coming up!!!

The due date is getting close!!! Only 16 more days!

Just for fun, I have added a new poll for you to guess what day the baby will be born if you want. See the left sidebar and don't forget to leave me a comment telling me why you voted as you did. :)

I am feeling very calm and confident right now about the birth. I am thankful for God working that way in me because if you know me at all you know that I am not above anxiety :) particularly regarding change. :)

I trust God's perfect timing for when this baby should be born. It will be exciting to see when that is and who this little kiddo is as well!!

One prayer request if I may: I have not been sleeping very well. I would love to get some good sleep before this baby does come both for the physical labor of labor :) and for all of those sleep deprived nights that are to come.

Is there anything you would like for me to pray for you about?

Thanks! Kelly

speaking of birthdays, today is also my friend Deborah's birthday!!

Happy birthday, Deborah!!! Kelly

chips

What's your favorite restaurant for chips and salsa?

photo by my husband

baby shower

We have been so very blessed to have been "showered" by people from work, church and many other friends. It is an amazing experience not to be entering this new journey of raising a little one alone!

As I pulled up to my friend Darla's house for our shower a few weekends ago, I just knew I was at the right place even though I had not yet been to this house of hers since she moved in. Check out the lanterns. :)

The whole shower was amazing with a "vintage modern" theme. Since it was a Saturday morning it was a brunch and everything was lovely!

The extremely cool drinks bucket I showed you earlier.

Jenny said she found this blog inspirational as she planned.

Donuts inspired by this post - see the strawberry iced ones? (light pink = strawberry, dark pink = cherry)

Mini quiche, sausage balls, mini zucchini muffins, delicious fruit . . . !

I love this vintage rattle leaning against the diaper cake!

and speaking of . . . isn't that an ADORABLE diaper cake?

My friend Jenny made it.

Lovely hostesses! Jenni, Deborah, Darla, (me), Jenny and Marla

I love how I know all of these amazing women from different parts of my life - my life in Dallas, college roomies, scrapbooking friends, sisters in Christ - and they all came together and threw this shower for me

Marla hostessing with the mostess!

They had a zillion neat touches from the things spelled out with blocks and all the little vintage toys to the April flashcard representing our due date and the "write" flashcard encouraging people to write a blessing for the baby . . . I loved looking around at everything!!

Speaking of blessings, people wrote out such wonderful blessings for the baby and for us . . .

AND my very, very most favorite part of the shower was this:

Everyone gathered around to pray for the baby and for Adrian and I as parents. I don't know who took this picture but thank you, thank you for capturing this moment for me in this way!

I felt blessed beyond measure and so at peace.

You guys are the GREATEST!!!

We got to visit and eat and chat, catch up with people and make new friends . . . and people took pictures . . .

and I got to open presents!

We were blessed with SO many wonderful things!! We are so thankful!

Look at this adorable elephant that has a crinkly tummy. :)

yea for a boppy!

and adorable receiving blankets with elephants on them and polka dots and stripes :)

Jenni made some of her signature burp cloths. Look how adorable and "me" these are!

and do you see that "Steelers" burp cloth peeking out of the box?

Who do you think will be using that one?

Sustenance to keep the everyone going . . .

:)

Such sweet friends!

Colorful giftwrap . . .

It was a lovely, lovely day and I am so thankful!

Kelly

one little piece of evidence . . .

that says a baby's coming to this house!

Kelly

transitioning . . .

Ever since graduating college I have had the same career . . . I have gone to work each and every day (save holidays and summer) at a school and been a teacher.

I am very close to entering a new season and beginning a new career . . . that of stay-at-home mom.

This is something that I have always dreamed of doing and something that Adrian and I both want for our family.

I am excited about leaving one thing to begin another.

I don't have regrets.

I am however about to enter a big ?????? . . . unknown!

I would love to hear comments from those of you who have traveled this path before.

Any advice on making this transition with grace?

I know that just as there are challenges in my present job, there will be challenges in my new "job".

I know that just as there are joys in my present job there will be joys in my new "job".

I am excited to embrace both sides and know that God will grow me through this new season I am entering just as He has grown me in so many ways through teaching.

What advice, encouragement, etc. do you have for me as I transition?

Thanks!!

