Raining Indoors

I'm beginning to think that posting on here is bad juju.  This isn't the first time I've written a post only to be immediately confronted with a challenge!

So what happens when you write a post for the first time in nearly twelve months?

On the day that I had scheduled a new post to publish, Matt came home from work to discover our kitchen completely flooded. 

After turning off the water at the street, he took this photo:

We called our insurance right away and also had about 8 wonderful friends with shop vacs come to help suck up water in the upstairs and downstairs.  Our insurance agent called in a demo/reconstruction company and they began pulling out all of the wet drywall, ceiling, flooring, and insulation.  By the end of the next day, my kitchen looked like this:

The damage is extensive and the insurance company has been overwhelmed with all of the damage caused by last week's freeze (we had a pipe freeze and burst due to the low temperatures) and so things might be a little slow progressing forward.  We finally got driers into the house yesterday and they sprayed everything down with an anti-fungal/mold treatment. 

Thankfully no one was hurt, we have good insurance, a great agent, and are hoping everything will be resolved in a few months. 

In the mean time, my posting might not be so frequent/verbose (as if you'd notice anyway)... my laptop ended up with probably a hundred gallons of water poured over it over the course of last Tuesday.

D.O.N.E.

A couple of weeks ago, I finally "graduated" with my master's degree!  I won't even talk about how long it took me to finish, but... I am D-O-N-E.

There were several things I had to give up as I struggled to maintain all my balls in the air with work, school, new motherhood, keeping up with ensuring a functioning house, extra curriculars, etc.  Blogging was just one of the things that had to go.  

I'd love to say that this will mean that I'm "back" and can resume blogging, but I'm afraid to commit to anything just yet. 

So, for now, here's my first post in almost a year.

And a photo of part of my book shelf at work.

(That book on the left of the red one is MINE!!)

2012 - What a Year

So now that most of an entire month of 2013 has escaped me, I think I should write down some thoughts from 2012.

I think this was the year of change for us.  It was probably the hardest - and most rewarding - year of my life so far.  

I wish I could go back in time and tell myself back in June that things will be okay - in fact, things will be better than okay - they will be SO MUCH FUN.

That's the point we're at now.

So. Much. Fun.

I am honestly loving my life right now.  It's spinning by so quickly, I want to just enjoy every second of it.  Matt and I are having a lot of fun with our little bundle of depravity.

Anne Marie is keeping us on our toes.  She's full of personality, spunk, and is completely her own person.  I am seriously in love with this baby.  I want to enjoy every second of this stage because I really did not enjoy the beginning.

The beginning was really hard for me, and for Matt too, but I can really only speak about my own experience.

My transition to motherhood was just tough.  It was emotionally challenging going from setting my own schedule (and really - who was I kidding when I thought I was busy?!) to being responsible for another life, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  A little life that depended on me being there - always with her for those first several weeks.

I felt like I had no freedom anymore.  And lots of responsibility.  That weighed heavy on my heart.  I really didn't like it (and, let's be honest, I still struggle with it a little on occasion). 

 Lest you be deceived - she still screams quite a bit!

I really questioned our decision to have a child.  I thought we'd made a major mistake.  I cried a lot.  I told Matt I was sorry that I ever wanted to have children and change our happy, "carefree" life.  I told him I just KNEW that it would have to turn out okay - otherwise, why would people keep having kids?!

Juggling a newborn baby with little-to-no-sleep is probably the most common ("textbook") new parent challenge.  I've found it hard to be loving and patient - with my husband.  He so faithful about loving us and trying his best to take care of us.  In the stress of the day, I usually took my frustration out on him.  Realizing that I haven't been as thoughtful with him as he deserves and making an effort to treat him with kindness has proven to be a constant struggle for me.

And on top of that, Anne Marie screamed all. the. time.  Or, at least to me it felt that way.  In reality, she was just a very colicky baby.  She would scream for 4 hours without stopping.  Regularly. 

Those were the days I would glance at the pool and wonder what it would feel like to just walk in and never come out.

