The Paint Job

Phillip has officially completed the painting of the nursery!  So without further adieu... PHOTOS!

Absolute measurement perfection by PVC (would we expect anything less?)

Paint with the tape still in place...

(Andy... THANK YOU simply isn't enough for the tips on how to make this work!)

Tape removed.... PERFECTION!

Phillip was amazed at the "crispness" of the line... there is an actual ridge between the two colors.

Phillip peeled the tape off Monday night... revealing perfectly straight, unblemished lines.  Please note how I said "Phillip" did all of this... as he wouldn't even allow me to pull up the tape, fearing I might somehow interfere with his perfect paint job.  Watching his reaction to pulling up the tape was pure joy, as he just became more and more proud of himself with every completed stripe.  Unfortunately, he wouldn't allow me to videotape... perhaps I should have just done it anyway :).

So now, in the room, is the crib (bedding not yet set up, as I need to wash it) a lamp, and a fabulous paint job!  It's all becoming so exciting as we watch it actually turn into a nursery!

Also... we have a new camera that we have been playing with a little bit... here are some photos.

"I'm just giving my daddy some kisses"

My handsome little man...

My beautiful wedding set... I FINALLY had the two bands sautered together, so I just got the ring back from the jeweler.  I love the way the jeweler cleans the diamond... it makes it soooo sparkily!  I'm kind of obsessed with it :)

The pacifier Phillip bought for the Nugget... it's very sparkily!

The coloring is all wrong here... I'm still learning!

Here is Mr. Sneebie checking out the baby bed...

Phillip explaining to Sneebie that this stroller isn't for him... this is for his baby sister.

(thanks Gramma and Grampa Van Court!)...

After assembling the stroller, Phillip pushed it around the living room a couple of times, then took a step back and just stared at the object he just built.  I asked him what he was thinking and his reply was "weird... I can't believe we'll have a baby girl in this soon."  Reality may have just started to set in for daddy!

For the next few weekends, it seems we are pretty booked with events. 

March 19 and 26, Phillip and I will be taking birthing classes in Wichita (I'm sooo excited to share this experience with him!).  The first weekend in April will be the Nugget's shower... and then the weekend following we will be taking our professional baby bump photos!

It's hard to believe that she could be here in just 3-6 weeks!

All our love...

Baby Bump Watch... 32 Weeks

Unrelated to the 32 week bump photos... this morning, at about 7 am, Phillip received a phone call from the elevator.  Work was needing some guidance on "what to do" with a small dilemma they were dealing with.  Apparently, the Salina facility had a milo train to load last night (it's SOOOO great having good employees that don't need Phillip around to load every train with them!), and were nearly finished, when they received some strange grades on about 10 cars.  A skunk had somehow become involved with the milo and had stunk up all of the grain!  After hearing this, Phillip just chuckled a little bit and told them to start dumping the train cars and that he was on his way in.  How weird!  I'm just happy it wasn't wheat... milo is mostly used to feed cattle, but wheat could have ended up being skunky bread!

Phillip and I finally got our new camera!  Steve you would be so proud of him, teaching me about aperature, the basic inner workings of a camera, and the "f" factor.  We just received it last night, so poor Sneebie feels like the paparazzi is after him!  I love it!  I'm so excited to be able to take good, quality photos of the Nugget someday!  My goal is to not have to have professional photos taken at all the milestones (3 month, 6 month... etc.)... if I can do this, then the camera will have paid itself off in the first year alone!  So be on the lookout for "better" photos!

This is our last weekend without anything scheduled before the Nugget arrives!  A few of our project plans for this weekend include putting the crib together, Phillip finishing the wall stripes in the nursery, me teaching Phillip infant and adult CPR (we were going to take a class, but since I've been certified for the last 10 years Phillip thinks I might be able to teach him better than any instructor could... I agree :), and making room in the kitchen cabinets for baby things.

It's hard to believe that there is only a maximum of 7 weeks to go (as a labor nurse, we never go overdue, there are simply too many risks and poor outcomes we have seen doing this).  It's starting to get down to the wire!

Phillip made the comment last night to me, "it's hard to believe she'll be here before wheat harvest,"  because he is already starting to stress out about wheat harvest.  It's suddenly becoming all to real that she really is going to be here soon!

And Finally...

I'm only about a week late posting these images... but I'm trying to catch up!

