Our little boy's ecclectic nature nursery.

I'm not sure if that's even what you would call it, but here are a few snapshots of our little boy's room. I think I've mentioned it before, but he is sharing space with his daddy. :) I wasn't too happy about it at first, but I tried really, really, really, really hard not to fight about it. Then one day while I was praying about it, God showed me how thankful I should be that my husband is willing to share the same room (office/nursery) with our son, when most kids in America go to bed at night without a dad around. That totally changed my perspective, and I'm super excited for my boys to have a hang out spot. ;) haha

Those are the prints I blogged about here. I bought the postcard size of them and found some inexpensive wooden frames from Hobby Lobby. You can also see one of the knit mushrooms my very creative friend Amy made for me, by request. She rocks! She is a great, great cook (so check out her blog) and she knit the cutest sweater vest for out little one, and got us some awesome vintage books!! I love used books and handmade things. :) To the left is a jar of eggs. haha It's very random, but I decided to add it anyways. For some reason I bought a glass egg on our honeymoon, and then somewhere else after that, and I just buy them wherever I can find them now. I told my gramma about them once and she had a few that (I believe?) her  mom had collected, so she brought them to me on one of her trips out here. So now I have a jar of eggs that people in my family have been collecting for a few generations. I thought it fit the nature theme. What do you think? ;) haha

I collect framed butterflies, which I've talked about before. This was my first collection one of my uncle's bought me from a flea market. After that, I was in love with the vintage ones, but they are VERY expensive. B got me another set when he went to Cambodia. My parents brought those with them on their last trip down, so I will hang them soon as well. I really want to get some other framed bugs, as weird as that sounds. Maybe some bumble bees or beetles. I have a few other small collections around the house. They are so colorful! I also made the garland out of old fabric scraps I had laying around. A friend of mine mentioned that they look like butterflies. I hadn't noticed, but they totally do look like fluttery wings. :) It adds to the nature theme, I guess.

I love these woodland animals! My boss just gave us the deer yesterday, and I wanted to keep it for myself to cuddle with. ;)

One of the gals in my creative workshop does calligraphy art. I so wish I could write that beautifully! I found a poetry book on motherhood at a thrift store a few months after I got pregnant. This is one of my favorite poems I found in it. I thought the title was so adorable too!! So, she wrote it up! How gorgeous is it!? I haven't framed it yet, but I intend to. I will eventually hang it in there as well. This is the actual poem, since you can't read it from the picture:

To a Little Invisible Being Who is Expected Soon To Become Visible

by Anna Laetitia Barbauld

Germ of new life, whose powers expanding slow

For many a moon their full perfection wait,—

Haste, precious pledge of happy love, to go

Auspicious borne through life's mysterious gate.

What powers lie folded in thy curious frame,—

Senses from objects locked, and mind from thought!

How little canst thou guess thy lofty claim

To grasp at all the worlds the Almighty wrought!

And see, the genial season's warmth to share,

Fresh younglings shoot, and opening roses glow!

Swarms of new life exulting fill the air,—

Haste, infant bud of being, haste to blow!

For thee the nurse prepares her lulling songs,

The eager matrons count the lingering day;

But far the most thy anxious parent longs

On thy soft cheek a mother's kiss to lay.

She only asks to lay her burden down,

That her glad arms that burden may resume;

And nature's sharpest pangs her wishes crown,

That free thee living from thy living tomb.

She longs to fold to her maternal breast

Part of herself, yet to herself unknown;

To see and to salute the stranger guest,

Fed with her life through many a tedious moon.

Come, reap thy rich inheritance of love!

Bask in the fondness of a Mother's eye!

Nor wit nor eloquence her heart shall move

Like the first accents of thy feeble cry.

Haste, little captive, burst thy prison doors!

Launch on the living world, and spring to light!

Nature for thee displays her various stores,

Opens her thousand inlets of delight.

