Itty bitty sleepy bundle

As I held Grace tonight with her eyes filled with sleep and her face lit up with a toothy grin I couldn't help but tear-up thinking how quick these 5 months have gone by, how much more I love her tonight then I did 5 months ago, 1 week ago, even just this morning.  I now know why people cry when they're happy, sometimes it's just unavoidable when you look in those big, innocent eyes filled with wonder and love.  It's amazing how she has already turned into a tiny person who can sit up on her own (momentarily, but hey it's sitting), laugh at something funny, get mad just because she wants to and snuggle into my shoulder.  So there is my sappy mommy moment in all her glory.  

In other happenings, Jonathan and I have been treasure hunting this week looking for cheap ugly things that can be made pretty and still be cheap.  Can you tell we're cheap? I think I'm going to start using "thrifty," it sounds much nicer doesn't it?   So our thrifty selves rummaged through consignment stores and good-wills looking for anything cool.  I must confess: we didn't really rummage as in digging through piles, getting knee deep in junk type rummaging. We walked carefully through aisles, avoiding contact with anything we didn't have to touch, side-stepped anything gross looking (pretty much everything) and disinfected ourselves once in the car. We found a bedroom set: headboard, footboard, dresser, and vanity for 85 bucks that would be awesome painted but decided to pass for some reason, still kicking myself.  Also found an entire aisle dedicated to McDonald's happy meal toys. Why? I don't understand either. Goodwill was next. Found a glass lamp $3.99, set of 4 china mugs .79cents each. Silver serving dish $3.99, and hot pink old-school suitcase $5.99.  The suitcase was a hard-sell to the husband.  

him: "Why in the world would you want that old pink thing?" 

me: "It would be so cute in Gracie's room for dress up!" 

him: "It won't fit in the shopping cart though"

I somehow manage to shove it in the bottom of the cart

me: "Sure it does"

him: "Why do you want to haul more things to New Orleans in a few weeks when we move?"

me: "It's a suitcase babe, we can put stuff in it."

Suitcase came home with us :)

Wiped it down with clorox-wipes and shoved it full of dryer sheets to make it smell of this century and it's sitting in Gracie's make-shift room, pretty and pink as can be.  I'll show you in another post, there's a sleeping baby in there and I would be crazy to do anything to wake a sleeping baby.

The dresser Jonnys been re-finishing is almost done and it's super cute.  Creamy white with cut-out drawers and crystal knobs. It's going to be the most adorable changing table ever.

BEFORE:

this is what the fronts looked like before.

Can't wait to show the afters! He's super meticulous and it's taken a lot of time but it's worth it because it's the prettiest piece of furniture we own.  And only for $60.

  

This picture sums up what my day was today, sewing some pillows (I have a love for pillows at the moment for some reason), feeding baby (green beans and peas today, made a batch of carrots to start tomorrow) and home-made pita chips and hummus (yum).  No, I don't a good excuse for why there is a man with a 1978 afro and beard on my tv. 

Well, it's time for this old lady to get into bed. 10:30 on a Saturday night, aren't I a party animal.  It's actually pretty sad, I'm only 23 and I have the night-life of a 63 year old.

Ashley

Busy, Busy Baby

Miss Gracie had her very first crawfish boil (outside of the womb) this Saturday.  It's probably better to show you the day so here we go:

Watching papa clean the mudbugs

Papa

"I would like some of that please"

My taste buds had changed since giving birth I think. I have never liked these things until now. Weird.

 She had to look the part, thus a crawfish onsie and matching bow (from old t-shirt scraps)

This was a day of crawfish, creol seasoning, potatoes and corn, red beans and rice, bananna pudding, (this was a horrible day for my diet) red-neck golf, friends and family.  Oddly enough Crawfish Boils hold a special place in the hearts of momma and papa.  It was at our last boil in Lubbock that we told our friends we were pregnant and it was in New Orleans while sitting down to boiled crawfish that we gave Jonny's parents a card that told everyone we were expecting baby girl.