It's kind of scary to admit that.

As we figured out Anne Marie's dairy/soy allergies and adjusted to the new reality of a family of three, things started to ease up.  Getting back into the rhythm of work was so good for me.  I  struggled with coming back to work, feeling like I should become a stay-at-home mom, but I think those were just the baby blues talking.  I'm so glad that Matt reminded me how much I love my job and to avoid making any hasty decisions.

Right now, working part time and being home with Anne Marie two days a week is really the perfect scenario for us.

Did I mention I'm loving life right now?

I'm just really enjoying watching our daughter grow, learn new things, and just explore.  I love having some time to spend away from work and to actually try to keep our home a functioning place of sanity.  Sleep is generally still coveted but usually not elusive.  The dogs are adjusting to having a baby chasing them through the house.  Matt's racing has slowed down but he's planing a big trip this spring where he'll get LOTS of seat time in.  I'm still enjoying working on school, but I'm also really ready to be done with this master's thesis.

The master's thesis is the only thing holding back this burgeoning feeling of baby fever that I have coming on. 

It's crazy to think that in a matter of a few months, I've gone from trying to figure out how to bargain back my decision to have a child to trying to convince my husband that two "might not be enough" to fill my heart.  I've never felt like a maternal person, but I've really had my eyes opened to how God has so perfectly designed me for this stage.

I just want to enjoy every moment of this life God has given me, even when things aren't going so well, because as I've been reminded countless times this year with the passing of too many loved ones, life is precious.

And very short.

I love these two so much, I sometimes feel my heart could burst.

Sexiest Man Alive

In case you didn't hear, North Korea's Kim Jong-Un won The Onion's "Sexiest Man Alive" for 2012.

I've been laughing out loud about this for two days.

With his devastatingly handsome, round face, his boyish charm, and his strong, sturdy frame, this Pyongyang-bred heartthrob is every woman’s dream come true. Blessed with an air of power that masks an unmistakable cute, cuddly side, Kim made this newspaper’s editorial board swoon with his impeccable fashion sense, chic short hairstyle, and, of course, that famous smile.

The best part is, China's state-run online news site, The Peoples Daily, thought that the award was legitimate and ran a 55 page spread on Kim Jong-Un.

55 pages!

Chin Up

It's no secret that I'm a flaming conservative.

These words from Michelle Malkin made me perk up a little this morning...

Once again, we have our work cut out for us. We lost this election, but we still live in the greatest country on the planet and we still have many ways to fight for and defend it.

My counsel to you tonight: Please, do not be bitter. Do not fall prey to the Beltway blame game. Do not get mired in small things....

We still have boundless blessings to count — and to secure.

I remain a proud, unrepentant believer in the American Dream. And I know you do, too. Freedom will endure because we will keep fighting for it. We can’t afford not to, friends.

Earlier this evening, when many conservatives on Twitter started despairing, I quoted from Psalm 46:10. Elections come and go. Faith endures:

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

Chins up. Stand tall. We’ll fight again tomorrow.

Starving?

So, after over a month of weaning myself from dairy and soy, I can tell a marked difference in Anne Marie's overall demeanor.

Now she cries when she's supposed to cry (like when she's tired or hungry, or just wants me) instead of all. the. time.

In fact, I had her all to myself for three full days recently and she hardly cried at all.  We went hours and hours with no fussing.  We played.  We talked.  We laughed.  We enjoyed each other.  It's been so incredibly wonderful.

Happy Baby.  

What's not been so wonderful is how restrictive this diet is.

I mean, seriously.  Do you have any idea just HOW MUCH stuff has dairy or soy in it?  Let's just suffice to say that it's in almost everything processed or baked, even 99% of salad dressings use soybean oil.  And forget Chinese takeout (sniff).

I've never been a label reader, but I'm finding that I have to be very diligent about what I do and do not eat.  My last trip to the grocery store involved 85% of my time reading labels, 10% entertaining Anne Marie, and really only about 5% shopping or checking out. I'm having to ask for the allergen menu at restaurants only to find out that I have maybe one option to order.

