Kaylee's Christmas Wish List for 2014

Last year, we began the Christmas List Tradition by giving Kaylee toy magazines and telling her to circle what all she would like for Christmas. I always loved doing this as a child, and we thought age 6 was appropriate for her to begin with this fun little tradition.

 

Well, this year she decided to pretty much circle everything in said magazines. There were at least 2 items circled on Every. Single. Page. Of course, handing a child a magazine filled with toys on every page, this outcome should be expected. So, K and I sat down and told her that she very well couldn't have every toy in the twenty-five page spread. She then went back through and reevaluated the magazine, choosing the handful of items she truly wants.

 

... So I give you,

 

Kaylee's Christmas Wish List

Source: Monster High Castle

 

Source: Tamagotchi Digital Friends

 

Source: Lalaloopsy Color Me Doll

 

Source: Popcorn Maker

 

 Source: Monster High Dolls

 

Source: Zoomer Dino

 

Source: Y Sport Scooter

 

Source: Beados

 

... and that concludes the Christmas Wish List of our seven year old.

 

These are the main selection of toys that she put fifty circles around along with the words "please" next to each. She also informed me last night that she would like some more blank canvas sets, and new paint brushes for her painting projects. Lucky for her, Michael's currently has a sale on all of their artist supplies, including both, paint brushes and canvas sets, along with my 40% off store coupon. SCORE!

 

This year's list is definitely doable. I'll take buying these few toys over the original entire toy magazine selection she chose to begin with. She did much better choosing her second time around, and focusing on the toys she really wants Santa to bring.

 

8 days and counting...

Bring on Christmas and some good ole family time.



Nursery Inspiration & Style

Upon finding out that K and I were expecting, I had an idea of a gender neutral nursery theme. I wanted to go with a Tribal/Aztec style boasting arrows, dream catchers, mountain, tribal and Aztec patterns, along with a rustic woodland feel. Since finding out our little bundle of joy is a boy, I've imagined navy blues, grays, teal, gold's, and some black and white tones.

 

So much time has been spend on Pinterest and Google lately searching for styles to reflect the ideas I have swimming around in my mind. It's been tough finding exactly what I want, but have found designs and different concepts in other nursery's that will play in to my vision for Baby T's nursery.

 

I wanted to share with you some of my favorite finds and inspiration boards thus far...

 

These colors really go great together, I like them, but would want a deeper blue adding in to the mix. I'm still debating on going with a white crib or more of a rustic wood color.

 

Next is one of my absolute favorite finds. This nursery is the closest I've come to exactly what I'm envisioning. The color scheme is spot on, the mobile is so uniquely made, and the patterns just mesh well together. That little teepee... I die. It's a must for our little guy's nursery. I think it will make the perfect reading nook for he and Kaylee.

Source

 

Here is another inspiration board I found and like, but would possibly change out the green with a navy blue... maybe.

 

All of the rustic wood in this next inspiration board has me in awe. The barn doors are to die for; would love those as a piece behind the crib. This one has more of a woodland feel, but the tribal style still plays a role and ties in to it.

 

Love the DIY mobile, and the teepee in this next tribal nursery take. I'm not keen on the colors, it seems a bit dull and more neutral to me.

Source

 

The wooden floating shelves, and curtains are my favorite pieces from this next woodland nursery.

Source

 

The blue dresser pulls this nursery together. The boldness of it is what I'm desiring in a nursery. I've been searching for an old dresser to refinish similar to this for the "changing table". Loving the dream catchers hanging above the crib as well!

Source

 

The patterns in this blanket are the perfect mix of the style I like. Of course, I would add more of a deep blue to offset the colors.

 

Last but not least, another one of my favorites... this nursery comes in 2nd on my top list. The fox blends well with the tribal aspect, and the colors throughout are perfect. I wouldn't be opposed to the a black accent wall either.

Source

 

Each of these nursery's are inspirations for designing our little guys new home. These have their own unique quirks, but all embracing the style and theme I'm going for. I can't wait to begin working on this project, and seeing the end result of what I'm envisioning. 



Being His Peace

As I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed yesterday, I came across this Denzel Washington Tweet via a friend's post.

