You’re A Curious Bunch!
First of all, thanks so much to everyone for sharing in our baby-bomb excitement and wishing us well on our little “project.” You guys are the best! This new-ish development (actually it began in August, which feels like eons ago) certainly means that we’ll be working away harder than ever on our house and we promise to share every dirty home improvement detail with you. And speaking of details, we’re interrupting our regularly scheduled programming to field a bunch of the questions you guys asked on Wednesday in this as-promised Petersik Baby Q&A.
Q: How far along are you? When are you due? Baby Petersik (or “the bean” as he or she is affectionately known around here) is almost 15 weeks old (second trimester- wahooo!- now if only my morning sickness would recognize that fact…) so I’m embarking on my fourth month of being “with child.” Our little one is officially due on May 19th (but we just know he or she will be late- it’s a family thing).
Q: When did you find out? I took a test in early September at which point I was already five weeks along (dizziness and nausea had me pretty certain, and that double line popped up before I could even say “how do you read this thing?”). Ironically, the afternoon that we shot this blogiversary Q&A video was actually the day that we found out, so when we answer the “When will you have kids for crying out loud?” question (skip to 3:48 in the video below) you can see us squirm and search for ambiguous statements that weren’t outright lies. Forgive us, but we weren’t quite ready to announce it to the universe just hours after finding out ourselves.
It’s so funny to watch this again knowing it was filmed on such a big day. And when we hinted about expanding our family for year three of blogging in this blogiversary post I was actually already pregnant- so that’s why we seemed fairly confident that it might be in the cards for us this coming year (since the cards has already been dealt so to speak).
Q: How did you tell John? It was 5am on a Saturday when I got my positive result so I giddily snuck into the kitchen and made a card for John from Burger (homemade cards from Burger are kind of our thing, they’re always misspelled and we exchange them for big events like Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, b-days and anniversaries). The front of the card said: Harfy Fafers Day (translation: Happy Father’s Day)…
… and the inside said “I wanted to get you bons but mommy has something else…” (Burger can never spell bones correctly).
Armed with my little DIY card and positive test I padded back to bed and attempted to let John sleep for a few more hours. About ten seconds later I realized this was an impossibility so I intentionally woke Burger up so he would rouse John. His happy little wiggling and tail-wagging did the trick, so I quickly shoved the card in Burger’s collar (that’s how he delivers them) and John groggily read the front and then flipped to the inside as I pulled out my positive test and beamed. “Seriously?!” was his response and we were pretty much saying non-words and hugging and squealing or a while after that. The funniest thing is that about two minutes later John was jumping to his feet and hurriedly getting dressed saying we had to go to the farmer’s market to get lots of organic fruits and veggies so he could cook healthy things for me and the baby. Yeah, I pretty much melted. He’s destined to be the world’s best dad.
Q: How long did you keep the secret from your family? It was grueling but we waited until I was over 3 months along (14 weeks) to tell our parents and the rest of the family. One because it was fun to have “our little secret” and two because we wanted to tell all of our parents in person (and we weren’t due for a trip to NY to see my mom and dad until last weekend).
Q: And how did you tell them? Sunday was John’s birthday so all of our parents were going to be in NY at my mom’s house to “surprise” him with a b-day breakfast. He wasn’t supposed to know that his mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, and baby nephew were going to show up (but he had a vague idea since I had to convince him that it would be the perfect morning for the reveal). That morning they all showed up as planned along with my brother, Almost-Dr-Dan, and his fiance (a surprise to even me). John acted mock-shocked, we ate a big Italian breakfast (including chocolate birthday cake) and then turned to opening presents. The last gift was one from me that we had both planted in the bunch. When he got to it he looked around the room chock full of unsuspecting family members and said: “It was so great for you guys to surprise me… but Sherry and I actually have a little surprise for you in return” and pulled out a little onesie labeled “freshly baked”:
And there it was. Immediate recognition. Screaming. Disbelief. Jumping. Clapping. Belly rubbing (once I removed the giant jacket I had been wearing to hide my obvious baby bump). After months of waiting (and dressing like a blob to hide my “secret”) it was finally out. Euphoric doesn’t even begin to describe it.
Q: We know Katie Bower told you she was expecting before she even told her husband, so how and when did you tell her? Were you pregnant in Nashville together? Nope, I had yet to be prego-fied when we giddily met up in Nashville but it was so exciting to hang out with Katie when she was so early on. I called her and spilled the beans a few days after telling John which was really nice because keeping the secret from our friends and family for an entire trimester was hard work (so it was awesome to have a confidante)! And yes, Katie squealed just as loudly for my big reveal as I did for hers. Love that girl.
Q: Will you find out the sex (and tell us)? Are you longing for a boy or a girl in particular? We’ve decided after much consideration that we’re just too excited not to find out, but we’ll probably have the doctor write it down for us and go on a little dinner date and ceremoniously open the envelope then. And of course we’ll share the news on the blog pretty quickly thereafter. As for a boy/girl preference, we’re just hoping for a healthy little guy or gal (although we have said that it would be funny of it turned out to be a chihuahua).
Q: Did finding out make you cry? Did John? Ooh that’s a good one. We both got misty-eyed a few times (when I told John, sharing the news with our parents, etc) but the only time tears actually left our eyeballs and dribbled down our cheeks was at the first ultrasound. As soon as we saw our little bean and heard the heartbeat we were both in awe. And furiously swatting at our cheeks. Big moment. So much to be thankful for.
Q: Will you poll blog readers when it comes to name ideas? How do you feel about names in general- unconventional? conventional? We tend to like names with personal meaning – whether they honor a family member or reference something special to us. So sorry folks, but our bean’s moniker won’t be up for public debate here. In fact, while we plan to have some top picks by May, we’d like to meet the little lad or lady before making a final choice just to be sure we pick a name that “fits.” Of course, we’ll obviously share our wee one’s full name after we bring him or her into the world (along with the obligatory Burger-sniffs-baby photo).
Q: Are you showing? Will you show us baby bump photos and ultrasounds? I actually “popped” about two weeks ago so I’m showing like you wouldn’t believe (yes strangers congratulate me at the grocery store- and I eat it up!). It’s early, I know, but I’ve always been a small girl (5’2″ around 115lbs) so it’s pretty hard for me to hide a grapefruit sized uterus- and my 4’11″ mom said it runs in the family since she showed pretty much immediately too (she also had a two hour labor with me and a one hour labor with my brother so I’m hoping that runs in the family too). And my early bump onset might explain the avoidance of full body photos for the last few weeks (belly-obscuring shots like this one became the norm for a while there):
And while I’m sure my belly-full-of-baby will make it into some video tutorials and home-related posts along the way, we’re going to spare you from any gratuitous shots of my midsection. We’re bound to have so many projects going on around here in the coming months that we’re happy to keep the focus where its always been: decorating and home improvement. Plus we gotta keep a few things off the internet, right? Why not start with images of my uterus?
Q: Does this mean you guys will be moving? If not, which room will be the nursery? Definitely not moving. We’ve love our house too much to give up on it now. And since we’re certain there’s only one on the way, the third bedroom will definitely become the nursery. In fact, we already have no-VOC paint swatches up on the walls and have begun brainstorming ideas for the big makeover (but we still have to finish the basement and a full bathroom reno… yeah, we’re gonna be busy!).
Oh and for the extremely observant folks who noticed that we moved the white table that used to be our stationery and gift wrapping table from the third bedroom…
… down to the basement, now you know why! Since we knew we wouldn’t have room for it in the soon-to-be nursery we wanted to work it into our in-progress basement makeover. Gotta work with what ya have!
Q: What will you do about childcare? Hire a nanny? Will John be a stay at home dad? We still have six months to iron things out but John plans to take a generous paternity leave when our newborn arrives. We’re also extremely lucky to have friends & family already offering a hand (and more than a few casseroles). Oh and we plan to write a ton of posts beforehand, so we’ll have stockpiled content at the ready, which should buy us a bit of adjustment time without robbing you guys of the frequent projects and eye-candy that you’re used to. It’ll take a village but we’ll figure it out. After all, we like to think that we have a good sense of humor and we love to learn as we go (who needs sleep anyway?)…
Q: But seriously, when you’re a new parent, projects that used to take an hour take a week. We know it’ll be a challenge. We do. We’ve welcomed three newborns into the family already this year. We’ve snuck away for week-long vacations while no reader is the wiser thanks to stockpiling posts and approving comments on the go, but we know that bringing home a baby will be a whole new ballgame. Let’s just say we’re cautiously optimistic, not to mention pros at working round the clock, squeezing things in and getting ‘er done.
