27 November 2011

Getting Ready for Baby: Part One

Andrew and I were going to take a trip over the holiday weekend. After much thought of how much money we would spend, we decided to spend the weekend at home. You see, it doesn't matter where we are or what we are doing. As long as we are together, we are content. We can have so much fun no matter what! We decided to use our time to get the house ready for Sophia's debut, and we decided to put the money we had saved for our trip from our yardsale a month ago toward the last bit of baby items we need at the moment. We still have a little ways to go, but check out what we did this weekend!


I love her little toy shelf in the living room. Have no fear, this is not the only space that is dedicated to her. I will also keep the bottom drawers in our side tables filled with toys for Sophia. She will also have a swing, bouncy seat, play gym, and various other "fun" items in the living room to play with. It's amazing how such a small space can make a house feel like a home. As soon as I finished filling these shelves with toys and books for our little girl, Andrew and I noticed that the atmosphere changed drastically in our home. She is already bringing so much joy and life to everything! We are so blessed to have her!


The bathroom is also getting a "touch of Sophia" as her bathtime baskets are filling up. I'm thinking she needs a few more toys, and I still need to get her towels and washcloths washed and put away. That will be on my to-do list over the next few weeks. We got these purple baskets at the baby shower from a dear teacher and friend, and they match our owl-themed bathroom so well! The brown drawers (there are two) are also Sophia's. One is filling up with first aid items, and I will use the other for her towels and such.


First of all, we finally painted her room!! Our color choice can be seen in this picture! How precious is that soft tan? It will look so classy with her black and white bedding. Soft, feminine, and timeless. Her diaper bag is slowly filling up. We FINALLY got newborn diapers, so there is literally a whole package in the bag, and we have a set of travel-sized wipes in there. I will continue filling it over the next few weeks with necessities for our little one. The carseat is also ready to be installed into my car! We have the cozy head supports in place as well as the fleece strap covers to protect her little self even more. Andrew will ensure that this is properly installed in the coming days! We still need to get an extra base for Andrew's truck, but we have time for that.


Finally, we got the space saver high chair we were wanting! Sadly, we didn't brave the insanity at BabiesRUs on Friday night, so we didn't get this for 1/2 price, but we did have a coupon for 15% off one item of regular price plus another $10 for registering with their company. So, we ended up with a pretty good deal in the end! It looks SO cute at our kitchen table, and we are SO excited to have her sweet face across from us at mealtimes.

We are so thankful for this weekend in many ways. We got to spend a LOT of quality time together. We also got a LOT done around the house. We found many amazing deals on items ranging from camcorders to baby toys, and we knocked out quite a bit of what we still need for Sophia. We also were able to attend our church for the first time in two weeks- talk about recharging our batteries!

Even though our trip to Missouri was our "vacation", we have found that this weekend brought us much more together time, and we have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! We have been so productive, BUT, we also took time each evening for cuddle time and a movie marathon. All-in-all, it was PERFECT and just what we needed!

Now, I better get going... Andrew just finished putting the changing table together & I need to get to work organizing! ;-)


26 November 2011

Diner Dates


When we woke up this morning, Andrew turned to me and said "Let's go have breakfast at that diner I saw yesterday." I had to laugh because I see this diner every day on my way to work, but he "discovered" it yesterday while at the post office. Andrew loves places like this, so I readily agreed.

Breakfast was good. This little family-owned restaurant had a nice atmosphere and fun placemats filled with activities to keep us busy while we waited for our food (yes, I realize we sound like two little kids). As Andrew was paying the bill, the cashier recommended their Friday fish fries and asked if we were visitors. You see, she has grown up here and had never seen us before. We assured that we are the new ones in town, and she seemed to be glad to have us around.

Anyway... fast forward to tonight.

On our way home from our shopping spree for baby girl, Andrew excitedly suggests that we have a "Diner Date" one night each week. Our quaint area has a LOT of "Ma and Pa" diners, and he thinks that it would be fun to experience them all. I couldn't agree more! It sounds like an absolute blast!

So... each Wednesday evening starting next week (we must go to this Friday's fish fry), we will be exploring a new diner! Our Diner Dates are something I'm really looking forward to! I will blog here and there about which diner we've enjoyed for the week. I can't think of a more enjoyable way to spend time together. I love my husband's fun (and sweet) ideas to stay connected with one another.

What are YOU doing to stay connected to your significant other?


24 November 2011

Before & After: Master Bedroom Edition

After three months of living in this house, we are finally to the point where I can post some before and after pictures! I am going to start with the master bedroom.


Why, yes, they did put up curtains to make it appear as if the room has two windows. How tacky, corny, you get the picture.


