in every season: 11.11

oh, Christmas tree...

we might have put up our tree before thanksgiving..... might have. but, we didn't really decorate until after, so it's ok..right? ellie was all chill just watching us put up the tree. we started a new tradition of her helping her daddy put the star on top. so sweet. i'm enjoying this year SO, SO much. and i'm trying not think about next year.... i have a feeling i'll have my hands full trying to keep little hands away from the tree. but, it will be SO MUCH FUN.

baby girl... don't grow up too fast. ok? she is such a little stinker. yesterday she rolled over from her back to tummy two times.... and i wasn't watching either time. the rest of the day i watched her like a hawk when i put her down, but nope... she didn't do it again. i cannot believe how much she has changed. i know i'll continue to say/write that sentence over and over as time goes on. seriously though. it surprises me sometimes when she giggles or finds a new way to use her voice (oh yes, she loves her voice so much). she no longer likes to just lay back and relax in her baby bathtub and now leans forward like she really wants to sit up and splashes like crazy. you give her anything and it goes straight to her mouth. and i know she was eyeing my mashed potatoes at thanksgiving.

i'm excited for her first Christmas... even though she won't remember it... it's a special one.

tomorrow i'm starting a fun Christmas series featuring some pretty great bloggers... have you started Christmas shopping yet?

lately....

visits from family (uncle coy) and happy hour.

she absolutely adores her toesies and has the best cackle. ever.

mini-cupcakes to go and a sleepy, warm baby E.

getting cozy around here and i love him.

i love her, too and my husband got an early Christmas present.

thanksgiving 2011

i think i love thanksgiving more and more each year. we did everything you're supposed to do...watched the parade, watched football, ate lots of food for lunch at his parents, napped, road-tripped to my parents, ate lots of food for dinner, played cards and put up Christmas trees. ellie was loved on lots by grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, and cousins. (sidenotes: michael was more interested in football than taking pictures with me. the blue sky was our trip down and the rainy, sleep weather was on the way back.)

it's nice to get away for a short time, but being home is wonderful. we started a cozy fire last night & had the Christmas tree lights on and i fell for this season all over again. i've got some crafting to do today! this is big....i don't usually "craft" so here goes nothin'! if i don't share then you know it didn't work out so well. ;)

i'm excited to start a little Christmas feature this week from some pretty wonderful bloggers. i think you all will enjoy! CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE GUYS. time to get festive.

<3

happy birthday to my mama!

my mom is pretty much the most self-less person i know. she's one of my best friends and i love that she gets me so well. her birthday falls around (or on) thanksgiving so we always get to celebrate. :) ellie was beyond tired in these pictures... she has such a sweet sleepy face and she loves her maw-maw.

we love you very much!

happy birthday.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

this was last thanksgiving at my parents.

SO much has changed between then and now.

i felt different. i enjoyed the food, but something was definitely different. michael and i had recently decided to go the "if it happens, it happens" route and started praying that God would allow us to have a baby in His timing. well, i had thoughts last thanksgiving that it happened. sure enough... i took a pregnancy test the monday after thanksgiving and it was positive. i took it while michael was at work and he was supposed to come home on his lunch break and i was going to surprise him. well, he got busy and didn't come home. i didn't talk to anyone that whole day (in fear that i would tell) and had to keep in this BIG news all. day. long. i was only like 5 weeks at that point and i'm glad because i got to enjoy one last big meal before the morning (all day for me) sickness came. this thanksgiving i'm so thankful for the little person that we get to share with our family. she brings such joy. i love her "cackles" when you tickle her and the way she reaches for her toes when she's lying on her back and her big smile when i tell her good morning. and it's safe to say, being a mama brings a whole new meaning to "thankful."

happy thanksgiving!
enjoy time with your loved ones.
AND EAT LOTS!

monday already?

these two photos pretty much sum up our weekend. i made chili on friday night and it seemed like every day after that was a good chili day. hello, winter. michael raked up all the leaves. our tree even looks like winter. my family came to springfield and we did some Christmas shopping. ellie was worn out and sunday was full of great naps. we might have started decorating, too. ok..we totally did. is your tree up yet?

i already like this week..you know why? turkey day! i'm so exciting for mashed potatoes.....and everything. else. also? michael only works three days. YES!

thankful thursday + friendships

so many things to be thankful for....
can you believe thanksgiving is a week away?
i love thanksgiving.

today i'm thankful for my days spent with e. and for friends... in real life friends and blogging friends that you finally get to meet. (HI aimee!) i need to get better at making a point to call friends to hang out. i've become a bit (ok, a lot) of a home-body lately. i don't think it's just because of ellie because she's to the point where she does pretty good out and about. i think this was just a season... a good season, but one that i'm growing very tired of. it's become real to me that some friendships in the past are no longer there... this is not necessarily a bad thing. they will always be my "friend" but we're at such different places in life. i'm changing and growing and finding that i'm longing for good, true friendships. michael and i have been talking a lot about this season we're in. yes, we have friends (lots of friends), but we need to make more of an effort to grow friendships. we get totally comfortable in spending our time as a family of three or with our immediate family (which is important to us). we don't really do much to connect with our friends. i've been okay with that. but... i realize that it's healthy for our relationship to have friendships that we can be real in... i wouldn't mind having friends that we can be home-bodies with... friends that we can hang out with together, that we can have over for dinner and be a part of each others lives. i need to invest time into this... not try to hang out with a different person every time we go out, but really put time into growing deeper friendships. we're praying God gives us the right direction to move or stay (not location) in certain areas of our life.

a typical day for us...

drooling, playing, reading, naps and baths.

