When it doubt, paint it out....

Okay, so that title doesn't really make sense...but that's okay! It sounded good.

My mom is in town visiting and let me tell you, it's so wonderful having help with the cooking and cleaning! And of course, she gets her share of Winslow too.  :) 

My baby boy will be SIX weeks old tomorrow.  HOW is that possible?  He is growing so fast and being a mom is the best thing I've ever experienced. 

It has also been well over six weeks since I did a little DIY project...so of course, when I have a live-in babysitter, I jump on the chance to do something. 

I've had the end tables in my living room for 3.5 years and I love them.  However I wanted to change up the look and so I painted them.

This is the only before photo I could find...and obviously, it's at Christmastime.

See the dark end tables?  They are now..WHITE! :)

 

Oh yeah, and I did change up my fall mantle a tad. I forgot I had this lovely wood piece in the garage that I made last year and I added some pine cone garland.  

I think I like it!

And I love fall.

The end.

Pregnancy Photobook

I am on a roll with getting stuff done during naptime! It's amazing how quick I can now make the bed, and do laundry!

I made a photobook to document my pregnancy with Winslow. I love documenting special events and moments and a photobook is a great way to do it while not adding too much clutter to your home.  Every single year I made a yearbook of our year together as well.  I love that tradition.

Here's my pregnancy photobook:

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly photo books are the new way to preserve your memories. Create your own today.

Winslow's Birth Video

A short video of Winslow's birth that I made.  :) 

The song is called "You're the best song" by Bethany Dillon

For some reason when I uploaded the video, most of the photos are blurry...ugh

Currently...

Making : Room in our closet for some fall/ winter clothes.  I got rid of all my maternity and summer clothes.  I also donated a whole laundry hamper full! Yay!
Cooking :White chocolate rolo reeses pumpkin cookies. Yes, for real.  Get the recipe here.
Drinking : Water and water and water.  Breastfeeding makes me soooooo thirsty.
Reading: Whenever I nurse in the middle of the night, I read Jesus Calling, but I just got done reading Winslow "Dog's Noisy Day".  He loved it. haha!
Wanting: This shirt for me and these for Winslow and daddy.
Looking: forward to my mom flying in tomorrow! She's spending 9 days with us!
Playing: Bethany Dillon's "You're the best song".  If you have children, you WILL cry when you listen to this.  It's my new favorite song ever.
Wasting: tons of calories eating cookie dough...who cares. ;)
Sewing: I need to be sewing some more burp cloths..but I'm not.
Wishing: that the days will go by slower.  My son is already over a month old! Time, slow down!
Enjoying: EVERY single second I get with Winslow. 
Waiting: on daddy to get home! We miss you, dad!
Liking: this beautiful fall weather.  It's been in the 70's all week.  Praise the Lord.
Wondering: where we will be in the next 5 years...
Loving:  being a mom.  It's the best and most challenging responsibility ever.
Hoping: Winslow will bless his momma with 5-6 hours of sleep!
Marvelling: at how God made babies so perfect and how they smell so freakin' good.
Needing: to eat dinner
Smelling: dinner- Verde Chicken Enchiladas that a dear friend brought over.
Wearing: Nursing tank and jeans.  It's my go-to uniform...except usually it's Nike Tempo shorts and not jeans.
Following:
Noticing: how hard my husband works to provide for us. He works Monday and Wednesday until 5pm and has class until 10pm...that's a LONG day.  And he works until 10pm on Tuesday and Thursday. He's pretty much superman. I love him so.
Knowing: that I have the best job in the world: a mom.
Thinking: about making a new fall wreath.
Feeling: excited about college football.  I love it.
Bookmarking:  fall scarves and boots!
Opening: a new package of diapers every 2-3 days. Sheesh we go through some diapers.
Giggling: when Winslow has a HUGE explosion in his pants, but nothing to show for it. ha!
Feeling: thankful for my life.

Harvest Festival

The husband had this past weekend off (PRAISE THE LORD) and so we have filled it with fun family times!  Well not a whole bunch, but we did go to church as a family, and to the local Harvest Festival.


