hallows eve

It blows my mind that its already November 6! It seems like it should barely be August and instead it's getting cold and we are going head first into the Holidays. I love this time of year (like almost everybody else) and am looking forward to Thanksgiving and cooler weather. 

October was good to us, and flew by. We dressed our little miss Scarlett up for her first Halloween and showed her off like the proud parents we are. She made such a cute cow, Jed was the farmer, and like 68% of the female population I was a girl with some sort of ears on my head (kitty cat). 

She made such a sweet little cow and discovered her tongue just in time to show it off for all the pictures. 

We went to our churches Trunk or Treat the day after Halloween and spent time with our family and friends from our old Spanish Branch that we use to attend. I also spent the night hanging out with my two favorite sisters. 

Scarlett had a blast watching all the other kids going a little nuts and got herself pretty tuckered out by the end of the night. 

little miss Scarlett girl,

one half of a whole year. 6 months. that seems like a really long time. honestly it hasn't felt long, but at the same time I can't remember life without you.

you make our lives so much better, in every sense. you have the most contagious smile and love to cuddle. you still love me most, and I am a bit of a Scarlett girl hog.

I feel like the luckiest to be able to spend all my days hanging out with you every second. we are pals and I love watching you learn.

six things you learned in your six month:

1. you no longer are swaddled when you sleep, and you don't take your pacifier anymore. you are growing up.

2. you learned that you love green beans, peas, and carrots, but hate squash.

3. that you love toys. bright colored objects and things that play songs are your favorite. you get frustrated when you can't get them in your mouth, or when I take them away.

4. how to jump. you like your jumper and your toes barley reach the ground, but your able to jump around which makes you laugh.

5. Carter and Jack, you love to play with them and read books, they entertain you and give you lots of kisses. But sometimes they wake you up from naps, which makes you and me cranky.

6. you love being sung to and enjoy all the funny faces that we make. your favorite songs are: the wheels on the bus, popcorn popping, and all the rain drops

 I really hope these next 6 months slow down. love you girl.

Motherhood

This whole motherhood thing is hard. Harder then anyone could have ever explained, or that I could have ever understood.   My Scarlett girl is constantly on my mind; as a new mom I am always thinking, wondering, and praying on how to best take care of this tiny babe of mine. I worry if I am doing my best, if she knows how much she is loved, because man oh man I love that girl with my whole heart. 

These past few weeks have been hard. Trying to figure this "sleeping through the night" is proving much tougher than I had ever thought. At this point I would love if she would even sleep for three hours at a time, but that poor girl and me are struggling to figure it out. 

But each time I'm feeling exhausted and exasperated that little miss tugs on my heart with her contagious smile and sweet demeanor.  I have been trying to avoid that saying, "...I can't wait until.." Because I truly can wait until she gets to that next stage of her life. I never want to take for granted or miss a thing. I am really loving every second of my 5 month..soon to be 6 month old Scarlett girl. But that doesn't mean I don't get tired.. Very tired. 

Dear miss Scarlett

5 things you learned by the time you 5 months: 

1. You found your voice and make the sweetest noises. You love to babble about all the important things you're learning. Each morning when we wake up we have our morning talks.. You fill me in and update me on all your favorite things. I love to lay there and listen to your sweet high voice. 

2.  You're now my rollie pollie. You can finally roll. You know how to roll both ways, but we would never catch you rolling from back to stomach... You hate that. 

3.  You discovered your feet. You love to grab hold of them and rock back and forth. You try to suck on those baby toes, but can quite figure it out...yet. 

4. You can now go to bed on your own. Each night we go through your bed time routine: eat, bathe, lotion, sing, nurse, and then lay you down. You hardly even fuss now. (Still working on nap time)

5.  On your fifth month birthday you tried cereal for the first time. It was so fun to watch you try and eat it. You didn't each much that night, but you sure have eaten a lot every night since then. You love that mushy stuff.

