Secret Pink

Almost two years ago, I posted an entry about a pink Kate Spade purse I was coveting. I've admired them from afar for years now.

Well, one came home with me yesterday. It was 30% off with an additional 25% off for Memorial Day. Still not inexpensive, but...she had me at hello. What can I say?


It is hard to tell size from the pic, but it is actually a decent sized purse. And, won't it go well with my super cute diaper bag?

Of course, I have to show you the inside. I love cute inside fabric, especially when it includes pink - whether in a coat, handbag, wallet... I like to call it having your own "secret pink." Not that there is anything secretly pink about this purse.


I still need to post pics from our weekend to Lopez Island, but I thought I'd get this out in the meantime. I'm off to go see Sex and the City 2!

Baby: Week 24 Nursery Furniture Painting and New Belly Pic

Week 24: Baby is the size of an ear of corn!

Baby D is growing steadily, having gained about four ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long, she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up.

This is the last week of the second trimester. While the first trimester seemed to take forever (being so sick), the second or "honeymoon" trimester, has flown by. I can tell the third is quickly approaching. This last week, sleep has become increasingly more uncomfortable and there has been more than one night I've given up trying to sleep or have had to get up at a crazy hour because I could no longer lie in bed. I was hoping this wouldn't happen to me, but I'm even having a bit of heartburn in the middle of the night, so I've had to readjust my pillows to keep my head up. Oh, the joys of pregnancy!

We've made more progress on the nursery. We've purchased a few more items and my painting buddies, Marcie and Annie were back on Saturday to paint the furniture. 

Anna brought her little Boston Terrier, Susie.


Susie was a big help - she even got pink on her bum!


But, after all that hard work, she got tired...


I found these very cute handles and our plan was to spray them white. Did you know some finishes you can't paint? The paint just runs off? Wait, you knew that? Why didn't you tell me? :-)


I'm crushed our idea didn't work. I'm also very disappointed I got flat paint for the furniture and now we had to purchase more paint to re-coat. At least that dresser was only $25.00 because I'm racking up the bill in paint. Bill did a great job today getting the new top coat on everything.


My friend Kim came down and helped me finish off my baby registries. My, oh my, that is an overwhelming process. I settled on registering at three places Target (of course), Amazon.com and Simple Cloth. Simple Cloth is a cloth diapering store I've mentioned here previously. They have a website and for my local friends they are downtown next to the Lemongrass restaurant. Each store allows you to keep a separate registry and Simple Cloth uses www.myregistry.com which can sync all of your registries in one place - very cool. It was daunting to see all of my items in one list. As first time parents, we need so many things, it wipes me out making decisions. Thank you, to Kim! She was a great help! Kim uses cloth diapers so she was invaluable on the diaper selections and still has little ones at home so was equally helpful on finalizing the Target registry.

On a final note, I was talking to someone this week and they said, "No, I didn't know you were pregnant! I just thought you had gotten chunky!" You've just got to laugh, right? As one of my staff told me, "It could have been worse. At least you ARE pregnant!"

That about wraps up the week. I am due for a Week 24 picture, so check out the month's progress and forgive the poor bathroom lighting.

Baby: Week 23 and Nursery Progress

Week 23: Baby is still size of a papaya - a growing papaya!

At this point I’ve pretty much adjusted to the fact that I’ve got a moving little gymnast inside of me, but now she is going to kick the party up a notch because she can hear and react to sounds from the outside world. Sounds from my alarm clock, Libby barking, or that darned car honking across the intersection can actually jar her little ears enough to elicit a kick or violent bout of squirming. Baby D's tiny taste buds are still growing, her bones are continuing to ossify (harden) and her tiny veins are visible through her translucent, yet wrinkly skin. 

