The many ways to say goodbye

I apologize now for my disappearing act after posting the Makeover!! It was amazing to watch the stats and see that people were interested! I promise to add more of our makeovers very soon.

The reality is that when we took Emilie into the Dr last week we left with a sinking feeling in our stomachs. Apparently because she was born breech she'd needed to have follow up care to check her hips for hip dysplasia, a condition that a large percentage of breech babies are faced with. We'd never heard this before! Our new pediatrician was upset that the follow up ultrasound at two months of age wasn't done, meaning simple corrective care (ie: wearing a harness over her diaper for a bit when she was an infant) would no longer be an option and we'd have to face bigger corrective care issues. That is IF a problem was found. She was also now too old for the ultrasound and would need an x-ray, soon. They wanted it done as soon as possible because the earlier we started treatment the better (again IF there was a problem found). While I knew Em had walked and climbed and all the other gross motor active skills right on time with little issue, I still couldn't get the possibility that she would have this condition out of my mind. It makes you sick to your stomach as a parent to think that something could be wrong with your child, and sicker to find out that it should have been addressed much earlier and wasn't. So I've been in a bit of a funk. And my Momma taught me if you couldn't say something nice...don't say anything at all. Thus my disappearing act while we got things figured out and our emotions under control.

Monday morning we went up to the hospital and went through the annoyingly long process of getting admitted, then waited for radiology to call us back. They realistically needed us to both hold her, but at 22 weeks pregnant I was pulled back into the safe booth with the technician. So Daddy had to do all the holding himself. The minute we laid her down on the hard table with the "big camera" over her head, she broke down. We tried telling her it was just a "big camera" to say cheese, but she just scream, "no big camera". Which isn't much surprise because she isn't too fond of a normal camera!! It didn't take long, just two positions and the x-rays were done. Mommy immediately reached into my purse for emergency M&M's I'd purchased in the gift shop before going in and filled her little hands with chocolate. The tears quit flowing after that...chocolate is magic after all.

Tuesday late morning we got the call...her hip x-rays were PERFECT!!!!!! Just as I deep down knew they would be. But what a relief to hear them say your child is fine. My baby girl is just as perfect as I always knew she was! Thank you Lord!!

So now we can get back to life, shake the funk and move on! We have lots of fun stuff happening this week! Tomorrow is lunch with Santa which will be interesting. This is last years Santa visit...

Not my best picture, I didn't realize I would BE in the pictures that day...now I know. This is her best, pouty-I'm not looking at Santa look!
And this is when Mommy walked away...

So needless to say tomorrow will be interesting. I promise photographic evidence of the event...good or bad! Friday we have a work lunch with friends that the whole family is attending and should be fun! And finally, Saturday we have our first Christmas celebration of the season at my Dads! I made a new Christmas candy recipe that I can't wait to share with you, but I'm waiting on a taste test from outside sources before I share. Hopefully by the end of the week you'll get to see the yummy goodness I made with scrap goodies from my kitchen :) Also more of our makeovers will be coming soon, I just need to get actual pictures (not on my iphone) and with the house clean! I also have a few crafts in the works...so stay tuned!!

Now lastly, to explain the title of this post! Emilie's vocabulary is growing by the day (lately by the hour!)!! She came in this morning to tell me she was going to go take a bath (Daddy does her bath every morning), I said "ok, have fun" and her response was... "bye Momma, see you in a bit, c-ya, later Mom"...ummm...WHAT?! Where did you learn all those versions of goodbye?! She cracks me up! I know, its something silly that only a Mommy cares about but it was cute enough to make me blog...so it was good for something! :)

The makeover

So we bought our house about six months ago, when we moved in they had done a lot of upgrades but left it a white box. Many people love white walls, something about it looking clean, but me...I HATE white walls. It makes me absolutely crazy! So we've made an effort slowly but surely to change that and ditch the sterile feeling about our new home. In the process of that we've painted ALMOST every room (we still have the babies room, guest room, back hallway and a small alcove off the kitchen for me to torture my hubs with) but the other rooms are DONE! It feels great!