Sadly, my camera died right at the beginning of the festival, so I only caught a few photos.

 He looks so good as dad.  ;)

 Clearly, W was enjoying the festival.

 And of course, any fair/festival is not complete without consuming a funnel cake...it was fat free. ha!

Next year, we will have a toddler walking around! Crazy!

We went to church this morning, which was awesome.  We've been back twice since Winslow's birth, so I'd say that's pretty good!  Afterwards, I took the opportunity to have a mini-photo shoot.  My poor little guy has NO hair on top of his head.

I love my little old man, though.

 This is his FAVORITE way to be held. I think he likes to look at everything because when we hold him like a baby (you know, the regular way you usually hold babies) he cries.  Then when I throw him over my shoulder, he is happy as a clam.

And just because no post is complete without a sleeping baby...

Melt my heart- he is precious!

Dear Winslow

Baby boy,

You are growing so fast already! How is it that you're over a month old?  It makes me so excited, yet sad that you are getting bigger. I can't wait for you to keep exploring new things each day.  I see it in your eyes- the way you look at things and how new they are for you!

We are quickly learning what you like and what you don't like...here's a few:

1. You do not like being swaddled.  You will grunt and cry to try and get your arms out, but after a couple minutes you settle down.  I hate to see you upset, but I also know that you sleep so much better when you are swaddled, so we will continue to do it.  We tried a couple nights of not doing it, and you were up every 1.5-2 hours...if we swaddle you, we sometime get 5-6 hours!  (And that makes your momma very happy!)

2. You LOVE to be held over our shoulder- we call it throwing you over our shoulder like a sack of taters. You don't like to be held like a baby at all.  You know, the traditional hold that most people do to babies.  I feel kind of bad, because when people want to hold you, you start to cry because you don't like it! 

3. You love bathtime. You have started kicking your legs a tiny bit and you'll stay in there, happy as a clam, until we take you out.

4. You DO NOT LIKE being cold after bathtime- if we don't dry you off, put a diaper on you, and put your clothes on in 2.5 seconds, you let us know!

5.  You love nursing. You make the cutest sounds in the universe while you nurse, and I absolutely adore that time I have with you.  Sometimes you'll just stare straight up at me, and it makes my heart melt.

6. You like to have your head rubbed!  Molly was over here the other night and started rubbing your little head and you cooed for a good thirty minutes!  You love it.

7.  You don't like to miss out on things!  Sometimes you'll be so tired,  but will not go to sleep! thankfully this is never really at night, but it's during the afternoon or evening.  This evening you screamed for a good few minutes because you didn't want a nap, but I knew you were so tired.  After I finally got you down, you slept almost 2 hours! See?  Momma does know best.  ;)

Winslow,  I love being your mom.  To see you change and grow each day makes me so happy.

This may be cheesy to some, but I have to document this special time.   Yesterday I was holding you and trying to put away some clean laundry and we were just chatting.  Well, I decided to play some music and George Strait's song "Carrying Your Love with Me" came on.  I twirled you around our bedroom and sang to you and danced and the way you looked at me and smiled made me cry! I boo hoo-ed like a little baby because you just do that to me, W.  It was the most precious moment we've shared since you've been here! Except for that first time we locked eyes when you were just minutes old.  I'll never forget that moment. Ever.

I love you Winslow.  So does your daddy.  You are so special to us and I always want you to know that. 

You are my sunshine.

Love,

Mom

Winslow is one month!