Kelly

little glimpses . . .

of the nursery

more to come!  

Don't worry!  That elephant is not going to *stay* hanging off that screw in the wall.  He's just keeping that wall company while the changing table hutch/dresser is being built by baby's daddy!  

the crib!!!

I have to tell you about the crib!

I can't believe it's taken me so long to blog about it.

We did not want to spend money on a new crib. You know me . . . I am an antiques girl, a vintage girl, a non-"matchy-matchy" girl. I didn't need a new crib or want to spend our money in that way.

I did however want something that looked "good as new" and felt right to bring a brand new baby home to. I was looking on craigslist, had been to consignment sales and shops, etc., etc. We were offered three cribs for free at different times and from different people (family, co-workers and church friends) but none of them were white and in my quest to not spend money I wanted to still hold on to some things like that I wanted the crib to be white.

Neither Adrian nor I wanted to paint a crib (as adorable as those green ones I featured are!) both for the effort involved of painting ALL of those slats but also that I didn't feel super safe about a baby possibly chewing on that paint . . . so white it was.

Well, I began to get impatient and worried and wondered and speculated that we might *never* have a crib! I talked it through with my girl friends and wondered aloud over and over if we would ever have a crib. I fretted, I picked out a back up at Babies R Us full price that we could run and get if we had to . . .

Goodness!

God is so patient with us.

He is so good to us when we are so hung up in our own thinking and striving.

God gave us a crib that is *JUST* what I wanted!!

Jehovah-Jireh - God provides

Here's the story:

One Saturday morning Adrian and I ventured to a garage sale after eating donuts. Adrian knew about the garage sale because he has a craisglist search ongoing for a table saw and they were advertising one.

Well, we got to the sale and the table saw had been sold BUT there gleaming in the sunshine and leaning up against a tree was a white Jenny Lind crib!

I went right over and began examining it while Adrian was talking to the fellow about the saw. It looked GREAT. I began to get so excited. When Adrian came over I asked him to ask how much they wanted for it.

The man came over and said . . . $25!!!

I said we'd take it!

I was soo giddy!

Wow!

Just what I wanted at an amazing price.

We brought it home and Adrian set it up and we even already had a crib mattress that fit perfectly thanks to our friend Jamie. What a blessing!

The crib is in the nursery just waiting for a little baby to come and sleep in it.

Since this photo was taken (on Monday of spring break) my mom helped me add a crib skirt, mattress with mattress pad, bumpers, etc. There are now stuffed animals in the crib "keeping it warm" until baby can and a boppy with the most adorable cover (thanks to a lovely shower gift) hanging over the side.

I have the sheets. I'm going with white. I want to have them embroidered with words like "giggle", "sweet dreams", etc. in a simple cursive lowercase font across one end of each. Anyone have any ideas about how to make that dream a reality without paying huge bucks? I haven't actually checked with any of the professional embroidery places around here so it may not actually be that much. I don't know.

I am so thankful for the ways God provides for us and I wish that I would always immediately call these sorts of situations to mind when I begin to fret over things. I am thankful that God continues to be patient with me and teach me of His ways.

photo of my mom with the wonderful crib skirt that she sewed pom pom ball fringe onto for me! Thank you for the loan of your sewing machine, Jacquie!!

How has God provided for YOU recently?

Kelly

springtime

doesn't this picture just say "springtime"?

It was actually taken in summer but with the ice melting in the background and the delicate purple color of the flower it just looks like spring to me.

Both of these photos were taken in Alaska on our adventure last summer.

The picture below is of a skunk cabbage.

Doesn't God make some amazing things?

The focus of this photograph is actually on the cob of the skunk cabbage.

according to my friend Betty who lives in Alaska,

in the spring, the skunk cabbage has huge leather-like petals similar to a tulip. The skunk cabbage cob releases a chemical that melts the snow and smells very much like a skunk!

Isn't that amazing?

I love all of the intricacies that God designed into this world He created for us.

spending a little time today . . .

"creating" artwork for the baby's nursery out of sweetly written shower cards, etc.

It is a pleasant way to spend a morning.

Speaking of family . . .

we have chosen to not find out if this little one I am carrying is a boy or a girl.

We are very excited to find out on delivery day!!