It really grabbed my attention to where I read it over a handful of time. Since getting married last month, there are so many things that I now notice and never would have stopped to read or look at before. 

 

March 2015 will mark 12 years that K and I have been together. I always pondered how different things would be once we finally said those vows and were indeed officially married. I remember asking friends/couples who dated long periods before marriage, how different married life was, and all gave similar answers... "There's a difference. Little things change, and you look at the relationship entirely differently because you're with this person for the rest of your life." They were right. K and I have both noticed, felt, and voiced feeling a subtle difference since our wedding day. It's without a doubt a good difference.

 

This message really hit me because I've now found myself encouraging him more than I have in the past. Sitting and truly talking about his goals and dreams together; really listening to the aspirations he has. I've gained joy from doing these things, and that's one of those little felt differences since getting married.

 

I want to be his peace.

 

The week following our wedding, I came in to work and had an email from my Nana waiting in my inbox. I opened it and got a little teary eyed while reading it... I'm blaming my raging hormones. This is what she wrote...

It's amazing at how spot on she was and is. This sense of peace has fallen over me since November 8, 2014, and has continued its stay. Married life is amazing, and I can't wait to see how much better it gets. We definitely should have done this soo much sooner... Especially seeing how awesome it can be. I love it.



Big Sis To Be

K and I found out we were expecting our current little bundle of joy around the 5 week mark. We knew that we wanted to tell Kaylee first before anyone else; She's only asked for a sibling (brother specifically) for the past 3 years! I had everything planned out, and couldn't wait for her reaction to this long awaited news. I knew it was going to be one of those must capture moments.

Our photographer was out of town for the weekend we had scheduled the announcement brunch with our family and closest friends, following breaking the news to Kaylee. So, unfortunately she wasn't able to be the one photographing our "announcement session" with Kaylee first thing that morning. Luckily, I was able to find someone else last minute to capture that moment for us because this was going to be one for the books!

... and in the books it went alright.

A week prior I had a cute "Big Sis" shirt made just for our little session, c/o Etsy, of course. Kaylee would wear it for a few of the pictures, and then again for brunch to announce the news to our family and friends.

    K and I wake up that morning telling Kaylee that we have a big surprise for her. We planned a mini photo shoot for her and this surprise. She's not much of a morning person - gets that from me. Our session was scheduled for 8:00am, mind you, so we were up earlier than the birds. The three of us quickly got ready, I grabbed the props, and we dashed out the door. 

We made it to the location a few minutes late, and weren't able to stop by Wal-Mart for the balloons I wanted to go with one of the props. I had to make it work without them since we ran out of time. This was our first time meeting and working with this particular photographer. Introductions were made and the spots we liked best for pictures were chosen. She first began with a couple family shots, then took Kaylee where little yellow flowers were sprouted while we prepared the chalkboard signs. This helped to let Kaylee get better acquainted with the photographer as well.

I came across this cute little chalkboard announcement via Pinterest, and fell in love with the idea. K and I made our way to Kaylee with the chalkboard and some chalk. She was eager to find out what this big surprise was, and we were ready to finally let it out... by this time I was 12 weeks along. Holding the news in for almost 7 weeks was pretty tough!

So, this is how we announced the big news to Kaylee...

In these photos, her reaction is perfect. Exactly how I expected it would go, and the entire reason why I wanted it captured. This is the reaction I imagined when we told her the news. 

Well, pictures can be deceitful at times... The smiling picture above, I have absolutely no idea how the photographer was able to capture that within the split second of these next two...

Poor thing. Long gone was that happy smiling face. When the photographer sent me the photos, I was scared to even open them and take a look. I knew there wouldn't be one of her happy or smiling during that earth shattering news, but she managed to capture that one and only split second of a smile, thank goodness! I was shocked when I scrolled through to that one picture because I don't even remember a smile after she read the "I'm a big sister" sign.

Of course, this led to her wanting absolutely nothing to do with the shirt I had made for her. Which is the reason you won't see it in any of the pictures. I had to bribe her with cinnamon rolls for breakfast to get her to sit at the table for the next pose and give me a smile, be it fake or not. She obliged, but wouldn't budge on putting that shirt on for the remaining pictures.  

