Wow - two posts in two days! Aren’t you guys a lucky crowd? It’s really because I’m so excited and I feel I deserve a pat on the back, not because of what I’ve done, but that it got done and what is it exactly? THE NURSERY!!

So I won’t win the award for best procrastinator, not like I thought I would. It only took eight months of being pregnant and three of those being in a new house but I was finally ready to nest! One could assume that moving while you’re five months pregnant should catapult you into nesting-mode but it did the complete opposite for me. The downstairs was assembled and complete, but upstairs…well now that was a different story. But this past month I got a righteous anger about it, stopped hemming and hawing over paint samples and bedding preferences and went to town.

I’ll start with the kids bath and it isn’t that special, I’m just glad it’s painted and put together (had to say no to the beige!). Conner is the only one who uses it (and not even anymore since he’s been showering with daddy, which he much prefers anyways) but at least I can cross it off the list of rooms to put together. I love the yellow - I read somewhere that you should use bright colors in smaller rooms with no windows, like bathrooms and closets. So that’s what I did.

Ah, the nursery. How I loathed and sulked over you for so long. As you can see, we did not go with the mod-dots as we all had decided. It’s not because I don’t love you or care about your opinion, it’s just unless everyone could give to the “Baby Max Nursery Fund” we needed another option. I couldn’t justifying spending the money on just the bedding (not to mention the cash we were going to drop on Conner’s new bed, mattress, and bedding), so I opted for one from Target that was significantly cheaper, and I actually like it better (after I tweaked it some). Still plenty of dots to keep my heart content, but with plenty of cash left over to buy everything else I wanted, too. So I slapped some green on an accent wall, painted a tree and placed some reusable decals and voila!

I love it so much! I highly recommend doing the decals since it was easy and cheap and so cute.

Some playful prints that I sketched on the computer and framed so that the dots wouldn’t take over.

A must have for every nursery - a changing station.

Hear that whistling sound? That’s the pressure being let off in my head now that it’s done and my baby has a room! Conner’s room is about 50% done and I’m still hoping to have it done by the time Max gets here, but even if not it will be very soon after. So that’s five rooms down, only three more to go. I’m getting there and it feels goooooooooooood.

This is a day that I have been waiting for for so long. Most women will tell you they get the whole house and the hubby might get a space of his own (usually the basement), but I don’t see it that way and I finally got to claim a little piece of our house all to myself. I honestly didn’t think it would ever happen, and once it became a reality I quickly became nervous that I wouldn’t do it justice. But I got over that real fast, unpacked and reorganized all my stuff, and it is my pleasure to introduce you to the newest and favoritest corner of my home (as of yet): MY CRAFT SPACE!!

ACK! Is it really mine? I still can’t believe it! See the workstation? That was a birthday/mother’s day gift from the hubby, and it’s actually a kitchen island, fitted with a breakfast bar on the other side so I can sit up high and work. My dad labored hard over that mother to sand, paint and stain it to perfection (as I knew he would - he’s so good with that kind of stuff) and it was all I could do to keep from peeing myself when we picked it up from their house, all finished and pinky-peachy!

The desk is actually the vanity that used to sit in our entryway that was a dark walnut stain. It fits perfectly in between the two china cabinets, so I knew I wouldn’t have to buy another desk, but that dark color wasn’t working at all. So three cans of spray paint later, some new hardware and there ya go - a $15 fix.

These prints my mother in law got me for Christmas and I *heart* them so much (the birds, go figure) and knew that they would be in my future craft space.

Lots of little jars filled with yummy eye-candy and loads of inspiration.

And what I love most about it? It’s on the main floor, just off the kitchen so I can still be in the same vicinity as the fam while I’m working. My favorite part about fixing this space up was rediscovering things I had made and watching Conner discover them for the first time. He loves to come sit in my lap when I’m working on the computer, and each time will point to something new and ask what it is. And I get to tell him it’s something I made, or something someone made for me and in a little way I get to share a little about this part of me that I love so much, and hope one day he will be a part of as well. Besides the fact that I think it’s just the best room ever, it is such a place of peace for my heart that I feel like I finally have a place. I feel so blessed and so lucky. I know that sounds silly, but for those who understand I don’t need to further explain because you totally get it.

I really do walk by this room and sigh with such satisfaction, not so much with what I’ve done with it, but that it’s done. Now it’s time to move onto the boy’s rooms and I hope I get them done soon. The clock is literally ticking away time that I will have to devote to things like this. Next up: a quick tutorial on stamping your own onesies.

