Our Baby Library, a Modern Rug to Ease My Joints + The Newborn Arrival Gift Idea I'm Adopting

Today's post is in partnership with Rugs USA.

My stepdaughter, a special education teacher specializing in reading & writing, recently told us that reading to a baby is one of the best gifts you can give a child. She'd made the remark after hearing we'd read to Etta every night while I was pregnant. We'd done it because we'd heard that babies can hear your voice in utero and may even recognize a familiar book once born. We liked the idea of her knowing our voices and having a book we could read early on that may feel familiar. Turns out, there are a whole host of other benefits to reading in infancy as well!

DIY Modern Brass Rainbow Mobile

After's Etta's nursery reveal we received so many questions about her brass mobile, so I've pulled all of the details and a DIY tutorial together in one place to share with you!

Baby Milestones & The Mockingbird that has us Back in the Neighborhood

Today's post is in partnership with Mockingbird.

Six weeks has felt like such an occasion around here. I imagine with any newborn that little milestones feel like giant achievements in themselves, but that's certainly the sentiment for us these days.

The Reveal: Etta's Blue & White Modern Nursery

I still can't believe we finished the nursery just one day sooner than Etta decided to make her way into the world. It will be such a huge part of the running birth story she hears on birthdays and throughout life. That said, we can't blame her for coming early, because we're just as smitten with how the final room turned out and can't wait to show you around!

First Look: The Furniture that Set the Tone for Etta's Nursery

The same night after we finished Etta's nursery, my water broke. It was two weeks earlier than her due date and we'd joked earlier in the day that now the nursery was complete, we were ready. Little did we know she'd take us literally.

Our Etta!

And just like that, she's here! Our little Etta Garnett Vidra had plans of her own on the timing of her big debut, making her way into the world two weeks early over Memorial Day weekend. Today marks her official due date, which feels surreal since we can't imagine the past 2 weeks any other way than with her here. That said, while we were mentally prepared for any scenario, we fully expected her to come on or past her due date.

Nursery Update: A Crib for Thumper

After our last ultrasound appointment, Tim came home and put our crib together in less than an hour. The minute he called me upstairs to take a look, everything felt real.

A Fresh Start: Painting the Nursery

The small bedroom we've used as a closet just next to our master was the only room we hadn't painted in the entire house since moving in 8 years ago... until last weekend. We're slowing updating this little space into the baby's nursery and I can't tell you how much it makes the idea of meeting our daughter feel like a reality.

Nursery Plans!

Lately, one of the most frequent questions we're getting is when we're starting the nursery. That and what the colors are or if we have a theme. Well, we've only just gotten started! In the midst of finishing up our laundry and upstairs office, we didn't want to wait too much longer on the nursery (given we're in the 60-day countdown) so, we are juggling a bit of each at once as time permits.

Sugar and Spice, and All That's Nice

And then there was SHE!

Early on in my pregnancy I told Tim he could decide when (or if) we'd find out the gender of our little one on the way before they were born, so when the ultrasound tech asked if we wanted to know what we were having at a recent appointment my heart skipped a beat when Tim said, "yes."

Oh, Baby!

Big changes are on their way, come June!