I stayed home (again) yesterday with Tennessee. She's fine, but the kid at daycare that got her sick two weeks ago is STILL sick. His mom called me Saturday morning to say they had him in the ER Friday night and that the docters thought he had Pertussis. She said Tennessee and all the adults need to be tested to make sure we don't spread it further. So I spent most of Saturday morning at the local Urgent Care, just to be sure.
The little boy is on antibiotics and seems to be doing better, thankfully, but I still didn't want to risk having Tennessee around him yesterday. His test results came back today and it turns out he didn't have Pertussis, but he did have some sort of bacterial infection going because the Z Pac they gave him worked. I took Tennessee back today.
I was supposed to meet with another option for daycare yesterday afternoon, but she had to postpone until today. So at the agree upon time I went to her house and knocked on the door. No answer. Rang the bell. No answer. Called her. No answer. So I buckled Tennessee back in and we just came home. Have I mentioned that I hate daycare? Seriously the worst part about being a parent.
Me and Hubby
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
School
I've been working on my master's degree for a while now. I graduated from Arizona State with my bachelor's in 2008, and took a break from school until last March when I started using my tuition assistance through my job to get a master's degree. I'm taking classes from Grand Canyon University. They're all online, so I'm able to continue even now that we've moved 2000 miles away from GCU's campus. Thank God.
Today I am starting a new class. I have 2 more to go after this and then I am DONE. I should be finished by February. I actually would have been done sooner but I took a little break starting in May when I was 9 months pregnant. Then we moved cross country and I needed a little time to get settled. I have enjoyed the process but now I just want to have my pretty piece of paper and move on with my life. Especially since there are rumors of an early 2013 deployment. I really want to be finished before that happens. I don't want to try to be finishing my degree, working full time, and taking care of Tennessee all by myself, all at the same time. No thanks.
On another note, looks like I'll be switching daycares for Miss Tennessee. There have been a few things over the past couple of weeks that have made me...less than happy. I gave it a chance because I know I will be super hard on anyone watching my baby girl, but I'm ready to move on now.
I'm taking Tennessee to meet a potential sitter Monday afternoon. She's closer to home and I enjoyed talking with her on the phone. I already felt better by the time we got off the phone. Here's hoping I like her as much or more in person. Wish me luck. I hate daycare...
Today I am starting a new class. I have 2 more to go after this and then I am DONE. I should be finished by February. I actually would have been done sooner but I took a little break starting in May when I was 9 months pregnant. Then we moved cross country and I needed a little time to get settled. I have enjoyed the process but now I just want to have my pretty piece of paper and move on with my life. Especially since there are rumors of an early 2013 deployment. I really want to be finished before that happens. I don't want to try to be finishing my degree, working full time, and taking care of Tennessee all by myself, all at the same time. No thanks.
On another note, looks like I'll be switching daycares for Miss Tennessee. There have been a few things over the past couple of weeks that have made me...less than happy. I gave it a chance because I know I will be super hard on anyone watching my baby girl, but I'm ready to move on now.
I'm taking Tennessee to meet a potential sitter Monday afternoon. She's closer to home and I enjoyed talking with her on the phone. I already felt better by the time we got off the phone. Here's hoping I like her as much or more in person. Wish me luck. I hate daycare...
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Office Reveal
I FINALLY finished up painting my office, and am nearly done with it - for now. I know I'll want to keep adding things to make it more personal, but right now I am just so pleased with the difference from what it looked like when we moved in, to what it looks like now.
Here's the before:
And the After:
My original plan for room was to be gray with a stencil up one wall. Funny what happens when the paint counter messes up your order and you get both gray and light blue paint. This paint is called "Galactica" from Olympic.
Here's the before:
And the After:
Baby girl on my mousepad.
The postcard on the top is from my brother. He sent it to me, just to say hello,
from somewhere in Nevada while he was on the road. Love him!
Pics from my bachelorette party.
Still need to hang the blinds.
My trusty treadmill.
My original plan for room was to be gray with a stencil up one wall. Funny what happens when the paint counter messes up your order and you get both gray and light blue paint. This paint is called "Galactica" from Olympic.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Weekend Recap
I swear the weekends go by ten times faster than any other two days in the week. I managed to get quite a bit done this weekend despite recovering from whatever it was Tennessee had. After spending a few days holding, rocking and soothing my sick baby, I guess I should have expected to get sick. I used the last of my PTO, which kinda sucks, but I'll be able to earn enough between now and December for my trip home to Phoenix.
