Bump Watch: The Ever Growing Belly

Looking back at the pictures I've taken throughout the pregnancy I can't believe how large and in charge my belly has become! And I have a feeling it's not going to stop growing for several more weeks : )

At the beginning (note the 12 week picture) I was certain that there was a bit of a "bump" coming through, but now looking back I realize that there was no such bump, but just the excitement of being pregnant.

As a great husband and dad-to-be, Pat has been my photographer throughout and once the journey is complete I plan to make a fun book for Owen about how he got here!!

12 weeks

17 weeks

23 weeks

28 weeks

33 weeks

Waiting on Baby Owen...

Today marks 32 weeks!! I can't believe how fast it has gone by...

We've finished up the nursery with a few exceptions - mainly Baby Owen!! It turned out great and we are so excited that Owen will have a fabulous room to greet him. Pat & I did just about everything. I picked things out and he was the handy man. Because we both had our own vision of what the nursery would be, we blended them and I kind of just put together my own theme. I liked dots & stripes and Pat wanted his boy's room to have sports. So, ta-da! We have all three in the room :)

The weather in Ohio has been mild for June and I gotta say that I don't mind at all. Most people's response when I tell them when I'm due is: "Oh, all those hot summer months!" (very encouraging by the way). So the mid-70's and cool summer nights have been a blessing to my body for sure!

A common question I'm getting now is: "Are you in the uncomfortable stage yet?" Again - so encouraging...And for awhile I would be able to truthfully answer not yet. However I think that the little man went through a growth spurt lately and with that came more shifts in the stomach and a few limbs in the ribs. All in all though it really hasn't been too bad at all. Not saying that I want to remain pregnant for the rest of my life, but I don't have too much to complain about.

I've added some pictures of the nursery. Citations: The glider is from Pat's parents (Nana & Grandpa) and the little orange seat (perfect for little butts) with Owen's name on it is from my dad & Mary (Pop Pop and Grandma Mary - Not sure what Mary's preference is going to be :) ). So here it is...I'm sure after the shower and all the things I won't be able to resist buying, the room will fill up quickly with toys and fun little boy things. Enjoy!

Pat put the crib together - It was a Costco find (I do love Costco!) and it converts to a toddler bed and then a full bed later in life

I was crafty and made Owen's name out of scrapbook paper and wooden letters (thank you Michael's & JoAnn's)

We decided the best place for the glider was in the bay window - It fits perfectly!

I'm sure we'll spend a lot of time in this oh-so-comfortable chair!

Soon enough these pictures will be of Owen in the real world and not just in my belly!

Many toys and books will live here one day...

The dresser for all of those cute clothes Owen will get! And the fun little seat with his name on it : )

Another orginial Kendra Murphy design. What can I say - pregnancy brought out the Martha in me!

Bring on the May Flowers!!

Life has been busy, busy, busy!

Now 27 weeks prego (only 13 to go!) I am definitely feeling like one pregnant lady. Owen has been movin' & shakin' pretty consistently now and my belly continues to get bigger by the day! I still can't believe that I've been pregnant for over 1/2 a year. Craziness!! It's all good though and we are very very excited for August to come.

The nursery is coming along great. We had a power work day on Saturday and only have a few more things to hang on the walls and add to the room. I'm holding off on posting pics until the final product is ready to share. I've always wanted to try to post a picture on HGTV's Rate My Space and I think the nursery is going to be worthy of testing the opinions of other HGTV lovers. The site allows other people to rate your decorating skills and leave comments (the good, the bad and the ugly) of their opinion of your room. I think it would be fun to see what they say and I used the site for a lot of ideas for Owen's room.

Pat spent a weekend in Texas with 3 of his brother for the Murphy Cup - a yearly golf competition between the Murphy brothers. This year Pat's brother Rob won - maybe next year Pat!! They had a great time though and that's what matters!

Well, the basement is finally finished! Ok, there are a few minor details to complete, but we had our first get together with a small group of friends on Saturday for the Cavs game - so we are in party mode at least! It turned out great! We are really happy with everything and on Sunday we watched The Incredible Hulk (and maybe napped during it...) on the 92 inch projection screen that Pat is soooo excited about! It truly is a man cave with a touch of Kendra ;)

Murphy's Bar

The Movie Room

92 inch Projection Screen

Workout Room

Bathroom

I think that's it for now...I'm hoping the nursery will be finished within the next month so all we'll need is Owen to complete it :)

Owen is a Kickin'

As my belly grows and the nursery planning moves forward it's getting a little more real (and exciting!) that we will soon have another addition to our family.