They also really liked blue, lace curtains (that smelled terrible), and plastic closet doors that had to be at least 20 years old. Gross!!

So, first things first, we removed (and burned) all of the curtains from the house. We then started to paint.

Now, this is the bedroom we fall asleep in every night!







We don't have closet doors just yet, but I am sure we will eventually. Anything is better than the cheap doors that were on there before. With our closet system and cubes, it actually doesn't look too bad!

I really enjoy our bedroom. It's simple, clean, and cozy. The tan walls help to make the room feel warmer and more welcoming. The black, white, and red help to make this house feel a bit more sophisticated and modern without being too stuffy. Our modified sleigh style bed is perfect for us and remains one of the best gifts I've ever received (thanks, Mom and Steve!). We may hang another picture or two, and we still need to get the bassinet set up (which Andrew is working on now), but for the most part, we can cross our room off of our to-do list! Man, that feels GOOD!!

15 November 2011

Celebrating Our Sophia


These three beautiful ladies put together the nicest shower for us on Sunday. They worked so hard to make sure that the day was absolutely perfect- and they succeeded! It was such a wonderful day filled with cupcakes, gifts, fellowship, and smiles.


This young lady worked very hard as well to make sure the shower ran smoothly. I am very blessed to have two of the most amazing sisters and two of the best friends a girl could ask for! Even though we're miles apart much of the time, we always pick up right where we left off.


Sophia is very much loved! The amount of gifts she received to demonstrate this love overwhelmed Andrew and me. Not only did people come to shower us with love, but they also helped us provide for Sophia's needs. We are so appreciative of each and every gift. We look so forward to watching her play with, wear, and use these gifts. We are so blessed!


My sister and mom molded each of these chocolates for the cupcakes. They turned out so cute! They were pretty tasty too ;-)


They also worked hard on each centerpiece. Those cutesy owls were crafted out of toilet paper rolls. How economical!


We got so many fun gifts for Sophia. This one pretty much sums it up... bows, toys, shoes, onesies, diapers, and PINK, PINK, PINK!!! If we end up with a Grant Owen, we'll be making a trip to Target before bringing him home! haha! Seriously, though, we are definitely much closer to being ready for our little girl's arrival!


Our parents gave us some of the neatest gifts. My mother-in-law sewed these custom burp cloths for us along with a hospital gown for me. We love them! I am packing these in my hospital bag as soon as we get home!

Mom and Steve purchased the bassinet we registered for. We are SO excited about this gift. It was on the top of my personal "want" list. I am excited to get it set-up and by my side of the bed. We plan to have her sleep in our room until she is three months old.

Dad and Anna purchased the carseat we wanted. It is such a relief to know that we are now properly equipped to bring our baby girl home. This gift made me breathe a HUGE sigh of relief.


There were two other expectant mommas at my shower! My friend, Kayla, is 7 weeks pregnant, and Krystal is 14 weeks pregnant. I am in the lead at 30.5 weeks pregnant. It is SO much fun to be experiencing the joys of motherhood with close friends. I am looking forward to watching them grow and get to know their little ones. We will have som fun playdates once our babies are here!


Speaking of sharing motherhood, my best friend, Melissa, gave birth to her sweet son just days before my shower. Since she couldn't be there (although she sure tried!), we visited them after my shower. Baby Sawyer is absolutely precious! We are so thankful that we are sharing this journey together. Sweet Sophia and Sawyer will be the best of friends, I'm sure!


Andrew and I are SO grateful to have such loving family and friends. Our shower allowed us to visit with family and friends, and it was an outward expression of the love others feel for our precious baby. We cannot properly express our gratitude toward everyone who came to celebrate with us. Sophia has such a strong support base, and it makes our hearts so happy to see how much our daughter is already loved!

Thank you to EVERYONE who came to make our day so wonderful! We love you all so much!


06 November 2011

Fostering Gato


If you have been a follower of my blog for even six months, you know that I absolutely adore my cat. Theodore (a.k.a. Gato) is pretty much the coolest cat on Earth, and he always keeps us laughing. He is an absolute nut, Andrew's little buddy, and my dear friend. He and I have been through a lot together. He's wiped away my tears (literally), worried over me when I've been sick, and helped me get through living away from Andrew. I've seen him through fungal infections where he licked off all of his fur, intestinal blockages when he decided it was a good idea to eat human toys, and countless other wild medical situations. In so many ways, he's more than "just a cat". I can't fully explain how much he's meant to me over the past few years, but he's been exactly what I needed... which is why it was so difficult to make the decision that we did this past week.