In short: we’ll work as a team and switch off with each other (I’ll nurse while John hammers, he’ll read bedtime stories while I frame something) and of course we’ll make sure there’s plenty of family time in there too. And we’ll rely heavily on friends, relatives, passion, caffeine, each other and anything else that keeps us going. Plus it helps to see other full time bloggers with babies who make it work (like Heather at Dooce and Abby at Style Me Pretty). And the amazing undertakings of this mom of four (!) inspire me to no end. We’ve put two years, countless hours, weekends, and vacations into raising this blog baby of ours, so we’re dedicated to nurturing right along with baby P.
Q: Is Burger excited to be a big brother? He is! He even blogged about it this morning. The prospect of jam-covered fingers and extra crumbs on the floor has his little tail wagging. We think he’ll be a great little helper (as long as he doesn’t try to give his little brother or sister a tongue bath) since he loves all of his pint sized nieces and nephews.
Q: Where did you get that cute shirt for Burger? We snagged it from the T-Shirt Deli. It’s just about the coolest concept ever. You can personalize and pick the font, color, and style of tee and then it arrives wrapped up in paper like a sub sandwich with “made fresh” stickers on it and a real bag of potato chips in the box. And we think it hugs Burger in all the right places.
Q: Sherry, do you have any weird cravings? Baked potatoes. All the time. It’s crazy but I guess my body needs vitamin C or B6 or potassium. Or I just like the taste of warm melty carbs. At least it’s nothing too weird. Yet…
Q: How have you been feeling? Did your first trimester have you down for the count? Other than morning sickness that only lasts from 8-10am I’ve felt like a million bucks! I was waiting for extra tiredness or splitting headaches to kick in, but I’m into my second trimester so it seems I’ve dodged those bullets. At least for now. And that’s a good thing because we’ve been crazy busy with the basement project (don’t worry John did all the Dryloking and floor painting so I didn’t have to get near those gross fumes- and even he wore his mask). As for the whole morning sickness thing, after 90 days or so of tossing my cookies each AM and going on to have a completely normal day afterwards, it’s almost become a hobby of mine. I affectionately call it being lovesick instead of morning sick since it reminds me that my little bean is doing his or her thing in there which always makes me smile- even over the bowl. And the good news is that my doctor thinks it’ll end any day now (something about week 16 being magical?). Nice.
Q: Will you green your baby and use cloth diapers? We’re definitely going to do the eco thing where we can (use no-VOC paints, organic materials, and repurposed items, etc). We also do plan to use cloth diapers since they’ve come a long way from big squares of fabric with safety pins in the corners. We’ve heard a lot of great things about BumGenius (they even come in one-size-fits-all snap varieties) so our fingers are crossed that we can hack it. We’ve seen firsthand from family members how quickly disposable diapers can pile up (while emptying wallets) and we actually read that people save an average of $2000+ by choosing reusable diapers- which means more money for home improvements and nursery upgrades!
Q: Is this blog going to turn into baby central with symptom rundowns and constant baby chatter? Nope. Decorating and home improvement have always been our passion, and although there’s a bun in the oven that doesn’t change our insatiable hunger for amazing before and afters, steals and deals, cheap DIY projects, step by step tutorials and all the other things we’ve happily whipped up for the past 2+ years. Heck you can even call them a craving. Our house and our lives are inherently changed by this little “development,” but although there will be some posts devoted to a nursery makeover and other house-related changes (like restructuring a closet to make room for new items, babyproofing Casa Petersik, and cutting down on clutter) the focus will still be on decorating, DIYing up a storm, and making spaces work hard on the cheap. We actually like to think that we’ll learn more home-related tips and tricks as our family expands, since we’ll encounter different design challenges and need to sort and store even more in our tiny house.
Q: I hope this means you’ll be putting up all of those white ceramic animals of yours! Ok, so that’s not technically a question, but it’s a good reminder that our house definitely isn’t babyproofed yet. We know there’s definitely going to be a learning curve when it comes to making our house safe for little hands (ceramic animals on a high shelf, perhaps? or in a non-kid room like the guest bedroom?) but we’re eager to take on the challenge of maintaining a stylish yet kid-friendly home… while blogging about it along the way of course.
Q: Besides the nursery, what other home improvement projects are you rushing to complete by May? Good question. We still have a slew of basement projects to take on (obscuring the windows, building a screen, hanging art, etc) and then we have a full bathroom gut job on the agenda that we plan to start in a few short weeks. Yikes! It’s gonna get a little crazy around here, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted every step of the way. Oh and did we mention that we already found some amazing mocha colored marble tile for the bathroom floor on clearance for $2.50 a square foot? Stay tuned for more details…
So there you have it. Consider yourself up-to-speed on the Petersik pregnancy. And if you are eager for little updates and periodic baby news, be sure to follow us on Twitter or fan us on Facebook. We’re known to veer off into the random and personal tidbits much more over there. And one more BIG THANK YOU for all the well wishes and encouragement. Feels so good to have you sharing in our excitement.
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Comments
Wonderful post and thank you for sharing your over-the-moon joy with all of us.
I’m so glad that you are not considering a move, and that when the day comes, you will bring your precious bundle home to your shining well-loved and well-feathered first nest.
Sherry,
I love the picture of you and your parents and John’s parents!!!!!! :) Your belly is def. showing, i love it! Congrats to you two!
AH! Making the world a more creative place one baby at a time! Such good news! Congrats! ;)
Yippee!! Congrats to all you, John, Burger and Bean! :)
Bringing a baby into your family is such a blessing – our pups are so patient with our son, Jack.
And don’t worry – home improvements can be done – it does take a bit longer and we’ve had to take turns (as opposed to both working at the same time), but it can work. We just added built-in bookcases and other projects this year and our son turned one yesterday. :)
Best of luck and hope your morning sickness is curbed soon!
Congratulations!! I’m due with baby #2 on May 10th and trust me there is a magical 16th week when you wake up one day and feel a million times better! I’m so excited to see you decorate a nursery so I can lovingly borrow ideas for our second one :-).
Big congratulations to you both (and little Burger)!! I live in London and read your blog everyday! It’s incredible how excited I get over your news, just like if your were close friends of mine!
Thank you for sharing your life and dyi skils with all of us! It brings joy to know that other people, just like me love interior design and enjoy the simple things in life too!
That is so funny that you guys write cards from Burger – we do that with our dogs (misspellings and all) and they are always my favorite part of any holiday! Congrats on the baby! I feel kind of weird being so excited for someone I’ve barely met – if that makes me a nerd, then whatever! Can’t wait to see what you guys do for the nursery!
BTW! This is a little off subject but thinking about how cute your baby is going to be reminded me of a dancing with the stars ricola commercial I saw recently that stars John I swear! I’m usually not reminded of people I’ve never met but the resemblance is so close especially the look in the end. Have you seen it? (Random I know):)
I’ve had two kids and with my first, I had terrible morning sickness until I took these vitamins http://www.greatestherbsonearth.com/nsp/natures_prenatal.htm
For some reason the vitamins the doctor prescribed made my morning sickness worse! Literally the DAY after taking these(I was about 8 weeks along),I was SO much better…no more losing my breakfast!
I hope this helps you or someone suffering from morning sickness!
You guys might not have cried the big tears yet but I’m pretty certain you have quite a few readers (or maybe just this one) crying (for real) reading through this and sensing you guys’ excitement. The way you described your parents’ reaction was priceless. So thrilled for you guys!!!
Congratulations!
I have a 9 month old baby boy so I’m excited to see your tips and tricks for maintaining a great looking home when baby things abound!
Also, we use cloth diapers– LOVE THEM! Things have gotten a little more complicated since the baby starting solids, but all-in-all, a total money saver, and good for the planet! We use Thirsties, Fuzzi Bunz, and most recently SmartiPants (totally economical and the insert comes out in the wash, meaning you don’t have to touch it!!)If you have any questions, I love helping people out with their cloth! :)
Congrats again!
Congrats again! I know the blogging about “normal” things vs. blogging about babies balance dance well!
