Okay bloggy friends, I need your help!

Happy Saturday morning!!

If y'all have time, I need everyone to go this this link on facebook and "like" Gracie's picture so that we can get lots of votes and she can win a free photography session!!!

Thanks so much and have a great weekend!

WILW

Happy Wednesday! I'm so glad the work week is half way over!!  This was my first week back to work and I am one tired girl!  I'm joining in on WILW

1. I am loving that we got a ton of rain on Sunday! I'm not glad that we were confined indoors on Easter, but we really needed the rain and it made my flowers shoot right up!

2. I'm loving Gracie's Easter dress.  We ordered two and she ended up wearing the polka dot one because it fit her better.  It was still a little big though.  I can't wait until clothes actually fit her!

3. I'm loving the "welcome back" cake that my co-workers got for me.  They are seriously the best and made my first day back so much easier! And it was my favorite...lemon cake!

4. I am loving that my peonies and hydrangeas are almost blooming! I love spring time! These pictures obviously aren't of my garden... oh my gosh, I would be in Heaven if it was!

5. I am loving the fact that we get to celebrate Easter again this weekend.  Although I don't like the way certain people act about having to wait until the weekend after, I will always be thankful that we have several places to go instead of no place to go.

6. I am loving that my first Mother's Day is right around the corner! I have such a long wish list I have no idea what Eric and Gracie will get me!  At the top of my list is an embroidery machine! I have always wanted to use one for monogramming purposes.  I am debating between the Brother se400 and Brother pe770.  Does anyone have any input on which one to get? I am still on the fence about it because I really don't know how much I would use it.

7.  I am loving that although I am at work during the day, Gracie gets plenty of love and attention from both grandmas during the week! Makes me feel so much better knowing she is in such great hands while I'm away!

What are you loving?

Miss Gracie is 2 months old!

Gracie-

You are two months old today!

It seems just like yesterday I was leaving the hospital thinking "What in the world am I going to do with this baby?!?"  But you know what?? We figured it out and I can't imagine anything sweeter. 

 But where has the time gone?? I look back at your newborn pictures and my eyes fill with tears.  You were so teeny tiny and now you're just growing like a weed!

We have your 2 month check up this week and my guess is that you weigh around 8 1/2 pounds.  You're still in newborn size diapers and newborn and 0-3 month size clothes.

 And oh my goodness, you are such a little busy body! You used to love to snuggle up with your head right under my chin, but now, you can't stand to be confined and have to look around at what is going on around you! However, when you are tired... you still LOVE to snuggle with Momma.  I call you my little snuggle bunny

You get a bath every night and you love it!  You absolutely love your paci and it has made you such a laid back baby!  You sleep every night from around 8 or 9 pm until 6 am.  You wake up at 6 to eat and to change your diaper and go right back to sleep until 8 or 9.  You still sleep in a cradle next to Momma and Daddy's bed because I can't stand the thought of moving you to your own room yet.

You used to have your "witching hour" at around 8PM where you would be fussier than usual, but since that is now your bath/bed time, you have found a way to work in your fussy time around 5 in the evening. It only lasts about 20 minutes and it's really not at all that bad.  You have learned to stick your bottom lip out when you are upset.  It is the most precious look and yes, you CAN have anything you want =)

You love to smile and play and your smiles just melt my heart! Every single one of them! You love to play with the butterflies dangling from your bouncer and you try to talk and make the most precious sounds.  It is so easy now to get a smile out of you.  I just have to tell you that you're "sooo preeeeetty" and it does it every time!

Here is what you love:

* your paci

* your vibrating bouncer

* the moby wrap

* bath time

* riding in the car

* your little lamb swing

* having your little tushy patted

Here is what you don't currently love:

* getting out of the bath
*being swaddled or having your armed confined

* having your diaper changed

* changing your clothes

* when you are not fed on time

You have been such a little angel baby and your Daddy and I thank the Lord everyday for the miracle He has given us.  You are truly the greatest blessing and although I hate that you're growing so fast, I am looking forward to each new milestone ahead.  

I love you forever sweet girl,

Momma

Workin Girl

I am so so so so SAD today! This is my last week of maternity leave and I return to work on Monday.  I honestly don't know how I'm going to get through the day.

I have enjoyed staying at home with Gracie the past 8 weeks so much and I can't imagine leaving her.  We are so very blessed that my mom and Eric's mom will be caring for her while we're at work, but it's not the same.  It's not that I doubt their ability to care for her, they are probably the best people, other than me, to care for her.  In fact, they may even be better than me.  But the fact is, she is my baby and I know her better than anyone and I hate to leave her.  I have some major separation anxiety going on here.  The ONLY time I have left her was to go to the doctor last week when I was sick and I didn't want to bring her into a room full of contagious people.  I can't even imagine leaving her for 2 hours to go to dinner with my husband.  It's bad. 

It's not even that I'm  worried about how I'm going to function at work, or when I'm going to sleep.  We have been blessed that Gracie has been the best sleeper and most nights I get a full night's rest.

