I thought I’d never see it. I thought it was an urban legend that there were some babies who can be awake and totally content to lay there and look around and didn’t need to be bounced, or rocked or manipulated to believe that they were happy. But that is exactly what Max is. Tim and I spend most of the time just looking at him in disbelief that this is our baby. Some of you have always had angel babies and think this may be dramatic but for those of you who haven’t you know exactly what I’m talking about. And this kid loves to sleep. Granted, he is only a week old and that’s all he knows how to do (besides eat and poop), but here is proof to myself that he does wake occasionally.

Love those blue eyes! I’m torn between wanting to look at them all day and completely enjoying all the snoozing he’s doing. Conner is quite fascinated with him as well, especially when it’s time to nurse him. But he gets to help change diapers and be on paci-patrol and it makes him feel quite special and that makes me so happy. He’s always kissing on him and wanting to hold him so these moments are pretty regular in our house.

My family has been so awesome this last week. Everyone was so concerned about my induction, even amidst the death of my grandmother (talk about me stealing the spotlight, right?) and the calls and stop-ins have been really nice. My mom was able to be in the delivery room and I was so happy to have her be a part of Max’s arrival. Thanks for not grimacing at all that you saw, mom! My fantastic and sacrificial mother in law has been in town doing everything and anything for me so I can sit on my fanny, prop my feet up and love on my boys. She leaves this weekend and we will certainly be sad to see her go, however I am anxious to see how we will function now as a family of four. Conner certainly soaks up his Nana and Papa when they’re in town, especially since Papa gets him cool toys and takes him outside to train him for his baseball career.

Today we will spend the better part of morning and afternoon outside, enjoying the holiday. Have a happy 4th!

If this heat doesn’t send me into early labor, working like a dog certainly should. It was my own fault for putting so much off, but it’s hard when you’re pregnant and moving like a grizzly bear that’s been shot in the butt by a tranquilizer, and also while you’re caring for a very busy toddler. While my appointment last week did throw me into a tailspin of worry, and in between the ultrasound and waiting to see the doctor I shed a few frustrated tears because Max CAN NOT COME EARLY since I am so not ready, but those fears have really subsided as I realize it’s all just a guesstimate, and I really have no say in the matter. My doctor did give me two possibilities and that one would probably be definite: either Max will come early (YIPES!) or he will arrive on time and be bigger than Conner (this was the part where my lady bits shrieked in horror). The former definitely sounds better than the latter, but I really do believe in God’s perfect timing and so my prayers have shifted to just asking that I be ready whenever and however it happens. And that I am not ripped from stem to stern. Yowsa. Buying clothes for my baby boy definitely helps take the edge off of his imminent birth - so cute!

Conner’s been going through a rough spot now and for moms of toddlers, please tell me they get over themselves? I swear I feel like I’m dealing with a teenager. One minute he wants to kiss all over me and can’t get enough of me and literally the next minute he is disgusted at my presence, utterly annoyed that I am breathing the same air as him. Emotions are certainly running high around here as I want to just enjoy these final days of it being just the two of us but it’s hard. I know it’s growing pains and I need to be patient but I thought we were over a lot of this last summer. Parenting is hard!

One huge bummer with me trying to get all the nitty-gritties done before the baby is I’ve had zero time to craft. I did make some burp cloths for Max, but that’s the extent of my crafting. I was hoping to go out with a bang, since I knew that would be the first thing to take the back-burner once he arrived but that is not the case. Ah well, I suppose I’ll survive. I leave you with some pictures that my good friend Amy Martin took of us about a month ago. I count myself so lucky to be surrounded by such talent and appreciate her taking the time. Thanks so much Amy - we love them!

Just the three of us (for now)

Conner, you look like you’re up to something

He’s such a ladykiller

I could eat that face right off

Me and the babydaddy

Tim quoting 30 Rock to me - does it every time

No onesie how-to, but have no fear, it’s coming. I forget how much energy doing tutorials and how-to’s can be, even as easy as that one. Actually everything these days seems to take so much effort. Just the thought of getting off the sofa seems to get me out of breath. Six weeks to go, that’s all that stands between me and a whole new brand of exhaustion. God bless!

