First for everything

When you have a baby and they start growing up you begin to celebrate the firsts for everything....first words, first steps, first real food....we get excited and celebrate each and every first....but this week we did not celebrate this first......First Hospital overnight, first surgery and first IV.....

Monday began with a trip to the Dr's office for a fever and an infected bug bite and ended with being admitted to the hospital for surgery. Nothing hurts a mothers heart like hearing your little one has to have surgery. As we walked through the halls of the Childrens Hospital we passed several hospital wings full of children sick....families stressed and moms and dads dealing with there own firsts.....

I realized at that moment that our children really are in God's hands...there was not a thing I could do to protect him...keep him healthy or kiss away his bobo...It was up to God to take care of him and trust that he will be ok. So after it was all said and done.....I have been able to now celebrate this first...The first time I truly trusted God with Noah...and he was faithful....as he always is ......

I'm Back

Wow...its been a super long time since I have blogged...and to be honest I have really missed it. Noah is 16 months old and in such a fun stage right now. He needs Jesus as much as the next kid and will hopefully decide to follow him at a young age...but until then we will just enjoy the awesome sinful little child of God that he is.

My baby is to big

Wow, sorry it's been so long since my last post, not that anyone even reads this but it has been a while. I feel like I haven't really written an update on what Noah is up to at his sweet age of 14 months...so here is a recap

He walks really well, everywhere

He loves his stuffed animals, Douglas and Brodie

He loves to eat, especially blueberries

He is an emotional kid ( wonder where that came from) if a kid cries, he cries, if someone looks at him weird he cries, he loves to give hugs and wants to make friends with almost anyone

He is still taking 2 naps but most days its only 1

He can say juice, mommy, dada and duck

He is such a joy and I love that little guy more than life....he has stolen my heart.

Wedding, Walking and Waves

It has been a really long time since my last post and that's because we have been super busy. We just got back from South Padre where Andrew had to go for a conference and we tagged along. 2 other couples went with us and there kids...we had a blast. Noah didn't like the sand or the water but he liked to look at it. We are hoping that he gets over his fear and gets used to the water because we plan on going to the beach again soon.

This past weekend Andrew's brother Tom got married and it was a beautiful wedding. 2 days before the wedding Noah decided he was going to start walking and now you can't keep up with him. He is all over the place, which is one reason why we had to stay in the lobby to watch the wedding...he wanted to get down and walk and didn't want to sit still with me. We had a great time with family.

Now back to the real world and back to house decorating and painting........

Playroom

Let me first begin by saying that Noah is almost 13 months old...I have a toddler...What? When did that Happen. Here is a pic of his first train ride at zilker park...so cute. He is really starting to express his little personality even more now and let's just say it's a good thing we are currently doing a study about how to raise your child because the time of pushing boundaries has come....He is such a sweet boy though and has decided to do things in his own time. He is my little man

I have finally decided on what to do in the playroom so next month once things slow down for us we are going to do this room, then his room the next month. I found these cute puff chairs on http://ohdeedoh.com and it actually has a tutorial on how to make them yourself. I love this site by the way.

On the same site I found these really cute book slings that will also be making an appearance in the play room as well. He is going to also have a chalkboard wall and his own art gallery...look for before and after pics next month.

Dining Room in Progress

I finally found plates for the dining room and I love them. I found them at Marshalls for 2 dollars a plate. I bought the same plate at a boutique store for 20 dollars so they were a steal.

I still need to fins a china cabinet to go on the wall behind the table but I am so in love with how it is turning out. ....sorry my camera sucks...We plan on getting a better one for Christmas.

Also decided what to do in the art nitch....I put out fresh flowers every week and honestly I love it...and where do I get them.....

From my amazing Hydrangea plant outside in my front yard......

Noah's room idea

After lots of searching and looking at ideas I have finally decided on what I am going to do with Noah's room. I wanted it to be a room he can grow into so we won't be changing it for a while. So his entire room is going to be done around this 1 pillow that I just love...Its from Serena and Lily...I love that store.....

It is going to be awesome..I have tons of ideas going through my brain but the big idea is " A boys best friend"..we have 2 labs and Noah just loves them so much.

A year of Blessings

Wow it really seems like time has flown by this past year. I love this little guy so much and he has brought a love into our hearts that I never knew existed. We love you so much Noah. Today Noah had his 12 month pictures so I just wanted to share some of our favorite pictures from the past year !!!

