When I set out to join the boys into one room, I really wanted to make a whole new space so it wasn't just Cash coming into Jack's room. Also - with having another boy, I didn't really want to change the nursery, but I didn't want Cash to be attached to it in any way. I had big plans to try and do it all in one weekend, but being pregnant made most the projects go into a several week project. I wanted them to have a cool room without it looking too kid like. I know - that is the designer control freak in me, but I think kids rooms can be hip without being so cliche and well, kid-like. It still needs some things here and there, but here is a few snapshots of the room so far. 
I made the headboards after watching a mini tutorial on youtube. I kept them a neutral gray, so I could switch out the duvet covers more often. It was fairly easy, and both headboards - materials and all, cost me under $50.
I found these cardboard animal heads at urban outfitters on clearance. I thought they were pretty cool. I wanted to buy some larger ones on line, but they get pretty pricey. I love cardboard anything.
Originally I was going to make this little nook have a table with chairs and art supplies, but I realized I still wanted a place to sit and hang out when the boys are first nodding off, and I also don't trust Cash to have any type of mark making material in a room where I can't see him at all times.
My master-sewing mom helped me make these end bed blankets. I bought the material several years ago before Cash was even born, but thought the vintage prints were still cool. The blankets are big enough to use for forts, cozy time, and other such things without messing up the bed and using the duvet cover... keeping mom from having to make the bed 10 times a day.
I made a photo wall with a bunch of images of both the boys doing different things - something I can change out throughout the years as they get older. I have so many photos of them, I hate that most don't get framed. I hope this gives me a chance to display more of them - and more often. I left up the hanging airplanes from when Jack was just a baby (used them to distract while changing diapers).
The turtle is a night light Grandma and Grandpa Tanner gave Jack for his birthday. It rules... it has 3 color settings and puts stars up across the entire room. I let the boys take turns picking which color will be on for the night - and after 40 minutes, it turns itself off. I think you can get them at Babys-R-Us, and they come in several different animals.
I also scored this killer vintage set of kids encyclopedias at DI. They are amazing - and Jack loves leafing through them and looking at the pictures. I'm trying to find some cool book ends to help them stand up better - and as a whole series.
To try and give them something in their room that was just theirs, I put out a green box to the side of each bed for them to put their own things in... mainly for me to stash away Cash's 80 different stuffed animals he must take to bed with him each night. We also put up these 2 magnet boards to give the boys both a space to hang up their artwork. I need to make or find some cool magnets for them still. 
Ryan and The Lower Lights played again tonight at the Post Theater up in Salt Lake.
I love that even though I have been listening to this CD since it was in it's infant recording stages, and for months in the car with the boys, that seeing them play live can still gives me chills. The songs are so beautiful, and to have the dynamic of everyone up there at once, or least a great majority of them, really gives the whole thing quite a different presence.
Everyone sounded so great tonight - I hope you all get a chance to see them play together if you have not.
I have to thank my cute sister-in-law for taking the boys for me tonight, and to Grandma and Grandpa Leigh for picking them up when it took me so long to get home in the bad weather. Driving 30 miles per hour on the freeway makes for an insane drive home.
And I have to add a big thanks again to my friend Charlie - a true gentleman - for walking me to my car during the second set, so I didn't deliver this baby in the middle of the road while slipping on the ice and show.
What a great night.
My mom is a master at all things sewing. I am always convincing her to make me things since I lack any talent or skill in this department. She just finished helping me make this gorgeous carseat cover for new baby. I saw the fabric - and being a sucker for all things birds, trees and geometric patterns, I just had to have it.
I love it mom! Thanks for being so uber talented. It's just perfect.
I think I made it.
Ryan went on tour with Sarah Sample and Paul Jacobsen last week to Nebraska. I got sick the night he left. Remained sick for the entire week, and now 3 days into this week, I think I'm finally on the up and up. No one likes to be sick of course, but being sick and pregnant just seems like a raw deal. It's wednesday now though, and I think I survived, or at least I feel like doing my yoga this morning, and that seems a good sign.
Baby is still cooking. We are 36 weeks, 5 days and counting. I've actually felt really good this pregnancy. Minus being no spring chicken this time around, I've liked being pregnant. These last few weeks are the hard ones to still feel that way. I suppose it is mostly the lack of sleep, and the feeling like you need a crane every time you move in bed, but with this cold finally leaving me, I feel like I still have my head about me.
We've been taking some Bradley Method birthing classes - and I think this is the healthiest pregnancy I've had because of them. I worked out more, stretched more, and for the most part, ate better. As my first heavy hitting contractions have come to give me a nice reminder of what is ahead of me, I think I am ready to do this natural.
