Project Surprise: Coming Home
Our Project Baby Surprise Baby BOY comes home!
The coming home went like clockwork…
Welcome Home Wreath by Girltastic Grand Galas
Renee and I got there first to set up the food and drink. The CBS-11 crew arrived, got set up and 15 minutes later John, Kaysie and baby pulled up in front of the house. Their family pulled up right behind them so everyone walked in together…cameras following close behind.
We knew it was a success when we heard Kaysie trying to hold back the tears
Elle and Mel donated all of the labor on the bedding.
The Peekaboo Crew refinished the changing table to fit the travel theme.
To keep with our theme, we picked up these vintage suitcases (below) at a resale shop…perfect for a side table!
Below is the “no peeking” card we receive from the doctor…it was indeed a boy!
Lone Star Baby donated a super comfy chair to the family’s nursery.
The Big Bro/Big Sis art work turned out wonderful! Luke and Emily’s art made the room!
The floor pillows are a signature of Peekaboo’s. These include unltra soft swirl minky to give the the family a cozy place to lounge.
Catch up on Project Baby Surprise –
Behind the Scenes with CBS Channel 11 Covering Project Baby Surprise
Watch for the Channel 11 story Tuesday, September 22 on the 10:00 news!
Project Baby Surprise: It’s a…
If you have been following Project Baby Surprise then you know how much has been resting on the results of this mom’s Ultrasound…
John and Kaysie’s family and friends gathered with Luke and Emily in the waiting room anticipating baby’s arrival.
pro
Finally, John came in to the waiting room. After getting his mic in order for the CBS-11 crew, he made it over to the IPOD to push play!
The music started and Kaysie’s sister, Stephanie, was the first to yell out….IT’S A BOY!!!! Sure enough…”Beautiful Boy” by John Lennon was playing.
John and Kaysie’s plan worked perfectly…everyone popped the opposite ballon and all that was left were balloons of blue!
Everyone heads to the nursery to meet the new little man for the very first time!
Best friend, Iris gets a first peek.
Big Sis sees her little brother for the first time in the safety of her Grandfather’s arms.
Proud Grandmothers.
Introducing….
Big Bro and Big Sis take their turn holding their new baby brother.
Mother and son meet for the first time (stylin’ satin surgery cap, Kaysie!)
Big Bro guessed it right!!
What a great day!! A huge ”THANK YOU” to the family for letting us be a part of this very special time.
And, on behalf of the Peekaboo crew…I think I can say, “Phew! Thank goodness the sonogram was correct once again!!” No one was happier than us to hear that it was indeed a boy!
Speaking of which, the family has more to look forward to. The nursery will be revealed this weekend!!
Catch up on Project Baby Surprise –
Behind the Scenes with CBS Channel 11 Covering Project Baby Surprise
We have a newsletter!
August 14, 2009 by Texasholly
Filed under Best Of, cheap, free & easy, feature
Burb Mom is proud to announce that we have a weekly e-newsletter.
OK, we used to have one and then Holly got all lazy and didn’t keep up with it, but that all has changed…well, the full disclosure would be that Holly isn’t actually writing it and has coerced Katie into it, but that is all behind the scenes hair-pulling at Burb Mom HQ.
BOTTOM LINE: Use this fancy form to sign up for the FREE and FABULOUS newsletter - Oh, and your email addresses will stay with Burb Mom and we have been averaging one newsletter every 3.76 months but will try to stick to a no more than weekly routine…
Once you enter your email and first name above, you will be sent an email to confirm that you ACTUALLY want the newsletter and no one is FORCING you into receiving it. Just click on the link in the email and…
wa-lah!
Just like magic.
Thanks and please tell your friends!
Project Baby Surprise – Nursery for Girl is Fit for a Queen
Last week was all about the Baby Boy Nursery Board. This week it’s time to share the Baby Girl Nursery Board!
As I said last week, the ideas for baby girl were abundant and varied greatly. This made it a challenge to decipher just what our couple would like best.
I kept coming back to one picture that Kaysie showed us of an elegant little girl’s room with ice blue walls adorned with beautiful silk fabrics with a subtle hint of gold shimmer. The topper in this pictured room was a black and white hooked rug. It added interest and absolutely made the room.