Love This

If I could do it all over again it would be something like this.....

Mommy Tip Tuesday

It's Tuesday so that means it's time to share some tips with each other. Today I want to talk about baby/Toddler food. When Noah started on the journey of food from the beginning I decided I wanted to make his food and make healthy choices for him. I loved knowing what was in his food and it actually make me realize how many poor choices in food I make for myself. When we passed the puree stage to real food it seems like it has been a little harder to make healthier choices. I still make his food but at times I turn to the processed foods just out of plain convenience. I give him fruit 3 times a day but I seem to be having trouble with some of the other stuff. Like, what do you fix for Lunch? I make him sandwiches but other than that what else do you feed a toddler? I can figure out breakfast and dinner but Lunch throws me everytime....what do you fix for Lunch? Any tips on healthy non processed foods that are easy.
The tips I would like to share today are from my experience with baby food. I found a couple of things that worked really well for us.

Tip #1 - I would bake everything at the same time for the whole week. potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, beans....I would decide what foods to make and I would just throw everything in the oven. Then after he went to sleep for the night I would puree it all and pour it into ice cube trays then into the freezer. It was easier and allowed me to have the whole week done.

Tip #2 - I tried to make everything fresh and organic but when I couldn't I bought the bags of frozen...steam in bag....veggies and they works really well. Most of the bags that are frozen are really simple to use and cuts down the baking time. Read the food label to be sure to avoid and added salt or preservatives.

Does God still speak ?

A question that I often find myself struggling with spiritually is why doesn't God speak out loud to us anymore? It's all over scripture that God speaks to people out loud, he was once a burning bush and he told Noah to build an ark and I believe this all to be true but why not now? And even if he did speak what would his voice sound like? Would it be my voice only deeper or would it be a Godly Loud voice.

This past Friday I was driving home from a fun night out with some girlfriends and I decided to not turn on the radio and just be silent. Anyone who is a mom can appreciate 5 minutes of nothingness..... Then out of now where like a still small voice I heard " Someone in your family is going to go to the hospital tomorrow" I thought to myself, hmmm that is a weird thought to have, I wander why I am thinking about that, really random and weird. I dismissed it as just a random though but the feeling that came over me was like someone put a warm blanket around me. I went home and went to bed. I didn't even tell Andrew because I figured he would think I am really weird.

At 7 the next morning the phone rang....I immediately thought...someone is in the hospital...and sure enough my Grandmother had a stroke and was in the ER. At that very second I knew that was not just a random though but God telling me not to be alarmed....someone is going to the hospital in your family but I will take care of them...it will be ok.

I struggled with the question of if I should go to Lufkin or not but a gentle nudge kept saying just wait...remember I told you I will take care of her....don't go. so I didn't..I waited Sat. then all day Sunday ready to go at any second.

Then we got the news that it was a very small stroke and that she was doing really well.

How amazing is our God....So to answer your question does God still speak?

Yes he does if you listen.........

Bathroom Ideas

So We really need to repaint and re do our Master Bathroom and for some reason I really like the idea of Black and Yellow.....so I think that is what we are going to do and this is what I have come up with so far. I am considering doing one accent wall in wall paper.

Party....1 Year

Summer is here

Summer is almost here so that means I need to go shopping. There is nothing worse than going to the store to try on swimsuites....I mean what girl doesn't dread that....maybe Jennifer Aniston...but come on...you know none of us really look like that. So here are a couple of cute things I have found that I really want this summer.......

Mommy Tip Tuesday

So I have decided that every Tuesday I am going to post a new mommy tip. Something that I have found works for us that I can share with everyone and it is an opportunity to have everyone comment on the same subject every week on what works for them. So every week will have a different topic, add your comment and read others. My goal is that it will be a fun time to share with each other tips and learn a little something to make life a little easier.
So the topic this week is Cleaning the house? How and when do you clean the house when u have a little one?

Tip :1
I have found that I can get most of the dusting and laundry done during the day when Noah is asleep for a nap so i usually do that in the morning right when I lay him down. For some reason it makes me anxious if he is not sleeping and I usually wait for him to go to sleep until I start doing anything but for my sanity I have decided to start one house chore for 15 min. and then check on him to see if he is asleep.

Tip:2
I vacuum while he is awake. I put him in his High chair and take him around with me to different rooms. He really enjoys watching me and allows me to not have to carry him while I am vacuuming.