Other than crawfish, Gracie was busy pushing 2 teeth through. 2! Poor girl isn't as happy as usual with those 2 spikes on her bottom gum.  I've tried to take pictures but as soon as you touch her lip she sticks out her tongue.  Is this normal or is my child just messing with me?

We also went swimming yesterday. Loved it for about 10 mins and was over it.  At one point she fell asleep only to be awoken with laughs.  

Trip to Target for swim diapers, 3 pounds of sunscreen and one heated pool later.

What else is new? We started something besides cereal, finally! 

PEAS!

I can't lie, I was pretty nervous about this under-taking (making baby food); what if I under-cook, over-cook, burn it to a crisp?  Happy to report that it is super easy and super cheap! A bag of frozen peas, cooked in 2 cups of water on high about 6 minutes. Cool.  Add to food processor and blend until the consistency you want.  Pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze. Pop out a cube and microwave 15 seconds and enjoy.  Well...

maybe not enjoy at first. But the second time was a success. 

Upset teething baby calling...

Ashley

Update Soon

No time today for a real post, sorry baby won't allow it. But will def. catch ya'll up this weekend during naps! Happy Friday!!

Ashley

Tornado? Say what??

I woke up frantic around 2am with the sudden urge to know where to go if there was a tornado.  I didn't dare wake up my husband to ask him because I knew waking a sleeping daddy when there was no screaming baby was a bad bad idea.  Instead I memorized the most interior rooms of our house (none) and those of the main house (2, I don't know how 8 people will squeeze into a closet and small bath).  This was a real concern until I realized how ridiculous my 2am mind is when I was nursing Gracie this morning.  Why all the tornado thoughts you ask...  Last week during our West Texas Tsunami there was a few tornados' that touched ground around us and we had no idea.  I later learned through facebook updates that people were taking mattresses into the bathrooms, putting helmets on their kids, gathering up valuables; you know, the usual.  What were we doing during this armageddon?  Putting the baby down for a much needed nap, watching the hail sink into the pool, laundry (me), cleaning floors (me) and watching Holmes on Homes (his new favorite show).  Gracie's first tornado scare and she slept right through it and I finished two loads.

So my fingers look like I've just climbed Mt. Everest and came back down with frostbite. I haven't climbed any mountains, (I do climb cabinets to reach the extra swiffer pads if that counts) they're just covered in leather dye.  Jonathan and I are refinishing some old hand-me-down furniture so we can save up for a sectional :)  I'm dying our baby blue recliner brown (2 coats down, many many more to go) and he's working on a old dresser that will become a changing table.  It's stripped and sanded and ready for priming. We're thinking cream with crystal knobs.  He is much more patient than I, as is evident when you look in the crevices of the recliner (still blue).  It's been stressful trying to get these done correctly and keeping the baby happy but hopefully we'll be done in a few days.  

So when are we moving all these things? And where to?  Well we just figured that out yesterday. The house we were planning on living in until our house was completely fell through so we found an apartment that will let us have a 3 month leasing term so we will probably be in Midland until the end of June rather than the beginning like we had thought.  Because we don't want to spend a small fortune on an apartment for a few months, we got a one bedroom.  We we're looking for furnished places so we didn't have to move our stuff twice but those places are about $2500 month... RIDICULOUS!  So we're going the unfurnished route, our place will be pretty much bare except for our bed, tv, crib and kitchen tools.  That sectional we're saving up for will be bought in NOLA and go into the apt too.  Like I said earlier, it's a one bedroom so you will find Gracie in the dining room, aka the nursery.  This poor girl has yet to have a nursery and will be close to a year old until she gets one.  I've mentioned this before but it still saddens me, I'm sure she could care less but I guess it's a nesting thing where I want to create a little room worthy of a little princess.  She's laid back in my lap right now rubbing the top of her head with her right hand (a new thing she started yesterday) sucking on her paci watching Imagination Movers (the gay man from Sex in the City is a guest today, I should really change the channel but the remote is on the opposite side of the couch and I don't dare move and get her worked up; I'm sure most of you can relate to this!) 