AM has proved to be sensitive enough that just a couple of bites of mashed potatoes with butter will affect her.  I started out by only cutting the obvious dairy/soy sources (no milk, cheese, soy sauce, tofu, etc.), but still had baked goods with butter or other things like that.

Happy Baby = Happy Parents.  The diet is worth having these two smiling. 

Now I'm trying to be much more consistent.  It's hard.  I'm hungry sometimes.  I've lost five pounds.  I feel a little trapped, though, since AM will go an entire day without taking a bottle if she so feels, so for now this is really our only option.

I reeeeally miss things with butter and cheese.

I don't miss those five pounds.

I'm hoping she'll get better about taking a bottle and am also looking forward to her starting solids.  I'm also crossing my fingers that she grows out of this quickly (although the thought of "challenging" her to see if she's outgrown it completely terrifies me).

In the meantime, I've been able to find some good substitutes for the essentials.  Some of this stuff is so good that I imagine I'll be craving it even when I can have the "real" stuff again.

That coconut ice cream is good.  Too bad it costs and arm and a leg!  The rice milk "cheese" is only okay because it's pepper jack.  I've really just had to start making most of my own snacks (like the homemade granola) because it's so hard to find good snack food. 

I have been able to add nuts back into my diet (which has allowed me to drink almond milk, providing a lot more options for cooking!).  I hope to add eggs back soon.  I decided not to test soy anytime soon as I'm pretty sure AM is sensitive to that. 

Overall, I have to keep telling myself that this is really no big deal.  I have a tendency to get a little sad for myself sometimes and feel emotional about all of the food that I miss eating (who knew that food could make me cry?!).  Anne Marie is happy (well, she was until she cut that second tooth this week) and more importantly - she's not HURTING. 

So worth it.

Babies' Baptism

On Sunday, we were able to celebrate the baptisms of Anne Marie, Emmett, and John Calvin Jr (the son of two wonderful friends). 

The day was just about as perfect as I could have hoped for - beautiful weather and lots of friends and family to rejoice with us as we committed our children to Christ.

It was hard for me to keep in mind that the day was not about me - not about how Anne Marie, Matt, or I looked, what outfits we wore, what food we served for lunch, who sat where, but about proclaiming God's covenant with our family and dedicating our child to Him.  

Why do we baptize our children?

We believe that baptism is a sign of God's covenant with us an we claim that covenant on behalf of our children.  We don't believe that it saves our children, is a requirement or means of salvation, or that it is a guarantee that they will grow into the faith that we profess.

There are instances in the New Testament of people being baptized as they came into the faith, their entire households with them. 

31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.

Acts 16:31-33

The vows we take as parents are as follows:

1. Do you acknowledge your child’s need of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, and the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit?

2. Do you claim God’s covenant promises in (his) behalf, and do you look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for (his) salvation, as you do for your own?

3. Do you now unreservedly dedicate your child to God, and promise, in humble reliance upon divine grace, that you will endeavor to set before (him) a godly example, that you will pray with and for (him), that you will teach (him) the doctrines of our holy religion, and that you will strive, by all the means of God’s appointment, to bring (him) up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?

I also appreciate the vow that the congregation takes, to assist the parents in bringing up the child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 

We'd been waiting to baptize Anne Marie so that she and Emmett could be baptized together.  This is such a special sign of our faith that we wanted to share it with all our families and celebrate together.

My prayer is that Emmett and Anne Marie will grow up together, never knowing a day without Christ as their Lord and Savior.  That they will always be surrounded by loving friends and family that set excellent examples of living out their faith.

I've been waiting so long to be able to baptize these precious babies together.  I figured that I would be a mess when it came time, that I would be a ball of tears, but I think that I was too distracted with trying to make sure Anne Marie didn't pitch a good fit in front of the entire congregation that the gravity of the moment didn't hit me until it was over. 