OK, now it's your turn to post a comment on what works for you !!!!

Little Surfer and Big Kahuna Birthday

Birthday cookie sneak peak !!! Tomorrow we are celebrating the 2 special men in my life. I still can't believe that Noah is turning 1 yr old.

Bed Painted

Before and After

Transforming Love

Today as I sit down and finally have some time to blog I look around at our new house and can't imagine a more amazing blessing from God. I am trying to make it a home for my family....picking out the perfect paint colors....placing decorations in the right spot, making sure all the pictures are straight.....and I sit....and realize that much like making my new house perfect I sometimes am the same way with how I approach God...I try and get things right, straight, perfect before I spend time with God....before I feel worthy enough to sit in his presence. I want him to feel at home in my heart and to be honest most of the time I just have to much clutter in there for him to even sit down and stay a while. There is something to be said about a new home that is open, clean and just minimal stuff in all the rooms. Our home is finally starting to feel comfortable, even though we still have a lot of rooms to paint and things to do....It is being transformed into our home.....much like me...everyday...being transformed...being re shaped...being re painted to be more like Christ

New House

We finally moved into our new house and I am in love.....There is something about making a new house your home that seems to take a while but I am having fun decorating and painting. I still have so much left to do but here is a sneak peak at our living room.

Noah just turned 11 months old and I think we have our work cut out for us with this little guy. He is sweet and mean all at the same time. No walking just yet but he is having fun walking behind his toys and pushing them.

He eats whatever I cook for dinner...which means no extra work for me to make seperate meals

He bites....yes only the people he loves...but he bites

He loves his dogs and can say dog

He says dada and mama

He wants to be very independent...no more cuddling or playing with him

This kid is on schedule....right at 9 and 130 he takes his naps without fussing....amazing

Sleeps till 630 or 7

sweetest smile ever

God has really blessed us recently and I can't wait to use this house to glorify him.

Projects on a budget

Here is my new table for the living room. It's an antique table that someone painted white. I plan on doing some distressting to it but I love it.

Decorating on a budget for us looks like this....see what we already have and decide how I can change it to be what I want....buying a new bed is not an option so I am in the process of reinventing our bed. Which is a great way of getting exactly what you want. I know it looks bad now but I am actually sanding it down so I can paint it. It is not real wood so I have to sand it first so the paint will stick to the surface.....I can't wait to reveal my after picture.....I will post it as soon as I am done.

10 months old

Noah is 10 months old and really starting to show his personality.....and it looks like I am going to have my work cut out for me. He is stubborn and opinionated.....hmmmm who does that sound like. Yes, he didn't get his dad's sweet laid back personality.....I guess it's payback. He is still really a great kid. He is getting so much more fun everyday. We also have a picky eater on our hands. If you put something he doesn't want in front of him he will touch it and just look at you like....um no thanks...what else do u have.....Great...another challenge. He is such a blessing though and I can't wait until he is able to talk......

Sunny Days Ahead

The first picture is of the patio furniture I have my eye on at Target. The second one is a picture of our backyard. Can't you see why I love this patio set....it will be perfect furniture under our pergola ..... I am waiting for it to go on sale....because I don't like to buy things full price. I am also excited to have shade in the backyard too to help with the HOT Texas summer.

Decorating Ideas ......

I finally decided on the color I am going to paint the dining room....for some reason this room has been the hardest one to decide on what color to go with. I ordered the paint from Restoration Hardware......It's an amazing green/gray color that is going to look amazing. still not sure if I am going to paint the inset or the ceiling the same color. I also got an amazing steal on craigslist for a Pottery Barn dinning room table for 150 dollars. I love a good bargain. I am going to paint it white and still not sure about the chairs.

Birthday Inspiration

As most of you know Noah was born on Andrew's birthday....May 17th. It was the most amazing birthday present that Andrew and I will ever get. We always talk about how crazy it is that of all the days of the year...365 to be exact. God chose to bring Noah into our lives on Andrew's special day...so that means there is a lot of pressure on me to throw a fun double birthday....which honestly I am excited about. I have been on the search for months now on the perfect theme and cute decorations. So I ordered the invitations today and the theme is going to be a fun Surf's Up theme.....It is going to be so much fun and it will be at our new house. I can't wait for this exciting day. So friends make sure you are available May 15thfrom 11:30 to 1:30 for some fun........Here are some sneak peaks at what I am working on...