Baby steps...

Over here at the Payne household we've been working hard on a bunch of little things:

• This weekend we finally decided on the paint colors for the nursery. I'd post them here, but the online colors don't really look anything like the actual paint chips. But, the general color scheme is similar to the samples that I posted previously. So the next step is to start putting primer on the walls. We have chosen to use a low VOC paint (Benjamin Moore Eco Spec) for this room. In general, we're trying to make environmentally responsible choices as we put this room together when it doesn't break the bank to do so.

• Sara was hard at work this weekend and finished clearing things out of her craft room (i.e., the room that will soon be the nursery). So we have lots of stuff to get rid of and lots of stuff that needs to be organized in its new location, the upstairs study. It's actually amazing that Sara had time to do all of this considering that she was also so busy making delicious croissants.

• Today we went to the doctor for another checkup. The visit with the doctor was brief. We heard the heart beating again (150 beats per minute today) and got a few questions answered. Then we went down to the lab where Sara needed to get some blood drawn for the second semester screening (aka, the "quad test"). As luck would have it, the lab was both busy and under staffed today so we had to wait about 1.5 hours before being called. Frustrating, but now it's all done. The next doctor's visit is scheduled for March 10. And we should find out if it's a girl or a boy around that time as well.

• The other big news this week is that we heard from several friends who recently added their first child to their family. Congrats to Joel & Nikki, Terry & Chantal, and Tim & Beth!!