My bloggy pal Amanda co-hosted a baby swap that had the participants send three items: a must-have, a wearable and a keepsake. I breathed a sigh of relief when I got paired with my other bloggy pal (because you never know who or what you’re going to get with swaps and I totally trust Bee’s taste) and began working on her gifts. The must-have came pretty fast to my mind and that was burp cloths. Conner wasn’t a bad spitter-upper, but I have seen my fair share of babes who can’t seem to hold their dairy and the best burp cloths are the ones that are absorbent, like this. Not to mention they’re pleasing to the eye. And the wearable was a stamped onesie for her baby girl to sport.

The keepsake one was tricky because everyone’s taste is so different. Blankets are usually a hit and since I already knew the nursery colors from a previous conversation we’d had, I made Alicia Paulson’s Tiramisu blanket but in more playful colors. You can imagine my delight (and slight jealousy) when Bee told me she was doing her baby girl’s room in teal and red - my dream. Needless to say making that blanket was total eye-candy for me and a pleasure to finish.

I scored some great stuff too: a sweet bib with a porcupine/hedgehog appliqué (I’m such a sucker for appliqué), personalized name tabs to go on Max’s sippy cups (another score - I hate writing on those things), and Butt Paste. I have heard lots of good things about the butt paste, just never used it so hopefully it will treat Max’s derriere right. Thanks so much, Bee!

The nursery bedding has been bought, now the assembly must be completed. This part I loved with Conner however this time around I just keep wondering if I can pay someone to do it for me. Any takers? We’re also doing Conner’s room as well - how smart am I? Eight months pregnant redecorating two bedrooms. And we’re about to move a toddler who has zero sleep issues from his crib that he loves so much into a twin bed - GULP! I am not looking forward to that at all but it must be done. However neither of those things will I fret about this weekend as I am off to a night of rest and relaxation with some mommy friends as we get fed, pampered and showered with attention at our church’s Mom’s Pampering Retreat. I’ve been looking forward to it since last year. Seriously. I leave you with this picture of my little Picasso enjoying his newest favorite past-time, watercolor.

Thank you all for the birthday wishes, and the owl-softie love. I’m hoping to make more but we will see - time seems to be running out for me as my due date is in eight weeks and then my free time will be reduced dramatically for awhile. I think that’s the biggest thing that freaks me out about having another baby. We’ve got such a good schedule going where I get to enjoy Conner all day, but he plays good on his own and that leaves me lots of time to get stuff done around the house, and also things personally that I want to do. It will be a huge adjustment, but it’s only a short season since they grow up so fast, right? That’s what I will have to tell myself as I’m nursing an infant while simultaneously reading a book to a toddler when what I really want to be doing is cleaning or making something.

We had a fantastic weekend that flew by, however the week is not turning out the same unfortunately. Conner’s getting more teeth and because of that he has been insufferable. He is such a joy to be around most days, so to see him miserable breaks my heart, especially when he climbs into my crowded lap, points to his mouth and says, “Mama, hurrrrrrt”. Our silver lining has been that the weather has been gorgeous so when he really gets to grouching at me, we put his shoes on and head outside where he can play with sticks and follow caterpillars and I can enjoy my happy boy again. This picture was a rare moment amongst all the fits of annoyance and gnashing of teeth.

I feel like I should have something exciting to share, but things around here have been chugging along smoothly, so nothing to share except a quick update and a 32-week belly shot. So much I want to blog about but that will wait a few more days as I finish up some projects and try to keep the little man happy.

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.

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!!

Hello all! Oh how I’ve missed you. Can we hug? I feel like it’s been ages, but time has seemed to both speed up and stand still at the same time and blogging got lost in the mix. It’s so weird how something you feel like isn’t that important to you really is when you can’t (or don’t even have the option to) do it as often.

Things here are resuming some normalcy and that feels goooooood. It took me a little longer than I thought to hit my stride as far as settling was concerned, but I’m about 70% done with the unpacking and that feels great. I got to tackle my craft space today, which at first I wasn’t looking forward to, but now I’m so excited about it and I can’t wait to show pictures, and more, actually use it!

