Nursery Tour

Welcome to Nolan's nursery! The thing I love the most about his nursery is that he has a crib set that no one else has. The reason for this is because...

The bedding was all made by one of my best friends, Callie. She made the sheet, bumper, bedskirt and window valance. Talk about talent!

Close up of the owl sheet. :) I was so excited when we found owl fabric with these colors!!

Polka dot window valance

 

Meet Aunt Callie! She is the very talented one who made his bedding! 

 

Aunt Callie and "Mr" Dylan when they came to the hospital to meet Nolan for the first time! Why is he called "Mr" Dylan? Because Dylan thinks it is too confusing for children when they have their actual aunts & uncles and friends called aunts & uncles. Therefore, Ryan and I have sarcastically named him "Mr" Dylan. 

Another view of Nolan's nursery

My attempt at being crafty. Owl fabris for a light switch cover.

I also made a lamp shade cover in the owl fabric.

Aunt Lainy made this for Nolan's room!

Matches perfectly in his room and so awesome for him to have with all his birth information!

Personalized owl clock

This little guy has so many clothes!

Basketball hoop hamper was a special touch added by his daddy ;)

 Aunt Callie also made Nolan this monkey blanket. She started making this blanket for him right after I told her I was pregnant. Seriously, she is so talented! The monkeys are stuffed and stick out. (I don't know if that makes sense) but it's something I have never seen before. Nolan loves his blankie!

Not related to the nursery: Ryan and I when pregnant with baby Nol posing for a picture with Gracie. She is Dylan and Callie's dog. We laughed because she sat there and posed so we call it our little family portrait.  

Yesterday we saw Dylan and Callie and reenacted the picture with Gracie! Nolan was sleeping otherwise I wanted to hold him by my stomach, but we didn't want to wake him up. ;) 

Birthday and Pool Time

This week has been busy which is why I am just now posting. Ryan is working this week so I have had a mommy and Nolan week. It has been so much fun! On Tuesday it was Ryan's 28th birthday! Where has the time gone? I met him when he was 19 years old.

While Ryan was working Nolan and I went out shopping. We got his birthday cards, presents and some groceries. When we got home Nolan napped for me and it gave me time to make a peanut butter tandy cake and cake balls! For those that don't already know, my husbands hobby is to collect sports autographs, mainly baseball players. So, he went to batting practice for the Orioles to get autographs then came home. When he came home I had baked ziti waiting for him and we watched the O's game. It was a nice relaxing evening with the family.

This week was also a big week for Nolan! We took him to the pool for the very first time. We went to the pool with our friends Brent and Kim and their son, Colby. When we initially put Nolan's feet in the water he....screamed crying. He started to be ok with it the more we put his feet and legs in the water.

Overall, it has been such a fun week playing and cuddling with my little guy. Everyday gets better and better. He is such a happy boy and it melts my heart every time he looks at me and smiles. I still have a few more weeks left and I try not to think about it, but I am seriously dreading going back to work. :( Must. keep. playing. lottery.

Looking thrilled on his birthday...haha

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

I took an ink pad and attempted getting Nolan's handprint on the card. Barely there but we did it!

Let's go to the pool!

Hey buddy! Colby was obsessed with Nolan's bathing suit and wouldn't stop staring at it, haha!

Reaction to his first time in the pool

Starting to enjoy the water a little bit

Then we gave him a mohawk and he was not too happy about it

This face says, "please take me home mommy!"

Hanging out with my lovebug

More play time!

Nolie pie ;)

pajama time!

He LOVES the monkey hanging on his car seat. It's so cute how happy he gets looking at it!

Cincinnati

Some will think we are crazy and others will think we are smart. We went on an 8 hour road trip to Cincinnati for our 3 year anniversary. It is a tradition of ours to go to a different baseball stadium each anniversary and so this year we did just that, with Nolan!

Nolan is so good in the car. He slept pretty much the entire way there and back home. We stopped a good amount for feedings and diaper changes and he was so happy when he was out of his car seat. Our trip was quick, but a lot of fun.

When we go to Cincinnati we checked in and relaxed for a bit before going to dinner. We went to Boi Na Braza for dinner which was a Brazilian steakhouse. You get a card that is green on one side and red on the other. When you want meat you turn your card green and when you want them to stop coming you turn your card red. It was sooo delicious!

