Two Weeks

I can't believe it has been two weeks since our family has welcomed this little one into the world...

She made quite an entrance, loudly protesting the bright lights and room full of strangers in scrubs...

She has quite a set of vocal chords this one.  ;)

We've had two weeks of snuggles and cuddles...

Two weeks of counting fingers and toes...

This sweet girl has quickly found her place in our family, and already I'm so blessed to get to be her mom.

Welcome to the world little "Poppy"!

Born April 5, 2013

7 lbs 8 oz, 20"

The 84,000 Books I've Read on Bed Rest

That might be a slight exaggeration.

I've only finished 7 books in the last 3 weeks, I've vetoed 3 books, and I have 4 books still in progress.  Pretty much the number of books I read all last year (which is sad for a serious book-lover like me).

Some of these are pure fluff.  Some of these are fluff I want to own (all these have been checked out from my local library since books aren't so functional as diapers).  Many of these are substantial, thought-provoking, must reads which I must own (diapers, what?).

Without further ado I give you...

The Style/Fashiony Fluff

Out of all of these, How To Look Hot in a Minivan was an impulse read and was, truthfully, not worth the time it took to read it.  Thankfully, since it was as mind-numbing engaging as a copy of US Weekly, the time commitment wasn't that great.  The highlight for me was the in-depth section on botox/plastic surgery/injections.  "Horrific" doesn't begin to touch the surface, but like any good train wreck, I just couldn't look away.  You've been warned.

On the opposite end of the still-fluffy spectrum was How To Look Expensive - which I so don't want to return to the library.  Definitely putting this one on my wish list.  Though the title sounds like it could be giving you pointers on something seedy, it's definitely a much classier read than How To Look Hot.  It's chock full of idea for hair, make-up, and your personal style with thorough lists of product suggestions at all price points.  Basically, if Vogue, In Style, and Allure had a baby in a timeless, hardback edition, this would be it.

Parisian Chic by Ines de la Fressange is another great read.  Although this one is 75% travel guide, 25% classic style book, it still did not disappoint.  Since traveling to France is on my bucket list, this is a must buy for me.  If you aren't as interested in things to see and do in Paris, then you might want to go the library route on this one.

Everyone Should Read

You Learn By Living by Eleanor Roosevelt is just as relevant today as it was when it was first published in 1960.  I have never read anything by Eleanor before, and I feel certain that I've been missing out!  I cannot express to you enough how much I loved this book.  Her words of wisdom are timeless and plainly written.  I think all 8th graders should be required to read it before leaving the zoo that is middle school for the zoo that is high school. And then they should read it again before graduating high school.  And probably again at age 25 and 30.  On my buy list for sure.

Books That Have Inspired Me

The Memoir Project is a short, quick read, but is full of wonderful advice for anyone aspiring to write anything, ever.  Marion Roach Smith's humor is infectious making this read anything but dry.  Instead of giving you cheesy writing prompts, she takes you by the hand and shows you how to just jump in and write.  And revise.  And then edit some more.  Ruthlessly.  I have a feeling I will be checking this one out from my library over and over and over....making it yet another book on my buy list.

I really didn't anticipate that I would learn anything from 168 Hours.  I mean, I know I'm a stay-home mom, but I really don't feel like I have extra time...ever.  I stand corrected.  168 Hours is another must read/must own.  The premise is that most of us schedule our time from day to day and fritter much of that time on frivolous things that don't bring us closer to our goals.  By taking a critical look at how we spend our time over the course of a week (or 168 hours) we can identify time sucks (hello iPhone and Facebook) and strive to be more intentional in the ways we choose to spend our most precious resource.  I am challenged and inspired by this concept, and it will be interesting to see how I'm able to put it into use in the upcoming weeks as I learn to juggle the demands of a newborn and a two year old.

