Monday, February 27, 2012

Heritage Project


“Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations” (UNESCO)
I'm starting a project that might take me some time, but I'm very excited about.  I've already shared with y'all how much I love doing photo books.  Well, I want to create a photo book for Bella and Lucy that is all about their heritage and family, past and present.  I love hearing stories that my Mammaw and Papaw have told me and imagine what life must've been like then when they were raising their children. I want those stories to be written down and passed along.  Not forgotten.  I've compiled a list of 35 questions that I'm hoping to have answered by us, their grandparents, and great-grand parents.  I've got a little collection of old photos that I plan on adding to the book as well (if I can ever figure out how to scan the pictures to my computer).  I can't wait to hear the answers and stories that I collect.  I think this will be fun and very special.  

This a photo that I have in our office of my parent's wedding day with Mammaw and Papaw (daddy's parents).  I love it because my mama was a beautiful bride and you can feel everyone's happiness.

Sorry about the poor quality. It's a cell phone picture of an old picture.



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Thursday, February 23, 2012

Rylee's 2nd night {under} her big girl bed

My niece, Rylee has been in her big girl bed a couple of weeks now.  She's doing good.  Lindsay sent this picture to me one morning.  It was the morning after her 2nd night in her big girl bed...
I think she slept actually IN the bed and after she woke up she went exploring.   I know this is a short, but sweet one...it is just too cute not to share!


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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Check 'em out

I've found some new reads.  I'll read some of my favorite blogs that refer to another blog and my favorite blog list begins to grow.  Check 'em out:

Lindsay at The Cottage Home has tons of adorable ideas.

Ashley over at Lil Blue Boo is a young mother/DIYer/designer who was diagnosed with Choriocarcinoma 5 months ago.  Her attitude is inspiring, I keep up with her cancer chronicles.

Mama Laughlin keeps me doing just that...laughing when I read her posts.  She lost 60 pounds after having her 1st baby and had her 2nd baby just 7 days after I had Lucy.  And you bet, she's on a weight loss mission yet again.  She's so inspiring...I've even ordered the 30 Day Shred since I've been reading her blog.

Now...Check these cuties out... 
Lucy taking a quick snooze in her big sister's bed.

Bella happy to be have a sucker.

Oh, those pretty eyes!

She wants to laugh out loud so bad!

Mimi & Lucy

Bella with her "Fun bag" when I had to take them to get our taxes done.  Thankfully it entertained her long enough to make it through our appointment.  


I just stare at her sleeping.  One word comes to mind...peaceful.


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Monday, February 20, 2012

A 2 year old's language

Bella has some of the cutest words.  She's 2 years & 2 months.  Here's the other language in our household...

Hurse is her pretty pink purse that she loves carrying around.

Hicky Mouse is by far her very favorite show.

We eat grice pretty regularly around here, usually wild or yellow.

She loves eating skettios.  She'll wake up at 6:30 am, asking to eat a bowl!

"That's mines!"

With her arms stretched up to me in her whiniest voice, "Hold you, Mommy, PEAS!"

"By day"...Right there.

I'm often asked to "Fic it, Mom"

I would prefer her to call me Mommy or Mama.  Mom just sounds like she's so old.  We always said Mama, so when Bella calls me Mom...it just sounds off a little.  I try to convince her to say Mama or Mommy;  it ends up being "Mom...............................me".



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Sunday, February 19, 2012

New Project.

I'm really not that much of a do-it-yourselfer.  I do small simple crafts/projects.  Well after this one, I might be a professional because I had to purchase a staple gun!  That's right a real..handy man's staple gun from the Home Depot!  I guess I must admit that my daddy did have to come over to show me how to load it...but after that bad boy was loaded, I went to town on my valence!

My wonderful, oh-so-talented-with-wood, father-in-law, (aka Papa) built me this box for a valence that I wanted to put in Lucy's room.  We already had black out curtains hanging, but I wanted a valence to block out the light that flood into the room on the top.  So my solution was an adorable upholstered valence.  I got this fabric from a local, tiny shop called Sew Close to Home.  A wonderfully sweet lady owns it.  I can't help, but giving my money to her when I can, opposed to the big stores.

 These pictures are a little deceiving because the valence does come down to the molding when looking straight on at a normal adult height.  I was sitting in the one below.
I love the way it turned out!!  A huge THANKS to Papa for building the box, Pops for coming over to show me how to load my staple gun and Jacob for hanging it for me!

Here is before pictures.

