Updated Spaces

Two months on bed rest will make a girl crazy I tell you. And even more crazy when you're a gal like me that is not necessarily in love with new things, but updated things. I'm forever wanting to rearrange furniture, update pictures in frames, remove or add shelving to a space, etc. Like while I'm all laid up on the couch I'm thinking, that dust bunny just doesn't look good there ... maybe it would look better under the other couch or something? Haha. But seriously, I do not need or want new things per say, but I love the challenge of taking things you already have or adding small pieces to a room and giving them new life. Like my old chest I refurbed for Lainey's nursery, that type of stuff.

Now don't get me wrong, I like new things too and ironically the two items in this post are both new (or new to us), but usually flea market type settings and refinishing things are my jam. It gives me a creative outlet and it's just something I've really grown to love. That being said, being at home and seeing my furniture and everything in my house stay in the same place, or staring at the table I'd been wanting to replace day in and day out ... made the 10% wanting to maybe do it, turn into 95% wanting to do it. Because there wasn't much to distract me from thinking about it. So, while I'm still working on a few projects to complete. Two are checked off the list entirely and I want to share them with you!

First, and guys, I'm not even sure I'm physically capable of saying it out loud yet, in fear I may burst into tears, but we're about to a three year old living under our roof <insert "how in the world did that happen comment" here>. That being said, three year old boys are their own breed. And they are very different than one year old and even two year old boys. And furthermore, so are their wants and needs. Our little almost three year old would FLIP out every time he saw bunk beds and wanted his very own "just like peppa pig!"

Hubs and I went back and forth constantly, if we were going to pull the trigger and get him a big boy bed or just let it be. And furthermore did we really want to spend the money on a bed?! Why is furniture so expensive?!?! Whyyyy. So, when I was perusing on a local resale group here in Nashville I am a part of and saw a set of nice bunk beds for a good price, I was able to petition for the beds with a pretty good argument in my pocket. AND, when the lady selling the beds agreed she would pay to have a delivery service disassemble the beds at her house, load them up, deliver them to mine, and reassemble them we were sold. And just like that we said goodbye to Bennett's crib (it seems like it was yesterday I was typing this post about making a decision on his furniture) that had been converted to a toddler bed. A final farewell one of BUB's last "baby" items ... (sniffle, tear...)

Before the movers arrived later that day we loaded up the car and headed to the local mattress store and bought some updated mattresses for King Bennett. We let him think he picked out his own bed, but in reality he chose one of the priciest mattresses in the store and that wasn't gonna happen - so that'll be our little secret.

And we came home to replace that crib with our boy's bunk bed dream. His smile lets me know it was a good call. And it makes it a little easier to stomach the fact that he's growing up regardless of the fact that I constantly tell him to stop. But he's proud, and has made the transition like a champ. So we carry on and keep climbing up ... literally, every night we climb up!

 He was so excited ... THANK YOU DADDY, THANK YOU! Bless his little heart, I love him so.

 Lainey was into it too :)

 All tucked in for his first night! (Hi, I'm the mom that swore my child wouldn't have a paci passed age two. Welp, at least he's in a big boy bed? HA!)

 These boys ya'll. Bedtime is their time. They read, they giggle, they tickle, they play boy games. All the things. And it warms my heart.

 And I often help with nighttime prayers, lots of kisses and THE BIGGEST kiss. That's mine and B's thing and it's special to me. Having a "thing" with your kids is fun. It's like being a part of a secret club and that was cool when I was 10 and it's still cool now. So there he is, our big boy in his big boy bed!

The second item due for an update took place outside the house.  While my parents were still here helping man the fort while hubs and I spent a lot of time at the hospital or in recovery - we all agreed patio furniture was a necessity. Bennett is FOREVER playing outside, and I need to be sitting a good amount of time for a while and our patio is overrun with toys because there is nothing else in their place. We'd gone four seasons without it and it was time to pull the trigger.

Long story short, I fell in love with a set but couldn't rationalize the dollar amount (again with the furniture prices, grrrr) so we continued to wait while I internally struggled with whether or not I could justify the purchase. When low and behold my parents came back down for the weekend and showed up with a truck bed full of patio furniture. SCORE! Problem solved. Mom and Dad to the rescue, again. Which left me faced with an even bigger problem, what color should the throw pillows be?!!!? (gasp! kidding. kind of.) So here's a little looksie at the new space.

Moreover, those toys that were taking over the backyard also needed a new space to live, so my dad also loaded up this awesome new shed he has his builder make me and I love it. We had some of Shane's buddies come over and haul it from the front the back yard (holy heavy) and then my dad set me up a nice little spot in the backyard so I could help him paint it ... I was technically still following bed-rest orders :) I sat mostly the entire time and only used my arms. (hehe, wink wink)

And the last little lovely addition to the outside was hanging my Mother's Day swing on our Magnolia tree and letting little man break it in. Small updated space make me happy.

