What's in my Hospital Bag(s): Diaper Bag

I'm obviously taking more than one bag with me to the hospital, but I'm planning on leaving this one in the car until I need it. My diaper bag contains stuff for our baby which I clearly won't need until after she is born. I know I don't really need all of this stuff at the hospital, but I had room, so I went ahead and made sure the bag was stocked! This is also where I'm stashing most of the things I'll need for breastfeeding.

I picked up this Graco sage green diaper bag at Big Lots for just $10!
What's in my diaper bag:
-cloth prefold diapers (for burp cloths)
-changing pad
-6 newborn size diapers (natural...just in case I don't like what the hospital provides)
-wipes (natural...just in case I don't like what the hospital provides)
-zippered wet bag (came with the diaper bag)
-tissues (for me)
-hand sanitizer (for me to use before/after changing dirty diapers)
-Lanolin cream
-cloth breast pads
-disposable breast pads
-Milk Band (nursing bracelet...to keep track of breastfeeding schedule)
-baby nail clippers and emery board (in case the hospital doesn't have these on hand)
-Aquaphor baby healing ointment
-baby Calendula cream
-hat
-socks (they're little pink Pumas!!)
-onesies (so she'll look cute for all her visitors)
-going home outfit (the same one I wore home as a baby!)
-blanket (made by my mom)
-soft teddy bear
-reusable bag (to bring extra things home in)

Sound like I'm stocked?

What's in my Hospital Bag(s): Tad's Bag

Tad of course will need his own list of things for the hospital, and I thought we'd keep it simple by packing two separate bags.

Here's what's in his (or is going to be):
-glasses (if it's in the middle of the night when we leave, he will need to remember these!)
-toiletries
-clothes/shoes
-watch
-pen & paper
-Bible
-pain reliever (for headaches)
-snacks
-water bottles
-cell phone/charger
-list of people to call after birth
-cash/change for parking/vending machines

Anything else he should have?

What's in my Hospital Bag(s): My Bag

They say the hospital staff can always tell a first-time mom by the size of the suitcase she brings to the hospital. :) I say, I'd rather be over-prepared than under-prepared, especially since we are 35-40 minutes from the hospital. For things that I am not sure are really necessary, I am leaving them in the car and will send Tad out to get them if I really need them.

I know this list will look different for every person, since each person/hospital/delivery/baby is different!

Here's a list of what I have packed or am planning on packing in my bag (I'll post about Tad and the baby's bags later today):
-toiletry items/makeup
-lip balm
-eye drops
-lavender oil
-arnica gel
-soft tissues
-hair items
-hair dryer
-extra-heavy pads
-pillow with a pretty pillowcase (it will be in lots of pictures!)
-music (loaded on Tad's Nokia n800)
-massager/massage oils
-heating pad
-night gowns
-robes
-slippers
-socks
-undergarments
-nursing bras
-cheap flip-flops (for shower)
-nursing cami
-nursing cover
-baby book or two (for reference)
-snacks (for after the birth)
-sugar-free hard candies (for during labor, if they let me)
-water bottles
-drinks with electrolytes
-laptop/charger
-Bible
-journal
-cell phone/charger
-cameras/empty SD card/extra batteries
-fan
-and the kitchen sink

I know! It's a lot! Anything essential that I forgot?

Nursery Project: Sleep Sweet Sign

Tad and I always tell each other "sleep sweet" before we go to bed each night. I can't even remember when we started doing this! We love the verse in Proverbs that says (if you preserve sound judgment and discernment), "when you lie down you will not be afraid; when you lie down your sleep will be sweet" (3:24).

We thought this sign would be a perfect addition to the nursery! I painted a wooden plaque with turquoise paint, then free-handed the letters and the little bird in white. Want to see how our nursery is progressing? Check out our previous posts on the fabric birds, cloth cube, bunting banner, light switch cover, and white frames, wall art, bird mobile, and ribbon lamp that I made.

