Another Wardrobe Change!?

It's official... We have a projectile spitter-upper on our hands!!

Everyday I am surrounded by burp cloths, receiving blankets and bibs, but still, I find myself in no less than 2 outfits a day and that is just me. When Matt gets home he must immediately change into casual clothes, and they don't even last long once the boy is in his arms.

For every photo shoot (which happens all too often), there is at least one of these photos included:



Not only are we changing our clothes more often then preferred, but Mr. Henry is worse than Mariah Carey on Cribs! Don't get me wrong, I do love dressing him up in all of his adorable outfits, but enough is enough!

I guess it could be worse, at least the wardrobe changes aren't from blowouts out the back! ... yet...

Is that ESP?

My last blog post was about how our lives were about to change, but when posting the entry I had no clue how eminent that change would be. However, there must be something to this whole "mother's intuition" notion, as that night (April 7th), I felt I had to get that last entry posted before I went to bed.


That possible "last dinner" at Bottom's Up with Matt, was in fact our last dinner just the 2 of us. At 3:45 the next morning I awoke to a sensation of liquid in the bed and I knew I wasn't just peeing myself. Game On! Time to get to the hospital!

Let's just leave it at labor is no fun, we can leave out the gory details, but the end result is worth every agonizing moment. And thank you Dr. Hirata and nurse Liz for making one of the hardest things I've ever done, such a wonderful memory.



Arriving just over 2 weeks early, at a mere 5 lbs. 8 oz., Henry joined our little family on April 8th at 3:59PM. We spent 2 amazing days, just the 3 of us, in the hospital getting to know the new man in our life. Now, over 2 months later (and 3 pounds heavier), we cannot remember what life was like before we saw this smile!

Endings and Beginnings

We are so excited for the very soon arrival of our baby boy, but it is hard to believe that so many things we have taken for granted are now coming to an end.

The pregnant lady wants Bottoms Up pizza!

Was this our last date night as a 2 person family? The last time where we can just decide on a whim we want to go out to eat and have no thought as to who will babysit or will Henry behave/sleep long enough for us to enjoy our meal? How much will I miss those days?

However much I may miss the days of a quiet house, spur of the moment outing decisions and mornings of getting up when I darn well please, I am ready to meet this little man growing inside of me --- and regain control of my body!

What in the HECK is THIS!!!????

The left one makes the right one actually look normal, and I assure you, there is nothing normal about the right one.

Then there is the case of the (dun, dun, dun) double chin! And is that my nose looking wider too??

As scary as this new body of mine is, I really can't complain. I have been blessed with an easy pregnancy - one with no puking, normal weight gain and low blood pressure. I am also lucky enough to say that these scary, unnatural bodily changes waited until the very end, when Henry is just about ready to make his debut.

Yep, you heard it right! We received the good news from our AWESOME doctor (Dr. Alice Hirata) that Henry should be here in no more than 2 weeks. Already dilated (just a little) and regular contractions (prepping my body for what's next), Henry is making his move South and we hope to meet the little pumpkin any day now!

And on that note, get a load of these! I just can't wait to squeeze those fat little baby feet into them and take about a zillion photos!!

My Wishes for You, Henry

With only 5 more weeks to go, I have been thinking a lot more about Henry. Who will he look like? Whose personality will he have? Will I be a good mother? Well, Henry, here are some of my wishes for you (and I guess some for Matt and I too).


I wish for you to love the outdoors and really appreciate spending time with nature


I wish for you to stick up for those that don't have the ability to stick up for themselves


I wish for you to have your fathers skin tone --- no sunburns and a pretty tan


I wish for you to enjoy sports --- your father cannot wait to teach you everything!


I wish for you to always feel you can be open and honest with us, with no judgement in return


I wish for you to be grateful for all of the blessings in your life, no matter how few or many there may be


I wish that I will have patience with you when I don't think I have any left


I wish for you to love animals and for our animals to love you as much in return


I wish for you to have the height of the men on my side of the family


I wish for you to love the water (and with that swimming, fishing and getting a little dirty)


I wish for you to have many life-long friendships


I wish for you to always know how much your father and I love you, even when you think we are completely unreasonable


but most of all, I wish for you to be born into this world happy and healthy!

