in full bloom

Spring is finally here and I'm not the only one in our house that's excited about it! I have been getting up before the sun lately. Kalea is determined to turn me into a shriveled old hag way before my time with this 6am call time. Being the determined, head-strong 10-month old she has turned out to be,  there's no deterring her either--when she's up, she is UP. It's sort of like turning on a light...her eyes pop open and that is all she wrote for the deep sleep I was in. A part of me likes that she is a morning person as I find myself to be one too, so we rise to the sound of birds chatter and a quiet that only early mornings can offer up.  Today not so much. I love her spirit and her energy and babbling antics makes my morning.

For Mother's Day, Nick brought home a new camera for me to enjoy! He's so thoughtful and yes, the camera is a) humungous b) absolutely AWESOME  c) something we needed and use everyday  d) the reason I started blogging again  e) all of the above

That answer is e.  It does everything and with Kalea as my subject, has already been put to good use! We can't wait to bring her to the beach this summer and be able to document her growth which as most mothers can contest is daily, miraculously enough.  She is running around (especially when she gets into mischief) and has the most precious facial expressions ever.  Here are a few shots from our first spring outdoor excursion!

on this halloween

It's hard to think there are 8 million people without power, people's homes have been swept away with the hurricane on the east coast in the past few days. We are safe and with power this morning and I thank my lucky stars since we were in the path of the storm in Virginia Beach. I'm praying that those in the affected areas find safety and solice today.

Four months have dissipated since my last post and Kalea is no longer a newborn. She is sitting up next to me, holding her own pacifier (I was strongly against them until I realized they were a necessity, what was I thinking?!) and watching my every move. It's been an incredible 4 months filled with severe emotions of all kinds while watching her as she learns and grows. Motherhood is truly the most amazing journey to witness. The feelings you go through in any given day is something that no one can prepare you for. Your every morsel of energy is poured into this little person who seems to change right before your eyes. There's nothing like the degree of love you feel nor the severity of overwhelming emotions that happen from moment to moment with motherhood. Kalea is such a joyous spirit and strong personality already.

Since the last post, we have packed all of my crap and moved to a new house closer to the oceanfront, unpacked the obscene quantity of boxes and am almost completely done with the decor and organization of it all.  Nick has re-enlisted in the Navy and was selected to be on board for a super special ceremony with the Bush family on his ship. We posed for our first family photos (Kalea is quite the ham and loves the camera). Our enjoyed our first set of visitors with my big sister and his mom and the summer days of beach time have since been replaced with Hurricane Sandy or "Frankenstorm" that missed us luckily.

Today is Halloween and pumpkin carving, fake spiderwebs and face painting will hopefully make this a special day for us. We are stocking up on candy for what might be a slew of trick-or-treaters since we have a gang of kids in our new neighborhood :) and I have to come up with a costume with stuff from around the house.  Have a safe and candy-filled Halloween, everyone. My thoughts are with those without power, searching for a safe place today.

week 38 + DIY nursery

Progress on the nursery has been tougher than I expected. At 38 weeks this space has proved to be challenging for more reasons than one. With limited space, large pieces of furniture and an overabundance of stuff, my time has been spent deciding what my necessities will be in the coming weeks and what I simply need to throw out. I have too much crap! The belly is progressively in the way making bending a bit tough but I feel like if I go into labor, the nursery is in working order, FINALLY!

So here we are, mid-June and I can't believe our baby girl is due in a few weeks. Kids are expensive and as I ventured onto various websites, I got a better grasp on the overwhelming world of "mommy blogs" and products for every moment of motherhood that I was unfamiliar with.  Everything is new to me...products, cost and necessities for a nursery. My day job the past few months has been to hunt for things I loved and then DIY'd a bunch of things for the nursery (if at all possible).  Making handmade items for her room was a fun way to make an original statement that was affordable and enjoyable while passing the time. This space has been the catch-all since moving in March but slowly purged items, donated others and organized the rest to make this office/storage/nursery predominantly a nursery that is pulling double duty as you will see in "after" photos. The white organizers are from Michael's which I acquired one at a time and assembled myself.

All in all, the nursery has been generously supplied thanks to our friends and family (from our baby registry) and the fun of this for me has been opening boxes that arrive randomly and trying to find ways to cut cost here and there. Aside from not buying any new clothes for nine months thankfully, I made DIY a daily event beginning with:

(a) Curb-diving a vintage wood changing table, sanding, painting and repurposing it for a bookcase/storage unit.

(b) Making a mobile for above the changing table that I wrapped with ribbon, hung owls with ribbon and hot glued felt pieces as leaves on the ribbon.

(c) I painted five small canvases with Kalea's initials using vintage buttons, ribbon and various inspiration found online. 

(d) Lucking into finding a cool and comfy chair for the corner that was both affordable and fit the area perfectly on craigslist for $30 bucks...much better than $250 like most gliders/ottomans. 

