A little bit of This, A little bit of That

It has been a busy month around here! 

Loverbuns finished his first year of dental school. He's been working entirely too hard but thankfully it was showcased in his stellar grades. I have my husband back! Hats off to all you single momma's.

The wrath of our angel child's first tooth finally revealed itself on her 5 month birthday. 

And because I literally took 936 pictures, I'm thinking this post calls for a photo dump. Shall we? Here's a little piece of where we've been and what we've been up to. Enjoy!

Grandad and Grammie came to visit our little baby girl. Lots of snuggles and giggles, ping pong tournaments, and the touring of Dallas

Loverbuns getting his smarty pants on.

Galveston

Smiley lady! 

I know, I know... there are million pics of her. I just can't help it!

Grumpy lady

 Rockin and rollin

Summer splash

Competing in tennis and volleyball at Texas's dental olympic games in San Antonio (with high school buddy, Justin B.) 

Enjoying Memorial Day weekend at Nannie's lake house with the family.

A couple visits to our roots in Vidor, Tx

Yours truly, Me

Mother's Day.

I realized something a couple days ago. One year ago from today, we saw the unfamiliar plus+ sign on a pregnancy test. And I can't think of a better time to celebrate this Mother's Day weekend, in remembering one of the most blessed feelings that my heart has ever experienced. The day I truly felt the Lord bless me with my very own miracle. With His timing. In His own way.

I know that this weekend can be a sad time for those who feel a painful prick in their heart.
My heart is heavy today for the women who dream of becoming a mother and having a home full of tiny feet running around only to realize their dream won't play out the way they had hoped for. I think of you often. A new humility and sensitivity has entered my spirit when it comes to this subject. The struggle of loss and infertility is one that brings you to your knees while feeling utterly helpless. It provokes a faith and determination, through the pain and heartache, to try to make a dream become a beautiful reality. Which is why I am so comforted with the knowledge that the Lord offers His atonement to everyone. It is calming to my heart. Every part of my soul feels that the Lord is making the parenthood they will surely experience, whether it is in this life or in the next, become even that much sweeter by introducing them to the heartache early. Each of the anxiety and desperate pleas on their behalf instills a more beautiful and pure appreciation for the specialness that children bring into their lives. 

I was just thinking about the heartache I know I will feel in parenting Savannah as she grows up. Sometimes when I want to complain, I make my mind go to the painful hearts of those hurting. The love of a mother is a love that I have never experienced before. You love so much you ache. It awakens a new perspective. It is such a window into how our Heavenly Father loves us.

Unconditional.

Unimaginable.

Elizabeth Stone said, "Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

Happy Mother's Day to all our Momma's

A gracious thank you to my two momma's and hubs for the beautiful gifts in celebrating my first Mother's Day. I'm so lucky to now have grandma moon and grammie crossley to spoil and love my baby girl. It's a beautiful cycle.

This comic couldn't be more fitting when I think of my own supermom and the amazing love and perseverance she maintained while raising me. You rock.

Yours truly, Me

4 Months.

4 month stats:

weight: 14.4 lbs (25%)
height: 26 inches (82%)
head: 16 inches (20%)

1. You rolled over for the first time! Sadly, I was out to lunch with my dear friend and got a phone call from your ecstatic daddy... you made him so proud. He had laid you onto the floor and you suddenly surprised him by quickly flipping over to your tummy! For the next few days, every time we laid you on your back you will twist your body towards the right and flip onto your hands and belly. 
2. Your roly-polyness has toned down since you realized that you hate to be on your tummy. If I'm not on the floor, entertaining you with books and colorful toys then you will fuss and fuss until you're off your tummy. 
3. You love to hold everything! Your little fingers will wrap around my hands or the bottle while I'm feeding you. A few nights ago, you were gripping your daddy's finger while we were all cuddling on our bed getting ready to nap together. He said, "This is all I've ever wanted from our baby ... for her to hold my finger!" He was soooo excited about that before you came to us. You'll hold onto your burp cloth while I'm burping you. You grab onto the toys while sleeping in your car seat. You grab onto my hair while I'm holding you (how I am not bald by now with all the chunks of hair you've managed to yank out is beyond me.)
4. Your arm movements have become much more controlled when you want to grab something. You're eyes will focus on something that you see in front of you while your arms stiffen up and move towards it. It is so fun to watch your learn and develop!
5. You really enjoy having me read books to you. Especially the cloth ones that I let you grab and squeeze and stuff into your mouth! And you even let me re-read the same few pages over and over.
6. I'm calling it right now, you are going to be a singer! You love to sing-scream when you're super excited. It's the cutest thing ever! Last Sunday during sacrament, your sweet little heart just couldn't help itself. You'll stomp one foot and let out an excited scream. And you couldn't stop. We took you outside to let your giddiness calm down and you became a little more calm and reverent. When we sat back down in the meetings, you went off again with excited yelling and stomping. Daddy lucked out had to take you out for the rest of the meeting. We are just so in love with you! We think you are so funny when you get into those screaming fits.
7. You love to chew and slobber on anything you can get your hands and mouth on! If it's in your hands, it will go straight to that mouth of yours!.. My shoulder, blankets, your fists and, as of lately, your single index finger. I sure hope those little teeth take their sweet time to bud! I melt every time you flash that gummy smile!
8. You still have a beautiful double chin. Your daddy likes to joke that it looks like a goiter. I'm not gonna lie, it kinda does! The insults really come out when it's bath time and we have to dig deep within your chubby rolls to dig out the the collected lint. Darling... enjoy it while it's still crazy cute!
9. You have become so flexible! During diaper changes, you love to grab your toesies with your hands and scream-hum until I'm finished.
10. You are fighting your schedule, baby girl. And I haven't been consistent with it either. You'll vary from taking 30 minute - 2 hour naps. It hasn't helped that we've all caught the same terrible cold and it's snot-inducing awfulness has lingered up until today. But you are the best night sleeper a momma could ask for! You usually sleep 10 hours a night; you are doing great with that! Thaaaaaank you, Hunnybuns. 