With this picture in mind, I set out to recreate the nursery version of this room. The inspiration was anything but princess and everything queen!
In the board below, you’ll find a beautiful blue silk fabric with gold rose accents as our staple fabric. The crib skirt is a dusty blue dupioni silk…our favorite for crib skirts because it’s easy to manipulate. The skirt will be created with what we call, “a little extra pouf” that flows to the floor.
Here’s the board using the black and white rug.
Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I came across this great bright floral rug. Below is basically the same room with a yellow based cream wall and a brighter foundation.
Above the crib in both rooms is a silk swag that will be held in place by hooks shaped like crowns that are brushed in gold. Over the changing table are framed pieces of aged silverware. Big bro and little sis will also contribute their family famous artwork over the ‘mini throne’ placed for late night chats between siblings.
My favorite in this room is the custom tuft that we will create as a comfy place to prop up their feet as they care for baby. It reminds me of something straight out of the Queen’s Palace.
The girl boards were a hit. John and Kaysie decided that they liked the creamy yellow based room with the bright, but sophisticated rug as the foundation (even though John’s not holding it up in this pic – they like it, I swear!).
Now, they’ve agreed on their boy and girl nursery and they have their mini-boards in-hand.
For the Burb Mom family, the wait is on.
For us, the work just begins.
Will the family be bringing home a baby boy or girl?
Next Week: CBS-11 has been working side-by-side with us in this nursery. Come back next week to see behind the scenes!
Catch up on Project Baby Surprise:
Project Surprise – Baby Boy Nursery Taking Flight
We are week three into Project Baby Surprise…
The surprise baby and nursery are in full swing now.
John & Kaysie have taken the “No Peeking” card to their doctor. Soon, Peekaboo will receive the card marked boy or girl and the grunt work will begin!
"No Peeking" card to be marked Boy or Girl!
In our first meeting, we sat down with John and Kaysie to discuss what they would like for each nursery, boy and girl.
The boy nursery was a cinch…planes! John is an avid pilot and works in the aviation field…so up, up and away! Plus, they have a yummy brown with blue striped fabric that they deemed a “must-have”…all great starts for their baby boy nursery board.
So not to be so ‘themie’ with the airplanes; the motivation for the boy room is travel. The bedding is simple and elegant playing off their favorite striped brown and blue fabric. We will securely fasten travel posters above the crib to create a dramatic focus for the room.
Design Board for Baby Boy
My favorite part of this nursery has got to be the changing table. The plan is to re-purpose a dresser, turning it into a fabulous and functional changing table with an old world feel. To carry through the travel inspiration, we will adhere aged maps to the front of the dresser and finish it off with vintage copper drawer pulls.
On the closet wall, you’ll find art finer than any displayed at the DMA…it’s Luke and Emily’s art created especially for their new little brother…or, sister! Below their art work are floor pillows for hanging out with their new little slave sibling.
John & Kaysie Review the Baby Boy Board with Kim
John and Kaysie loved the boy board…phew! But, that’s not the board I’m worried about. I had a great idea of what they wanted for baby boy.
Baby girl is a different story. They had tons of ideas, but couldn’t decide on a definite inspiration. After careful concentration and watching them talk about all of their ideas for baby girl, the team came up with something grand! Or so we think. I just hope John and Kaysie agree.
Here’s a hint: Princesses are out…there’s a new chick in town!
Catch up on the fun with Project Baby Surprise – Introductions and First Comes Love
Project Baby Surprise: First Comes Love…
Today Project Baby Surprise is getting to know John and Kaysie better. They have been married 11 years and are expecting their third child.
*If you are new to Project Baby Surprise, then please click here for Project Baby Surprise: Introductions*
Here is the interview I did with Kaysie:
Where did you and John grow up and where is your family now?
I (Kaysie) was born in Dallas in 1977, and grew up in the Plano/Allen area. Almost all of my extended quirky family (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins) are all in the Dallas area as well, which makes for really fun (and crowded!) holidays. John was born in El Paso in 1972, and spent parts of his childhood in Waco and Alaska. His extended family is split between Waco and Dallas. We both attended Allen High School, but not at the same time. Missed each other by one year… Actually, that’s probably a good thing because he was kind of a scuzzy rocker guy in high school (sorry, babe!).
