A Tour of Caroline's Nursery

I feel like I've seriously neglected my blog lately and I won't have any readers now... not that I had a ton of readers before, but at least I'll still have a little journal of our first born and what life was like in 2010!

I shared a picture of Caroline in her crib a while back & got comments about her nursery. I realized that I never gave an official tour of her nursery! The reason behind this is because I'm the ULTIMATE procrastinator... her room still is not complete. Really, the only big thing I'm lacking are her curtains. I have the fabric but I just have to get it sewn.

I'm not much of a decorator and my SIL helped me a lot... I'm really happy with how it turned out! Anyway, enough rambling! Here is the room I'm most proud of!

Birth announcement my grandmother cross-stitched. This hangs in the hall right outside Caroline's room

This canvas hung on our room in the hospital when Caroline was born. My sister in law did it for us.

This is what you see as you enter Caroline's room

I got the dresser from Walmart and I'm pleased with it for as affordable as it was. I really want/need a chest of drawers for more storage. The mirror above her changing pad was my great grandmothers. It was a goldish color and my husband spray painted it white. The branch with birds is a wall decal I bought off etsy! It was very easy to do!

My SIL also did these adorable appliques for us! LOVE them!

My mother in law bought the bedding and I love it!

My grandmother bought us the heart wreath and my mom bought Caroline the little shelf. I think they're precious! On the shelf are two of the remaining pieces of my Beatrix Potter collection.

(I had almost all of the figurines and books as a child but I broke them by climbing up on my shelves.

I was a good child, I promise.)

My mom painted these and applied the flower details. She did a great job!

 Of course I couldn't snap all these pictures without a few of my sweet girl! She turned 8 months old yesterday... so crazy!!!!

1st time in the rocker by herself! She thought it was so fun to rock!

This is her new favorite face. She does it all the time. We call it her old lady face.

Love this pic!

Alright, enough procrastinating, I'm off to write a mini-paper!

A Quick Trip to Nashville

For the last month or so I've been trying to find a few days when I could go up to Nashville to visit Nick, Julie and Baby Graham and to see all my old Lampo coworkers. I left Thursday afternoon and finally got there at about 10 that night. I would have made it a little earlier but there was a really bad accident on the interstate so I had to take a detour that added an hour and a half to my 7 hour trip.... not exactly the most fun with a 7 month old! I'm just thankful we weren't involved in any accidents and I really hope everyone involved was okay.

It was totally worth it because I had the best time! Baby Graham is so teeny tiny, sweet and cuddly!  I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking:

I could just eat him up! It's hard to believe that Caroline was ever that little!!

Friday when I met some of my friends for lunch I had to hold back the tears a few times...

I miss them all SO much.

Most of my D.R. Girls!

That evening we played on Nick & Julie's swing set! So much fun!

Saturday I had lunch with a few friends in Franklin. I LOVE it when you can get together with a few girls and laugh and really be yourself. We had a great time.

That afternoon we went to the Sweet Tea Festival. Even though it was pretty warm, we had fun visiting, looking at the booths the vendors had set up and listening to music. I don't think Caroline and Graham thought it was all that interesting though....

It was sad to leave and be reminded that I don't have that amazing job anymore (with all those amazing people), but I was glad to be home and with my sweet hubby. I had a wonderful weekend and I can't wait to go visit again!

Last week I completed a 5 day mini-session in Anthropology. It was SO worth it to get one class over with in such a short period of time! The normal semester started Wednesday and I think I'm going to have a really good semester. It will definitely be tough but it beats the heck out of sitting at a desk watching the clock!

Caroline has been at my neighbor's instead of daycare for almost two weeks now and it is going so well. I was just thinking today that it really is a huge blessing.... Brooke and I get along so well and I think Caroline is going to be happier in the long run. Brooke's son Nathan is about 2 months older than Caroline and he has started signing some words. The other day we were talking and she said the word more to me in a sentence (not asking him to do it) and he signed it. I know plenty of babies do this but it was amazing for me to see with my own eyes... and especially from a 9 month old!

I took this video of Caroline & Shelby this afternoon. It is such a joy to hear her laughter and see her sweet smile!