Your daddy and I love to watch you progress and learn new things! I can hardly believe that you are mine forever. I'm so blessed. And even though I might roll my eyes when you wake up for the 50th time before 4am when you're having an off night, I still think you're the best reason to wake up for. I wouldn't trade you for anything!

Yours truly, Me

Making Pretty Lil' Things.

Whoa whoa whoa. It's mid spring already, guys. It seriously feels like I was just decking the halls with all things red&white while listening to the Carpenters on the Christmas radio station. Yet here I am trying my best to not run out in my swimsuit every time the sun peaks through the beautiful spring skies. It's here to stay, I tell myself. That blasted, toasty Texas sun. But it's so yummy right now and feels so wonderful on my wintery bright skin.
Me and the Hunnybuns have had the best walks in our stroller. Cruising the neighborhoods ... and the outdoor mall that just so happens to be right around the corner. I'm certain that my other half and I mention our love for our home's ideal location on a bi-weekly basis.
I'll be honest, I purposefully alternate my change in hair style, and clothes, and bjorn vs. stroller each visit I make into Hobby Lobby. It's embarrassing how often I stroll their aisles. I'm into creating pretty little things for my home. As in, I've stayed up late into the wee hours of the evening pinteresting it up on my phone. Brightness turned far too low in efforts to avoid notice from my sleeping Loverbuns. While only to wake up having CRAFTS! on my mind.
I live in addictions, ya'll. Baking... Cooking... Reading... Cleaning... Exercising... Decorating... Dating/Relationship-ing (my one and only boy, of course)... TV Seasons (Shout outs to my favs The Firm, Alcatraz, American Idol, The Voice and my guilty pleasure ...Dance Mom's-- It's ok. I already know you'll be judging me from here on out.)
I'm going off topic. I have a sad little story to share. Earlier this month I had a small little break down. "Tear fest 2012" to be more clear. The people in my life who I am really close to will know that I'm a super sensitive, wear my heart on both my sleeves kind of girl. I take many things far too personal and can, in many circumstances, get distracted from the most important things and relationships in my life. I'm learning that my sensitivity can be both my biggest strength and most detrimental weakness. Especially when it comes to myself. As a spankin' new mommy, I was finding it difficult to create a balanced life.  And I was needing to discover how I fit into this new role as a mother. No longer a student. Or the employee with the 8am-5pm job. Or the girlfriend without any kiddos. My new life has a role with no rule books, no class schedules, no co-workers, no boss. It has everything except what I am familiar with. How do I balance all of these encouraging and exciting new parts to my life?
My sweet hubs and I recalled a discussion at BYU with a professor and was reminded that

you simply can't balance everything at once. 

I can't balance these addictions that I mentioned previously all at once. I need to prioritize my life with what feels right for me at the moment, and give that my complete energy and attention. And to stop giving myself an awful time for not doing more and being more. I finally realized that making changes requires hard work and being OK with being a different version of myself. I will feel a push to focus on my relationship with those that I love. Then, I will have times of feeling a deep desire to dig deep into my soul and strengthen my love for the Savior and His church.
And now, crafting. Simply put, it makes me happy. It fills my little cubicle of domestic accomplishment. I get to re-live the loveliness of said craft each time I stroll through the living room.

I found my inspiration for my Easter jars from the Christmas Apothecary jars made by the girls at Uncommondesign.

                                               

Wod candlesticks & round bases & finals, ceramic & wood glue, glass canisters, funky wooden letters, ribbon, sandpaper, and my favorite spray paint and sealer. 