I got a fake smile, but it works. I'm happy with that over the crying bit. On the ride home she refused cinnamon rolls, and cried almost the whole 20 minute drive. K and I couldn't get mad or be upset with her though. We had to put ourselves in her shoes, think of how she's feeling, and what could possibly be going on inside that little mind of hers. She's seven. It's been the three of us for the past seven years! Adding a baby into that is a big deal for an only child. 

We got home and sat in the living room to talk with no crying; asking her why she's so upset about something she asked for a week prior, not to mention the last three years. Her response being, "What if I'm not a good big sister?", "Babies are a lot of work (referring to helping with her twin cousins)." Once we were able to grasp and understand her worries, her outlook completely changed. She apologized for being upset, hugged me and kissed my belly telling the baby that she loved it. It was the sweetest thing.

Kaylee wanted to be the one to break the news to our family and friends during the brunch. We had brunch downtown, and tricked everyone into coming by saying it was "wedding related" so they had absolutely no idea. We ate and spent time with everyone for a couple of hours before making our way outside by the water fountains. K and I unrolled the shirt and handed it to Kaylee. We blocked her from view to get the shirt positioned correctly, and had her stand on one of the fountains in clear view of everyone. She then told them to "Be quiet everyone, I want to show you my new shirt!" K and I stepped to the side so she could hold up her "Big Sis to be" shirt for everyone to see and read. Mouths dropped, OMG's were said, and happy tears fell. No one had a clue, and we were able to surprise them all! It was so awesome, and such an amazing feeling. As cliché as it is to say... It was perfect.

K and I have included her on every little thing pertaining to baby. Since our family chat in the living room that morning, she has been so involved asking every question imaginable. The three of us read the weekly updates courtesy of the pregnancy app on my phone. Kaylee helped choose and vote on the name. She has nicknamed her little brother "pipsqueak", and has told her teachers and friends at school that she's going to be a big sister, along with a handful of strangers. Ha. She's excited and proud. A day hasn't passed without her kissing my tummy and talking to her brother. It's the sweetest. She undeniably is going to make an incredible Big Sister, and I can't wait for that day to come.

I'm not going to lie... being in the moment of that initial reaction, I wanted to die. I just stood there and cried while she cried. I was so upset. So many thoughts swam around in my head... "She doesn't want this." "She's not happy." "She's going to hate the baby." "What do we do now?" My thoughts were all awful, but after hearing her reason being that she was mostly scared she wouldn't be a good big sister, every bad thought disappeared.  

Thinking back on this story and at the memory we now have from that day, K and I just laugh about it. Her reaction was literally priceless. I laugh every time I tell someone this story. It's one that I can't wait to tell her when she gets older. Like I said, it's one for the books. Our books.



The 2014 Winter Festival

This past Saturday, our little city hosted its annual Winter Festival. This year, 90+ floats were entered into the parade with Dance Fusion being one of them. Kaylee has taken part in the parade for the last two years; dancing down the street with her dance company.

This year the studio rented costumes, and the girls danced to "Let it Snow". It was by far the cutest thing ever! I'm bummed that I wasn't able to get any good quality photos, due to my memory card missing, but my handy dandy iPhone worked decent enough. It had to.

 

These were taken during dress rehearsal prior to the parade. This is Kaylee's BFF - they refer to themselves as "twinsies". I love these silly girls together.

 

Please enjoy the superb quality of the next select few photos that were taken during the parade  - my iPhone sucks at taking pictures when its dark out!

 

All in all the festival was a success as it is every year. We didn't get to enjoy the fun festivities leading up to the parade due to Kaylee attending dress rehearsal at 4:00 that afternoon. Lucky for us the sky didn't fall out until ten minutes following the parade. K and I had juuust enough time to pick Kaylee up from the studio, and jump in the car before getting drenched. Talk about perfect timing... they planned that to a T!

 

Ending the night by capturing a group shot of the performers with the Director of Dance Fusion... and my kid would be the one throwing up deuces front and center. Ha! Her Dad can be thanked for that fine piece of knowledge.