I think it's pretty obvious Shelby has some serious energy! Word to the wise: don't buy an energetic dog if you aren't going to walk them frequently.

Crawling & Squaling!

Caroline started crawling about a month ago but she has really mastered it in the last week or so. 



Ever since she has mastered crawling she seems to want me to hold her more. I'll put her down and she'll cry and crawl right up back to me into my lap. It feels good to know she wants me! She will even follow me from the living room into the kitchen now. Now the fun starts!

I had a little photo shoot with her last week. It was the first time for her to sit in the grass. I love this little outfit... I got it at a consignment shop and paid probably 3 bucks for it! I love love love yellow.

Last Sunday Dan's parents came to visit us (read: Caroline). We had a great time visiting.

Mr. Maxie wasn't very interested in taking pictures. :)

Tomorrow is my last day of work and Caroline's last day at daycare. This weekend and next we'll be visiting family in Jackson. Can't wait!

My First WYHDIH Project!

WYHDIH= Watch your husband do it himself..... :)

Dan worked on the headboard almost all day on Saturday and a good part of Sunday. I had a cranky baby and didn't think it was a good idea for us to stay in the garage with all those fumes! The bed is absolutely GORGEOUS!!! But.... we have a little problem. Let me just show you:

(Please over look all the clutter on our bedside tables. I am not an organized person.)

So.... yea, you can't even see the headboard it's so low. I googled sleigh beds on the Internet and there are actually a lot of them out there that aren't high up. The headboard and footboard (haven't done the footboard yet) have slots in them to attach to rails that hold the bed up. I'm thinking maybe we shouldn't do the footboard and just find a way to elevate the headboard without attaching it to the bed maybe? What do y'all think? It's just too beautiful to leave behind those pillows!

Here's proof:

Didn't the Danman do a fantastic job?! Here is a reminder at what he started with:

 

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Our little family has some big changes coming up in the next two weeks. I have been talking about going back to school all summer and it is almost time! My last day of work is next Friday and I start school right away - on Monday the 9th. I am so ready for a fresh start and a change of scenery.  =)

In other news, a few weeks ago we met a sweet family that lives on the street behind us. My coworker goes to church with them and they introduced us because we're neighbors and have been visiting their church for a while now. The mom stays at home and has a 4 year old and an 8 month old. Her 4 yr old is starting preschool in the fall so she has been wanting to keep another child during the day. I have always wanted a stay-at-home mom situation for Caroline and this family is so very sweet. So, all of that is to say that Caroline will no longer be going to daycare. The same day that I start school, Caroline will be at the Johnson's instead of daycare! I am very excited and I'm really hoping it will all work out perfectly!

Of course that means I won't be able to check up on her like I do now while I'm at work and we are actually really going to miss some of the people we've met at daycare. Caroline has made little friends in her class and the older she gets the more the daycare workers love her. When I told them we were leaving they said "Well we don't like that.... Caroline is a preferred customer!" I thought that was kinda funny!

(Caroline is at the bottom left in this pic... eating lunch!)

Caroline is eating pretty well for the most part. Still not a huge fan of peas and I found out last night that she HATES peaches. I guess because they are tart or strong tasting. Who knows! Anyway, she takes 4 bottles a day (6 or 7 ounces each time). She eats fruit for lunch and for dinner she eats half a container of fruit and half a veggie (sometimes a whole veggie) with some cereal or oatmeal. She has really started crawling well over the last week or so! Last night I was sitting on the ground with her in front of me and every time I put her down she would crawl to me. I would pick her and rock her against my chest and say "loooove, love, love!" and then put her back on the ground and she'd crawl right back up to my lap. So sweet! With this new mobility has come a few "uh-ohs". My heart just breaks for her when she hurts herself. I guess I need to be watching her much closer now that she can travel so easily! =) Either watch her like a hawk or put her in something safe that she can't do too much harm in. We used to use a bouncy seat when I was getting ready for work in the mornings but now this walker is doing the trick for us.

That's all for now! Happy almost Friday!

My Very First DIY Project!

