in every season

winner of the sweet giveaway!

2012-02-08T15:24:00.002-06:00

aimee will be contacting you soon to get your information! :)

six.

2012-02-07T16:39:00.001-06:00

tomorrow we'll be celebrating six months of life for this little lady.

i'm over here with some serious mixed emotions. everyday she amazes me and i'm thrilled for what's ahead, but i already miss her newborn days. this stage is pretty fun though... watching her grow and discover. she's an almost crawler (if you put something a ways from her she'll find a way to get it), sits up like a pro, and gets excited when "dada" comes home from work.

i love her toothless grins. so far we haven't seen any signs of teeth coming. we haven't introduced her to any solids yet and still going strong exclusively breastfeeding. we do plan to introduce food soon and i'll be making it all (thanks for the baby bullet grandma and grandpa gordon). i have a feeling she'll be a great eater.

we've recently started taking her to the nursery on sundays and she's pretty much surrounded by boys (lots of them) other than her friend, bria. we feel it's so good for her to be around other babies. i'm excited for her to grow up with paxton, max, and all the other little ones in our church.

i am continually grateful that i'm able to be home with her. this time is a blessing. she is a blessing. i really feel this is what God has planned for me.

ellie reese, my pretty little lady... you are loved. i am so thankful that i get to be your momma.

**precious headband gifted to ellie from sarah. and there's still time to enter in the sweet giveaway. don't forget to tweet, fb, pin, or blog about it for an extra chance to win. i'll announce a winner tomorrow sometime.**

spider-boy

2012-02-07T08:00:00.002-06:00

well yes, that is my husband letting our 6 month old baby play with a nerf gun. no worries--i was keeping an eye on both my kids. ;) and yes, that is my husband spider boy is hiding from.

don't you love giving a present that is loooooved? i do. and let me tell you... my nephew absolutely loved his spidey get-up. seriously. he slept in it. he wanted to wear it to town to the donut shop. and he was pretty stinking cute. he went around the house singing/whistling the spider man song. oh and doing headstands and other spidey like moves. he's a hoot.

the super bowl.

2012-02-06T12:56:00.004-06:00

we had a lot of fun, ate lots of food and watched a little of the game.
thanks for coming over websters and turners!
we're blessed to have such great friends. :)

p.s. there's still time to enter to win some valentine inspired goodies.

Sunday.

2012-02-05T15:57:00.001-06:00

We're getting ready to host a mini-super bowl party. Ellie is a great helper. ;) Will you be watching the game or just excited for all the appetizers and being with friends? I'm told we're rooting for the Giants.
Just wanted to remind you to enter the sweet little giveaway from my friend Aimee! We'll pick a winner Tuesday evening. :)

A SWEET GIVEAWAY!

2012-02-03T11:00:00.000-06:00

happy friday!

my crafty friend, aimee, has a pretty sweet deal for you!

she's offering two gifts to one lovely reader!

♥♥♥ to enter: visit aimee's blog and leave a comment here telling us

the cozie you love and which garland is your favorite.
(winner will receive their favorite!)

extra entries: blog it, tweet it, facebook it, pin it.

(please leave a comment for each thing you do)
*you do not have to follow either blog to enter, but we do love new friends!

we'll pick a winner next TUESDAY (FEB. 7) so the treats will get to you just in time for valentine's day!

we'll take this 60 degree weather.

2012-02-02T16:31:00.000-06:00

it is february... right? it sure doesn't feel like it! we enjoyed some sunshine today. and since i haven't been blogging much i figured you'd be ok with a baby-filled photo post. wasn't she just a newborn?? look how big she is sitting up on her own and her most favorite thing to do while i take pictures? try to attack the camera. smiles are hard to get when she's so focused on the black thing i'm holding. and she wouldn't sit still for long. she wanted to scoot over to the grass and check it out. i have a feeling i've got my work cut out for me soon. because little lady will probably be a fast one when she starts full on crawling. time to baby proof the house. advice?

pretty purple hat by my blogging friend, jamie. :)

Oh, HI February!

2012-02-01T10:31:00.001-06:00

since elle was born i've felt the months were flying by. i tried to really take in the past month and it still did go by quickly, but i feel like it was a good month for us. so, i'm welcoming february gladly.

(with baby mill & baby ellie!)

four years ago on this day my nephew, hagen kyle was born. he's a pretty wonderful little boy. he LOVES to hunt and fish. and he thinks ellie likes him a lot because she holds his hand. we love you, hag!

i don't know how the weather is where you are, but it's been pretty fantastic around here. it makes me so stinking excited for spring. i've already started on what would be spring projects...i'm hoping to have most of the indoors projects done before spring even gets here so we can enjoy outdoors and getting our yard ready. i have a pretty long list of things to do. which means i'll have lots of before/afters to share. :)

oh, and i'm hosting a giveaway so be ready to enter some handmade cuteness this friday!

♥

2012-01-17T11:16:00.002-06:00

so, i've been slacking. i haven't been blogging regularly and i'm surprisingly ok with this. i spend my days playing with ellie and either taking naps or cleaning house when she's napping. we also like to hang out with friends. i feel so much more productive, but i also really kind of miss blogging/reading blogs. this new little person in our lives makes priorities a ~~little~~ (ok a LOT) different. i'll learn how to balance it all eventually. or at least make some more "me" time in the evenings when she goes to sleep and not fall asleep at 8 pm. ;)

in other news... we almost have a 6 month old baby, WHAT? she's doing the whole rocking on her hands and knees so it's just a matter of time before she learns how to move forward and not just backwards. and i actually used my sewing machine. i made a little heart pillow (inspired by rubyellen's) for little sophia curry that will be here any day now. now that i know how to use it maybe i'll do it more.

have a lovely tuesday and thanks for reading and coming back to see what's going on with my family. <3

Jan photo a day (1-8)

2012-01-16T10:27:00.000-06:00

I've been keeping up with a little photo challenge on instagram. It would have been more of a challenge if I would have done it with my actual camera... Because? It's not all that hard for me to take a picture with my phone. I take multiple a day. Here are the first 8 days...

1. YOU 2. BREAKFAST 3. SOMETHING YOU ADORE 4. LETTERBOX

5. SOMETHING YOU WORE 6. MAKES YOU SMILE 7. FAVORITE 8. YOUR SKY

5 MONTHS.

2012-01-10T11:12:00.001-06:00

My sweet baby girl is 5 months old and a couple of days. This has been the fastest 5 months of my entire life. No doubt about it.

Ellie loves to be on her tummy trying to scoot (but mostly ends up scooting in reverse), she can sit up all by herself, and rolls from back to tummy..tummy to back.. to get to what she wants. She loves reaching for Mill's ears, tail...whatever is in reach. She also reaches for food/drinks that who ever is holding her has. She thinks her Aunt Chelle and cousin Kadi are the funniest and laughs the most for them. Although her Daddy can really make her giggle too. She loves her Jenny Jump Up and handmade pillow with tags from my friend, Meagan. She's still a big fan of bath time and makes the cutest face when I blow her hair/face. And gives me a look like "DO IT AGAIN MOM"... Oh, and she rode a horse (more like sat on it with Pa Pa... but still).

Ellie does not love... her crib, getting her nose cleaned, putting on clothes, the end of bath time or me leaving her sight.

Happy Friday!

2012-01-06T11:31:00.002-06:00

It's Friday! Fridays have a whole new meaning now. I stay home every day and Friday means I get the next two days with Michael... I like that!

The weather has been unseasonably warm for this time of year in Missouri. I'm not complaining, but do hope for at least one pretty snow. We've been taking advantage of the sunshine and took a walk with our friends Eisley and Bryndi a little while back. I think it's so important for Ellie to be around other babies/kids since she is home with me all day. And, it's also important for me to have conversations with grown ups every now and then. ;) I tend to talk to my baby and dog all day... along with bugging Michael, my mom and sister by calling lots.

We have lots of fun planned for the weekend... dinner with the in-laws tonight, my sister is turning 27 tomorrow and they are coming to Springfield for the day to celebrate, and we're having our friends over for dinner!