If charmed verse or muttered prayers had power,

With favouring spells to speed thee on thy way,

Anxious I'd bid my beads each passing hour,

Till thy wished smile thy mother's pangs o'erpay.

I randomly pulled stuff from around the house that I thought fit the theme and just added it to these shelves. I really have a thing for eggs and butterflies, I guess. The butterfly in that blown glass was a housewarming gift from my brother in law. haha I got those little wooden boxes for $3 from Target. I've been collecting those books since I was in high school. And I didn't think a nature room was complete without a real, living plant. :) I've been quite pleased with it! It's a pathos house plant. They are supposed to be very easy to take care of, as far as indoor plants go. I love the bright shade of green it adds. I somehow ended up with dark aqua and lime green being some of the main colors in this room. :)

Hope you enjoyed the mini nursery tour! I kept it very minimal, but I really love it. :)

xoxo

It comes and goes.

That's energy that I'm talking about. These days at least. I've got to make the most of it when I can, even if that means planning out my nesting and meals when I'm awake at 4 a.m. haha! Today I got home around 4 after a long, but good, day at work, and sat down on the couch with some water and my laptop, planning on never getting up again for the rest of the night. But alas, I talked myself into doing my workout, and I've suddenly had energy ever since. Yesterday I went crazy to town making all sorts of things for the babies room , and one cute project for myself, and I've had enough energy in the last hour to finish some of them up. :)

Please know that I am generally not this crafty, I promise. At least...I'm not as crafty as many other people I know. I did many of these projects because I was able to use things from around my house or they required basic craft supplies that I have on hand from past projects. These are also projects I've been keeping track of on my pinterest boards for months now, and have finally decided to just do them, so it's not like I find something and get it made before dinner time. ;) It's takes lots and lots of pins, time, and courage. haha

This book garland was super easy to make! I made it for the baby boy's room, but my baby shower is also book themed, so I thought it would be cute to use there as well. I just pulled the pages out of an old book I had around the house that I've used in the past for various projects. I also had the string. I did buy the mini clothes pins, but I plan on using those in lots of different ways in the baby's room, so I didn't mind spending the 1.50 or whatever they were (plus my teacher's discount at Michael's! Score!). The paper that I used for the book covers I did buy, but just because they were .59 each and I didn't have a spare cereal box on hand. I do plan on making some more where I use cereal boxes and just paint them, or the pattern of the boxes themselves may be kind of cute and add to the creative mix.

 

 

I always check the clearance for acrylic paint. I usually find some funky colors for .19. I think this was one of those colors I found, but I just so happen to be using it in the baby's room quite a bit. I bought these letters right after we were married to use this idea in our bedroom, I just never got around to finishing it. Plus, I think it looks much cuter for the little guy's room. I've got them sitting above the doorframe of his room, and I'm going to cut out a small cardboard star or two and paint them gold and stick them up there as well.

 

 

 These toilet paper roll owls are so adorable!! I'm going to make a few more and set them on different shelves in his room. I think it's so fun how you can create different personalities with each owl. This was a very, very cheap project!! I think everyone in America has spare toilet paper rolls on hand.

 

 



And last but not least, these fun flats that I repainted!! I am a sucker for any item of clothing that has a cat on it...so I had to make these when I saw the how-to. The paint was a little old, so who knows how long they'll last, but I think I originally purchased the shoes for just a couple of bucks anyways. And they aren't the most comfortable, so I've only worn them one or two times, but now I have a cute reason to push through the pain! ;)

I hope you guys enjoyed checking up on my nesting projects. :) Do you see a theme of some sort coming together? haha

xoxo

A nest.

It seems like that's what I'm building when I consider all the fabric and string scarps I'm pulling from around the house for this little boy's nursery. Oh, and the feathers. I had to actually stop myself from buying moss yesterday. haha Thanks to your prayers and encouraging words, I truly felt a difference at work yesterday. Part of it was also just voicing my need for more help, and my wonderful aids came to the rescue as usual. And now I'll be home for most of the rest of the week, and I can feel my momma mode kicking into high gear. I've been staying up a little later than usual making things, and actually taking steps to get organized with his room.