I managed to get my nails done, go to the eye doctor, go grocery shopping, find a new Chinese food place that delivers (!) and watch plenty of football. I wasn't that impressed with the nail place I went to. I'll try a different place next time, but I have a feeling it's going to be one of those things that's just better done in Phoenix. Like local news. Phoenix seriously has the best local news production. No wonder our broadcasters win awards every year.
My eyes are loving my new contacts. I got a new prescription which was pretty much the same as before, only my eyes are now two different prescriptions. Before they were always the same. Whatever. I'm just happy I got new contacts and am no longer being poked in the eye occasionally by what felt like shards of glass. I'd been wearing my last pair for five months longer than the recommended two weeks. Don't tell my Momma...
P.S.
Tennessee got a new toy. Check her out:
I managed to get my nails done, go to the eye doctor, go grocery shopping, find a new Chinese food place that delivers (!) and watch plenty of football. I wasn't that impressed with the nail place I went to. I'll try a different place next time, but I have a feeling it's going to be one of those things that's just better done in Phoenix. Like local news. Phoenix seriously has the best local news production. No wonder our broadcasters win awards every year.
Don't you love this pattern? It's my wallet.
P.S.
Tennessee got a new toy. Check her out:
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Ryder Dean
One of the hardest things about moving away from all of your friends and family is that you will inevitably miss holidays and special occasions with your loved ones. Although I've already missed 4th of July and a few family birthdays, today is the first big even that I've missed.
Every year for the past four years I have driven from Phoenix to Las Vegas to celebrate my Godson's birthday. Today he is five, and I am missing his special day for the first time ever. Since his birth it has been tradition that I get up early Saturday morning and drive the 5 or so hours to Vegas, enjoy the party and marvel at just how many kiddos are there. After the party we adults usually head out to dinner or down to the Strip, then we have breakfast, occasionally lunch, then I hit the road back home. It's a short but very sweet weekend.
Ryder's mother is my best friend Natalie. We met at the tender age of 2, when my 4 year old brother showed up on her doorstep (a few houses down from ours) and announced he could play. The irony is that Natalie and I were instant friends, while she and my brother pretty much hated each other until we were nearly adults.
In Jr. High Natalie and her family left Arizona and moved to Las Vegas, and to be honest I think the distance has made our friendship stronger. We lived one state and 5 hours apart for years, but now we're six states (depending on the route) and way too many hours to drive apart. So traveling to each others children's birthdays is more difficult than ever before. That said, I'm hoping this is a one off, and that from here on out I'll be able to visit for Ryder's birthday in September, and the peanut's birthday sometime in late February/early March, whenever she decides to make her entry into this world.
For now, here's a taste of what I'm missing:
Every year for the past four years I have driven from Phoenix to Las Vegas to celebrate my Godson's birthday. Today he is five, and I am missing his special day for the first time ever. Since his birth it has been tradition that I get up early Saturday morning and drive the 5 or so hours to Vegas, enjoy the party and marvel at just how many kiddos are there. After the party we adults usually head out to dinner or down to the Strip, then we have breakfast, occasionally lunch, then I hit the road back home. It's a short but very sweet weekend.
Ryder's mother is my best friend Natalie. We met at the tender age of 2, when my 4 year old brother showed up on her doorstep (a few houses down from ours) and announced he could play. The irony is that Natalie and I were instant friends, while she and my brother pretty much hated each other until we were nearly adults.
In Jr. High Natalie and her family left Arizona and moved to Las Vegas, and to be honest I think the distance has made our friendship stronger. We lived one state and 5 hours apart for years, but now we're six states (depending on the route) and way too many hours to drive apart. So traveling to each others children's birthdays is more difficult than ever before. That said, I'm hoping this is a one off, and that from here on out I'll be able to visit for Ryder's birthday in September, and the peanut's birthday sometime in late February/early March, whenever she decides to make her entry into this world.
For now, here's a taste of what I'm missing:
First Birthday
Second Birthday
I love this picture! Look at that face.