A couple weeks ago I felt Owen's first kicks. I was sitting on the couch after dinner and all of the sudden my stomach fluttered. I had to call my mom to make sure that's what I was experiencing and not just after dinner grumbles...Well, it sure was Owen and he has been nonstop since. What a great feeling to know that he is in there moving around and having a good old time! Every time I feel it I have to smile :) Pat loves to feel him kicking around too!!

I've started the baby registry at Babies R Us and I think I'll add a little bit here and there instead of going in for a marathon registering session at the store. There's so much to get for a little one! I've had a lot of help from friends and books though, so hopefully I'll be all set once he's here. The shower isn't until July 18th, but I figure getting started now is fine (& fun!).

Another "project" we have been tackling is finishing our basement. The contractors have done a great job and we are getting closer to being done! I do like them, but I'll be happy when they aren't walking in to our house every morning to head downstairs. They've been there since February and expect to finish in the next few weeks.

Once it's done it will be the "man cave" Pat has always wanted. It'll add about 1500 sq ft to our house and it'll include a bar area, a movie room w/ a 92 in tv - Pat's pick and a workout room. That way when the Cavs, Indians or Browns are on, Pat & Owen can head downstairs and Mom can be out doing something else...It's a win win situation! I'll post pics of the final project once completed.

It's a Boy!!!

Today was a big day in the Murphy household. We found out we will be welcoming a baby boy this August!! His name is Owen Patrick Murphy and he growing strong and is as healthy as can be!! We are so happy and can't wait for him to join our family.

I'm working on the details for the nursery...Not too sure which direction I want to go. Pat has his suggestions - most of them sports related, so I'm trying to fit that into my ideas. Right now I'm leaning towards a mix of blues and then orange as an accent color. We'll see though once I really get into making the decisions.

Here are some pictures of Owen. He weighs 10 ounces! In the first pic he is holding up his arm with his index finger pointing up. He's already #1!! The middle 2 pics are profile shots and the last pic is of his feet. So cute!!

Ready for the Cold to Go!!

Like most Cleveland winters this winter has been full of cold days, snow and ice. It's nice to have the change in weather, but it's time for the warmer weather to move it's way in!

As a new homeowner, Pat decided that he wanted to purchase a new snow blower for the winter months. He did his research and found the right one for the job at Sears, just down the street. Once we got it home and he set it up I realized it was not only a snow blower, but the world's largest snow blower he could find. This thing is like a small car (a bit of an exaggeration, but it really takes up a lot of garage space!).

So, we have the snow blower all ready to go - this was back in the beginning of November - and as unpredictable as Cleveland weather is, it did not snow for about a month or so. Pat thought he would never get to use his new toy!

Soon though, things turned and the weather came. The first day we had enough snow he was like a kid on Christmas. He got all bundled up and headed out to clear the drive. After several months and several inches of snow I must say that Mr. Murphy did make a good decision when purchasing his snow blower!

For your enjoyment, here are some pictures of the man in action!

First Post!

I've always wanted to start a blog and I decided that now is the time to get started! It's an exciting time in the world of the Murphys.

We are expecting our first child on August 9th of this year! We are so excited and can't wait to meet the newest Murph! We've been to several doctor's appts and all things are moving in the right direction. Last week we heard a strong heartbeat and by the looks of my belly, the baby is definitely growing and growing!

On March 10th we have a Dr's appt to find out if we are welcoming a baby girl or baby boy!! Once we have the answer - watch out! All of my research and dreaming about the nursery will be in full effect!! I've been saving my Target trips for the "go" date and I'm ready!! We will be moving our guest bedroom to another bedroom that's not in use right now and the current guest room will be the nursery. The baby's room will be great - it has a bay window and a walk in closet for all of the fun clothes & toys she/he will get!

This past weekend I started researching cribs - it's crazy how many are out there and how much information you need to consider. My cousin, Katie, suggested this book: Baby Bargains and it's a godsend! It tells you everything you need to know about getting ready for baby. Even all of the extra stuff out there that you really don't need. It's really been an eye opener and I know I will use it throughout the planning stages.

What a fun, fun time!!