 

 

I'm making a few banners to hang on the ceiling over the crib, coming out from one of the corners. Some of the fabric I'm using are actually vintage crib sheets I snagged several years ago because I liked the print so much. I found myself having to really think about boy colors while making these. "Oh, pink flowers..what shades of pink should I put with this one?" No, no, no, Lexy! Blue! You're having a little boy. haha I've got to retrain my girlish thinking habits.

 

 



We got a big package in the mail last week and opened it up to find this beauty! B's cousins from Tacoma sent it to us. One of them drew it by hand. It's a one of a kind. I love it, as I love all sorts of butterfly or bug prints. haha As long as we have space in the nursery, I plan on hanging this up. :)

Alright, well there are a few peeks at what I've been working on this week. :) Keep me and baby boy in your prayers!

xoxo

A lonely Tuesday.

B and I usually work opposite shifts on Tuesdays. Which stinks. And he basically works alllll day Thursdays between a regular job and then ministry, and I also work Thursdays. So Thursdays also stink. But on my way to work this morning I was soooo overjoyed at the thought that I won't be lonely Tuesday and Thursday nights for much longer. :) I know this is the romanticizing part of having a new baby, but I am so going to love to have a little man to spend the night with while his daddy is out providing for us! I guess I'm spending time with him now....haha I can even feel him kicking me while I type this. Now that's love. ;)

I busted my butt getting stuff done in this little guy's room yesterday. For the first time ever, I made a list of things I was looking for before setting foot in the thrift store (thanks to some advice I got from a friend's blog post). I still only found one thing from my list...well, it wasn't even on my list, but I've always got my eye out for a good crate. I also scored yet another book and some maternity shorts. I'm not sure if this pregnancy will call for those since I'm due the last week, but they were only a couple bucks so I can pull them out if I need them.

After blogging on Sunday about all the things I really should be doing to get his room ready, I actually did them. haha I found a used changing table that was at our place by 5 p.m. and I also ordered a few of those small prints, since B and I couldn't decide on just one. All very affordable pieces. So I spent a good hour or so really dusting and cleaning the changing table. AFTER all that cleaning was when I got the bright idea to sand it down and make it look worn. I have lots of pieces in my house that really ARE old and warn, almost to the point that I don't like to clean my furniture because it just pulls more old paint off. haha Here are the before and afters:

I had already started working on the front when I remember to snap a pic.

Aaaand after. After many awkward positions, finger burns, pieces of sand paper, a purple, blistered finger, and an achey belly. I could have kept going, but it honestly took a lot out of me. Plus, it was cold standing outside for over an hour sanding away. haha But I'm quite happy with it. :) It adds to the eclectic look this doll house is going for.

By the way, today marks the beginning of the END!! :D Woohoo!! Hello third and final trimester!

xoxo

A home is a garden.

I haven't really wanted to nest lately. Sadly. Fearfully. What does that mean? Probably that I'm just busy and can't bring myself to go out and spend any money to cutesy up the baby room. So today we're hanging out at home all day after B gets home from church. I'm taking this time to search around the web for some more cute, affordable things to include in the nursery, and I'm hoping to hit up some thrift stores this week. (Anyone wanna make a trip to SLC with me? ;)) I've hit a sort of creative block with the nursery and keep talking myself down about it. "It doesn't have to be cool....he doesn't need anything, blah, blah, blah." Yes, that's all true, but I think I'd enjoy the next three months more and work through this ridiculous anticipation by staying busy making a little Hobbit hole for my little boy. Also, I've always stood my the conviction that a house becomes a home when creativity is encouraged and present. God placed Adam and Eve in the most creative, colorful, expressive garden that ever has been planted in history. That was the home He made for them before sin came and made homemaking more of a chore. I want to encourage the same sort of environment for my little ones, so they know God IS a creative God, and He has made us creative to reflect His image. (These thoughts and more were encouraged when I read The Hidden Art of Homemaking which I've mentioned before.)