It's probably not such a bad thing because I did not anticipate any tears on my wedding day and became a big sobbing mess the moment my father and I stepped into the sanctuary.  I couldn't see where I was going the whole way down the aisle and ended up rushing to the altar, hot with embarrassment at the onslaught of unanticipated emotion. 


The baptismal gown that Anne Marie wore is very special.  Matt's uncles and mother, as well as both Matt and his brother, Michael, were all baptized in the same gown.  Matt's grandmother saved up to purchase the hand made gown for her first child and it is absolutely beautiful.  My mother-in-law gave it to me at my baby shower and I am thrilled to be able to pass on such a special family heirloom. 

The detail is just gorgeous.  (Please excuse how wrinkled it was after a full day's wear by AM... I'm still unsure how to wash and save such an important piece of fabric).

O How I've Missed Thee

When I gave you up, I hardly knew how I'd survive.  For the last year, I've tried to find substitutes to fill the void, but it just hasn't been the same. 

Now that you miraculously appeared, I am reminded how much I loved you.

I admit it, I'm addicted.

To my satellite radio.

It's sad.

When we sold my hardtop convertible last fall in favor of a more "responsible" 4-door sedan ("mom" car?), we turned off the SiriusXM radio in the old car and didn't renew it in the sedan.

It really sucked, but I have somehow managed to survive without satellite radio.  In fact, I used to think that paying for radio was ridiculous.  I mean, who PAYS for radio?!  When we bought the Eos, it came with a free trial of Sirius satellite radio, and I became hooked.

They started charging me quarterly.

And I never cancelled.

Until we sold the Eos.

For the last year, I've just been listening to regular radio, often to my own disgust.  Much to my chagrin, the local rock station that used to broadcast Auburn football games and "Rick and Bubba" (I'm providing these as two examples of their good taste and family values) was now inundating me with live interviews of "adult entertainment stars" and constant strip club ads.

Yuck.

Who wants to listen to that?  I guess some people, but not me.

Can't a girl just get ACDC without the smut?

Maybe that's an oxymoron.

Anyway, Anne Marie and I have managed survive with just NPR on the way to "Big Daddy's" in the morning, but it just wasn't quite the same.  It's hard to jam out when you're tuned into "All Things Considered".

And then SiriusXM had to go and turn my satellite radio back on for a free trial.

Crap.

Congratulations, SiriusXM guys.  Your marketing ploy works on this sucker.  I am unable to give you up.  

I LOVE having it back on.  I've missed my music.  I've missed the decided lack of "smut" from the local radio guys, and I've definitely missed the bass of the (standard-equipped, but very capable) speaker system in my car.

I've miss how GOOD the music actually sounds in my car. 

I think Anne Marie likes it too.  She's cried a whole lot less in the car the last two weeks than she ever has.  I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that her system is now pretty clear of dairy/soy, and that it's really all due to the introduction of Muse, XX, and Arcade Fire into her audial repertoire. 

So, what to do?  I went back and forth about it, but just couldn't justify paying full price for radio, no matter how much I love it.  For a girl too cheap to get cable TV, ~$200 a year for radio is just another luxury that I can forgo.

Then they offered five months for $25.  I took the offer, and just knowing how it worked out last time, I'll probably "forget" to cancel at the end of the term.

Honey, if you're reading this, they said that they'd give us a whole year for $7/mo if you call before the end of my 5 month special offer.  :o)

What Up, Cuz?

I think Anne Marie was pretty pumped to get to hang out with her one and only cousin, Little E.  Too bad he's already bigger than her!  It will make beating him up a little harder.

 

I guess she'll just stick to bossing him around.  (And chewing on his clothes).

 



 

Possible Explanation

I felt a little guilty after my last post.  Anne Marie has been getting so much better in her temperament - Matt and I have been remarking about how MUCH better it is now, compared with two months ago.

