In a different light...

 chillin with mom

 sleeping on dad

first day home from the hospital

...the rooms in the house are looking great & have taken on a different life. since m arrived, i spent a lot more time in the house with her before heading back to work last week. it's really our cozy sanctuary & i love what it's become. looking back on the journey thus far...i was going through a difficult time & had to move out of where i was living. with the help of my mom, we were able to find the little place & i loved it's location to the walking trails, water & park. i decided it was going to be my house, was overwhelmed with the idea of it, but so proud of myself for buying my first home all on my own. had the floors redone, then moved all of my furniture & animals in right before thanksgiving. it was a hard at times, but i kept a positive attitude about it all, started enoying my independence, put up my christmas decorations & got in the holiday spirit. with the house i started one room at a time...taking down wallpaper, painting, decorating, etc. with myself...i was working on me one step at a time, going out, meeting new people, enjoying new experiences. with time...my house & life were transforming & i was heading down a much happier path. i met jeff, we dated, fell in love, he moved in & we got pregnant. not only was he adding so much happiness to my life, but he was also helping me so much with my list of home improvements.  now that maebri has come into our lives & the home improvements have tapered off, it feels like my life & home are complete...little did i know a few years ago that finding this house would be the beginning of a wonderful life & a path that has led me to where i was meant to be. it started out as 'my home' , but now it's 'our family home' & i will always cherish this place forever & ever.

My little birdie is...

...1 month old! this last month has been life changing & we are so thankful to have you here. although it's been tiring (i'm not a morning person & like my 8 hrs sleep :)) it's so worth it to have you in our lives. you are such a good little girl & don't fuss very often. we've taken you out to dinner with us a few times already & you did great. noise doesn't bother you at all, you don't even flinch when the dogs bark, i vacuum or we go to a noisy restaurant. you are very alert during your wake time... like playing on your play mat, swinging your hands at the toys above, enjoy your swing & bouncy seat. you have been smiling at us since the beginning & are constantly moving your hands usually around your face. you love going for walks & looking at anything moving, you are fascinated by the dogs who are very protective & loving towards you. you eat like crazy & are growing so much. as far as sleeping...you have been very kind to us, you've known from the start the difference between day & night & are consistently sleeping around 5 hrs. at night. you are a good napper & make funny little grunting noises when you settle yourself & always fall asleep the minute we put you in your carseat. you make a smacking noise when you are hungry while moving your hands around & if i don't feed you quick enough you put your thumb in your mouth. 1 thing i've learned about you in your 1st month is just like your mom you are happiest when you get your sleep & have a full belly. love you bunches...

The wait is over...

...little ms. maebri is finally here :) we are beyond excited to share our life with you, our sweet little girl. our hearts grew bigger the second we met you. we love you so much already maebri :)

love, mom & dad

Guest bedroom...

...is finished. since maebri was born we will be having a lot of out of town visitors so wanted to have a place for them to stay. got the walls painted & the room decorated, it looks so much better. now we just need a new queen size mattress for the bed & it will be complete. the quilt is from an antique store in missouri, dresser was jeff's from salvation army, artwork from ikea & mirror/lamp from sample sale. love the color combo, nice & cozy :)

DIY project...

...this weekend included deciding at 39 weeks pregnant i was going to take down the last bit of wallpaper that existed in my house. once i start i can't stop. with a little windex & some patience i got it all down & that painter is coming today to do the walls & trim. will post pics of the after with the room fixed up, can't wait to make it all nice & cozy. getting rid of the blinds & putting up some simple curtains then it should be complete.

A few things...

we did this weekend. I added the handmade 'm' to maebri's door with a velcro backing so it could be removed easily. my mom made it for the shower out of the fabric she used for the crib skirt, adds a nice final touch to her special space. the boys & i went to mom's to go swimming, they love it so much. my 38 week pic which makes it very evident maebri needs to make her arrival soon, she's running out of room lol. sunday we moved boats down to the trade center for jeff's boat show this weekend, we are hoping ms. m doesn't show up this weekend while he is there, but i guess it will happen when it happens. we made a nice little bed for the boys in the backseat of the truck, they love being with us, are so well behaved & ride well in the car. i know maebri will be a good little girl just like her brothers, who has a go with the flow personality like jeff & i. finally, spotted this cute little bench, would love to make something like this eventually for the living room. i know it might not happen for awhile, but colorful inspiration for the future. it was a nice weekend & it's going to get even better very soon :)

37 weeks...

...and counting. i'm not a summer person to begin with, so being pregnant in this weather is making the heat more unbearable. what i do have to look forward to is the fact that our little maebri will be here soon. so it's all worth it. she's healthy & very active so now it's basically just a waiting game. she's measuring at 38 weeks, so maybe she'll come a little earlier than planned. either way everything is ready for her, bags are packed, carseats installed, jeff & i are so excited. received one last outfit from the amazing zulily & rescued mr. rowdy from the sherman shelter this weekend, thank goodness because they gas them there :( sadly, due to irresponsible pet ownership, he is one of three of ours that is hw positive, so i have to work on fundraising for his treatment. at least he is comfortable in a nice foster home, makes it all worth it. so cheers to saving adorable heeler lives, enjoying the quiet & air conditioning for another few weeks & looking forward to the future.