I have read so many reviews for 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker.  And over and over I told myself that I didn't want to read this book.  Everyone who reads this book comes away challenged and changed and I was fine with my head in the sand.  And then my sweet cousin went and mentioned Jen Hatmaker in a blog post, and I realized I had to read this book.  If for no other reason, because I wanted to badly to ignore it.  My family lives a relatively simple life.  When I'm not having crazy preggo cravings, we support local restaurants, local farmers markets, buy organic from our grocery store, make our food mostly from scratch, grow veggies in our backyard, compost, are no strangers to thrifting and estate sale adventures, budget tightly, and give intentionally to organizations with causes we support.  And yet, reading this, I still felt challenged that I could do more.  In a good way, not in a "I don't do enough, I'm not perfect enough" way.  It's hard to explain.  So if you are one who wants to ignore this type of book, I completely get it.  But one day, if you're willing to give it a read, I think you'll find random nuggets of inspiration as well.

Happy April {It's BABY WEEK!!}

Y'all!  I am bursting at the seams with excitement!  I get to meet this sweet little one on FRIDAY!

I have been on modified bed rest since 35 weeks thanks to contractions and the fact that my body seemed ready to go, even though this little one wasn't quite all developed.  It was a huge sigh of relief to get to 37 weeks, and now that we're at 38+ weeks I am just elated!

I'm sure you've noticed I've taken a step back from blogging recently.  I have been focused on spending time with the Kiddo and the Hubster and on finishing up smaller projects around the house as I can.  Don't worry, I will keep you all in the loop with sweet baby pictures, but I will definitely be taking a more relaxed approach to blogging in April.

But before I do, there are fun things to look forward to on the blog this week.  All the required resting has given me an opportunity to read much more than usual.  I am so inspired - I can't wait to tell you all about it.  And I also will give you a closer sneak peek of the almost-finished-but-not-quite-nusery.  Let's be honest, will it ever truly be finished?  Knowing me, no.  I will always be tweaking and editing.  But it is very close to what I have envisioned and I can't wait to share.  :)

Happy April everyone!  Now go forth and enjoy the sunshine and pretty flowers.  ;)

When You've Made a Mistake {A Nursery Update}

I really thought I could make it work.  I had inspiration and I could envision how it would all come together.  But the more I worked at it, the more I realized...

...the blue walls just had to go.

I dreaded this.  Hubster had made his opinion loud and clear at the outset that he really didn't want to repaint the nursery.  I was sooooo confident that I would make it work and be happy with the results.

But the more coral, citrine, gold, white, and Tiffany blue we brought into the room the more busy the room became.  It wasn't a quiet and restful nursery.  It was a circus of color.  It was unfocused.

It was driving me crazy.

And yet, I kept trying to make it work.  "One more project and it will feel so much more feminine in here" I would say.  I was lying.

So, 33 weeks into this pregnancy I announced to the Hubster that we were changing the main paint color in the nursery.  I announced that I was fully aware he was not on board with this change, and I announced that I would be doing all the painting.  Myself.  No assistance needed.

Really.

I packed up the Kiddo and together we trudged off to Lowe's and bought a gallon of Valspar's Woodrow Wilson Putty and a new drop-cloth.  And I lugged that gallon out of my car and into the garage, where it sat while I tried to summon the energy to start my project.

All this either thoroughly amused or thoroughly annoyed my dear Hubster.  Either way, he waited exactly one week before he quietly moved all the furniture to the middle of the room, taped off the walls, and began painting.  His only request was that I edge in the tree, which I did.  He even remeasured and repainted the stripes on the striped wall.  What was once a labor of love for his son, he now made a labor of love for his daughter...and for his wife.

We are so blessed to have him for a husband and a father.

But, if I had been honest with myself in January, when I had that brief burst of energy before I came down with the shingles, I would have planned to re-paint all along.  I'd even confided to close friends that if I could do anything, I would paint over the blue with either a grey or an ivory and keep the tree, flowers, and stripes.  But I "knew" that was crazy so we were going to make the blue work.

In my obstinate endeavor to make it work, I kept us headed in the wrong direction for two months.  For two months I could have been painting without it exhausting my body.  I told myself how innovative I was being by working with what already existed.  But I was wrong.