The next day was game day. We woke up and ventured out in the city. We walked around the ball park and went to the team store. We went to the Carew Tower which was an overlook of the whole city. It was gorgeous, but soooo high! 49 stories high!! The elevator from floor 45-48 was so small. It freaked me out. Then there was a flight of stairs to the 49th floor. Which lead to the overlook. A cool experience, but I just kept thinking about how we had to get back into that tiny elevator to get back down.

We went back to the hotel, cooled off and napped. Then it was time to get ready for the baseball game. Nolan was an angel. He slept during the beginning of the game, woke up happy and took in all the new surroundings and then fell asleep when we walked back to the hotel. We checked out the whole stadium, Ryan got Trevor Bauer's autograph from the Arizona Diamondbacks and we ate a yummy dinner at The Reds Smokehouse inside the stadium. Bronson Arroyo was pitching for the Reds (love him & was wearing his shirt) and...he stunk it up. :( The Reds ended up losing the game, but we still had a great time.

On our walk back to our hotel we stopped at the Fountain Square for smoothies. The Macy's has a large screen on top of their building and it was playing the Reds game. People bring their lawn chairs and sit out and watch the game. Very cool!

Overall, a great trip! Happy 3 year anniversary to my husband and best friend! Can't wait to venture to another new stadium next year!

Boi Na Braza Brazilian Steakhouse

Nolan with his daddy at dinner

Carew Tower going to the overlook. Me freaking out getting Nolan and I off the tiny elevator!

We were up high

The Great American Ballpark

Trevor Bauer signed a ball for my hubby



Having fun at the game!

Yup, we did this to Nolan :)

and again!

Sleepy boy at his first Reds game

Walking back to the hotel, pit stop at the fountain square for smoothies

Happy to be home :)

1st play date

Nolan had his first play date with his best friend, Colby, our friends Brent and Kim's 4 month old son. Colby came excited to play and have fun. Nolan thought it was nap time. Awhile Nolan was snoozing, Colby was having a blast playing and he didn't have to share any toys. ;)

Nolan sleeping on his play mat

Colby trying to wake up his buddy

Father-son photo. Nolan is awake and not too happy about it!

Road trips

Nolan is quite the little traveler already. After a week full of visiting from Auntie Sue and Uncle John (on my husbands side of the family) we were packing up the car and heading to Pennsylvania for my cousins wedding.

This was Nolan's first time meeting some aunts, uncles and cousins on my side of the family. On the 2.5 hour drive our little guy slept the whole way! Actually it was really almost 4 hours in the car because of all the minor stops we had to make before actually getting on the road. We picked up my sister and went to the mall to exchange a pair of suit pants for a larger size because apparently as Ryan puts it, "has too much junk in the trunk" and is still "carrying his pregnancy weight". After the mall, back to our house we went because I forgot the camera! Then we picked up a pizza because we were all hungry, and set off to Pennsylvania!

The whole weekend Nolan was an angel. He barely even cried and just took in all the new faces and scenery. He attended his first wedding and although he slept through a good portion of it, Ryan and I got to dance with him. :)

The ride home went just as well as the ride to PA. When we got home I just wanted to cuddles my little boy because for the duration of the weekend I was mainly just Nolan's food supply. ;)

On Thursday we had Nolan's 1 month checkup. He is doing great! He is in the 98% for height and 70% for weight. He is so little I was surprised he is in the 70%, but I think it's because all the length he has to fill out!

Saturday - Nolan went to his very first Baltimore Orioles baseball game. He was decked out in his Orioles attire courtesy of Aunt Lainy. We used the baby bjorn and he was comfy and content! We got him a certificate for his first game. Although we left early, the O's won his first game. It went into extra innings and ended with a walkoff HR (we will just prevent we stayed for all that excitement). And here we are on the road again! We are currently headed to Cincinnati. Every anniversary my husband and I visit a different ballpark and this year we are going to the Great American Ballpark to watch the Reds! Nolan is now a part of our stadium tour tradition. Wish us luck for a great trip ahead! We are almost to the hotel now!!

Looking handsome in his tux onesie!

I love this picture :)

Family photo at the wedding

The newlyweds!

Some of the family enjoying our little man

Nolan's 1st Orioles game!!

and he likes the baby bjorn!