Soooooo I shouldn’t have said anything about being totally unpacked by this weekend because that is clearly not going to happen. Why? Well, when you haven’t done any unpacking all week, that might be the problem. Keep hope alive for next week, folks!

It’s Springtime! Is anyone else excited? I don’t normally like spring - well, I should say I don’t dislike it, I just much prefer fall and winter over spring and summer (esp. when you live in an area where spring exist for a mere week, and then fluctuates between winter and summer for the next few months). But being in a new place and putting down new roots is just inspiring me so much. Last week Joy came over with her polymer clay arsenal and we spent a few hours knuckle-deep in clay. I have been wanting to make beads, just something simple as I can get overwhelmed very quickly with a new craft, so that’s what I did.

Nothing too fancy, but once I put some glaze on them and strung them I made a bracelet that I *heart* so much - and I don’t even like bracelets! And it’s so very Easter-y.

But this one I shall keep and maybe even make a few more to put in the shop. Polymer makes your hands stink, your nails stain, and your wrists ache for a few days, but it is still super fun to play with.

I told you I would post a pic of the living room - maybe someone can put my fears about the corner with the bookshelf to rest?

Is it me? Does that area not jive well? Before you suggest I do away with the bookcase let me say that I need a bookcase. Tim and I are *those people* who collect books and love having them handy, so just doing away with it is not an option since there is no other shelving solution. Anything else I could do to make that wall pop more? It’s totally driving me nut-burgers.

I leave you with this picture of my shaggy-haired boy. And speaking of hair, no pics of mine yet but with the holiday weekend I’m sure I’ll get some shots of it (and no it’s nothing dramatic, no chopping off a ton - it’ll be anticlimactic I’m sure). Have a great Easter everyone!

Is it wrong that now our house feels like home mainly because my computer is up and running again? So sad, I know. Ah well. Nothing exciting to report around here seeing as I’m still unpacking, but my goal is to be finished by the end of this week. Can it be done? I shall put my strength and stamina to the test!

So what have I been doing since clearly unpacking hasn’t been the only thing I’m using my time and energy on? What else but crafting. My space is not quite finished but that hasn’t stopped me since making things has helped me cope with all the stresses of moving. I’ve been whipping up some dishcloths to match the new kitchen, and I think they turned out swimmingly.

My love affair with red and aqua continue. Just take a gander at my kitchen. The before:

And now the after:

I just can’t help myself. I tried not to extend it into the living room too much but I feel I may lose that battle over time. The living room is coming along…I will be posting pictures soon, esp. since that one corner is still bugging me.

I haven’t been making things only for myself. Tim says that I don’t make things for him, but that wasn’t the case when I crafted him a clay-fellow to keep him company while he works.

Ugh, sometimes he can be so rude. Who dat Ninja?

Ah, there he is. He’s a feisty little guy, that Samurai. He needs some numb chucks or a sword or something. Now he shall watch over Tim as he works to ensure he’s staying on task (right, honey?). Clearly, I have too much time on my hands. I shall remedy that right now as I throw another load of laundry in the wash - I am no longer afraid of my front-loader and we’re getting along so well. Much more to share (like this awful indigestion Max is inflicting on me, my new hair ‘do complete with highlights, and more house pics) but that’s all you get for now - I love to leave you wanting more.

I know this new house is not the place we’ll put down roots and grow old together, but I sure wish it was because I. hate. moving! I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone you actually enjoys it, but coming from someone who’s only moved four times in her life, all of which came after sophomore year in college, it’s simply dreadful. The packing isn’t the worst part, but the cleaning out stuff you haven’t seen since the last time you moved before you pack it away again. But yeah, the packing stinks too.

The kitchen was my Everest. Just the thought made me want to cry - so daunting and insurmountable. When you live in a small house with no storage, you make what you have work, so in my case it’s shoving as much stuff as possible into as little space as possible and hoping it stays put. So opening the cabinets was treacherous for my mother-in-law - she had to duck a few times as things fell from the top shelf, but she was a trooper! She didn’t complain once as we went through packages of expired Jello pudding, old vinegars, and only laughed once when she pulled out the bag of rotten potatoes that had fused themselves to the can of crushed tomatoes (to which I hung my head in shame, and remembered buying those potatoes three Thanksgivings ago. It’s amazing what gets lost in there…). But after a few short hours it was done and that was one huge item to check-off my list.