Probably the biggest change of the week is just this little sweeties' movement. Friday night I went to sleep and her Daddy came to bed super tired and started snoring away and she started kicking - HARD. What a little rhythm those two had going. I tried to go to back to sleep, but just couldn't. She didn't settle down for a while and I was up pretty late. However, it was pretty amazing as it was the first time I could feel her kicks with my hand on my stomach. I find that I have to touch my stomach lightly to try to feel them or she seems to stop kicking. Hmmm, maybe I should try that when I'm attempting to go to sleep!

I am still feeling better - I only had one short period this week where I was feeling a little sickly. I still need to make sure I get something in my stomach first thing, otherwise, I'm doing great!

It also seemed to be the official week of this pregnancy no longer being my little "secret." The world can tell now - it doesn't really matter the outfit. I had someone I knew stop me and ask if I was pregnant and the topper was the barista at Starbucks asking, "When are you due?" Not a surprise really - just a change!

I've made some progress on the nursery - with the help of my husband and friends. As I've mentioned, Marcie and her daughter, Alisha, are helping make the nursery choices. I so appreciate their help. We are slowly transforming the little spare bedroom. Here is where we started:



First, we had to decide on colors. I knew there would be pink. I mean, hellooooo! This is Courtney we are talking about and we're having a girl. No surprise there.

Here is how I settled on colors. I have a quilt block handmade by my Grannie that my cousin framed for me for my wedding reception. Perfect. Pink, orange and green.


Marcie and I found a chair by the roadside for FREE months ago and picked up an ottoman to go along with it (more to come on that for sure). My super creative seamstress friend Jonnita is going to help make it into a slipcover for the chair/ottoman set. I am so excited!

The first step was some fresh paint on the walls. Marcie and Anna agreed to come over Sunday to do the painting. However, a last minute discovery was remembering the ceiling was also the current tan color of the walls. So, Bill was a trooper and took care of that the night before.


The first swipe of color made by Anna the following morning.


Marcie is the master edger... She is very good at this!


Amidst painting, Evelyn stopped by. We had went shopping the day before for fabric. She is making an adorable baby quilt. It is Amy Butler - Midwest Modern (I & 2). I am simply in love with the fabric choices.


Guess what else was an early gift from Evelyn? I cannot even stand it.


Yes, that is a Coach diaper bag. Oh, my gosh. There's more.


Yes. Pink on the inside - my favorite. I am in love and feeling very spoiled. Evelyn, thank you - thank you!

Back to the painting. Here is the finished version. Mythic low VOC paint in Australian Adventure (walls) and Snow White (ceiling). I just LOVE how it turned out.


I'll keep you posted bit by bit, with a full "reveal" later in the summer. Furniture painting is going to happen next week. I am so thankful to all that are helping with these projects. I cannot WAIT to see the final result. Have a great week!

Baby: Week 22 - Graduation!

Week 22: Baby is the size of a papaya!

We're trying to watch what we say. Baby can definitely hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and my own voice most soothing. Her little face is now fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It hasn't been too hard to figure out when -- I just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

Baby Girl had her first road trip! We drove over for my youngest brother Jordan's graduation from WSU. We stayed at our friends' Ted and Jeannie's in Spokane. Unfortunately, Ted and Jeannie weren't there for us to visit (they were on our side of the mountains!). Jeannie was so sweet - look what she left on the counter!


Our first stop was to the Whitworth bookstore. I was pretty excited to get to visit my own alma mater! OJ, Alyson and Carin put in their orders. We walked out with all of their stuff plus something for me, Bill and even for Baby!


Driving through campus, I saw many familiar spots, but lots of new buildings and construction. I didn't take many pics, but I did snap a few for my alumnus buddies. Look at what is now to the right of the swimming pool!


Then, sadness. Our dorm, "Beyond" - an old army barracks where 18 of us lived and formed long-lasting friendships. GONE. This is in it's place.


Bill and I ate dinner at my FAVORITE Rock City Grill.We had their Thai pizza with shrimp and chicken. Bill is now officially in love. We really should have brought some sauce for home - next time!

Graduation was EARLY the next morning. We had an hour and a half drive so we had to get up at 4:30! We met Brad and Deana at their motorhome and headed over to the ceremony.


