Nursery Progress

When I did my post about our house before, I neglected to add this picture of the nursery before. This was their gun safe/office when we first viewed the house. It was such a sweet little nook and I had the biggest ideas for a play room for Eisley. It was out of pure and fortunate laziness that the playroom never came to be, because I found out about Everett only months after moving in.
The space lacks...space which has made for a challenge of creating a functional and cute nursery for the little guy. He will not sleep in there full-time for a little while longer but I am so loving the direction the nursery is going.

Here is the room before.

Here is our current after. The room is barely going to be big enough to hold the chair and crib but I am determined to make it all fit. Jordan built the wood wall and hanging light. It looks so cool on, but we did not have a bulb in it yet when I took the picture. As I mentioned before our entire house is white tile and I knew this room needed the warmth of the layered rugs.

Most likely the chair will go in this corner and the crib will go on the wood wall. We removed the larger florescent light and replaced it with a bubble light. It is a less abrasive option that still gives off plenty of light.

Jordan and I played with lots of ideas on the mobile. I knew I wanted color and something different. I had a few ideas from pinterest and then we just went with it and made this fun one with an embroidery hoop. Don't pay too close attention to the paint at the top! We are throwing around the idea of doing some crown molding.

This tiny shelf is under constant renovation. At this moment it has way too many objects and I need to take the time to organize it.

The bedding came in about a month ago and we have the crib moved in there. However, we still need to take the time to put together the finishing touches. Finding the time is the hardest part! I am anxious to get finished, so hopefully sooner than later I will have a completed nursery for our boy!

Everett Cortez

Our Everett Cortez was born July 30, 2015 at 2:00 PM. He was and still is perfect. We love you little bear and our hearts are full for you.

My Happy Place. Vol. 3

Short and sweet without getting super mushy...but these last few days of having my babes be this way will always be a treasured happy place.

Most nights, once her milk is empty, E will crawl on my lap and ask for the "Baby" and poke at my large belly. But the nights when she uses it as a giant pillow are my favorite and the ones that I will hold in my heart.



To my first.

With my due date quickly approaching I have been getting overly sentimental about my time with just one baby coming to a close. There have been countless moments where I will just look at her or watch her play with Jordan and think....it will never be just the 3 of us again. And then I get weepy. Even though we are over the moon to meet our little man there is something so bitter and sweet and beautiful about this time. These last few days.  

This child is such a ball of love and energy. She drives me crazy and melts my heart in the same moment. Life has not been the same, in the very best way, since she was born. I love her with all that I am and forever and always.

She will always be my first and that is more of a blessing than I could ever ask for.

We love you, Eisley Ry, and we cannot wait to see you as a big sister. It makes me more and more ready to have baby brother here.

Our summer and spring mantel.

The moment that this house became ours my mind went wild with ideas. Flooring! Counter tops! Open shelving! Fireplace update! Then we started pricing things and decided to slow down and make easy changes first. The first was painting the walls (All of them. Seriously, Jordan was such a champ) and the brown mantel on the fireplace. With the floors being white and the likely hood of that changing while we live here is slim, we opted to not paint the brick. After the first coat on the mantel, I knew that was a good call and the red started to grow on me.
Before truly was not all that terrible but nothing about it was my taste and I felt like the mantel disappeared into that red brick. We sanded it down and painted it white. After about 3 or 4 coats it was what I had in mind and popped off the brick.
As for decorating, I have always had a love hate relationship with mantels. I love what other people do and I hate what I come up with, which means that it is in a constant state of change. Back in January I threw together a few white things and did not touch it for months. Eventually it grew into what we have currently and I really love it. Now for some low quality iphone pictures!

Here is our mantel before. Again, quality is terrible.

Here is the official before and after. Brighter, cleaner, and some dimension.



After a few coats of paint and some additions I am so happy with how it is looking.

One of the best parts about this vignette is that it holds some of my most favorite items. The cardboard moose head from my brother-in-law (that has lasted 2 moves and we have only had to do minor surgery to keep it together). The picture from my darling friend Lauren's wedding, a faux fashion sketch that I scored at a thrift store in Lubbock, my grandpa's book, and the world's most amazing candle. (AKA: The scent of Anthropologie)

There is a tiny mirror behind the plants (which is reflecting a horrifying image that is actually our giant painting across the living room) that I am still deciding if I want to paint the frame or not. It gets lost behind there but I am somewhat OK with that. We shall see.

At some point I would like to paint the inside of the fireplace to cover the burn marks, but for now, it is toddler friendly-ish and I am obsessed with the white plus touches of blue and green.
As the seasons change I am anticipating adding pops of fall and winter, but for now it feels fresh and clean.

