Baby Shower Invites and Building a Nursery

We are having our baby shower this Saturday coming so we have been busy preparing all week. My Mum has kindly offered to host it at her house, which I was thrilled about because our little townhouse just isn't big enough to entertain 35 people. Alex and I are doing a joint shower where females and males are welcome. We didn't think it was fare that the Dad miss out on all the excitement over his baby too. We will be having a laid back BBQ for lunch with drinks and games. It's more of a family and friends get together really then your traditional baby shower. I hope everyone will have a good time. I am pretty excited about it!

This is the invitation I made and sent out about a month ago. I was really happy with how it turned out, and it was so easy to make.

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Now, for the past couple of months since our wedding, Alex and I have been busy getting all our baby stuff ready in the nursery. Alex has been lovingly building all the stuff for his little daughters nursery as they come in. I think we have all the major furniture stuff that she needs now, YAY!

Here is Alex building the cot. He looks so exhausted here. We had spent the whole day baby shopping at multiple stores, but we were so excited to see what it all looked like in her room, he pushed through his exhaustion and set it up.

This is the cot finished and all made up. We decided to go with white furniture for everything as it is gender neutral and goes with anything.

Alex also put together this bookshelf that we bought at Ikea

and this chair from Ikea as well

These photos where taken about a month ago when we were just starting to set everything up. It looks a bit different now as I have started to decorate and get a lot more stuff. I will post more pics of the nursery in progress another time though, when I am a little more happy with how it looks. I am such a perfectionist that it even drives me nuts!

35 weeks and 3D scan!

Less then 5 weeks to go now, whoop! I can't believe it. Sometimes it feels like time is going so slowly and it feels like I've been waiting an eternity to meet my beautiful daughter, but other times it feels like everything has gone so fast and I am running out of time to prepare.

I think I am going through a nesting stage at the moment. Not only am I getting buby's room ready but I am going over the house with a fine tooth come getting everything just how I want it. Redecorating and organising everything. I think I am running Alex raggard with all my job delegating these past few weeks.

I do have pics of how everything is coming along I have just been so slack at blogging about it. By the end of the day my feet are so swollen and sore I just want to lie down with them propped up on a pillow. My belly is getting so big and awkward as well. Sleep is becoming an uncomfortable struggle every night which is driving me insane! I am definitely looking forward to my bubs being cuddled up in my arms rather then sticking out of my belly at all angles. Awwwww, My heart gets so giddy when I think about her being here.

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However I do have some other pics to share. Alex and I had a 3D scan session a couple of weeks ago where we got to actually see our beautiful girl on the inside. I originally wasn't wanting one done, but I just couldn't resist having a sneak peak, and I thought it would be a wonderful keepsake as well.

Seeing our daughter in such detail was the most wonderful, magical experience we have ever had. Alex and I couldn't believe the detail you could see.

She was so peaceful and content the whole time. We could even see her open her eyes quite a bit which the scan lady was impressed at and said was very good.

She liked sucking on the back of her hand a lot. Hopefully that's a good sign that she will be a good breast feeder.

Look as those chubby little cherub cheeks! The scan even showed she has her daddy's dimples which I was so happy about!!!

We got to take home a DVD of the whole scan which was really great! I have watched it a few times since and may have cried a little. I have the photos we got up around the house so I can always see her, and Alex and I even have key chains that the scan place made for us. The place we got it done at was wonderful. I loved the whole experience!

Getting Ready

After months and months of researching different types of nappies, cots, hammocks, prams, car seats, slings and much more, I am finally starting to gather everything we will need for our little baby. Lists have been made, orders have been put in and I think research is finally complete, YAY!

There are so many options for everything baby related these days. It can become quite overwhelming for a new Mother-to-be. I can't tell you how many times I have gone back and forth on different products, especially when it came to nappies.

I have always known that I wanted to use cloth nappies, but there aren't just the old fashioned terry toweling flat nappies anymore. I found out quickly that there is a HUUUUUUGE range of different cloth nappies to choose from.

I decided to start with researching the best types of material and quickly decided that bamboo was for me.

Benefits of using Bamboo Nappies -

1. Bamboo is much softer and silkier to touch and is lovely against babies skin,

2. It is naturally deodorising, antibacterial and super absorbent. It can hold up to 3 times its weight in water.

Benefits of Bamboo to the environment -

1. It requires no pesticides or fertilizers to grow, therefore is much healthier for our environment.

2. It is the fastest growing wood production plant in the world, sustainable, naturally regenerative and its root systems prevent erosion.

3. The bamboo nappies are made from is not the kind pandas eat!

As soon as I read all the benefits, environmentally and for baby, of using bamboo over cotton I was sold!

I ended up buying Pea Pods for our going out and about nappies, and bought some regular flat bamboo nappies for around the home. I also came across some really cute normal terry towel fitted nappies in cute colours that I just couldn't refuse. I think I have about 30 nappies all up which should be enough if I plan on washing every 1-2 days.

My Pea Pods, with a non leak outer layer, a bamboo soaker insert and soft fleece inside to wick away any moisture from baby's skin.

Fitted Terry Toweling Nappies.

I guess I will find out very quickly whether or not I have made the right choices or not with my nappies. Fingers crossed they work wonderfully for me :)


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I also just quickly wanted to share this gorgeous little pram buddy we bought at the new local baby markets Alex and I popped into on the weekend. Here is the link for the markets we went to, I thought they were pretty good and everything sold there is handmade.

It is sooo cute and soft and fully handmade by a local lady.

I can just see little Mikayla snuggling up to this in her pram. My heart just melts.

Anyway, I hope every one has a fantastic week, take care :)