So Proud!!!

As I woke up this morning I noticed the sun was starting to come up…when I leaned over to check my phone I noticed it was 6:58 am. Berkley had slept through the night (STTN)!!! I couldn’t believe it! B had STTN before, a lot actually. But I have been doing some “retraining” because she was sick for a week plus she had a little mini growth spurt after that. So when B would wake up in the middle of the night, I would just feed her instead of letting her cry it out (CIO).

I had only been working on the retraining for three nights and ta da; she did it! She STTN! The night before last, I was sick and Geoffrey was planning to get up with B in case she couldn’t go back to sleep after CIO for 15 minutes. He said she woke up around 4 (which is usually when she wakes up) cried for 15 minutes and then just stopped. She stayed awake looking around for about 20 minutes before she went back to sleep on her own. Which we were happy with that too! But then, the very next night, she sleeps through the night seamlessly! I never heard her on the monitor!

Now I have been told progress is a spiral. And B is textbook when it comes to this. She is able to grasp something new when I least expect it. Then she will revert back to old habits…take two steps forward, one step back. But I am so proud of her. She has come a long way. Plus she has bounced back well despite a few set backs that really were out of her control (and mine).

I then looked at our video monitor this morning (if you don’t have one, get one! They are amazing and take a lot of the guess work out of knowing when to go in to comfort your baby because you can see your little one) and noticed she was still asleep! She actually stayed asleep for about 15 more minutes; which was shocking. I figured she would be getting up around 7 starving!  The last time she had eaten was at 11 pm. Once she did wake up (about 7:15) she just laid there in bed looking around; didn’t make a peep. AMAZING! She woke up happy! So I let her lay there for about 5 minutes before nursing her.

To say I am proud of Berkley for learning how to sleep through the night is an understatement. It doesn’t matter how small or grand the accomplishments are, I am ALWAYS so proud of her! I delight in seeing B learn, make connections and begin to understand the world around her! It’s incredible! And as a parent, the patience is just built right in. She is going to learn at HER own pace. (Good reminder for me: don’t compare her to other babies and expect her to do exactly what they did). I’m just there to coach her along, encourage her, love her and teach her. Plus, I am her parent; therefore no one else knows what is best for her than me (and Geoffrey).

I think it’s safe to say I am beginning to catch a glimpse of Father God’s love for His children. We are His pride and joy! He delights in us, even when we fail. He is patient, slow to anger and abounding in love! Father God is such a good daddy! And when He’s teaching us or stretching us, it can be painful. A lot like when I let B CIO. No, I DO NOT like hearing her cry and I know she doesn’t like crying. But I see the value in teaching her to self-sooth, plus I know what is best for her. (I’ll post more on sleep training in a future post). Father God knows what is best for us. He sees the end result; the bigger picture. So we have to keep that in mind when God allows things that might be painful or difficult. I mean He wants us to grow. And growing isn't always easy. Sometimes it's a growth spurt and it happens all of a sudden. And sometimes markable growth seems to take F.O.R.E.V.E.R.!!!! But the goal isn't to stay a baby our whole life! And Lord have mercy as much as I love my baby B, I don't want her to stay a baby her whole life either. There are so many good things I want her to enjoy and experience that she can't handle as a baby. So, as her parent, I am feeding her (real food and brain food) because she has got to grow! Therefore Father God's goal is to grow us into strong, mature believers because there are many good things He has for us; we just might not be quite ready for them yet! 

Labor and Delivery: Part Two

Ok, so as promised, here is part two of my labor and delivery experience…and I know, its WAY OVERDUE:

After I was told I was in labor (YAY)…I asked for pain meds - STAT! So they loaded me up with Demerol and Phenergan. Almost instantly, my head crashed towards the hospital grade pillow.  But that pillow wouldn’t do…my sweet husband offered to get my pillow out of our car so I could rest more comfortably.

Despite my drowsiness, I some how managed to keep up a conversation with the nursing staff and Geoffrey. So as Geoff was telling me he was leaving the room to grab my pillow, I apparently made a funny comment. According to Geoffrey, I turned to the nurse and said, “Yes, he’s leaving to get our pillows, because we are pillow people.” End scene for Sarah. I became completely incoherent. My brain was working, but whatever ended up tumbling out of my mouth didn’t really make a whole lot of sense. In fact, before the lights went completely out, I remember being frustrated that I couldn’t talk anymore.  