So far my "goals" for the year are going well... play-dates, handmade gifts (for my sister... I crocheted her something), and having friends over. This all makes me SO happy.

welcome 2012! i like you already.

2012-01-04T14:58:00.001-06:00

hi pretty friends and family! obviously blogging every day was NOT one of my resolutions this year...

some goals for 2012: live more simply, de-clutter, use my new kitchen aid mixer weekly, more handmade gift giving, learn to crochet (i already did this one! now i just need to learn more stitches and keep with it.), learn to sew better (this has been a goal the past 3 years), more play-dates, invite people over, play more games/watch less t.v. and of course, eat healthier. and for fun: paint something pretty! ok, i better stop before i take on tooo much.

did you make resolutions? do you think you'll keep them?

Christmas.

2011-12-28T16:16:00.000-06:00

the best present this year.

more Christmas to come...probably next week. :)

dear santa...

2011-12-24T16:00:00.000-06:00

ballet shoes or leotards//bed for lunabelle//wallet//art//cozy socks

-alivia, brunch in april

alivia is one of my supporters this month. she's so sweet and has a dreamy blog. i haven't known about it for long, but love visiting and seeing sweet pictures of her life. i look forward to following along with her blog! thanks for participating alivia!! i need some of those socks right about now.

dear santa...

2011-12-24T14:12:00.001-06:00

chalk//apron//wedges//lip gloss//paula

melinda, jolinda.

this pretty girl goes to church with my parents. she's married to josh and they are an adorable couple. they're nice too.. they gave us a ride on a golf cart last year at a church event when we surprised my parents to tell them about Ellie. melinda has a sweet blog about fashion, their house, and their life. go check it out! :)

dear santa...

2011-12-22T17:00:00.000-06:00

for mama:

blanket//basket//print//chair//photoshop actions

for the little one:

cozy sweater//sweet little suitcase

for the baby:

adorable hat//swaddlers

-paige, piper, and larken, pilgrims

i'd consider paige one of my blogging bff's. i came across her blog a long time ago and was inspired in so many ways immediately. she has a sweet little family (about to add one more) and her pictures & words are beautiful. she also makes the prettiest handmade bags (etsy shop..closed for the holidays but be sure to check it out!!). the girl can do no wrong. ;) love you, paige! thanks for sharing your wishes!

i was tagged.

2011-12-21T12:08:00.003-06:00

i know i said i was "going to be a little quiet around here" but i went to bekah's blog yesterday and saw that i was tagged... these questions were something that i actually wanted to answer. :)

awesome family photos from a while back.

1. What are you grateful for? goodness. so much. michael. ellie. a house. food. a loving family. and my God who blessed me with all of it. i stop multiple times a day and look at what earthly possessions we have and feel thankful. and then elle smiles or it's a beautiful day in the ozarks or God shows Himself in a great way and i realize just how special this simple life can be.

2. Could you honestly say that you are happy? yes! it takes quite a bit to get me down... and i'll admit if you would have asked me this question 3 weeks ago i would have probably told you yes, but i probably wouldn't be totally honest. this whole staying a home thing? I LOVE. it can get lonely at times, though. i was feeling like we had no close friends, but now i realize how wrong i was. we have some of the greatest friends and family. ever. i'm at one of my happiest times in all of my twenty-five years of life.

3.What motivates you? i wish i could say i'm a naturally motivated person. i am not. it takes goals and deadlines to motivate me. i am, by nature, pretty laid back and don't get bored easily. so, i'm ok with spending my day doing nothing but playing with ellie. i'm tidy, but not a clean freak. sometimes it takes having company over or my husband telling me he has no clean white shirts. ;) this is something i've already decided i'm working on this coming year. i need to learn how to make better use of time and being more productive.... whether it's housework, doing things with friends, projects or experimenting more in the kitchen. hello, new year resolution! ;)

4.What do you value most in a relationship? being real. honesty.

5. How have you grown over this past year? have i grown? HA. i grew physically, mentally, emotionally.... the answer to this question is definitely yes.

6. What gift would you love to give to a loved one? i'm not going to be deep with this one.... even though i could be less materialistic and say something so profound. i would love to give michael a new vehicle. financially it's not right for us now. both of our cars are paid off. one of the reasons i can stay home is because we're debt free besides our house. but, he is an estimator at a car shop... and it would be nice for him to have a more manly suv or truck.

7. Best date night. we don't do extravagant date nights here. i like simple ones. movie night in with pizza? ok by me! :)

8. Current etsy love? Rebekka Seale Art & Illustration Debbie Carlos

9. Current blog love? dear friend, eat sleep cuddle, everybody likes sandwiches

10. Book recommendation? water for elephants.. it's the only book i've read recently. another new years resolution? perhaps.

11. Favorite gift you are giving this year? we're not doing much this year. we're doing stockings for each other and a few smaller things for ellie. she'll be getting a first Christmas doll and it finally arrived. i haven't opened it yet so we have some excitement on Christmas morning. her name is Daisy from goodbye blue monday.

dear santa...

2011-12-20T11:00:00.000-06:00

for mama S:

rodna halter dress by anthropologie//tea-and-crumpets apron by anthropologie

for baby C:

zoo shape sorter//ribbed bonnet by sweetKM

little fox dress by wild things dresses

-sarah & charolette, her sea of love

sarah is one of my favorite mama bloggers...without a doubt. every single time she posts it has such a wonderful simplicity to it. her little family just moved to northern california and i think it would be so fun to visit there someday. it looks beautiful. i'm thankful for the friendships blogging has brought. thanks for sharing! c absolutely needs that bonnet!

2011-12-19T18:00:00.000-06:00

michael surprised me by driving by this house on saturday night. it had it's own radio station and everything. the lights went with the music. it was pretty great!! we drove around and looked at lots of pretty lights. and dreamed of what kind of neighborhood we want to live in. it's crazy how much we change. i had in my head that i wanted to live in a certain cute neighborhood when we were house hunting... but then i fell for the house we're living in (not in my ideal area). it's a nice house, but we're both dreaming of living in a place a little more cozy and maybe with woods at least in the back of the house. oh, and michael thinks we need a basement. we are making the most of this season we're in and feel so, so blessed for this house.

annnnyways, can you believe Christmas is less than a week away? i cannot. it just doesn't feel like it. i'm so excited to spend time with family, though! i'm going to admit... i'm pretty sure things will be quiet around here on the blog the next couple of weeks. BUT, i do have some Christmas wish-lists left and have them set for this week.

<3

dear santa...

2011-12-19T14:05:00.000-06:00

dress//bow//last dinner on the titanic

-haley, elizabeth haley

here's another local (springfield) blogger and she happens to live with my old roommate (anna) in the loft apartment building that michael and i called home for the first year of marriage. haley is a sweetheart and is adorable (she's modeled some for red velvet). you should go say hi to her. :)

dear santa...

2011-12-18T20:35:00.000-06:00

warby parker glasses

wisk//Christmas plates

-mrs. aimee swift, aimee bee

i love how practical aimee's list is... a wisk for the kitchen and Christmas plates like her mom has. she also wants to gift card to go shopping. aimee is a crafty blogger that i happen to have had the pleasure meeting. we had lunch not too long ago and she got to experience a full blow out diaper by my lovely daughter. i keep trying to convince her to move to springfield since her husband's family lives here. i need some crafting motivation in my life. she has an etsy shop... and i think you should check it out.

dear santa... (and a 60 min. massage for $35. YES please!)

2011-12-15T10:22:00.000-06:00

forever 21 sweater//gold letter pendant

brown oxfords

chamomile creme//fluttering perfume

-lindsay, needle & twine

lindsay is another local (springfield) blogger. we have mutual friends, but somehow have never really met (other than one time at target when i was big pregnant and super tired). i really think this should change soon! lindsay has a sweet blog and is also a massage therapist. she has a GREAT stocking stuffer for you or a loved one... she's offering a 60 minute massage for only $35. visit her facebook page for more information.

we're better together.