Of course, she still isn't as content as any of my friends' babies, and seems to catch us off guard with a fit every now and then (like the day after my birthday, when she pitched a royal fit in a restaurant and I had to take her outside so that Matt could finish his meal - while she screamed non stop, soliciting advice from complete strangers and even one lady took her from me in an unsuccessful attempt to calm her...), but she's really started talking and giggling and being so cheerful a majority of the time; the fits are fewer and farther between.

So, after I re-read my last post, I felt a little bad complaining about how miserable things had been when they were really starting to look up.

I didn't know what had been getting better, but just assumed that Anne Marie was simply a colicky baby and was slowly starting to grow out of it.  She more than met the "guidelines" for colic the first three months, but I didn't see any indicators for something that was causing the crying (like reflux).

Back when she was still just a few weeks old, I had tried eliminating - or minimizing - a few common/potential "problem foods" in my diet in an attempt to determine if she was so fussy due to something I was eating.  I stopped drinking milk or using real creamer in my (now decaf) coffee, I also cut out a lot of "gassy" vegetables like broccoli.

Late last week, I'd started eating yogurt and real creamer again and then on Monday I had my first bowl of cereal with milk in what felt like ages.  A few hours later, Anne Marie had some blood in her diaper, which concerned me enough to call the pediatrician.

They told us to bring her in and looked her over, but what really caught the doctor's attention was when I told her that I'd had my first serving of milk that morning after cutting it out of my diet for weeks.  After several more questions about what I'd been eating or not eating, the timing of Anne Marie's fits, and her general demeanor, the doctor surmised that Anne Marie has a dairy/protein allergy or intollerance.

The solution is for me to eliminate all dairy, soy, eggs, and nuts from my diet.  It will take 2-4 weeks for it to clear my and AM's systems, so we won't be able to tell a discernible difference immediately, but it's worth a shot.  The alternative to changing my diet is to feed AM a special formula (but it's extremely expensive and she's not reliable about taking a bottle anyway).  We also had to bring in some samples for them to send to the lab to check for anything infectious or parasitic.  But she didn't have a fever and her diaper did test positive for blood, so it's most likely an allergy.

This is not a major deal.

She will most likely grow out of it and it should have any long-term effects on her.  Changing her (or my) diet until then is a perfectly workable solution.  Not necessarily so fun for me (or the wallet), but completely doable.  I'd already been limiting some of my dairy intake, which was probably the reason that she's been getting less and less fussy.  Now that I know this is most likely the cause of her issues, there is a clear motivation to making her feel better, even if it means I'll have to forgo the cheesecake for a while (sniff... cue trumpets playing taps in mourning...).

In some ways, this is a relief.  It explains a lot, and makes me feel a little vindicated from the weight I've carried due to her unpredictable temperament.  She hasn't been crying because she's "spoiled", or because I haven't held her enough, or because of something else I did or didn't do.

It's not my fault.  

At the same time, I feel guilty thinking about how she's really been in pain all this time and that it must have been torture for her to digest something her body might be allergic to. I wish we'd figured this out sooner, but all I can do now is be thankful that we may have caught it at all and not dwell on regret. 

I've been worried that people wouldn't love her as much as the sweet, cuddly babies that belong to my sister and girlfriends, that the nursery workers at church aren't exactly thrilled each time we bring AM in, and that Matt and I would forever be juggling whose turn it was to soothe our fussy little girl.

I really don't know what I'm doing when it comes to this whole "parenting" thing.  Matt and I are feeling our way in the dark - the blind leading the blind - but we've managed to 1. survive 2. figure out some daily routines 3. actually start to enjoy this new phase a bit 4. begin trying to reconnect as husband and wife instead of just being parents of a new baby. 

I'd call that success - so far.

Three Months In

6.4.04

Monday marked Matt's and my 8th anniversary.

Eight years.

Eight years of wonderful. Eight years of joy, happiness, and even sorrow and pain. Eight years as man and wife.

It got me thinking about how we started out.