Whoa, Laundry!

The clothes have been slowly accumulating in the closet and before I knew it, the closet seemed almost full! Before things get any worse (or better!) I thought it best to get ahead of the laundry now. Who knew that would turn into an all day - almost 2 day - affair.

First to take off all of the tags and check out all of the washing instructions - separate into piles.



5 loads later the house was full of the sweetest baby smell! I had no idea that Dreft would smell just like a freshly bathed baby! It was such a wonderful surprise and really fueled my excitement for the arrival of our baby boy!

After an evening of folding, I was left with a table full of clothes ready to be put away.



But not before documenting a few of my favorite outfits!

HCW in Red!


My Preppy Boy!


Cuddly in Kimonos!


Our little athlete!


and so handsome in Smocking and Overalls!

Clothes finally re-hung, organized by size; dresser drawers lined, clothes folded by type and by size. How long will all of this organization last? For now I will be happy to just stand in awe staring in the closet and in the drawers; at the bed and at the bookshelf - loving all of the tiny baby things that fill his room.

Sweet, Sweet Boy - I cannot wait to meet you!!

He Has A Name!

... but we're not tellin'! :)

However, we can keep you guessing with his initials - HCW

Most of you know Harrison, Hudson and Henry were all in the running (along with Benjamin, but obviously that one is out), but can you guess what his name is?? Would love to hear what your guesses are!


He's getting bigger!! (and mommy is getting more uncomfortable)

In other news...

A lot has been happening at the Ward household.

**Guest/Baby bath remodel is almost complete; all that is needed is a working faucet, some caulk and a touch up of paint. Keeping my fingers crossed for a grand re-opening on Saturday! Then it is off to work on our Master Bath. Let's hope we (Matt) learned everything needed during this project.

**HCW's crib is all put together with bedding in place (pending sheets). It is perfect! Let's just keep our fingers crossed that he will do as much sleeping in it as I hope!


Please pardon the picture quality, it is the best the Driod can do

**Operation Home Office is underway --- well almost. There are 3 huge, heavy boxes in our dining room just itching to be put together (ahem). Can't wait for more Organizing!! When a girl can't have wine, she's got to have something to get excited about!

Stay tuned for updates on my first (soon to be second) love --- Clothes! The closet is already getting full and showers haven't even started yet! PLUS, Erin and I are kicking it into high-gear tonight at Kids Layne. This boy is gonna look GOOD!

Just call me Momma Bird

I'd have to say nesting must be setting in. The list of 'to-dos' just keeps growing and I cannot seem to stop myself from wanting every little chore, update, fix-up, replace done RIGHT NOW. The running theme in these blogs seems to be... poor Matt, thank you so much for putting up with me!

This past Saturday my awesome parents planned to come to Richmond to help take out the guest vanity and brainstorm ideas on what we would/might need to do to get a new one installed. They were planning to arrive early to get started, which meant I had to be up early and showered before they got there. However, I hadn't planned on early meaning a 5:15AM wake up time (thanks big belly) and watching The Birds. I was in the shower by 7:45 and cleaning the dust off of the fan and out of the light fixture by 8:30.

For some reason the dust had to be gone that very moment. No, of course I could not dry my hair and put on clothes first. "I must do it right NOW!"



Lovely! Though I am so glad to have that done, it is very worrisome for my already somewhat OCD tendencies. What will the next 3 months bring!?

That night seemed to get worse. With a destroyed bathroom upstairs I certainly didn't have time to just relax for a moment. "Matt, we have to go get paint right now and pick out fixtures and Matt, you have to tell me your timeline on this." Unfortunately for Matt, by needing his timeline, what I really meant was I need you to do this on my timeline, which is - this is going to be done by next weekend, right?



The next day (usually a relaxing Sunday) brought on a panic of, "we've got to get these base boards clean and whoa, these blinds must be dusted!". While Matt and his awesome dad were soldering away at our pipes in the guest bath, I was tornadoing (my new verb) through the house. Vacuum! Dust! Baseboards and Blinds! Oh, and that must all be done with me showered by 11:00AM so that I can go get my nails done with Erin (her baby girl is due this coming June! woo hoo!!). Whew! No need for the gym when you're burning calories like that!