2011-12-13T12:32:00.000-06:00

i've said it before and i'm positive i'll say it again...
but life with this sweet little being is better than i could have ever possibly thought.

elle's four month measurements: 15.1 lbs (75-90%) and is 24 1/4 inches. (50%)

photos by lance sitton

4 months.

2011-12-08T10:46:00.001-06:00

Elle has been with us for four months. And it's been a great four months. We had our first little dust of snow a couple of days ago and we sat by the window and looked at it for a long time. It was funny because I tried to move her away from it and she was not a happy little baby. She's very determined.... it's been said that she takes after me with this whole getting her way thing. Ellie has her 4 month check up on Monday... I feel like she's right on track with what I've read as far as development goes. She grabs at things (my hair being a very favorite), rolls over tummy to back and back to tummy, and likes to talk, smile and giggle. She's ticklish so it's super cute to hear her little deep grunt/giggle when you tickle her. I didn't force a schedule on her... she pretty much leads the way and has developed a nice routine during the day. She still loves to sleep and sleeps best in her swing. She does nap in her crib, but it's usually a short nap and takes longer for her to fall asleep. We do what works for us and what we think is best for Elle. We love being parents. We often say "I love her" to each other. Michael gets off work in less than an hour and has all day tomorrow off and his girls are WAY excited to spend some extra time with him.

oooooooooo.

she's all "mom! look at that pretty stuff!"

this is her... i knew you'd let me have my way face.

She wants to move so badly.

dear santa...

2011-12-07T10:54:00.000-06:00

for mama:

print by in haus press

necklace from sunday french toast this hoodie
for baby:

awesome leggings from tame personalized rattle toy

-bekah & luna, my little loves

bekah is one of the sweetest bloggers. she's a young mama of two (ocean and luna). luna and ellie births were very close, so it was fun to see our bellies grow. thanks for showing us your wishes, bekah!

this is how we roll.

2011-12-05T12:18:00.001-06:00

she's been rolling over (from back to tummy) for over a week. last night was the first time i caught it on video. where did my "newborn" baby go? and yes, we are those parents. we were maybe a little too over excited/talking in baby voices, but she seems to like it. ;) we are over the moon for you miss ellie reese.

dear santa...

2011-12-05T11:00:00.000-06:00

zara riding boots spot dot sweater

sweet mugs colorful wall art

quilt for mama quilt for little one

little girl cashmere fun mushroom pouf how to behave book

-stacie & ivy, the langs

the langs seem like they know how to really enjoy life. they are funny, don't mind junk food and take pretty family pictures that are floating all over the internet. ivy? the cutest. thanks for sharing stacie!

dear santa...

2011-12-01T14:03:00.000-06:00

for mama:

Amazing cast iron antler hook - yes please!

This gorgeous quilt! This capelet would be perfect for cold winter days.

for the little one:

Every kid needs a furry hat, right? Such a fun dollhouse!

-Mandy & Harper, The Haps

this mama/daughter duo is one of my favorites. i love visiting mandy's blog and feeling the realness. and the videos? obsessed. ;) don't you think harper would look SO adorable in that furry hat?

dear santa...

2011-12-01T09:41:00.000-06:00

anthropologie gloves

UO lamp UO shower curtain

-kendra, lonie mae blog

kendra and i both live in springfield. we've never met, but it's kind of fun to come across other bloggers where you live. she's done some work with red velvet and i've awed over her handmade dresses in the shop. she blogs mostly about decorating their new house, recipes, diy's, and life. she has great taste... i mean that lamp and that shower curtain? i'm always inspired when i visit her blog. thanks for sharing, kendra!

this series of Christmas wishes was fun to put together. i even got some great gift ideas. i'll share one or two a day until i run out of them. ;) hope you all enjoy. happy december!

oh, Christmas tree...

2011-11-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

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....

2011-11-29T11:18:00.001-06:00

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

2011-11-28T10:06:00.001-06:00

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!

2011-11-27T18:19:00.001-06:00

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!

2011-11-23T09:18:00.001-06:00

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?

2011-11-21T11:07:00.001-06:00

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!

bloglovin'

2011-11-20T15:39:00.001-06:00

hi friends! :)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

happy friday!

2011-11-18T07:46:00.001-06:00

today i will find out what it would be like if we had another baby soon-ish. i'm watching one of my friends kids (well, 2 of the 5)... and one of them just turned 1 in october.

my sister and her kids will be here after noon... so we'll have a house full! just what i need (remember my whole thing on being a homebody). :)

thanks for the words on my last post... and stevie, come over here anytime you want on your days off! seriously.

source (via my inspiration pinterest board)

hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

thankful thursday + friendships

2011-11-17T11:46:00.001-06:00

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?

2011-11-15T10:22:00.001-06:00

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.

2011-11-14T14:33:00.000-06:00

free ad spot!

2011-11-14T11:09:00.002-06:00

If you're interested in advertising on In Every Season for free in December please visit my "support" page for details!

Happy Monday, friends! Our Internet is down (this post brought to you by my iPhone) so I'm trying to be extra productive since I don't have as many distractions. It's kind of nice! But, hopefully it works again soon. Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

friday links: thanksgiving style.

2011-11-11T08:50:00.002-06:00

(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?

2011-11-10T15:07:00.006-06:00

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.

2011-11-08T14:28:00.002-06:00

(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

2011-11-07T09:58:00.001-06:00

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!

2011-11-04T11:45:00.002-05:00

(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.

2011-11-03T10:17:00.003-05:00

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.

thankful for handsome husband and sweet baby girl

2011-11-02T09:22:00.003-05:00

oh, these two. they make life wonderful.

they make life fun.

i'm thankful we can be goofy and have fun.

i'm thankful he likes roller coasters

(just like me and my dad ... who is in front of us on the ride).

i'm thankful he loves to talk football with my dad...
even though they don't like the same teams.

i'm thankful he's tall...even though it makes for some awkward pictures.

(he's about a whole foot taller..no lies)

i'm thankful he's such a great daddy to ellie.

i'm thankful he loves me.

and ellie... i'm just thankful to be her momma.

remember if you blog about what you're thankful for... leave a link! :)

happy halloween!

2011-11-01T10:55:00.001-05:00

michael only "dressed up" because there was a Chiefs game on last night.

my little hippie baby was so, so cute.
did you dress up? what were your babies?

welcome november!

2011-11-01T09:56:00.004-05:00

can you believe october is over??? i cannot. good thing i happen to looooove thanksgiving. this month i'll be sharing at least one thing a week that i'm so very thankful for. and to start it off..... i'm thankful for blogging friends! people that don't blog don't really understand this. ;) but, i'm thankful for every single one of you that read this blog (whether you just read or leave nice comments). i blog to keep up with what's going on in my family and you reading is just a really great bonus. so, thank you.

if i write a post about what i'm thankful for and you do too then leave me a link so i can check it out! it's so neat to read blessings.

there will be some blogs over there on the side for the month of november... please go say hello.

:)

weekend fun.

2011-10-31T09:48:00.001-05:00

it was a pretty great birthday weekend!

happy halloween!

it's my birthday! (almost)

2011-10-28T12:25:00.000-05:00

tomorrow i turn the big twenty-five.

we're going to silver dollar city...

it's tradition.

i love silver dollar city in the fall. i can't wait to show E.

*photos from my phone last year.

oh, and i got a nook color from michael!!

i need book suggestions!

also: i decided to join in...

i kind of love fall.

2011-10-27T11:50:00.003-05:00

yesterday was just what i needed. it was a rainy, chilly fall day. ellie and i went grocery shopping and then took lunch to michael. i need to do that more often... it's so, so good to see him during the day. she was worn out and took a super long nap. this led me to having time to relax a little and bake. i made some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (recipe i used) ....hmmm mmm. and, for dinner we had grilled cheese and tomato soup... perfect for the weather. today i think we'll stay cozy in our pajamas until it's time to get ready for life group tonight. this is the life.

sleepy baby.

