rustic chalkboards.

Just call me the "craft queen." Better yet, go ahead and call me Martha. Crafting has consumed my life these past few weeks. It would be soooo much easier to just buy my inspirations, but, where is the fun in that? Well, a lot of fun...but a lot of money too. So, next up on my nursery crafting list: rustic chalkboards.

Super easy.

Because we don't have a wood-burning fireplace, John and I made a trip to the Bryant's barn to steal a piece of firewood. With the help of his chainsaw, John cut 3 pieces, about 1/2 an inch thick each.

I guess we threw away the leftover chalkpaint from this project, so I picked up another quart from Home Depot.

I shook it up a bit, got out my brush and started painting away (the chalkboard paint recommends sealing the surface if it is raw wood, but I didn't), leaving 1/2 an inch border of wood.

Luckily, I only had to do one coat of paint so I was finished in no time. After about 30 minutes, the paint was dry, however, you have to wait approximately 4 hours until you can write on it with chalk.

I thought John would attach a hook to the back of each chip, but instead he just nailed them directly to the wall with a small nail. Whatever works!

So there you have it. Easy is an understatement! Here they are on display in the nursery:

still here. still pregnant.

I must say, I am quite bummed I sacrificed a trip home for Thanksgiving in anticipation of Brooks' arrival, which I thought would have happened by now. But, I'm still here and I'm still pregnant. The good news is, we still had two wonderful Thanksgivings with each side of John's family. On Thursday we went to Mama Jean and Grandaddy's farm in Calera and on Friday we went to Lay Lake to Nana and Papa's. The weather both days was close to perfect and the spreads were quite amazing too. I just love family time. I will definitely love it more when Brooks is here. Hear that baby boy? I'm ready when you are.

This morning I had another appointment and met Dr. Brown, the fifth and final doctor in the practice. Here is a little update on the bumpster and the final days of my pregnancy: Oh wait, there is no update. Yep, that's right. I am still 1 centimeter dilated and 80% effaced. Dr. Brown did predict that Brooks will be here in the next 4 weeks (you mean he can come 2 weeks after my due date?!). Thanks, Dr. Brown. I appreciate the encouragement. In a way, I think not knowing is best. It helps me to trust in God's timing and reminds me that, ultimately, He is in control. There is nothing the doctors can say or anything that I can do to speed up the process. Baby boy will come when he is ready and that day is already ordained.

I am so thankful for making it to 37 weeks...full term!

On another note, I want to wish my beautiful mom a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I know that you were hoping, wishing, and praying that Brooks would make his debut on your big day (and who knows...he may), but this day truly needs to be devoted to you and only you...you deserve it! I love you so much and am truly blessed to soon be walking in your footsteps of motherhood. XOXO.

I'm going to leave you with a little sneak peek of the nursery. We are still waiting on the crib skirt, drapes, and a few pillows, but I think I will do the reveal without. 

Stay tuned...

rounding the corner.

I am rounding the corner both literally and physically. At 36 weeks 4 days I am only a few days shy of being considered full term and looking like I swallowed an entire Butterball turkey. There are times when I feel like I swallowed a turkey too.

Mmmmm. Speaking of, I cannot wait to chow down on turkey this week. Stomach growling as we speak.

Anyway, D-Day is drawing near and I could not be more ready. I had my 36 week appointment on Monday, which consisted of a measurement of my uterus, listening to the heartbeat, and a Group B Strep Culture. Dr. Stradtman asked me what our Thanksgiving plans were and when I said, "Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that..." her brows furrowed. The "plan" was to travel to Atlanta to visit with my family since it has been ages since I have seen them and also because we'll have a new baby boy at Christmas (which tends to cramp one's travel style). Doc was not down with that. Not one bit. With that being said, she decided to go ahead and check me to see if I have progressed any.

Here's the shocker...

I am already a little over a centimeter dilated, 80% effaced and at -1 station (at 0 station baby's head is fully engaged). Dr. Stradtman asked, "Are you sure you haven't had any contractions?!"

Just when I thought I could still muster up a short vacay to the parentals at my own risk, my "plan" was completely thrown out the window. It could be any day now. IT COULD BE ANY DAY NOW! Chew, swallow, regurgitate, chew swallow, regurgitate. 

If Brooks decides that he isn't ready to come any time soon, which may very well be the case, I go back to the doctor on Monday to see if I have progressed any further (and to get my culture results, of course).