Third Birthday
Fourth Birthday
Doing his best Spiderman!
A few weeks ago on his first day of school.
Can't believe he's already five. They grow up fast, don't they?
Happy birthday Ryder!
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Broken Promises
Dear Sarah,
I promised you that I would make you Spicy Rigatoni while you were visiting us in Florida. I meant to, I really really did, but it just didn't happen. I blame the hurricane...
Your loving cousin,
Dandy
Let me give you all a little back story: Sarah is my cousin (our mothers are sisters) and we're pretty much the same age. We grew up together and even lived together in college at ASU (go Devils!). We share a lot of things, and one of them is a love of really good food. Especially Italian and Mexican food.
A few years ago we went to Las Vegas for my Godson's birthday. While we were there, we went to dinner with my best friend Natalie, her hubby, and a bunch of her friends to celebrate one of their birthdays. We went to Buca di Beppo, and it was the most hilarious and rediculous dining experience ever. Not in a good way. I won't go into all that here, but I will say is that Sarah and I shared an awesome dish: spicy rigatoni.
We've gone there a few times since, and every time the service has been much more impressive than the first. We always order the same dish, because it's just that good. Then one day a few months back I was searching the internet for new recipes and found one that claimed to be Buca's recipe. I quickly wrote it down, emailed it Sarah, but never actually made it. Until tonight.
Here's the finished product:
Sorry for not using a fancy dish to take the picture, but I pretty much started eating it before it was ever out of the pan.
Here's the recipe:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper
salt
ground pepper
1 tbsp chopped garlic
6 oz chicken, sliced
3/4 cup marinara sauce
1/3 cup alfredo sauce
2 tsp butter
1/4 cup peas
1 lb rigatoni pasta
Additional red peppers for garnish
*can substitute Bertollis Parm Rosa sauce for the marinara and alfredo.
1. In a saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add red peppers, salt, black pepper and garlic. Saute. Add sliced chicken and saute long enough to coat with spices.
2. Add marinara and alfredo sauces (or one jar Parm Rosa), bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce is thickened and chicken is fully cooked. Turn off heat. Add butter and peas.
3. Toss pasta with sauce, garnish with additional red peppers.
Okay, anyone who knows me knows I don't really measure things. And that I like crushed red peppers. So what I actually did was pour some oil in a deep skillet, dump in a bunch of red peppers, garlic, salt and pepper. I used 3 chicken breasts that I cooked pretty much all the way through in the oven, then sliced and added to pan to finish cooking. I couldn't find the Parm Rosa sauce, but Walmart had Bertolli brand Four Cheese Rosa, which is the exact same thing. When it came to add the butter I just put a spoonful in, then I dumped a bunch of frozen peas in the pan until I though there was enough green.
I had more to say, but I think I'm going back for seconds...
On a side note, baby girl is pretty much back to normal. She's been smiling at lights and fans all afternoon. She's even eating like normal, again.
Also, I can't end this post without saying about 9/11/2001. We all have our memories of that day and the days and years that followed. I won't share mine, but I will say that the one good thing that came from that tragic day was a chance for our country to come together and set aside our difference for one common purpose. This truly is the greatest country on earth, and I am so proud to call her home.
I promised you that I would make you Spicy Rigatoni while you were visiting us in Florida. I meant to, I really really did, but it just didn't happen. I blame the hurricane...
Your loving cousin,
Dandy
Let me give you all a little back story: Sarah is my cousin (our mothers are sisters) and we're pretty much the same age. We grew up together and even lived together in college at ASU (go Devils!). We share a lot of things, and one of them is a love of really good food. Especially Italian and Mexican food.
A few years ago we went to Las Vegas for my Godson's birthday. While we were there, we went to dinner with my best friend Natalie, her hubby, and a bunch of her friends to celebrate one of their birthdays. We went to Buca di Beppo, and it was the most hilarious and rediculous dining experience ever. Not in a good way. I won't go into all that here, but I will say is that Sarah and I shared an awesome dish: spicy rigatoni.
We've gone there a few times since, and every time the service has been much more impressive than the first. We always order the same dish, because it's just that good. Then one day a few months back I was searching the internet for new recipes and found one that claimed to be Buca's recipe. I quickly wrote it down, emailed it Sarah, but never actually made it. Until tonight.