 Eleven and a half years ago, my freshman year of college - and Matt's "first" senior year - I went with my good friend Robin to hear our favorite band, The Cover Girls, at the Blue Room. When we got there, she wanted to stop by and say hi to a group of guys that she knew from high school (she had dated one of Matt's little brother's friends years ago). Matt and his friend Jerry were hanging out with the group and we were introduced.

It was "dollar pitcher" night.

So, we met at the Blue Room in Auburn on dollar pitcher night. (Such a great story to share with all of my friends and family, huh?...)

What followed was a semester of feeling each other out, my standing him up for our first date, and then he and I eventually deciding to date exclusively about 30 minutes before I drove home for the summer.

Matt was mowing lawns in Auburn and I was life guarding back home.  It was before the days of free nights and weekends and unlimited cell phone minutes, so we spoke on the phone in limited increments and tried to keep up contact via email between visits.  He would drive home on the weekends and come to see me at the pool where I worked.  He and Amanda hung out together while I would have to put in my shift on the stand.

I fell in love with him that summer.

My dad warned me about dating Matt. Matt was not a Christian and my father knew the dangers of dating someone who did not share the same beliefs as you. I didn't listen to him.

A year later, after things had gotten more serious, I eventually called it off.  We'd been going to church together and he had been meeting with the pastor on his own, but we still didn't share the same faith.  I knew I wasn't supposed to be seeing someone that wasn't a believer, and by that time it was really hard to end it.

Obviously Matt made a life commitment to serve Christ and we got back together. We dated two more years, and following another short breakup after his move to Dallas my junior year, we got engaged and married a month after I graduated from college.

 We got married on a Friday and by the following weekend, we were driving all of my belongings across  several states.  I moved to Dallas to join him and start a life together.  No job, no friends, only a lifetime ahead of me with the love of my life.  By the time I got a job offer in Dallas, Matt had decided to go back to school to get a second bachelor's by finishing the mechanical engineering degree he started at Auburn (which he had changed to business administration/aviation management after a semester or two of pre-engineering courses).

It made more sense for us to move back to Alabama where I could easily find an engineering job and he could go back to school while we lived off of a single income.  So, we packed up our things and headed back across the Mississippi. 

I remember feeling a little numb when we got married - almost like it just happened to me and I was on auto pilot.  I wondered if this was a mistake, had I simply just gone through the motions?  The few months we spent in Dallas together were wonderful for us, after having been long-distance for over two years of the three and a half of our entire courtship, we were finally together.  Just the two of us.  Slowly the semi-shock of getting married wore off and we settled into being together.

It was wonderful.

The past eight years have been so much fun.  We've taken trips, bought a house, been apart, moved again, and become parents.  I always thought it was sappy when married couples said things like, "I love him/her more now than I thought possible when we got married."

But it's true.

I do.

He's been my steadfast support and ultimate confidante.  He's been my cheerleader and my cheererupper.  I've watched his faith grow unwavering and deep, sometimes exposing my own weak faith in comparison.  He's grown into a committed husband, provider, leader and now father. 

He's even pretty good about putting the toilet seat back down.

But it hasn't been all easy sailing.  We've gone through rough patches, and I'm not talking about our eternal war on how the toothpaste tube should be squeezed/capped. (The adjustment after I returned from my short stint in Virginia was especially hard) We've wept together and fought with one another.  But the laughter has far outweighed the tears.  

I'd do it all again, and can only hope to have 80 more years of life with this man.

Strawberry Shortcake

This picture of my mom and me really has nothing to do with the post,

but I loved it enough to include it anyway.

Manda's quilted creation got me thinking about my own baby blanket experiences and the memories of the the three of us growing up with our baby blankets nearby.

I asked my dad if he could pick out a few photos of us as kids with our respective blankets and he sent me two CDs worth of photographs - and that only covered the first five years or so of my life.

Here we are (not fighting!), each of us with our own blanket.

(don't you LOVE that headband Manda's sporting?!)

You see, we three girls had a sort of love affair with our blankets growing up.  We kind of started out as equal opportunity users with the various blankets when we were very little but by the time we were talking, we each had our own distinct personal blanket preferences.

