under the puffs and dreaming.

a few snapshots of ev's room, which is still a work in progress, and yes she is 2 1/2 months old and just barely got a crib last week. i imagine it is much easier to put together a room before the actual baby has arrived and you have more than 2 hours at a time to work and shop before your baby needs to be fed, am i right? i am lucky evie is an angel baby who doesn't seem to mind going to ikea, downeast and tj maxx every single day.

my favorite part of the room is the baby who is currently sleeping in it. see the pink & white blanket peeking out? yep, that part.

also, the title of this post makes me laugh. for some reason all i could think about when naming it is that album. (this is the part where half of you decide i'm crazy and the other half know what i'm talking about).

blessed.

 this past sunday, march 27th, we blessed our baby girl in the same dress i wore 24 years ago on my blessing day. it was such a special day for our family and one we will never forget. when i was laying in that hospital bed for weeks on end this was the day i was looking forward to. to be home, to be together, to have things progressing as they should be. the day finally came and g gave evie a beautiful blessing. i can't help but say that i am so grateful he is her daddy. i was reminded why i chose to marry him early sunday morning when i found him ironing her blessing dress without being asked. he couldn't understand why i thought it was so sweet, but i am sure most of you girls will understand. just the fact that he wanted her to look beautiful for her special day and took the initiative to iron her dress without any prompting from me was so loving of him. she is lucky, and so am i.

on a side note, because our apartment is small and our immediate families are already big, we decided to celebrate this event with just my family and gregs. we wanted to include our aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, but there is no way we could have hosted everyone in our home and we didn't want to invite some and leave others out, or invite some to the blessing but not to our home. after trying to think of ways to include both extended families and both sets of friends, and realizing there is no way we could get even a portion of them in our house, we decided to just celebrate with our immediate families this time. we hope you all understand and know that we love you dearly.

toes.

g gave me a new lens for my birthday. i love it. yet another way to waste time while i should be cleaning, cooking and starching my husband's shirts, right?

for the record i used the phrase "starching my husband's shirts" because it sounded right. i have never done that before and wouldn't know how to do it if i were asked. and now i will go bask in my shame.

pudge.

evie is petite (she was in the 3rd percentile when she was born! too funny) but she is still managing to pack on pudge in all the places that matter.

this is evie's belly. it is large and round and edible.

and here are her cheeks and double chin (not to mention adorable smile!) to go along with the tummy.

  she is irresistible. 

twenty four.

 my birthday used to be the shiz.

when i was little, the anticipation was so great i sometimes thought it might kill me to wait until march 21st each year. my parents made birthdays really special. sometimes we were checked out of school for lunch, sometimes we got to choose special restaurants for dinner...always, there was a party. my birthday felt like the greatest day of the year.

i don't feel that way anymore.

in fact, early early this morning, when i got up to feed my baby, it hadn't occurred to me that it was already my birthday. when my husband wished me a happy birthday a few hours later on his way to work, it finally dawned on me. oh right, 24.

i thought about what i might want to do with my day as i lay in bed waiting for evie to wake up. a list of a million errands immediately came to my mind, none of them the least bit exciting or birthday worthy. i thought about what i should wear (choosing a birthday outfit used to be a big deal, you know) and then reminded myself that ev has been on a puking streak all weekend and i should probably rule out anything i actually love.

and then i thought about what i might want for my birthday, and that one was easy. how about 12 straight hours of uninterrupted sleep. can we possibly make that wish a reality?


but then, as quickly as the thought came, the little girl next door starting calling out to me, begging for me to come hold her, change her, kiss her, feed her. and i realized no. no way.

so instead of fulfilling my wish for hours of rest, baby girl and i have big plans for lunch, a little bit of shopping and perhaps a dessert or two in the afternoon. and we're both going to wear our birthday best. after all, she turns 2 months old today, too.

today, i'm 24.