Here's the finished product:
Sorry for not using a fancy dish to take the picture, but I pretty much started eating it before it was ever out of the pan.
Here's the recipe:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper
salt
ground pepper
1 tbsp chopped garlic
6 oz chicken, sliced
3/4 cup marinara sauce
1/3 cup alfredo sauce
2 tsp butter
1/4 cup peas
1 lb rigatoni pasta
Additional red peppers for garnish
*can substitute Bertollis Parm Rosa sauce for the marinara and alfredo.
1. In a saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add red peppers, salt, black pepper and garlic. Saute. Add sliced chicken and saute long enough to coat with spices.
2. Add marinara and alfredo sauces (or one jar Parm Rosa), bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce is thickened and chicken is fully cooked. Turn off heat. Add butter and peas.
3. Toss pasta with sauce, garnish with additional red peppers.
Okay, anyone who knows me knows I don't really measure things. And that I like crushed red peppers. So what I actually did was pour some oil in a deep skillet, dump in a bunch of red peppers, garlic, salt and pepper. I used 3 chicken breasts that I cooked pretty much all the way through in the oven, then sliced and added to pan to finish cooking. I couldn't find the Parm Rosa sauce, but Walmart had Bertolli brand Four Cheese Rosa, which is the exact same thing. When it came to add the butter I just put a spoonful in, then I dumped a bunch of frozen peas in the pan until I though there was enough green.
I had more to say, but I think I'm going back for seconds...
On a side note, baby girl is pretty much back to normal. She's been smiling at lights and fans all afternoon. She's even eating like normal, again.
Also, I can't end this post without saying about 9/11/2001. We all have our memories of that day and the days and years that followed. I won't share mine, but I will say that the one good thing that came from that tragic day was a chance for our country to come together and set aside our difference for one common purpose. This truly is the greatest country on earth, and I am so proud to call her home.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Goals
I spent this weekend doing a whole lot of nothing. Well, if you count taking care of mini me while she's sick nothing. Poor thing still isn't back to normal, but she seems to be getting her appetite and is sleeping lots and lots. Now that it appears she's on the mend, hubby says he's coming down with whatever it is Tennessee has. Ugh.
We decided to keep Tennessee home from daycare and David decided he would take a few days to catch up on his rest and take care of baby girl. We figured it would be easiest for him since he has a million days of leave saved up and I only have about 12 hours of PTO since I used all of mine for maternity leave and moving from AZ to FL. Problem was, David had to go into work, do PT, then put in his leave request. He sent me a text this morning saying he was going to be late getting home, so could I take the day off? Of course, I did. He came in a few hours later and agreed to watch Tennessee while I got my eyes checked. So I headed off to Eyemaster's, but the eye doctor has decided he now wants Mondays off, so I ended up making an appt for this weekend. And I stopped in Old Navy next door for Military Mondays. I ended up buying T a few little outfits, something I really haven't done yet. I got so may clothes for her at my shower (thanks Momma!), that I was pretty well set through 3 months. I can't wait to take pictures of her in the new clothes I bought! Ugh, she's just so adorable it's unreal.
Anyway, since I spent most of the weekend rocking my baby girl so she's stay asleep, I started thinking about all the things I want to do here in Florida and in life in general. Anyone who knows me knows I love to make lists, so I made a 30 before I turn 30 list (I'm 26 now).
30 by 30
1. Get out of debt. We don't have credit card debt, but we have two car payments and 3 student loans. Ouch.
2.Finish my Master's degree. I'm almost done with the program, only 3 classes to go!
3. Give Tennessee a sibling.
4. Spend Christmas back home. This is especially difficult because it's hard for me to get time off around the holidays.
5. Spend Christmas with David's family. And since they live super close to D.C., I want to see the capital at Christmas time, too.