2011-10-26T15:57:00.002-05:00

remember how i said ellie rubs her eyes when she's sleepy? well, it's pretty much one of the sweetest things ever.

(please excuse the "baby voice"...;))

last call!

2011-10-26T13:33:00.002-05:00

***UPDATE: please send me button coding by NOVEMBER 25 if you'd like me to place it for free on my blog during DECEMBER.

hi friends! i'm going to be accepting "sponsors" starting in November. it might just be a two month thing or i might continue. the months of Nov. & Dec. will be free and then i'll evaluate if i feel like i should keep with it after that. i'm so excited to offer ad spaces on in every season for the holiday months! it can be to promote your shop, hand-mades goods or your blog!

all you have to do is e-mail me a link to your blog and/or shop, a button (200x150) that will link to your blog, and tell me a little about yourself if i don't already know you! please let me know if you would like to do a guest post or give a way. buttons will be arranged by who contacts me first.

email: lesleykgordon (at) gmail (dot) com

*side-note: this blog will never be just about money... i do this for fun, but any extra money made from this blog would be a blessing and would allow me to continue doing what i LOVE...staying home with ellie. that is why i'll be praying about accepting money for sponsorship support on this blog in the near future. :)

battles.

2011-10-25T15:56:00.003-05:00

isn't my husband so cute?

michael and i helped with escalate this past weekend at our church. the main focus was about battles... battles the youth face in school, home, work and just day-to-day life. it got me thinking about my own battles. i'm not going to go into great detail, but my top two that i'm really focusing on are: time management/productivity vs. laziness and comparing my life to others (in the blogging community as well as "real life")/trying to be someone i'm not. my life is not perfect... it is pretty great... but, i have things i need to work on.

so, some personal things i'm working on: starting my day right... not by checking blogs/instagram/twitter/facebook/pinterest, but by praying about the day ahead and spending time in Scripture. being myself... this is where the whole i want to live simple thing comes into play. i like nice things. i like clothes. i like to decorate my house. but, i want to keep it completely low key. minimal. i like it that way. i don't want to think less of my life because someone seems to have so much more fun. there's a lot of love in my home and we're a happy bunch. that's good enough for me.

some fun things: pinterest: this ties into the whole productivity thing. i pin things ALL.THE.TIME and don't do anything..... but pin. i want to start making the things i find. i'm going to try all those yummy recipes and make things for our home and for ellie. purging soon: i don't know if it's because i'm about to turn 25, but i feel like my "style" is changing. simple. so, it's time to go through the closest and donate some clothes and go through the house and de-clutter.

i'm pretty excited to face these "battles" and focus on getting back to the basics and seeing where God leads us in the next few years.

simple things.

2011-10-25T15:19:00.003-05:00

we had another too warm fall weekend.

and we spent it with the youth from our church.

my baby can now roll from her tummy to her back (as of yesterday). she gets excited and likes the sound of her own voice. and rubs her eyes when she's sleepy. she can hold a rattle. i want to remember all these little firsts. it's funny how excited i get over these simple things.

i just decided i'm giving in and i'm going to dress ellie up for halloween! i haven't the slightest idea what she's going to be. i know.... procrastinator. any ideas for cute, easy baby costumes?

PRETTY FALL.

2011-10-24T14:44:00.002-05:00

fall has always been my favorite season.

and this might just be my favorite fall yet.

it's my birthday week! saturday is my birthday. i plan on taking this week slow.

i've been thinking a lot lately and i'm realizing more and more how i want to live simple.

i'm discovering more and more who i am and really, who i want to be...

as a wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, and Christ-follower.

so live more simple we will.

happy friday!

2011-10-21T10:01:00.001-05:00

three great posts all blogging mommas (and non-blogging moms too) should read....

two by danielle: here (tip #4) & here.

and one by melissa: here.

cozy comfort food.

2011-10-20T08:43:00.006-05:00

yesterday was cold. we went from 80's to 50's and i don't think i was really prepared for it. i mean, i love fall weather... but i woke up in the morning and did not want to get out of bed. good thing i don't mind cuddling up next to ellie until about 10 am. ;) fall weather makes me want to eat "cozy" food. yes, cozy.

i could have made oatmeal from these 9 different ways to make it. but, a toasted bagel sounded good and is way simple. and a plus? this bagel is a cinnamon raisin. my favorite fall/winter bagel. i like my bagels very plain... just a little light butter.

i had leftovers for lunch. i got a ton of elbow pasta on sale with coupons (basically free)...so we had taco pasta. pretty good stuff. i kind of made it up as i went and it was based off of something my mom used to make and what i had in my pantry... here's what i did....

taco pasta:
elbow noodles
1 lb ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
1 can corn
1 small can green chili peppers
1-2 tablespoons chili powder

cook noodles as directed (i used half a box...plenty for two people and we had leftovers). brown beef (i added a little chili powder to the beef) and drain. mix sauce, corn, chili peppers, and chili powder into noodles heat and add meat. salt and pepper to taste. easy.

oh dinner. cheesy baked potato soup and hamburger "steaks" with bacon. delicious and cozy. right? i caught michael warming his hands. funny guy.

baked potato soup:
4-6 medium potatoes (i only used 4 since there's just two of us)
1 onion
4 tablespoons flour
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups of milk
cream cheese
shredded cheese

cut potatoes into small and big pieces.. i like to have some bigger chunks in there. boil your water and throw in the potatoes. in another pot heat your chopped onion for about 5-8 minutes until it's soft and browning. add the flour to make a paste. slowly add in the evaporated milk. let sit for about 3 minutes on low heat to make a sauce. potatoes should be done by now, so drain them and put 'em back in the big pot. add the milk (i only added about 1 1/2 cups) and a little cream cheese (i have no idea how much i used... about two good sized spoonfuls.) stir. add your sauce, lots of pepper and a little salt. heat it all up on a medium heat (STIR often) turn down heat to low and let sit 15 min or so. put it in a bowl/mug... whatever, and enjoy with shredded cheese on top. i also took the bacon from around my burger and put it in the soup.....so. good. *if it's too thick for you just add more milk.

soup is based off of this recipe... i did do some changes. one big thing was the cream cheese. but, it's a must. :) i liked this soup so much that i couldn't stop taste tasting it while i was waiting on michael to get home from work.

i often think i'm starving since i feed ellie... so i maybe had like an apple and some carrots with ranch for snacks during the day and a snickers & a twix for dessert after dinner. i just couldn't make up my mind.

I DID IT.

2011-10-19T11:27:00.002-05:00

we had a date night.

just the two of us.

some blurry pictures. with no car seat in the back.

ellie stayed with grandma and grandpa for 2 whole hours. and i'm not going to lie... i got teary eyes a couple of times. michael would look at me and i would tear up. and i would say "i just miss her." but, then i realized michael wasn't having the same reaction... he wasn't having the same reaction because he's had to be away from her from the very beginning when he went back to work. he has to leave her when she's all smiles in the morning and, up until recently, had to come home when she had her fussy time in the evening. i started to feel so sorry for him. she's growing out of the "cling to mom in the evenings and won't let ANYONE else hold her" stage. it happened. anyway, we had a nice dinner without having to rush through because that also happened sometimes if we were afraid ellie was going to start fussing. we talked. we laughed. we had fun. ellie is 10 weeks old now and we've decided it's ok to have time for ourselves every now and then (it was still SUPER hard for me). luckily, since i'm her food supply we can only be away for about a 2-3 hour stretch. thank goodness.

also...... it's official. my family is THE worst at taking pictures of ourselves. we need a live-in photographer to take a group shot of the 3 of us. or, maybe we should invest in a tripod... either way. proof:

i know what you're thinking.... that poor baby!!!

cupcake in the morning.