I have tried really hard to focus on the good in this.  She will (hopefully) be so excited to see me when I get home, we will be able to go on vacations and she will be able to see things and places that she wouldn't otherwise, etc.  But seriously... I'm going to feel like a part of me is missing for a long time.  I'm going to feel like she is growing up without me.

My poor momma walked into a mess the other day.  She stopped by and I was just laying on the couch crying about it.  I started blabbering about how she wasn't going to know me and I wasn't going to be her favorite person anymore, and I'm not even sure what else came out of my mouth.  But my mom put it perspective for me.  She worked when I was younger and she asked me if I felt like I grew up without her.  I don't feel that way at all.  In fact, almost all of my memories involve my mom.  Hopefully Gracie won't feel that way and hopefully by the time she is in school I will be able to quit working anyway.  That is the plan!

But in the meantime, how do I deal with this? I need some words of wisdom thrown my way today before my eyes get any puffier!  How do you do it?

What I'm Loving Wednesday

1. I'm absolutely loving this 90 degree weather we've been having here!

2. I am loving that Gracie had her first day of church this past Sunday.  We haven't been since she was born.

3. Jason Aldean.  It's not even that I think he's that cute, I just really really love his music

4. Everything Mud Pie.  Have you seen their stuff? OMG... to die for! If you have a baby or know any babies, you must go there now.  Mud-Pie Go now! Seriously, cutest.stuff.ever!

5. I'm loving that they make semi-cute one piece bathing suits! Because I will be needing one this year.  For sure.  These are both acceptable choices..

What are you loving??

Gracie's Nursery

Since I have been gone so long, I never got to share my nursery inspiration board, or the actual nursery. I was pretty certain from the start of what I wanted as soon as I found out I was having a girl. I wanted something not too "baby-ish", something that she could grow into, with pretty colors and a vintage-like feel.

I don't have a before picture of the room, but it was just bare with beige walls and an 80's model ceiling fan. This clearly was not going to cut it!

I couldn't find an inspiration picture that I wanted to mimic, but I did notice that all of the pictures I had saved had some kind of beadboard or wainscoting, and stripes. I just love the look of wainscoting. I think it gives rooms a classic feel. And I love stripes, but I definitely didn't want to go overboard with them.

We decided to do wainscoting 36 inches from the floor around the entire room and do stripes on the first wall visible when you walk in the room.

Here is the finished product! I hope you love it as much as I do!

The hanging frames above the crib will have pictures of her in them as soon as I put them in there

The chaise lounge was in our den before, but now that our den is used to house all things baby related, I moved it into Gracie's room in lieu of a rocking chair. It's very comfortable and I love it. It also lifts up and has storage underneath. I use it for all her blankets.

My mom found this mini iron mannequin at Ross for like $10. I had the pearls and the hat is from when I went to a Kentucky Derby party last year. I bought the tutu for Gracie to use as a photo prop when she gets a couple months old. I thought it looked cute on the mannequin.

This chandelier was also in the Den. We put a ceiling fan in there and moved the chandelier to the nursery.

This is a close up of the material used for the curtains. I bought it at Hobby Lobby and made my own curtains. I added a pretty border to them.

Close up of the border

I bought a pair of lamps at a garage sale for $20. I loved the mirror base. I had some leftover border from the curtains so I added it to the bottom of the lamp and had some leftover material from the bedding so I just tied a big bow around the shade.

Crib skirt. Fabric matches the curtains, and I just added a fringe.

Close up of bumper pad. I used a gold and pink damask-ish material in the center, and added pink faux-silk taffeta on the outside of that. I gathered the taffeta until it had a Grecian-like fold, pinned, and sewed.

I bought this dresser at Goodwill for $25. It was oak. I painted it a creamy white and added crystal knobs.

I had this mirror left over from a project I did last year. I ordered the vinyl from an Etsy seller and added it the mirror. It is hanging by gold tulle with a big bow.

Linking to Met Monday , DIY Showoff,
Craft-o-Maniac, The Girl Creative, WUW

and

Belly Pics

Since I have missed so much over the months that I was too lazy to post, I wanted to share some of my baby belly pics, so I can look back sometime and remember.  I was also too lazy during pregnancy to take regular pictures.  I know, I know... hard to believe right??

Let's just go backwards.  My friend is starting her photography business and asked to take maternity pics of me for her portfolio.  I said yes, but then I realized that I was out of my mind to agree to have pics taken of me like 3 days before delivery!  I should have been smart and taken then around 7 months when the bump is still cute.  Oh well...

Here are some where she made me look pretty

And here is what I really looked like the night I went in to be induced! I gained around 25 pounds

35 weeks:

32 weeks:

27 weeks:

Sometime during the 4th month:

And I'm pretty sure my body will never be the same!!! Although I can fit into most of my old clothes, things just aren't where they used to be, know what I mean??

So now I need recommendations on a workout program.  Have any of you tried Zumba?? I need something that is quick, like completed in 30 minutes or less, and that has results.  

Any suggestions?