6. Rent a pontoon boat and spend the day on the water. Preferably without getting sunburned.
7. Visit Savannah, GA.
8. Visit Charleston, SC.
9. Visit the Bahamas.
10. Spend more time at the beach. As close as we live to the water, I have yet to actually get in. Can you imagine that?
11. Make a quilt.
12. Get my parents and brother to visit at the same time. Would love to combine this with #6
13. Read more.
14. Spend less time wishing, more time doing.
15. Be able to attend David's work functions. This is a hard one for me because we bid for time off for the following year in October. Then those with the most seniority get first pick. Days that are left can be taken anytime during the year, but the have to be scheduled a couple of weeks in advance to be considered planned. Trouble with this is the military does everything at the last minute. Which means I just don't get to go/participate. In fact, the guys at our last base called me "fictional" because no one had ever met me.
16. Visit David's family in San Fran
17. Visit David's grandparents in the Outer Banks
18. See New England during the fall.
19. Get to know my neighbors better.
20. Go to a professional sporting event. It's been way too long.
21. Go to Homecoming at ASU.
22. Take more family pictures.
23. Teach my children to love books and play outdoors.
24. Try not to spoil my babies (too much) on birthdays and holidays. I saw a board on Pinterest once that said gifts should be: Something to wear, something to read, Something I want, Something I need. I love that idea.
25. See the Vietnam Vet Memorial.
26. Start a family vacation tradition.
27. Go to Disney World.
28. Visit Branson, MO.
29. Set foot in the Atlantic Ocean.
30. Figure out a way to work less, play more.
We decided to keep Tennessee home from daycare and David decided he would take a few days to catch up on his rest and take care of baby girl. We figured it would be easiest for him since he has a million days of leave saved up and I only have about 12 hours of PTO since I used all of mine for maternity leave and moving from AZ to FL. Problem was, David had to go into work, do PT, then put in his leave request. He sent me a text this morning saying he was going to be late getting home, so could I take the day off? Of course, I did. He came in a few hours later and agreed to watch Tennessee while I got my eyes checked. So I headed off to Eyemaster's, but the eye doctor has decided he now wants Mondays off, so I ended up making an appt for this weekend. And I stopped in Old Navy next door for Military Mondays. I ended up buying T a few little outfits, something I really haven't done yet. I got so may clothes for her at my shower (thanks Momma!), that I was pretty well set through 3 months. I can't wait to take pictures of her in the new clothes I bought! Ugh, she's just so adorable it's unreal.
Anyway, since I spent most of the weekend rocking my baby girl so she's stay asleep, I started thinking about all the things I want to do here in Florida and in life in general. Anyone who knows me knows I love to make lists, so I made a 30 before I turn 30 list (I'm 26 now).
30 by 30
1. Get out of debt. We don't have credit card debt, but we have two car payments and 3 student loans. Ouch.
2.Finish my Master's degree. I'm almost done with the program, only 3 classes to go!
3. Give Tennessee a sibling.
4. Spend Christmas back home. This is especially difficult because it's hard for me to get time off around the holidays.
5. Spend Christmas with David's family. And since they live super close to D.C., I want to see the capital at Christmas time, too.
6. Rent a pontoon boat and spend the day on the water. Preferably without getting sunburned.
7. Visit Savannah, GA.
8. Visit Charleston, SC.
9. Visit the Bahamas.
10. Spend more time at the beach. As close as we live to the water, I have yet to actually get in. Can you imagine that?
11. Make a quilt.
12. Get my parents and brother to visit at the same time. Would love to combine this with #6
13. Read more.
14. Spend less time wishing, more time doing.
15. Be able to attend David's work functions. This is a hard one for me because we bid for time off for the following year in October. Then those with the most seniority get first pick. Days that are left can be taken anytime during the year, but the have to be scheduled a couple of weeks in advance to be considered planned. Trouble with this is the military does everything at the last minute. Which means I just don't get to go/participate. In fact, the guys at our last base called me "fictional" because no one had ever met me.
16. Visit David's family in San Fran
17. Visit David's grandparents in the Outer Banks
18. See New England during the fall.
19. Get to know my neighbors better.
20. Go to a professional sporting event. It's been way too long.
21. Go to Homecoming at ASU.
22. Take more family pictures.
23. Teach my children to love books and play outdoors.
24. Try not to spoil my babies (too much) on birthdays and holidays. I saw a board on Pinterest once that said gifts should be: Something to wear, something to read, Something I want, Something I need. I love that idea.
