A little rest...

The 5 month gap in posts probably says enough but just wanted to pop in and let you know that 1) we're alive and well, and Emerson is the sweetest thing ever in the world. :) And 2) I'm taking a brief pause in blogging for a bit to soak up these little ones while they're still little. Before I know it they won't want to snuggle or read stories, and I know that day will sneak up on me quicker than I can imagine.

So our plans for the next couple months include playtime, moving into our new house, learning how to cook, kids on laps, a limited number of sessions, traveling to see family, Aggie football games, and lots and lots of snuggles.

See you in a bit. xxoo

Brody Nook Makeover

So there's this little corner in our kitchen area that is the perfect size/location for a Brody coloring, playdough, snack time nook. I go to thrift stores every couple of weeks just to see if anything speaks to me, and on one lucky trip I got everything I needed for the Brody nook. For under 50 bucks!

Here's the breakdown:

Mini pedestal table: $20
Two brown mystery material stools: $16 for the pair
Hideous framed print: $10
Grand total: $46

I was really excited to find the pedestal table since it is solid wood and looks classic and sturdy. The other two finds definitely got some raised eyebrows from Jared's direction. (which always makes me more excited to show him the finished product)

So I sanded and painted the table and frame Benjamin Moore's Decorator White, took the glass and print out of the frame and tossed them, painted the wooden backing of the frame with chalkboard paint, and made slipcovers for the little stools. Super easy and super durable space that we use every day. Most of the time he sits there to eat lunch and snack, it's a perfect kids table when we have friends over, and all of his crayons/papers/etc. are corralled above on two Ikea shelves.

I've since made new slipcovers for the stools and love that when I get sick of them too I can just slap on some new ones!

Quick update - finding balance and joy

So here's what happening in our life these days:

- Jared's birthday today (Happy Birthday Love, I am the luckiest ever)

- 36 weeks pregnant (and so ready to be done)

- Two campaign style dressers from Craigslist in the garage to be painted before Emerson arrives

- Brody spelling his name and counting to ten, melts my heart

- Discovering an extreme love for my new food processor

- Perpetually trying to be present and find balance

The last one is partially why I have been so absent on the blog as of late. I came to a point a couple of months ago where everything I felt obligated to do became a massive pile of dread, an endless checklist. I felt absolutely exhausted all the time. Cranky. Behind, behind, behind. It wasn't fun for anyone.

Lucky for me I'm married to the person who knows me best in this world, he knows how I think, how I stress, and how I can be my own worst enemy most of the time. He helped me to step back and take the pressure off of myself and for that I am so so grateful. There are so many things I love to do, that bring me joy by doing them. But trying to do ALL of those things ALL the time actually defeats the purpose. What I didn't realize is that even if I don't do something that I love as much as I want to (like blog) it doesn't go away, it will wait for me. So thanks for waiting.

I've learned to let go of the choke hold I thought I had to keep on finding joy, and let it come. And what's amazing is that it does. Not 100% of the time, or even 50% of the time (hello dishes, laundry, chasing a 2yr old tornado of stickiness). But it comes, and now that I'm not checklist-ing it to death I can actually recognize it and soak it up and save it.

Yesterday I laid Brody down in his big boy bed, he was already conked out for his nap. His room was clean (amazing and rare), the light was perfect coming through the drapes, and he was asleep and perfect with his little bo-bo bunny under his arm. My first thought - grab my camera, you'll forget this, he'll grow up so fast, his room will never be this clean again. I didn't get my camera. I laid down next to him and twirled his wispy blonde curls in my fingers. I kissed his forehead and smelled his hair. I breathed him in. I love you. I love you. I love you.

I woke up 2 hours later to him tapping my face "Mommy? Mommy! Hi mommy." So there aren't any pictures of his sweet curls or perfect light or clean room from yesterday but yesterday was just what I needed. Finding a balance between wanting document/create/learn/share and needing to feel/grow/give/love is tricky for me. And I know it's all about to change again when Emerson arrives. But I know that releasing yourself from the constant pressure is the first step. And that everything can, and will, wait. What shouldn't wait is your joy, your family's happiness, your memories. And searching for those moments in the chaos of normal life.

Phew, me and my hormones will shut up now. :)

Hello? Is this thing on?

Dear blog, sorry to leave you in the lurch the past two months. It wasn't you, it was me. Well, actually the two year old monster who lives in my house has been holding me hostage and has only released me on conditions of limitless Shrek watching and a finished big boy room.