And, the nearly three year old's birthday party guests will actually have a place to sit when they come to celebrate the little guy and that makes me happy too!

A Thank You Letter to My Mom

I've had a lot of names given to me in my almost 30 years. But nearly three years ago, God chose my life to bring our sweet baby boy, Bennett, into the world and blessed me with the name(s): Mom, Mama, Momma, Mommy, Mahey, Mooooooooooom. And this past year, I was blessed for the second time and was given my little girl, Lainey, who will soon call me those same names. They are names I had been blessed to call my own mom for nearly 30 years. But, it wasn't until I had kids of my own, I TRUTHFULLY grasped what that name meant. I had thanked my mom countless times over the years for all of the "things". And I had wished her Happy Mother's Day with handmade cards and pretty flowers. And two years ago I got to experience my very first Mother's Day and got my first handmade gift that meant more than any store bought item ever could. 

But as the waters rise, and I become more than knee deep into this beautiful thing we call motherhood ... I learn it's time to say thank you for the less noticeable “mom” stuff, the stuff I don’t remember or couldn’t understand until I experienced it firsthand. And now, for a few years, I have. I have a lot learn. I have a lot more to realize. I have a lot more to add to this list in the years to come. But for now, I can relate to these items. And mom, I want to say thanks.

Thank you, Mom, for carrying me for nine long months. Pregnancy is one of the greatest joys and the ending brings the utmost happiness. But it is a long and sometimes lonely span of anxiety ridden uncomfortable months. And the labor (and c-sections as we're more versed in) are something you truly can't explain until you've walked in those shoes. The months of sleepless nights while your body needed to heal; you chose to put me first instead of yourself to keep me happy and safe. The fear you endured in your own mind of something happening to me, your baby, and carrying the weight of that on your own chest because you loved me so much. Thank you mom for caring for me, before you even knew me. And continuing to care for me, when you needed to care for yourself.

Thank you for all the times you stopped doing everything you 'needed' to do to instead make funny faces and play silly games like 'what's your favorite color' to make me giggle. Thank you for dressing me up in adorable outfits even though we wouldn't leave the house that day, because you wanted to marvel at God's work and the blessing he had given you. Thank you for drinking an extra cup of coffee when all you really wanted was a nap, because you knew I needed extra snuggles and you wanted to soothe me. Thank you for putting me first.

Thank you for constantly being in your own head and at times struggling to answer, “Am I doing this right? Am I completely failing her? Is this OK? Should I do something different? Was that the right way to handle that situation? Should I do what that mom did instead? Would that be better for her?”, about a thousand times as you drive in silence to the grocery store that you are calling a vacation.

Thank you for staying calm and continuing to show me love when all you wanted to do was scream. Thank you for realizing I was just tired and taking time to help me calm down when you too were tired. Thanks for changing my diaper, the second time, when you had just gotten everything buttoned up and were ready to head out the door. Thank you for making airplane noises and funny sounds to make sure I would eat all of my food. And THANK YOU for rocking spit up like a champ, because I made sure to ruin every outfit you had been wearing for a total of five minutes.

Thank you for attending the party in my crib at 2 am vs. the party you probably would have rather been attending. And settling for cold leftovers rather than dinner at the new restaurant you'd been wanting to try. Also for attending the concert I was putting on while I was learning to find my voice vs seeing your favorite band in concert that had finally come to town.

Thank you for being the keeper of the never ending checklist of items you had to have in your bag before you left the house to ensure I was happy anywhere. Thank you for making sure I had the extra pair of pants for when I waited too long to tell you I had to go potty. And while on the potty note, thank you. We don't need to get into details here, but just thank you.

Thank you for watching my favorite episode of animation for the 100th time when you really wanted to watch reality TV. Thank you for giggling at the silly cartoon that wasn't even remotely close to funny, but you loved to see me laugh. Thank you for watching me be silly and do the same thing 400 times and giving me just as much attention on time 299 as you did the first time. Thank you for climbing the slide at the playground because I insisted you ride down with me, even though it was hard on you and you were carrying my baby brother. Thank you for being fun, even when you didn't want to be.

Thank you for visiting all of the schools in the area to ensure I was in the best place possible. Thank you for choosing an education that allowed me to learn about God, for praying with me and for me. Thank you for going to church with me, and knowing the words to all of the songs we would sing at Sunday school.

Thanks for knowing the perfect compromise of vegetable bites to dessert ratio. And for having the perfect response to my debate for why I should be allowed to go outside in the rain. Thank you for sometimes letting me go anyways, because you knew I was only going to be little for so long.