    Weight:11 pounds 1.5 ounces (79th percentile!)
Height: 23 inches (96th percentile!)
Nicknames: Win, Winsy, W, Peanut, Little Fella
Eating: nursing like a champ! The first three or so weeks, he ate every 2.5 hours on the dot almost (his internal clock is to the minute!) but the past few days he has been eating every three hours.  Besides breastmilk, he loves chocolate milk and mashed potatoes ;) haha..just kidding (duh).  He wakes up once or twice to feed at night and usually nurses around 15 minutes before he is done.  That's about his average feeding time now..around 12-15 minutes.  He sometimes eats so fast without breathing that he chokes and it makes him mad. After a couple seconds, he is right back at it though.  This boy loves to eat!
Sleeping: The first couple weeks, he would wake up every 2.5 hours to eat and the past 1.5-2 weeks he's been giving me a four hours stretch, which is awesome.  Then this past week, he slept SIX hours (which of course, freaked me out when I woke up and saw the time) and he has gone 5 hours a couple of times as well.  That is AWESOME and I feel like a new woman when I can get that much sleep in a row. haha.  But this boy sure is NOISY when he sleeps. Sometimes he will sleep without making a peep, and other times he keeps me up with all his grunts, coos, and other noises, including poop explosions.  Thankfully, they stay inside his diaper for now. We are getting into a routine of a nighttime bath, nursing, and then getting to bed, and so far this week has been great.  I also started waking him up right before I go to bed to nurse (a dream-feed, if you will)  and I think that's what is helping him sleep so long at a time.  And it helps me out too!  After nursing once at night though, he sometimes takes a good while to get back to sleep..around 30-40 minutes and he usually sleeps around 2.5 or 3 hours after that and he is READY to start his day.   Around 8am is when he likes to get up.  We start our bedtime routine anywhere from 8:30-9:00, and then I wake him around 10:30 for a dream feed.  I will probably omit that feeding once he can sleep a little longer, but before I was doing that, I would go to bed at 11, and he would wake up at midnight really hungry...and that was exhausting me.     

 
Diapers: He is still wearing newborn diapers.  Target brand are our favorite, but CVS was having a sale on Pampers, so we are squeezing into those until we move to size 1 diapers in a week or two.  They are still pretty big on him, so newborns fit the best.  Huggies are too small, Pampers are getting too small, and Target fit great right now.  Little man also LOVES to show off his tooting and grunting noises and boy when he lets it rip, EVERYONE can hear it.  It sounds so loud and explosive and sometimes it'll just be a tiny bit of poo.  It's so funny.  He will also grunt a whole lot and then once he is done, he will let out a big sigh.  It's the cutest thing ever.    

 
Clothing: Still wearing newborn clothes for the most part, but we do have a handful of 0-3 clothes that fit. All baby clothes fit so differently because we have a few NB outfits that swallow him and then he can fit perfect into some 0-3 month outfits.  I have had to put  away 4-5 NB outfits that are too short on this long fella!   A lot of outfits with little pants are too short and I put a long sleeved NB onesie on him ,and it was 3/4 length! Our fella has LONG arms and legs!
Social:This is the most fun part! He is starting to "talk" to me a little bit with cooing and then he will smile.  It's not really a "social" smile just yet, but it's the most precious thing ever.  He also loves his playmat and will talk to it as well.  He is pretty much on a eat-play-sleep schedule and that works great for him.  After he eats, he plays and stares at the ceiling fan ( his favorite thing ever!)  for a while and then will take an hour or 1.5 hour nap before his next feeding.  The other day though, he was awake from 2-7pm with no nap, and boy did we feel it around 8pm.. he was one grumpy fella.    Likes: He loves the ceiling fan, bathtime, tummy time, his carseat, taking walks in his stroller, his momma (okay, i had to put that one in there) , and hanging out in just his diaper, his swing, being cuddled and held, he loves to be thrown over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes. haha!
Dislikes: getting his diaper changed sometimes, the initial process of getting swaddled (he will grunt and try to get his arms out and cry) getting out of the bath

What we're looking forward to: everything! My mom is coming back to visit next week and we can't wait to see her.  We also are planning to go to see Jack Johnson in concert but I have to get my courage up to leave him with a babysitter (my in-laws).   

    Milestones/ things to remember: He has begun to smile, coo, and focus on more things.  He can track my voice a little bit.  My most favorite thing he did this month was while he was on his tummy, he turned his head from one side to the other! I was so proud. He is getting so good at lifting his head up. Only one poop explosion so far, and that was at the doctor's office this morning! It went all up his back and on me!   Trips/Outings: We've been to hubby's work to show him off, my work, the Farmer's Market, church, Target (two times!), Harris Teeter, my in-laws, and the post office.    

 We love you so much, little guy!!

