Monday, October 18, 2010

Now that Margo has Left the Womb, I can Finally Share her Room!

People have been asking me to post pictures of Margo's room for months, but with the bed rest and early delivery of our sweet Margo, I could never quite get to it... until now! I love birds and so that was what I mostly incorporated into her room. The colors I chose were pink and an aqua blue because I didn't want it to be too pink, so I had to add a little accent. I think it turned out pretty good and will be a fun place for her to grow in.

I LOVE our furniture and we are so lucky to have it... courtesy of my sister, Laura. I updated it with simple brushed nickel drawer pulls from Restoration Hardware (one of my most favorite stores). The chair in the corner is soooo comfortable and I spend hours in it, so I am so grateful to my dad and Connie for getting us such a big splurge from Pottery Barn Kids. Thank goodness for the slip cover, as I have already had to wash it due to Tucker's grossness and he spends all day in it. The quilt on the chair was my grandfather's baby blanket and used to be red. It has faded to the perfect pink for Margo's room and I think it is so neat to have something so sentimental of his in her room. Lastly, I had to have a pouf... I saw this on a few other blogs of nurseries and love the pop of color. The blue perfectly matches the blue accent in the crib sheet!

The precious pictures on the wall could not have been more perfect for the room because they feature a bird and nest and also a kitten that looks like Tucker. My sister purchased these for her daughter's room and never hung them. They are hand signed by the artist and I just LOVE them! You have to see them up close to see how neat they are. The letters are sparkly and the pictures are really just so incredibly sweet. The 3-D dove on the wall was given by my mother-in-law and the cross from Cary's aunt.

The bird houses on Margo's book shelf, from Pottery Barn Kids, are extra special because they were painted by Cary's grandfather who is terminally ill. I am so glad we get to have a piece of his handiwork and creativity in the room since unfortunately Margo will probably never really know him. I added the little birds and thought they completed them perfectly. There are lots of other goodies on the shelf that were lovingly given by family and friends... a music box from France, a Madame Alexander doll and much more. The lamp was also from Restoration Hardware Baby and the beautiful embroidery of Madonna and Child was purchased at an antique store--it is said to be European from the 1940's. I think it adds such a special touch to Margo's room and signifies something that is very important to us.

Margo's crib features simple bedding that is mix and match from Serena and Lily... if I was rich, I could go crazy at that store! The wall decal and mobile are from ETSY (another of my faves). It was very hard to match the pinks to the bedding and as you can see, I didn't do the best job. That is my only disappointment in the room, but I have decided that it's okay and not everything has to coordinate perfectly. The cross above her bed is hard to see, but is so neat, hand crafted of beads from my sweet friend, Hilari. I love love love Margo's chandelier, also from Restoration Hardware Baby, and cannot thank Cary's parents enough for getting it for us. I think it will be a special, girly touch to Margo's room for many years to come! The polka dot canvas toy basket from Pottery Barn Kids is so cute too and was given by my mom who was a huge help with the room. She helped me hang everything in the perfect spot and put all the finishing touches together, which she is very talented at. She added a lot of little special touches to the room and I am so grateful for her help.
I cannot thank everyone enough for all they did to help put Margo's room together. We could not have afforded such nice things without the generous help of our family and putting it together was a labor of love. I have to add that these pictures were taken with this awesome new camera that my sister, Shannon, bought us! I love taking pictures and putting together albums, so this new toy is great for us to capture Margo's life and I highly recommend it if you are in the market for a new camera. It is easy to use and takes great, high quality photos. Cary and I are truly blessed tremendously with the best family and support system you could ever hope for. I hope Margo loves and appreciates her room as much as we do!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Month One has been so Much Fun!

Today our precious Margo is one month old and I cannot believe it! It is crazy to think that her original due date was only yesterday. The first month has been absolutely amazing and sometimes trying, as adjusting to being parents has been a big change in our lives. I never imagined that I could love something so much… every time I look at Margo my heart fills with joy and bursts with an abundance of love. There is nothing in the world quite as special as having a child and I feel so incredibly blessed to be given such an amazing gift.

Margo is growing like a weed, which is fantastic! She no longer looks like a little preemie as her face fills out and her belly grows round. Her digestion has been a bit confusing. Sometimes she has projectile throw ups, but it is probably only every other day and she spits up a lot. She grunts and groans a large part of the day and night and often seems that she is in a constant struggle to poo or toot. Margo was never able to latch on properly, so I have been breast pumping since she was born. I am producing plenty of milk, but pumping 8 to 9 times a day became cumbersome, so I feed her formula 3 to 4 times a day and pump the rest. We are experimenting with formulas and trying to get her more comfortable. I do not want to jump to any conclusions or unnecessarily medicate her if she is just having normal infant digestive issues.

Other than that, Margo is a true angel baby. She rarely cries and if she does, it is only for a short period because she is hungry or has a belly ache. She loves her baths and it is our favorite time of day. Just yesterday, we saw our first real smiles as she played on her play mat/gym. She has been holding up her head very well since birth and seems to be a strong little baby. Every time I interact with her, it is pure happiness!


Funny things that happened this month… she pooped in her bath and it was a mess! We just had to laugh it off. She also was peeing and pooing at the same time as I had her diaper open and her tee shot up in the air, all over me and everything (apparently it can happen with girls too). It was another mess, but again, we just laughed. Our first outing was a few weeks ago for Mexican food and it was easy as she slept the whole time. I also went to Central Market with her last week, which was my first alone outing. Driving with her makes me a bit nervous and I had a hard time figuring out how to put her carrier in the cart. It felt so good to get out on my own though and accomplish something.

My mom and my sister have both been a huge help to us in this first month. They have brought meals, taught us to bathe, done laundry and have provided a wealth of great advice! We are so grateful to them for helping us adjust to life with a baby.

Margo had her infant pictures done by my talented friend, Deanna. Here are a few of my favorites to honor her in her first special month of life. Thank you so much, Deanna, for capturing such a beautiful time for us.



Happy One Month Birthday, my sweet girl! You have no idea how much joy you have brought us in this short period. We are so thrilled to have you and learn and grow with you. We love you more than words could ever ever begin to say.