Our bedroom is a mix-match of old furniture and hand-me-downs and I have been wanting a headboard/footboard for our bed for a while now but it just hasn't been in the budget. Earlier this week Dan was looking in an antique shop and found an old sleigh bed for 40 bucks! Pretty good for a king sized bed, huh!? Only problem is, the finish is in pretty rough shape so it definitely needs to be refinished. We're going to start on it this weekend. I really hope it turns out well! If we don't like the way it looks, we can always paint over it, right?!

So excited about that!!

As I was feeding Caroline yesterday she kept arching backwards to look at Daddy. I thought it was so funny I made him take a picture!

And this was my view. Ha!

About an hour ago Caroline fell asleep in her bouncy thing so I laid her down in her crib. She woke up a little but I figured she would go right back to sleep. I left and went to check on her about 10 minutes later and this is what I found:

She was just sitting in her crib playing quietly! How sweet is my girl!??

And to wrap up this post I'll share one of my most favorite pics of her to date! I took it last night while giving her a bath (obviously). Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Mobile Visit, Peas, & Sitting Up Like a Big Girl!

How's that for a hodge podge title?

The weekend before last Caroline and I headed to Mobile to visit Wren. We always enjoy our time together and this weekend was no exception. Wren cut my hair and I paid her in ice cream... because, well, I'm an awesome friend like that. Then I gifted her husband Allan with a hysterical baby at Olive Garden. I'm sooo much fun to be around these days! :)

This past weekend was pretty uneventful. We had planned on going to the pool but it's been raining a lot here lately so we were pretty much lazy all weekend. We did get some cleaning done on Sunday which was nice. We're getting to the point where Caroline has a bunch of toys so we need a toy box in the living room and one in her room so we can easily clean up each day. Caroline is doing well and eating a new food pretty much every 4 days or so now. So far she has eaten almost everything I've given her... but she definitely doesn't love peas or green beans. Oh how I hope she doesn't have an aversion to green foods like I do! :(

Warning: She gags in the video below. If you can't handle that I would recommend skipping the video.



Tonight we went to Chick-fil-a for dinner & Caroline sat in a highchair for the first time! We sat her in one at another place a couple of weeks ago but she kind of slid down into an uncomfortable slouch. She did much better today and I kept telling Dan "look how big she is!!" She is sitting up so well now. It's like over night she went from only sitting by propping her self up with her hands and now she sits up without propping herself up!

In other news, the countdown is ON!! 2 weeks & 4 days left of work!! Can you tell I am elated?!? I start a week long "mini-session" at USM on 8/9 and then the regular semester starts a week and a half later. I'm going to try and take 19 hours this fall so that in the spring I'll only have 12 hours to complete.

Anyway, it's almost 10 and that means it's momma's bedtime!! :)

Dream House

This morning while going through my list of blogs I frequent I stopped over at http://www.thestoriesofa2z.com/. I love this blog for her style and decorating and over the weekend she wrote about Steven Alexander Homes. I feel like such a copy cat blogging about the exact same thing but OH how I love this house!

I have never been so in love with a house or a style in my life! Dream big, right?!

.

As beautiful as the outside of this home is, I love the inside even more.

Look at the ceiling in the dining room! I love all the greens and blues.

It looks so comfortable and I love all the molding!

 I think I've decided I want my next house to have a vanity like this

(preferably off to one side insead of centered).

Anyway, I seriously doubt I'll ever need a 3500 square foot house OR something that costs $680,000! It's always fun to dream though... and I could do something much smaller in the same style one day! :)

Random Notes & Quirks

I don't have much to blog about, but I'm going to anyway. So here goes....

1. I went to the vet's office to get flea medicine yesterday and they have a room of puppies for sale. I cannot keep myself from going in that little room and letting the puppies lick my fingers. They are irresistable!!!! God must have made puppies to make people happy. I wanted to take them all home with me, but especially the yorkie puppies! Thankfully, I am able to walk away. I have to talk my husband out of getting another dog on a regular basis. He always comes back later and says "I'm glad you talked me out of getting another dog!"

2. My daughter is COVERED in little red bumps. It started last week and has only gotten worse. They aren't itchy or making her unhappy, but it makes me so sad to see my pretty girl like that. Her daycare said all of the crawlers in the room beside hers had it last week and several of them went to the doctor. The doctor said they were "just fighting off an infection" and didn't give them any medicine. This is a very strange explanation... but I'm glad there isn't an allergy or anything I have to figure out.

