Monday spaces: Kids' rooms

Excuse me if I use this blog as a pin board, but I can't help but browse images of kids' rooms and then publish them here.  At least I know they will be 'stored' here forever and I can go back to them if I ever need to.

Here are a few lovely rooms I have handpicked from Lonnymag.com and kenziepoo.com.  

Childbirth education class

 My husband and I attended a childbirth education seminar this past weekend for first time pregnant parents.  Around a dozen couples were in attendance, and most of them were as anxious and nervous as we were.  We saw there a couple we had met a couple of years back in confirmation class in our Catholic church and they were also expecting a girl.  It only proves how small this city is.  The majority of the couples were having their baby at Sibley Hospital in town.  The class’s instructor had been a L&D (labor & delivery) nurse there.

She went over the whole scenario of L&D, the biological basics of birthing, the technical details and the emotional experience as well.  She explained several medical terms, likely and unlikely scenarios, and how the staff at Sibley is one of the best in this area of medicine.  I guess my doubts were somewhat calmed down, but I still have fears about the big day that no nurse, doctor or doula will mitigate until I actually find myself in the situation at hand and know my strengths and limitations. Will I succumb to pain medication? Probably, but I’m training myself to avoid it if I can.

I definitely recommend this instructor and this class.  But do expect just to learn the factual side of childbirth.  This is not a prenatal class in the sense of learning techniques of pain management or relaxation and breathing exercises.  

Oscar 2011 Best Dressed via Habitually Chic

The best dresses of the night in the red carpet are listed below. I completely agree with Habitually Chic's assessment.

Habitually Chic®: Oscar 2011 Best Dressed: "We didn't see much color on the red carpet at the 2011 Academy Awards but what we did see looked great! The hands down favor..."

DIY Saturdays: Nursery

After completing our bedroom into a half nursery, I'm still simmering with ideas to keep updating it as Emma Lucia grows.  This image from MadeByGirl of Jane and Amanda's Home tour is testament that simple is nice and the less stuff a nursery has the merrier it is.  

For more pictures of their home, check the above link at MadeByGirl.

Pregnant Celebrities

So far, two actors that I have admired have welcomed babies into their families this year.  Take Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem.  They welcomed a baby boy a few weeks ago and so did Christina Applegate.

The media has always been enamored with Hollywood babies and celebrities' baby bumps.  The list this year is rapidly growing.   

Fill in the Blank Friday

Happy fill in the blank Friday! The weekend is full of possibilities.  Seize them! This new blog post idea is from the blog From Portland to Peonies. Enjoy!

1.  I am so blessed and fortunate to be able to carry a child and give our family a new dimension and deeper love.

2.  The bravest thing I've ever done was leave the cozy confines of my hometown and close family in Miami, and come make something of myself, away from family, in Washington, DC.

3.  I feel prettiest when I have been attentive to my beauty needs, which include manicure, pedicure and wax. Only then I know how to bare all.  And if there is a new outfit I wear on my way to dinner with hubby, that complements it all.

4.  Something that keeps me awake at night is all the day's images of cruelty and neglect of animals.  I'm psychologically committed to the well being of animals. 

5.  My favorite activity in the entire world is besides reading a great work of literature, to go shopping or bargain hunt for home goods.

6.  The way to my heart is definitely enjoying the things I enjoy and seeing value in them.  A beautiful home, a good movie, a nice family dinner, seeing a dog wag his tail, a compassionate answer or just simply the right word at the right time.

7.  I would like to one day publish a manuscript of fiction, and have it be well received.



For more fill in the blank Fridays, check out the Lauren's blog at the little things we do.

Color me Wednesdays

I have decided to revamp this blog by having some consistent and subject themed- posts that will, hopefully, make me commit to sitting down and composing more often and then hitting publish.

For our Wednesday theme, I have picked items that either I'm considering buying or just love to look at them, even if I can't afford them yet.  Products that bring color, splash and an overall feeling of yumminess. 

I hope you enjoy today's picks.

A Nursery Nook for less than an iPad!

We all know times are tough, even our own government is trying to cut back. So the feat was to transform our bedroom without hurting our savings.  Since we live in a one-bedroom apartment in the middle of the city, the baby will share our bedroom until we are ready to move to a bigger place.

I wanted a bright, light room with outdoor themes, and the first thing I needed to do was paint my existing bedroom furniture to accommodate this theme.  And with the new furniture,  white and natural color, it was easier to integrate the green, my favorite color, into the design scheme.

Our bed was originally black, so we sanded it, primed it and then put two coats of white glossy paint. See for yourself. It now looks like new!

The project was completed in a week and the total spent was just under $400, which included: paint, baby furniture (crib, dresser, and other accessories like mobile and wall decal), rocking chair, new nightstand and desk.

This is the breakdown:

- The crib, dressers, shelves, rod, curtains and nightstand are from IKEA.

- The desk is from CB2.

-The Baxton Studio rocking chair in white is from Sears.

-The mobile and wall decal are from Etsy.

-The paint color is Behr's Celery Spring.

- The pom-poms were my own DIY project.

-The lumbar cushion in graphic dots, is from Casa Ideas. 

  

Before and After:

 So there you have it!  It was a very fun and calming project.  And anybody can do it.

The stuff that dreams (and men) are made of

I have been having many vivid dreams lately.  They say is the surge of hormones in the body, coupled with intensified REM patterns in the mother’s brain. But it was more surprising to read that the baby, starting now (7 months), is also developing her own REM patterns in the womb.  What would a baby dream about?  Aren’t dreams made of the shuffling of images in your sub conscience, or past experiences and feelings you may harbor and don’t know until they show up in a dream? Do they dream about the noises they hear during the day, the taste of their thumbs or the way light colors certain corners of the womb? 

 Dreaming is an intimate experience.  And I can’t help but feel a little deprived of her first intimate experience.  At what point do you just let go?  When do you realize in full measure that you cannot be part of everything they are?  This will be a study in the making that will require great lengths of trust and self-control.  Letting your children become whoever it is they will become.

                               

Regardless of what she is dreaming, if she is, I hope for now her dreams are sweet.  The other day around 5 a.m. I felt little spasms in my abdomen, like a seizure inside my belly.  I hope she wasn’t having a bad dream, but a case of the old hiccups.