I felt a little bump on her bottom gum yesterday! She doesn't seem to excited about it though (more fussing than usual).  Orajel is a staple in this house now.  Other staples... a recently dismantled and reassembled sleeping wedge, pacifier clips, her Ellie (the elephant), sound machine and night lights.  The original sleeping wedge didn't have high enough sides but had a nice incline and the newly bought one has high sides but no incline so I got out my seam ripper and a needle and thread and combined the two.  Pacifier clips save us from having to clean her paci 1,000 times a day.  Her pink ellie soothes her as does the sound machine and the night lights save mommy and daddy from sprained ankles and stubbed toes.

I've started rambling (haven't finished my coffee yet) so I'll end this post with some pictures. Oh, and I don't even know if anyone ever reads this, so feel free to leave comments :)

Yup, that comforter had to be washed after this picture.

baby legwarmers made from socks

5 Months old, she matches so well! One sock, polka dot pants and a flower top. I wish I could say papa dressed her but that was all me.

pants made from a t-shirt

mirror that will go into her nursery (some day). It's a dollar store find with some fabric ruffles. Soft and sweet just like baby.

Ashley

Life

It's Wednesday, the second week of May, I have a 5 month old baby girl, a 23 year old husband who is up to his ears in projects and paperwork, a temporary home, a home in New Orleans that is completely gutted and no clue as to where we will be living for the next few months until the house it finished.  That sounded a bit glum; but let me say that ironically I am feeling more peace and contentment at this time than I would have ever expected.  I feel so honored to be entrusted with this tiny person, so blessed to have a husband who is motivated and strives for success and so thankful for the roof currently over our heads and the beautiful home that is in the making.  We closed on the house last week and the mold remediation started yesterday I think. The house, actually the shell of the house is completely gutted so we are starting from scratch.  I'm pretty excited because the layout can be changed around at this point and I'm pushing for a big walk-in pantry.  I never thought I would be so excited for food storage but I guess it's a mommy thing?  But more than anything I am excited to give Gracie her first nursery! I've had plenty of time to think about it and what I want it to look like and I'm anxious to get started on it!  

I think I need to clarify, it's not a house in the sense of the word, but a duplex.  Jonathan, Gracie and I have one side and my brother and sister-in-law have the other.  It's going to be such a blessing to have family (and baby-sitters) a few steps away!  

On another note, Gracie is taking a morning nap, I'm finally drinking my "morning" coffee, the laundry is going, kitchen is clean, beds made and I'm working on the grocery list.  Have I mentioned I am so over the grocery store; it was cool when we first got married to make dinners and have a stocked kitchen but now that we've been spoiled by my mother-in-law, the great chef in the backyard, I barely make it to the store once a month. Gracie is eating her rice cereal twice a day now; I know we are dragging this whole thing out with the baby food but she gets so constipated that it's better to go slow with the introductions.  She's an awesome eater though, has the spoon thing down! 

What else....Gracie got a jumper this past weekend and loves it! It looks like a little car and has lights and music, she hasn't quite figured out she can bounce but she likes to spin around.  I think she is working on becoming a DJ though, she's remixing Mary Had a Little Lamb and the other song it plays (no idea what it is).  Every time you press the button it starts over so all I hear is "Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary had a little, Mary had a, Mary, Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, Mary....." I think the batteries will go missing in a few days.  

It's Aunt Tiffany's 17th birthday today and yesterday was Uncle Jordan's 22nd 

birthday and we've been working on some special gifts but until they get them I'll keep it hush hush.  

That's it for now...

                                             

Ashley

Lately...

Lately, Gracie has learned how to suck on her toes,

and enjoys doing so all the time.

Lately, Gracie has been enjoying playing with lots of little friends.

and they enjoy playing with her too.

Lately,  Gracie loves sticking out her tongue,

and chewing anything within reach.

Lately, this is where we are living.

Lately, Gracie has started cereal 2 times a day,

and seems to enjoy it!

Lately, Jonathan and I have been preparing to move once again. This time to New Orleans for dental school. Trying to find a place to stay while our house is being remodeled down there.  Studying to be as prepared as possible for Anatomy (him, not me!) I've started crafting and sewing a lot more (Mother's Day gifts done!) and trying to keep this bundle of energy happy.  Which she is not at this time so I've got to go!