Summer Wedding: Brad and Kristin

This weekend we had the privilege of being a part of the wedding of Brad and Kristin Milks. Kristin and I have been great friends for years and was my maid of honor in my wedding. I was a bridesmaid in her wedding and also helped with her flowers. Tad helped with all sorts of things, including helping with tons of tasks and directing parking. We loved getting to be there for their beautiful, God-honoring ceremony and wonderful celebratory reception!
We are so excited for Brad and Kristin as they begin their new life together!

Week Thirty-Four

Week 34! Whoo-hooo! See last week's picture here.

At my appointment yesterday my midwife said everything looks good/healthy/normal!

Baby girl seems to be lying on her side, so when I look at my belly it really looks like I'm carrying a watermelon! Kind of like this: I am taking lots of naps since I still have a hard time sleeping at night. I am thankful for my amazing hubby who gives me back rubs before I fall asleep!

We are getting everything ready for Baby Girl's arrival (aka the nursery is looking goooood), and we are SO excited to meet her very soon!

Thanks for continuing to pray for us.

Wordless Wednesday: My Husband Loves Me

Thanks, hubby, for the beautiful calla lilies!

Our New Car

About two weeks ago, the Lord blessed us with a new (to us) car! We had been praying about buying a larger vehicle so that we would have room for our baby and all of her gear. Tad's Mustang just has two doors, and we thought it would be quite challenging to wrangle a car seat in and out of it all the time.

We got a great deal on a used black Jeep Grand Cherokee (similar to the one pictured above), and we ended up being able to keep the Mustang too! We are thankful for the Lord's faithfulness and provision for us.

The Best Brownies

Make these once and I'm convinced you'll agree with me: these are the best brownies EVER. I just made a batch to send with the kids to camp, but I couldn't resist keeping a few.The Best Brownies

1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips (I like Hershey's Special Dark)

Combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder with a whisk (to remove any lumps) in a medium-sized mixing bowl. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture. (Batter will be light-colored and very thick.) Stir in chocolate chips by hand. (If you were going to add nuts, this would be the time... but I despise nuts in my brownies so I never add them!) Pour batter into a greased 13x9 pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Let cool before cutting into 24 brownies. Enjoy!Like this recipe? Follow me so you never miss a new recipe post!
For more of our family's favorite recipes, click here.

Linked to:
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tuesdays at the Table
Delicious Dishes

Study Reveals: Fathers Are Key to Their Children's Faith

This article by S. Michael Craven discusses a study that reveals the following:

In short, if a father does not go to church, no matter how faithful his wife’s devotions, only one child in 50 will become a regular worshipper. If a father does go regularly, regardless of the practice of the mother, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will become churchgoers (regular and irregular). One reason given for this distinction was that children tend to take their cues about domestic life from Mom while their conceptions of the world outside come from Dad. If Dad takes faith in God seriously then the implication for children is that God should be taken seriously.

Read the whole article here! Happy Father's Day!

Link Love

Hope you enjoy these posts I've come across recently!

Homemaking/Cooking
-DIY Fabric Softener Sheets
-Awesome Flag Cake

Worth Reading
-How Feelings Influence How We Use Our Time
-Great Books on Biblical Womanhood

Baby Stuff
-Preparing for a Natural Birth
-Pain Relief for Natural Birthing
-A Good Reminder that Babies Don't Keep

Creativity
-Free Downloadable Art
-Gorgeous Wooden Photo Collage
-Glass Etching Tutorial

Week Thirty-Three

I feel like each week is going by faster and faster! Click here to see my week 32 picture.

Baby girl is moving around and kicking right now as I type this. She is very active all the time! I can feel her little feet and I talk to her a lot. :)

I've experienced some cramping, but my midwife said that I shouldn't be concerned unless I get more than 4 cramps an hour. So, I'm just drinking lots of fluids and trying to take it easy in the evenings!

