"Grisham Family... You are 'In'"

If you're anything like me, you just read that title in a Heidi Klum Project Runway accent.  As you well should.  And if you don't know what I'm talking about, well then you're clearly not watching enough Bravo TV.

This weekend Caleb and I haphazardly registered for some baby gear and scored some free stuff in the process, such as February's issue of Baby Talk Magazine.  And what do you know?
Baby Talk had an article on what is "In" and "Out" in baby gear, including this gem on cribs...

"out: dangerous drop-side cribs and overpriced designer varieties that don't grow with baby.  in: stationary-side cribs that emphasize substance and safety over style.  Check out the sturdy Ikea Leksvik made from beechwood and spruce, it converts into a toddler bed."

Well said Baby Talk Magazine!  I always knew Caleb and I were destined to be oh-so-trendy parents.  Seeing how we picked up our Ikea Leksvik* crib earlier that day, I now have irrefutable only slightly refutable evidence of how awesomely "with it" we are.

Anyway, we put the crib together in our room last night, much to the chagrin of our downstairs neighbors I'm sure, and I have to say... it looks quite nice.  

*Or maybe we picked up the Hensvik, which I consider to be close enough.

 And no, our apartment is not crooked, that's just how I take my pictures.  Word. 


I also finished (for now) hanging some artwork in Mili's room.

And that giant, aesthetically pleasing cardboard box hanging out on the right hand side of this picture?  Well that's the larger Ikea Hemnes dresser we picked up this weekend for changing table/storage purposes that Caleb argued "you could actually fit a baby on".  He's so picky.

Well that is all for today folks.  Hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day!

 

Artwork for Mili

This week in Grisham land...

Art for above the dresser/changing table in Mili's room.  Things seem to have evolved into a blue - green theme.  When I started out I really was going for a green and yellow color scheme.  But I like this first painting so much, I've been designing everything else around it.  And by designing I mean, imagining, not actually purchasing.  You may notice my reflection in the first one...  this is a result of my awesome photography skills, and not some impressive tromp l'oeil artistry skills.  Shocking.  I know.

Little Boxes on a Hillside

And here's where I'm going to go ahead and apologize for being the worst photographer I know.  Before you get to enjoy more picturey goodness (that's a word).  Anytime I'm asked to take a picture of a group of random strangers, I begin to wildly gesticulate towards other random strangers, trying to point the "would be subjects" in the right direction... which is "Not me."  So, not only are my pictures populated by shadows, reflections of self, and random glowing objects, but I really don't know how to use photo editing software.  It's a skill I'd like to address someday.  ...After I also learn how to use a sewing machine.  Crazy new fangled technology. We continue.

The Zoo

Balloons

Buttons

Ameliaopolis

That little elephant makes me so happy!  I have to say, I'm pretty happy with how things have turned out.  I'm also including some other prints I've collected via Etsy over time, and I'll be sure to include them in the post where I stick 20 holes in the wall while trying to figure out how to arrange picture frames.  

Any links pointing me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated!  Probably even more so by my landlord.

A fit pregnancy

Started the day off with exercise.  And by exercise I mean walking on the treadmill. 
For ten minutes.
At "old man in rehab" speed. 
Speed of 1.0.

Which I actually "worked up" to.  =D

"Dear Mili,
What you experienced today was exercise  
activity
movement (other than getting up off the couch to pee).
Love,
Mom"

Mili's Music

While amusing myself over at OhDeeDoh with stories of baby showers gone horribly awry, I came across the nifty idea to create a CD of baby bedtime music as a party favor.  So I decided a playlist of music for our own newbie, Mili, would make a great first gift from Mommy and Daddy to our baby girl!

I just started, so the list is uber short.  So far:

How Glad I Am by The Living Sisters
Angel by Jack Johnson
If My Heart Was A House by Owl City
My Little Girl by Jack Johnson

I'm wanting to add songs that are soothing, that show our love for Mili, but are not too cliche.

I'll be sure to share the final list, but until then, suggestions?

Dear Mili

Dear Mili,
     I'm sure you have gone walking in the woods or in green meadows, and passed a clear flowing brook. And you've tossed a flower into the brook, a red one, a blue one, or a snow-white one. It drifted away, and you followed it with your eyes as far as you could. And it went quietly away with the little waves, farther and farther; all day long and all night too, by the light of the moon or the stars. It didn't need much light, for it knew the way and it didn't get lost. When it had traveled for three days without stopping to rest, another flower came along on another brook. A child like you, but far far away from here, had tossed it into a brook at the same time. The two flowers kissed, and went their way together and stayed together until they both sank to the bottom. You have also seen a little bird flying away over the mountain in the evening. Perhaps you thought it was going to bed; not at all, another little bird was flying over other mountains, and when all was dark on the earth, the two of them met in the last ray of sunshine. The sun shone bright on their feathers, and as they flew back and forth in the light they told each other many things that we on earth below could not hear. You see, the brooks and the flowers and the birds come together, but people do not; great mountains and rivers, forests and meadows, cities and villages lie in between, they have their set places and cannot be moved, and humans cannot fly. But one human heart goes out to another, undeterred by what lies between. Thus does my heart go out to you, and though my eyes have not seen you yet, it loves you and thinks it is sitting beside you. And you say: "Tell me a story." And it replies: "Yes, dear Mili, just listen."




This is from the long lost story by Wilhelm Grimm, entitled "Dear Mili". We love this story (and this letter). It certainly inspired us to affectionately call Amelia our dear Mili.

Baby Names: Amelia it is!

Caleb (the husband) here...as I'm sure most of the friends and family have heard by now, Sarah-Jean and I found out Friday morning that we will be welcoming a baby girl to the world! We are very excited by this development.

Now that the gender has been established, the next task is picking a name. Lucky for us, we've been tossing around baby names since before we were married. We've settled on Amelia as our daughter's first name. We are both very excited to meet our darling Amelia...

The next and perhaps more difficult task is deciding a middle name. After an exhaustive effort, we've narrowed our list of names down to Jean and Jolean...we will update once we've made the final decision.

This truly is an exciting and magical time in our lives...we are so happy and in love!

Drum roll please!

It's a girl!!!