Once we got the dining room painted it looked somewhat unfinished...it needed some texture, something. So we decided to give making valances a shot. My kitchen was in the same color scheme and had a bench seat that was in dire need of recovering from the faded blue of owners past, so I'd been on the hunt for that fabric as well. While wandering in Target I somehow ended up on the curtain aisle (not sure why because I don't need curtains) and found these amazing panels of curtains that would work PERFECTLY for the valances and I grabbed a second panel to recover the bench in. We loved working with the panels for the valances bc several of the seams were already done. We were able to get 4 valances out of one 54" x 84" panel! And because A- who touches valances to pull at the seams and B- its fast...we heat bonded the seams with a stitch witch product.

We got these three windows done the first night we worked. We were hot and tired and had to quit. Plus the toddler was up much too late watching us work. I was amazed at the transformation they made to the space, even more amazed that as you walked through the dining room to the kitchen that your eye followed the valances and drew the rooms together. I was thrilled!!! And anxiously awaiting finishing the big kitchen window and seat.

This last window was wider than 54" so we had to cut two exact pieces and seam them together in the middle. I thought you'd be able to see the seam but its barely noticeable...it just looks like a huge valance. For the window seat we measured all the sides and added an inch for seam allowances. Our trickiest spots were in the final two ends, but we did a great job and it turned out even better than I imagined!

And because I promised last time that I'd post the buffet wall here are a few of it completed :)

Aaaaah the sweet relief of another project finished. I'm on cloud nine this time because not all my projects turn out as perfect as I'd like. I'm much too picky and its hard to meet my own expectations...but we did it this time! I'm so thrilled with how it all turned out! I may have to share some of our other makeovers sometime!

Oh and if you've been keeping up....Mommy radar was spot on and we're off to the Dr. this morning with a possible UTI...she's been crying when she urinates :(

Mommy Radar, Planning Ahead, & Good Eating

My Mommy radar is on alert. I hate when that happens...when you feel like something not quite right but there's nothing to pin it on?? Em's had the sneezes for about a week but otherwise has been just fine. The last several days we have to practically force feed her and she's got that "tired" look. I do NOT want a sick kiddo over Christmas this year, you may remember her last Christmas was marked with breathing treatments and severe croup...it was AWESOME! NOT! Hoping its just a phase and I'll have nothing to report in the coming days, but...I'll keep you posted!

Yesterday was my 20/21 week checkup for baby Landon and he was given his official delivery date!! I know its early for that, but when your having a big surgery apparently they like to get it on the books early. Landon will be delivered on April 9th, 2013. Cut time is supposed to be 7:30 a.m. (check-in time before 5...YUCK!) but I was warned they tend to run a bit behind at this O.R. We'll have my main doctor and then another OBGYN surgeon coming in to assist and "learn" about my surgery. I'm having a C-Hyst, it's not a common surgery so not many surgeons will do them, or have done them in their careers. Luckily my surgeon has done 15-20 in his career, the latest being just a year ago, so I'm confident in his abilities. The doctor coming in to assist has never seen one and wants to learn. I'm providing a good "teachable moment". Glad I can help out! LOL (P.S.- I have a past history that requires a hysterectomy, so it was the smartest alternative for my body to do it all in one surgery.) So after baby Landon is safely removed from his home of nine months, he and Daddy will go meet Grandma in recovery (or my next room, I don't know which yet) and wait for my hysterectomy to be finished. THEN I'll get to have some real bonding time with my baby boy. It will be a long morning for all of us, but I'm thankful we have a date in mind and can begin to mentally prepare ourselves. I don't care how prepared we are...my guess is Grandma is snuggling Landon and Daddy is pacing the halls/room nervously. We'll see if I'm right in just four short months!