Our fourth of July

This year we had a very productive Fourth of July/weekend. On Friday we had some quick family pictures done, worked on the nursery (getting super excited), and finished up with some baseball. Technically, we just ate at the game because E was done with the day by the beginning of the first inning but I am going to count it as "Watched Baseball on the 4th" anyway.
Saturday morning Eisley and I went and cheered on my sweet momma as she completed her first 10k! I was so proud of her!

She did awesome and then wanted pancakes...the reasons why I love this lady are far too many to count. Later, after a much needed nap for Eisley and I, we went swimming and then made our way to the Firework and Food Truck Celebration. That is not the official title but it should be. We did not make it to the fireworks but I DID get chicken and waffles so I am counting it as a win.

We had not planned to stay for the show, which meant no chairs or blanket so we took turns following Eisley around. The cover band that night was pretty good and my girl loves Prince as much as we do. Rightfully so.

We ended the night with listening to the fireworks at home and Jordan making a late night sushi/Swiss Cake Roll run to the store. His idea of a roll and my idea of a roll. I am most pleased with the fact that we managed this family picture and that we look truly festive. Happiest Birthday, America! Give me a reason to coordinate Red, White, and Blue with my family and I will take it!

Little bits of home.

When we decided to look for houses we had three real options to pick from. The two that we turned down were great in their own right but were just houses with potential. I knew that the house we put an offer on was the right one when the thought of it going away made me really sad even though it was not at all what I had in mind. It was only 2 bedrooms, all WHITE tile, and basically the exact same thing we had just been renting in Lubbock. But I guess it was meant to be after all because we went with it and did not regret our decision at all. (Well, that was in October and we found out about baby #2 in December so there was a little regret at that time. But, more on making that work to come.)
I am an HGTV addict and would love to do tons of work on our home...Jordan tolerates HGTV and is a  realist. This fact has helped keep me grounded on projects that can truly be done on our home. With it only being 2 bedrooms my mind has been put at ease that it does not have to be my "Forever Dream Home" but perfect for where we are right now. And that is such a comforting feeling. I have been terrible about taking pictures of the progress that we have made since we moved in, but here are some pictures of our place before.

Welcome to the front! This is the only picture that I have of our house before we moved in and I wish that I had taken more.

The quality of the photos are not the best but they still give an general idea of what is going on. But see what I mean?! White tile for days...and green walls.

This is the master closet. It is huge and has become our multi-purpose closet. So far it has served as closet, office, make-shift nursery, and occasional workout room. The lone air vent makes it the perfect temp at all times.

Master bedroom. I cannot even deal with the wall color. It makes me think of silly putty once it has been played with too long. This room is much larger than it appears...both a blessing and a curse/laundry trap.

Dining area. That green though.

I love our kitchen and it is easily the most used area of the house. It is bigger than any other one that we have had since married and SO much storage space.

Guest Bath.

Second bedroom. This room is currently transitioning from the nursery to Eisley's "Big Girl" room. My emotions are also transitioning from Normal to Emotional Mommy along with it.

View #2 with a tiny look at the extra nook in the back of her room. It is precious and will soon be the new nursery. I have the words "Tiny Nursery" on repeat on my Pinterest search bar.

Overall it was pretty much move in ready just needed some paint and love. Which we did, right away. Gallons and gallons of paint. :)

Happy Place. Vol. 2

The mountains have always held a special place in my heart. I remember family vacations to New Mexico being some of my most favorite memories growing up. They give me peace of mind and the fresh air brings a sense of calm to my chaos. They are a Happy Place for Jordan and I both. We took Eisley on a tiny family vacation to Ruidoso a couple of weeks ago and it is safe to say she was a fan as well.

At the hotel. These two are in a constant state of turning my heart to mush.




Drove up the mountain to take a scenic family picture and this was the best we could get. Just imagine mountains and trees and beauty. Although, that nap was something of beauty for Jordan and I.



First day on this trail she stayed on the path. Day two she was a wild woman and needed to be amongst the foliage.



Bump, Baby, and the ultimate pregnant stance.





We ate breakfast at this place both mornings we were there. Ever so often my pregnant brain will think lovingly about the chocolate chip waffles with fresh strawberries. For example, right now. Take me back and buy me brunch.

Currently.