Not sure if you know or remember, but I went to WSU for a semester and a half - so being back in Pullman brought back memories for me as well.


Here's a little plug for me to get a new lens. My camera did alright, but it sure would have been nice to zoom in clearly from so far away. A macro and decent telephoto are definitely on my list. But, here's what I did get.


Jordan - so serious. He was really stressing.


Waiting in line now...


Getting his "official" pic.


Getting his diploma!


Hooray for Uncle Jordan - you did it!


And then there is the peanut gallery in the stands - keeping me entertained. Casey and Bill sporting his typical cheesy camera smile.


We got up nice and early Sunday morning, had a smooth drive home, picked up Lib at the kennel and are now home!

Can't forget. Baby gave me her first Mother's Day card - with a little help (smile). Pretty much the best card ever. I sure do miss my Mom today, but reading this card and feeling her gentle kicks throughout the day have warmed my heart.

Mom, 

I know I'm not quite "here" yet, but I will be out real soon. I can't wait to see you. Dad says we are all going to have a great time! 

I promise:

• to let you sleep whenever I sleep,
• to only be cranky once a day,
• to love Mexican food like my Mom,
• to play with our pets,
• to always love the color pink and
• to be the best baby ever!

Love, Baby D

Cloth Diapers - Yes, here's why...

I have gotten a few questions as to why we chose to try cloth diapers for our little one. I do my best in terms of recycling, but I’m far from “green.” For us, there were many reasons and the "better for the environment" was just one!

Cost. I didn’t list this one first by accident. Bill and I actually pride ourselves on sticking to a budget - we avoid debt as well as unnecessary costs or waste. There is a reason we aren’t driving brand new cars and our Baby’s nursery is being pieced together through flea market finds.

The cost of Baby’s cloth diapers will be about $300 - give or take. We will have increased water/heating bills with the laundry, but it doesn’t come close to the thousands of dollars we’d spend on disposables and wipes, plus the added garbage fees to dispose of them.

So functional! Cloth diapers have come a long way. No more boring, white, cotton, pinned diapers from our youth. There is Velcro and even better – snaps! They have all-in-ones that are as easy to put on as a Pull-Up. Many even swear they have less “blowouts” with these diapers. Hey, I’m all for that! Then there are the accessories! They make diaper sprayers to attach to the toilet to spray down the real messy ones before you toss them in your pail for washing. They have cute little bags for washing to take with you. You can even use cloth wipes and just tuck them in the dirty diaper for washing. Works for me!

They're so cute! Again, have you seen cloth diapers lately? No more crinkly plastic pants. There is a nothing cuter than a little one in their little patterned or pastel cloth diaper. Simply adorable. Let’s not pretend this didn’t help make cloth diapering more appealing!

Better for baby. Disposable diapers contain chemicals that in some studies have been found to be harmful. I have extremely sensitive skin and it is likely Baby will too. I have never officially identified the source of the hives I struggle with every day and it is likely they are caused by chemicals and other allergens I come in contact with. I can only imagine that cloth against Baby’s skin is going to be a much better option against her skin than a plastic diaper.

Better for the environment. I won’t go on about this. We still use Ziplocs and yes, we have plastic garbage sacks too. We're far from perfect in our eco-friendly world, but little steps in the right direction do help right? Statistics say over 90 percent of the 6,000 diapers used in a baby’s first two years will end up in a landfill. We’ll do our part by Baby starting with six dozen diapers that will grow along with her.

Now, no choice is perfect. I am sorely aware of the downsides of cloth diapers… 

• Having to spray down a messy diaper in the middle of the night when I’m already exhausted.
• More laundry – enough said!
• Purchasing specialty products (like you can’t use normal diaper cream because it isn’t good for the microfiber in the diaper inserts).
• You have to use certain types of detergent – some detergents break down the diapers more quickly.