I’m so glad you guys shared all of this with us! I loved reading this post, seeing the cute card and onesie, hearing how you told John and then your families…so awesome! And even though I don’t have kids yet, I can’t wait to see the nursery makeovers and learn all about eco-friendly baby items so that one day, when I do have kids, I’ll be much more educated on the subject.
I have only read the beginning of this post but had to tell you what helped with my morning sickness, and believe me I. tried. everything! Talk to your doctor of course, but I took a 50 mg b6 vitamin and a unisom every night before bed. And totally stopped losing all my meals (and it had been 8-12 times a day before that, and not Zofran or Phenegran had helped).
I just had to share, cuz, it helped me through the end of my pregnancy, (I would have been sick the whole time, if not for it, every time i stopped the nausea reared its ugly head!)
Good luck, Babies are SO MUCH FUN! (and work, but SO worth it)
I am 9 weeks pregnant and the secret is killing us too! We told my parents on my mom’s 61st birthday, but no one else knows. Can’t wait to come out about the news!
Cravings…I have been massively craving mashed potatoes with gravy! Something about those potatoes!
Can’t wait to see your project-nursery come in effect!
I recently just heard on some NPR program that morning sickness indicates a higher IQ for the child. They can’t explain why, but that makes it even better, right?
You guys are just too cute! Sherry, I love the way you told John. I actually got a little misty-eyed. And how you shared the news with your family is so creative and fun. Congrats again and the best of luck to you both!
Sherry, could you recommend any no VOC paint colors that are similar to Glidden’s sand white or Behr’s wheat bread? We’ve got a lot of painting to do before our bundle arrives on May 20th! Thanks!
Hey Sara,
Try Shaded Path by Freshaire (it’s no VOC paint available at Home Depot). It’s a pretty close match to Glidden’s Sand White. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hi John and Sherry,
Congratulations! That’s great news and you will be great parents!
I just wanted to share that my fifteen-month-old baby has used Bum Genius reusables since day one, and (this is something I never thought I’d write) I LOVE THEM. We have 20 dipes we wash ourselves, and it’s super great. BG is a great brand, no accidents, NO DIAPER RASH EVER, and saved us a TON of moolah over time. If you have any questions about cloth diapering, I’d love to help so please drop me a line!
BTW Abri, we use thin disposable paper liners (can’t remember the brand–found at the supermarket) in our cloth diapers (yeah, solid-food diapers are a bit gross), so the mess and the liner goes right down the loo (no touching!) and the cloth diapers go into the wash. No muss, no fuss.
Oh!! What a great news!! Congratulations to you bouth and to burger also!!! Hope we will be next!
Love this post! I was eagerly waiting to hear the stories behind the reveal and the first trimester! I’m only two weeks behind you, so I can’t wait for more Baby P posts :)
Sarah-
haha, I hope the comments section doesn’t turn into a cloth diapering forum! we got the liners- they are awesome! somehow though, we are having trouble with washing still… can’t seem to remove some of the smells!! if you have any advice my email is abrianachilelli@gmail.com .
Congratulations!! Woohoo:) I hope the rest of the pregnancy will be as adorable as the first three months :)
Congratulations to you guys!
We use the BumGenius One Size Diapers and they are wonderful! We used disposable for the first month (we were way too tired to wash diapers) but have been using the same 27 diapers for over a year now and we love them! I would definitely recommend getting the sprayer that attaches to the back of the toilet.
Good luck with the morning sickness, food cravings and enjoy these wonderful months of pregnancy.
haha, I knew it! when I watched that Q&A video all those months ago, and the question came up I just new it. Despite your witty dodging :D As for child proofing the house, I never had to do much. my kids learned along the way that certain things or areas are off limits. So aside from safety concerns we didn’t change much.
well, congrats! :)
Sherry and John,
I loved reading this post and all of the wonderful details. Congratulations!
Just wanted to share that I really admire and respect how you will keep your content home-focused, even while many of the projects will be related to this exciting new arrival. After all, you’ll fall in love with your house even more once your little one is in it!
I’ve always admired how you give us that adorable Burger in a quantity that leaves us wanting more and I’m sure you’ll do the same with Baby P. Hey, maybe Baby P will need his/her own blog some day!
Congrats again! And that’s too funny about the video — because the day I watched it, I told my husband you guys MUST be preggers! We watch too much of Lie to Me — so we know the signs (diverted eyes, vague comments, etc.). haha! Also, I just posted this on Katie’s blog, but this week alone I found out that 6 friends of mine are also due in the spring. And everywhere I look, baby bumps are popping up. Such exciting times! Can’t wait to see how the nursery shapes up :)
Congratulations!!! I’m due May 1. It will be awesome to see what you do with your nursery. I’ve never sent in any of my home improvement pictures, and I rarely comment, but I have grand plans for our nursery, and I also have grand plans of sending final photos of it to you guys (if it turns out – if it doesn’t… that’s another story :). Congrats again – and good luck!
PS – I’m almost 17 weeks, and the morning (or All Day) sickness is nearly gone!!!
A huge congratulations!! And yes, you had better work fast to finish up any projects, because let me let you, you will have significantly LESS time once your family grows!!
Janell
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! just wonderful news. I’m about 5 weeks ahead of you…our babe is due april 12! I must say, there are SO many creative women that are pregs these days…all due within a few weeks or max, months between us.
Excited (and grateful) to see how you guys transform your home into a baby-friendly environment. I’m in need of some inspiration and always enjoy YHL for inspiration. Happy friday!
thanks for keeping us up-to date…i love how you shared the news with John, Sherry and how the both of you shared it with your families. That onesie is too cute!
I hope that my husband and I will have our own bun in my oven soon :-)
Ok…this is the God’s honest truth. When I saw your blogiversery video and I kept imagining I saw a baby bumb. I kept saying “wow I think their having a baby” butthen the question came up and you both said it was in the cards so I just thought it was Sherry’s shirt. Now I see I was right all along ha! Maybe I should work for a tabloid. I can spot those baby bumps from a mile away. You guys are the best and I know “the bean” is going to be just as awesome.
Congratulations!
You’ll love the BumGenius diapers. They wash up like a dream and are so comfy. They’re also great when your little one is learning to walk…lots of padding! :-)
You also might consider laying in a stockpile of some less expensive diapers for use at home (prefolds, for example) so that you have plenty on hand for those first few months of 12 diapers a day. It’ll save you laundry time.
We’ve been cloth diapering our little girl for 2 years (this Sunday! sniff!) with a variety of methods and we’ve loved what it’s done for the planet and our wallet. Find what works for you and be bold! ;-)
This is such a joy to hear! I swear, there is going to be a baby boom here. Everyone around me is getting preggers!
I told my mom that I would like to use cloth diapers when we decide to have little ones and she thought I was nuts :-).
Sherry and John,
First, I will have to get the projects I have working on all perfected and shoot so you two have lots of choices for reader redesigns.
Second, thank you SO SO much for addressing the ‘will this blog become baby central’ question. I had no idea how to request or mention this without sounding like a total hater. Which I’m not, I’m happy for you guys and adore your blog I just…don’t have kiddos yet and love your blog as it is, not saying that I wouldn’t love it if it changed or when you talk about babies because I probably would still love it even then. See? I still somehow feel like I’m a hater saying this! Anyways…thanks again for addressing it and I’m cracking on some reader redesigns to make your lives easier and mine more beauteous!
Have a great weekend.
Congratulations!!! At 25 weeks pregnant, reading your blog post brought me to tears of joy! (many things do these days!) It was nice to recap your pregnancy story and fondly remember my moment with my husband, and our very own “big brother” (dog).
Sherry… keep plugging away on the big renovations now because in a few short weeks that belly will make it tough to bend over! Simple things like lacing my sneakers get me out of breath (I’ve added the same storage ottoman to my mud room so I can sit down :).
Also, I hope that along the way you are able to post inspiration nurseries from pictures you find and like! My baby is due in March, and I’m waiting on the nursery until my husband returns from Iraq in a few short weeks! I’m always mimicing your style and would love to see kid rooms that are functional, fashionable and affordable!
<3
You definitely should have a gender cake party where you give the envelope to the bakery & they will make a cake that you’ll cut together in front of your family & friends and see if it’s pink or blue inside! I’m definitely doing this when my time comes.
Here’s a video of a gender cake party: http://bit.ly/8WIi2X
Oh, that was SUPER fun post! I **loved** how you told John and everyone in your family :) Adorable!!!