How and when did you and John meet?
John and I met at Garden Ridge in Plano in 1994, where we were both working part-time. I had a boyfriend at the time, and he had just ended a relationship, so we were not romantically interested in each other at first. We started out as friends, and John would go with me to see girly movies that my boyfriend refused to see. He said he knew I was the girl for him when we met at the theater after work one day. After the movie started, I leaned over in the dark and asked him in a whisper if he was hungry. I then proceeded to pull Big Macs, Dr Peppers and french fries out of my purse! The rest is history… I dumped my boyfriend and we dated for about a year before he proposed. We were married in April of 1998.
How long were you married before you had your son, Luke?
We were married for three years before we had Luke. Not because we had any problem getting pregnant (trust me! I just have to think about it and it happens!), but because John was smart and said we needed time to enjoy each other before adding a baby into the mix. I would have been all for having a baby right off the bat, but I’m glad we (John) decided to wait. Luke was born in 2001.
How did you find out you were pregnant this time?
It was sooo an accident! We thought we had the perfect little family with Luke and Emily, and were not planning to have any more children. I began to think that I might be pregnant around the middle of February, but I didn’t want to say it out loud for fear that it would make it true. We couldn’t afford to have another child in daycare, we didn’t have an extra bedroom, we were just now paying off massive amounts of debt that we had accumulated when John had been out of a job… It just wasn’t a good time for us to be having an unexpected baby. I voiced my fears to my friend Cindy at work, and she said we should go get a pregnancy test at lunch. I told her I just wanted to wait a couple more weeks. That night when I got home, John asked nonchalantly, “So… think you’re pregnant?” “I don’t knooooww…” I moaned, and started to cry. He was so sweet and told me that everything would be okay, that if we were pregnant we would make it work, that God has an ultimate plan… He bought the test the next day and it was positive. And John was right (he always is), things have just seemed to fall into place as we prepare for our new babe, due in great part to Peekaboo!
Do you have a term of endearment that you use to refer to baby?
Does “baby” count?
That’s what John usually uses… in babytalk. I have used “punkin’”, “charmed child”, and “demon spawn” (affectionately of course!) when the baby kicks me in the ribs!
Whose idea was it to keep the surprise? Who is more likely to peek?
It was a mutual decision to keep demon spawn’s (just kicked me in the ribs) gender a surprise. We figure that the pregnancy started off as a surprise, so it should end that way too! I wish that we had kept the surprise with Luke and Emily too. It has been much more exciting and special to keep that wonder and expectation alive. And working with Peekaboo has been double the fun, since we get to look and dream about both boy and girl nurseries. I have become so attached to both of our nursery ideas that I think I will feel somewhat sad to let the other fade into oblivion after the baby is born… *melancholy sigh*. I love both of the nurseries just as I love the thought of having another baby boy or another baby girl in our family. I don’t think either of us will try and peek at the nursery, but if I have to choose one or the other, I’d probably say me. I’m weak.
What is something that you could not live without when Luke and Emily were babies?
Boudreaux’s Butt Paste! A mother’s best friend… Also, Mylicon to help relieve baby gas. We went through so much of that stuff! Not sure why our babies were so gassy….? The most important thing in our nurseries was the glider. There’s just something about rocking a sleepy baby in the middle of the night… When Luke was tiny, I was so tired all of the time. I remember getting up to rock him back to sleep in the wee hours of the morning and just wishing he would hurry up and sleep through the night. And then he grew up… (And I’m making myself cry) And I missed my tiny baby boy… and wished I could have one more night when just the two of us were awake in the quiet dark house, with his warm breath on my neck and his soft breathing in time to the rhythm of the rocking chair…
When Emily arrived, I was more aware of how quickly time passes and I tried to enjoy every minute of her babyhood. I know I will cherish each second of the charmed child’s, especially knowing that he/she is the last…
Tune in next week when we find out the plans for both a boy and girl nursery and have an exciting and unexpected behind the scene story…
FREE Event at Flower Mound Boomerangs
July 25, 2009 by Texasholly
Filed under cheap, free & easy, events, feature
Burb Mom is so excited to be co-hosting a great FREE event for moms…did I mention FREE?…at Boomerangs in Flower Mound Wednesday, July 29, 2009 11:00 am to 2:00.