Before too long, I fell asleep and only ‘half-way’ woke up when contractions were off the chart.

Meanwhile we waited for my body to dilate to a 4 or a 5 so that I could be given an epidural.

2:00 am – Finally, the anesthesiologist could come in to give me an epidural. Might I add, they are not as scary as they seem. I was so ready for the epidural I didn’t care how long of a needle the doc was going to shove up my spine. 

From what I remember, the nurses came in to explain to me how the procedure would be done and before too long the guy with the goods came in to numb me from my waist down to my toes. 

Basically what happens is you are instructed to sit at the edge of the bed and lean over your knees to expose your spine (this is the best position for the doctor to insert the needle below one of your vertebrae). What I didn’t know is that a small tube or catheter is threaded through the needle into the epidural space. The needle is carefully removed leaving the catheter in place so medication can be given through periodic injections or by continuous infusion.  The catheter is then taped to your back to prevent it from slipping out.

So, after a local anesthetic was given to numb a small part of my back, I was told, “Don’t move!” Which is harder than you think considering I was still having really strong contractions every 2-3 minutes. So I grabbed Geoffrey’s hand and waited until the anesthesiologist was done. The whole thing lasted only a few minutes.  Not bad at all. I highly recommend it!

2:30 am – I was laying back down, loosing all feeling in my legs.  Quickly thereafter, I was asleep.

Between 2:30 and 5:00 am not much happened. The nurses came in about every hour to see how I was progressing. Apparently I had a catheter – didn’t know that. Once I found out I had one I was actually kind of embarrassed. My curious mind went straight to “Well how does a catheter work? Would it have hurt if I hadn’t had the pain meds? Where is the bag of urine? I hope it’s hidden…” Haha. Thinking back on it now, it makes sense that you need a catheter because you’re pretty much contained to your bed after an epidural. Plus you are strapped to monitors and IV’s.

There wasn’t too much excitement the whole night. Just a lot of waiting on my body to dilate to a 9 so I could push. Needless to say, I actually rested quite well. Geoffrey on the other hand was wide-awake; bored, stressed…he watched movies and paced. He said he would look over at the monitors to see how strong my contractions were, and was shocked I never woke up.

-Note from Geoffrey- I actually spent almost the entire time that Sarah was unconscious listening to the song by Bethel church called “God, I Look to You.” I was fairly stressed out and nervous about everything. So I downloaded the song, and then just worshipped and prayed over Sarah and Berkley. I probably listened to that song 50+ times that night. It brought me such peace, and I really believe the Lord’s presence was resting in that hospital room throughout the rest of the labor/delivery.

5:00 am – The OB on call came in to break my water. I hardly remember it at all. Side note: Geoffrey said he was actually surprised at the whole thing because he was expecting a lot of water, only to find out there was just a little.

5:10 am – I was back asleep. I think Geoffrey was able to catch a few winks. He needed to rest some before the BIG DAY!

Meanwhile our whole family awaited the arrival of our Sweet B in the waiting room. They slept, they talked, and then some of them slept some more while the others were just too anxious.

6:30 am – We were told my OB would be in to make her morning rounds in between 7 and 8. She would then check me to see if it was time to push.  It was time to get excited!

However, things don’t always work out the way you hope. As it turned out, my OB had an emergency c-section and she couldn’t get away.

So the nurses asked how I was doing…did I feel the urge to push or did I think I could wait for my OB so she could deliver B…I didn’t feel the urge to push or anything, I was comfortable. So I told them I would wait.

We waited…and waited…and waited…

I couldn’t help but wonder how I would know when it was time to push. I mean, I had carried B SOOO low and each time they examined me they were having to reach around her head to see how dilated I was. I mean this girl was LOW! And I couldn’t really feel any pain; I just felt pressure. But they assured me I wouldn’t just have this baby and them not know it…she wouldn’t slip out. Haha, One of my favorite nurses told me ‘you’ll know!’  And as it turned out, she was right.

Not surprisingly, I was able to catch a little more sleep.

10:15 am – Some of my family came in to see me. My sisters were the last to leave my room; which was around 10:30…my OB was almost there and it was TIME TO PUSH!!!

10:40 am – I started pushing. Which is a very odd feeling. I couldn’t get over my legs…they were SO NUMB! But the pushing was pretty easy.