2011-10-18T10:14:00.001-05:00

mornings might just be my favorite time with ellie. i love my days with her... she just talks and smiles so much in the mornings. i am in no way wishing her newborn days away, but i can't wait to hear her little voice say "momma" and tell me what's going on and i hope to be the kind of mom she can come to with secrets and dreams as she grows. i will forever be thankful for this season and remember these sweet mornings filled with cuddles, baby smells, gummy grins, kisses on her sweet cheeks, and the love i have for my precious little cupcake.

i love her profile and her birthmark on her hand and i even love her old man hairline.

our weekend.

2011-10-17T10:39:00.006-05:00

oh, weekends.... i kind of love you.

my parents came to town. mom & i went thrifting and michael & dad trimmed our trees.

we had a lazy saturday morning. complete with mcdonald's for breakfast.
i happen to really, really like mcdonald's breakfast.

we spent lots of time together after church on Sunday...ellie took the longest nap, ever.
it was kind of a blessing to us.

it was over 80 degrees yesterday. this week has highs of low 50's & 60's.
FALL WEATHER! a perfect fall treat is the chocolate drizzled popcorn. so. good.
and you are welcome. :)

i got new glasses and probably took too many pictures of myself.

sometimes ellie isn't a big fan of taking pictures. i love my little cupcake.

**sorry if you follow me on instagram and have to look at these all over again. ;) i like to document them here, too so i have them in the future.

friday favorites.

2011-10-14T12:52:00.004-05:00

pumpkin pie cupcakes. making these soon.
etsy shop with dreamy mobiles.
wrapping gifts with yarn. so fun.
this cozy room for when ellie gets bigger. she can take her little time.
i'm making this for dinner. thanks, mandy!
a favorite blog right now. full of inspiration and simple living.

i guess i'm jumping on the "make a link list on friday" band-wagon today...
i just had some goodness to share.

happy weekend!

p.s. don't forget to send me an email if you'd like a FREE ad space next month. :)

OUCH.

2011-10-13T12:40:00.002-05:00

ellie showed off at her ped appointment yesterday. she was all smiles and talking away. she was loving her hands and showing off during tummy time. then came the shots. oh, those 2 month shots. that was not fun! i surprised myself by tearing up a little bit when ellie was receiving her vaccinations. that's not usually my "personality" BUT the girl was mad... like red in the face mad and there were tears. thank goodness my mom was there to be with us! i comforted her after, put her back in her car seat and she was out. she took the longest nap ever and looked so sad the rest of the day. she perked up for my mom while i was getting my eyes checked later in the day. and this morning she was all smiles for her daddy, but she's been a bit clingy and not sleeping much today.... she's finally taking her first nap of the day right now! she needs it. and so do i. sleeeepy momma here. i love ya girl, but i also need sleep sometimes.

um, i knew the darling was growing. i just didn't realize how much.

poor thing.

2 months

Ellie Reese:

weight: 12 lbs 9 oz (90-95 %)

height: 22 1/4 inches (25-50%)

head: 41 cm (90-95 %)

see her newborn measurements here.

a visit to seneca.

2011-10-12T08:00:00.007-05:00

i grew up in a tiny town called seneca. these days it's known for border town bingo and casino. i know it for the home of the indians, the little lost creek, main street with a handful of places to eat... there's no mcdonald's or walmart. there's a dairy queen, a dairy land and the best pizza buffet at simple simon's. uh-huh. it is delicious. ellie and i made a little trip to see my cousin, lindsay, while she was in town from cali. and you know we had to stop by and see my dad at work and visit my mom at work and spend the day with my sister and her two "babies." it was kind of a really great day.

2 MONTHS.

2011-10-11T08:00:00.015-05:00

you like kisses from momma...

you like to see the world.

you've grown into your giant newborn feet...

and your eyes are still as deep blue as the sea.

and those cheeks? seriously, i could give them kisses ALL.DAY.LONG.

you have the prettiest little grins.

and you like to give us a little giggle every now and then.

you also love your cousin, kadi, and she loooooves you, too.

you aren't so sure about our dog.

you will be best friends in no time... i'm sure of it.

(and NO millie is not biting your hand off. i promise.

and yes eating in front of the television is OKAY every once in a while. ;))

you like naps with daddy.

we celebrated your 2 months at the pumpkin patch.

you are the cutest little pumpkin to me.

PUMPKIN PATCH.

2011-10-10T12:09:00.000-05:00

i love fall and my little family.

the sweetest

2011-10-05T11:04:00.001-05:00

i love my days with her...

i'm officially a stay-at-home-momma!!!

also: i'm on the hunt for a crocheted hat for this fall/winter. anyone know of any good handmade shops to buy from? i can't seem to find one i like...maybe i need to start a new hobby. ;) *edit: a hat for ellie*

st. louis&family

2011-10-04T15:25:00.001-05:00

haha, this was the best i could do. the older two were done with pictures

and ellie was just waking up. :)

we went to st. louis over the weekend for my cousin's wedding... it was beautiful, kayla!

it's always nice to be around my family. can you believe how big ellie is looking? she slept through the whole wedding and woke up right before pictures....and had a major blow-out so off went the tights and cute little boots. i didn't even get a good picture of her outfit before it happened. and then she slept through the reception. we went to six flags and ellie pretty much slept through that, too. she was worn out! let's hang out again soon brother and sister. :)

story of my life these days.

2011-09-29T12:50:00.002-05:00

(no original source. found on pinterest.)

life seems to be moving at lightening speed these days, but we've also been taking things slow. i don't know if that even really makes sense. sometimes we don't get out of bed until close to 10 because it's been one of those nights. and i have to plan when i'm going to make a trip to the store based off of when she eats or cancel plans because of a majorly fussy baby (she has a cold, poor girl). we're still learning a lot about this new parents thing. and, honestly, i think we're doing a pretty good job. ellie has her moments of being over-tired and sometimes that's tiring to me. but, then she smiles and i'm reminded of how greatly blessed we are. and when she smiles i've noticed my cheeks hurt from grinning at her so big. everything is wonderful and perfect in those moments. i feel like as she grows i find a little more of who i really am. i love being a wife and a mom. i'm feeling more myself than ever before. i value my relationship with Jesus, family and friends differently. funny how 7 short weeks can show you more than almost 25 years of life. we want to show her life. we want to live life with her. and sometimes we can make plans... but, for right now, most of the time we're just winging it.

7 weeks.

2011-09-26T13:33:00.000-05:00

i've been missing this little blog... our internet has been down and we've been staying busy. but, i'm hoping to get back blogging more than once every week or two. ;)

another instagram photo...

Ellie is 7 weeks old today. she smiles at us! it's the prettiest little grin i've ever seen. it makes my heart so happy every time she looks at me and i can tell she's happy i'm there. she is very strong and it amazes me how much control she has of her neck. our evenings are sometimes a little crazy...especially if we've had a busy day. she's usually pretty fussy if she gets over-tired and i'm not going to lie, it's hard to calm her sometimes! but, it could be WAY worse. i actually get decent sleep and it's becoming pretty normal to wake up at 1 in the morning and again at 3 or 4 to feed her. she sleeps in her bassinet by me and i think i'll cry when we decide to transition her into her own room... (it probably won't be for a while). since i'm her food source i don't go too far from her. yesterday was the first time i left the house without her... and it was to get some candy from the gas station right up the street so i was gone for maybe 5 minutes. baby steps, right?

a few favorite iphone photos of ellie...

2011-09-15T13:58:00.003-05:00

okay... maybe i have a lot of favorites.

it was too hard to choose just a couple. ;)

picnic with friends & updates...

2011-09-12T15:06:00.006-05:00

we recently enjoyed a picnic with Bryndi and Eisley. she's 7 months old and such a good girl! ellie loves to be outside and i'm so thankful for friends to spend time out in the nice weather with. many more picnics with the Shirley girls to come! :)

i think being a stay at home momma is the best job out there for me. it's a good fit.

ellie was a flower girl in my sister-in-law's wedding... she was the prettiest little flower girl. congrats to mr. and mrs. anglen... we're thrilled for you guys!

i feel so disconnected from my blogging community... which may seem silly. but, i haven't been keeping up with my "daily reads" at all or checking in with what's going on with my readers that always leave such sweet comments. just so you know.. if you leave me comments i always like to check out your blog and what's been going on.

i also just started pinning again today... i hadn't done that in over a month and i found some yummy looking soup recipes perfect for fall weather. go have a look at my "YUM" board and you won't be sorry. soups, pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies, and s'more cookies..... yep, yum.

have i mentioned i'm SO excited for fall? the beginning of september tricked us. we had beautiful weather and now it's a little toasty again. i'm ready to break out the cardigans and boots!

and there's a little update for your monday reading.

happy monday!