25. See the Vietnam Vet Memorial.
26. Start a family vacation tradition.
27. Go to Disney World.
28. Visit Branson, MO.
29. Set foot in the Atlantic Ocean.
30. Figure out a way to work less, play more.
Labor Day Weekend
Here's a late post:
Hope everyone enjoyed the extra day off last weekend. I know hubby and I did! We didn't get much rest or relaxation, but we did get a lot accomplished. After a bunch of trips to Lowes, hubby and I were set for our individual projects. Hubby buried some concrete blocks under our gate so Duke couldn't dig himself out. I swear we should have named him George. Curious George. Which is one of his many nicknames. I like Nosey-boy, Sir Sniffs-A-Lot, Pretty Boy and Daddy Duke (thanks to protective instincts over baby girl) best.
My big project for the weekend was my office. I managed to get it painted, not so easy with a 3 month old, but it's still a mess. I have it somewhat put back together so I can work this week, then I'll get it finished up this weekend. I have a little paint to touch up, the aforementioned stencil to use, and lots of cleaning/organizing. Stay tuned for photos of the transformation!
I also worked a little more in Tennessee's room:
I decided to make Tennessee's nursery a combination of a baby and a toddler room. I didn't want anything to be too babyish, and I really don't want to have to completely redo her room in a couple of years to make it age appropriate. So I decided to do a couple more crafty things that she will grow into.
Bulletin board
I bought a cheap cork board at Hobby Lobby and Mod Podged pretty fabric to it. The I stapled the edges of the fabric to the back of the cork board frame. This was a cheap and easy project that I really love. Don't you just love this giraffe fabric? I ordered it off Amazon, and have found a few more uses for it in the nursery - more on that later! For now, here's the finished bulletin board. I'll post pics of it in place when I do the big reveal!
Chalk boards
Chalkboards and chalkboard paint are all the rage right now. And yes, I love them, too. I decided I wanted to have something that was a chalkboard in Tennessee's room, but I couldn't decide what type of surface I wanted it to be. Then one day I was in a Walmart in the next town over and found a 3 pack of canvas. Not stretched canvas that's already framed, but flat canvas. My local Walmart has very little craft supplies, but this Walmart still has a fabric section along with a large selection of other DIY supplies. I found the 3 pack of flat canvas for a fraction of the price craft stores sell them for, and knew right away these would be my chalkboard surfaces.
I brought the canvas home and used a can of spray chalkboard paint (also from Walmart) to apply two coats to the canvas, letting it dry for afull 24 hours about 4 hours in between coats. Then I brought the canvases inside and prepped the surfaces by covering the whole thing in chalk and then wiping the canvas clean. I used those trusty 3m strips to hang the canvases (I used two) behind Tennessee's closet door and next to her window. My only complaint is that the canvases weren't exactly the same size, even though they were supposed to be, so the one on the left is slightly longer. Which does NOT make my OCD happy! Grr...
Bottom line: I love taking the time to make things for Tennessee's room. My parents and grandparents did that for me when I was little, and I still have a lot of handmade items from my childhood room. I'm not sure that anything I'm doing for Tennessee will be that permanent, but at least it was made by her Momma.
Also, David and I found the perfect comfy chair for her nursery on Craigslist, for $50! After getting it cleaned up we put it by the window with a rug and lovely pillow from Target (gasp!) that was ON SALE and probably cheaper than any pillow I could have made. I think it looks PERFECT! Pictures to come!
We also bought a dresser off of Craigslist (from a very sad little man) and had to drive all the way to Pensacola for it. About an hour from our house. We made a day of it and had sushi at Shark Fin while we were in town. Food was delicious, baby girl was amazingly sweet and calm (as usual), and the dresser is in decent shape - just needs a bit of refinishing. That's my next big project. Although I may put hubby to work sanding it since he usually gets a choice - work, or watch Tennessee. Not sure what it is that makes men afraid to be alone with babies (even their own, even when they're really good with said baby)?? Maybe it's the amount of up and down work associated with constantly feeding (seriously. CONSTANTLY.) and changing and playing with baby.
I also worked a little more in Tennessee's room:
I decided to make Tennessee's nursery a combination of a baby and a toddler room. I didn't want anything to be too babyish, and I really don't want to have to completely redo her room in a couple of years to make it age appropriate. So I decided to do a couple more crafty things that she will grow into.
