What we've been up to...

Here's a little of what we've been up to the last couple months...

• We had an awesome family vacation to Florida the end of January
• We found out baby #2 is another boy!!  Looking forward to life with two little boys :)
• Ryan had a work meeting in San Antonio for a week.  The older Mack gets, the easier time I have while Ryan's out of town - I'm sure it'll be tough again when I have two kiddos though!
• We've all had two ridiculously awful rounds of colds - seem to be on the mend though, and definitely looking forward to Spring!!
• Mack has adjusted really well to his toddler bed, which really surprised me.  So proud of my little guy!

Mack has been talking a ton more in the last month or so.  Starting during our vacation, he's said at least a dozen new words, and others much more consistently.  It's so much fun!  His favorite word these days is Buzz - we have just a slight Toy Story obsession around here.  No exaggeration, I think I heard it 100 times one day when he was wearing his Buzz T-shirt.  A few nights later, I was sitting in his room with him trying to get him back to sleep.  He'd been chattering off and on, but had been quiet for probably ten minutes when he yelled out "Buzz!" once and then fell asleep.  Silly boy :)


Another thing he says often is "ta da!"  It started because he is constantly saying "doh?" (translation = "where'd it go?") anytime he's looking for something, so I would say "ta da" and give it to him.  His application of it to everything just cracks me up.  It's become a game for him to hide or drop something, ask "doh?" and then "ta da!" and show it to me.  Every morning he says "ta da!" when I get his pancakes out of the microwave.  My favorite though, was a week or so ago.  He was eating a bite of food and decided he didn't want it, so he just dropped it out of his mouth onto his tray the way kids do when they're done eating something.  When it hit his tray he said, "ta da!!"  Pretty hard not to laugh at that one.  


In other news, I'm 21 weeks pregnant today!!  Can't believe I'm over half way already.  It's crazy how much faster this pregnancy is going.  My pregnancy with Mack went quickly, at least towards the end, because I was sooo busy at work.  I always thought any future pregnancies would just drag by in comparison since it's so different being home.  Instead, I'm finding that the days just go by so quickly and add up to weeks at a time when you're busy taking care of another person.  I'm glad it's going fast so we're getting closer to holding our new little guy, but I also know I have a lot to do before we're ready for him to be here.  Like everything left to do - my only purchase so far has been a pair of shoes last week.  I also really want to enjoy the next several months as a family of three :)

Snuggling

I'm a morning person, big time - I wake up, without an alarm clock, before 5 almost every morning.  I've gotta be honest though, I much prefer a little quiet time to myself (Note: Dad - this includes you when you guys are here to visit.  I love ya, but seriously, stop trying to have a conversation with me before I've had my coffee and, preferably, my workout.  Thanks!).  Mack normally sleeps till 7:30/8ish, which works great for me to have my coffee, do my Bible reading, some facebooking/blog hopping/misc internetting, workout, shower and get ready for the day.

But the poor little guy is working on two of his 2-year molars, and as a result, has been waking up much earlier lately.  Ryan's great about going in to sit with him and getting him back to sleep, but it's only fair that we take turns.

As much as I love my normal quiet morning routine with Mack still sound asleep, nothing beats snuggling with that little guy in the early morning.  I always think of, and sing (in my head) the song "These are the Moments."  I know it's a romantic song, but some of the words just seem so fitting to me.

These are the moments, 
I thank God that I'm alive. 
These are the moments, 
I'll remember all my life. 
I've found all I've waited for, 
And I could not ask for more. 

Looking in your eyes, 
Seeing all I need. 
Everything you are, 
Is everything to me. 

These are the moments, 
I know heaven must exist. 
These are the moments, 
I know all I need is this.
I have all I've waited for, 
And I could not ask for more. 

I could not ask for more than this time together, 
I could ask for more than this time with you. 
Every prayer has been answered, 
Every dream has come true. 
Right here in this moment, 
Is right where I'm meant to be
Here with you, here with me. 


These pregnancy hormones are turning me into such a sap :)

2011 Projects

Here's what's on my list of to-do's around here...


House projects

1. Paint and do "board and batten" in main level bath.  I really want to do it in the nursery, but since this bathroom is small it should be a good place to try it out, plus it really needs a little something.  

2. Make a staircase photo display like the drawing in Pottery Barn's guide

3. Change up this space somehow...

I love the fabric prints on the wall, but I just feel like it's missing something.  I'm thinking I might go with one or two floating shelves like these...

....and maybe leaning the prints against the wall and adding some other decorations.  I'm also thinking about adding some drapes or something to the window, although I'm hesitant to cover up the trim that we love.  Ryan really prefers the bare windows, but I think some kind of window treatments can make a huge difference in a space.  I kinda wish we'd gone with bamboo blinds in here, but the options we looked at were just too expensive.


4. Subway wall art - I've been wanting to make one of these for a while, but now that I have my Silhouette, it'll be much easier!

5. Something above the console table here...

I've changed up the decorations a little since this picture, but I still need something on the wall.  I haven't liked any of the art (or the price, for sure!) I've seen, and I haven't found anything DIY that I like enough either.


It just occurred to me that a mirror might work well there.  I've had my eye on one at Target or Walmart, can't remember which right now, but didn't think I had a place for it.  Will have to go check it out - maybe if the temp gets over 5 degrees today I will :)


6. Chair for our bedroom.  I'm thinking of making this one...

or buying one of these from Target...

or finding something on Craigslist to reupholster.

7. Laundry basket dresser 

Last summer we built one like this, although ours isn't quite as pretty...

...and while it works for dividing the clothes, it makes it nearly impossible to reach the detergent and fabric softener on the shelf above, it completely blocks the only outlet in the room so if I want to iron in there, I have to lay across the top of the washer and reach down at least a foot to plug it in - and all that is hard enough for me without a gigantic preggo belly getting in the way!  It also seems to make the washing machine extra loud when it spins and it sounds like the whole thing is going to come crashing down through the ceiling.  I'm hoping to list it on Craiglist and get someone to buy it and pick it up, because it is ridiculously heavy!

8. Finish the family room in our basement

9. Landscape at least the front yard this spring/summer

Mack 

1. Make a quiet book for his birthday in April.

2. Speaking of his birthday, decide on theme and decorations for his 2nd birthday!  How is that possible already?!

Baby/nursery projects

1. Board and batten in nursery - depending on how the bathroom goes.  I'm really hoping it works out, because I am in love with this look for the nursery...

2. Decorate nursery - I'll make plans after we know what we're having :)  My ultrasound is in just a few weeks, so here's hoping the little peanut cooperates!  

I'm planning to do things differently (read: cheaper) this time around.  Mack's crib and dresser set was waaaay too expensive, and don't even get me started on the 5-piece bedding set - the one that we basically only used the sheet from for longer than a month.   So I'm planning on buying a crib online and getting these super soft jersey sheets (actually, I love these so much for Mack that I don't even use the one from the set any more). 

Otherwise my plans for the baby are...

1. Dresser - find on Craigslist or at a garage sale, clean up and paint.

2. Make quilt and drapes.  I love this quilt, but I think the floral is really what does it for me, so I'll probably only make this if we're having a girl...I don't know what print would work for a boy?

Plenty to keep busy!  I'm hoping to get most of these done in the first half of the year, since I'm sure it'll be a major adjustment having another little one around.  Especially if he/she is as crappy a sleeper as his/her big brother - oy...