We are so excited about meeting our little girlie soon! She will be full-term in just four more weeks, but I doubt we'll meet her before her due date in seven weeks. I guess we'll see!

Opening Tonight: Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 opens in theaters everywhere tonight! Tad and I went to see the midnight showing veeery early this morning (I know, we're crazy), and we have nothing but good things to say about the movie!

I'll start by saying that the theater was filled with primarily college students, some of whom were actually dressed up like their favorite characters from the trilogy. I think we saw Woody, Buzz, Rex, Bo, Barbie, and Slinky, among others. The crowd in our theater was loud (in a good way), and we could tell that, like Tad and myself, they had all "grown up on" the first two Toy Story movies.

Tad and I were 9 and 8 when the first Toy Story movie came out. The beginning of Toy Story 3, which flashes back to Andy's childhood in some ways really reminded us of our own. I think that's why the plot of the third movie, with grown-up Andy leaving for college hit us all so hard... we've grown up with the Toys just like Andy did.

At the end of the film (which, by the way, is filled with lots of laughs and quotable moments), our rowdy theater grew silent. I can't imagine that I was the only one who cried a little. It was silent until, as the credits rolled, everyone burst into applause. Yep, it's that good, folks.

This is one you'll definitely want to see.

Freezer Cooking... Little by Little

Okay, so if I were Super Woman, I would have had a big freezer cooking day already to prepare tons of meals in my freezer for when our baby arrives. However, since I'm not, I knew I needed to figure out another way of having some meals stashed away!
This week I've been slowly doing some freezer cooking... just a little bit each day. Monday I got some meat on sale when I was grocery shopping, and several days this week I've made extra of whatever I've been preparing so that I could freeze half. I've also picked up some convenience foods to have on hand as well.

I'm going to keep this up for the next few weeks so that I'll (hopefully) have a fairly well-stocked freezer by the time our baby girl gets here. Some of the things I have frozen still need to be prepared, but they are easy enough that Tad or I can throw them together even if we are slightly (or very) sleep-deprived.

Here's what I have in the freezer so far:
-turkey burgers (2 meals)
-beef roast - for making coffee beef (2-3 meals)
-spaghetti sauce - 3 bags (2 bags with 4-5 servings each, 1 bag with 8 servings - for crockpot lasagna)
-garlic bread (not made from scratch)
-pizza (not made from scratch...1 meal)
-sloppy joes (1 or 2 meals)
-lasagna (not made from scratch...1-2 meals)
-minestrone soup (2-3 meals)
-parmesan boneless pork chops - already cooked (2 meals)
-banana bread (1 loaf)

I'm going to keep adding to my "stash" over the next few weeks!

House Tour: Guest Bathroom

I still have lots that I want to do to our guest bathroom (known to us as "the pink bathroom"), but I thought I'd share what we've done so far. This is the main bathroom that guests and overnight visitors use, since it is next to the guest bedroom and the living room. Eventually we would like to put a tall shelf behind the door that we can use for open storage of necessities (such as towels) as well as to display decorative items.

We inherited the pepto bismol pink tiling and the vintage floral wallpaper. I've tried to tone-down the pink a little bit by using a gold shower curtain, cream and gold towels, and cream rugs.
This room has lots of light

Love these towels (Better Homes and Gardens) from Walmart! Monogrammed washcloths were a bridal shower gift from my sister-in-law Stephanie.
The tub is perfect for relaxing!
Cream ranunculus fill the rose-colored vase by the sink
Rose Garden French milled soap
Hope you enjoyed seeing our guest bathroom! For more house tour pictures, click here!

Nursery Project: Ribbon Lamp

Our nursery is really coming together! Here's my latest little project... an embellished lamp!
The whole room is looking really great, but we probably won't reveal it until we have everything completely ready (I'd expect mid-July). We love how it's looking!Want to see how our nursery is progressing? Check out our previous posts on the fabric birds, cloth cube, bunting banner, light switch cover, and white frames, wall art, and bird mobile that I made.