Monday Bump Date - Week 22

How far along? 22 Weeks & 2 Days

Total weight gain/loss: 10 pound gain!

Maternity clothes? I currently only have 2 pairs of maternity pants. I wear a lot of dresses, and can still fit into most of my jeans.

Sleep: It’s getting better. I’ve been able to sleep past 5:00am these last couple of weeks!

Best moment this week: Feeling an actual kick! I’ve felt little flutters for since the 20 week mark. While resting my hand on my tummy last night; it received a good swift kicking.

Have you told family and friends: Oh, yeah.

Movement: He’s getting more active with each passing day.

Food cravings: Endless salad bars, cheddar broccoli soup from Jason’s Deli, veggie platters specifically from Publix, pineapple slices, mozzarella sticks from BJ’s Restaurant.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Sweets / Candies

Have you started to show yet: Yes, the bump finally made its appearance last week.

How big is baby? The size of a spaghetti squash; weighing in at 1 whole pound.

Gender: Baby T. is a BOY!!! And we couldn't be more excited!

Labor Signs: Negative.

Pregnancy Symptoms: Headaches one to two times a week, cramps/pains in my lower stomach due to my ligaments stretching, back pain if I stand or sit too long, bathroom breaks becoming more frequent, hunger at 5:00am, and some car sickness.

What I miss: Being able to stay up and spend time with the hubs later than 9:00pm, and motivation for the gym/working out.

What I am looking forward to: Beginning the nursery, and shopping for little boy things.

Wedding rings on or off? On… for now.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, Happy

Milestones: Getting to feel the first kick, and choosing a name for Baby T.

Things that suck:

• Non-alcoholic beverages. I've never been much of a drinker, but not being able to have one sip or enjoying the occasional glass of wine is grating on my last nerve.
• Being told I can't do this or that, and people doing things for me (no moving or lifting of anything).
• No caffeine consumption - I'm NOT a morning person... I need that cup of coffee, for your sake and mine.
• Buying maternity clothes. They're a waste of money and too pricey for only being worn 3-4 months.

Things that don't suck:

• Having your best friend pregnant (also expecting a boy) and going through this with you at the same time!
• Ultrasounds and listening to the little heartbeat.
• Kaylee hugging and talking to her little brother constantly, and nicknaming him "pipsqueak".

It's so hard to believe we're already at week 22 with only 125 more days to go! With this being my last pregnancy, I'm taking it all in, enjoying every little movement, and literally carrying this little guy everywhere with me.

Blog... What blog?

 Is this thing on?

 

Hello?

 

Is anyone out there?

 

I've totally been MIA, and I apologize for that. To say I've had a lot going on these last few months is an understatement. Really, I've had a whole heap of LIFE happening all at once, but I'm baaaack.

 

I'm so excited to announce the reason(s) behind my disappearance from blog land, and what has been going on in my life these last few months.

 

It all started with this little test...

(forgive the no makeup thing I've got going on, it was late)

 

... which in return prompted our March 14, 2015 wedding to be moved up 6 months early, allowing me a short 5-6 weeks of actual planning/crafting time!

 

Who knew this would be my last "Wedding Wednesday" post? I certainly didn't.

 

K and I got married on November 8, 2014. We hosted a small ceremony and reception by surrounding ourselves with 65 of our closest friends and family. 

 

It was perfect.

God has without a doubt blessed us in 2014. We have our second child on the way to complete our family of four. I've acquired a new last name and get to spend eternity with my one and only. I can't thank God enough, and couldn't be any happier with the direction my life is currently being routed.

 

I will, of course, have 2 separate posts entailing; finding out we were pregnant, along with details and professional shots of our wedding! Stay tuned for those within the next week or two.

 

Be prepared for weekly baby posts/updates... I'm so excited to document this pregnancy using the blog, and weekly chalkboard updates. 8 years ago, while I was pregnant with Kaylee, Pinterest didn't exist. Therefore, I didn't really get to document that important milestone of my life. This time around, I plan to take full advantage by using and doing everything possible. After all, this is the last time I will ever be pregnant.