                         

Ooh yea. We bought this hawt piano. Isn't it beautiful?! I love the curvy legs and scrolly music stand! But I wasn't diggin' the chicken wire wrapped behind music stand or the light color of the stain. Kind of a drab, right?


Soooo... we ripped off the chicken wire and re-stained the entire piano! I'm so excited about how it turned out!

(A few weeks ago, I wanted to change my blog template and everything got all sorts of messed up and I lost all of your blog websites that I would typically stock. I am so sad about it. It may take me a while to find all of your addresses again!)

Ps. Thank you for the lovely birthday wishes! Loverbuns and I really look forward to our shared birthday week. I spent the day grocery shopping, visiting teaching, and Savannah spent the evening having some quality grandparental time. We spent a beautiful night at home indulging on our favorite splurges including filet mignon. We're talking eyeball-rolling kind of good. It was just ridiculous how tender it was ... even forgetting to add A1 sort of amazing. amc gave me a massage that would make your little toes tingle. Dropping the cherry on top, this boy busted out with a surprise hand-written love letter. Not some phony cheesy story, but rather a completely genuine letter from the heart. He's kind of a gem like that. Afterwards, we went to a few shops at the mall and picked up a few super cute outfits on our parents tab.
                                    It will go down as one of the sweetest dates I've been on!
                             

Yours truly, Me

3 Months

Oh, my sweet baby girl. Please tell me you're still a baby, right? With the rate you're growing up I'm afraid I am on my way to your high school graduation after packing up all of your newborn clothes.

1. You are such a smiley girl now! And oh my word you have the cutest grins we have ever seen. Especially the wide, closed mouth smirk. Ya know, the one where you purse your lips together perfectly while hearing plenty of "Aww! You are so cute!" from us. You are going to be breaking lots of hearts little lady. (But we're thinking not until you're at least 35, okay?)
2. You know how to say mama! Okay, not really. But sometimes when you cry it sounds like "maaaaa" and when you repeat that it sounds like you're calling for my name.  I love it so much that I get tempted to just let you cry it out over and over. But I haven't. ...yet ;-)
3. You are "cooing" all of the time when you're in love and you let out the funniest screams and laughs when you are excited. 
4. You are so strong. Especially those long legs of yours. You love to stand on your feet. I think you are so entirely proud of yourself that you can't help but stomp your feet while bouncing your legs.
5. You don't scratch your face anymore! Well, the majority of the time. You've learned to use the backs of your hands to rub your eyes when you're tired to save that pretty face of yours.
6. You have become such a diva in regards to the temperature you require of your milk. And you have no problem with letting us know if it has dropped a few degrees. Oh, Miss Savannah Jane...
7. You love to be swaddled and we know that is why you've been sleeping through the night since you were 2 weeks old. But you can be quite the houdini once you wake up from a nap. It's amazing to see arms and legs finding their way out of a securely velcro-ed swaddle. 
8. You are becoming more and more aware of where I am. I love this in-between stage of a newborn and a baby. You recognize when I am near you but you don't get upset if I need to leave the room. 
9. You are grabbing lots of things now. Slobbered fists and momma's hair are your top favorites! Ouch!
10. You love to get your beauty rest! And momma loves that you love to get your sleep. You get about 10 hours of sleep each night. You have become a great Babywise baby and you love your schedule. Everyone is happy when you are on your 3 hour schedule. We are so spoiled!

My sweet little girl. You are such an angel baby and your daddy and I are so happy to have you in our family.

Yours truly, Me

Day Old Child

The day I arrived home from the hospital, I opened a present from Nannie - amc's grandma. There were a few darling items for Savannah and she had also included a sweet poem. It touched my heart and gave me an understanding of the miraculous reality of this day old baby girl. 

I've had moments of feeling completely overwhelmed and helpless. And I remember a few times when those feelings were coupled with frustration. And just as quickly as I wanted to vent that frustration, I remembered the miraculous reality that Savannah truly is. A few Sundays ago, we gave our baby girl a name and a blessing. Amc did a beautiful job. He told her that she was dearly loved by her parents. It was sweet and promising. Afterwards, amc leaned over to me and had a solemn, sincere tone in his voice as he whispered, "She isn't ours". My chest and throat tightened as I nodded my head to agree. It's so true. 

I am here to love her. Teach her about her Savior's gospel and His beautiful plan for her life. To help remind her of the love that her Heavenly Father has for her. And how much He absolutely adores her. She is His precious baby girl. And we are so lucky to have her. Being her mother has shaped my life and has set me on a path that will keep me feeling forever grateful. Each day, she gives me the chance to love even greater. Strengthen my patience through serving. And beg for help from the Lord to guide my decisions and bless me with understanding. I have realized that I need her in my life to become the type of woman, wife, and friend that I so desperately want to be.