While searching on Etsy, I found this adorable shop! I love all these prints!! How could I decide on just one? :)

This was the first one I came across. It has all the little animals I'm trying to incorporate (but still haven't?). But look at the others! Aren't they darling? Very earthy, yet creative and storybook-like. They sort of remind me of Where the Wild Things Are.

 

 

Ahhhhhh!!! Foxes AND France? Oh my!

 

Hopefully my creative juices are being stirred. Have a relaxing Sunday afternoon!

 

xoxo

 



The Prego Questions!

Because everyone is just dying to know these answers....not. haha I've just had lots of nothing but thoughts about baby and adjusting to my new uncomfortable body this week, so why not just continue with the theme here? ;) I found these cute questions on this blog.

How far along are you: My doctor and I have made a compromise haha So I'm a few days short of 27 weeks now. :)

Size of Baby: Huge! lol The Bump has a cute chart that shows the size of the baby at each week based on a food. So this week my little babe is the size of a head of lettuce.

Maternity Clothes: Ha...well, I think I have four shirts that I remember off the top of my head, and a few dresses. I don't think I'm going to buy anymore though. My of my sweet student's parents got me a be band last week, so that's been really nice to just wear under normal clothes and get the extra length I need on shirts. Other than that, I'll probably have to start sleeping in B's old t-shirts soon. ;)

Stretch Marks: Not yet haha I have an odd combo of things I've been doing to try and prevent them, but obviously I can't do much if they do happen. I use Mango Shea lotion, Neutrogena Norwegian body wrap, and Doterra's Wild Orange oil mixed with some coconut carrier oil. I just grab whatever I have on hand. The Neutrogena is the same lotion I've used since high school. My skin would get so dry that when I'd shave my legs they'd just bleed afterwards. This was the lotion my mom found that really helped. I used the mango shea butter because I read that any lotion with shea works for stretch marks, as well as any essential oil. Luckily, while reading my book on essential oils during pregnancy, I learned that Wild Orange is one they specifically suggest using. So I did, but some days the smell can be a bit strong for me and it makes me sick, so I really have to be careful when I use it. (I ONLY suggest using Doterra's oils during pregnancy. Noting else has gone through the testing like they have to check for purity and quality, so who knows what else you're really putting on and in your body when you use another brand of essential oils.) Anyways, there's my spiel about that.

Weight gain/loss: I don't really care who knows this. lol I'm about 19 pounds as of my last appt. My doctor said I'm gaining a bit quickly and he really wants me to try and stay at 30 total since I'm little, so his suggestion was cutting out dairy and bread. I do looooove my Greek yogurt, as well as cheese, and I could eat a few bagels a day, so yes, I'm guilty on both those accounts. haha I've been having some fun switching up my diet this week, as well as trying to cut out white flour and sugar as I go into my last trimester. (starting TUESDAY!! EEEK)

Sleep: I'm feeling much more comfortable. I take off the top pillows on the Boppy body pillow that's for your arms and use that to support my tummy. Using the whole thing just made me soooo hot at night, and it was like having a person laying between my husband and I, which we didn't really like. But this has made me much, much more comfortable. It's just finding the TIME to sleep during our crazy schedule. ;)

Best Moment of the week: When B was scratching and poking my belly before School of Worship last night. :) It has freaked him out so far, but without even realizing it he just seemed to be scratching it (which made me VERY happy) and poking around while waiting for these to start last night. :) It just felt like a very natural, dad-like thing to do. :) Am I crazy? Yes, I think he's wonderful. :)

Movement: Oh my goodness!! Since he's my first I have nothing else to compare him to. The first long, long while he was really chill. Everyone told me that. My doctor, the ultrasound tech, and I knew he wasn't a crazy mover. But these last few days I seriously feel like he's trying to bust out of the oven!! It's like he takes both his feet at the same time and tries to pop my belly!! He's crazy strong.

