Opinions, please.

So Nate and I have been trying to decide what to do with the baby's room.  Thankfully we both lean away from really frilly girly themes (too much pink and butterflies) and extremely boyish themes (sports and airplane themes.)  So when it comes to not knowing what we are having it works out just perfectly.  Initially we were considering waiting until the baby gets here.  But we've realized that we tend to lean towards more gender neutral themes.  So here is the question.  Are these options too blue to be used if the baby ends up being a girl (I found them under the "gender neutral" tabs online, but I wasn't sure)?  And if so which one do you like more?

Love the bird theme, but this one is a little more spendy.

I love this one too, but especially because I was thinking of doing something similar to this for the walls:

http://www.beitesori.com/item_574/Migi-Splash-Fish-Boutique-Wall-Art-Hanging-Trio.htm

My third option is actually my original plan.  A friend of ours gave us some adorable Carter's receiving blankets with little giraffes, hippos, frogs, etc. on them that kind of inspired us.  Nate and I had/bought/were given the most adorable stuffed animals (giraffe, elephant, frog, etc.)  And so we thought about doing a zoo type theme.  The problem is that every crib set we found took the theme WAY too far for our taste (we like things more subtle and simple.)  So Rita and I did some fabric shopping and I found these.

I'm hoping to be able to find some subtle matching fabric with little zoo animals that I can use in the quilt pattern below, along with the fabric I already have.

I'd make the quilt, dust ruffle, and window valance; and then get really creative and make some sort of wall art (I love that kind of stuff!) and a matching lamp shade, etc.  I was also able to find some matching sheets and a bumper pad so I wouldn't have to make them.  Please help me decide....

And finally some fun things I've made recently to keep myself busy...

Singer Snapshots: Take 3

We've been so lucky since we moved here to Salem.  The weather has been nice and sunny about as much as it's rained.  Today was a little bit of both, so Nate and I decided to get out with the camera and take some pictures.  Some day we'll own two cameras and then we can both do our thing.  Right now we eagerly anticipate when the other person's done so we can have our turn.  I'm so lucky that Nate and I share a love for the outdoors and photography.  In the next few weeks we plan on doing some hiking in the area (and you bet we'll have our camera in tow) and then perhaps a visit to the beach (another thing both Nate and I love!)

Anyway, until then here are a few of our favorites... (Yup, spring is just around the corner...)

Resolution #3... Check!

This New Year's I made a resolution to learn two new skills/hobbies.  Thanks to Rita's help (Nate's mom) I was able to learn to crochet the edges of receiving blankets and burp cloths.  So far I've only finished a burp cloth, but I've definitely got it down and am looking forward to finishing 1 more burp cloth and 2 blankets (a boy and a girl set.)

Since the move the photography business has been a little slow... or shall I say non-existent, so I decided that I needed to learn some new skills to occupy my time.  (Some time this year I'm thinking of taking on cake decorating for fun.)  After talking with my sister Jaycie I decided that for now I would learn to make floral headbands.  Over the last few days I've been cutting fabric for flowers.  So far I've only assembled 2 different types... there are many more I'd like to try out.  I also found an adorable pattern for a purse, so I'm planning on learning to sew some of those, too.

This is what I've got so far:

Organza flowers... you can also do them in satin, but I didn't know that until I got home from the fabric store.  Can't wait to buy some satin.  (No headbands yet... I couldn't find any at the craft stores.  I'm thinking I'll have to order them online.)

A close up of my favorite.

The necklace I made today paired with a flower I made today.

And finally a 24 weeks along picture.

What to say?

Back when I was at BYU I had this really good friend, Luis.  For months he talked about how excited he was that his younger brother was about to get off his mission.  I was excited, too, realizing that he had a similar relationship with his younger brother as I did with mine and I was excited to meet him.  Well, his brother came to BYU to pay Luis a short visit before heading home with the plan to come back in a month or so to start taking classes there in the winter.  Sadly a few weeks later I heard from a mutual friend that Luis' brother was killed in a car accident.  I was devastated for Luis and while I couldn't exactly comprehend what he must have been going through I had some idea of the sort of pain I would feel if something had happened to my brother.

So what did I do about it?  Nothing.

I am such a wimp when it comes to these sort of things.  I have intentions of being the kind of friend I would want in that situation, but then I get so sick and nervous about it that I do nothing.  For awhile, while things were still fresh, I actually found myself being "too busy" to really spend much time with Luis and when I did accidently run into him (and trust me I wanted to run the other way) we talked as though nothing had happened.

So my question is, "What are you supposed to say in situations like this?"  There have been some more recent events that have prompted this question.  And I always hear people say things like, "Oh, when my mother passed away everyone would say..... and it drove me crazy.  I know they were just trying to help, but really they just made things worse."  I know it's better to do something rather than nothing, but what do you say to either a good friend or maybe even an acquaintance who just lost a child, a parent, or miscarried for the 4th time?  I'd really like to know...

Maternity Clothes

Okay, okay... so I know that EVERY post is now about being pregnant, but at the moment that is all that's going on in my sad little boring and pathetic life.  I do apologize.

So my last appointment I got to meet my new doctor for the first time and she seemed nice enough (still struggling with my weird old-fashioned brain that for some reason wants a male doctor).  Well my previous appointment was to sit down with the nurse and fill out pages and pages of paperwork.  One of those pages was a "Rate Your Stress" worksheet.  I had to rate on a scale of 1 to 5 my stress caused by work, family, money, etc.

So when I talked with my doctor this last appointment she said that she had noticed looking through my paperwork that I was extremely stressed about money.  She asked if this would get better or if things would be changing anytime soon.  I pointed out that we had just moved (costing a lot of money) and that we were obviously having to plan for the baby (costing even more money) and then there was supporting the baby when it's here (even more).  She said, "Well, I can understand the moving part, but really baby doesn't cost that much."  I nearly laughed.  "Is this lady crazy?" I thought.  I've come to a conclusion.  Either, one, she has never had a child.  Or, two, being a doctor pays so well that she must not even understand how much the cost of a child can burden the average family.

Nate and I have been more than grateful to accept anything second hand for this baby... and yet with every week comes more expenses.  My doctor must be outta her mind.  Just today I went maternity clothes shopping (unfortunately haven't received anything second-hand here and I've finally reached that point where I can no longer be comfortable rubberbanding my pre-pregnancy jeans) and just for the basics (3 jeans, 2 nice pants, 1 pair of capris, 2 tanks, and 4 tops) it set me back almost $400.  And you know if I'm stressed out Nate must be DYING....  I pray for the poor guy everyday...