10:55 am – Berkley Grace Turner arrived. Not bad at all…I pushed for 15 minutes. First thought I had “Why is my baby girl purple?” Second thought “Oh my gosh, she’s here…she’s mine…she’s beautiful!” The whole thing was so surreal.

After Berkley was cleaned, measured and weighed I got to hold her for the first time. It was incredible! Then Geoffrey got to go with her to the nursery so her pediatrician could make sure everything was ok. She also got her first bath…and daddy got to watch.

I had a fever and so did B…so we actually had to stay in the hospital for three days while I was on antibiotics! In those three days we had SOOOO many visitors who came to meet our sweet B! We felt so loved and supported. Geoffrey and I were overwhelmed with thanksgiving for those in our lives who care so much for our little family of three.  

By the third day, I was really ready to go home. We checked out at about 1:00 pm. Strapping B in her car seat and driving with her was really weird!  I suddenly found myself freaking out as cars passed us on the highway. I mean, we were carrying precious cargo!

Once we got home, it was a NEW reality. To sum it all up, we were overwhelmed. Not scared or nervous, just overwhelmed with gratitude. God had given us such a precious little gift; she was ours. God trusted Geoffrey and I as her parents for such a time as this. 

Labor and Delivery-Part One

In a previous post, I mentioned I would share my labor and delivery experience. So, here's Part One:

7:00 am - I woke up Tuesday morning April 12th feeling a little different. But it wasn't enough to  mention to Geoffrey.

8:15 am -  I went to work and our staff had morning prayer from 8:30-9. That different 'feeling' felt stronger, so I mentioned it to Geoffrey after prayer. I had been timing those feelings for 30 minutes and they were about 20 min apart. He told me to keep timing them.

9:30 am - Within half an hour they were 15 minutes apart.
Time must have just flown by because before I knew it those feelings were 10 minutes apart.

10:45 am - Geoff came into my office to check on me (we both work at Beltway) and told me that I may want to call my mom to find out if those feelings were REAL contractions. So, I called to talk to her.

Now, my mom's labor experiences were pretty easy. She said her contractions always felt like really bad cramps or gas pains right up until it was time to push; that's when she would transition and the pain would be a lot worse. So, she did a lot of her early labor at work or at home. Then she would eventually go to the hospital and would give birth pretty quickly thereafter. I was hoping I would have a similar experience (I mean I am her daughter). I told her my 'feelings' felt like cramps, but that I was worried that's all they were. Either that, gas or Braxton Hicks. So she said just to keep timing them. She said once they were 5 min apart for an hour I needed to go to the hospital or my OB's office to be examined.

After I got off the phone I kept working.

11:30 am - By this time, those feelings were 6-7 minutes apart, so I clued in my boss as to what was going on. She freaked out and told me I was in labor and needed to go home, pack the car and go to the hospital.

Once word got out that I was having contractions, I was getting several phone calls from women I work with telling me "If you are anything like your momma, you're gonna have that baby SOON! And you'll have her here at work if you don't get to the hospital!" But I just wasn't convinced they were real contractions yet. I mean, they didn't hurt really bad. Contractions are supposed to hurt, right? Mine just felt like menstrual cramps. So I kept working...

But the calls, comments and drop-in visitors to my office wouldn't relent.

12:15 pm - My contractions were more like 6 minutes apart, consistently. It was lunch time so I decided I would go on home, rest and just see if these feelings got any stronger or became closer together. Once I got home I ate lunch, kept timing those feelings and before too long they became 5-6 minutes apart.

1:00 pm - So I called Geoffrey. We decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and be prepared rather than surprised and caught off guard. So I took a shower, shaved my legs, got dressed, then packed up the car (I had been ready to go to the hospital for over a month). The plan was once my contractions were consistently 5 min apart for an hour we would go to the hospital.

2:15 pm - Geoff came on home...my contractions were consistently 5 min apart.

3:00 pm - We left for the hospital to check in. On the way, we called our parents. We only told our parents what was really going on because I kept thinking it was a false alarm. I didn't want to be embarrassed and have to tell everyone I wasn't really in labor. I wanted to be sure before we spread the news.

3:30 pm - Once we arrived at Hendrick Hospital, we checked in and I was hooked up to the monitors. Turns out, they really were contractions and they were about 4-5 minutes apart. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say my pain was about a 2. Contractions were just uncomfortable. So, I allowed myself at that time to think "This could be it!" Until the nurse told me I was only dilated to a 1. I was so disappointed. I knew I couldn't be checked in to a delivery room until I was a 3. But they wanted to keep me for two hours to see if I progressed anymore.