Here are a few small changes that I made in Bella's room:


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Saturday, February 18, 2012

Furniture date with my hubby!

Jacob and I spent most of this rainy day on the hunt for our future leather sectional.  We went to 5 stores.  One was closed (lights off, no one there) but the front door was open!  I tried to shop anyway...felt like I was breaking the law, so we left. On our 2nd stop, I found the perfect one...and it's more than what we wanted to spend.  I thought I wanted a sectional with a chaise lounge on one end.  However, once we got in the stores looking and seating on them, I quickly learned that we preferred the sectionals with the recliners.  They were much more comfortable and not so "boxy".  Our living room isn't huge, so I thought not having the chaise taking up floor space might be best.  We knew we didn't want brown because we have BROWN hardwood floors and a BROWN entrainment center and BROWN paint on the walls with a BROWN fireplace.  So we decided not avoid another BROWN element in the room, but I don't want to be tied to a color.  I fell in love with the oatmeal/taupe color in our favorite one:
There are 4 recliners.  The 2 next to the cup-holders are also ROCKERS!! I can rock my babies!  The leather is SO SOFT.  We just melted in the seats.  

Jacob drove us today and I was in total shock when he pulled into the mall.  We haven't been to the mall in probably 3 years.  I avoid it if I can. I was in even more shock when he told me he wanted to look for the same shoes that he owned when he was in middle school!!!  Ken Griffey Jr shoes.  I'm still wondering if he's being for real.  But for him to walk one end of the mall to the other looking for shoe stores...I think he's serious.  Since our visits to the mall are so rare, I thought that we should take a picture.  He, of course, thought that I was crazy and refused to take a picture with me.
Overall, I am disappointed that we didn't get the sectional that I fell in love with, but we decided to do this the right way (which we rarely do).  We are going to get our tax refund back, use ALL of it to pay off a big chunk of debt and SAVE up the cash for our sectional.  It might take us a month or longer, but we'll get one that we love!  I'll continue shopping online for a more affordable one.  But the bar has been set on the one above, so we'll see if we can find one we like more.  Sectional or not...I enjoyed our 6 hours of just Jacob and me!  It was nice just being a couple taking our time, shopping around.  Thanks Mimi, Pops and KK for watching the girls!


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Friday, February 17, 2012

Busy week recap

I have really missed blogging this week!  I have been working like crazy and not spending enough time with my sweet girls or hubby!  A recap of my week: last Sunday, Bella hid in the pantry and turned up a bottle of Children's Benedryl, she didn't get that much.  She survived, all is well (thank God).   We sold our furniture, YAY, but we have 2 old recliners in the living room until we find what we want.  We are planning a sectional-hunt this weekend.  Maybe we'll find the perfect one for the perfect price...MAYBE.  Monday, I worked a long 12 hours...not getting home until 8:30 pm.  Valentine's Day...another busy 12 hours.  I got Jacob a card and 24 teriyaki wings from Buffalo Wild Wings to show my undying love for him.  Wednesday, another long 12 hour shift, where I saw a 1st in my nursing career.  I won't share the unusual, yucky details.  Then yesterday, I worked an extra 8 hours at my 2nd job.  Finally I got to see my house, girls and husband during the daylight hours for the 1st time this week.  I take the girls to Ms Betty's (home daycare) in the mornings, dropping them off a little before 6.  Then Jacob or my parents or sisters pick them up in the afternoons.  I can't complain much though because Jacob worked Wednesday (normal day), a rare Wednesday night shift, then his normal Thursday day...to top it all off, he went to the gym on this way home yesterday.  Do not ask me how he survived, I HAVE NO IDEA!  This is the very short moments I caught this week:



Today's plan: getting our taxes done (Ahhhhhhhhhhh), washing clothes, paying bills, cooking dinner, straightening up the week's mess.  This busy week isn't over yet!

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Saturday, February 11, 2012

Lucy's new trick





This cold Saturday morning we discovered Lucy's new trick...
Even though I didn't do a very good job of catching it...she can roll from her tummy to her back.
3 months.

