I have always had a hard time with birthdays as long as I can remember. It’s not so much the getting older part, but more the disappointment that comes when people forget. Does that sound incredibly sad? I’ve never really experienced great disappointment on my birthday, but there is always that fear I guess. But this year was just another year that I realized that fear was completely silly and I was showered with love and birthday goodness as I celebrated turning 27.

I do have to say I look forward to birthdays since I have some super crafty and thoughtful friends and scored some sweet birthday gifts. But the gift that I am THE MOST excited about is one that Tim got me and that is a workstation for my craft space that is being primed, painted and stained as we speak in my parent’s basement. I can not wait to have it nestled in my craft room and will post pictures as soon as it is done. The day was riddled with flowers and other thoughtful gifts as well, but this year was probably the first year that I really enjoyed my birthday. I do think people get better with age and I guess I’m realizing that I do, too. I have so much to be thankful for, and being able to celebrate being another year older should be cause for celebration and it certainly was.

I still have yet to begin decorating the nursery or really preparing for Max’s arrival, but I did carve out some time to make him a crocheted softie. I saw this pattern here and could not resist it, and although it was my first attempt, I do like the way it turned out.

Conner got so excited about it but then his face dropped when I told him it was for Max. The boy is becoming schizophrenic these days about the baby - one minute he talks about him and is excited and the next he’s closing Max’s bedroom door telling me, “No baby, mama, no baby”. I know it’s a fluid concept still - a baby in mama’s belly - but I think setting up his room will help Conner understand a little more. Or it will further confuse him. Moms of toddlers - how did they react when you brought a new baby home? Did you talk about it a lot before hand? I’m just curious. I think Conner will do fine, but anything I can say or do to soften the blow would help.

Even though baby season is pretty unofficial, if there was a start date for the year 2008 it would begin today. One of my good friends is about ready to pop, with two more followed closely behind. Then it’s my turn, and then about a dozen other’s thrown in as well. I really do count myself so fortunate to be going through such a long and often uncomfortable process with so many that I love, but the hospital staff is going to get so used to seeing all of us as we visit each other and spend a few days recuperating ourselves.

It’s been a little difficult preparing for the gift-aspect of the baby infestation that’s about to happen, esp. since my craft space is not completely unpacked yet. But I did rummage through my supplies quickly enough to whip up a few things. A few of us threw a small shower for Kelly, who is hopefully going to welcome Bennett into the world this week *crossing and double-crossing everything* and I got to show off some new crochet skills.

When I found this pattern I fell in love with them, however like most of my bootie-making experiences, they first came out like boats as apposed to baby shoes. So once I reworked it a little, they turned out great and I can’t wait to make a pair for Max.

I also stamped a onesie since they’re always cute and easy gifts to give. I’ll probably do a quick tutorial on them in a few weeks since I have quite a few more to crank out. I love the colors of this one - boyish and fun.

Last week Tim had a bike-thing he had to go to so for five days it was just me and Conner while daddy flew out to California. I was expecting the week to be long, but I wasn’t expecting to have so much fun with Conner. He certainly got to rule the roost and call the shots - well, as far as having fun and the activities were concerned. Even tho we didn’t do anything special or new, not having Tim there helped us break out of our routine and I feel like we reconnected. And the fact that we will be welcoming another little one soon, it was nice to have a few days with my baby to soak up and enjoy before our world is shaken up a bit.

First of all, you guys rock my face off - thanks for all the comments and suggestions (even you Melany, who didn’t like either choice ;). Good news is like most good wives I was able to wear Tim down and the dots (and myself) have claimed victory *double fist pump*! I’ll definitely “man it up” with trucks or sports balls, or something hyper-masculine so people will know it’s a boys room (Tim suggested I paint a mural of animals attacking one another, blood, carnage and all…classy). I did like Amy’s suggestion to call them balls as apposed to dots - I will definitely be pocketing that suggestion for future debates. We did spend some time Sunday clearing out Max’s room of stuff that needed to make it’s way into the attic so I can begin piecing it together and hopefully have it completed by the time he’s born.

In between traveling and arguing with the hubby, I did manage to squeeze in some time to finish a project for the living room - yet another ripple. I wanted a snuggly blanket that was bright and fun so after agonizing for days, literally, over the colors, I decided to just get started and I love the way it turned out. It really is true that sometimes things turn out the best when you just wing it instead of planning for it. Should I take the same attitude about labor and delivery this time? Maybe…I’ve gotten incredibly lazy this pregnancy.

I had to get some new plants for the house since we didn’t have any and it was beginning to feel stuffy around here. I have no problem admitting that I don’t really like plants, nor do I know anything about them. Well, I do know that you can water a cactus too much (who knew!) and most plants need sunlight. Let’s hope these newcomers survive my “knowledge”.

And one more piece of randomness for your Tuesday morning: A recipe for the BEST GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH EVER! Tim found this recipe online and now it’s the only grilled cheese we make. It’s so rich and savory, but I don’t think I can capture in words just how good it is. All I know is you need to try it. Today. Ah, bread and cheese…there aren’t too many things that make my heart so happy as these. And don’t be embarrassed if after the first bite you inhale the rest of it because it’s that good.

Greek Grilled Cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons butter, softened
2 slices whole wheat bread, or your favorite bread
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
2 slices Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1/4 tomato, thinly sliced

Butter your bread, heat a skillet over medium heat. Lay buttered side down in skillet, then layer the feta cheese, Cheddar cheese, red onion and tomato. Top with the other slice of bread with the butter side out. Fry the sandwich until golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side.

I can’t remember the last time I posted on a weekend, but this is worth it because I am about the lose my friggin’ mind!