The 32 week Baby bump:

For anyone who enjoys the videos... here is a random one I found that I never posted... it's of Phillip teasing Sneebie with a sound maker on Valentine's Day.  It gives me so much joy to watch them play together... I'm not sure who has more fun, Sneebie or Phillip :)

Sneebert's 4th Birthday Bash

I can't believe my little man is 4 years old!  It's seems like just yesterday I was given this tiny ball of fur that, if he went out in the yard, you might easily lose.

Sneebie got to spend his birthday with all of his Auntie's around, as everyone was in town for my good friend Sarah's wedding.  He even got to enjoy a Sprinkles cupcake that mommy and daddy brought back for him from Phoenix.  We wanted to make a big deal about this one, as this will be his last birthday as an only child.

We captured him blowing out his birthday candle on video... so you can feel like you were a part of the celebration too :)

*Note Sneebie's "ecstatic" Father in the background...

Mr. Wyoming... peeled off the couch to celebrate Sneebert's birthday...

Sneebie really wants his cupcake!

On another note, as I mentioned, my friend Sarah was remarried on Saturday, February 26th to a man of faith, that will truly cherish both her and Natalie.  Sarah lost her first husband in September 2009, he was a Sedgwick County Sheriff that was tragically shot and killed in the line of duty.

Here are some photos of her special day:

Sarah, Natalie & Derek, Derek

Four pretty maids... all in a row :)

Me, Jeannine (the Nugget's nurse), Sarah, Crystal (my nurse!), & Paula

Phillip, being a good sport and dancing with Sarah during the Dollar Dance.

He was so handsome!

The whole family!

Babymooning in Phoenix

Phoenix, Arizona might have been the most perfect place to Babymoon.  In fact... probably just getting away to anywhere might have made it the most perfect Babymoon... but thanks to Scoular, they chose for us.  Getting away and indulging in ourselves for the "last time" as just the two of us was just what we both needed.  So a special thanks to all of the grandparents that took care of their first grandbaby (Sneebie) while we were away.

Phillip flew out of Wichita early Wednesday morning with a couple of other "Grain Guys" to spend time with these "Ethanol Guys" of Phoneix.  He did his work thing for a couple of days and then I flew out Friday morning to meet him in Phoenix.  When I arrived at the Phoenix airport... it was amazing that I actually had butterflies in my tummy to see my husband again! (Or maybe that was just the little one jumping around, excited to hear Daddy's voice again :)  My very handsome, dressed up, husband was waiting near the gate with a very Arizona colored flower bouquet.  We retrieved my bag and went out to the car Phillip had rented.  To my surprise... Phillip had rented a 2008 Corvette convertible... you can only imagine how excited he was... like a teenage boy.  He drove me around a bit, with the top down, it was beautiful and the wind felt soooo good, it was nice to get away from cold and dreary Kansas.

Phillip then drove us to our hotel... The Phoenician, a resort really, that backs up to Camelback Mountain.  Just driving into the entrance made me feel like we weren't even in America anymore... but instead at a fabulous exotic island resort.  All of the landscaping was so perfectly manicured, I had never seen so many citrus trees!  We pulled up to the front of the resort and walked in to a beautiful front lobby.  We took my bag up to our room and in the room was a bottle of non-alcoholic Pinot Noir (a red wine that Phillip and I enjoy when I'm not pregnant) and cheese and crackers.  I felt like royalty... and I could tell that he had fun planning all of this for me.  We then walked around the resort a bit.  It was simply amazing.  THIS was truly a Babymoon.

We wanted to go to Oprah's pizza place for dinner, Pizzeria Bianco, but the wait at 5pm was over 3 hours!  So we instead went to the concierge and asked for a recommendation.  He recommended to us Los Sombreros, a little local mexican restaurant that was phenomenal!  Phillip and I sat outside on the patio and enjoyed a delicious meal.  (Don't worry Andy and Janell... it was certainly no Bien Truncha... but it was very good).  We spent the rest of the evening driving around Scottsdale, until I decided that the Nugget and I wanted some Melting Pot chocolate fondue for dessert.

Saturday morning, we woke up early and headed for the Apache Trail.  WOW!  It was probably the most fabulous drive I have ever been on... and Phillip had WAYYY too much fun driving the Corvette around all of the crazy hairpin turns.  I captured a video and some photos... because I think that's the best way to describe it.

 

It was a bit windy... So I'm trying to hold my skirt down here...

(I feel a little like Gremom and Poppa here... they always take photos in front of National Park signs!)

Still holding down that skirt!

My driver... in front of Roosevelt Lake... unfortunately it was a bit rainy... but I sacrificed my hair for a photo for my husband!