So how is that for a kick in the pants? CRAZY. I am hoping to run many errands today to tie up loose ends and get to where I am feeling prepared enough for Brooks' entrance into this world. Hopefully my body will cooperate!

framed chicken wire.

I didn't have to pester. Well, I didn't have to pester too much. John built the framed chicken wire to hang above the crib this weekend. Not only did he build it, he also hung it. Yes, I know...I can't believe it either! Mission accomplished. The nursery is about 97% complete. Oh, happy day.

The process took about 3 days from start to finish. It probably would have only taken one day, but the construction was interrupted by hunting. Shocking.

John first gathered some wood from the basement at the office to construct the frame. With the help of his trusty saw, several nails, and Gorilla Glue we had ourselves a wood frame:

Next up: making my dream a reality. I had originally envisioned a bunch of tree branches and twigs glued on in a messy manner to give it a rustic, imperfect feel. John wanted me to show him a picture of what I had in mind and when I googled it, I realized that the frame didn't exactly exist. Plus, it would take A LOT, and I mean a lot, of sticks to cover the entire frame. We're not talking a 5 X 7 here. Luckily, I have a gifted mother-in-law with a good eye who suggested cutting up one of her twig table runners and gluing that to the frame. John and I laid it out on top of the frame before doing any cutting and were a bit skeptical, but I felt like we didn't have another option. I didn't want to just paint it. Bor-ing. 

So framing it with the runner, we did. John first spray-painted the frame brown. Thanks to a windy day, it dried rather quickly. Holding the rolled up runner together with duct tape, John sawed 4 strips measuring just a bit larger than the width of each edge of the frame. 

Using our tiny glue gun (sorry, hubs), John glued on the runner.

The next step: attaching the chicken wire.

A staple gun would have been money, but we were without. So instead, John hammered in nails deep enough to hold the wire in place, but not too far to where it would stick out the other end of the frame. To make sure the wire was secure, he hammered the nails down horizontally.

 And here it is finished:

Still, not quite what I had in mind, but it was growing on me. It was time to see what it would look like in the nursery. And that, my friends, was a different story. LOVE. 

(I apologize for the dark iPhone picture). Nursery reveal coming soon with photos from my SLR.

go ahead.

Oh, hey Coco and Goose. Just go ahead and make yourselves comfortable...

Happy Friday.

banner for brooks.

I had to do it. I had to make a burlap banner for Brooks' nursery.

I went back and forth with what statement piece I wanted to put behind the crib. At first, the plan was for John to construct a barn door to look a little something like this:

 This would be a huge commitment and because I pester the poor soul enough these days I started to think of Plan B. Plan B was to purchase an antique door and I found a couple great options while antiquing last weekend, but with a stained pine dresser, a white crib, and a distressed bookcase there were too many wood pairings. I was afraid it may look like a huge cluster. That's when Plan C popped into my brilliant brain: framed chicken wire. And not just a regular wood frame, a wood frame covered in sticks and branches. Yes, that is a big DIY to take on with 4 weeks to go, but John was game.

I purchased two simple prints early on that were somewhat inspiration pieces for the entire nursery:

Without a doubt, they would be hung above the crib, but I didn't want to matte and frame them. There is already enough of that going on on the gallery wall above the dresser. With the new chicken wire idea, I thought it would be cute to hang them from clothespins on a string of twine. And we all know what else I like to do with burlap and twine...HAMMER BANNER TIME.

With some leftover burlap hanging around the house, I cut out 6 very imperfect banner triangles. Because burlap tends to fray, I dabbed on some Fray Check around the edges. After about 15 minutes of drying time, I placed a 5" letter stencil on each pendant and taped into place. 

Using stencil paint (I used Stencil Magic Stencil Creme in "Snow White" found at Hobby Lobby) and a sponge brush I filled in the letters. 

You really should let the paint dry before you remove the stencil, but I lack patience and ripped that puppy off as soon as I was done sponging. No harm done. 

Voila. Easy as pie. 5 more letters and a whopping blister on my finger later I laid the burlap out to dry...

...but not for the instructed 24-48 hours. I waited about 20 minutes. Again, impatience. It gets the best of me.