:)

ellie was one month old.

one month.

2011-09-08T11:45:00.004-05:00

we have a one month old baby! and i think she's pretty great. we're getting the hang of being new parents. yes... sometimes i lack sleep, but it's all worth it and i absolutely adore being a momma. somehow she's even precious when she's screaming and nothing we seem to do helps and then realize she's just super sleepy and i bounce around trying to calm her down. she's still pretty cute when i'm changing her diaper and she decides to go a ~~little~~ (lot) more and it somehow manages to "squirt" across the changing table. we love her so, so much and (i know so many people say it)...... it's hard to imagine what our life was like without her being here. and, now i'm getting emotional. ;)

she's a newbie in the pictures. it was shortly after we came home so i still have a major "i just gave birth squishy belly"...you can also see that it was ~~a bit~~ (a lot) uncomfortable to sit down.

happy one month baby girl! we love having you around.

be back soon.

2011-08-25T18:08:00.005-05:00

ellie reese at 3 days.

hello lovely friends! i'll be taking a little, tiny break to soak in these newborn days. i need to feel like i can sleep when she sleeps and not have to take time (that is so precious these days) to blog. my days have been filled with lots of kisses, cuddle time, diaper changes, and just taking in this little person God has blessed us with.

i'll probably be posting a picture or two of her... i take about a million a day. i just can't help myself. but, that'll be it. if you follow me on instagram (lesleygordon) sorry for the baby overload. ;)

and...thank you for all the sweet words about the birth of Ellie!

Ellie Reese: birth story

2011-08-22T10:39:00.003-05:00

This story is something that will be so special to me forever. I love sharing this, but writing it out is mostly for me. We prepared for the labor process, but I don't think anything could have prepared me for the rush of emotions right after she joined us (outside the belly).

I was determined to let Ellie arrive when she was good and ready. I had no idea the emotions that would bring. We walked a lot and went swinging. I ate mexican food and went swimming. We tried other things, too. ;) My due date (Thursday) came and went... along with a couple more days. And on Sunday I was a mess. I cried. I just wanted to know she was okay. I vacuumed our staircase with the heavy duty vac and did a couple of natural remedies to bring on labor. And that night I went to sleep thinking I would just wake up in the morning disappointed again that nothing happened.

I woke up at 1:40 in the morning... had to go to the bathroom like usual. I had my very first "real" contraction. So, that was what everyone meant when they said "you'll know" ... I knew. I decided to go back to bed and try to sleep a little more and time the contractions to see if they stayed. Sure enough... they were a good 6-7 minutes apart. No more sleeping. A shower sounded good. I woke Michael up to tell him that I thought this was IT and told him to try to sleep more (ha!). I showered and by now the contractions were coming closer and staying around longer. Michael was timing them and called my other support person.. my friend Meagan. She got to the house and they were coming on about 4 minutes apart and each one was lasting a good minute. I was able to talk in between and pretty much stayed on my exercise ball while leaning on our bed. Meagan asked if I felt like it was time to head to the hospital. I told her I didn't want to go too soon. But, she looked at Michael and said she thought it was time. She was so right.

We got to the hospital and I walked in .... stopping every so often to let a contraction pass. I bet I looked pretty silly. We checked in at 5:50 am. They took me to triage. I was a 4 and fully effaced. I wanted to be at least a 5 or 6, but at the time didn't think a thing of it. We got to the delivery room and they hooked me up to equipment that would allow me to walk around and started an IV for fluids only...I got sick a couple of times when we got to the hospital and knew I needed to stay hydrated. The nurse asked if I really wanted to try without medication and I told her yes. She never asked again. She checked me an hour after getting there and I was 6 cm dilated. I thought I would want to walk around... use the exercise ball... have music... etc. but, NOPE. All I wanted to do was lay on my left side.. hold my husband's hand.. and did a deep "moan" through each contraction. The beginning of each contraction was not easy, but as I relaxed (with the help of Meagan telling me to relax my shoulders and drop my jaw almost every time) I kind of felt out of my body. My mind was focused on getting her OUT.

I felt the urge to push at 8:30 am. She checked and I was a good 9.5 cm dilated. She let the doctor know. He came to check me and said I had a lot of work ahead of me... she had to make her way under my pelvic to get out. She wasn't positioned well. Now, my OB was a strong supporter of my birth plan, but he definitely had his doubts if I would be able to deliver vaginally. My nurse was wonderful and kept telling me I COULD DO IT. We tried pushing a couple of different ways...I sat in a sitting position in the bed, used a squat bar, and pushed while lying on my right side to help her change positions. We got her to turn just right and she started to finally make her way down and out. My mom said "I see hair" and Meagan and Michael were both cheering me on. Michael had every intention not to look... but he did and then he got really excited and kept telling me through every contraction/push how close I was.. how close she was. The nurse asked if someone would call the doctor to tell him to make his way over. He was taking his time. He didn't think I would be ready. She crowned. The nurse gave me the option of not pushing so he could be there, but she said she wasn't telling me I couldn't. There was no way I could just stop pushing. It burned.. honestly. I told her I HAD to push. She said ok...push her out... and within a matter of seconds my baby girl was here at 9:58 in the morning. They placed her on my chest and I looked at her and she screamed right away. Girl has some lungs. We bonded a bit and my mom cut the cord (Michael said no thanks ;))

I did it. I felt unbelievable. I felt tired. I didn't cry.
I couldn't stop smiling.

My "birth plan" was just that... a plan. My actual birth went way better than any plan I could have come up with. It went fast for me (1:40 am-9:58 am..not bad). They only made us stay one night at the hospital. Home never sounded so good to me.

I'm not going to lie and say it was easy. It was work. I got sick. I said I didn't want to do it anymore a few times. I asked multiple times how much longer? How many more pushes? I dreaded each contraction coming on when it was time to push. And, with each first push of the contraction I said I couldn't do it. But, I did. It was a rush. I'm a bit sore. Would I have another baby all natural without any medications? You bet.

happy friday!

2011-08-19T14:39:00.002-05:00

i've spent the past almost 2 weeks staring at this sweet face.

whaaat? Ellie will be 2 whole weeks on monday.

i'm so in love with my baby girl.

h a p p y w e e k e n d !

be back monday with Ellie's birth story. :)

while she sleeps.

2011-08-15T10:18:00.002-05:00

ellie is asleep and... to be honest... she's a GREAT sleeper. i probably shouldn't admit it. the first couple of nights were rough. but, now that she's eating good sleep is much better. i cannot believe it's already been a week. i'm feeling relaxed and well rested.

the ONLY way i'm feeling this way is because of my sweet husband. (a weekend visit from my parents helped too ;)) michael has been so great. he's taking care of his girls. so, instead of this post being all about ellie.. it's more about michael. he graduated from missouri state the friday before ellie arrived. we weren't sure if he'd get to walk because we thought she would be here.... but she had other plans. we made it to his graduation.. and i was still pregnant. our little girl decided to join us on monday (8/8) which happened to be our 2nd wedding anniversary. we don't mind sharing our day with her. we had our anniversary dinner in our hospital room. romantic, right?

so proud of you, honey...
can't wait to spend many more years with you!

introducing...

2011-08-11T13:08:00.000-05:00

she's here! we're loving every minute of being new parents.

be back soon with all the details...

i'm a little busy loving on a sweet baby right now.

p.s. my blog got a little make-over while i was having a baby... thanks paige!

a little update....