I love C.S. Lewis' quote from Mere Christianity.  I have found it to be true over and over.  When you realize you've gone in the wrong direction, the sooner you admit it and go back in the right direction, the sooner you will make real progress.  

Here is a glimpse of our little girl's nursery now.

It is not perfectly staged.  There are still many, many projects which are undone.  And the hinges for the closet doors have gone missing!  But this room is more restful, and now the colors give pops of life to the room instead of competing with one another.

I am so glad we made this change.  The reality is that I might not be able to carry this little girl all the way to our planned c-section date.  I have been ordered to rest every chance I get, which doesn't leave much room for design projects.  It is such a joy to have this one thing done.  I know everything else will fall into place over time.

Lately...

I know it's been quiet here lately.  This baby girl of mine is still baking, but I have been forced to take a huge step back in my daily life in order to preserve my last shred of sanity and keep this girly from making an early appearance.  

I have random lists in my head at all times.  For your general amusement, here is my list of projects that need to be completed, in no particular order (and please, feel free to laugh at/with me because I know these aren't all going to be completed...maybe ever).

1. pack for the hospital
2. pack baby girl for the hospital
3. sew pillow covers for sofa pillows
4. organize baby girl's dresser drawers
5. sew a new slipcover for the rocker
6. sew crib skirt
7. sew crib bumpers
8. finish re-painting flowers on nursery wall
9. hang picture gallery in nursery
10. hang picture gallery in Kiddo's room
11. make and order a family photo album for last year, and 2011, and 2010 (and every year going back to 2005)
12. send in my broken camera lens for repairs (ha! sorry baby girl...looks like we'll be doing iphone video for your birth as well)
13. sew pretty camera strap for my fancy camera with the broken lens
14. read each of the 10 books i have currently checked out of the library
15. add all the pretty vintage items i have to my etsy store
16. buy baby girl a baby book and write in it
17. sleep, as much as possible
18. drink water, as much as possible so my contractions won't be so bad (of course the marathon sprints to the bathroom probably aren't going to help stop my labor)
19. go to last (LAST?!?!?!) doctor's appointment next week
20. order stationery and finish thank you cards
21. get my child out of diapers.....yesternow
22. get my puppy to stop using the pretty white shag carpet as her personal bathroom
23. paint chalkboard wall for the Kiddo
24. paint curio cabinet
25. clean out a spot for the pack-n-play in the master bedroom
26. i'd like some pretty pillows for the master bedroom while i'm thinking about it, since i know i'll be sequestered there as the resident milk-cow for at least the month of April
27. April! take bluebonnet pictures while they're blooming
28. buy new swimsuit (ugh) that covers my lovely stretch marks
29. don't forget to go to the dentist next week!
30. make dermatologist appointment to get rid of those new veins
31. laundry, laundry, laundry, laundry
32. pick out a baby name.  this child must be named!!!

Okay, I'm stopping now.  Because really, 32 things on a to-do list when you only have 14 days and 8 hours and 15 minutes before you're supposed to be in the OR meeting your sweet new baby is more than a little crazy.

And really, the one thing I'm most concerned with doing at this point is spending as much time as possible with this handsome man.

I want to snuggle and hold and spend every moment possible with him, making him feel completely treasured and special.  Because everything is about to change!  And I want to make sure he knows he holds a very special place in our family.  :)

The Bump Grows {and grows}

Slightly embarrassing.  I really wish 29 weeks looked a little less raggedy.  But someday I will look back and smile and be glad I took these pictures.  I know, because I look back at my pregnancy pictures with the Kiddo and think....I wasn't as big as I thought I was!  Aaaaand I do tend to look at these and think....geez I'm HUGE...much bigger than last time!  Someday, when there are no more babies to be had, I will think "how did I ever do that?".  So this is important business...the documenting of my sweet daughter, who is growing by leaps and bounds {and bowls of ice cream and Girl Scout cookies} every single day.  No matter how rough this time around has been, I am blessed.  And I feel blessed.  And I'm blessed to share it with you, my friends.