We're less than four weeks now from our due date.

If you'd like to take a guess as to whether the baby is a boy or a girl, I've put a poll up on the side bar. It would be fun to hear what you think. I won't know who thinks what unless you also tell me in the comments. If you have a reason for thinking one way or another, you can leave that in the comments too.

People ask me if I think I know, have a strong feeling either way, etc. and I really don't. Some days I think one, other days the other. It will be a big surprise, that's for sure! Our doctor doesn't even know as he's not the one who does the sonograms and the sonographer didn't write it down anywhere or tell anyone. Our doctor is excited about the surprise factor on delivery day too because hardly anyone does it this way anymore.

I know that God knows exactly who belongs in our family next and that He is orchestrating the whole thing in His timing.

Kelly

edited to add: you guys are driving me crazy voting and not telling me who you are! :)

my mom

My sweet mama came this week and helped us soo much! I just felt like I needed my mama to help me get ready for this baby's (coming soon) arrival. She did laundry for us and washed blankets, bib, socks and clothes, etc. for the baby. She sewed pom pom ball fringe on the crib skirt for me! (photos to come) She treated us to gelato and Mexican food. :) She got to come to our church shower which was so much fun. She helped me to organize the baby's closet, find a rug for the nursery, cut tags off of new things and on and on and on! We also enjoyed a few jaunts out shopping, tested out rockers and laughed over things like a public restroom that had an entire sign of does and don'ts that it seemed you *needed* to know . . . and the baby washpod that we saw that looked like a horribly awkward way to bath one's child. It was a GREAT visit!! Thank you sooo much for coming, Mom!!!

Kelly

p.s. At least we weren't getting in trouble with the "dressing room police" at Ross like we did last spring break. I think we managed to stay out of trouble this year. :)

What have you been doing this week?

Cassie's Oh Baby Series

Hop on over to Cassie's blog and post your schedule for her "Oh Baby" series to help out all the other moms out there. :) Thanks! Kelly

have a happy day

end of the day

vintage fabric

Flowers for springtime

what can you buy for 52 cents?

a skirt to wear to last Saturday's shower!

now I realize that the price tag says ninety-seven cents but guess what . . .

did you know that Old Navy puts their clearance items on 50% off from time to time?

I got this skirt a couple of months ago and thought come spring and 8 months of pregnancy under my belt I'd be more than thrilled to put on something new, brightly colored, stretchy and comfy!

I was right.

Besides for 52 cents can one possibly go wrong?

I think not.

Gotten any good bargains lately?

What are you excited about wearing this spring?

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Kelly

p.s. you guys really are the best commenters in the world I think. I love getting and reading your comments and sharing life together whether I know you in real life or not. Thank you!

creative

Not to be a slacking blogger but it may take me awhile to share all about this past weekend's shower. I just don't seem to have it in me at the moment to do a comprehensive blog post. For one thing, it is good for my husband if I actually spend some of my post work energy getting a bit of laundry done around here. :)

But . . . here is another little sneak peak.

Look how creative this is . . .

My friends used plastic refrigerator letters to "label" different pails all around at the shower.

It was so fun.

Isn't that a GREAT idea?

kelly

p.s. Jenni, one of the hostesses did a post about the shower here if you'd like to take a look.

true confessions . . .

Am I the only one who has ever gone ahead and mixed their shampoo and conditioner before putting it on their head in the shower thus making their own "2 in 1" product simply to shorten the whole getting ready process in the morning?

Come on, tell me. :)

Happy Monday!

What are your "getting ready" shortcuts?

Shower sneak peak from our weekend:

It was amazingly wonderful and fun! Kelly

my favorite

is not actually "lemon drop" despite the fact that I love the name of this delectable donut and that it was probably the best cake donut I've ever had

you see, I'm not a cake donut girl

My favorite donut is a glazed yeast donut . . .

with strawberry frosting!

and I wanted to share it with the baby

:)

Also, happy, happy birthday to my wonderful friend Jenni!

My grandma (who replies to my posts via e-mail) and my mom are the only ones who guessed correctly about my favorite kind of donut. Family is a nice thing. :)

Once again, photos by Adrian who does like cake donuts better than me

p.s. the donut shop is called Yummy Donuts