You became so much more interactive and your fiesty personality is coming out. You know what you want and I love that about you. It's so neat to watch you discover the world around you. You're a very happy girl with a smile that takes over your entire face. You make my heart happy and I'm so lucky to spend my days with you. 

Dear Scarlett girl,

Four Months. I think I blinked twice before this happened. So quickly you've grown. I'm enjoying every second of you, and watching you develop your own unique personality. 

4 things that I've learned and love about you at 4 months:

1. You are a flirt. You love to make 'eyes' and smile at the boys. (But mostly just for your daddy so it's okay). 

2. You wake up such a happy girl. You smile and love to cuddle, for about 10 minutes then you're like "FEED ME NOW!!!" 

3. You love AND like me. Which is possible the best feeling in the world. I love that you're a mamas girl. I love that I am the one that you want when you're sleepy, sad, or even happy. We love each other and it's great. 

4. You are completely content being carried in your Bjorne baby pack. You love people watching and smiling at strangers. You'll spend hours in it without making a peep. 

Part of me hates that you are four months. Part of me is desperate to be able to turn back time and  try to soak up more time with my newborn Scarlett. Part of me is anxious that I'll forget, that I won't be able to remember your tiny fingers and toes, your smushed face, wrinkly neck, and hairy bum. Or our late night feedings, just you and me. 

But you know what? A bigger part of me is excited. Not excited for what's to come, but really excited for what's here right now. That is what you are teaching me, Scarlett girl, to love what is happening right now in this moment. Watching you try so hard to learn and discover is making me one proud mama. 

I love you at four months. 

Dear Scarlett

Dear Scarlett,

Its been a year. A year full of learning and loving. 

It was this time one year ago when we first imagined you and then you became a reality. It started a little bumpy not knowing if you were really there, but all changed when we sat in that doctors office and heard the first whooshings of your heart. In that moment our lives changed. We went from two to three, and our hearts grew bigger then we could have dreamed. 

We waited to tell, I wanted to keep you all to myself. Our secret, my secret. Our imaginations went wild, planning the life you'd live, the personality you'd developed, and the mischief you'd create. But how wrong we were, how little we knew. You have exceeded every dream we've dreamt.  Never would I have thought how happy we'd be and how complete we would feel.  

Miss Scarlett girl you are loved. Thank you for being mine.

family photos

I had been wanting to take family pictures since Scarlett was born, but after looking for photographers I could never bring myself to pay the big bucks. I totally think pictures are worth the money, but I couldn't justify the high price tag when I knew other things (like diapers) were more important. So I enlisted my sister and we went out and did a few snapshots outside. I am so glad we did, I know I will cherish these first family pictures forever. It also happend to be the Saturday before our Scarlett girls blessing, which makes them even more special. 

Thanks Jenny for taking these... you are totally a natural photographer!

a 1 month babe

I'm about three weeks late but I didn't not want to post these sweet pictures of a 1 month miss Scarlett. I wrote this in my journal on that day....

      One month ago we had our beautiful baby... I'm so glad we have survived! We love you Scarlett and you make our family feel whole. I'm so thankful and grateful I get to be your mama and that you are so willing to love me through this big learning curve. 

It has been such a fun month filled with more love than I could imagine. There has also been lots of tears, so many diapers, and not so much sleep. I wouldn't change any of it. 

we love you Scarlett girl. 

life lately..

It's strange how different life can be in such a short amount of time. When I was still pregnant people would tell me I "had no idea" how a baby would change my life. And it was annoying to hear that, but they were right. Nothing could prepare me for becoming a mom, going through labor, being so sleep deprived, and being so in love with a baby.

I read countless birth stories while I was on bed rest, each one talked about this feeling they had when they held their baby for the first time. I was a skeptic.. I didn't doubt that I would love my baby , but the way women would write made it sound somewhat 'magical' and a little unrealistic.