...lunch with the swifts...

...lunch with bryndi and eisley.

BFF's?

mill brought ellie her ball this morning. she walked across the room and just sat there looking at her like she was going to throw it at any second. she was pretty patient, but eventually came back over and took her ball back. someday the feelings will be mutual. i'm sure.

in other news...
i'm in the process of re-doing my blog. it's not quite done, but it's not my first priority to finish it either. ;)
i started listening to Christmas music yesterday. the best pandora holiday stations? she & him, sufjan stevens, frank sinatra and justin bieber.
and, i'm ready for it to be friday so i can see my niece, nephew and my sister!

let's chat.

friday links: thanksgiving style.

(photo from a beautiful mess)

i think we'll have a pumpkin pie milkshake this weekend.
a perfect comfy sweater for thanksgiving brunch. i yam beautiful.
and a simple plum "shirtdress" for a casual family dinner. (baby feeding friendly)
pretty bow garland in pretty fall colors.
sheena's been sharing what she's thankful for over at the little red house.
and katie's fall fun and thankful thursday posts are oh so inspiring.

happy friday!

enjoy your weekend.

i mean... REALLY?

friends....

would you look at my baby? i know i might be a tad bit biased.... but i just love her sweet little face to pieces. i'm such a mom, too. i sat there the whole time to make sure E didn't fall out of the chair.

we visited ANNA yesterday. she just moved into the building that michael and i will always remember as our "first home" ... it was such a bittersweet feeling walking into that big brick building. i miss it sometimes... the whole living downtown and being able to walk to eat, see a movie, or whatever. but, i also love our home now. it's spacious enough for us and we can see us raising our babies (yes, we want more soonish) in this house. today i am beyond thankful for the roof over our head.

i am also so very thankful for anna (these threads of mine). thank you sweet, sweet friend for all the times you've been there to capture precious times in my life. if you live in the Springfield area... you should definitely have her take your picture. she'll make you look pretty. promise. please go check out her blog. you'll be smitten. i used almost every picture she posted...because how can you choose??
also, thank you to my friend sarah (her sea of love) for the little headband.

3 MONTHS.

(2. 1. birth.)

this girl is ever-changing. seriously. her smiles and little giggles...get me every single time. she says "ah-giiieee" all the time. she loves it when i smack like i'm giving her kisses and she loves seeing her daddy's face in the morning. she's still staying in our room. and i'm okay with that. she loves to sit up, so the bumbo is one of her favorite places to be (other than in my arms). she's not a little baby...so the days she loves to be held makes my arms tired. she's 3 months and can wear some 6 months clothing and she's in a size 2 diaper. she definitely doesn't take after me. ;) she's the sweetest.

p.s. i'm on the hunt for a special handmade doll for Christmas... have you seen any great shops?

weekend+thankful heart

this is how we spent the majority of the weekend.

we watched four movies...
well kind of, while we weren't entertaining E when she was awake.

it's rainy today. ellie is asleep and i am enjoying a quiet morning. thinking about these past three months. she'll be three months old tomorrow. i am blessed.

yesterday was baby dedication at church. it's so important to us that E is raised in a home that is full of love.... for one another and for Jesus. it was such a special moment as parents standing with other parents... all making a commitment to share His love with our littles. we're blessed with a great church family. i am thankful God has placed them in our lives... some of our dearest friends.

oh HI friday!

(photo from last fall)

a fun way to wake up on your birthday! and Harper made the prettiest Snow White.
i spruced up Anna's blog a little... you should check it out!
after reading this article we switched to burt's bees. and E smells sooo good!
we had this easy crock-pot meal (found via pinterest) for dinner last night. i added a ranch packet and sans cream cheese & rice.
and, speaking of food, i'm making this pizza crust sooon.
michael's dad is giving us his record player and i neeeed this album.
happy november from lisa rupp. i always love (and use) her free desktop calendars.

sometimes i look back at what i was doing around this time last year or the year before...
2010: red velvet & pictures with anna.
2009: i had DARK hair and bangs and pictures with anna.
(pictures soon, anna? ;))

i hope the leaves look as pretty where you are as they do here! enjoy your weekend!

GUEST POST: SARAH.