And, of course, I have to say THANKS SO MUCH for the shout out! I knew something was up when I logged on to our blog just now and there were 51 visitors :) Took me a minute to figure out where everyone was coming from, but I was smiling a BIG smile when I finally got it. You guys are awesome.
So, congrats, again! So excited to meet Baby Bean in the spring!!!
XOXOXOXO,
Jacci
Our little “Bean”, Thomas, just turned five months old. Thanks for all the little reminders of my pregnancy: our affectionate name for him and baked potato cravings.
We use BumGenius 3.0s (and a few hand-me-down, good-as-new Fuzzibuns). You’re gonna love them. Get your hands on some BioKleen Bac Out. It’s great for soaking them in a prewash cycle. While it’s environmentally safe, it’s really great at removing stains.
I’m glad this isn’t going to be a baby-focused blog. But, I would LOVE to see how one can successfully incorporate a baby into the parents room. We’re doing it – until we have another room for him or move – and it’s been interesting.
Congrats again.
how exciting!
i’m sure your happy bean will provide all the inspiration you need to make up for any lack of sleep!
congrats again, guys!
kelly
I’m so happy for you two! opps I mean Three :) I love how you shared the news about your little bean with you faimly, so sweet.
Why is it so darn fascinating to read the details of the lives of a couple I’ve never met? I don’t know, but it is! Thanks for all the info…love the quip about keeping some things off the internet, so why not starting with your uterus :D “Uterus”…that’s such a funny word. Congrats to you both!!
I LOVED your story of how you told your family. Such a great way to do it! I wouldn’t use this idea on my family, but I want to park in that spot for expecting moms at the grocery store while I’m with someone and see if they notice. Oh, it will be so fun to do all that when the time comes! I hope your morning sickness stops soon, but it’s great that you’re feeling so good otherwise. Keep eating those baked potatoes and growing that little Petersik Peanut!
Just wanted to send a big congratulations to both (all three) of you!
Looking forward to all the updates ~ it must seem rather unusual (nice?) to receive all these comments from “strangers” but I’m really happy for you!
Shelley
Thanks for sharing all those details! Good for you for not keeping it from John – my husband was in the bathroom with me both times I took the test; just can’t imagine knowing something that big without him knowing immediately as well. I’m sorry you’ve been so sick. I had very little sickness with our daughter, but this time, I didn’t start to feel better until week 16-17 (I’m just 4 weeks ahead – due 4/19!) We’ll find out in 2 weeks if it’s a boy or girl, which we’re excited about. We didn’t find out with #1 – she was a total surprise, but the best kind ever! So glad for you and your families! Congrats again! (Oh, and we’re hoping to redo our bedroom and upstairs bath before baby comes next spring too. We’ll see!)
Congrats! You’re going to have so much fun. When I was pregnant with my daughter, Saoirse, I lovingly nicknamed her Bean. Not only was it endearing (and for a few weeks, accurate) but, it made me giggle every time I said it or wrote it. Her Dad gave me a necklace that actually looks like a little tiny bean (hopefully this link works):
I wear it everyday and love it cause it’s a constant reminder of her! :-)
Wishing you both the best on this incredibly, awesome new journey.
So thrilled for all of you. This will be the most fulfilling experience of your lives, one that fills you to the very brim.
Kim
Congrats! Where did you find the “freshly baked” onesie? We have some, ahem, news we are planning to share with my mom over Thanksgiving (no, we haven’t told anyone else because we’re a bit behind you!!) and it is adorable!
Hey L,
We got the “Freshly Baked” onesie from Baby Gap. It was in the clearance section though, so we can’t promise there are any still around!
-John
Congratulations! It is so exciting having a baby, my first is six months old and it is amazing seeing him turn into a little person with his own personality.
We use cloth diapers, primarily BumGenius, but love prefolds for just hanging out at home. Don’t let people convince you that cloth is going to be a pain, it absolutely is not inconvenient at all and is so much better for the baby and the environment.
Thanks for sharing! After reading your blog everyday it’s hard not to be really excited for the two of you! Best wishes with everything!
Congratulations! I am just behind you with a due date of June 2.
I encourage you to check out this blog: http://ecologicalmomblog.blogspot.com/ I’m sure it will give you all kinds of **green** inspiration!
To my favourite blog writers,
I am happy to hear of your good news and wish you a healthy pregnancy. However, I must confess, that I was happy to be reassured that this blog’s main topics will remain decorating and DIY home renovations. I love your style and your ideas, esp. your approach to your home being a work in progress.
Thanks for sharing and letting us know, you will continue to share.
I’d like to second Erin’s comment. As someone that doesn’t see kids in their future, I really appreciate that you keep your blog content home-focused. It can be frustrating when my favorite home blogs turn to “mommy blogs”. But your passion for decorating & diy is evident, even the nursery & kids’ rooms you have worked on have been a great source of inspiration for me.
Congratulations on your newest “project” & keep up the great work!!
Totally agree on the project thing – not only does it take a lot longer, sometimes the motivation to even start a project just isn’t there when I know my little guy wants to go out and run around.
We used BumGenius and they were awesome, until about 18-21 months or so when our son outgrew them completely.
BTW, my wife is about a month behind you – due 6/16.
Congrats, again!! So exciting!! Makes me (almost!! not quite, though!!) want another one of my own. :)
I love my BumGenius diapers! I’ve been using them on my little one, too. And Seventh Generation disposables are life-savers, too, for when you need or might prefer a disposable (overnight, out and about, etc.). It happens. :)
Diapers.com is great, too!
Congratulations! When you mentioned your family and friends helping you out, I immediately thought of CareCalendar.org. It’s a great tool to keep everything very organized, whether someone is coming over with dinner, to help with housework, or just spend time with you. It sends out email reminders and it is very easy to use.
I’ve thrown a couple of baby showers where we attach the Care Calendar information to a party favor (little bags of candy), so the guests can then go sign up. Some of my mommy friends didn’t have to worry about dinner for three months!
Just thought it might come in handy.
Congrats again John & Sherry! I think it’s great that you’re waiting to name the baby after he/she arrives, it makes it so much more exciting for all involved!! Looking for to hearing more about your pregnancy along the way :)
Good choice on the cloth diapers! We used them exclusively on all three of The Teen Minions (even when they were all in them at the same time), and it’s really easy to keep up with. You’re a lot more organized than we were, so this shoulc be a cinch. I’m really happy for you both.
Sherry, I must say that I am relieved to read these questions and that you are still going to do regular decorating stuff. I am still a little freaked out by the idea of having children, and being engaged and mid-20′s I know that hurdle is looming ahead not too far away and having women who can have children and yet not give up the things they love (and not be ashamed or guilty for doing so!) is awesome for me to see as an example that I don’t have to give up myself to be a mom. So you go girl, you are my future mom inspiration!!! (and it seems like you will also have a wonderful helper!) Can’t wait to see y’all’s new solutions!
Congrats to you guys. It’s so thoughtful of you to take the time to answer all the curious questions!
It’s a good thing you have two bathrooms because we only have one and did our major renovation last December (when my general contractor father-in-law had some free time). Due to a freak snow storm here in Portland, Oregon, we ended up with no bathroom shower or sink while being snowed in. Luckily the toilet and tub were installed when we got stuck. But I was four months pregnant and ended up passing out (nearly hitting my head on a pile of 12×12 tile) one day because of inadvertently taking too warm of a bath.
Big ole grin coming at y’all from San Antonio…so happy for you both :) Congratulations on the forthcoming “offshoot”…
I craved baked potatoes with my first son, too!! I would eat 2 at a time. That’s disgusting, I know. Congrats! I can’t wait to hear what you’re having. We are cooking baby #2!
Well, having the mom that I do (childbirth educator, lactation consultant, doula: http://www.janakicostello.com/Janaki/Home.html) I’m of course wondering if you’re going to have a natural childbirth and if you’re planning on breastfeeding. But that’s up to you to decide if you want to share!
Hey Jamie,
Good question! We definitely plan on breastfeeding and when it comes to labor, the docs think I might have “fast progressing labor” just like my mother did with me and my brother (we were both born in under two hours from start to finish) so an epidural might not even be possible if I’m progressing so quickly. The plan is to do my best and just see how it goes!
xo,
s
YAY!! can`t wait to see how you maintain style while baby-proofing at the same time!!