24 and more tired.
24 and more needed.
24 and usually covered in spit-up.
24 and happier.
24 and more blessed.
24 and more loved.

a happy birthday, indeed.

too good not to share.

while browsing ikea the other weekend i came across this plastic case meant to be used for organization in the kitchen, but i thought it might be perfect for makeup instead. most of my makeup is bare minerals and although i l love it, i don't love the way it leaks powder all over everything when tossed in a makeup bag. i've been searching for a way to store it all upright for a while now and this is the perfect solution. the case is slim, it fits perfectly in my bathroom drawer and it keeps everything from spilling. best of all, it cost next to nothing.

mom, this post is mostly for you. brilliant, right?

 

ps. i still store my brushes upright in glass cup like i always have, but a few of them would easily fit in the case as well.

monday is for suckers.

yesterday i took a bath that never drained. for the majority of the day our bathtub was full, to the brim, of dirty bath water. my husband is about as handy as they come and spent hours plunging out clumps of hair and other nasties but still, we cannot solve the problem.

and then today, our dishwasher broke. i unloaded all of the dishes before i noticed this. trying to remember which dishes you already unloaded so you can wash them all again by hand is fun. kind of like an intense game of "memory". you should try it sometime.

toby has an awesome habit of pooping right on the doormat outside our kitchen door. this makes life extra special, especially when i forget about his habit and walk outside with no shoes on.

and evie has recently decided that eating/nursing sucks and she no longer wants any part of it. she simply wants to be held and played with instead. that would be okay, except for the part where she doesn't eat any food and cries when i offer it to her, you know?

i'm tired.

on a happier note, i did discover that simply placing your baby on her stomach for tummy time can solve most of the above mentioned problems. those eyes and that smile and those funny little faces will probably make you feel better.

at least for 5 minutes or so.

day of rest.

we take sundays really seriously around here.

also, i am bored.

a message.

dear daddy,

today me and mom went on a date to target. sometimes she gets bored, so she puts me in my cutest outfits and curls her hair and takes me on random outings like this one. she pushes me around in the shopping cart and i look up at all the lights and sometimes i fall asleep. today, i stayed awake the entire time and never cried. are you proud? 

she bought both of us new spring outfits and then we rode home with the windows down because it was so sunny and warm. when we got home she put me on the bed and started taking lots of pictures of me because i am so stinkin' cute and i know it!! we hope this makes you happy while you are at work. come home early, okay?

love, evie

ps. i am 7 weeks old today, in case you forgot. mom keeps thinking all these irrational thoughts like pretty soon i'll be driving a car, and going to college and getting married & then she won't stop kissing me on the lips 400 times, even though the doctor told her not to do that. tell her to get a grip, okay?

ev & her bows.

a lot of you have been asking about where miss evie gets her hair accessories, so i thought i would just post all the links here for those of you who have little ladies or one on the way (which is lots of my friends and family members!)

i had lots of time to scour etsy while i was in the hospital, which is where i found everything you've seen. i love that they aren't too overwhelming for a teensy little head and add just a little bit of whimsy.

the little flowers you've seen, such as this yellow one are from lou&lee. we have the itty bitty newborn felt flower collection as well as the itty bitty newborn bow collection.

the headband evie is wearing in the previous post is also handmade from etsy. it is from just josie, and comes in a variety of cute colors.

we are also lovers of chelsea's shop, tatertot. evie has these rosettes as well as a few clips that are being attached to a thin headband until her hair gets a bit longer. chels also just added these darling newborn knots and is offering free shipping until sunday on any of the newborn sets, so now is the perfect time to order.

besides that everything else she has been sporting lately has been handmade by sweet friends or gifted to us. having a girl is so much fun. happy shopping!

i think i wrote this post because i am ready for lunch...

when i was in the hospital, i dreaded meal-time.

dreaded.

the girl from nutrition was actually really sweet, tried very hard & we became good friends, but hospital food is still hospital food.

they served the same menu every week. spend one week there and you'll know what is being served every day forever. spend 5 weeks there and you'll probably want to die.