I didn't...

However, my contractions became more painful and became 2-3 minutes apart. On a scale of 1 to 10, my pain was about a 4. We asked the nurses why I would be having contractions so closely together if I wasn't in REAL labor. They said it was hard to tell this early if I really was in labor or if I was just having Braxton Hicks and my body was just preparing for labor. We didn't know what to do. It was aclassic paradigm: should we stay or should we go home? I felt like I was living The Clash's song "Should I Stay or Should I Go Now"

Shortly thereafter, my contractions grew stronger. On the pain scale, I was a 5 or a 6. I couldn't really talk to anyone through a contraction anymore. I had to be really still and focus on breathing through the pain. Then, one nurse suggested we take a walk, come back and see if I progressed anymore. So I got dressed and we went on a walk...

6:30 pm - Geoffrey was hungry so we walked down to Subway for dinner (about 2 or 3 blocks away from the hospital). My contractions started hurting so bad that we had to stop every time I had a contraction. On the pain scale I was a 7. We finally made it to Subway, ate and started :making our way back to the hospital.

7:45 pm - Once we arrived, they hooked me up to the monitors.

8:15 pm - The nurses examined me agian and I was STILL only dilated to a freaking ONE! I was so unbelievably disappointed.

8:45 pm - We decided to go home. I just figured if I was going to be in pain and they couldn't do anything about it, I might as well be at home. I mean, they were telling me it wasn't real labor :anyway...why be there. I FELT LIKE I WAS GOING CRAZY! Because I felt like I was in labor. I hurt like I was in labor. I mean, why was I in this much pain if I wasn't true labor?

9:00 pm - On our way home I called my regular doctor (not my OB), a good family friend, Dr. Shudde. I caught him up and asked why all this was happening. Was I in real labor or not? That was the question I wanted answered, He encouraged me so much. He told me that his wife had a similar experience with their firstborn. They went to the hospital and was only dilated to a 1 although she had been having consistent contrations for a while. So they went home. Within two hours they went back to the hospital and was dilated to a 3. Turns out she was in REAL labor all along! She was just in early labor for a long time. So he said "Sarah, don't be discouraged. You'll have that baby either tonight or in the morning." And I was sure hoping he was right.

9:15 pm - We arrived at home. Contractions were still 2-3 minutes apart. Geoffrey convinced me to take a warm bath. While in the bath my contractions advanced to an 8 on the pain chart. I was just short of crying (and I am NOT a cryer). Before I got out of the bath, I was crying. 25 min later, I HAD to get out of the bath! I couldn't stand the pain. My back hurt so bad, I needed relief!

10:15 pm - So, I took Tylenol and laid down on our bed. Geoffrey popped in a movie I had been wanting to watch (Tangled), trying to get my mind off the pain. Geoffrey was so sweet. He tried everything to help me get comfortable. He rubbed my feet, massaged my back, prayed over me...but the pain was getting worse and worse.

10:30 pm - 10 minutes into the movie, my pain was a 9. I could barely walk, talk or breathe. I had no doubt I needed to go back to the hospital. I needed some PAIN MEDS!!!

Geoffrey called our parents to tell them we were going back up to the hospital.

11:00 pm - Once we arrived and was given a room, a nurse came in to check me and told us the good news. I had progressed from a 1 to a 3 in three hours! I WAS IN REAL LABOR! What a relief it was to hear. That made all the pain feel more worth it because I knew my baby girl was on her way! In fact, I was so elated, I started crying.

The news was shared with the family and shortly thereafter our WHOLE family came to the hospital to wait. Little did they know, we would be waiting all night long...

More to come in Part Two of my labor and delivery experience: sleep, waiting, epidural, and more waiting.

Summer, To Do List

I love the summer, but I don't like the burn...the giant sunburn (that is) that I got yesterday while laying out lazily on a floatie in my parent's pool. It was such a hot day yesterday, but I was allowed reprieve from the heat by root beer and cool water. However, after being outside all afternoon, the tops of my thighs, the top of my right foot, and my shoulder blades are bright red
(the places I missed while applying sunscreen). Lesson learned; apply sunscreen AGAIN! haha

I started back to work last week. It has been nice, but different. I can feel more and more of my energy coming back, which is great! There are so many things to do on my TO DO list! This week is my first week to work from home. I LOVE IT! I can stop what I am doing to tend to B and pick back up where I left off at any time! I am so thankful for a job that allows me that much flexibility. I only go into the office once a week, on Friday mornings when Geoffrey has off and can watch B. He loves daddy daughter time!