Congrats! I know you guys will make incredible parents. Your creativity; your passion for making a beautiful “nest”; your excitement and energy; your willingness to take on a challenge with joy; and your ability to truly collaborate…you guys will be wonderful.
Can’t wait to hear more.
Also, I know you already covered this, but the worrier in me just feels compelled to remind you to stay away from toxic paints etc and steer clear of lifting heavy things…
You guys will be great!
xo, Mel
I wanted to congratulate you guys too, you guys are so sweet. I love how much thought you put into things like Burger notes. As someone with a few more years to go before starting a family I look forward to reading about how you plan your nursery. I just know that it will be classy and not filled to the brim with pastels.
Also please don’t think this is weird, but could we MAYBE see a slightly gratuitous belly photo in a couple months? I just know that Sherry is going to be a uber-cute pregnant lady. :)
Sherry, thank you so so much for the paint recommendation! I can’t wait to check it out.
Maybe if your 20 week sono is early enough, you could open your envelope on christmas? Or new years day? I can’t tell you how excited I am to see what you come up with for the nursery. I’m planning mine, and it was inspired very much by a certain green dresser you posted a couple of weeks ago :)
Loren- I bet my belly will definitely sneak into a few photos along the way! We usually end up in a handful of photos a month, so we figure everyone can observe my belly as we go- just through photos about projects and other undertakings that happen to include my bump in the frame. Stay tuned…
Mel- Not to worry about toxic paint fumes and lifting heavy things- I’ve been completely absent when it comes to any projects that aren’t totally baby safe (in fact since this is my first go at being prego I’m probably over cautious and a bit paranoid but you can’t be too careful, right?). I’m just very lucky to have such a great hubby who doesn’t hesitate to step in and take care of any of the things I can’t. And of course when we get to the nursery we’re doing everything with no-VOC paint and other non-toxic methods so stick around for those details…
xo,
s
Congratulations and I am really, really happy for you.
However, “He’s destined to be the world’s best dad,” sorry to tell you but I have been the recipient of that award for the past 28 years, and I understand the trophy has been retired in perpetuity.
You guys are going to be great parents! I look forward to seeing your nursery renovations as they progress….I have a feeling it’s going to be AWESOME! Congrats again!!!!
Awww! I love looking back knowing what we know now! I know the house stuff will, of course, still be your main focus but keep us up to date on how you are feeling/progressing.
I’m so impressed you haven’t been tired! I was worn out during the first trimester! But that passed. And so did the morning sickness. And now I feel amazing!!! You are doing great!! Can’t wait to hear more about the new addition. :)
Congratulations again!! So excited for you guys!
I have used cloth with all three of mine and Bum genious with the last one and you wont be disapointed!! Especiall;y if you are breastfeeding, the diaper thing isn’t that gross at all!
I hope you have quick labor!! And I highly recomend Bradley birthing class to prepare for natural childbirth, especially if you may not get a choice! Had mine all naturally (at home actually) and the bradley method of pain managemnet was a life saver!!
There’s a little unsolicited advise for you!! :)
Congrats Congrats Congrats! So happy for you two, can’t wait to read all about the progress :o)
Congratulations again! I’m so jealous of your cute baby bump! I’m in the awkward stage of “is she pregnant or just kinda fat?”. I can’t wait until people can actually tell for sure that I’m preggo!
Cloth diapers rock! I have an almost 2 year old and an almost 6 month old sporting them right now. I love the BG’s, my favorite being the organic ones(no need to remove or stuff inserts, and hold a lot of pee). I will say though that the one size fits all is a streatch of the truth for a newborn. My son din’t fit them for the first month or so. So for that time we used an xs BG and disposables to make it. My one major bit of advice, buy a diaper sprayer. Oh and one more money saving tip, cottonbabies.com is the best place to buy your BG’s. If you check their site frequently they will have some of their “seconds” listed for a nice discount with out having to sacrifice quality!
Ok, and just one more thing the Moby wrap rocks as well and so does the phil and teds stroller (when you have a second child you don’t have to get another stroller)!
I’m done now.
A HUGE congratulations from Seattle. I am so excited for you guys. And I’m a crier, so this post totally had me tearing up (esp about your ultrasound!)
When I saw your fb status, the first thing I thought of was that video (the vagueness stuck with me, but I wasn’t convinced either way), and then thought of the Drylok! So glad to hear that you already knew and were able to avoid breathing in that icky stuff. Although now it explains more why it took extra long for that to get finished up if only John was painting!
Yay! Can’t wait for more. And if the little one comes just a few days early we could share my May 15th b-day. I can vouch for it as a good one. Taurus is the best.
congrats! i’d love to recommend mythic non-toxic paint, which is what we used in our little one’s nursery. it’s both voc-free in color (most paints become low voc with the addition of color) and non-toxic and goes on really thick, so if you use a lighter color, only one coat is needed.
Go for the BumGenius diapers. You will not be disappointed. I use them on my 2 1/2 and 10 month old. The one size ones are great. There is a store in VA Beach that sells them if you want to make the drive to check them out. (I will admit I used disposables when they were really little because of the convenience). Congrats!
So I was right about the shower curtain photo! I really hope you have quick labor, Sherry. But I can tell you from experience that you don’t always do like your Mom. My mom had very fast labors but I was in labor with my son for almost 3 days and ended up having to have a c-section. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up because everyone is different. But no matter how they get here, it’s always worth it. :) Congratulations again!
You guys are too cute. Did your ultrasound show the bean painting and hanging curtains in utero?? Too funny. I love your outlook too. A baby is a huge consideration, but I think it’s great that you will just go about it as you do with anything else…. open-minded and optimistic! This may be a little premature (no pun intended) but how many kiddos would you ideally like to have?
Sherry, I too am a lil’ girl (about 5’3″ and 105lbs) and both my labors were crazy fast… the last one only 48 minutes start to finish. We didn’t even get to deliver at the hospital that we had already prepaid!!!! After months of planning, I had no idea who was ‘down there’ delivering my child (my OB didn’t deliver at the hospital we ended up swerving into). BUT everything turned out great and everyone was healthy. The moral: planning is good but some things you can’t just prepare for… go with it. Love ya!
Hey Dana,
That’s so crazy! A 48 minute labor from start to finish? Yes, please! We know you definitely can’t really plan those things though, and we just have to be flexible (figuratively, not literally) and hope for the best. As for how many we want, we’re on the fence between two or three. And some crazy days we even entertain the notion of four. We shall see!
xo,
s
Interesting – our local Benjamin Moore dealer told me the same thing… that no VOC paints are no longer NO VOC once the color is added.
If you didn’t already know we’re a little nutso, guys, I’ll pipe up and say that I’ve had all four of our little guys without drugs. My first labor was only 6 hours, though, and the rest have been speedy like your mom, Sherry. I admit, with my last birth, I think I would’ve gotten the epidural if I could have. But I progressed too quickly for it. We never took a Bradley method class or even read the book, but friends have said that our labor plans pretty much sound like the Bradley method. I know you don’t want YHL turning into “baby-talk central”… so I’ll cool it with my elated comments now! :) **BUT** if you ever want to talk baby, you know where you can find me!
XO,
Jacci
hey y’all,
I must say I love reading your blog. Just wanted to comment about the cloth diapers. I just had a baby in June and we have been using Bumgenius 3.0 One size diapers. And I absolutely love them! They are way better than the “All in One” diapers because they grow with baby.
You are absolutely going to love being a mom, you have never loved someone so much.
Also, not sure if you want to use meds for labor, I used something called hypno-babies. You should check it out!
Congratulations! So exciting. We just had our first child in June and it is such an adventure.
My friend lent me the most amazing book recently and I wish I would’ve had it during my pregnancy. It’s called Real Food for Mother and Baby by Nina Planck. I highly recommend it!
http://www.amazon.com/Real-Food-Mother-Baby-Fertility/dp/1596913940
We just started with cloth diapers as well and after getting a large assortment of different styles I ended up liking the plain old flat diapers that you fold up and then put cute covers over. They’re extremely versatile and wash and dry so quickly. We didn’t start cloth diapers right away because we wanted to make sure we knew what we wanted and didn’t want to set ourselves up for failure. It’s a good thing b/c she was super colicky and I could barely keep up with regular laundry. Now she’s a wonderfully happy little girl and loves her cloth diapers!