Bring your kids for a day of bouncing, playing, laughing, & fun at Boomerang’s Party & Play – 2301 Cross Timbers Rd Lewisville, TX 75028.
Burb Mom editors will be there ‘cuz it is FREE.
Other amazing activities will be set up for both parents and kids to enjoy.
Boomerangs will be selling Papa John’s Pizza and refreshments from their concession area.
Admission is free, but is limited to 250 children.
Sign-up today to reserve your family’s space! As with All Playin’ Around Town family events, you need to be a member.
But that is easy…and FREE.
What is Up with Burbmom.net?
We made an executive decision this week that Burbmom.net was not moving fast enough. In the midst of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, homework, carpools and soccer practice…we did not have the time for a slow loading article on our favorite website. I doubt that you did either.
So…we decided to move to a new server (blah, blah, blah)…
This kind of move can be tricky so we are working to have everything functioning how it was before. And better!
We are aiming to be NEW AND IMPROVED by Sunday evening, so next week…
Your beloved website will be back to normal…
Thanks for hanging in there with us!
Please come back on Monday, April 27th for an improved and faster BURBMOM.NET!
**Don’t Forget to Enter the Custom Blanket/Pillow Set from Javis Davis. Winner will be announced on Monday, April 27th!**
Advice Reality Check
March 17, 2009 by Texasholly
Filed under eat, feature, reality check
When I was pregnant with my first child I read 7 books on pregnancy and 5 books on early parenting. During the first year of his life I subscribed to two different parenting magazines and continued devouring books on the subject…
Wear your baby.
Don’t wear your baby.
Start solids at 3 months.
Don’t you dare start solids at 3 months.
Let him cry it out.
Don’t EVER let a baby cry.
As my child grew so did the amount of available advice…
Potty train by age 2.
Don’t potty train until he is ready.
Potty train in one day.
Big potties, little potties, porta-potties….ARGHHHHHH!
Teach your child to read.
Don’t push academics.
Meanwhile I was bombarded with advice from other areas of life…
Paint your kitchen cabinets.
Remove wallpaper yourself.
Cook this way.
No this way.
Use this product.
Use that product.
This craft is easy and will keep your children occupied.
These homemade Christmas Cards are an absolute must for any self-respecting mother of three.
Drinking this juice will make you younger.
Making this homemade face mask will change your life.
TV personalities, Magazine Editors, Internet Experts, Book Writers, Movie Makers all seem to know exactly how I SHOULD be doing it. But don’t most of them have a staff of people helping?
Help!
Help!
Heeeeeeeeeeelp!
I need an advice reality check.
I am NO expert.
We are No experts.
Which is why what we are planning will be SO MUCH FUN!
We are starting an advice reality check section here at burbmom.net. We are going to choose a piece of advice and then follow that advice and then report to you what REALLY happened.
You can get involved too.
You can suggest advice that you have always wondered about by leaving a comment below or emailing it to holly@burbmom.net or you can volunteer to join us in trying out advice.
Our first reality check series starts TODAY – We are taking on the 21 meal plan for a family of four by Chef Cat Cora as seen on Oprah last week. She claims I will be able to easily feed my family 21 homemade meals for less than $150.
We’ll just see about that…
How to make Burbmom.net your home page
March 3, 2009 by bianca
Filed under feature, mommy tech 101
Many of you come to the site daily, and others of you are just frequent visitors – either way we wanted to share with you how you can make burbmom.net your homepage in 5 easy steps.
Note: For simplicity sake, I am going to explain how to do this if you are browsing the net with Mozilla’s Firefox. Internet Explorer or Safari might be slightly different.
- First things first. At the top of your internet browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.) there should be a tab called “Tools.”
- Click on the Tools tab and choose the last option, which reads: Options
- The first box you see should say, “When Firefox starts: Show my Home Page.”
- The second box is where you can specify what this homepage is. In the box, type: http://www.burbmom.net/
- Then, go to the bottom and click ok.
Now you can just click on the house icon and…
Voila! You are at your new homepage – Burbmom.net!