When I was in labor and as soon as I delivered Scarlett they put her on my chest and I remember thinking 'okay, do I feel different?' honestly the whole experience was overwhelming, what my body had just gone through, plus the fatigue. I am not sure if I felt that overwhelming love at that moment. I was in shock. But that love did come. During our stay at the hospital and those first few days at home spent as a family of three. It is an unreal love, one that can't adequately be described. It is 'magical' and I feel so unbelievable blessed to be able to experience it.

Its been a whirlwind of emotions this last month. I cry. easily. And poor Jed doesn't know what to do with two crying girls now. I've had some irrational fears that our tiny little babe is growing WAY too fast and this overwhelming feeling that I wish time would stand still.

Our little miss really isn't 'little'. She came two weeks early at 8lbs 1oz and 21 inches long. Most of her newborn clothes were worn once and now have been packed away. She is a sweet thing that loves her mama, and makes me feel so special. She loves to eat and thankfully nursing has been going well. She has packed on a few pounds and is making her way to be a chubby girl.

our Scarlett girl 1 week old

baby room + dresser

We finished this dresser months ago, and when no one wanted to buy it off Craigslist I decided to keep it for myself! I love the look and the caster wheels give it so much character. So we held on to it with the idea of using it in the baby's room after we found out that I was pregnant.

When Angie moved out and we started to put the babies room together, I started to have second thoughts on the dresser. Which is no surprise, I have the hardest time committing to anything lately. I am such an indecisive person, but add in pregnancy hormones and its nearly impossible to make any type of decision with any lasting commitment. annoying. 

I went on the hunt for another dresser and Craigslist totally pulled through for me! I found the exact style I was looking for, in our price range, and the family selling it lived 5 minutes away! Talk about seriously lucking out.

I of course forgot to take any before pictures of the dresser in all of its polyurethane glory. Jed snapped these on his iPhone while he was working on it. 

Jed was totally impressive and spent his entire Saturday sanding it down and then we stained it together that night. So in practically one afternoon Jed transformed it from a beat up old thing to the perfect dresser for little miss. Pretty great guy.

Dresser: $50 (Craigslist)

Stain: $4.50 (mini wax color special walnut  via Lowes)

Stripper: on hand

Sanding supplies: on hand

Total: $54.50

As for the first dresser we ended up selling it the next weekend to my mother in law! It goes perfectly in her guest bedroom and made it way easier to part with knowing that she liked it so much!

mad skills + mad in crafts

sumos sweet stuff 

made by you monday + skip to my lou 

keeping it simple + motivate me monday

ninth street notions + i made it! monday

M.M.M. Day + craft

be colorful + motivated monday 

sew can do + craftastic monday 

the cure for the common mondays + lines across my face 

more the merrier mondays + diy home sweet home project  

newbie link party + debbie-debbiedoos  

show me what ya got + not just a house wife 

take-a-look tuesday + sugar bee crafts 

made with love + sew chatty

get your craft on + todays creative blog   

diy by design   

inspiring creativity wednesdays + twin dragon fly designs 

tea rose home 

the trendy tree house 

what we wore and made wednesdays + rae gun ramblings  

ginger snap crafts + wow me wednesday 

Little MIss 34 Weeks

Things I learned and did this week:

+I am on bed rest still. Which is good because it means I am still pregnant!

+My belly is officially huge; meaning that its big enough to rest on my thighs when sitting down.

+I finally have pregnancy heart burn... and man does it burn.

+I found out that little miss loves to be read to. She twists and turns when you read aloud.

+She doesn't like it when I move, walk, turn, or really any type of movement. I think she's a lazy girl.

+I packed my hospital bag this week. Just incase she makes her grand appearance early, we'll be semi ready.

+We also took a tour of the hospital and Jed and I are both so glad that we only live 5 minutes away!