I love when bloggers post about items that they are currently using. It is a great way to learn about new, fun, or just really pretty things. For me, I have been trying very hard to focus on the baby and keep my spending at a minimum but there is always a little wiggle room for some momma spoiling...especially getting so close to the due date. Here are a few of my current favorite things:

Blue Emu. A few weeks ago my mother-in-law told us about this scent free (!!!) muscle rub when Jordan pulled something in his neck. I have been using it on my lower back and hips before going to bed and it makes the biggest difference on this prego bod. I love that it does not have a smell and that a little bit goes a long way. Walgreens, you know what is up.

Sanctuary Spa Mum to Be Body Butter. I am not sure why I did not think of using this on more than just my belly until the other day but it is fantastic. So creamy, has a light baby scent, and my skin feels smooth all day. My belly is a fan and so are my arms and legs. I found mine at Motherhood Maternity.

Happiest Baby on the Block. To be fair, this is not my book. I actually borrowed it from a friend, lost it in our move, and then found it again. I just picked it up again last night and have really enjoyed the perspective. Plus I owe that friend a HUGE belated Thank You for letting me borrow her books...for well over a year.

Mama Bird shirt. One of the my biggest shopping weaknesses is a soft lightly fitted t-shirt. The number of soft grey graphic tees I have is just embarrassing. Jordan got me this one for Easter and I am over the moon. Way comfortable and with the sweetest little meaning.

Two other favorite things that are not pictured would be short hair and long showers. Life savers.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately

When I was about to start 7th grade, my first year in Jr. High, I met a quiet girl with shoes that looked like water. Literally, they were those Nike slip-ons that looked like water... I thought they were some of the coolest shoes a kid could have. Unfortunaly, I barely remembered the girl in the shoes.
When the first day of school came around, the girl in the "Water Shoes" was new and did not know very many people. She was assigned a buddy to show her around..that buddy was my best friend at the time. Lunch came, this part I don't even remember which is terrible, and we were supposed to show the new girl where the cafetreia was located. As we all went to the bathroom together, we left her in there by herself, not knowing where the cafeteria was or any clue of how to get there.
I continued to see the girl at school and youth group, never talking to her but for the occasional mention of her "water shoes." What a giver I was...talking to this girl that was incredibly quiet and needed my approval of her choice of shoes. Clearly, she need my praise to make her day brighter. Safe to say, I was an ass.
Eventually, she moved away. Where she went I was not sure but I did not see her for years.
---
My freshman year of college our dorm rooms ended up being diagonal from each other. We talked about how I liked her shoes back then and how we had net seen one another in years. I learned more and more about this girl and quickly grew to where I could not imagine my days without her. She was caring, sweet, loving, passionate, and so beautifully artistic. She was also the first person I watched get a tattoo, and she took it like a champ.
When she told me about that day I left her in the bathroom, I had no recolection that it had happened. I think we laughed about it at the time, but now it makes my heart hurt so badly to think of how shallow I had been.
That girl, became and still is one of my dearest friends. We lived together, she was a bridesmaid in my wedding, and I in hers...but most beautifully of all my little girl was born on her birthday.

I am counting down the days to when I get to visit her in a couple weeks and (Insert pregnant girl excited dance. Super attractive) think about how amazingly things work out and the people God puts in your life. I am thankful that I got another chance to be friends with that girl. I have been better for it.

Early To Rise

(Photo via Pinterest)

I am not a morning person. At all. Always sleeping in and consistently late to everything. My husband calls me a "time optimist." I vastly underestimate how long it takes for all three of us to get ready and walk out the door. It is always about 15 minutes longer than I give it time for and then we are late again. Granted, there are some mornings when this cannot be helped...but every morning is just frustrating.

When I was in college, I worked as a barista at a local coffee shop. The morning shift hurt my sleepy bones. College life + early mornings do not mix. My alarm would sound at 5:15 AM and those shop doors would open at 6:30 AM sharp. When I look back on those mornings there was peace in the stillness of the dark skies, empty roads, and blinking street lights. The potential smell of coffee and fresh baked pastries would be my motivation to get going. I loved the morning crowd and their optimism for what the day would bring. Once the rush hit I was awake and in the zone, no longer thinking about sleep but how many pumps to put in this drink or if they wanted whip or decaf.

As an "adult person" my mornings have been lost to chaos and rushing. Today I found an article called "How To Trick Yourself Into Being A Morning Person" (not sure why this link is not working) and it was exactly what I needed to hear. There are eight tips given to reclaim your morning...but what stood out to me most was the idea of needing to "Proactively decide to enjoy your mornings." Romanticize them or make them a special moment for yourself. Find what pushes you to get out of bed and begin the day. Going back to that drive to the coffee shop with anticipation for the smells and morning conversation.