Thanks for knowing what I needed when I didn't know how to say the words. You could look at me and know if I was tired, hungry or simply needed a Popsicle. Thank you for taking me to the doctor to ensure I was growing the way I should be, and wanting more than anything to take my pain and put it on yourself. Thank you for not settling for anything but what you truly believed was best for me.

Thank you for taking the time to plan a fun day for me even though it meant I wouldn't appreciate the amount of time and planning you put forth. Thank you for giving in sometimes and buying me the cookie even though you knew it meant I wouldn't eat lunch that day.

And finally, Thank you for being proud of me. I didn't know by you encouraging me I was learning to be proud of myself, and how far that would take me. But you planted that seed with every high-five, every time you took the extra minute to explain 'why' instead of getting upset with me, every time you encouraged me to try again, every time you hugged me with so much pride as I was growing and learning, yet you wept because your heart hurt as these days were so fleeting. You are my biggest cheerleader. You watered that seed to help me grow. And I am forever thankful.

Happy Mother’s Day Mom. I love you.

Mother's Day ... My First.

Sometimes I wake up and pinch myself. I have to honestly blink twice to remind myself this is real. I am a mom. A mother. A friend. A little boy's first love and the only one who can care for him, a way only a mother can. I am that person. ME. No one else. 


Of course he has his daddy, his grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and oodles and oodles of other fabulous people to love him. But, God chose me to be his MOTHER. ME! What an incredibly awesome gift. He gave me a sweet innocent bundle of happiness molded in his own likeness to nurture and love. And I get a chance to give him all of the things he deserves in this world. 

I get to be the one to pick him up and make him feel better when he bumps his head. I get to giggle with him when he thinks someone/thing is oh so funny. I get to watch him try and try until he finally figures it out and flashes the biggest "I am so proud smile". I am gifted the hours to bathe him, feed him, and sing to him. I am able to tuck him in at night and snuggle him first thing in the morning (okay, well Daddy usually steals most of  those snuggles, but I get to watch). I am his mother. How lucky am I?!?!

The days are long. The sticky food he manages to place in my "newly washed and just fixed' hair is annoying. My interrupted sleep patterns and occasional 5am wake up calls are frustrating. The tiny human that cries for attention or needs food 30 seconds before it is humanly possible to get it to him is trying on one's emotions. The constant being needed is sometimes too much. But Heavens to Betsy is it worth it!

I'm coming up on my first Mother's Day this weekend. My little man has just started walking. He's going to be an entire year old in less than two months and holy bajeeze is it making me emotional! I'm overjoyed with happiness. My heart is so full of love for this little guy I can physically FEEL the emotion.  Not to mention, the joy and happiness it has brought to my marriage and the constant reminder that I am so beyond blessed with a great family and loving husband. It's all just too much. 

So, for anyone out there who is reading this ... I want to share my love with you. And want you to hug everyone you know and especially your babies a little tighter this week. These days are long, but the years are short (I'm learning that a little too fast these days). No matter what stage of life you're going through... traveling the world with your buddies while studying abroad (my baby bro), right out of college or still going through it, mid-twenty something career gal moving up the corporate ladder (several of my gal pals), SAHM who barely has time to shower (ahem ... hello MaK and Katie Bugg), grandmama's who love everything about their stage of life (aside from their knees), etc...savor it! We will never get it back and one day we'll wish we could snap our fingers and go back to that place. But we're here, now.  So I'm gonna snuggle my little man and my hubs a little tighter this weekend and thank my lucky stars for all I have. And hug your momma's a little tighter too, I promise they love you to the moon and back.

Happy Mother's Day Weekend my friends!

Needed this today.

It's happened. I truly am Penny's daughter and now cry at everything. My friends would argue this happened a LONG time ago, but I'm just now succumbing to the realization. Whew, I needed this today, a reminder that I'm doing okay :) And so are you other new mommies, so are YOU!

Not only is this video one of the greatest things, but an awesome read about new mothers and friendship passed on to me from my girl Caroline has me in a great place. Sometimes other people have such a great way of bringing perspective to concepts you can't quite put into words. It's nice to know other people are going through similar circumstances sometimes too.  Has a way of giving you that extra little bit of mmpph you need to get your through your day!  Have a good one folks! 

Happy Mommy's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day out there to all of you wonderful ladies who make the world go round.  Relax and enjoy today and giggle at how many professions you have:

• A chauffeur
• A chef
• A house manager
• A nurse
• A counselor
• A coach
• A teacher

Just to name a few :) ... who knew you were so well versed!

And a special shout out to my leading lady: 

Penny Marie!  

The best momma a gal could ask for.  She's got a smile brighter than the sun, a laugh that is so contagious even a gas mask couldn't keep you from catching it, and an outlook on life that makes Joe Boxer's smiley face look sad.  

 I love you mom, with my whole heart, forever and always!