Spot has arrived!

And we couldn't be more pleased! The colors are rich, the patterns bold, and the fleecy parts are squeezably soft! We both agree it is the perfect fit for our family and can't WAIT to see it in action! Check the nursery gallery for more photos of the crib.

The dogs love it too!

Closeup of the sheets!

After weeks of searching all over Athens and Atlanta, we have finally found a glider for the nursery. Our insistence that the chair be affordable, comfortable and not too big was beginning to make me think we might never find what we wanted. Luckily, we made a stop in a furniture store in Atlanta (while looking for a dresser for US) and found just the chair. AND - because it's not a baby store, we were able to order it for nearly 1/2 the price of a "Nursery Glider" - and we got a custom fabric at no extra cost!

This may not be the exact chair,
or fabric, but it's pretty close.

Finally, we have been searching for unique artwork for the baby's room and have been really drawn to two artists we discovered at Georgia Baby and Kids in Atlanta. Unfortunately, we've had a little trouble finding any...eh hem...affordable prints, so the search continues.

The first artist is Annora Spence. We really love the bold colors, exciting scenery, and of course the ANIMALS! Here are some of our favorites.

Circus Man

Lady and Cat

Man and Giraffe

Walking the Goat

The other artist we like is Mackenzie Thorpe. It turns out we prefer his early work because the prints on his website now are very modern and some are pretty dark. Nothing like this:

Chloe

Together

Other than nursery changes, we've been plugging along with no problems or concerns. The baby is becoming more active, especially at work in the morning and after dinner. In the morning he tends to kick low - like my cervix - which is not the most comfortable thing in the world. But at night he kicks much harder and primarily on my right side. Although I thought Tripp felt the baby move 2 weeks ago, he insists he hasn't felt anything yet. Because he isn't active around the clock yet, it's hard to get Tripp to feel it. Soon, though.

I posted a belly picture in the photo gallery for an update. There are a lot of pregnant people around to compare myself to, and I'm constantly being told I "barely look pregnant." Is that supposed to be a compliment? I most certainly do look pregnant and I definitely feel pregnant. The belly is constantly being bumped on doorways that I can no longer shimmy through, and Tripp can definitely feel the difference when I sit in his lap!

Our visits with the midwives have changed a little. Instead of going in to the clinic every four weeks, we're attending a prenatal group every two weeks in a different location. There are 3 other coupls, all due in November, and one midwife. We, the moms, are responsible for performing our own urinalysis and getting our weight and then the dad's take our blood pressure, do belly measurements, and use the doppler to find the baby's heartrate. It's a very different environment designed to emphasize the "normalness" of pregnancy. So far we are really pleased and have met some neat people too!

I'm looking forward to starting our birth classes next month and our breastfeeding class in October. It seems like the time is going by more quickly lately so our days are running out to get prepared for our little one. We talk to and about him all the time - we just can't WAIT!