I'm just not sure he could even be happier :)

After returning from the Apache Trail, we spent some time shopping at a Scottsdale shopping center.  This is where I found the Sprinkles cupcake store!  I am an avid cupcake connoisseur and had seen the Sprinkles cupcake store on a couple of reality TV shows... I promised myself that if I were ever near a store... I would have a cupcake.  So we bought a couple... or 6 :) and brought one home to keep for Sneebie's 4th birthday because they made little doggie cupcakes there too.

YUMMY!

Later that evening, Phillip and I went to the resort J & G Steakhouse where we both agree that, hands down, we had one of the best meals of our lives.  The steak was phenomenal... the sides were delicious... and my made-from-scratch Ginger Ale was delightful!  It's one of the greatest feelings in the world when you know you wouldn't rather share the experience with anyone other than your spouse.  He is truly my best friend and I feel so blessed to have him in my life.

Unfortunately we did not find the greatest photographer... but we were happy we were able to capture a photo of such a wonderful night.

Sunday we had to return the car... and return to reality as we departed Phoenix for Wichita.  It was the most amazing trip... one neither of us will ever forget.

Baby Bump Watch... 30 weeks

We have decided to start taking bump photos every 2 weeks now, and then perhaps every 1 week when we reach 36 weeks... it's amazing how much we are growing now!

Out she goes!  Finally she is started to grow out a bit more!

Don't worry... that is not a huge stretch mark on my tummy... it was from a pair of maternity pantyhose I was wearing at the time... I didn't even realize there was a huge mark on my tummy!

Grampa Urso brought these back for the little Nugget from Boston!

Poor little thing, she sure has a lot of teams to root for!



Valentines Day Sugar cookies Gramma Urso made for Phillip, the Nugget, and I... unfortunately they never made them home to Phillip... :)



The Nugget... in 3D

With all of the latest Hollywood movies coming out in 3D... I would have to say, my favorite of the year was seeing our sweet little girl in 3D.  On Tuesday, February 15th at 4 pm, Phillip and I met up at Dr. Chris Graber's Salina Women's Clinic for "Baby View: 3D Fetal Imaging".  I was completely unprepared to see her... I just didn't really know what to expect... I was only praying that she was in a decent position so that we could get the photos we were hoping for (and that Dr. Graber wouldn't send me down the hallway doing jumping jacks to reposition her).

With the very first picture, aside from her being our little drama queen with her hands up by her face, we got to see her cute little face with chubby cheeks and all!  Unfortunately, her umbilical cord was occasionally in the way, crossing in front of her lips, causing a little bit of shadowing, but overall, our photos are amazing!  We couldn't be more blessed!

So... without further delay (as if 2 weeks isn't delay enough... sorry :)... here is little Miss Nugget... in all of her glory.

Here she is!  She is looking towards the right side of the screen, this image is a profile picture of her.  You can fairly distinctly see her nose, and the blur by her eye is her little hand that she wouldn't move out of the way.  I thought she looked like she had daddy's lips here!

***don't forget you can double click on the image to make it larger!***

In this photo we are looking at a more downward angle of her face.  The shadowing on her lips is from the umbilical cord... and the shadowing on her upper forehead may be hair!  Sometimes the nose looks larger than it actually is because of the way the machine scans across the face.  Grampa Van Court, the photographer guru he is, completely understands this and can probably explain it better than I can.

I thought this photo really showed off her chubby cheeks!  Gramma Van Court said that Daddy had very chubby cheeks!  She also had her mouth open... I think she was saying... "Hi everybody!"... we don't think she'll be camera shy :).

This photo is my VERY favorite!  Her head is tilted, and she has her sweet little arm tucked up underneath her head, almost as if she's going to sleep all curled up.  You can see her bicep and forearm... and perhaps another limb going straight up in front of her arm... we thought she might have her feet right over her head!  I just thought it was sooo cute!

And one more (we had 25 images taken!!)... she is looking directly at the camera... and she has her mouth open again.  Dr. Graber said it looked like she was practicing her sucking and breathing...



Honestly... to us, she just looks like a baby, but a couple of my friends who have done the 3D ultrasound said that it was fun to take the photos and compare them with the little person after birth, and sure enough... it really is them.  So we are becoming more and more anxious in meeting her.

I also thought I would include baby photos of Phillip and I.  My photo is from when I was 4 weeks old, I'm not sure why I don't have a younger one, by Phillip's is a very young baby picture.  Perhaps you can see features that are similar!

Baby Phillip

Baby Kristin

Baby Sneeber