Hi! My name is Sarah, mama to 20 month old Logan and wife to B, over at We Are For Each Other. I've enjoyed blogging for nearly three years now and sharing my blog with other mamas has been incredible. When I first began to write I was a newlywed with only two furbabies to speak of and a handsome husband to dote on. Nine months into our marriage we saw those two pink lines which have forever changed our lives from spontaneous, road-tripping, bar-hopping, college grads to home-body, full-time working parents.

Parenthood can be very self-consuming, as it should be. But often times our friendships fall to the wayside. The blissful state a new parent experiences is unlike anything else and maintaining friendships, especially with those who are not yet parents, can be challenging. Here is how I have succeeded in maintaining those friendships, along with the new ones I've made with fellow mamas. I hope everyone is able to empathize with one another on this journey through motherhood.

(from the big bang theory)

Five things I've learned:

Family comes first. This will never change and most of your friends will understand this. But that does not mean you ignore every phone call from your three best friends. I found it easiest to catch up with friends while I was nursing. If you're not nursing, then while the baby is happily enamored on a play mat might be a good time. Your conversations do not have to last long, maybe 20 minutes just to remind yourself and your friend that you still care about her. This time was refreshing for me. It made me feel like I was not just a mom. I was something more to someone else and that made all the difference in making sure I maintained those friendships.
Make the first move. I'm not sure of it is an unspoken rule but I found that I had to make the phone calls to my friends to keep in touch. While this sounds frustrating, I understood why. My friends never knew when I would be available between sleeping and doctor appointments, cluster-feeding and outfit changes (from spit up, of course!). I remember when I was still a single lady and my best friend had just had a baby. She called me a few weeks after she had her son and it was so nice to finally hear her voice! I was worried that I'd be waking her up or interrupting important family time or heck, a quite time alone while hubs took baby to the store with him. Those moments are priceless. After Logan arrived I made the first move and before our conversation was over I would set up the next time for us to talk. That way, we both knew that in a week or so we'd get to catch up again and honestly, I had something to look forward to. If I wasn't nursing, B respected the time I spent talking to friends by caring for Logan and it was so much appreciated!
Say YES! This is a hard one for me. Saying yes to invites from friends. It's become easier now that Logan is older and we have sitters we trust to watch him. When a girlfriend calls and invites you to come have a drink with her or catch the latest movie, DO IT! Take a shower, put on normal clothes (no sweats allowed!) and leave your hubby to care for your baby while you get some healthy, fun time alone with your girlfriends. I do not do this enough but I'm making huge efforts to ensure that it does happen.
Mama groups/play dates. Making new mama friends is not as easy as the movies make it look. There are a few resources online (like momslikeme.com) but I have had little luck with it. Recently, I have joined a MOPS (Moms of PreSchoolers) group at a local church. Infants to pre-k welcome! There is a small fee to join and twice a month you get childcare for nearly 2 hours and healthy conversations with mamas about a specific topic for that week. Usually a keynote speaker comes and opens your eyes to "OHMIGAWD I really do need to go on a date with my husband!"(SEE #5), as if you've totally forgotten how to date him (which, admittedly, I had!). There are also a few playhouses in town that are fun to meet up with other mama friends. If you have a group of fellow mama friends, make an effort to plan a nice morning somewhere, be it your home, the park, or story time at the library. I did not do this enough when Logan was younger and now that I am I am so thankful!
Hubby time. This one may seem like it goes along with #1 but it doesn't. This is all about you and your spouse. Remember before for you had a baby and you'd go out on dates, were spontaneous and took a road trip to a bed and breakfast just because you could? Now you have no money or time to do either! Or so it seems. Our finances are strapped between bills and childcare and we put any alone time on the back burner. You might be thinking, but we get alone time every night after baby goes down. This is true and B and I have some amazing chats after Logan is in bed. We've made it a priority to turn the TV off, pour ourselves something to drink (usually wine or beer) and catch up on our day. This special time together becomes more meaningful the more often we do it. I feel more connected to B and we're able to communicate plans and upcoming appointments that are important for both of us to be aware of. Before, we'd mention something in passing and only half the time were we listening. That obviously resulted in an argument of "You never told me about that..." No fun. This weekend, I have a mystery date planned for B and me. His mom is coming up to visit and will watch Logan while we're out. We've never been on a mystery date and I am so excited for it! Looking forward to spending even more alone time out of the house makes me feel like I'm being a better wife and mom. If I'm happy with my marriage and relationship with B, then I know I can be a better mom to Logan. I can tell when we're stressed out with each other and how that reflects in my tone and patience with Logan.

So there you have it. Go make plans! Go make new friends! Enjoy a night out alone with your spouse. If these relationships were important to you before you got pregnant, then they should still be important to you now. Thanks for reading and come visit me over at my blog!

This is such great advice! Thanks for the words, Sarah! It was kind of funny because the day Sarah sent this over was the day that Michael and I had planned our first "alone" date night since Ellie was born.... I was kind of a mess about leaving her, but after reading this it made it easier. We need time to ourselves. It's important. Make sure and go visit Sarah and see her adorable little dinosaur boy.