I do have to say what a great family I have. Everyone pitched in to help with packing, painting, hanging curtain rods, lining shelves, and watching Conner. We woke up Sunday, completely exhausted but it was humbling knowing what wouldn’t have gotten done if it hadn’t been for our parents. Thank you guys so much!

Conner has been such a trooper through all this. He’s had more than his share of playdates and I’m missing him so badly, but this will be a short season in our life and the end result will be very sweet. I still have to kick myself in the rear to finish packing everything before we move (while also being a wife and mother), but being at the house, working and preparing it really gave me the jump start I needed and just want to get to the finish line. So that thought alone will hopefully help me sail right through packing. We knocked out the living room last night and it killed me since it’s one of my favorite rooms in the house and now it’s practically stripped bare. But I needed to see progress in a room we spend 85% of our time in, let me think I’m doing a lot more than I am. Saturday is the big day, so please pray for my sanity!

On a different note, I had a dream last night that we had our baby boy. He was smaller than Conner was, and looked a lot like him. It was a really calming dream, especially amidst the chaos of packing and doing everything and then the after affects of not be able to sleep. And I can finally announce the new baby’s name since Tim gave the final stamp of approval. So at the end of June/first of July we will introduce our son Maxwell (Max) Timothy to the world. Conner and Max - goes together like ham and cheese, don’t ya think? I leave you with this picture of my oldest baby and his crazy bed-head that makes me giggle every morning.

This afternoon my husband is buying me the best Valentines day present. Technically, this will be the best V-day ever in terms of buying things, since he’s not only buying me a house, but he also bought me a brand new front loading washer and dryer! Is it sad that I’m so excited about it that I’m dreaming about it? I don’t know which I’m more excited about, having a brand new w/d, or having them on the second floor! No more trudging down into the basement - I can just walk across the hall. Builders these days - they’re geniuses!

Even tho we spent the better part of Saturday at the house and planning for the house, it really hasn’t hit me yet. And b/c it hasn’t hit me yet, nothing is packed. Part of me is very anxious and knows that once I start, all bets are off and Tim will come home from work and find a very exhausted Candace passed out on the sofa b/c I got a righteous anger about it and did it all in one day. The other part knows we aren’t moving for a few more weeks, and doesn’t want to live in a half-furnished house. Is that stupid? And honestly, I really don’t know where to start. I keep hoping I have a moment like I did when I was pregnant with Conner, where I wake up one morning and it just hits me like a ton of bricks and I think about all I have to do and then I (happily, yet hurriedly) get it done. I do think about that episode of Friends where Rachel moves out, and her parting gift to Monica is to let Monica be in charge of the packing, which Monica excitedly accepts. So friends of mine, where’s my Monica? Any hands? Now is not a time to be shy!

Another thing that has not hit me yet is having another baby. I still have a good four months to get used to the idea, but realizing that Kelly is now in her third trimester (didn’t she just tell me she was pregnant?? Where is time going!), and one of my close friends is coming up right behind her, then it will be my turn. I also remember with Conner, after the big u/s time seemed to jump into warp-speed mode and one morning I woke up with early labor pains, realizing my body was a ticking time bomb. It does help that I feel the baby all the time now - but he is still so tame compared to Conner. Conner fought from day 1 to get out of my womb and I felt every roll, every jab, every searing stab of his pointy little heels. This kid tho, I could poke and shake and irritate the snot out of him and I’ll barely get a poke back. Could it be a sign of things to come? An actual baby that is chill? I look at my friends babies who are that way and hear them talk about how fabulous it is to just hold a content baby and I think, “from your lips to God’s ears!” I love Conner and his fiery personality to death, and I realize he wouldn’t be the hilarious, spirited child he is today if it weren’t for the difficult infant he was, but oh how that would be amazing. Fast and pray for me people - FAST AND PRAY!

I don’t know if the time stamp is correct, but if it is you’ll notice this post is coming to you at 2:50 am. Pregnancy insomnia, oh how I’ve missed thee! And since my days are filled with the business of life and buying a house right now, this seems to be the only time I’ll have to post, which will be light for the coming weeks. But I can’t wait to post pictures of the house, and after 4 pm today I will certainly show the new house that God has wondrously provided for our family. Take care kiddo’s, and a Valentine’s Day card from me to you because I want to be honest with how much you mean to me.