With my trusty ball of twine and a steel yarn needle (made by Yarnology--also purchased at Hobby Lobby) I got to sewing, starting with the last letter of his name. Now that I think about it, I could have started with the first letter and that would have probably been easier. You live, you learn.

In no time, the banner was finished! I hung it on Brooks' dresser to finish drying (better late than never).

I love how it turned out and cannot wait to see it paired with the deer prints. I also can't wait to get started on the framed chicken wire. Hopefully, we will have it put together and hung by the end of this weekend. Again, hopefully. MUST. NOT. PESTER.

John is finally home from his big hunt (I was so excited to see his handsome face this morning) so tonight is the night I have been waiting for: crib construction!

35 weeks and a highchair.

I'm nearing 36 weeks and am feeling pretty good. Not 100% because of the backache, the reflux and heartburn, tightness and pelvic pains. I have been doing a lot of stretching and applying the heating pad to my back every evening. This seems to help a bit. As do baths and hot showers.

As far as movement goes, there is more contortion than there is movement. I still feels jabs here and there, but mainly feel him rolling around and getting comfortable, which is typically in a position that makes me very uncomfortable (hello, ribs). Although the cons have been outweighing the pros during the past week, I am still so grateful and want to soak up these last few weeks of pregnancy as much as I can. I know that I am going to miss it very much. There are days that I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror or look down and see my belly and I get very emotional. I am still in awe that the Lord answered my prayer and chose me to carry this precious child. He is so good.

WHOA, BELLY!

In other news, Diapers.com is having a killer sale today on highchairs, mommies. I have been coveting the Stokke Tripp Trapp Highchair since I found out that I was pregnant. I love that it is all wood, no plastic, that it grows with your child, is great for small spaces, is lightweight and easy to move, and, not to mention, customizable and sleek!

Buy Buy Baby is selling the Highchair for $249.99, the Baby Set for $69.99 and the Highchair Cushion for $44.99--that's a pretty penny for a highchair, if you ask me. When I got the email informing me about the sale, I decided to check it out. Sometimes Diapers.com has good deals, but sometimes you can buy products cheaper in the store or on Amazon. Lucky for me, this sale is legit. The Highchair is on sale for $229.99 and the Baby Set is on sale for $59.99. To top it off, Diapers.com is offering an additional 20% off by using the THANKSBABY promotion code! SCORE! So, I paid $267.97 (free 2-day shipping and no tax) instead of $397.82 (including tax). BOOM! It feels good. Oh, so good. Mom, aren't you proud?!

I can't wait for this shipment to arrive!

The crib arrived Friday, but John is off slaying deer in Kentucky. The box is way too heavy for me to budge so I have been staring at it with hungry eyes all weekend, trying to figure out how I can get it from the front door to the nursery, unpack it, and put it together all by myself. So far, Big Box-5, Lauren-0.  I did have the chance to make some progress in the nursery, though. Lots of crafting going on in the Bryant house this weekend! I can't wait to share...

goin' to the chapel. err, tree.

Before I get too ahead of myself and the happenings around the Bryant household, I want to recollect the joyous occasion last weekend. My best friend, Sarah, got MARRIED!

It was such a beautiful weekend and I felt so honored to be a part of it. Thursday evening, Margot and I drove to Montgomery to spend the evening with the little bride-to-be at her new house and hang with our other besties, Ashley and Lacey. Friday morning, we attended the Bridesmaid Luncheon at Wynlakes Country Club which was just lovely. Afterwards, a group of us got our nails "did" and then headed south to Greenville!

If the rehearsal was any indication of what the actual wedding would be like, we were in for a treat. The backdrop of the ceremony, under the trees where Selby proposed, was absolutely stunning and it so happened to take place right at sunset. We also got to see a little preview of the reception site. You could tell that a lot of heart and a lot of planning went into making this day perfect for the two lovebirds.

After the rehearsal we ventured to the rehearsal dinner at good ol' Greenville Country Club. This is where I met up with my handsome husband for the weekend. Toasts were given and a few tears were shed as love was poured out on the couple of the hour. Because this momma-to-be was exhausted, the night ended there for me.

Saturday morning, we joined the gang for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Grand idea. We stuffed our faces and then relaxed for the rest of the morning and afternoon until it was time to get ready for the big day. The 'maids got to the farm around 2:30 and could not wait to see the beautiful bride. Beautiful is an understatement. Sarah looked gorgeous! And so did everything else. After pictures it was just a matter of time before the ceremony started. The rest of the evening was ideal--from the "I Dos" to the first dance. I really really wish that I had taken more pictures. Thank goodness for a photographer, right?