2011-08-04T13:27:00.001-05:00

i'm borrowing this from one of my all time favorite blogs....

since everyone loves to ask if i've had Ellie yet... you can go here and find out.

40 weeks.

2011-08-02T08:21:00.001-05:00

my husband was sweet to take some pictures of me...
but next time i'll have to make sure it's on automatic focus because i'm a bit blurry.

my baby girl will hopefully be arriving anytime. my OB appointment yesterday was much more encouraging! finally some progress going on. we're hoping she decides to come before thursday. michael has his college graduation on friday. he's totally okay with missing it, but i'd like for him to be able to go. we also would really, really like it if she came before monday.... it's our two year anniversary. BUT, really she can come whenever she's ready...like today would be great. ;)

i probably won't be blogging the next few days.
you can follow me on twitter: lesleykaygordon
i'll be posting photos on instagram: lesleygordon

also, the blog will be getting a little make over thanks to a sweet friend.
i'll share more about that later. :)

weekend in iphone pictures.

2011-08-01T08:12:00.003-05:00

we walked a lot.

we love cereal probably a little too much.

we've started couponing. all the above=$3.68.

aren't his eyes beauties?

we spent lots and lots of time together.

it's crazy to think it was probably the last weekend as a family of two.

worship team practice at church.

Ellie loves hearing her daddy play the drums.

we love our church family... so blessed.

i made a coffee cake and it's delicious.

but, not quite as good as when my mom makes my grandma's version.

mom: find that recipe for me!

happy August!
(it's Ellie's birth month... she just didn't want to be a July baby.)

the final days.

2011-07-31T20:38:00.003-05:00

i'm so, so, so blessed to have a special friend that is willing to take a million and one pictures of me. i love that i have these to look back on and remember these final days of having this sweet little girl all to myself. (selfish, i know)

thank you anna!

ready for a ton of pictures?

(the dress i'm wearing was my momma's back in the day. and i should have worn a white tank instead of dark.. :))

no signs of baby yet. i have an OB appointment in the morning.

happy weekend+tea

2011-07-29T17:31:00.005-05:00

we're heading over to the in-laws for fajitas soon.... don't fajitas sound wonderful?

so, i've loved the blog cakies for a while. ruby is so creative and i love seeing what she's come up with. her girls are always dressed the best. today there is a feature on the tea collection. adorable, right? my sweet mom ordered an adorable little dress for Ellie. and i saw they have a special referral.

basically: if you spend $50 or more you'll get $25 off at your check-out.

and i'll get $25 added to my account.

i think you should check out their clothes.

click here to get started. :)

oh and i hope to have an exciting weekend...
like maybe have a baby or something!

"maternity leave"

2011-07-28T10:22:00.002-05:00

waiting.

waiting can be hard.

i know she'll be here in God's perfect timing.

but, right now it seems she might want to stay in forever.

my appointment didn't really go as i hoped.

she's still high. not engaged. nothing.
her estimated weight via u/s (which i know can be way off):
6 lbs 11 oz.

i have hope.

and, i've been told some tricks for natural "induction".

so.. we're trying all kinds of things.

i'm going swinging soon.

my "due date" is tuesday.

how did it get it get here so soon?

but, why does it seem so far away?

i'm ready to meet you little girl... i give you permission to drop anytime now.

my mornings will be so lovely with you here. and i don't think i can wait much longer... i'm too excited.
39 weeks...
you've made yourself quite comfortable, huh?

kitchen.

2011-07-27T10:03:00.004-05:00

remember how a reaaaally long time ago we were doing little renovations all over our house? well, i never shared how they turned out. i know... i'm such a bad blogger.

i'm pretty much in love with our kitchen these days. there are still some things to do like hang some pretty curtains, put up the doors on the rest of the cabinets (they will be a glass front) and get a new door to close off the laundry room. i didn't "stage" these photos... which i probably should have. but, this is how we live. cereal boxes on the countertop and mail to be sorted through. and there's some little finger smudges on the refrigerator after some little guests were here on monday... guess i should get used to that! ;)

husband and i are both pretty minimalist. we don't like a lot of clutter in the kitchen.

before:
for fun... this is how it looked when we did our first tour of the house. i know what you're thinking... why would you choose to buy that house??

and after:

i'm super proud of my husband and all the hard work he put into making this kitchen bright and lovely. and thanks to my dad for helping. and to the in-laws for texturing the walls so the paint would actually stay on.

today:

2011-07-27T08:35:00.000-05:00

today i get to see my little girl..... via an ultrasound. ;) my last appointment left me a little worried. in my head and on paper, i have my birth plan. i know things don't always happen how we want them to and really... i just want my baby to come when she's ready and safely. (i'm pretty sure every mom wishes for that). anyways, my last appointment: my girl was still high and still measuring ahead. my OB seemed a little concerned...so he wants to do an ultrasound today to make sure everything is going ok. so, please say a little prayer for me and baby girl around 11:30. :)

i've been cleaning and relaxing this week. 39 weeks. craziness.

happiest friday ever? i think so.

2011-07-22T17:27:00.002-05:00

(source.)

YOU GUYS! celebration time! today was my last day at work and unless we decide we reaaaally need the money and i can't find another way to make money (i have a couple of options to fall back on if need be) i won't be going back to the job i've pretty much despised for the past three years. once upon a time, i wanted to be a nurse. i moved to springfield and needed a job that had decent insurance and that's when i became a nurse assistant. i was excited at first and then time went on and i decided i did. not. like. it. but, the insurance was good and i only had to work three days a week........ three very long 12 hour shift days (sun up to sun down in the fall and winter, depressing...right?) i left home at 6 am and would get home after 7 pm. so, let me tell you: grumpy sick people giving orders all day, really sad sick people you take care of passing away, and working 12 hour shifts every other weekend and not seeing your husband and working on christmas or thanksgiving or any other holiday is kind of the pits. do not get me wrong.... i ADMIRE every nurse and patient care assistant out there and i loved the ones i worked with, but it wasn't for me. i didn't go on to nursing school and i'm so, so, sooo terribly glad i didn't because then i would have a ton of student loans and wouldn't even be able to think about being a stay at home momma. i'm blessed to have a husband that wants me to be able to be home with our girl as much as possible... he even got into couponing (sshhh don't tell him i told) and i'm learning, too. we've already been saving lots and maybe i'll share some good deals we find so you can save, too!

well, there you have it. i rarely (if ever) even talked about my job on the blog because i like to keep things happy around here and sometimes even the thought of having to wake up and go to work made me want to cry. and, sometimes i would come home from work crying because i was just.....tired and worn out....especially these past few months. working as a nurse assistant and being pregnant do not mesh well. it's been hard on my body, but probably also good for it. i stayed active, but being on my feet all day long sometimes took a toll on me. i was nervous i would do something to hurt Ellie. and, at 38 weeks i was over working. so, today being my last day was a SUPER happy day for me!

this fall will be such a wonderful, beautiful season for my little family. Ellie will be here, Michael will be DONE with school, and i'll be home. you can bet i'll be making lots of big breakfasts every saturday. tomorrow morning i plan on making a big ol' stack of pancakes to celebrate! so much to look forward to!

happy weekend!

38 weeks.

2011-07-21T16:53:00.001-05:00

i'm so ready to meet this little girl

and i think someone else is patiently waiting for her, too. ;)

anna and i took some pictures yesterday. i have more to share soon! i kind of slacked the past few weeks on taking regular bump photos. i do have weekly ones on my phone, so that will have to do! i'm still feeling pretty good. oh, and tomorrow is my last day of working!! SUPER excited about that. i'm ready to take in the next couple of hours, days, weeks (however long she decides to take) and relax a bit.

a very happy birthday to my dad!

2011-07-17T19:47:00.000-05:00

happy birthday to a very special guy!

my little Ellie is so blessed to have such a fun grandpa...

and i'm blessed to have such a great dad!

love you & happy birthday!

Ellie is also going to have so much fun with her cousins... Kadi cannot wait.

waiting.