I know we're all busy so I'll cut the "I've been so busy" crap, we all can relate right!? But we have experienced a few milestones the past few months that I am so excited (and/or relieved) about! Namely potty training, moving Brody to a big boy bed, saying goodbye to his "B" (pacifier), Jared's second office location opening, surviving swine flu and RSV, and counting down to little Emerson's arrival in March! Needless to say I am humongous, 7-1/2 months pregnant is not my favorite. And I'm afraid that it just gets worse from here. I've decided to parade my large-ness abroad and take a last minute trip to London with Jared in a couple of weeks. Yes, I'm crazy. But I wasn't going to let being 32 weeks pregnant keep Jared from seeing London for the first time! It's going to be so much fun, I can't wait!

I'll try to put up some pictures of Brody's new big boy room soon - lots of DIY projects, some unfinished, all in the pursuit of a not-so-kitchy but not too plain room for a little boy who eats, breaths, and lives everything sports. TRUST ME - I was dreading it like the plague. You'd have to hold me at knife point to get me to buy a matching sports themed bed set, which turns out was EXACTLY what Jared has envisioned/hoped for since we found out we were having a boy. Helllllooooo compromise! So details on that fun adventure coming soon...

I hate posts without a picture, so here is a picture of His Evilness. Not looking so evil in this one, actually pretty freaking cute if you ask me. He's got his act down, fooling us all. :)

Where did this big boy come from!?

These are from his first day of preschool. :) He goes two days a week, for two hours a day, and has a little backpack and everything! I can't stand the cuteness, it's just too much. He even says "pre-cool". I can't take it. It's like all of a sudden he's this little boy who's all grown up!

The month before preschool was a whirlwind of potty training (yes, it's early. yes, I'm an idiot), hand foot and mouth disease (hideous and awful), Brody's 2nd birthday, holiday and newborn sessions, and a trip to Utah to shoot a wedding and visit family. I feel like we got a jump start on the holiday mayhem!

But the great thing is that he's completely potty trained, loves preschool, and can't wait to see Grandma and Grandpa J in California over Thanksgiving. (Is it just me or did Thanksgiving totally sneak up on us this year?)

But preschool is really making me realize that time seems to be going by so much faster. Which I'm really banking on getting me through the sleepless nights this new baby is going to bring with her. Oh the joy. But it also motivates me to consciously slow down. Things aren't going to magically get less crazy or less busy, I'm pretty sure those things are just going to escalate at a faster rate. But if we can be happy crazy and happy busy I'm going to count that as a win. :)

So on days like today - with dishes piled in the sink, a to-do list a mile long, and a mangled peanut butter and jelly sandwich sitting next to my keyboard (thank you Brody) - I have a preschooler. Who poops in the potty. Life is good.

Bumeee!!

That's how Brody says "jumping", but it's more like Bumeee, BUmeee, BUMMEEEEEEEEE MOMMY! I'm kind of glad the guest room is pretty much an unfinished box with a bed in it right now, it's the perfect place to bumeee.

I can't decide whether he looks more like Dennis the Menace or Draco Malfoy.


At least this keeps him busy for at least 5 minutes. At what age does "high energy" become "needs medication"?? Haha, just kidding. Sort of.

But really he's getting to that really fun age where he kind of listens to what I say or ask and answers back. He's my little buddy. He LOVES turning on music in the kitchen and having dance offs. His two favorite songs right now are Baby by Justin Bieber and Black Horse and a Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall. He sings along to both of them and it's to die for cute. We have a few of his funnier ones on You Tube, you can check them out --> here.

We find out what baby #2 is in two weeks, let's all hope for a calm, sweet little girl. Mmmmm K? Actually another little boy would be fun, Brody could have a partner in crime. So it will be good either way. My sister, Kellye, is due three weeks after me and they are having a girl!! (Their doctor does a Jack and Jill blood test and mine doesn't, boo) So either way we will have a little girl to play dress up with. :)

For now, I'll be running after this little maniac. Well, I guess he is kinda cute.

Vintage trunk love

I found this aviator trunk from World War II at a flea market a couple months ago (it had pieces of the original shipping label still on it, so cool!). FOR $40!!! Flea markets usually bring out a fierce bargaining gene in me (from my mother's side) but I practically threw two twenties at the guy and carried this thing on my back the rest of the day. Well, not all day. And not on my back (thanks to my sister Kellye), but if I had to I totally would have!