Just 7 1/2 weeks to bows and baby cuddles and little painted toes!  :)

p.s. The irony that the picture I look best in is the one where I have full blown shingles does not escape me at all.  I guess I still have the tendency to try to dress better than I feel when at all possible.  I totally turned around and put yoga pants and slippers on after this, though.  ;)  And y'all will be happy to know the shingles are on their way out!  I will be so glad to not feel so itchy and achy!  :)

New Year...Exciting Things To Come!

I'm just going to come out with it...

We're expecting another little one!

If you follow me on Facebook, then you already know all too well how much this pregnancy has kicked my butt.  I won't go into too much detail here, because I'm really not looking to have a pity party, but suffice it to say, I was surprised with how difficult this pregnancy has been compared to my first.

Regardless...I feel immeasurably blessed.

Another little one...in 12 weeks and 2 days!

And have I mentioned that this little one is a GIRL?  I really could care less if I had a boy or a girl.  My son has taught me that little boys are sweet and charming and such a joy to raise {yes, I'm saying that even though he is so in a temperamental two year old phase at the moment}.  But, among the Hubster, the Pupster, and the Kiddo, I am the only female!  It will be nice to have another dose of girly-ness to balance out all the testosterone. 

So, with the new addition to our family comes a menagerie of changes.  I have spent countless hours thinking through how to shift our house around to make it the most functional for our family.  After much deliberation I have decided that there is no perfect answer for how to move everything around.

Just when I think I've let go of my perfectionist ways, my Type-A inner self surfaces and leaves me indecisive in moments when I truly need to make a decision.  Like yesternow.  I kicked around the possibility of having the kids share a room.  I'm not at all opposed to this solution, however, I don't think it's the best fit for our family until our sweet little "Poppy" is closer to a year old and her schedule is closer to that of her big brother.

Since we live in a three bedroom house, this means something has to give.  And in this case the something is our office/guest room.  It kills me to give up this space.  We so enjoy having friends and family stay overnight throughout the year and I am determined to continue that tradition.  But, I have accepted that what that tradition looks like is going to have to change.  Let's face it, I don't have Edie's guest room to entertain with, and Edie doesn't have a toddler and a newborn.

The best thing I can do for my family and for myself is to work with what I have to make our home the most functional, efficient, and beautiful place it can possibly be; preferably with things we already own.

Here is the solution I have decided on:

The breakfast nook will now house my grandmother's dining table, and become our official eating space.  It's always been our day-to-day eating space...now it is no longer redundant with a full dining room sitting adjacent and unused.

The dining room will become our office.  I have been so hesitant to go this route.  I know many people have converted their dining rooms into offices successfully, but usually their dining room is set apart from the remaining living spaces.  Our dining room is very high traffic...it is the room that connects our kitchen/breakfast nook to our two main hallways, which lead to the bedrooms and the living room.  Very high traffic.  So I'm skeptical at how practical this solution will be since 1) it will no longer be a place to retreat to in order to get things done and 2) I won't be able to shut a door to keep little hands from messing with buttons and computer cords.  Still, I have decided we're going to give it a shot.  If it's awful and completely non-functional for us, then I reserve the right to change it.  Nothing is set in stone here.

 

Our office/guest room will become the Kiddo's new big boy room.  He is so excited about this.  And I was worried he was going to feel booted from his cozy nursery.  Apparently, he isn't as attached to his nursery as I am.  ;)

 

And, last but by no means least, the nursery will be tweaked so that the space has a decidedly feminine edge.  I will keep the blue walls, and the tree and flowers we so painstakingly painted, but I will add in coral flowers and leaves to the murals and bring in lots of coral, white, gold, citrine, and turquoise to make the space feel girly.  Think Susan's room from the Parent Trap meets a nursery. 

We've already begun the process of shifting the rooms around...