Earlier I mentioned I have a TO DO list! For anyone that reads this post, you are my witness. Here is what I WILL accomplish before Christmas (I would say before summer ends, but I know myself...I need more time):

1. Learn how to sew...better than I do now
2. Sew baby gifts for friends
3. Refinish two armours (thrifty garage sale finds)
4. Refinish my grandmother's desk
5. Plant flowers
6. Pull weeds and trim landscaping
7. Repaint hall bathroom
8. DIY Christmas gifts for extended family members

Most likely, this list will have more projects added later. But that's all for now...whew...

don't. get. overwhelmed. sarah.

I can do this! Multitasking is my thing...the new thing is being a mom! Which ALWAYS comes first!!!

Berkley Grace Turner

The header of my blog, I think, says it all; a turn of events it has been! Berkley Grace Turner was born 10 days early on April 13th, 2011. She is the sweetest, most beautiful baby in the whole world! I am so thankful she is healthy and that labor and delivery went as smoothly as possible (more on that later).

Geoffrey and I are extremely proud parents and the grandparents, on both sides...well, let's just say they are all on cloud nine! Having a baby sure does change the dynamics of your family; in a good way. The only way I know how to describe it is that having a baby brings both sides of the family closer together. Her Lolli and Pops (Geoffrey's parents) adore her and so do her Gigi and Papa (my parents). Aunt K, Aunt Juju, Aunt Emily, Aunt Sarah and Uncle Fatty all love her to pieces too. Geoffrey and I are overwhelmed with thanksgiving that B has such an amazing family/support system. Berkley will grow up surrounded by family who will always love her, who will want to spend time with her and invest in her life! She is one lucky little lady.

I can honestly say the moment her daddy and I laid eyes on her we fell in love! I'm not going to lie, the first thought I had was "Why is she purple?" But my first emotion was pure JOY! Geoffrey actually voiced his first thought, which echoed mine. The nurses assured us that her color was normal and would subside momentarily. Which it did. As I laid there, watching the nurses measure Berkley, I was captivated...overwhelmed...mesmerized! I also couldn't believe I had given birth. That was a crazy thought; that it was all over, yet it was just beginning.

The first time I held her was just beautiful! I couldn't believe she was actually here and I was holding her, my precious gift from God, in my arms...finally! And Geoffrey and I couldn't wait to show her to our friends and family! So, before too long, the grandparents came in to meet their first granddaughter. Then the aunts and uncles came in, along with my grandmother. And before we knew it, the labor and delivery room was full of friends as well, on their lunch breaks, who came to see baby Berkley. It was wonderful introducing her to all the people I love so much!

B was born on a Wednesday morning and we didn't leave the hospital until Saturday morning because I had a fever (which meant B also had a fever for a little while) and had to stay on antibiotics for 48 hours. Which meant we had A LOT of visitors who came to meet Berkley. I can't even count the number of people who came up to the hospital to see us. Geoffrey and I were so blessed by everyone and we loved visiting with each one of them!

Bringing B home was weird. Getting in the car with her was weird; I just kept watching all the cars around us. Geoffrey and I talked about how much more we noticed careless drivers around us. And of course, we drove much more timidly too, I mean, we were carrying precious cargo! Once we got home, I just wept. Not because I was sad. The word I have to describe it is overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed with love, excitement, joy...I just felt blessed. I just kept looking at Berkley and thinking, "Oh my goodness, she's MY daughter. I am her mom...I love her so much!" That's the summery of my emotions that first week. My doctor told me I would cry randomly. She warned me that sometimes I would cry because I knew the reason, and sometimes I would cry not knowing the reason. I'd cry due to happiness, I'd cry due to just being tired...But she assured me it was normal. Well, crying isn't exactly normal for me. I am a pretty even keel kind of gal. So, when these emotions just came flooding in, it was so weird for me. Geoffrey would ask me what was wrong and wanted me to explain how I felt; sometimes there were just no words. But there was a song..."God I look to You" by Bethel Live:

God I look to You

I won't be overwhelmed

Give me vision to see things like You do

God I look to You

You're where my help comes from

Give me wisdom, You know just what to do

I will love You Lord my strength

I will love you Lord my shield

I will love You Lord my rock

Forever all my days, I will love you God

Hallelujah our God reigns

Hallelujah our God reigns

Hallelujah our God reigns

Forfever all my days Hallelujah

So, I listened to that song a lot that first week. In fact, Geoffrey made me a playlist on my iPhone that included these songs as well:

"Everlasting God"-Chris Tomlin

"Where I Belong"-Cory Asbury

"From the Inside Out"-Hillsong

"Forever Reign"-Hillsong Live

"Love is Here"-Tenth Avenue North

Every time I got up in the middle of the night to nurse B, I would put on my ear phones and listen to my worship playlist. Peace and joy would flood B's nursery and I just felt the presence of God..even in the middle of the night, when I wasn't always the most coherent (more like sleep deprived haha). It just reminded me that I could be confident in the promise that the Lord would never leave me nor forsake me; that He would guide me as I parent Berkley. The Lord would remind me that He had not given Geoffrey and I more than we could handle. He had equipped us for parenthood, and I had no reason to doubt or have any fear!

I love nursing B too. It was hard the first two weeks, but it has gotten easier and easier. It's my time with my baby girl. I pray over her, sing over her and love holding her each time I nurse. It's true what they say about nursing, it really does help form a really strong bond between mom and baby. I have to say, the pain at the beginning was worth it! (more on my nursing experience/expectations later).

Berkley is now one month old. Time has truly flown by. These last four weeks have just been a blur. Each week has been better than the last. My crying stopped sometime during week 2. But the overwhelming feelings of joy and love have not! I love being home with my daughter!!!

I said this the last time I posted anything, a lot sure has changed!! AND, it's been waaaaay too long since I blogged last! But, many things have indeed changed and it truly has been a long time since I posted anything.

It's January and I am 25, almost 26 weeks pregnant with a baby girl; Berkley! She is due April 23, right before Easter (which is really late this year). So far, pregnancy has been great! (She agrees I guess; she's moving around a lot right now). I just had a doctor's appointment two days ago and my Dr. said I am measuring perfectly; 25 cm. I've gained 10 pounds so far and I'm feeling good. We have another appointment in 3 weeks and then after that she wants to see me every two weeks until week 35 or 36 when she wants to see me every week I think. I can't believe how close we are getting to Berkley actually being here! On February 3, we have a 4D ultrasound scheduled at Stork Vision. I had no idea what 4D meant, I had to ask. Basically instead of still pictures at this ultrasound they will shoot live video of the sonogram and we will actually get to see Berkley move in real time. So if she is sucking her thumb or moving her fingers we will actually get to see her do those things as she is doing them! So many times I have thought how much I am looking forward to meeting her! Come February 3, we will at least know what her beautiful little face will look like!

These past few months have been crazy. Geoff and I have been preparing for this little one by a small remodeling project. I said small, but it took us two months of working on it many week nights and many Saturdays. But with a lot of help from my dad, we are finally finished! We honestly couldn't have done any of it without him! He was the master mind! I will post pics of the remodel later. Now, all we have left to do are the small projects. Painting Berkley's room is at the top of the list and getting her furniture delivered. We purchased her furniture in October I think, but we wanted to wait to have it delivered and assembled until after the room was painted. Hopefully we will paint soon. Not this weekend though. Our renters just moved out of our apartment and a new renter is moving in this Saturday, so Geoff and I will be busy getting the apt. cleaned and ready for the new renter.

I have some projects I'm working on as well. We found an old armoire at Junk Warehouse that is currently pink, that we want to sand, repaint and repurpose to use as extra storage in our kitchen. But I can't sand anything with old paint on it while I'm pregnant, so Geoff has to sand it for me. Then, I have a small desk that was my grandmothers that I currently use as a nightstand. It also needs to be sanded and repainted. But it probably won't get done until spring break. And I know there are many other little things I need or want to do before Berkley arrives, but I'm not too concerned if they do not get accomplished. Which admitting that is a huge thing for me, because I am a planner, perfectionist and all around "can't ever sit down" kind of gal because there's always stuff that needs to be done.

And now it is time to stop, because its getting late and I absolutely need my beauty sleep or I will be cranky and irritable tomorrow = )