 Bella gave her a little help going the other way:





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Thursday, February 9, 2012

On the hunt:

I've already admitted that when I want something, I get a little obsessive about it.  I can hear my daddy now say, "Megan, Just BE PATIENT!"  That's a hard one for me.  So my obsession right now are the dishes that I bought for Bella's Birthday Brunch to go on the hot chocolate table.  I bought 2 bowls and 2 mugs at Home Goods.   Look at those beauties:  Perfect color, perfect design, LOVE.  I'm smitten over these darn things!
So I've been on a mission to find a set.  And I have struck out.  I'm scoured the internet and nothing comes up.  I've been back to Home Goods 4 times looking for them. They are made in Portugal by Metceramica.  I have finally found the name of the design: Batalha collection.  This afternoon, I have a bite in my search: I found an import/export site...
I'm so excited thinking that my adorable dishes might be on their way to Houston, TX right now!  So I call this Neiman Marcus that it's being shipped to.  They "don't have it in their database yet".  Dang!  I hope this isn't a bogus site getting my hopes up for nothing!  But on February 28th (the excited arrival date), I'll be calling back!  

The blue is my very favorite, but look at these others...
If anyone has any information regarding these dishes and where I can get some please let this crazy obsessive blogger know, by emailing me ASAP (before I burst with obsession).



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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Good News...Bad News.

Good news: I'm off of work today!
Bad news:  Bella tried to wake up at 5:30am, I quickly put her back to bed and told her it was still night-night time.  But she was up for good at 7:15...still a bit early for me!  I was hoping for a miracle like 9am.

Good news: I pruned most of my crape myrtles and rose bushes.
Bad news: I was attacked by thorns.  I have no idea why I chose to plant such mean bushes when it comes time to prune.

Good news: I took a nice, long nap today.
Bad news: I'm not going to finish all of my outside "To-Dos" today.

Good news: Bella knew to run inside today when she had to tee-tee.
Bad news: She only made it to the garage where I looked up to see her with her pants down, squatting to pee, half on the driveway, half on her clothes.  (no, she didn't learn that from me.)

Good news: We sold our furniture!
Bad news: We don't have any extra money right now to put with it to get the sectional that we've been dreaming about.

Good news: I made chicken quesadillas and they tasted pretty good!
Bad news: I really wanted to be eating Mexican for lunch with my pregnant best friend.  I miss her so much.
This is a picture from last summer, but portrays exactly the type of day I'm having.
Good news:  That was so darn cute.
Bad news: my 1 year old had rolled our house.


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Monday, February 6, 2012

Walking the fine line of dieting, working and breastfeeding

This Monday makes me happier.  After a 2 pound gain week before last, I lost 3 last week!  That's a total of 12.5 pounds in 6 weeks. I'm half way there.  YEA!  I want to lose 12 more to hit my goal weight. However, I've notice a decrease in my milk supply, which is something that I was worried might happen.  When you are breastfeed you should increase your calorie count to 2500-2800 calories/day.  I know there have been several days that I've been below that.  The combination of dieting and starting back to work (only pumping twice in a 12 hour period) is putting a strain on my milk supply.  The bottom line is, there is nothing more important than providing the healthiest nutrition for my baby as possible.  I refuse to jeopardize her nutrition to quickly lose 12 more pounds!  I will still try to lose weight, but I will also have to increase my calories, so my weight loss won't be as quick.  To avoid boring you with a -0.5/week, I probably won't update weekly.  But you can bet your bottom dollar as soon as I hit that goal weight I'll be screaming from the hill tops...I'll be typing in the largest font it'll allow me, because that's a day I've been dreaming of for a while.  Until then, I'll keep looking at my skinny-me pictures and gazing down at my sweet angel as I provide the best thing I can...and try to walk that fine line.

I'm very proud of our Bella who is in her big girl panties for the 3rd day with no accident!  Last week I worked 6 days, so Jacob watched the girls more than usual. Even though I was sad that I wasn't home with them,  I think daddy/daughter time is good!  He told me last night that he was in awe of how much Bella is learning and how quickly she is growing.

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Thursday, February 2, 2012

Photobooks!

It was one of my goal to get completely caught up on all my photo books before I went back to work.  I ordered them last weekend.  I got them this week and I LOVE the way they turned out! I make "yearbooks" that's filled with everything we do through out the year.  I made a small 8x8 book telling about each of my pregnancies.  I am making Bella and Lucy baby books and a book for each year (age 1-5 is the goal).  I've even got another idea to create a book for them about our family and their heritage.  They are lucky to still have both set of great-grandparents on Jacob's side and their great-grandmother on my side.  I'm thinking of filling it with stories and photos of their family. Grandparents are always full of interesting stories.  Why not collect them & create a book, so we can look back on stories of our family?
Bella's 1 year old book

Lucy's baby book

My most recent HUGE order: Pregnancy with Lucy, 2011 year books, Bella's 1 year old book, Lucy's baby book

Want to know what my cuties are doing right now... 







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