As I mentioned, we’ll have disposables on hand and would never force a friend or family member to use the cloth if they weren’t comfortable when watching Baby. And, no... we won't be purchasing a separate washer just for diapers (Lisa!!). Yes, some of you are a little squeamish at the thought of poo in the washing machine!

There is a store near us called Simple Cloth that ships diapers worldwide. They offer gift registries and will help us with all the ins-and-outs of our questions (mainly, mine revolve around laundry!). I also have a friend who has done it for a couple of years. She has already been very helpful. For instance, telling me to NOT to purchase a bunch of one type. She said to buy several varieties so we can figure out what works best for us. Then, there are the slew of websites that explain everything you ever need to know.

We plan to take advantage of all of these resources. We’re really excited about it. I’m already curious to know how it will work for us. Particularly, when I go back to work - hehe! I’ll be sure to let you know!

Baby: Week 21 - California Trip!

Week 21 - Baby is the size of a banana!

Our baby girl gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, I'm supposed to think about what we want our little girl to eat as I prepare my own lunch. Uh-oh. She's gonna like hamburgers!

Baby went on her first airplane ride this weekend. I went on a quick trip to Sacramento to visit Alyson. Good to know baby can taste what I'm eating now - so interesting. Alyson took me to some yummy places. Of course, we had to photograph some of these meals!

Al snapped this one on her camera phone. Baby Girl, did you like the eggs with chicken apple sausage? Mmmm...I sure did.


Saturday morning Al had just woken me up when someone knocked at the door. She's like, "What?" Who could be here? She was only in her towel so I volunteered to get the door. Of course at the last minute I thought, "Uh-oh. Hope it's not a killer!" Well, fortunately it was not a killer, but our surprise guest did bring bagels and cream cheese for breakfast. My girl, Kiersten! What a great surprise!


So fun. So excited to see her. I had baked her favorite banana bread, so she was happy too!


And when these two get together...it's good times.


They are silly and I love 'em.


We invited Kiersten on our excursion that day, but she couldn't go... We went into San Francisco and our first stop was the Orpheum Theatre to try to get tickets to Wicked. Al and I were so excited when we won the "lottery" and got discounted tickets at $25.00 a piece (tickets are normally $40 [nosebleed section] to $100). We also got $4.00 parking (normally $20.00). It was very exciting. Years ago, when Mom and I went to NYC, we heard about Wicked, but I told Mom I didn't want to see a play about witches - it sounded evil. I never knew until recently it was about the Wizard of Oz. Who knew? Kind of an embarrassing thing to admit, but oh well.

While we waited until it was time to head to the show, we didn't really have time for lunch, but we did check out a Diners, Drive-Inns and Dives connection  (Triple Ds)- Dynamo Donuts.


They are famous for their maple bacon apple donuts. Now, you might remember Alyson's trip when she brought another Triple D joint's maple bacon donut from Voodoo in Portland. Those were really sweet, but these? These were good!


We had to try the spiced chocolate too. The girl in front of me said they have cayenne in them. They taste like Mexican hot chocolate - yum. Baby Girl, you were dancing away in my belly. I think you liked it!

OK - back to the show.


This was officially Baby's first musical - definitely not her last. Wicked was amazing. The sets and costumes were awesome and the music was fantastic. We all loved it. Al definitely did - it was her third time! Our cheap seats weren't bad, but we moved as soon as the show started and had terrific seats. We were happy!


So, it had been a while since we'd eaten anything of substance (other than a donut), so after the show Al took us to another Triple D restaurant that specialized in my pregnancy favorite - HAMBURGERS!

Gott's Roadside - Tray Gourmet is on Embarcadero on the waterfront.


Al was very excited.


Their burgers were fantastic - I must say.


We decided it is all about the bun. Yum.


Baby, don't you worry. You liked the burger too. You danced all the way home. But... not before we saw this parked on the street. Wow.


It was a great trip. Very fast, but worth it to get some quick time with such a wonderful friend. Thanks, Al! Love you. Baby and I will be back! By the way Al, just for you - "That's what she said!"