I have created a list of what would be my ideal morning would hold and want to strive towards accomplishing on week days:

• Stretching
• Quiet time with breakfast & coffee
• Shower and get ready while not feeling rushed
• Have all keys and bags at the backdoor before Eisley wakes up 

The list is short, which makes it a good start for me. I am ready for you morning. Maybe. :)

Happy Place. Vol.1

As I have gotten older I find myself thinking about the places in life where I am truly happy. Some of these places change, are a only for a short time, or happen daily. It is so obvious when a situation morphs into a happy place and you just get this feeling of, "Yes! This is so good right now and nothing change for at least 15 minutes." And that is such a refreshing feeling.

When my daughter was born, nursing was quite a struggle. Supply and demand /learning to eat was quite a challenge. But when she would have a good latch and eat until her head just dropped, that was my happy place. I remember holding her, with milk running down her mouth, and her tiny body being nothing but sweet-snoozing dead weight. (Insert mom tears here) It was beautiful and rewarding. Happiest Place for a new and tired momma.

Now she is almost 14 months old and takes her milk in a sippy cup. I no longer hold her like a football and get to feel conected to her breath and relaxing...but there are some nights when she is so tired that she still falls asleep in my arms. I can feel her nod off and get heavier on my side. Her little hands do not reach out for the book pages and I know that she is out. My girl, in my arms before bedtime, is my Happy Place.

At the Carnival

Coming back to town the other weekend, we passed by a carnival. I love a good corn dog and fried Oreo so I loaded up my family and we went to the smallest "pop-up" carnival I have ever seen.
Though it was not the most thrilling event on Earth, it still offered everything that I needed after a weekend away from my husband...just the 3 of us time. And a corn dog, fried Oreo, and lemonade.
Eisley has never experience anything like this before and could not get over the lights and sounds. She pointed at things as quickly as she could and we told her what they were. Seeing things through her eyes has been such a fun part of motherhood.

This is a small moment but I wanted to write it down and remember her being small and intrigued by all that she sees.

Wednesday

{One of my favorite pictures from this summer. My man and my little one.} 

 

There are some days when it is really difficult to be positive.

I have been thinking a lot about how I look in my daughter’s eyes. She is still so small but has begun to really develop her 13 month old personality and push boundaries. And then I think, how am I acting when I am around her? I will be the first to admit that I am not always as kind hearted as I should be…both about others and myself. Perfection is not what I am striving for but rather positivity in all situations. Not a cheap and fake positivity, but genuine heartfelt positivity.

Part of having kids is that you have to reevaluate yourself on a daily basis. And it is exhausting. But even for those who do not have kids, there is always something in your life that does this and it is equally as tiring.

Yesterday was not my friend. At 17 weeks pregnant I am over this Texas cold, can no longer easily fit in my normal clothes, got told I looked tired, and was getting fat. Safe to say, I was ready to take my fat-tired-freezing self to a place that was warm and not talk to a single person. Instead I picked up my baby and I had dinner with my husband. I was still feeling sorry for myself, but just sticking with my routine instead of pouting in the corner was really what I needed. No, I was not super chipper and over the top but I was genuine and found the positive in that moment. Tiny hugs, little baby hands, a sweet husband that does dishes, ice cream, and finally silence.

There will always be days when it when it is really difficult to be positive. Crap, there will weeks and months. But in those times I must work to find the positive, the genuine in the day. Not just for what my daughter will see as she grows, but for myself.

Finding contentment and leaving fear.

I have blogged once before but have not touched it in well over a year. It was no longer fun or fulfilling...more of a chore than anything. I also began to feel huge amounts of pressure to try and live this "Blog Life" that would be more interesting to write about or photograph. This pressure was brought on by myself, and no one else. Which is worse, in my opinion.

Fast forward to now and I still feel the weight of proper grammar, witty lines, beautifully filtered photos of my day, and the potential of eyes reading my words. And yet this fear will not keep me from sharing and thinking out loud. Even if it is not the most interesting part of another person's day...it will matter to me. And I think that is what is most important. Right?

These feelings go hand-in-hand with why I have decided to focus so much on the word "content." We have lived in 6 places in 4 years. Moving and change have become a need. We have not felt "settled in" since we first got married and have done our very best to knock ourselves down for leaving. But we DID leave, and then we left 4 more times after that, and still searching for what "home" is. Searching for what the difference between "content" verses "settling" would be.

We have had the most feelings of home that we have had in 4 years, here in this place where we are right now. The truth is that there will always be a better town, job, opportunity, or house. However, as we grow in our marriage, faith, and more in love with our tiny family we are learning that it is not about where it is happening but with whom.

So, thank you in advance for reading. And thank you for just going with me on some things. It is nice to have a place to think out loud again.