Bulletin board
I bought a cheap cork board at Hobby Lobby and Mod Podged pretty fabric to it. The I stapled the edges of the fabric to the back of the cork board frame. This was a cheap and easy project that I really love. Don't you just love this giraffe fabric? I ordered it off Amazon, and have found a few more uses for it in the nursery - more on that later! For now, here's the finished bulletin board. I'll post pics of it in place when I do the big reveal!
Chalk boards
Chalkboards and chalkboard paint are all the rage right now. And yes, I love them, too. I decided I wanted to have something that was a chalkboard in Tennessee's room, but I couldn't decide what type of surface I wanted it to be. Then one day I was in a Walmart in the next town over and found a 3 pack of canvas. Not stretched canvas that's already framed, but flat canvas. My local Walmart has very little craft supplies, but this Walmart still has a fabric section along with a large selection of other DIY supplies. I found the 3 pack of flat canvas for a fraction of the price craft stores sell them for, and knew right away these would be my chalkboard surfaces.
Here's the canvas pre-paint. Sorry it's white on white.
Next time I'll do better. Promise.
This stuff is A-MA-ZING!
(Excuse the reloading supplies in the background.)
I brought the canvas home and used a can of spray chalkboard paint (also from Walmart) to apply two coats to the canvas, letting it dry for a
Bottom line: I love taking the time to make things for Tennessee's room. My parents and grandparents did that for me when I was little, and I still have a lot of handmade items from my childhood room. I'm not sure that anything I'm doing for Tennessee will be that permanent, but at least it was made by her Momma.
Also, David and I found the perfect comfy chair for her nursery on Craigslist, for $50! After getting it cleaned up we put it by the window with a rug and lovely pillow from Target (gasp!) that was ON SALE and probably cheaper than any pillow I could have made. I think it looks PERFECT! Pictures to come!
We also bought a dresser off of Craigslist (from a very sad little man) and had to drive all the way to Pensacola for it. About an hour from our house. We made a day of it and had sushi at Shark Fin while we were in town. Food was delicious, baby girl was amazingly sweet and calm (as usual), and the dresser is in decent shape - just needs a bit of refinishing. That's my next big project. Although I may put hubby to work sanding it since he usually gets a choice - work, or watch Tennessee. Not sure what it is that makes men afraid to be alone with babies (even their own, even when they're really good with said baby)?? Maybe it's the amount of up and down work associated with constantly feeding (seriously. CONSTANTLY.) and changing and playing with baby.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Rough Day
My sweet little 3.5 month old baby girl is sick. She was home with her dad yesterday while I was working, and we kept noticing her sneezing more than usual. She has always sneezed a lot, but not like this. Then the coughing started. After every sneeze came a cough. She just kept getting more and more congested. Poor thing.
When I put her down for the night (she always sleeps through the night) she only slept for an hour before she woke up screaming. She's never one to cry, so I knew she was really hurting. David and I took turns rocking her since it was the only thing that calmed her down. She threw up a couple times, and David and I were just heartbroken we couldn't make it all better for her.
None of us got much rest last night, so we scrapped our plans to work on the house and ended up staying home just hanging out. We spent most of the evening watching VH1s countdown of the too 100 songs from 2000-2010. "Crazy in Love" from Beyonce and Jay Z was #1.
I also made yummy Mexican stuffed shells for dinner. David told me I should make them more often. He's a picky eater, so that's success in my book! Especially after last night when I made chicken quesadillas and he told me I was killing him with goodness after he asked what made them so good and I said "butter".
The house projects will just have to wait for another day. Right now my baby girl and sanity all depend on me getting some rest.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Delivery
Don't you love getting packages in the mail? Today I received a stencil that I ordered from Cutting Edge Stencils that I had forgotten about even ordering! While it's better to get presents or things you didn't pay for, I was pretty happy with this purchase since I googled "Cutting Edge Stencil promo" and found a coupon for 20% off. Love coupons! And love the stencil more. I'll be using it in my office, and hope to get that done this weekend.