Easy Blueberry Banana Bread

I didn't think I was the biggest fan of banana bread until I tried this recipe! Mmm... it's so good! I may or may not have eaten three pieces (two for me, one for baby...).
Blueberry Banana Bread

2 ripe bananas
1 vanilla cake mix
1 box banana pudding (3.4 oz.)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
fresh blueberries (I used about 2/3 cup)

Mash bananas in a mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients and stir. Pour batter into two greased loaf pans (or 5 mini loaf pans) and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Let cool before slicing, if you have the patience (I didn't).

Enjoy!Like this recipe? Follow me so you never miss a new recipe post!
For more of our family's favorite recipes, click here.

Linked to:
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tuesdays at the Table

Menu Monday

Monday
Lunch: ranch pork chops, oven fries, salads
Dinner: turkey spaghetti (didn't make last week), garlic bread, fresh green beans

Tuesday
Lunch: pool party (making rice krispy treats to take)
Dinner: fish fillets, oven fries, steamed veggies

Wednesday
Lunch: cheddar mushroom quesadillas, fresh green beans
Dinner: sloppy joes, buns, corn, onion strings

Thursday
Lunch: tuna melts, veggies
Dinner: steak fajitas on tortillas, salads

Friday
Lunch: eggs, toast, muffins
Dinner: out with Tad's parents

Saturday
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: chicken sausage on the grill, salads

Breakfasts
fruit, muffins, cereal, oatmeal

Snacks
fruit, banana bread (making today), yogurt, cheese, veggies, hard cooked eggs, etc.

I'm making double of some of the meals this week so I can have a few meals in the freezer! Still hoping to do a freezer cooking day before the baby comes.

I'll try and post pictures and recipes of some of the new recipes I'm trying this week.

Week Thirty-Two

It feels like the weeks are flying by now! Click here to see last week's photo and click here to see what I looked like a month ago.

I had an appointment with my midwife yesterday, and she was pleased with how things are going. My weight has stabilized a bit (I'm no longer packing on the pounds at an enormous rate...haha) and I am not swelling anywhere yet. Baby girl is still moving around a lot, so she may or may not be head down at this point. My midwife said that's not a big deal until 36 weeks when she is supposed to go head down. Apparently our baby girl is going to gain 1/3 to 1/2 of her birth weight in the next 7 weeks. She's considered full term (everything will be fully developed) in 5 weeks!

I can feel her little hands and feet when she stretches, pushes, and kicks. It's so sweet! Tad said last night that he had no idea how well he would be able to feel our little girl, since he thought pretty much just the expectant mom could feel the baby moving. He feels her kicking all the time!

I'm a little uncomfortable at night, but I'm trying to sleep a little longer and rest during the day when I can. I really want to go into labor well-rested, since I hear it's a pretty big workout. :) I've been reading about preparing for a natural birth.

We've been shopping for baby things and starting to pack for the hospital. I know it seems early, but I want to have everything packed by 34 weeks when I travel out of state for a wedding and then head off to youth camp on the other side of our state for a week. With being so far from home, I want to be prepared in case I go early!

I'm off to work on the nursery!

Fondue for Two

Here's a great Date Night idea... fondue for two! (I know... we're really bringing back the '70's here!)

Let's be honest... the real reason people go to the Melting Pot is for the amazing dessert fondue! We discovered we can make and enjoy our own chocolate fondue in the comfort of our own home. We decided that this will be a wonderful "Daddy and Mommy time" in the future after our children have gone to bed!

You can find chocolate fondue recipes in cookbooks and all over the internet, but here is the one we used last night.Fondue for Two

5 to 6 oz. dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. butter
5 large marshmallows

Place chocolate and milk in fondue pot. Turn temperature dial to warm. Stirring constantly, add butter and marshmallows until melted.