I hope the rest of the pregnancy goes well!
Congratulations! I used BGs too but if you want to use disposables when you’re out or just occasionally target carries Nature Babycare diapers and wipes that are eco friendly. They’re just as good as huggies.
Congratulations :) Just one note– you are going to LOVE BumGenius. Best. Diapers. Ever. We use them and were a little unsure at first but we have saved sooo much money and they are still in super good condition after 8 months of use (our babe is 10 months now but he was a month early and too small to wear them for the first few weeks.)
Another cloth diaper comment: We have used FuzziBunz on all our three kids, they work really well. Nowadays they come with an insert but small prefolds also work well. And paper liners are great when things get more solid…
Sherry,
Just wanted to throw out that since you plan to breastfeed I HIGHLY recommend not skimping on the chair you get for the nursery as you will likely spend lots of time (12+) each day in there in the beginning so you definitely want something that’s comfortable, preferibly that rocks AND reclines.
Also, a bit of unsolicited advice about nursing – although its a natural thing it’s a learned process for both mom and baby so definitely research and talk to other moms and just know that for it to work you have to wholehartedly commit to it b/c there will be LOTS of times where you may want to give up early on. My tip to remember – never give up on a bay day!
http://www.kellymom.com is a GREAT resource
Enjoy your pregnancy – it goes by fast!
wow, what great answers. Great to know that there will be lots of DIYing going on. Really looking forward to seeing what you do with your house to get ready for the little bean. We are trying and we know we will need help with certain DIY things to make our house better for when it’s time. ;-) I hope your little bean will be a lot like you guys and DIY things too. This way, he or she will be a help to you both. Lots of luck over the next serveral months. Looking forward to seeing everything come together in your home.
Congrats! Thanks for all the fun baby info, but now I’m very curious about the marble tile you mentioned! We are going to do a bathroom redo as well and are on the lookout for marble tile flooring. Any tips?
Hey SFDC,
We actually found it at Lowe’s in the clearance bin! Definitely not where we thought we’d end up, but we were walking around just to get prices and see what they had and it was too good of a deal not to buy up nearly every last box of tile (since we can return any and all extra boxes). Oh and here’s a tile tip in general: if you buy twice as much tile as you need you can go though and be a bit choosy about which tiles you use (some might be too veiny or dark or spotted for your tastes) and then you can just return the excess. Presto- no weird tiles that you’re trying to hide behind the toilet- instead it’s all stuff that you hand picked and love!
xo,
s
oh you three, I am so happy for you! I hope there are in fact mini updates on YHL as you guys ARE YHL, so although it is a home reno/DIY blog, it is you guys that make it what it is :)And baby makes four!! Cannot WAIT for nursery pics!
The inspiration you have given me is greatly appreciated!! We just bought our first home and can’t wait to get started on all the updates/renos! We may even blog about it! xoxo
I used cloth diapers with all three of my kids and I actually still have a few, I get all sentimental when I unpack the box and look at them. There are so many advantages to cloth diapers, you get used to washing them and all, and parenting is gross at times anyway so it’s not like you dodge that bullet with disposables. :) Good luck.
Your post made me cry. Congratulations. Having a baby is the most wonderful thing in the entire world! Oh yeah, and you have PLENTY of time to baby proof! Kid doesn’t start moving until 8 months! They will teach you real fast what needs to go where!
Are you going to start a baby blog? The baby might get jealous if Burger has one, and he/she doesn’t. Congrats.
Hey Amy S,
We’ll definitely have to see how it goes. We know that realistically we probably won’t have extra time when baby P arrives, so starting a third blog might not be in the stars for a while. It definitely has crossed our mind though. Until then we’ll do little periodic updates here (like we periodically include little Burger references) and we will certainly be sharing more baby details on Facebook and Twitter which is where we get a bit more personal. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
ODD AS IT SOUNDS….
Your morning sickness might be because your stomach is empty. Try eating something that will ‘weigh’ it down (like a baked potatoe, or a knish, or oatmeal).
Avoid acid-y things first thing in the morning (like OJ or grapefruits, grape juice) but enjoy those later when you feel better.
CONGRATULATIONS!
You’re totally right SamiJ! I consider myself a bit of an expert in morning sickness after around 90 days of it and I’ve learned that starchy carbs as soon as I wake up really help (cheese and crackers, wheat toast and cream cheese, a baked potato, brown rice, etc). Definitely a good tip for the other morning sickness sufferers out there! Step away from the oj and bananas. Grab something carby!
xo,
s
Such wonderful news! Congratulations to you two! (Shhh, I’m also preggers, but due in July, so everything’s on the DL for now) I can’t wait to see all that you have in store . . . for your growing family and your blog! And as much as I love the DIY stuff, a little gratuitous baby ogling never hurt anyone.
Quick DIY Q: As for the no-VOC paint, we have a room that we painted with traditional Dunn Edwards paint about 3 years ago. Do you know anything about how long paint off-gasses, emits toxic compounds, such that would it make sense (if we don’t mind the color) to leave the paint as is, rather than repaint with no-VOC paint? Thanks.
Good question Stephanie! We’ve heard varying reports that put the paint off-gassing timeline anywhere from three months to a year or even two. We’ve never heard as long as three years so in the interest of not creating extra work and waste you can rest assured that your existing paint job from three years ago should be totally safe for baby. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Congrats, J and S! Baby P. will be very lucky to have such fun and creative parents. Looking forward to all your updates along the way and the arrival of the little one!
Thanks for indulging us on our many questions :) I can’t wait to see how you baby-proof the house– hopefully it’ll give me ideas for cat-proofing mine ;) (while keeping it stylish, of course)
Congrats, again! So exciting!
Our little guy is 6 months, and just starting to wiggle around a bit more. Our pediatrician told us to get going on the baby-proofing now. A friend shared some good advice in reference to your ceramic rhino, et al: It’s possible to keep that stuff out- just get a bunch of those Command adhesive strips and stick them to the bottom of your breakable and whatever surface it is resting on. Voila! No sticky damaging mess, and the baby won’t be able to pull anything down. Plus, it still allows you the freedom to move stuff around as the mood strikes.
So happy to hear more details… thanks for sharing! :) And I feel you on the morning sickness thing; you will get through it! For me, it was “all-day” daily sickness for many weeks and then limited more to just the mornings until 22 weeks… oh the “porcelain throne” and I were quite the close pair! Silver lining is my sweet hubby got me breakfast in bed every morning to help me cope a little better with it. Even now that I’m better, he still does and I love it (and him, of course)!
Congratulations!
Now seriously they have to make a movie about you two staring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling!
I definitely agree naming a child is a personal choice. I think it would be neat to have a name guessing contest once “the bean” has been aptly named. Love the questions, loved the answers. Reading your blog has proven to be a great relief from the stresses of work! Thank you. No, thank you. Really.
congrats on your big news! i can’t wait to see what you guys come up with for the nursery. what a lucky little bean you will have. :)
HEY!
I know you guys already answered questions, but I TOTALLY forgot to send in mine!
And its all right if you dont want to answer if its too personal, but do you know how many kids you want to have?
I’m also interested because your house is a 3-bedroom house! If you had more than 2 would you expand the house to give each their own room, or would you have them share?
Sorry for being late!
CONGRATULATIOOOONS!
cat.
We are using cloth diapers with our 4 month old. Lots of people are discouraging and give us disposables as gifts. We don’t beat ourselves up if we go a day or two with disposables but for the most part we love our cloth diapers. There are hundreds of brand options. You just have to find most of them online.
Hey Cat,
That’s the big question…and only time will tell. We go back and forth between two and three and even talk about four on rare occasions but as for whether we would expand or have them share rooms we honestly don’t have a clue at this point. It would hopefully become more clear based on how living with two is- and how crowded or totally cozy it ends up feeling. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
this is my favorite post yet. :-) I obviously love all the design and home improvement or I wouldnt keep reading…but I definitely love this one. :-)
Congratulations you two!!!
I have been looking at your blog for quite awhile and I finally decided I HAD to join! I use your ideas all the time, they are priceless! Thanks and I am SO excited to hear about the “baby adventure!”
Krista
I know this is weird, but I feel like I know you guys, and I am so excited for you! Hooray for Babies!