I also got our internet/cable bill in the mail today. Normally this wouldn't excite me, but it reminded me that hubby has been asking me to call and add a few channels to our programming. We basically had their bottom tier with the HBO movie package. I could usually care less about TV (except during football season), so it didn't really matter to me what package we had. Hubby? He cares. And he really cared that since we moved here in July he has not been able to watch BBC or the Science channel. So we've been watching Top Gear (a favorite in our house) reruns on Netflix. All 5 billion episodes. So I called and added an additional package that gives us BBC, Science, Nat Geo, the Military channel (also a favorite) and a few others I can't even remember. I declined to add the children's package because I don't like the idea of Tennessee growing up a child of television. I want her to play outside, get dirty, use her imagination. Anyhoo, I added the additional package for $4.99. Guess it's a small price to pay to make David happy.
Also, I feel like I survived something great today. I picked Tennessee up from her last day of daycare this week. It was a rough week for me and David, but Tennessee seems to be adjusting just fine. She's always happy when I pick her up, and really, really tired. I guess being around other kids wears her out.
David doesn't work Fridays, even though he has to go in for PT, so he'll make it home just in time to take care of our chunky monkey so I can lock myself in the office for 8.5 hours. AND, I'm hoping he'll enjoy his day with baby girl so much that he'll excuse me to leave the house long enough for a haircut and maybe even a pedicure. Neither of which have happened since Arizona. Egad. If not tomorrow then hopefully I can fit it in sometime this weekend.
Mommy needs a little "me" time too, ya know.
I also got our internet/cable bill in the mail today. Normally this wouldn't excite me, but it reminded me that hubby has been asking me to call and add a few channels to our programming. We basically had their bottom tier with the HBO movie package. I could usually care less about TV (except during football season), so it didn't really matter to me what package we had. Hubby? He cares. And he really cared that since we moved here in July he has not been able to watch BBC or the Science channel. So we've been watching Top Gear (a favorite in our house) reruns on Netflix. All 5 billion episodes. So I called and added an additional package that gives us BBC, Science, Nat Geo, the Military channel (also a favorite) and a few others I can't even remember. I declined to add the children's package because I don't like the idea of Tennessee growing up a child of television. I want her to play outside, get dirty, use her imagination. Anyhoo, I added the additional package for $4.99. Guess it's a small price to pay to make David happy.
Also, I feel like I survived something great today. I picked Tennessee up from her last day of daycare this week. It was a rough week for me and David, but Tennessee seems to be adjusting just fine. She's always happy when I pick her up, and really, really tired. I guess being around other kids wears her out.
David doesn't work Fridays, even though he has to go in for PT, so he'll make it home just in time to take care of our chunky monkey so I can lock myself in the office for 8.5 hours. AND, I'm hoping he'll enjoy his day with baby girl so much that he'll excuse me to leave the house long enough for a haircut and maybe even a pedicure. Neither of which have happened since Arizona. Egad. If not tomorrow then hopefully I can fit it in sometime this weekend.
Mommy needs a little "me" time too, ya know.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Sunday Funday
Don't you just hate that phrase?? Everyone uses it, and to be honest, Sundays are a little sad for me these days. Back in Arizona, Sundays were pretty much my favorite day of the week. Except for the pending doom of Monday, of course. What made Sundays so amazing? Glad you asked.
Family. Specifically, this guy:
This is my Grandpa in his Army uniform during the Korean War. Isn't he handsome? Starting when I was in high school, I spent every Sunday morning with The Grandpa. That's right, he has a title. It's a little bit like going to church, if your church tells stories of wild shenanigans orchestrated by one unruly sinner who married a saint.
Family. Specifically, this guy:
This is my Grandpa in his Army uniform during the Korean War. Isn't he handsome? Starting when I was in high school, I spent every Sunday morning with The Grandpa. That's right, he has a title. It's a little bit like going to church, if your church tells stories of wild shenanigans orchestrated by one unruly sinner who married a saint.
The Saint aka Grandma
Here's their wedding picture
Gorgeous, don't you think?
And here he is with my newborn munchkin
Seriously, though. The Grandpa has the best stories (all true - but maybe a little embellished) and I am so lucky to have spent so much time hearing them. Stories of a time much more free, and much more difficult than life today.
I always miss him when I'm away, but especially on Sundays.
P.S.
While I hate the term "Sunday Funday", I'll let it slide this weekend. Reason being? Football is back in season, and tomorrow is a holiday. Enjoy your extra day!
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