While one spouse is making the fondue, the other spouse can be getting the "dippers" ready. Ideas include strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, marshmallows, cubed pound cake, graham crackers, tiny rice krispy treats, brownie bites, fancy cookies, and mini cheesecakes.

Dip in and enjoy!
Linked to:
Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tuesdays at the Table

Swagbucks Update

Last week I posted about Swagbucks, and I just wanted to give a quick update. I just earned my first $5 Amazon.com gift card simply by using Swagbucks to search online! I've been using it for less than two weeks, and it's already paying off. What are YOU waiting for? Click here to learn more and to sign up!

Cloth Diapering

We are currently building our cloth diaper "stash" so we will be ready when our little girl arrives! We have chosen to use cloth diapers primarily because of the tremendous amount of money that they save, but it also feels good to know that cloth diapers are better for our baby and better for the environment than disposables. For a bunch of cloth diaper q&a's, click here.

Just a side note: when we first bring our baby girl home, we'll probably start off with disposables, simply because of all the adjustments being made! Once she grows a little (and we get into a little more of a routine), we'll transition to our cloth diapers.

To figure out how much money cloth diapers can save your family, click here. According to my rough estimates at the moment, it looks like (compared to disposables):
We will break even in 14.2 weeks or 3.27 months.
We will save $284.93 in 6 months.
We will save $702.01 in 10 months.
We will save $910.55 in 1 year.
We will save $1536.18 in 1 1/2 years.
(And that is just if we use them for ONE baby! Using them for a second child more than doubles your savings!)

Here is a list of the diapers that we have been stocking up on (based on what friends have used and recommended).

- bumGenius 3.0 One-Size Cloth Diaper
We currently have 9 of these. They are (from what we've heard) as easy to use as disposables. They snap to re-size to your baby as she grows. - Indian Prefolds
These are the old-school, typical cloth diapers that used to be paired with little plastic pants and metal pins. Now, they are paired with cute covers and a "snappi." We have 10 infant sized prefolds and 5 regular sized, as well as one snappi.Still to purchase:

- some diaper covers (to use with the prefolds), such as Flip One Size Diaper Covers or Thirsties Duo Wrap Diaper Covers.

- more bumGenius 3.0 One-Size Cloth Diapers
Since these are so easy to use, I would really love to have a bunch on hand.

- a diaper sprayer
Not essential, but would be nice to have! Attaches to your toilet and aids in cleaning solids off of diapers.

Ideally, we'd like to have enough cloth diapers to last two days before needing to do laundry.

I would love to hear from you. What has your experience with cloth diapering been like? Feel free to comment with suggestions and advice, or link up to posts you've previously made about cloth diapering! Thanks!

Kindred Connection: Food Edition

Head over to Windy Poplars today to participate in this week's Kindred Connection Party!

1. What is your favorite ethnicity of food?
I would have to say Italian, followed closely by Mexican.

2. If you could eat only one meal for two weeks straight, what would it be?
This is tough, since I love variety, but I would have to go with my coffee beef roast! It's soooo good!

3.What is the "signature" dish that you cook? (you know, that always receives rave reviews and/or you get requests for)

I'm still a fairly "new" cook, so I'm not sure I have a signature dish yet. Tad really likes my Italian meatloaf, and anytime I've served Mozzarella Chicken it has been popular. My Italian Tossed Salad is usually enjoyed by a crowd as well. I'm still learning lots about cooking, and my "repertoire" is still growing!

4. Is there something that you just can't handle eating - like gag reflex?
Until I got pregnant, I don't think there was anything I would literally gag over! I'm really not a very picky eater, but I don't particularly care for raw tomatoes.

5. Do you think that the Kindred Connection should continue through the summer, or take the summer off?

Either is fine with me!

Thanks for stopping by! Click here to link up at the Windy Poplars Kindred Connection: Food Edition!