My ideas about having this kid o-natural first came because we are self paying this time around and it was the only cost I could control. But after talking with friends who had done it, and attending the class, I'm sure I'd make this choice with insurance or not. Now... I haven't actually gone into battle yet, but at least I feel prepared.
I still can't wrap my head around adding another kid to the mix. Everyone has told me their exhausting horror stories, or given me that look like nothing can prepare me for the hardships of number 3, but either way, I'm still excited. I've got the boys sharing a room, the baby clothes out and organized, and the baby car seat cleaned and ready to bring home our little package.
And now we wait.
Ry just won a songwriting contest for the American SongWriter magazine. They just posted his interview today.
Have yourself a read.
He just recorded the song this week, but it still is getting mixed.
He has this other new song, Peaceful Mind... you can listen to that here.
This weekend we introduced the boys to Star Wars. A moment to be remembered, as we all sat on one couch watching Darth Vader come onto the screen. The boys were mesmerized, and have been playing jedi knights ever since.
I bought a bunch of tuplip bulbs, only to have it rain on my day of planting. So instead I sat at my kitchen window watching the birds eat greedily from my new bird house feeder I just hung from our backyard tree.
My report from the doctor this week brought the good news of baby being turned into launch position. No more breech. No more need to lie on ironing boards.
Our friend Harley was married this weekend. They had wood grain heart stamped bags filled with cinnamon bears and lemon drops to take home with you. I've been happily munching from it all day.
I was able to trim my rose bushes down and stain the sand box before the cold came... what beautiful weather we have had. I hope we get one last hit of it again before the winter months set in around us.
The boys couldn't be any more excited about Halloween. We busted out the costumes for our church carnival. I loved watching Jack and Cash as they attempted pumpkin bowling, bat hitting, eyeball tossing games. None of Cash's candy prizes ever made it to the bottom of his pumpkin - just straight to the mouth. They were more then a little sugared up by the time we left.
Tomorrow we make haunted gingerbread houses with the cousins.
Maybe we will watch the last Star Wars.
As long as I am cozy on the couch with Ryan for a lazy sunday afternoon, I don't care about much else.
Today was fun.
The morning started out with taking the boys out to breakfast for pancakes since Jack decided to wake everyone up at the crack of dawn in attempt to find his beloved pink stuffed animal piggy.
We stopped off at the nursery, and picked out a few clearanced out shrubs to plant in order to keep the neighborhood boy from mowing 2 feet into our lawn. He army haircuts the older couples lawn next to us, and in turn wipes out our sprinkler heads every time as he mows over into our yard. I tried to talk to him earlier in the summer, show him the massacred sprinkler heads, and he was conscious of it for about a week - then came in a foot more. Since this is a good time to plant, I figured I would start now to help next summer's lawn and sprinklers not be victimized every week.
We bought Jack some much needed bigger sized killer new super hero underwear and I hope this will be the solution to him grabbing and adjusting himself constantly in public.
Ry helped me hang all the remaining frames and bed lights to the boys room (pictures coming soon), and then we headed off to watch him play at an outdoor folk festival down in American Fork with Paul and the Madison Arm crew.
The boys and I headed home after that, stopping off at 2 Walmarts and 1 Target in an attempt to get the new How To Train a Dragon movie. With sad tears and dramatic draping over shopping carts - we were unsuccessful on all attempts. Cue in Grandma Leigh to save the day... luckily Grandma was willing to sell us her copy she had just bought at Costco so the boys could continue on another day. Oh thank you thank you Grandma!
We took a nice cozy tub. Snuggled into some warm Iron Man and Spiderman pjs, and the boys were off to bed.
Now I'm just waiting for Ryan to get home from his house concert he played in Provo after the folk festival, with the beautiful and uber talented Sarah Sample. I am considering eating leftovers out of the fridge, but keep hearing the voice of my doctor tell me each week that I am gaining too much weight. Sigh. Sometimes I wonder if I just like to eat, or if I am actually hungry.
All in all, it was a fun day.
Originally I was going to make this little nook have a table with chairs and art supplies, but I realized I still wanted a place to sit and hang out when the boys are first nodding off, and I also don't trust Cash to have any type of mark making material in a room where I can't see him at all times.
I made a photo wall with a bunch of images of both the boys doing different things - something I can change out throughout the years as they get older. I have so many photos of them, I hate that most don't get framed. I hope this gives me a chance to display more of them - and more often. I left up the hanging airplanes from when Jack was just a baby (used them to distract while changing diapers).
I also scored this killer vintage set of kids encyclopedias at DI. They are amazing - and Jack loves leafing through them and looking at the pictures. I'm trying to find some cool book ends to help them stand up better - and as a whole series.