Savannah's first photo in her new home

My day old child lay in my arms

With my lips pressed against her ear

I whispered softly, "Oh, how I wish--

I wish that you could hear

I've a hundred wonderful things to say

(a tiny cough and nod)

Hurry, hurry, hurry, and grow

So I can tell you about God"

My day old baby's mouth was still

And my words only tickled her ear

But a kind of light passed through her eye

and I saw this thought appear --

"How I wish I had a voice and words

I've a hundred things to say

Before I forget --I'd tell you about God

I left HIM yesterday."

Carol Lynn Pearson

Yours truly, Me

Hunnybun's Crib

As soon as we learned the gender of our little Hunnybuns I feared images with the pink Peptobismol color spewed all over the nursery. I was hoping I wouldn't contradict myself but I wanted a baby room to be classy and sophisticated. Initially, I was imaging a monochromatic scheme of colors. I found some beautiful bedding that had a creamy pin-tuck satin fabric paired with a gorgeous dusty rose color. It became the inspirational piece for the nursery. We had so much fun searching for great deals and finds.

I snagged this chocolate brown changing table from Craiglist. I wanted a table with lots of storage beneath and one that could grow with Savannah. I loved the sleigh curves! My handyman took on the task of refinishing this to be a soft almond color. I switched out the wooden knobs for six pink glass and one metal knob. The results were beautiful! 

I also found this brown crib on Craigslist. We repainted it to be a soft almond color to match the changing table. I'm in love with the matching sleigh curves, scrolls, and spindle legs.

I'm all about camouflaging small windows with tall and wide curtain panels to make them appear larger and taller.

I stole this 80's brass chandelier from our dining room. I used a few coats of paint in the shade Antique White. I really wanted to glam it up by draping on some crystals but they were entirely too expensive for my budget.  I scored a few crystal beaded strands from here and a few individual crystals on clearance from a thrift shop.

Even though I was tight on space, I was really hoping to create a reading area in the nursery. I found the glider on Craigslist for a great deal and felt spoiled when my mom went to pick it up and gifted it for Savannah. We have quite the collection of classic nursery books over here! 

I switched the floor lamp from our TV room to the nursery. You can view this link for a great tutorial. I updated the shade by sewing on rows of ruffles! And when I say I, I really mean my mom because I have no idea how to sew.

Amc found these beautiful pink ornament balls in the Christmas clearance section at Joann's for 75% off! Cheaper than DIY.

I found some talented crafters from Etsy.com selling button monograms on canvas. I thought it would go perfectly with the nursery but wasn't willing to pay $100+. I added it to my list of DIY nursery ideas on Pinterest with hopes of creating the craft before Savannah arrived. I picked up some canvas, burlap, buttons, ribbon, and crafty flowers from Hobby Lobby. I spent a couple hours parked in front of the TV while selecting and arranging buttons to fill the 'S'. I asked my creative mother-in-law to help me glue ribbon onto the sides of the 'S'. I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out!

Walmart sold faux canvas photos on sale for $10, available in two sizes. I ordered three photos of the faux canvas and was very pleasantly surprised with the results! I mod podged (2) 8x10 photos onto canvas to complete the newborn wall gallery.

(2) 11x14's, (2) 12x12's, (2) 8x10's

I love the hand-made look of these darling floral balls! Here is the link for a great tutorial on how to make them. I used a hydrangea punch to cut out petals from scrapbook paper. I glued two petals together and then attached each flower to a styrofoam ball by using pearl tipped pins. I placed the Pomander onto a glass candlestick tied with a ribbon. It's beautiful and elegant - one of my favorites parts of the nursery!

I had a groupon to Mixbook.com and I ordered a 12x12 Maternity/Newborn book. Completing the book took quite a bit of time because there were so many options and details available to use. I included a short version of our baby girl's birth story and a few other memorable moments, all accompanied with tons of photos! 

I received these beautiful S-a-v-a-n-n-a-h blocks as a gift from a few girls in my church. It was SO thoughtful and I'm so happy they did it!

We painted a light grey onto the walls. Unfortunately, the color was too light that you couldn't even tell it was painted! Not good. We didn't want to go buy more paint and so we thought we could get creative and use the leftover grey paint from our bedroom and add a faux finish. It's sort of a darker grey with a hint of blue.

So, what do you think?

Yeah. Feel free to say it. It looks awful! It looked as though we had covered the nursery with ugly blue clouds. And since I was 9 months pregnant and amc had been doing all of the painting, I just didn't have the heart to tell him that it desperately needed to change. The girls from my baby shower came to the rescue when they told me about a great local painting company called Five Star Painting that was having a promotional deal. Amc wasn't bothered the slightest with the change of plans considering he wouldn't need to re-paint the room himself. We chose a light grey with a hint of pink. It's gorgeous.

So that sums up our recent junk-room-turned-nursey! I hope Savannah will grow to love this room as much as I do.

Yours truly, Me