it took several weeks before anyone mentioned to me that i could request different meals than what was being served. i am glad the baby in my stomach didn't starve to death during that time. i remember on wednesdays (or maybe it was tuesdays) for breakfast they served steak & eggs. the juice from the steak filled the whole plate and colored the eggs brown. i couldn't believe patients had been eating that for breakfast (for breakfast!) for years and hadn't rallied together yet to protest?! steak? at 6am? really?

every day soup was included with lunch. clam chowder, broccoli cheese, minestrone...it was amazing to me that they could serve a soup every single day for years and still not get it right. they were all terrible. the only good part about their meals was the fact that i could add a granny b's cookie to my meal any time i wanted. they are the size of a planet and about 600 calories and oh, so very good.

to make you even happier, meals are served at the most convenient times possible. breakfast arrived at 6am while you were still asleep, lunch at 11 and dinner usually came around 4. i remember telling everyone this, and having no one believe me because it sounds so ridiculous to receive your dinner (in a facility where all you can eat after dinner is over is crackers and sprite from the unit fridge) at 4pm. but it happened, again & again (and i had many many witnesses). 

-now is the part where i should stop complaining and mention that many, many, people visited me and every single one of you brought me food, so it really wasn't so bad. and i am probably just really dramatic-

anyways, this post has a point. what was my point? oh ya, food. i like it. now that i am home again, i really like it. the luxury to buy what you want, make what you want and eat what you want is just wonderful. it is totally taken for granted, but it is wonderful. ever since i've been home, mealtime is my favorite time of the day. mealtime was probably my favorite time of the day before too, but that's beside the point.

for breakfast i am loving making omelets with eggs, cheese, ham and avocado. with a side of salsa, of course. simply orange with pineapple is still my breakfast drink of choice. at lunch i am obsessed with sandwiches, but good ones with fresh meat from the costco deli and havarti cheese. throw in more avocado and i'm a happy girl. have you tried the new baked ritz crackers? get the sour cream & onion ones and then spread on some happy cow cheese (or is it skinny cow? the cow is either happy or skinny. probably both*) or try an apple with peanut butter for a snack. hello heaven.

and now the reason i wrote this post in the first place. what are your favorite things to make for breakfast and lunch? it's so easy to get into a slump and eat crap that doesn't taste good and isn't good for you, just because it's there. i am always trying to think of something good to send with g and to make at home. have any ideas for me?

*i think the cow is actually laughing. albeit skinny and happy, as well.

you.

first, there were only gassy smiles. the "i'm pooping right now" and "this nap feels wonderful" smiles. you'd smile in the middle of the night under the glow of my bedside, with your eyelids fluttering and dancing quietly. i'd notice those smiles and pretend they were deliberate. hadn't i just kissed you, held you closer, whispered your name? surely, that smile was meant for me.

then, there were unintentional smiles. the smiles that spread across your face when no one was looking. i'd glance over at you and suddenly, below your nose, sat the goofiest grin, resting there without reason. you weren't smiling at anyone or anything yet, your lips were simply learning to form the gesture.

finally, at 4 weeks old, you looked straight into my eyes and smiled because you meant it. i couldn't believe my eyes, had that really happened? i'd been singing to you in the afternoon, after nursing, we were cuddled up together on a sunny day. i called your dad in disbelief and then spent the rest of the day trying to make it happen again. i sang to you, the same song, at least a hundred times, my voice becoming more animated with each attempt. that day, i did everything short of putting on a private play for you, just to elicit that same delicious grin.

the smiles kept coming, although i had to work hard to retrieve them. clicking my tongue, kissing your cheeks, touching our noses together...every now and then i'd do something silly enough to make you smile at me again and each time you did, it felt like christmas morning.

you smiled at your dad for the first time soon after. it was at the cabin, early in the morning, cuddled in bed. the three of us were curled up together, waiting for the sun to rise. your dad kissed you and held you and said your name and you rewarded him with the biggest smile yet. i think his heart melted right then and there and i'm not sure it's recovered since. he hugged you close to his chest and told me that that was the best thing he'd ever seen. christmas morning, again.