Little Miss 33 weeks

It's been quite the adventure the past two weeks but I am so glad to say I am still pregnant! During my 32 week doctor visit Jed and I were told that I was in 'preterm' labor. Meaning that little miss was trying to come out! I had to spend a few hours in Labor and Delivery in triage, given a shot, and lots of medication that slowed down my contractions. I was also put on bed rest for the week.

Poor Jed, he looked so scared in the hospital room. We both were in shock and didn't really know how to act or what to say. My pregnancy had been so easy up to this point and neither of us were excepting any major complications. We felt overwhelmed and worried.

I took it easy for the week and when I went to my next appointment we were told that I was still in 'active preterm labor' but my progression had slowed, which was good news. I was put on bed rest indefinitely, it's been a little boring, and I had to quit working which was unplanned. My bosses have been very supportive and Jed and I know it's for the best.

Other than that excitement, Jed and I have been busy finishing up little miss' room. It's almost finished and I am loving how it is coming together. It's crazy to think that she'll be here so soon, we feel completely unprepared without a clue on how to take care of a baby... Which I hear is normal for first time parents!

Little Miss 32 Weeks + a shower

This last weekend my mom and sisters threw me the best baby shower. They really out did themselves on the decorations and the food. So many people came and I just felt so loved the entire day. I'm not a huge lover of parties for myself, but this one was so sweet and I just felt so blessed to have so many friends in my life that are so excited for Jed and I!

We were totally spoiled and I received so many things that I needed and wanted! I was given some of the most adorable outfits and I just know this little girl is going to be well dressed.

Angie also moved out this past weekend... I was so excited to get little miss' room ready, but at the same time didn't want Angie to leave. I miss her a lot and feel a little lonelier each evening. 

My pregnancy is still going well, just getting bigger and bigger by the day. My clients at work especially think I've gotten large

Overall I'm feel good and excited to meet this little girl!

Little Miss 27 Weeks

I am officially in my 27th week and the little one has officially found herself in my ribs. She seems to be the most active late at night and early mornings. She seems to love orange juice and hate tomatoes.. but that might just be me. At my last doctors appointment my doctor 'encouraged' me to be more active, so naturally I walked around the block twice and feel pretty proud of myself.

I hear this third trimester thing can become pretty uncomfortable. I can't really imagine my belly getting bigger, but each day it does, and my love for strechy pants is growing. Jed and I are getting more excited each week to meet this 'little miss' and I am having lots of fun stocking up on cute clothes for her to model when she gets here.

Other things lately:

1. My back window of my car got busted out last week while I was at work. Nothing was stolen, so it might have just been a hate crime. Man I hate when people hate me. 

2. Jed is OBSESSED with Settlers of Catan. I played this game once with my bff Kris and her family over a holiday break in college. Then when Jed and I got married I asked if we could buy it and he made fun of me saying, only weirdo Mormon kids play that game. Well I bought it anyways and now Jed is crazy for it. Seriously he wants to play it all the time. I let my sister take it to her friends house over the weekend and he acted like I sold our dog. heartbroken.

Jed on New Years Eve. We. Are. Party. Animals.

little miss

Jed and I are beyond excited to be having a baby!  Well he's not having a baby, I am.. and he gets a free ride while I do all the hard work. I really am not complaining though.. this little girl has made it so easy on me and I'm extremely grateful. I haven't been sick once and overall feel pretty great. I do get tired, but I think I can now just complain about how tired I am and get more sympathy. I am officially 23 weeks and am due May 4th.

The best parts of being pregnant so far...

(in no particular order)

1. I now have two votes and win every argument about where to eat, what to watch, how much space I need on the couch/bed.

2. No one comments on how much I eat or how often. If I want a cheeseburger right after having Taco Bell Jed acts like its completely logical and not disgusting at all.

3. Being able to feel little miss kick and move. She is an active little girl and I love being able to feel her throughout the day and night.

4. Having Jed worry and take care of me. It is so nice to know that he loves me.