Mine was the Strawberry Shortcake cotton print blanket, simple and sweet.  It was one of the few items that I never lost growing up and was a constant fixture on my bed at night.  Well loved and well worn, it lost one of its corners to the "tire" of my big wheel one afternoon.  It remained a staple of my bedroom sheet set well past its expiration date and is currently safely tucked away in my closet (is it weird to be almost 30 and have your baby blanket right next to your shorts?)



Amanda preferred a soft green number, but was also accompanied by a creamy white version of the same blanket fairly often.  One of those two blankets were almost constantly being toted around by her and I don't think she was able to fall asleep without having one safely snuggled against her cheek until she was about 8 or 9.

Amanda, snuggled up with her green blanket. 

Amy's choice of blanket was this fluffy, quilted green print number. It was one of her prized possessions that she packed up and took with her when she ran away from home - the day before her 5th birthday - because she didn't want to take her obligatory Sunday afternoon nap (that story deserves an entire post of its own!).

  Amy, konked out in her crib with her blanket.

Contraband!  Blanket, Teddy, and Scotty dog are all a girl needs when running away from home.

My attachment to Strawberry Shortcake was no secret.  So much so, that the first gift we received after finding out that we were having a baby girl of our own, was this sweet Strawberry Shortcake doll and blanket from my parents.

They must've had to look all over to find this doll and blanket set because my dear Strawberry Shortcake has had a makeover in the last 30 years.  All of the plastic surgery on this girl has hardly left her recognizable as the character of my youth. 

To complete future Baby Girl's Strawberry Shortcake legacy, my mother knitted these sweet little booties. 

(and "Big Daddy" picked out those ladybug buttons!)

While I'm on my mother's gorgeous knitted creations, I must take a quick moment to spotlight this adorable sweater.  The gender neutral yellow sweater was started several years ago when my mom got a wild hair about having some "real"grand babies (because "grand puppies" somehow don't count).  She finished and personalized it once she found out she'd finally get a grand baby of her own.

Started years ago by my mother, with long-held hopes of a grandchild.

How fun will it be to watch Anne Marie grow up with her own childhood blanket/quilt made by hand by her dear Auntie Mandie and her own set of Strawberry Shortcake accompaniments? 

Anne Marie

Got two reasons why I cry away each lonely night

The first one's named sweet Anne Marie and she's my heart's delight.

Finally, fourteen days past due, sweet Anne Marie made her entrance into our world.  Nameless for most of the first day of her life, we finally settled on a moniker for our little bundle of depravity.

I had such an easy pregnancy, I just knew that labor couldn't possibly go as smoothly as everything else.  I was right, and the labor/delivery part of the story left something to be desired (maybe I'll write a separate post on some of that later).  However, we are so thankful to have such a healthy, beautiful little girl that there is really no room for complaining.

We are quite in love.

There have been several times over the last week that Matt and I have stopped, looked at each other, and said in wonder something along  the lines of, "we're PARENTS!"  or "she's OURS!" 

I don't know how long it will take to sink in, but it's been a pretty cool ride so far.

Sleep has been good some days, and not so much others.

My emotions have been pretty unpredictable too.  One morning last week, Matt was praying as we sat down to breakfast and I was holding Anne Marie in my arms.  I just started crying tears of joy as he thanked our Lord for His goodness and mercy towards us.  My heart is so full right now and sometimes it feels like it might burst.

Of course, an hour later, as I was getting showered and dressed, I heard AM fussing and Matt coming into our bedroom (presumably to see if I could get her to settle down), so I slammed the bathroom door shut before he could get to me and interrupt the first few moments of quiet solitude I'd had in days.  

I know the emotional swings come with the territory, but I hate not being in control of my emotions.  I really can't stand to not be able to keep it together.  There's almost nothing worse than to start crying over something seemingly benign and not be able to stop it!

I know I'm biased, but I think she's worth a 32 hour labor and some uncontrollable tears.