Conner has adjusted so well and loves the new floor plan. I think he’s already worn a path around the kitchen island and does his own Indy 500 every morning after breakfast. He was the first to take to the house, but Tim and I fell in line shortly after and now it’s starting to feel like home to all of us, and that feels amazing. I love our new house but I didn’t realize how attached to our old house I was and that in between place, emotionally, was really difficult to get over. The morning we moved, as everyone was moving our life out, I kept tearing up as I was seeing the house, bare bones the way we first saw it and fell in love with it four years ago. Remembering the first moment we walked in and just knew this was it. Tim wanted to make an offer before seeing the rest of the house - we were smitten. It was the first big thing we did together and that was huge for us, esp. at the ripe age of twenty-two with barely two dimes to rub together. The shelves that Tim hung (which was a hysterical adventure, as easy as it sounds it was not), where Conner took his first steps, the night of our house blessing that was a catalyst for true spiritual change in my life - it all came rushing back to me and I finally had to step outside and get a grip or I was going to be an emotional mess. As cheesy as it sounds, that structure was just a house when we bought it, but we made it a home and I didn’t realize just how much it meant to me. It was bitter-sweet. I’m so thankful for that house and all the experiences that came with it, just as I know I will be of this house.

Okay, that’s all I can muster up tonight. My beloved computer should be nestled in it’s new place in the next few days and I can upload some pictures of what I’ve been up to lately and begin my blog-reading again. Take care, and Conner says hello.

Well we are settling in here at the new place, but not as smoothly as I had hoped. Anyone who has done this more than once, pregnant, is out of their mind! But the boxes are becoming fewer and fewer by the day and my hope is by next weekend there will be no remnant of packaging tape, bubble wrap, or anything else that would let other’s know we just moved in.

I would love to post pics, but for two reasons I can not: one, I have not taken any but that’s because of reason number two, my computer is on the fritz again and I loathe editing pictures on Tim’s computer. But just wanted to post an update and can’t wait to catch up with you all. I do need to post a picture of one of the living room corners, because design-wise, it’s just not jiving and I can not put my finger on why not. So stay tuned!

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.

Well, it took a week longer than we were originally told, but yesterday morning we FINALLY closed on our new house. Talk about a frustrating ordeal, esp. since it had nothing to do with us. We were at the mercy of our title company until they finally decided to do their job. *Huff, deep breath* But now we are homeowners once again and I can begin some important business: Nesting!

I have paint all picked out, curtains, rugs, accessories bought, now it’s just packing up the rest of our life, moving it, unpacking, and I can begin
enjoying this next phase of our domesticity. I’ve posted some pics on my flickr of the house as is, and will be posting pics of the rooms as they become painted and decorated (which I make no promises when that will be).

One thing that did help me keep my sanity amidst the constant phone calls back and forth between realtor, closing company, and everyone else who needed to be involved was crafting. I used to be so good at distracting myself when life got tough so I wouldn’t have to deal with anything. I’ve since learned that God gave us emotions so we can fully experience life, and no matter how ridiculous you feel at times it is how you feel in that situation, so really feel it, deal with it and then get on with your life. Once I shed a few frustrated tears about the house, I prayed about it and then began caring for my soul, and that was picking up a hook, some yarn, and crocheting.

I found a pattern for these cuties and thought, “That’s what my eggs have been missing!” I don’t know if you noticed, but it gets especially cold in the fridge, so why not give them some beanies to keep them…um…warm? I guess these are popular in the UK, and are for keeping your hard-boiled eggs toasty until you eat them. Even tho they seem kind of useless, I thought they were insanely adorable and had to give them a try. And only took about ten minutes to complete each one.

I’ve also been wanting to try making a pair of slippers, however I thought I would start small and try them for children’s feet first. It’s hard to find masculine things to crochet for your son, so until the good Lord gives me a girl of my own, I inflict these gifts on my friends with girls, like Chloe.

They actually turned out better than I thought - I had to make up the pattern as I went along since the one I had made boats instead of toddler shoes.

So that is all for now. And just as I suspected, letting the ink dry on the papers and having keys in hand has given me a renewed vigor for packing so that is what I shall be doing all weekend, with the help of my mother and father-in-law - we’re bringing in recruits! So you guys behave and we’ll be talking soon.