Symptoms: Still no period. ;) haha I couldn't resist. Other than that, I'm just really, really uncomfortable in basically any position. I think I'm coming to the end of being able to bend over and help my student's clean up toys. I'm feeling lots of pressure under my ribs.

Food Carvings: I have wanted a vanilla cone from McDonald's alllll week (probably because my doctor said no dairy) haha

Gender: Boy!! :) I prayed for a boy. I would have been just as happy with a girl, but I really, really prayed God would bless our family with an older, godly brother to love on, guide, and protect his other siblings. :)

Belly button in or out: haaaaa! It's almost out!! That's so crazy!! One of the most painful things I've experienced during pregnancy is (well, I don't actually know what it is) when he starts kicking the belly button! It's like he is literally pushing it out from the inside!

Anything make you queazy or sick: Essential oils. haha I put some rose oil in my humidifier about a week ago, a normal, safe number of drops, but I just think the scent was too, too strong. So basically any of my oils are making me feel sick now.

Labor signs: Not that I know of haha

Wedding ring on or off: On. :) I don't really think I've had any sweeling at all....yet.

What I miss: Get up and bending over with ease.

What I am looking forward to: meeting my handsome little man!!! Ahhh...can't wait!!! :)

Nursery: Sigh...basically at a stand still until the shower. I'm not sure what I do, so I'm not thinking about it too much. It's honestly the least of my worries when it comes to planning for this little guy.

Emotions: haha This week I've totally relied on myself to be nice, instead of asking the Holy Spirit to help, which resulted in....me not being very nice. I've noticed I say the first thing that comes to my mind without even thinking a lot more and use "pregnancy" as an excuse. Really, it's just sin. So Jesus had a good headrt to heart with me yesterday. :)

Stupid things I have done: Well, I called all the men on my husband's side of the family wiener-meanies while we were playing a boys vs. girls game a while ago. I was VERY tired and sick of playing games, so....yeah, again, first thing that came to find just came out. They all got a good laugh, but the phrase has since stuck around.

Name: Not telling the world on here just yet. :) We have two names, but B has decided he just wants to wait to see what he looks like. :) So cute!

Thoughts from around the house.

I could say this over and over again: I am happy as a lark being in my home 24/7. God's just made me that way, moreso over the last few years, but He has good reason. God warns about the wily woman in Proverbs 7:11 when Solomon writes, "...her feet do not stay home." So I'm plenty thankful, and B has expressed to me many times as well, that God has made me this way.

I spent the last week and a half either running around like a crazy person, trying to ignore my lack of sleep and energy, or prepping to run around like a crazy person. Unfortunately, I can't even guzzle down extra coffee for energy, so I've just given a sleepy smile at most of the, "You look tired" comments from this last week. No harm done! Now you and I just both know I've been tired and pregnant. haha This being the case, I was sitting in second service at church yesterday wanting nothing more than to just laying down in the pew and go to sleep. Since B was teaching I didn't want him to feel bad that his wife fell asleep during his sermon. haha

After feeling that tired, I decided to go home and clear my schedule for today. I have seriously spent the entire day, and will continue to, tackling the dust bunnies, mixing natural cleaners, contorting my body into strange positions to reach hidden corners and clean them, vaccuming (my chest muscles are pretty achey from this now), and just getting this little doll house cleaned up. When I apologize to B for there being too many books on the table, or a random pile of unfolded clothes for a day, he graciously responds with something like, "It's really ok. I don't mind out house looking like we actually live here." What a sweetie. :) Despite that, I do want our home to continue to be a place of comfort to him because I totally gush when I hear him say, "I love being home!" everytime he walks in the door.