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Davis! John and I love you both very much and will be praying over you and your marriage. Here's to a life of love, laughs, happiness, and blessing(s)!

claim to fame.

Oh, you want my autograph? Not every one at once, please...

Last Tuesday night, John and I took the OB/Hospital Tour at Brookwood Hospital to familiarize ourselves with the facility and get more information on what to expect while delivering there. We are not partaking in any prepared childbirth classes so I wanted to be somewhat braced for what's to come. Upon arrival I noticed a camera crew, but didn't think anything of it. While we were waiting on the tour to begin one of the nurses made an announcement that CBS42 news would be following us during the tour to film a little segment on the new facility. We were okay with that. Just as long as we didn't get any one-on-one face time...

When the tour wrapped up we breathed a sigh of relief and started to make our way towards the elevators. Oh no, no. Not so fast, Lauren and John. Right when we thought we were in the clear, Shanisty approached us and asked if we would mind answering some questions in front of the camera. Fabulous. The rest is pretty much a blur. John and I walked out of the hospital shaking our heads saying, "what in the world just came out of our mouths?!" Let's just say, we both don't do well speaking in public nor in impromptu situations.

Yesterday I got an email from an old co-worker who told me we were on the morning news. Our claim to fame, baby! I was pretty excited that we got some air-time because I have never been on TV before...that is, until I actually watched it during the 5:00 news! HA. Definitely not our shining moment. It's still a fun story to tell Brooks one day! Here are some still shots from the segment that I recorded:

John: "She answered all of my questions so I'm pretty excited about it."

HAHA, I'm sure you are, John...I'm sure you are.

getting closer.

We're moving right along and getting closer and closer to the arrival of our sweet baby boy. EEK! I am so excited! This morning I had my 34 week appointment with Dr. Gregory. At 34 weeks, 3 days I am measuring on track, have gained 2 pounds since my last appointment (no surprise there), and am nearing my weekly visits. I let Dr. Gregory know of some new symptoms: extreme nausea, loss of appetite, headaches, congestion, lower backache, and swelling. I was concerned about the nausea, loss of appetite, headaches, and congestion because A. loss of appetite is way out of the norm for me. FOOD = FRIEND and B. I was worried that I might be getting sick, seeing that I have run myself into the ground from traveling the past 3 weekends. Luckily, I am not getting sick. Unluckily, the nausea and loss of appetite are extremely normal for this stage of pregnancy. Our little nugget isn't so little anymore and is taking up so much room that my stomach is compressed and my digestive tract is squished. The things we mothers-to-be endure for our bambinos. 

I also mentioned to the doc that Brooks' movements have slowed down quite a bit. I got extremely worried Sunday afternoon when I had not felt him once since I woke up that morning. He is typically very active so of course I started to think the worse. John tried to lighten the situation by making me laugh--he said that after all the belly rubbing, loud music, shakes, and activity over the weekend he probably just wanted some rest like his momma! I did feel him some later in the day and my worries began to dissipate, but I figured I would run it by Dr. Gregory. Better to be safe than sorry! 

So, at my appointment she decided to hook me up to the fetal monitor to make sure everything was okay. Brooks did NOT like the monitor one bit and would not cooperate (I'm beginning to see a pattern here). Due to his stubbornness, I had to lie in the chair for an additional 30 minutes because his kicking, rolling, and moving around increased his heart-rate so much that they weren't able to check what they wanted to check. He finally settled down and this worried momma's fears were put to rest; everything looked fine and I was given the thumbs up to go my own way. 

I am so ready for Brooks to be here I can hardly contain myself. Not because I am uncomfortable, sometimes to the point of tears, but because in my heart I can't wait to meet our baby boy. I was so worried that the day wouldn't come where I felt completely at peace and prepared (well, as prepared as you can be), but it has. Not only for myself, but for John too. He warmed my heart by telling me about a dream that he had this weekend: we were in the hospital, the nurse handed Brooks' to him and he just stared at him in complete awe. He told me that he was the happiest he has ever been and that Brooks was the most handsome baby he had ever seen. 

I greatly look forward to the day the nurse hands our son to John...