Because I'm me...completely OCD (to the point of being CDO!), a planner to the core, and honestly just a little ridiculous...having this date sent me into a tailspin of planning chaos. Yesterday I had my calendar open and was virtually planning the next six months away. Realistically the next four months will fly by and if I don't start now I'll regret it in March. I don't want the stress and anxiety of that come March so I'm planning ahead now. As for the several months after the baby...well...I have no idea how long it will take to get my head on straight and return to a normal routine, so anything I can do ahead of time to reduce later stresses...yup...I'm doing! Which includes planning my two year olds' third birthday party-- 6 MONTHS EARLY?! WHAT?! I'm crazy right?! Nope...She'll turn three just 3 1/2 months after Landon arrives and we all know how those first few months go. So if I can plan it now while I have the time and am realistic about what I can manage, then all the better! So Emilie will be having a gymnastics party with 2-24 of her closest friends. They will provide the decorations, fun, goodie bags, and location...I just provide some cupcakes. UM YES!!!! Done and DONE!

I have to pat myself on the back a little. I've been trying to plan and cook for us a little better so we saved money and ate out less. Its not easy for me, I don't necessarily enjoy being in the kitchen cooking, but I've been making a valiant effort lately. Sunday we were busy!! We had lunch with friends after church, took a nap when Em did (it is the day of rest after all!), cleaned house all afternoon once she was up, and I still had dinner to serve. So I went for the easiest meal of all-- Spaghetti. Now let me preface this by saying that I HATE spaghetti. I hate it with a passion. It's boring and just not appealing to me. It probably stems from my childhood when I ate a lot of spaghetti because it was quick, easy, cheap, and fed us all. My brother and Dad love spaghetti so it was made often in our home. It was just never my thing. I've been trying the last few rounds to make little changes to my spaghetti (and I mean little...it must be easy or it isn't worth it to me) to make it edible. I finally did it! I made spaghetti that had even ME going for seconds, it was amazing!! Now this could be to blame on the little boy growing in my uterus because he tends to make me like his Daddies favorite foods in ways I never have, but I'm going to attribute it to my new way of cooking it. Same three ingredients, just in a slightly different order. I made the noodles and browned my meat, drained both, and then mixed them together before adding the sauce and letting it all simmer/cook (I let it really bubble a bit) for a while. The sauce plumped up the noodles and the flavor soaked into them. It was AWESOME! So simple- yet finally something I could enjoy! Hubs was happy...he LOVES spaghetti and I usually refuse to make it. I may add it back into the rotation now! Then Monday I made homemade sour cream chicken enchiladas. They are a recipe a friend and I worked up a few years ago and are still a family favorite in my house. SO simple - yet amazing! We cook and shred 4 chicken breasts. Throw it in a bowl with a can of drained rotel, a pile of shredded cheddar, and about half a container (the large one) of sour cream. Mix it together and spoon it into enchiladas. Then cover the enchiladas with more sour cream and shredded cheddar and bake. 30 min at 350degrees until the cheese is melted and they are heated through. SO simple! They feed 4 adults easily :) Just in case you plan to try it.

So I've basically written you a book without saying much at all. Think its time to sign off but since I promised you the true image of this sweet smile once I had it, here you go! I'm big on keeping promises ya'll!

PS-- The wall behind the buffet is painted, valances have been made, the bench seat is on its way to recovered...lots of pictures coming soon!!! I need a better camera!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I LOVE this time of year. I always have...I refuse to let the adult stress of this season ruin some of the wonderful memories and fun that can be had by just allowing ourselves to enjoy it. Yes Christmas is stressful for parents and adults...we have to plan, buy, wrap, cook, blah blah blah but what good does it do to stress about it? Other than ruin the holiday all together. Not me...you won't find a scrooge in this house (unless your discussing Christmas cards and that is just one tradition I no longer partake in, I just can't do it, don't expect a card from me...it won't come!). Tomorrow marks the first of December and we're ready in style! We've got our tree up, decorated and adorned with presents, we've revived our sad (yet still pretty sad) door wreath, I've made centerpieces for both tables, decorated the buffet and mantle. We're READY!!!

Here's our centerpieces-

Small simple centerpiece for the kitchen table

This is a slightly larger and barely less simple one for the dining room table.