Anyways, accomplishing all these things around the house today, God gently reminded me of the call He's placed on my life. He has called me to have a homeward focused heart. Nobody else can clean my house except for me, nobody else can be my husband's God ordained helper except for me, nobody else can raise this little boy and (hopefully) others except for me and their daddy. Someone else can always be a better pre-school teacher, encourager, prayer partner, friend, pastor's wife, and many other things, than I can be. Even though nothing terrible got out of hand during this last busy week, I just realized how much smoother things are when I do it God's way and make sure my heart is homeward focused first, and then all of those other things.

Proverbs 14: 1 "The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down."

I've also had a complete lack of any sort of drive to finish the baby's room, also mixed with some normal feelings of anxiousness as I see my last trimester approaching. (I've said this to many people, but that means there's a REAL HUMAN BEING at the end of this next trimester!) It just seems like there is sooooo much that has to happen in the next three months or so: baby shower, reorganize the rest of the house, get the furniture we still need, spend money on baby, spend money here, spend money there, decorate, sigh....a lot. haha

Proverbs 14:26 "In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have refuge."

God again quietly reminded me through this verse this morning that this baby honestly has everything he needs already: a Savior who died for him, a mommy and a daddy living under the same roof, a crib, and a home. NONE of those above things that I listed really matter. None of them. I just need to make sure that I keep my eyes and heart on Jesus, and God will bless my little ones with a home that is a refuge.

I hope this encourages any other anxious, tired, exhausted mommy and wife hearts out there!

xoxo

A boyish nature nursery.

You know that when you hardly have the energy to scroll through Pinterest you really are getting sick. :(

Or it could have something to do with the twenty three-year-olds I chased after all day. And the one dramatic bloody nose that resulted in ending the day in chaos. I felt like I was breathing germs in and out all day long.

Despite feeling worn out, I managed to come home and do my new favorite Denise Austin Fit & Firm Pregnancy Workout. I have NEVER enjoyed any form of a workout routine. In high school I was always a runner, so running a few miles a day was my quick workout. I seemed to have developed some pretty bad lower back problems over the past year due to a past job, genetics, and simply living in this fallen body, so I've been ordered from doctors to no longer run. Sad day for me, as I said before, because I HATE workout routines. I've honestly exercised more during this pregnancy than I have since the last high school gym class I was forced to take. So it's really saying something when I say I truly enjoy these workouts, Denise Austin's encouraging voice, and feeling tired and stretched out afterwards. :) Also, I find that she uses VERY comfortable positions for working out all the different parts of your body that could probably very easily be carried over into post-baby workouts. I talked about my other pregnancy work outs that I enjoy in this post.

Now that my tummy is thoroughly filled and I'm wrapped up in several warm blankets in bed to fight off the painful cold chills, I am doing a bit of nursery decor hunting around on Etsy.

I've decided to go with a forestry theme, many neautrals and greens, so I can easily change it up for the next baby or a baby girl. I want to include some botanical prints like this one.

I am a butterfly collector, as in I collect dead butterflies in glass frames. haha Sounds a bit morbid, but I think they are beautiful!! I really love any framed bug. I think I got my love of these from my love of James and the Giant Peach as a kid. Needless to say, I also love this vintage butterfly print.

A gorgeous beetle print.

 

 

Maybe a collection of specimen jars and feathers like these.

 

 

A cute fox print baby blanket.

 

I'm also going to incorporate forest animals, like owls, foxes, porcupines, and squirrels. Oh my goodness, I really do have so many ideas in my head! I guess I better start picking and choosing as I'm about to head into my third and final trimester with this boy! I just want two things for this baby room: lots of things that I can change up and use again (which is why I'm using neutrals) and I don't want it to look too, too babyish (meaning no mint green or baby blue).

 

Keep your eye out on some fun things you think I could use in the baby room! :)

 

xoxo