Roger Locher

If you haven't seen it, check out this recent post over at Cordially Charlie's blog.

Great story, great storyteller...


http://charliewingard.blogspot.com/2012/05/rescue-of-roger-locher.html

Matt

Labor of Quilted Love

Pink monogrammed "H" in lieu of a real 3-letter monogram 

(yes, still no name, and we're really running out of time as I'm now "past due".)

My extremely talented sister made me the most gorgeous, cheerful, beautiful, happy quilt.

One of the first things she said to me after finding out we were having a girl was, "now you need to pick out your fabric!" After hours of searching online and a fruitless trip to a couple of local fabric stores (what's up with local quilting fabric selections being so full of "old lady" fabric patterns?), we settled on this collection:  Taza by Dena Designs.

I LOVE the fabrics and colors and knew that it would make a really cheery quilt without becoming a "pink explosion".  Amanda had been eying this quilt pattern and was just as enthusiastic about making it for me as I was to see it all come together.

Manda has made several quilts so far, each one better than the previous.  I must admit that I had some serious lust for the quilt she made for Amy four years ago and was tempted to steal it.  I was thrilled to finally get my own Manda creation (Oh, wait.  This quilt is for my baby.  Does that mean it's not really mine?...)

Baby Girl's quilt and coordinating crib skirt (more on that below).

Since Baby Girl isn't really supposed to sleep with bedding for a little while, and to help protect it from spit up for as long as possible, I'd like to hang the quilt on the wall above the crib.  Anyone have any experience in that department?
 

The back side. (Sorry it appears so washed out here - the colors are much more vivid in person)

I am so thrilled about this quilt, I can't even begin to tell you.  I know it took a lot of time and effort to put together and will be something that we and Baby Girl will cherish for a lifetime.  I still have my baby blanket folded up in my closet.  The pink quilted Strawberry Shortcake blanket was a constant fixture in my bedroom until I was about 8 (well, actually, it stayed folded up on my bed until I got married, when Matt told me I had to stop sleeping with my BABY BLANKET!  ...I can't believe I just admitted that!).

I spent Sunday afternoon (nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh?) sewing a very simple crib skirt, using two of the patterns from the fabric collection Amanda used in the quilt.

 
Y'all, I'm not crafty.  And it's been probably 15 years since I've used a sewing machine, so the fact that this came out so well is just a testament to its simplicity.

Either way, I'm pretty happy about it.

So, while I'm at it, here's a look around the former office-now-nursery:



The only real changes we made were that shelf with the baskets, a ceiling fan, shelves in the closet/stairwell, and the curtains (ikea).

I ordered the crib, changing dresser and side table from J.C. Penney.  All three are solid wood and very well built. I got a great deal on them too!  We already had the chair and bookshelf, and we ordered the glider on sale from Babies R Us.

We left the walls their neutral green color.  After this (and any possible future) child(ren), this room will revert back to an office, and I didn't want to have to paint it multiple times.  Besides, I really like the green.  :)

We may do something with those french doors if needed - like applying translucent film to the glass or adding blinds.  We're kind of holding off on that for now to see what we'll really need.

I'm really happy with how it all turned out.  We've been pretty low stress about this baby prep thing and have tried to keep it all as easy and simple as possible.  I think we were pretty successful at doing that (and keeping our costs to a minimum, always a plus!).

One of my favorite parts about the room are all of the handmade gifts, lovingly created by dear friends.

Hanging on the wall is a pink dress made by Jennifer M.  It's absolutely beautiful, and of heirloom quality.

Closeup of the monogram detail on the pink dress, which now hangs on the wall next to the crib.

I was speechless at my baby shower when I received not one, but two, breathtakingly beautiful quilts.  They're currently folded over the chair and glider in the nursery and I can't wait to wrap Baby Girl up in them!

Quilts made by Sandra K.(left)  and Jennifer H (right).

Now we just need to get Baby Girl with the program so that she can make use of this room!