...but in this quiet moment before the hectic day begins, I'm ignoring the messy confusion and enjoying this one clean spot amongst the mayhem...

  

Y'all don't worry - I have a fabulous plan for those chairs.  ;)

Three Months and an Exciting Discovery {for me, that is}

I cannot believe my little one is already three months old.

I have absolutely no clue where time is flying off to.

I know he wasn't the littlest of newborns…

…but he has gotten so big so fast.

If only he would just stay little.

So I can cradle him up and snuggle with him forever.

AND…the exciting news I know you've all been on the edge of your seats waiting for….

…drumroll please….

3 months and 4 days after the birth of my son….

…{no we're not preggers again}…

...I have FINALLY found that box of non-maternity clothes I misplaced!

You know, the one with all my really cute and comfy long sleeved shirts that I boxed up last year to get out of my closet so I could fill it with clothes that expand.  I have been searching all over the place for these clothes since the day we got home from the hospital.

I was convinced that they had all fallen behind my shelves in my closet {mostly because I DID have some clothes stacked up there that my hubbster confessed to accidentally shoving down the "hole".  But he did plastic surgery on my shelves and swore that he got them all out.  And I still couldn't find my pink long sleeve tee that is so comfy and cozy.

Tada!  They were under the bed the whole time.  Under my hubster's side of the bed.  And every time I looked, I kept checking under my side of the bed.  I'm blaming this on sleep deprivation and new mommy brain {very similar to preggo brain…however it will conveniently last as long as I need an excuse for forgetting anything and everything}.

HELLO comfy clothes.  It is now March.  In South Texas.  I do not think we will be seeing much of each other for another…oh, say, nine months or so.

Let's hope I don't "loose" my mountain of maternity clothes…now it's their turn to go underground.  Ha!  :)

Better Late Than Never!

Many exciting things happened in December 2010.  Here is a quick recap…

My wonderful baby boy (and the reason for my lapse in blogging) was born December 1, 2010.  9 lb. 2 oz., 21.5".

Our Christmas card photo…yes this was taken 3 days after the Kiddo was born.  I did my hair and make-up just before it was taken, and strategically cropped it to hide the swelling from my IVs and the baby weight.  Also, you should know that I cried many postpartum tears that morning and again after we took pictures.  Please don't think that you should be up to taking pictures 3 days after having a baby…I sure didn't and was insane to do this!

My brother, his girlfriend, Emily, and their 2 dogs, Carson and Margo, came for a visit...it was Emily's first visit to Texas...you can't visit without seeing the Alamo!  And eating Tex-Mex...which tasted a lot better when I was pregnant!

We had our annual family Christmas celebration at my aunt's house, and my Mema got to meet the Kiddo for the first time.

 

We had a very quiet New Year's Eve and celebrated both New Year's Day and our little one's first month anniversary.  It's hard to believe my baby is already one month old...he's getting so big so fast!

 

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas.  Here's to new and exciting things to come in 2011!

Hello Blog World!

Alright…it’s official.  Count me in.  I’ve been toying with the idea of blogging for some time now.  I’ve enjoyed stalking the blogs of several friends for quite awhile, and have been eager to join in all the blogging goodness.  But with the hectic pace of my work schedule and my husband’s work schedule (which is almost completely opposite of mine), I have just never made time.   My blog has remained an idea floating around on my never-ending “want to do” list.  As it happens, since I couldn’t find time, time made some room for me.

I am 41 weeks pregnant today with our first little one.  I know what you’re thinking…aren’t pregnancies generally supposed to last for 40 weeks?  Apparently our little one hasn’t heard this news!  He is still in the oven cooking and I have shopped, decorated, cleaned, packed, and registered for the hospital.  I am now left with time…a precious commodity, which I know will not last for long.  But for this moment, I am blessed.

And so begins my blog!

I can’t promise I will be super faithful in my posts.  I am, after all, a brand new mommy trying to learn how to balance my family, friends, and work.  But I’m here!