Now what to do with it? Polish it up and stare at it's beautifulness was first on the list. I stared for a long time. What do you want to be lovely trunk? Then it spoke to me - I want to be an awesome console table with storage underneath to hide your husband's ridiculous array of playstation materials. I knew I loved you, trunk.

The problem was the size - not tall enough to be a table on it's own, but too tall to sit on top of any normal table. So I decided to take matters into my own I've-never-built-anything-ever hands, smiled really nicely at the Home Depot lumber guys, and attempted to just make a table that wasn't hideous. Oh boy.



And you know, it worked! Although a tad hideous, for my first venture into building stuff I'm just glad it's sturdy and level. :)



It seemed a little plain so I slapped some corner braces on the outside of a few slats to make a little lip at the top for the trunk to sit inside.



Much betta!




And the final before and after:




I was so in love with this trunk and I'm so excited that it's now actually a functional piece of furniture. I think Jared was pleasantly surprised too, could I be winning him over!? Possibly so...

Moral of the story - if you can't find it, make it. Even if the end product is more on the slightly hideous side than you planned. If I can do it, I PROMISE, you can do it too. Home Depot is your friend. :)

They say we all have a twin...

When I got an email last fall about scheduling a family session and the "From" line said Tyan I definitely did a double take. Did I send myself an email? I've never met someone with the same name, let alone same spelling! It was so much fun finding out that we have so much more in common than just our name. We both graduated from A&M the same year, we got married within three months of each other, and we had our boys three months apart. Crazy!!!

So this is Tyan, her Yell Leader husband John (Aggies out there know how cool that is), and their adorable son Jack.

We had so much fun. They are the cutest, most gorgeous family. I love them.



Big squeeeeeze!!!!



Oh I love, love, LOVE, this one. Nothing like a beautiful mom and her sweet baby.



And a few more at the tail end of a Texas sunset.


Isn't she gorgeous?

I got to see them again about a month ago. Here's a peek at that session.



She's due three months before me. And she's having a girl. :)

Pregnancy Envy

Pregnancy does not look good on me. I'm not one of those people who glow or seem more at peace while pregnant. I'm not a fan. Especially during the first trimester. My skin is breaking out, my digestive system is rebelling against me in every way possible, if I could forever surrender my sense of smell I would, and I'm ready for bed by 6pm pretty much every day. This is me whining.

But the good thing is that I'm blessed with examples of perfect pregnancies and parenting all around me. Maybe there's hope.

Exhibit A: my sister Melissa.

Tall. Beautiful. Did pilates multiple times a week throughout her entire pregnancy. Her labor was maybe, mmmmm,  6 hours start to finish? We call her Mrs. Duggar because apparently her body was made for this.  If only I could hire her as a surrogate. That might be weird.


Exhibit B: my sister Kellye.


Also tall, gorgeous, very zen. Very at one with her pregnancy, and not sick one day. She definitely has the glow for sure. She's such a good mom and always so calm. If she wanted to raise kids professionally she totally could. I would hire her, she would be hired.


And Exhibit C: my sister Paige.



Not pregnant, but tiny and so pretty. She's pretty much a miniature person. And I'm sure she'll be a miniature pregnant person (which are the worst kind). Her jeans will fit until she's 8 months, I'm sure of it. She's moving to London next week so I'm going to live the jet setting, skinny jean & scarf wearing life vicariously through her.

Having sisters who are pretty much perfection is a blessing and a curse I think. It gives me hope that maybe, if I ever get pregnant again (I will need a serious pep talk), just maybe I won't want to die. Or I won't look like I want to die. I'll take one out of two!

Okay, I'm done whining now. :)

When the house gets quiet...

things like this happen! By the time I found him he had scooped out almost all of the Vaseline and was rubbing it in his hair and all over his face. And thought is was HILARIOUS.




As soon as I saw him I knew I had a choice - go into immediate cleanup mode or grab my camera. Needless to say I chose to cleanup later, it was funny until he started chasing me around the room with his slimy self.




And then it started to coat his eyeballs...





So it was bath time. Have you ever tried to wash Vaseline clumps out of hair!? IMPOSSIBLE! Dish soap, peanut butter, and two beaten eggs later (the eggs worked the best) he was a little less slimy. I think it took a week before it was all out.





He keeps me on my toes, that's for sure. And it's really going to get busy this spring when he's not the only child anymore. Yep, Brody will be a big brother in late March/early April! We're super excited, and I'm sure Brody will be happy to recruit a partner in crime. I have a feeling the shenanigans have just begun. :)