Both were put together quickly and inexpensively but they add a little more of that festive feel to the tables.

I'll take a better picture of the buffet later this weekend after the wall behind it is (hopefully) painted! But for now, here's a general idea of what we've done there.

Its a little harder to get in the spirit this year knowing that its going to be near 80 degrees tomorrow afternoon, but I'm not going to let it get us down. We're going to head out to Santa's Village tomorrow evening and be there for the lighting ceremony. Hopefully we'll make it through a good portion of the village and have some fun. Em should love the lights and I'm sure they'll make a good show of the lighting ceremony. I remember going as a child and hope that we can make it part of our families tradition as well. And best of all its a totally FREE event!! LOVE IT!

So here's to starting new traditions!! Tomorrow is Santa's village and I believe our elf will also make his first appearance. I'm not sure if she'll get into the elf thing or not, but I figure its time to try! We're going to make Christmas candies, visit Santa, listen to Christmas music, and be in the spirit all month long! She's only two at Christmas once!!

This is just a screen shot from our photographer of a picture she got of Em...I don't have the real image yet, but I couldn't wait to share it! I'll post the better quality image once I have it but for now...here's a little bit of sweetness :)

Yup...We've become THOSE people!

It officially happened. You know those annoying things you witness in public but aren't your business so you stay out of it? Like yelling and cursing across a table in a restaurant. Totally not my business, so no need to get involved...Right?!

Maybe until you become a Mama Bear with a toddler and the F-Bomb has been dropped for the third time. And its not just that they are talking loudly...these two men were violently yelling at each other. Had they been standing or in another setting, I fully believe there would have been a fist fight. A few minutes into the argument the calmer one who was yelling but not cursing mentioned to his partner that there was a child a few feet away and to watch his mouth. The other man didn't care. He continued to escalate until my husband couldn't take it anymore. He got up from the table and walked to theirs and started asking the men who they worked for. They were clearly contractors/workers of some sort and still wearing their yellow caution vests. The first (calmer) man, mentioned to my husband that he asked the other guy to knock off the language, my husband thanked him for that but said again...who do you work for. At this point the angrier of the two was still yelling and just couldn't seem to stop himself which is when out of no-one Mama Bear rose up and yelled back...

EXCUSE ME!!! I have a toddler here and would appreciate if you'd take your mouth elsewhere!

UM...where did that come from?! My husband looks at me with big eyes and I realize...from me! LOL! The angry man couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with me, never did look our way, but he never said another word either. My husband settles back into the table with their company name and his iPhone ready to lodge his formal complaint and I...well I sat looking at my daughter thinking...I just did that?!

So we are officially those people that tell others to watch their mouths in public. I never thought I'd see the day that I'd get involved in something like that but apparently its come. Luckily the GM of the restaurant is an old friend of ours and was not only thankful but gave us some free meal vouchers for taking care of the issue :) Gotta love having connections! And I would feel slightly embarrassed for myself but several patrons stopped by our table as they left and thanked us for handling the matter. Another Mother proudly said " GO Mama!" and then told me she was the exact same way until her kids were teens. Oh the way our kiddos change us!

So that was a first!! And hopefully a last. I don't like to get involved in things like that, especially in Texas. We do carry guns here ya know!

It's a miracle!!!!

My two year ate a sandwich!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok...so maybe not a miracle to most, but HUGE for us! She is the pickiest eater! And while I say picky, there is a good amount of food she WILL eat. If its a fruit or vegetable she likely eats it. If it's cheese she eats it. If its meat your going to come up with maybe a handful of things she MAY eat from time to time. If its pasta she eats it. If its anything mixed together like a casserole or sandwich...FORGET IT!! She won't touch pizza, won't even try a bite. She loves a piece of bread, loves cheese, but you put those two things together...FORGET IT!!!

Last week my neighbor called to let me know she'd stumbled across a miracle bread. Her picky two year old had demolished a sandwich she'd made him using the new Pepperidge Farm Goldfish bread. She thought I should try it. Thinking that I'd buy said bread and end up eating it myself...I gave it a shot.

