One thing we use the nursery for a lot is changing diapers! And where there are diapers, there are other unpleasantries. I received some expert tips on reducing germ exposure and thought you might be interested in these. I’ve added some commentary in purple throughout the information below!

Expert Tips for Minimizing Germs in the Nursery

According to a recent study commissioned by Playtex surveying moms and moms-to-be on their germ-related knowledge, the majority of moms don’t know what it takes when it comes to keeping the nursery clean. In fact, most didn’t make the grade— the average score was a D! [Eeps, I wonder how I would have scored?]

To help moms brush up on their germ knowledge, germ expert Dr. Benjamin Tanner has partnered with Playtex and put together seven tips addressing simple things moms can do to maintain a clean and healthy nursery!

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After painting my daughter’s nursery, I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to put on the walls.  Thankfully I found vinyl wall decals!  They are a perfect option because they are easy to apply and remove.  This helps making decorating your child’s room as they grow more affordable.  Decals are definitely the new trend.  They range from small phrases to transforming entire walls!

EvgieNev (Evgie and Ev) have enjoyed drawing since childhood and have turned this into their livelihood.  They offer handmade vinyl stickers (large and small).  Their designs and ideas are for kid’s and grown-up’s rooms.  They start with an idea, draw it out with pencil and blank paper, and then render the designs digitally for vinyl cutting.  They have a lot of very cute decals!
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One of my bloggy friends, Leilani, now has a nice Etsy shop – Soleil Selene Creations – for her yarn wreaths as well as hair bands, clips, necklaces and more!  When she’s not crafting, she’s spending time with her girls, her husband, her dog, tweeting or blogging!  Whew.  Busy mama.  She’s also going to BlogHer in August, but needs help with expenses.  You can sponsor her directly, or buy her creations to help out!

I bought this lovely yarn wreath shortly after I was made aware of her shop.  It is very pretty!  The yarn is wound good and tight and the felt flowers are secured very well with glue (hot glue gun, if I’m not mistaken).  The flowers are varied with provides a pleasing visual texture.
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I’ve tried a few different ways to organize my cloth diapers, but when it comes to my pocket diapers and fitteds, I struggle with the best way to have them handy.  Plus, sometimes I pre-stuff pocket diapers so I don’t want those just stacked with empty shells.  So, I’ve been trying out this pink paisley park storage caddy from Baby Bedding Zone.

It’s been working pretty nice!  There is a T shaped divider that you can remove if you’d like.  It’s easy to take out or put in place because it uses buttons with elastic hoops to keep it in place.  It’s bright and pretty, soft, has handles for easy carrying around the house, and some pockets on the sides to stuff extra things.  It could be used as a mobile changing station with diapers, wipes, creams, etc or a variety of other things.  For example, it could be used as a craft caddy.  
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Have you seen the nursery that our tales come from?

I posted previously about the nursery painting process, but now it’s time to share some updated photos.  I decided to use this for Wordless Wednesday as well as for the Glimpse series from So Easy Being Green.

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At this point, time feels fast yet slow all at the same time.  I can hardly believe our little one will be here in less than a month.  The weeks seem to go by quickly.  Yet… it doesn’t seem fast enough.  Work days drag on.  Having medical monitoring appointments twice a week (due to the diabetes) does help the weeks go by a bit faster.

I just can’t wait until she is here.  I want to snuggle her!

It’s really like my husband said the other day:

Waiting for her to be born is like waiting for Christmas morning.

The anticipation and excitement continue to grow!

Looking around the nursery, it really looks like a little girl lives here.  Brian put together the swing, stroller, and pack ‘n play.  This weekend I washed all of her sheets, blankets, bibs, towels, washcloths, hats, mittens, socks and 0-3 clothes.  At first, I was only going to wash a few things.  I had this moment of panic what if she isn’t a she but a he? And then it passed.  We’ve gotten more ultrasounds than most people.  I don’t think they were wrong.  Yet, there’s still that tiny bit of fear… not that I wouldn’t be happy with a little boy – just he wouldn’t be happy with all the pink and purple stuff.
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Saturday we had our final baby related class – Bring Baby Home.  There was an overview of things to expect and watch for in the first few weeks as well as basic newborn care.

Believe me, practicing on a doll is not quite the same, but at least it gives you a chance to do things properly when you are calm and not scared of hurting the baby.  We got to practice holding for feeding, burping positions, swaddling (burrito!), sponge bathing, and diapering.  Brian has officially put a diaper on something that resembles a baby now! ;)

Then Sunday was my baby shower.  It was simple and fun.  Just the way I like such a gathering!  It is a little strange seeing the nursery full of baby items.  It’s lookin’ pretty full right now with gift bags all over the floor.  I still have to finish taking pictures of the clothes and such that I bought…. now I also have to take pictures of the shower gifts!  Next I need to start washing some blankets and clothes so they are ready for her and put things away in her room.

We do have some necessities that need to be purchased yet, such as:

We received a lot of wonderful gifts, and I appreciate everyone that came! We did get our carseat and stroller – yay! Now Brian gets to install the carseat in his car and go to the police department for a safety check.  We’ll probably have that done in a couple weeks so it is all set in case babygirl decides to arrive early.

Today marks the start of my 3rd trimester.  It’s hard to believe it.  On the one hand, it feels like time has flown by, but on the other hand… babygirl just isn’t arriving fast enough!! (But please stay in there, sweetie, until you are done cookin’.)

With 13 weeks left… let’s take a look at what I have left to do from the list I posted up when I hit the halfway point:

1 – Crochet a baby blanket (well, need to learn how to crochet well first… eeps)

Well, I still haven’t started this.  I bought the yarn and asked my mom for a lesson to refresh my memory.  Hopefully I’ll get it made before she turns one…

2 – Paint the nursery (more specifically, this is hubby’s job)

This was completed!!

3 – Train cats to stay out of the bassinet (although they haven’t climbed in… yet)

The cats are staying out of it with no problem… for now.  I’ve been trying to keep them off my glider though.  That hasn’t been as easy.  For some reason, they really love just hanging out in the nursery.

4 – Make plastic canvas Nursery Rhyme pictures (I have the patterns, just need more yarn!)

Haven’t started this…

5 – Find and sign up for classes: birthing and breastfeeding

I got us signed up for a few classes: childbirth, breastfeeding, and bring home new baby.  This weekend is the childbirth class.  I have the BFing class in a couple weeks and the new baby class is mid-September.

6 – Find a daycare for when I return to work

I’m still working on finding word of mouth recommendations before I start checking places out.

7 – Find a pediatrician

I received several recommendations, which is awesome.  One is nearby and is actually within the same clinic as mine and Brian’s primary care doctor.  Now I just need to talk with him and see if he’s accepting new patients.  I hope to have this and daycare sorted out by the end of September.

8 – Purchase whatever essentials we don’t get from dear sweet family and friends that are an absolute must for the first few weeks

Can’t do this part yet until after the babyshower! It’s scheduled for mid-September.  I also have a work shower coming up as well.

Well, at least there really isn’t anything to add to this list!