Mother's Heart

I loved you from the very start,
You stole my breath, embraced my heart.
Our life together has just begun
You're part of me my little one.
As mother with child, each day I grow,
My mind is filled with thoughts of you.

I'll daydream of the things we'll share,
Like late-night bottles and Teddy bears.
Like first steps and skinned knees,
Like bedtime stories and ABC's.
I think of things you'll want to know,
Like how birds fly and flowers grow.

I think of lessons I'll need to share,
Like standing tall and playing fair.
When I first saw your precious face,
I prayed your life be touched with grace.
I thanked the angels from above,
And promised you unending love.

Each night I lay you down to sleep,
I gently kiss your head and cheek.
I count your little fingers and toes;
I memorize your eyes and nose.
I linger at your nursery door,
Awed each day I love you more.

Through misty eyes, I dim the light,
I whisper, "I love you" every night.
I loved you from the very start,
You stole my breath, embraced my heart.
As mother and child our journeys begin,
My heart's yours forever little one.

 -unknown

Birth Announcement

We ordered postcard birth announcements and LOVE the way they turned out. They are from Tiny Prints and the photos were taken by the talented Heather from Bellafino Photography.  She was GREAT and I can't wait to share the other photos.

Dear Winslow

Dearest baby boy,

This week has been so great yet so tiring.  A couple days you were not happy at all, and it wore me out a little! It's so hard to hear you cry and not be able to do anything about it.  If you promise not to tell, I'll let you know that I cried with you.  It was hard.  There will be days like that.  But there will also be days where you are happy as can be, which is most days.  I love watching you take in the world.  All the new sights and sounds...the way you are starting to coo just a tiny bit.  You'll talk to me a lot and then let out a big cry and then be happy as can be again.

You're so funny.

I love you.

We met daddy for dinner tonight while he was at work.  I had my first experiences of nursing you in the car.  It was funny because I kept looking outside to make sure no one was peeking at me.  You do great in your carseat so far!  Only a couple cries and then you're fine. 

You are such a joy.  I love being your mom.

I pray for you every single night.  I pray for your salvation, I pray for your health, your wife, your little fingers and toes.  I pray for everything.  You have blessed me so much in the past 3 weeks, it's insane. 

I love you.

When you sleep, you love to make little chirps and grunts.  You'll even let out a cry but I am convinced it's because you're dreaming.  It doesn't even phase you.  Let's just hope you learn to sleep a tiny iny bit longer in the coming weeks.. i know you will. :)

It's hard getting adjusted to this big ol' world!  I hope I am making it as easy as possible for you, little W.

We are so in love with you.  I can't even put it into words.  When I think about you and how God made you so perfect and beautiful, it makes me tear up. 

You are wonderful and the perfect missing piece in our family. 

Love,

Your mom.

Too early?

Is it too early to decorate for fall?

I think not.

Is it still in the 90's outside?  Well, yeah..but that doesn't stop me from wanting a pumpkin spice latte and ungodly amount of pumpkin bread. 

 Some of the best fall decor can be found in your backyard! I picked up the pine cones and the twigs from there.  It's so easy to decorate with them.  I think I may spray paint some pine cones too!

 I still think that turquoise fan is my favorite Goodwill find EVER.  And it was $2.99. 

It becomes quite the challenge when you have this little fella wanting your attention too:

Melt. my. heart.  He is precious, if I do say so.

So, I may not have gone ALL OUT like I usually do, but I love this season and I did what I could in ten minutes! :)

 No, that is not my child in the picture frame...I'm waiting on photos from Shutterfly!

 Cute little scarecrow man from Hobby Lobby for 80% last year!  I need to go back once the fall stuff is on clearance again. 

Doesn't my house look so clean with a newborn? HA!!  Take a look at what's in the corner.

WHO KNEW babies needed so much stuff?  It's like a baby explosion in here now.  But I love it.

And I wouldn't change it for the world.

(To be fair, his nursery is upstairs and I'm not about to walk up and down the stairs 123098 times a day changing his outfit from when he peed or pooped on himself and change his diaper a bazillion times a day..so this is his "station" which holds all of his outfits, diapers, and other baby items.)

Happy Fall, Y'all!