cried and then it became a game... Everyone in the family had to open the box to find out.  I got some really great reactions that I really wish Michael could have been there to see and enjoy with me. 

That first morning...

This picture was taken the morning we found out we were pregnant.  I hadn't even woken up Michael yet.  I had actually only thought to take the test because I was planning on going to the tanning bed! Lol

The beginnings of the Baby Room!!!

This weekend I got a big spurt of energy and "more to do than I have time for" syndrome so I set out to really tackle the baby's room which right now is a guest room/storage room.  We made tons of progress on it, getting rid of tons of stuff and finding places for other things.  We got the closet completely cleared out and most of the room cleared out as well.  The only things that remain in that room right now that have to be moved are the bed, the end table, and 4 boxes of swing top bottles for beer making.  As soon as we are able to move those items out of the room we will be able to order the baby's furniture!!!  We also tackled what is now the craft room but is soon to be guest room/craft room.  Currently we have to move out the armoire (which is already sold and paid for she just has to come get it), put out the old broken bookshelf on big trash day the first wednesday of August, and find places for a few misc. items, and then we'll be able to rearrange what's left and move the bed and end table in.  Just a couple more weekends of diligent work and we'll be ready.  Once we were done with the big items I decided to go ahead and wash everything cloth that we already have for the baby.  Which isn't really all that much, but it makes me feel better having it in it's spot instead of in bags in the room.  Here's some pictures of the progress that we've made so far and of some of the baby's things that we've already gotten.  I should have done before and after pictures... but I didn't.

Just a few things I scored from a thrift store

My first load of baby laundry... smells soooo good!!!

Basket of socks, hats and bibs (obviously I'll need more of these lol)

Closet organizer with The ducky "Pops" (my daddy) picked out fir the baby, some towels, swaddles, a boppy cover, a blanket, receiving blankets and some diapers

teddy ruxpin books and cassets, a few Dr. Seuss books, some DVDs, soft books, and some of the Harry Potters

Below:  The rest of the Harry Potters, some baby bath supplies, Michael's old teddy ruxpins, the baby einstein activity table and mobile (gifts from Michael's sister and brother in law)

baby einstein baby neptune exersaucer

cradle for next to our bed for the first few months

Week 18

          Baby D is moving around inside of me so much right now so I decided now was the perfect time to post my 18 week pictures.  I can't believe I'm almost halfway done being pregnant.  I absolutely love every moment of being pregnant.  I feel great and now that I feel the baby tumbling around inside of me all the time I couldn't be happier.  At night I play Jewel's Lullaby CD on my mp3 player and put the headphones on my stomach.  The baby moves soooooo much for quite a few minutes before it stops... as if it's gone to sleep.  2 more weeks till we find out gender!!!  We cannot wait!!!

18 week cravings

cereal

chocolate milk

Arby's Beef n Cheddar (which still has not been fulfilled)

Iced Coffee

Apple and Banana Bread