2011-07-16T22:19:00.002-05:00

baby update: waiting. that's what we're doing now. i'm pretty close to 38 weeks and we'd really like our baby girl to come sometime within the week... we know she'll come when she's ready, but my doctor seems to think it'd be best for me (since i'm on the small side and baby girl is getting bigger) to have her before i hit that 40 week point. we've been on lots of little walks and i've been bouncing away on my exercise ball. michael laughs and smiles every time he walks in the room. he's so ready for her to come. it's pretty cute.

i'm really hoping to get back into the swing of blogging regularly (you're welcome Grandpa. can't wait to see you tomorrow!)...i'm beginning to miss it. this summer has FLOWN by and it's been kind of nice taking a bit of a break from the blog. i haven't even spent much time on the computer and when i do i've been wasting time on pinterest. so. many. pretty. things. we've stayed pretty low key and indoors since it's so hot.

it's a very crazy/scary/fun/wonderful/ feeling knowing when i go to sleep every night that it could the night. the night i go into labor. who knows... the next time i blog may be announcing the arrival of my sweet little Ellie!

photo by the lovely, anna a couple of weeks ago.

i'm still here!

2011-07-07T16:29:00.000-05:00

goodness. i could make a million excuses for not blogging lately, but really... the truth is i just haven't made time to do it. we've stayed busy getting the nursery ready and i've been keeping up with the house. we've also made time to watch movies and hang out just the two of us. i also LOVE sleeping... but for some reason i sleep the best in the middle of the day and sleep horribly through the night.

we could meet our girl any day now. i'm a little over 36 weeks and feeling much, much, much more prepared than last time i blogged. her diaper bag is packed and ready to go, her car seat is in the car, all her clothes are washed and put away, and her room is pretty much done. we have one more birthing class tomorrow night which will be all about breast-feeding and postpartum. my goal is still no meds during labor. i've had some mild contractions, but nothing consistent. i'm okay if she stays in a couple more weeks. i want her out when she's ready... that doesn't mean i won't start walking more and trying some tricks in the next week or so. mill is ready to meet her... i just know it. anytime i can't find her i know exactly where to look now... she loves E's room. loves it.

i'm really praying hard that it works out for me to stay home with my girl, but we just found out how much it will cost to be added on to michael's work insurance. OUCH. what do you ladies do for insurance that stay home? i want to SO badly.

nesting.

2011-06-27T19:48:00.001-05:00

sometime between now and the next 5 weeks i'll get to see my little baby girl. michael and i went to target the other night and the cute old man checking us out said he gives me 3.5 weeks. we left the store. and by the time we got in the car i realized this can happen so soon. so, so, so soon. i started listing off all the things we need to do. yesterday michael helped me finish all the laundry and clean. he's realizing it, too. it kind of feels like i just announced my pregnancy last week.

i've got pillows to make.

final countdown time!

2011-06-22T18:45:00.001-05:00

i feel like 34 weeks is an appropriate time to start reaaaally counting down the weeks this little girl has left baking in my belly! only SIX weeks to go... what?!

six weeks. yes, that means her estimated due date is still about the same. we went to see our terrific (and i mean terrific) OB today and had an ultrasound. i cannot even believe how that little girl is fitting in there. she's head down (SO great), her feet were right at my rib cage (which explains a lot...ouch) and she was wiggling around. beggie (that's what our birthing teacher calls our OB... she LOVES him which makes me so happy) said she's weighing about 4 lbs 15 oz and is right on track. the edd came to 8-2... it was 8-4. BUT when he measures me with the tape measurer i'm still a month ahead. i should have measured 34 and was almost at 38. there's no extra fluid and everything looks healthy so his answer: it's because i'm so small. she just doesn't have room. he kind of hinted she might come a little early... without saying "be ready for her to come early".. he basically said she'd be good to come out in 3-4 weeks and might decide to because of lack of space in there.

i feel so much better and relaxed after the appointment. i was concerned that she would come early july and it was really stressing me out. i'm ok with mid to late july... i just need a few more weeks to really get prepared. i'm getting ready for you little girl... don't come out too soon!

2011-06-21T20:25:00.000-05:00

so, i'm going to be honest... i've been pretty lazy about taking belly photos and getting things ready for this little girl coming oh so soon! i start getting things ready in her room or around the house and then i decide i need to nap instead.

i'm 34 weeks now and not super uncomfortable. yesterday was tough for me... she must have been laying on a nerve or something because i had some serious back pain going on. like enough that every time i stood or walked i felt like i could cry. the thought crossed my mind that i was going into labor because i've heard it can be a sign with having the intense, constant back pain. but, she must have moved because i finally got some relief last night.

tomorrow i go for an ultrasound to see why i've been measuring about a month big. (28 weeks i measure 32 and at 31 i was almost at 35). the thought of having this little girl in early to mid july instead of the beginning of august does sound nice, but also sounds a little scary crazy! it's SO soon and i have SO much to do.

i've had some WONDERFUL showers so i'm feeling more prepared thanks to all my lovely friends and family. she's one loved girl already.

so so so loved.

a few things on my to-do list.

2011-06-15T16:30:00.000-05:00

baby's "due date" is 50 days away.

oh my goodness.

my list of things to do seems to be growing.

...finish nursery

...wash baby clothes

...pack hospital bag

...take more belly photos

...get back in the habit of taking pictures with an actual camera... not just my phone.

(i really need to work on this)

...clean out my closet and give away LOTS of clothes

...make kitchen window curtains

...relax

...go cut open the watermelon sitting on the counter. ;)

ok, "nesting" momma... where are you?

POP ICE.

2011-06-13T16:14:00.001-05:00

the heat is here. millie had a play date with zeke today (see some cuteness here & here) and it was soo hot outside. they left and i laid down for a little while and had myself a pop ice. i probably should make something a little "healthier" for me... like these. i'm off to the store and watermelon is top of the list. and maybe i had a bowl of chips and salsa for lunch because chips and salsa always sound good. i'm starting quite the collection of recipes i want to try. yes, this is just a post about food.

i wouldn't necessarily say i have pregnancy "cravings" but sometimes things sound sooo good.

hey. hey.

2011-06-09T21:09:00.001-05:00

oh, hi. :) some more phone photos from this week. imagine that. kadi mae thinks it's hilarious that she can't fit her arms around me anymore. and she randomly says hi to ellie. it's the sweetest and she's so excited to have a new baby cousin. we've had a house guest all week (my pretty cousin kayla) and i've been slowly getting miss ellie's room done. kayla and i went to a couple of flea markets today and i got that mirror for 9 bucks. it looks pretty pink in the picture, but it's more pink/purple. i'm still loving pop ice & sno cones, but my sweet in-laws brought over some braums strawberry ice cream and it's pretty yummy.

i'm 32 weeks now and my OB scheduled an ultrasound for the 22nd. i'm still measuring big... at my last appointment i was supposed measure at 31 weeks and was almost at 35. he said there's a pretty good possibility i may be having a july baby... which is ok by me! i'm really not too uncomfortable. i still sleep great. i started working 8 hour shifts instead of 12 so my feet love me more. people crack me up sometimes. i get asked multiple times a day how much longer i have and it usually ends up with them looking at me like they feel really sorry for me and they end up saying "you have the WHOLE HOT summer to go!" or "are you sure there's only one in there?" thanks for the reminder. and yes, there's only one little girl in there. ;) i'm pretty much all belly with no stretch marks (hoping it stays this way). i feel pretty good. i did have to start taking iron supplements because i'm borderline anemic. we'll have our second birthing class tomorrow night. i LOVED the first class. our "birthing coach" is great and so passionate. michael even liked it a lot and said he learned a ton. he was a little unsure about me trying to have an unmediated, natural birth, but after the class he's almost excited that we've decided to have a birth plan like we do. i love it. i've been loving reading birth stories... do you have one on your blog? i'd love to read! or a good site for preparing your birth plan? let me know!

thanks for reading all my babbling on about pregnancy. you all are the best.