Today for lunch my picky Emilie at 1/4 of a cinnamon goldfish sandwich with cream cheese. I realize that sounds more like breakfast, but she's not a big breakfast kid so we usually stick to fruit and yogurt and well...we had to start somewhere and sweet was my best bet. Let me just tell you...She loved it!! She immediately took a bite (which if you know her, you know is huge. She won't usually even TRY a single bite of something she isn't pretty familiar with) and said "num num" lol. Over the course of the meal she took a total of about 5-6 bites which really was probably only about 1/4 of the sandwich. But she is only two, she was given lots of fruits and veggies on her plate as well, and 5-6 bites is 5-6 bites MORE than she's EVER taken before!!!! I am thrilled!!! I know... its a ridiculous victory...but this Momma's happy! SO...if you have a picky kiddo like me, TRY THIS BREAD!!

We got the white bread too and I'm excited to try it next! Maybe she'll eat a soy nut butter and jelly sandwich!! EEK!

Oh and P.S.-- Pepperidge Farm didn't endorse any of my above comments and I'm surely not being paid to compliment them...I just really was thrilled with this bread :)

The Holidays are here!!!

I feel like a little kid jumping up and down excitedly yelling the Holidays are here, the Holidays are here!!!!! I LOVE this time of year!! Ok, so maybe as an adult the financial stress of gifting the many people we love and physically attending/cooking/prepping for all of the festivities is a little harder than it is when your a kiddo just excited by the buzz in the air, but I like to see the best in things and do my best to make the holidays as special for my little family as possible. So I love it!!!

The day before Thanksgiving we had nice visit with my sister-in-law and her kiddos and made holiday treats. While these weren't nearly as easy as pinterest claimed them to be, we did have fun making them :)

You can find the tutorial here.

This year for Thanksgiving we had a first!! A first since we were married at the very least...we only attending ONE Thanksgiving celebration!!! And it was...AWESOME!!!! It was so nice to get up in the morning and head over to my Aunt's house to spend some time with our family. We talked and played and munched until it was time to stuff our faces. I think one of my favorite moments was watching my nearly 6' tall 16 year old cousin sitting in the floor playing cars with Emilie. She loved it and he is such a little kid in a big kids body that he really did too. I wish I'd taken a picture!! We all ate WAY too much and then after cleaning up the kitchen found a soft spot to rest a bit and visit. No one was running out the door on to their next event, no one was in any hurry, we just enjoyed each others company and it was fantastic. Probably my favorite Thanksgiving as far as I can remember! I have a lot to be thankful for and feel truly blessed that God has done some amazing things in our lives.

The rest of the four day weekend was exactly what it should have been. Equal parts laziness with equal parts productivity. Thanksgiving evening was pure lazy. Emilie had a late nap and then we had leftover pizza for dinner and just enjoyed being home together. It seems we don't get enough time like that. Friday we attempted to shop but were scared away by the lines so we hit the quiet Target and called it a day. We had leftovers for lunch and when Emilie went down for her nap the craziness began. I started dragging out presents and ended up wrapping gifts for close to 5 hours before we had the majority wrapped. WHEW! I am not looking forward to finishing the few I missed. Braden packed up the fall decor and put up the tree and then we took turns finishing wrapping and decorating for Christmas. Emilie has her own little tree to take ornaments off and on and then we have our big tree. No gifts under the tree this year, I re-wrapped far too many last year! Luckily we have some unused built in shelf space that perfectly holds all the gifts and still displays them nicely. Saturday was purely lazy...we accomplished little more than enjoying each others company and I'm happy with that. Sunday we did finish a painting project we'd been putting off, but we only finished a bucket of already opened paint and didn't even touch the several new buckets we'd purchased. We'll get there!

Here's Em with BOTH tree's. Luckily there is only one ornament holding her interest on the big tree and I was smart enough to put all breakable ornaments up high again this year.

And here's our mantle just because I like it :)