now, you smile all the time. you smile when i'm changing your diaper, when i turn on the music i play for you just before bed. you smile up at me when i'm feeding you, when i'm holding you or talking to you, singing your name. you smile when i leave the room and come back again, you smile when i lay next to you on the floor, my body close to yours. you smile because it's my face you are looking at and my voice you can hear.

now, you smile simply because we're together. and those are my favorite smiles of all.

right now, at my house.

i was loving how peaceful the afternoon felt, so i started taking pictures...
baby sleeping. lamps on. music playing. rainy day. nice afternoon.

and then the rain really started coming down and i discovered that our roof is leaking (again) and the peaceful feeling vanished.
oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

lately.

• i am trying to remember what on earth i made for dinner before i was put on bed rest and then hospitalized for a month and then occupied with a newborn. seriously it has been a long long time and i think i forgot how to turn on my oven (or something...)

• i am annoyed by the return of the annual ant invasion. hate seeing ants crawling all over my walls and flying through my living room. remember the year one was in my nose?! death.

• i am loving our new bedroom that i recently re-did. a new quilt plus new bright pillows makes me a happy woman. it feels fresh and light and wonderful in there now.

• i am browsing anthropoligie daily in search of a new item to add to my wardrobe. my birthday is coming up and a gift card has been sitting in my wallet for the past 6 months, so i think it's time i get my act together and choose something! i love that store, but it turns me into the most indecisive person on the planet because when clothes cost that much, you better love them.

• i am getting excited to meet my new niece who will be arriving in the next few weeks. even though evie is still the size of a newborn, she doesn't act like one anymore and i already miss it. hoping my sister-in-law will let me spend lots of time snuggling the new addition, because i am insane, and may or may not already be missing my pregnant belly and dreaming of doing it all over again. what?!

• i am rooting hard for miss emily on the bachelor. and i'm laughing at the fact that g confessed to a full-fledged bachelor discussion between him & his work buddies the other day. apparently they all watch with their wives and they all confessed. awesome.

• i am working on compiling the letters i wrote to evie while i was pregnant into a little book for her to have. i wrote her a final letter the other day telling her about the day she was born and her little life here at home and i got so emotional. considering my pregnancy, some of the letters i wrote to her towards the end were filled with fear and doubt and i feel so grateful to have ended them with such a happy one, instead. the story has such a good ending.

• i am loving applying my new favorite lipstick shades every day. nothing like a swipe of pretty lipstick to make me feel a little better while i'm slumming all day long. my current favorites are from maybelline's new line.

• i am loving and hating the fact that my baby girl now happily takes her naps in her bed and goes down without fussing. i decided to get my act together a few weeks ago and really get her on a schedule, and while it has worked well, i miss her while she is snoozing in her bed. are you sure i can't just hold her all day, babywise?!

• i am so excited about the fact that i can finally go for a snowmobile ride! we are heading to the mountain soon so i can catch up on what i've been missing this winter...8 feet of snow!

• i am looking forward to a date with my love this weekend. it's not that i am itching to be without the beeb, but i just need something to look forward to. i've discovered that the days all kind of blend together when you are home-bound with a little one. i forget what day it is sometimes, because tuesday feels the same as friday, feels the same as sunday. you know what i mean?

happy thursday, folks (it is thursday, right?) hope you are enjoying the gloomy skies as much as we are.

little evie's first photo shoot.

our friend, lindsay, was nice enough to come over and take some pictures of evie a few weeks ago. she is 3 weeks old in the pictures and just under 7lbs, so a full pound bigger than she was when she was born. and now she is a full pound bigger than that! i know it's cliche to say, but it really is going way too fast. glad i'll always have these pictures of her this tiny.

here are a few of my favorites...

find lindsay's blog (as well as a few more pictures of ev) here and website here. thanks linds!