(e) Recovering pillows with fun prints for $2.00 a side = $4 bucks a pillow instead of spending $40 a piece for three pillows.

a society of inspiration

Thanks to Odessa May Society, a super incredibly blog by Jennie Prince, I have found inspiration in my hunt for chic and affordable baby clothes for Kalea. I haven't shared a whole lot about the last 37 weeks but I have a few blog posts in the works including nurseries that I absolutely love along with before/after pics of baby Kalea's nursery with a bunch of DIY projects. With that said, I discovered Jennie's blog today while surfing dot coms for moms and 1-13 pictured above are listed here. 

life is good

Happy Wednesday!

Enjoying the Raggaefest at Buckroe Beach

I can't believe the date, it feels like Christmas just happened and I am almost to the big due date. Speaking of big, my belly bump is growing steadily, the baby girl is 5 pounds and almost 18 inches long and my third trimester is well under way. I have loved being pregnant up until now (34 weeks) that has produced a bit more aches, trouble sleeping and slight angst regarding the impending birth of this squirmy little one that has made a home in my belly for what seems like 2 months and 2 years all at once!

The mama club is one that has been exhausting to navigate with websites for this, that, the other and highly entertaining as I am stopped by women who have to indulge their worst, most horrific labor stories or daily joys with someone who may not know what they are getting into. I've become exhilaratingly grateful for my health, my body and my experience through it all.

My experience is atypical from those mothers I have discussed all things motherhood with and realize that I have been very fortunate in my time "with child". Not a day or night of morning sickness, no horrible acne (for once in my life) and a wonderful feeling of strength and honor that is indescribable make me so thankful.

My first trimester was a busy one, working a job that I loved on the Oncology floor, packing up a house and move (driving a Uhaul solo to the East Coast at 20 weeks) and spending quality time with family and friends who shared in my excitement beforehand. Creatively I was a nesting mess wanting to make what I could instead of buying things, gathering fun things for the nursery and prepping for the biggest life shift to date.

Now, with a few more lbs, no visible stretch marks as of yet and the countdown steadily counting down, I am looking forward to witnessing her birth and have discovered that the act of becoming a mother has given me a better understanding and appreciation for what my mother did for me some 29 years ago. I know she will be there as she has always been but can't hardly believe how fast my pregnancy has flown by.

If you have any advise, suggestions or life savers that you used during pregnancy or once the baby got here, I am all ears and love to hear about people's journeys through this unbelievably special time...leave a comment!

footprints in the sand

Spring is here and the weather has been balmy one day and brisk the next so I took advantage of a 90 degree day last week and ventured to the beach for the first time. Oceanview led me to the beach where I took the day to soak up the heat, people gaze and enjoy this time in my life. It's hard to believe than in just 11 weeks I will be welcoming a baby girl to the world. I walked barefoot in the warm sand and was approached by a woman with her husband who had the day off of work and was doing exactly what I was...enjoying her first day at the beach of the year. She was a warm spirit with a very familiar smile. We parted ways after chatting up the weather, the area and me being new to it, and the impending baby I was smuggling under my maxi dress. She kindly complimented how "cute" I looked and took her happiness down to the waterfront. 

As I wandered or perhaps waddled around camera and flats in hand, I was overcome with the realization that I would have a little one to bring to play in the ocean before too long. Time lapsed and as I was heading to the boardwalk, she was there again. Her eyes were honest and she told me that she was an enlightened spirit who needed to convey something to me. "I was told to tell you not to worry about it, and that everything will be ok. I'm not sure what that means but he wanted me to tell you that." 

I was instantly filled with a feeling of quiet satisfaction, knowing that she didn't know my heart, my deepest thoughts but was willing to look foolish or strange in order to relay this message to me. I knew right then that all of the little things I was pondering, chewing over, even anxious about should be released.  The day was incredibly uplifting thanks to this woman and the bright sunshine the beach afforded me. There's something so nice about a quiet day alone with just your thoughts.

a lovely day

Saturday was such a lovely day for my love and I to get out and enjoy each other's company. I made sure to wear a pair of flats (since pregnancy, this number has increased), bring my drink to stay well hydrated and remember the camera for our first visit to the Chrysler Museum of Art on the water in Norfolk. The wind cooled off the day as we walked on the grounds and the smell of old artifacts and vaulted glass ceilings made us look and feel miniature upon entering, which I completely love.

As we swept our way through the 30 Americans exhibit that took up two floors, I was inspired to begin painting something other than old sanded pieces of furniture. The historical implications were disturbingly real and post-its sat waiting for patrons to engage in the conversation. Nick and I both took a second to write down our thoughts and stick it on the multi-colored wall of random posted thoughts.

I always have had a fascination with museums. I feel so small, insignificant and otherwise ignorant to all of the periods, artists, and artifacts contained in them. Every piece quietly preserving our history, begging to be noted and adored. It became the perfect backdrop for a magical and romantic afternoon...