But the end result was worth it - clean house, pretty nails, and a new guest bath on its way!





(until next weekend..)

All a baby needs is a place to sleep...

What started out as a vibrant orange, Hokie-ish office is slowly becoming a serene haven for our Baby Boy Ward.

The orange has been rolled & brushed away, to reveal a neutral khaki. Our "theme" is calm and natural with sage green, ecru, Tiffany blue and tan - showcasing the nature themed art purchased back in the Fall.




The paint is on the walls and the bookshelf is put together.



Now we are just waiting on our crib to arrive!



And our glider to arrive!

(the picture on the site won't work... think pottery barn kids style, upholstered chair in a sage green and cream twill)

And our bedding to arrive!



And with all of this complete it seems the "honey-do" lists just keeps growing!

Honey, please sand and paint the dresser so it is ready to become the changing table. Thank you!

Honey, please install the new vanities in the guest/baby bathroom and ours. Yes, thank you so much!

Oh, and honey, please install the ceiling fan, move the switches, hang the curtains, pick up the home office from Ikea and put it all together and if you have time, could you pick up some Sweet Frog too?

Yes, Please and THANK YOU!

Who's Going Swimming!?

Baby Boy Ward is going swimming!!! (yes, we really need to establish a name)

How cute are baby swimsuits and rash guards!!?? BBW and I are getting the winter blues already and are gearing up for our summer off together, hanging out at Grandma's pool!

Howdy! from Sock Monkey and Friend!

Which Side Of The Bed Do You Sleep On?

Growing up I never noticed much which side of the bed I preferred to sleep on - I guess that is because I was sleeping in a bed by myself and could sleep anywhere I pleased. Since being married, I have come to find that I am a very selfish sleeper, as I am not like any normal person that prefers the left of the right. I always choose the side closest to the door.

Side closest to the door? That seems pretty strange. Well it won't seem so strange if you find your house is on fire. Guess who's going to be the first one out!

I have also come to find that people are very particular about the side of the bed they sleep on --- Matt despises that I always choose the door side, as he prefers the right side. Always. I never thought this would really effect me since I don't seem to favor sleeping on my left vs. my right, but little did I know how much I was going to HATE sleeping on the opposite side of our bed.

In preparation for Baby Boy Ward, we have switched sides in the bed in hopes that we could adjust to the change now rather than when we come home from the hospital. This change is prompted by the fact that Matt's side of the bed has all of the room for the bassinet, which I will need quick, easy access to. It has been over a month since the change and I still don't feel as though I have gotten a good night's sleep since.

Is it the side of the bed or is it the increasing size of my belly??

Tank Tops. Who Knew?

It wouldn't be my blog if there weren't multiple posts about clothing. This post is dedicated to my love (or addiction to) of Mossimo tank tops from Target.

Who knew that a tank top, a simple knit tank top, could so quickly become a favorite piece of clothing. One which I really don't think I could live without during pregnancy. Since early on I have been wearing these almost daily. I remember buying my first one like it was yesterday...

I was out for a quick trip to Target (let's face it, when is there ever a quick trip to Target??) to pick up just a few things --- the usual; a card, birthday gift, some toiletries. But again, let's be honest with ourselves (ladies), when do you ever leave Target with anything less than what you came in for? I found myself wandering the clothing section (note: this was weeks before I ever started showing) wondering what I could get away with wearing for awhile longer and I came across these simple tank tops. Sure, they would work well under sweaters and maybe if one was needed to go under a low cut top. $9.00? I'll take 2. And then... just that fast... my world was changed.

Tanks tops started making their appearance to lengthen the ever shortening sweater hemlines. You could see the scoop of the neck if I wore a v-neck shirt. You could see the outline of the straps through most any shirt I was wearing at the time. Then, they became a part of the pajama wardrobe as well.

See? Right there...



And there too!



What started out as 2 neutral tank tops, has turned into a stack of tank tops --- green, purple, pale pink, even one with some metallic gold!



I cannot seem to leave a Target without bringing at least 1 of these little gems home with me. There isn't a day where you won't catch me in one, at some point. Mossimo tank tops keep me wrapped up in their warm hugs and I couldn't be happier.