3. We were planning on going to Sunday school for the first time this Sunday at a church I think we've decided to stick with... but unless her bumps magically disappear before Sunday we won't be able to go. =(


4. My friend Julie is about to have her first baby- she will be 39 weeks tomorrow and I'm planning on driving up to Nashville when she goes into labor. I met Julie when we worked at Dave Ramsey's together. She is always in a happy mood and it seems to just rub off onto you when you're with her. On my first day at Dave's we all went to lunch and she was dancing in her seat to the music at the restaurant. That is soooo Julie. I was thinking "weirdo!!"

photo taken from http://www.kimberlybarnesphotography.blogspot.com/

Anyway, I'm SOOOO excited to meet baby Graham. I'm sure I'll be an emotional wreck when I finally lay eyes on her for the first time as a mommy. They tried to get pregnant for a long time and I remember so clearly the day she found out. She and Nick are going to make wonderful parents. They have such a strong christian home and Graham is so lucky to have them for a mommy & a daddy.

5. I am addicted to those little chocolate covered donuts. I think they have about 10,000 calories in a serving. I can substitute the white donuts if I have chocolate milk to dip them in.

6. I like the smell of white-out.

7. This youtube video cracks me UP! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQSNhk5ICTI I was laughing out loud in the break room at work watching it. This one is also great! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKEQwvaYI_k

---this post just keeps getting weirder and weirder---

8. Women with shiny faces annoy me. I want to run up to them and powder away!! (I have been guilty of being shiny before too... so I don't know why it annoys me when I see other people with this issue.)

9. The Hills is about to end for good and I'm pretty upset about it.

10. I dread washing my hair... I think because I hate blow drying it. It only takes about 10 minutes to dry it so it's so silly for me to dread it like that, but I do anyway.

11. I am SO OCD about washing Caroline's bottles. I have to wash them so well and then I have to rinse them for a long time because I imagine her drinking soapy bottles. How insane is that? I don't even let Dan wash them. I don't think he minds at all!

What are your quirks?

Caroline is 6 Months Old!

6 months ago today we welcomed our sweet baby girl into the world. I was more exhausted that morning than I've ever been, but all that work was so worth the precious gift that was given to us. I was absolutely clueless about how much love I could have for one little person. Our lives changed forever that day. I know everyone says this, but time has definitely flown by. When did our little newborn turn into a curious baby who won't sit still?! She watches everything... and when I'm holding her she whips her head from left to right to see whatever is going on. It feels like just yesterday she couldn't even hold her head up and now she wants to crawl! She used to hate tummy time but now she spends much of her day on her belly scooting around.

Here are a couple of videos to show you what Caroline has been up to. When we put her on her belly she gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth... I am just waiting for the day that she takes off crawling!

4th of July Weekend

We had a wonderful very long holiday weekend. I had a five day weekend and enjoyed every minute of it! Thursday I registered for classes at Southern and that night Caroline and I drove to Brandon to spend the night with my mom. Friday we took our time getting ready (it is so nice not to be rushed!) and I even painted Caroline's toenails! Daddy did not approve so I had to take it off Saturday but it was fun for a day anyway. We're going to be up a creek when she wants to dress herself!

Saturday was our annual 4th of July family get together at his parents house. Dan's family is pretty big so we usually have a good turn out. I look forward to it every year (and not just for the BBQ!)

I love that Caroline has lots of cousins she will grow up with! I have a tiny family but Dan has provided her with lots of cousins to enjoy! :)

Sunday we went to church with Dan's parents and then sat on their front porch for most of the afternoon enjoying the day. We were supposed to go back to Hattiesburg that afternoon but my mom called me and tempted me with Bonefish Grill for dinner so I ended up staying the night. If you have a Bonefish Grill near you and you haven't had their bang bang shrimp you must do so soon! It is soooo good. My mom doesn't even like shrimp and she loved it.

4 Generations!

Here is Caroline at my grandma's (Gommy's) house before bedtime. This is her guest room and the room that my mom grew up in. I thought the bedding made a good backdrop! :)

Can you believe she is sitting up?! More to come on what Miss Caroline has been up to in tomorrow's blog post!