As a new mom (I have an 8 month old), I can relate. One of my pieces of advice (which you didn’t ask for, but being pregnant and having kids opens you up to a whole slew of advice you didn’t ask for) is to take a breast-feeding class (if you are planing on breast-feeding) and make John come to the class too. I had some complications, and the hubby had to help me the first couple of times – we were both glad he took the class with me.
Sherry,
I am 24 weeks, and let me tell you, weeks 5-16 were not easy in the morning-24/7 sickness department! I craved baked potatoes too, and that was pretty much all we ate for 11 weeks. They were so solid and soft on my stomach. Try chewing Big Red or sucking on some cinnamon candy. I teach Kindergarten, which brings about enough sights and smells to bring a pregnant woman to her knees. Cinnamon was a life saver. Hang in there, and you will love food again! I promise!
Congratulations, and I can’t wait to see your nursery ideas! :)
Lauren
Is it crazy that the first thing I thought about when I first heard your news is whether you were pregnant while you guys were Dryloking the basement? Lol. I’m glad to hear, Sherry, that you weren’t subjected to all those toxic fumes :)
I’m even happier to hear that you’re going green in the nursery! If you need any help finding items, you know who to call. That’s my specialty!
I’m so excited for you guys!
Blessings to all 4 of you on this wonderful, happy news. It’s been a while since I got to experience those first-time pregnancy joys (my oldest will be 18 in a few months) but I will never forget them. Enjoy every moment (even the sick ones) because you are being allowed to participate in a genuine miracle.
I craved baked potatoes when I was pregnant with my son. Had one almost every day. I’ve heard some women crave strange things like laundry soap and dirt. I’ll take a baked potato over that any day. LOL
Congratulations!!!
Yeah cloth diapers!!! That makes me so happy to hear! I have been using BumGenius on my little one since she was about 4 months old! My only regret is that I didn’t start sooner! Love them!!!
You guys are so adorable! I totally loved this post. I’m about a month ahead of you (due April 14) and I’m jealous you already had an ultrasound! I get my first one on Monday.
Also, do let us know how the cloth diapering goes – I’m doing the same thing, with the prefolds + covers method, and I’m interested to see how you like it.
Also, how were your feelings about orange juice? I feel like I lived off that stuff like you lived off your baked potatoes!
can I just give a big shout out to cloth diapers!?!?! we are using Thirsties covers and indian cotton prefolds and we LOVE them. The thing with cloth diapers is that onesies don’t button over them too well. our wee lad wears a lot of rompers and one-piece outfits (or just bigger pants than he should be wearing) as a result. the bum genius ones are pretty great, too, but we are way, way more into the thirsties OR the FuzziBunz if you are totally down with pocket dipes. yay for cloth diapers!!!
Congrats to you both! I am so anxious to see how you modify your decor to suit a baby only because we have a now-mobile one year old and we’ve had to sacrifice a few things (picture frames in his reach, books, etc.) because he loves to touch everything. I know you two will keep you great style and I’m sure pass along some great tips for us too! I look forward to it. And, another vote for bumGenius – they are awesome. We used them his first year and saved a TON of money. Check out jilliansdrawers.com for a new worry-free return policy!
Congrats! You have so many exciting moments to look forward to. I was glad to see so many moms here using cloth diapers. I used them 15-20 years ago and even though I work with babies I don’t see many in cloth diapers these days. You can’t beat the savings both for the earth and your pocketbook.
Congratulations again! Thanks for sharing all the questions and answers. Sherry: You look so cute with your baby bump! I know you guys said you want to keep this a design/ decoration blog, but I am hoping you decide to do a pregnancy/ baby blog. Baby Love, maybe?….. :O)
Wiser Pregnancy conducted a scientific survey that found that most women try as many as four remedies for morning sickness, but 62% said that none of the remedies provided any kind of relief.
Check out ecologicalmom.com for great tips about raising kids with an eco & logical mindset.
Congratulations! I can’t wait to read more about the nursery and the bathroom reno. Speaking of the bathroom, you mentioned that you found mocha marble tiles at Lowes and I think I’m using the exact same tiles in our bathroom reno! We just found them last weekend and I already started tearing out the linoleum. I’m interested in knowing the color scheme you’ve chosen. Any sneek peeks or maybe a mood board to share on the upcoming bathroom decor?
Hey Leigh-Anne,
We have plenty of posts planned for the impending bathroom reno including color scheme ideas, tile pairings, DIY ideas, etc. We just have to finish up the basement but things should be underway in a few short weeks. Stay tuned…
xo,
s
Try Reed’s Ginger Chews http://www.reedsgingerbrew.com/candy.html. All-natural, no preservatives and is known to work for motion sickness, nausea, upset stomach, etc…you can find them here in VA. http://www.reedsgingerbrew.com/stores/virginia.asp. If that wasn’t enough, they have peanut butter ginger chews…delicious and they work. If you try them, I’d love to hear how they worked (or didn’t). My parents swear by them.
I’m a Bumgenius fan as well. Good for you for being open to the idea of using cloth. I love using cloth and find it just as easy…just a couple more loads of laundry a week, but a soft and diaper rash free bum. You may find that prefolds work better while the baby is still newborn-tiny size. Oh, and I recommend the sized bumgenius diapers. The all in ones are huge and bulky. Email me if you have questions…I have experimented a lot w/ cloth diapers (detergent, storage, diaper cremes, etc)
Congrats!! Love the blog and your creative minds and so excited to see your nursery ideas and baby related changes. My second son (Roman Atticus) is due March 18th, hang in there..the end justifies the means.:)
Oh, so many congratulations to you two! I’ve long followed your blog, and I’m so excited that you’ve embarked on the project to end all projects. Your life will change, yes, but you will still be you, and there’s no reason at all to give up a single thing that you love.
For the record, we still call our soon-to-be-three-year-old “bean.” It’s a wonderful term of endearment.
All the best!
Nicole
I cried reading this, isn’t that silly? Just totally happy for you guys. You are going to be fantastic parents. I haven’t been keeping up with blogs as much lately so I am really glad I saw this :) It made my day.
i am so happy for you both. i just remember the other month i was asking you about painting with a toddler and now you’re going to be getting a room ready for your little bundle. i can’t wait to read all about what you do with the baby room. congrats again!!
Congrats on the baby news! I’m expecting too and due April 4th so I’ll definitely be interested to see any baby-related projects. It’s an exciting time!
YAY for Bum Genius diapers. It’s all we’ve used with our little guy (he’s almost 10 months), so I’m sure you’ll love them, too! We have 24 of them, and it’s just the right amount for us. Congrats again!
Congratulations! I am so excited for you two!! Love the blog, and please post pics of Sherry with more of that bump (home-improvement related pics, of course!). Baby bumps are the cutest, especially on cute gals like Sherry!
Oh, and if you guys feel like starting a baby blog, I will be grateful for when my (new) hubby and I have kids! Baby’s House, maybe?
Thanks for sharing all of this with your readers! You guys are so sweet and so obviously happy. You’re going to make great parents! Congratulations again!!
OMG you guys!!! Just read the fantastic news!!! Congratulations! I hope everything goes swimmingly and look forward to reading about Burger’s little Bro or Sis!!!
Blessings!
:-)
There is a sale over at http://www.cottonbabies.com for your BumGenius diapers. They are NEVER on sale for this low. I bought all my diapers from them (they are actually the inventors of the BumGenius line) and when the washing tabs shrunk slightly, they replaced all of them for FREE. I highly recommend this brand and store :O)
Congrats! I seriously wanted to cry when I read about the big reveal to the family. Haha. But maybe that’s because I’m 11 weeks along and want to cry at anything cute.
Good luck! I hope you do some more baby nursery blogs because I’ll be looking for good ideas. We haven’t started thinking about transforming our 3rd bedroom aka junk/library/guest room yet and it will be a BIG job.
You might enjoy this site:
http://www.whatalovelyname.com/
I came across on this site:
http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2009/03/online-name-picker.html
Congratulations! I’m 2 weeks from having our 2nd boy and definitely in baby-land in every way. It just gets better and better!!
I have to throw in a plug for gDiapers with all this diaper talk (www.gdiapers.com) A perfect hybrid of cloth and disposable (compostable! flushable!) that worked beautifully for us with first boy. And you can use cloth inserts, too. A great product from a great company (from Tasmania!) that I highly recommend. But I’ve never used BumGenius so maybe I”m missing out on something… :)
Thanks for your blog! I’m a daily reader.