Starting next week, Theodore is going to become a member of my Dad and Anna's household for as long as necessary. He will be joined with his girlfriend, Lucy, and I have no doubt he will continue to be spoiled rotten.

Why, you may ask? Let me explain.

Sophia.

Want more explanation? Ok.

We live in a pretty tiny house now. There is absolutely no good place to put his litter box (no closests, no mudroom, no good laundry room). It is currently in the bathroom along with his food and water dish just sitting out in the open. There is no good spot to put it where it would be safe from little hands. We are also going to need to purchase a pellet stove at some point. When we do that, we will have to leave doors open. He is not allowed in our room because of Andrew's allergies, and I would not allow him in Sophia's room because of his fur. So, that would limit him to the bathroom. This is not fair to him at all. He also has what we call "freak out" moments. He's certainly not your average lazy cat. He'll suddenly launch himself off whatever surface he's on with absolutely no awareness of his surroundings. I'm fearful that he would accidently jump on Sophia and hurt her. I know he would never intentionally do something to cause her harm, but he simply does not pay attention to what's around him sometimes. I do not want him to live somewhere where he will always be in trouble. He does not deserve this at all. We decided that in our current living situation, keep him would only stiffle who he is.

Our decision to find him a new home did not come lightly, and we have been dragging our feet about making a final decision. My step-mom, Anna, told us months ago that they would gladly take him so he would stay in the family. He's too awesome not to. When I finally told her that we had decided to have him live with them, she told me that this could be as "temporary or permanent" as we need it to be. It's so nice to know that we will still be able to see him, and if we are in a better situation to have him join our family again, we can have him back with no questions asked. I know my sister, Zoe, will spoil him like crazy. I also know that Anna will provide him with the best care possible. My dad has always been good to show him the love and affection we do... and I think Gato will bond with him like he has with Andrew. Izaak finds joy in the crazy things Theodore does... so, his quirkiness will still be much appreciated.

I know many tears will be shed the day that we drop him off. Heck, I'm writing this while tears stream down my face. I will miss Theodore telling Andrew about how mean I am when I won't give him a special treat. I will miss hearing "Hi, little buddy!" when Andrew walks through the door from work. I will miss hearing Gato cry (very loudly) at the laundry room door and then going to find Andrew to tell him he wants a special treat. I will miss Gato snuggling up to my belly to feel Sophia kick. I will miss Theodore using his little paws to wipe the tears off of my cheeks. I will miss his adorable face looking at me from across the room. I will miss his crazy sleeping positions. I will miss seeing him sit like the "Prince of Purrsia" on the back of the couch. I will miss him sitting with one paw inside our bedroom door. I will miss his huge purr motor when he curls up between us on the couch. I will miss my pet and friend.

That being said, I know that this is what is best for our growing family and for him. He deserves so much more than what we'll be able to give him in two months, and Sophia deserves to live in a house that is safe for her no matter where she goes. This decision was so much easier to make when I knew that he was going to family (thank you, Dad and Anna!!). I don't think I could part with him otherwise. At times, I still wonder if I will be able to truly leave him in Missouri. Being a grown-up comes with some pretty hard decisions. To date, this is truthfully one of the most difficult ones I've had to make.

In the end, it comes down to this...

Our sweet little girl is worth it.

05 November 2011

Moving Beyond the Superficial

A friend from high school posted this blog the other day, and it really made me stop and think. It really hit home. I was so good for a while to "deny" those friend requests on Facebook that came from people that I didn't TRULY know or those that I haven't talked to in years. With Sophia on the way, I feel like I post much more about our personal life, and I do so to keep our family and close friends involved in this precious process.

Yes, I know that keeping a blog opens a window to our lives, but I pick and choose what I want to elaborate on and make more public. On Facebook, it's so easy to post something each day. As we get closer to welcoming Sophia into our home, I have a growing desire to make Facebook a tool to use to keep family and close friends involved in her life. I feel a desire to make it more than a social networking tool. I want my Facebook to be a place where we can instantly connect with those closest to us... without drama or influences from those I only know on a superficial level.

So, I have decided to "trim the fat" as Grace's blog suggested. I am taking the step to make Facebook into what I want it to be. What I want to make more public, I will continue to post on here. I do not mean to offend or push anyone away, I just want to use Facebook for those relationships that I hold so dear to my heart.

I challenge you to read Grace's blog as well. See if it creates the same feelings in you. If you think about it, it makes total sense. Social networking is fantastic, but I believe that our relationships are much more shallow now than they were before the world of Facebook or social networking sites. I'm ready to get back to those close family and friendship bonds. Are you?