Tim used to never care or have any opinions about any decorating I did until about a year ago. I think it was all the Trading Spaces we used to watch that made him realize decorating your space shows off your individual style, and too you can be super masculine and hot while also caring about it (thank you Ty Pennington!). Tim pretty much allows me to do what I wish, although he certainly has gotten more mouthy about decorating recently. The blue that I LOVE in the kitchen, he asked me repeatedly not to paint it that. The dining room in our old house, BEGGED me not to paint it yellow, and in both instances it came out looking great and I wasn’t the only one who thought so (and he even liked it, too!). So now that I am in my third trimester (what the what? When did that happen? Where is time going??), I’m thinking I should start taking this baby #2 issue more seriously and start planning, esp. the nursery. I’ve scowered so many bedding themes and color schemes that it makes my head spin, but there was one that stuck out to me from the very beginning. It’s got two of my favorite colors (red and aqua), while also incorporating others so it could be more flexible.

Isn’t it so cool? Ah, I love it so much. Our decor is certainly not “mod” but I just love the bedding - the colors and the dots, LOVE IT. Tim, on the other hand, keeps saying it’s too feminine. He can’t see past the room as a whole in the picture and focuses on the “sterilness” of it. The bedding, for me, is just setting the stage for the colors. I want to do some fun prints on the wall, maybe a mural, make it my own. The more we talk about it the more we each dig our heels in on our opinions and neither will budge, which makes me say fun things like, “Fine! He just won’t have a nursery! It’ll just be white walls and a crib with a sheet!” and then I throw something small and harmless at him and storm out of the room (because sometimes even my own maturity astounds me).

The other option (since I’ve painstakingly narrowed it down to two) I like the colors a lot, but it’s more “themey” - we’re not really “themey” people, but it is cute and whimsical.

Yeah…I so want the dots. Disregard the border, the lamp, the rug, the hamper, we’re just doing the bedding. It is cute, but I just don’t know if I can commit to this. I keep fast forwarding in my mind to four months from now and every time I walk into Max’s room and I see those animals I’m going to say Tim’s name very harshly under my breath as I snarl. So now I need help - can I really not see Tim’s point of view? Are the dots too feminine? Are the animals too “themey”? Will Max have a room with white walls and a crib with a sheet? And can someone help me win this argument so Tim will see my side?? I can keep adding question marks until you understand the desperation in my words.

I knew things would be different with the second pregnancy, but ohmygosh I wasn’t expecting to feel this wiped out all that time! Not this soon, anyways. When anyone asks how I’m feeling, my default answer is usually, “old” even tho my aches and pains are still limited, I just wasn’t expecting to feel this run-down. I figured around 34 weeks I would start to do the ol’ “I’m never doing this again” speech, but at 28 weeks I’ve been preaching that for a few weeks already. This past week was no exception as Tim and I dragged my pregnant behind and a toddler eight hours in a car to see the in-laws in Atlanta.

We had a great time, and Conner got to meet his great grandmother and grandfather who drove up from Plant City, FL, but by Sunday night as Tim and I sat at dinner on our date I was fighting to keep my eyes open. The drive back took two hours longer since Conner was equally as tired and was not - REPEAT - was not happy in the car seat. But the highlight of the weekend besides the family time was seeing two of my fave blogger gals and their adorable kiddo’s.

We met for lunch and a trip to the children’s museum in the city and let the kid’s go nuts for a few hours. Of course when you first walk in, there’s this huge ball-thing-a-ma-jig and Conner’s eyes about fell out of his head. Then he saw the hundreds of balls that you put into it and he was quick at work.

There were a lot of really neat play stations, like painting and fishing (equipped with the rain slickers, too), and even a little grocery store they could go “shopping” in. They played for a good two hours before I noticed Conner was just walking aimlessly around the toy train set and knew that his not napping was catching up with him. Case and point: Conner before we even got out of the parking garage.

It was a great afternoon and I had so much fun with you guys and your kids are so great. I can’t wait to do it again!

One of the coolest surprises about moving (esp. during the winter time) is finding out what kind of foliage you are adopting. Imagine my sheer delight to find all these buds after a good rainfall last week. It’s so pretty and cheery - I love it!

Last week some of my crafty gals came over to have another polymer clay night and I am finding that the more I do with the stuff, the more I am growing to love it. Joy’s obsession with it began over a year ago and she will cover anything in it. Literally. Journals, pens, animals and children, whatever strikes her fancy. We joke around that we’re afraid to leave things at her house because she’s going to give them back covered in polymer. But in all honesty it really is a versatile craft in that you can do so much with it, and it doesn’t cost much to get started. Maybe she’ll do a Polymer-101 on her blog once she returns from jet-setting around Europe (*wink, nudge*).

So after making the beads for the bracelet that I put in the shop on Friday (and thank you to those who purchased them!!) I had some time to kill and decided to make something for myself. Joy made me a clay cross for my birthday last year that I use during my prayer time as a visual and something to hold for whenever I might need it. I love it so much and use it often, however it has gone awol since we moved. So I decided I would make another one and put my own touch to it.

I love how it turned out, especially the colors. For the center I used a wooden cross that you can purchase at craft stores in a bundle pack, that way it’s not too heavy and you just mold the clay around the shape. The beads added a nice finish to it, I thought. And since I had some clay left over and loved the way the colors marbled, I made two beads (surprisingly) and fashioned them into earrings. They’re not normally earrings I would wear, but I do love them so much I’ll probably get over it.

And that’s all for now. I’m planning a shop redesign and update for April, so I’m hoping to get a jump on that when we get back from vacation, in addition to other crafts that I am dying to complete. Here’s a pic of my little biker on his favorite toy, the strider. The no-pedals feature teaches them balance faster and it works - he’s getting pretty good at it! Have a great week everyone!!