Guys!! This is wonderful news. Congratulations!! After years of reading your website I feel like you are the rad couple next door, and I am so psyched for your new addition! I wish you the best of luck and I know you will be fantastic parents. What a lucky kid!!! <3
BABYPROOFING YOUR HOME!!! This may help you…..I started babysitting a little girl, not yet one, *hadn’t had babies in our home for awhile*, did not want to put up all my things. We started from day one, gently, saying thats not a toy….taking her by the hand leading her to the toys. We would tell her those are toys, then remind her of what she HAD been touching, saying again, thats not a toy, this is your toy. HONESTLY, it worked, she did great. We did not want to be the house she came to, where she heard NO NO all day long, yet did not want to put our things away either. She started saying “thats not a toy, while looking at me and shaking her head….SO CUTE”. We have done this with other children that come to our home too, and IT WORKS. Just a helpful hint. :-)
Congratulations! I look forward to the baby-related blog entries, but also applaud you for your commitment to staying on track as a decorating/design blog. I have followed other decorating and home blogs, and when a baby arrives, quite often the house issues are replaced with baby babble. As a mom myself, I know what the real joy and excitement of a baby brings. But it is so nice to see that you will keep doing what you do so well…exceptional decorating/project/home advice! Best wishes!!!!!!!!!!
Oh my goodness John and Sherry–I’m SO HAPPY FOR YOU!! My own pregnancy hormones may have come into play here, but this post had me tearing up. What wonderful news–congratulations!!
-Dusty
Congratulations on your fantastic news!
I left you a message a year or so back – my husband and I are another 07/07 couple! We got together on 07/07/03, engaged on 07/07/05 and married on 07/07/06. And we’re expecting our first child, a little girl, just three months before your baby is due (20th Feb 2010)!
I’ve popped on your website every so often, but now I’m almost on maternity leave (and we moved into a new, and hopefully long-term place over the summer) I’m looking forward to spending more time on it, looking for ideas on making our place as gorgeous as it can be.
Hope you’re having fun designing baby’s room. We certainly are!
Sarah xx
So good to hear from you Sarah! It’s so funny that your baby girl is due almost exactly three months before our little one since we’ve been on such similar timelines with the 7/7 thing. Good luck with your baby on the way and your new place!
xo,
s
Hi! I just started reading your blog and love it! We just bought our first house and my head is full of ideas for decorating, remodeling, etc!
One quick question, what software/service do you guys use to make your videos? I love the intro’s and captioning. I’m sure it’s fairly simple – but I’m looking for the best tool, in your opinion, as I’m finally taking some videos of our adventures. Thanks and keep the great tips coming!
-Michelle
Hey Michelle,
We use our Mac’s iMovie ’09 for all of our video editing. It’s free and does the job (not necessarily in the fastest fashion, but it works for us). Of course we had to learn how to use it a bit before anything looked any good, but it’s not too hard once you get the hang of it. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Congratulations!! I love your blog and figured you two were nearing parenthood! I’m due May 17th with our number two! (I just love finding other people that are due the same month as me)! I’m going to check out BumGenius – I always felt so guilty with all the disposables I used for my first.
Many blessings,
Jen
Congratulations! I follow and love, love, love your blog. I am also expecting in May, so I can’t wait to see everything you do with the nursery and steal some creative ideas from you!
Congrats and your blog is a blast to read!! Love it!!
We cloth diaper too and have never regretted it. We used pocket diapers on our first baby and had major leak issues. This time around we’re using a new system called Grobaby and we’re now in month 7. WE LOVE THEM! I’ve now converted half my playgroup to use Grobaby.
Laughing at your baked potato craving. I swear I lived on potatoes for my first pregnancy…any way I could get them :-)
I LOVE your blog!! I had a question (hope its not to personal) but I was wondering what your professions are?
Hey Allison,
Good question! As of last year I’ve been doing the whole blog thing full time (I used to be an advertising copywriter). John works downtown at an ad agency (and puts in some pretty serious hours on the blog in the evenings and weekends when he’s not at work). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Congrats though I know it’s quite late now! As a designer turned work-at-home mom I LOVE your blog and your style, and just wanted to tell you I LOVE the BumGenius diapers too! All the moms I know use them too, and their customer service is truly amazing. I saw someone mentioned GDiapers which I think are great as an addition to BumGenius. I use them for overnight trips when I just don’t want to deal with rinsing poopy dipes without my precious diaper sprayer. (Please note: this is a MUST-HAVE!) Best of luck!
So good to know! The sprayer is definitely on our list and we were just talking about what diaper method we’ll use when we take quick weekend trips with baby P. Thanks for the tips!
xo,
s
Just stumbled across your blog. Great info, can’t wait to see what you come up with for a nursery! We cloth diaper and love bum genius. We use the organics with snaps and also the Flip by Bum Genius. The organics are an all-in-one, no stuffing or anything, just take it off, rinse, throw in the laundry. The flip is a reusable outer cover with inserts. The cover can be wiped down if it gets a bit dirty. This works great when traveling or out on the town, just need to take inserts with. A lot smaller to pack and carry around. They also make disposable inserts that we sometimes use if we are gone for a longer vacation. I recommend using Charlie’s soap for laundering.
I’m sure you’ve moved forward with your research re cloth diapers, but check out diaperswappers.com. I’ve purchased some on there. My babe is due late March and we’re going all cloth. I’ve stopped by your blog bc we’re going to be renovating our ranch March/April. At least you got a head start! Best of luck!
Thanks so much for the diapering and laundering advice Mary and Edie! We’re really looking forward to “learning on the job” once the little one is here!
xo,
s
Congratulations! I have a 4.5 month old girl whom we have been cloth diapering. It’s really easy and fun, too. We bought all of our products at Abby’s Lane (abbyslane.com). They are a VA-based store. We use prefolds and covers during the day and a pocket diaper at night for extra absorbency. Regular old Tide works great for the laundry. I’m sure you’ve gotten lots of comments, but if you ever have questions, please don’t hesitate. I’ve gotten enough inspiration from your blog that I should give something back!
Amanda
i’m super late on asking this question, so i apologize!
in the words of katie bower, when did you “pull the goalie”? sorry if that was graphic, couldn’t think of a better way to ask!
congrats! seems like everyone is in the baby groove, even my favorite bloggers. exciting! =)
seeing how green you are with other things, i was definitely anticipating you to say you’re planning on using cloth diapers. i know that around us, diaper services are actually more economical than going it alone–the economy of scale they achieve on washing and detergent just can’t be matched at home. if you have anything similar nearby, you should check it out (if you haven’t already). bonus: magical, self-cleaning diapers. =)
I know I am super late on this post, but I am a new mommy! My little girl was born 12/9. We decided to use cloth diapers as well and bumgenius were on the top of my list. I happened to find a company called bumjoy on etsy that make diapers and they are less expensive than bumgenius. I LOVE them! Going strong with no leaks so far and I feel great supporting at work from home mom.
I know I’m a tad late to the game but I’ve been checking out all the nursery stuff eagerly the past couple of days. BEAUTIFUL.
As for cloth diapers, I totally recommend you check out greenmountaindiapers.com and hyenacart.com
Bumgenius is great, and I used them almost exclusively when my little one was littler (and yes, velcro can suck pretty badly so snaps is definitely the way to go) but I recommend you try out a few different things. I thought I’d only want the super easy pocket diapers but now I 100% prefer fitteds and prefolds. I love wool covers (you have to clean them by hand, but you can do it with baby wash and the lanolin you’ll probably already have because of breastfeeding) because they are natural (unlike the PUL on BG’s) and much more breathable. They also have anti bacterial properties and hold like 3 times their weight. Greenmountaindiapers.com has all my favorite most natural options (as well as the best prefolds out there and TONS of information and action photos) and hyenacart.com is the best place on the web to buy homemade diapers (and all sorts of other goodies!) WAHMs (work at home moms) are the primary sellers on hyenacart and they make some great stuff. mudshrimps, bagshotrowbamboo, sticky peas, and scuttlebutts are some of the most popular vendors but there are HUNDREDS. you should totally check it out and consider trying some nice organic fabrics :D
Wow, thanks for all that info! We’re definitely excited to give cloth a try!
xo,
s
Congrats! I love hearing all the baby details! I am due June 18th and have to confess I crave baked potatoes all the time! So funny