Amelia Jean

We welcomed our beautiful girl, Amelia Jean, into the world at 3:02 AM on Friday, April 19. She weighed in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces, and was 20 inches long (although at her two week appointment she was 21.5 inches, and the nurse there was convinced she was longer than 20 at birth). My due date was April 22, but all of our ultrasounds showed April 19, so I am pretty sure she came right on time.

My water broke at work which was my fear this whole pregnancy. I laughed pretty hard when it happened, and luckily, it was not very messy :) After that, I was in labor for about 11 hours and pushed for an hour. It was an overall great birth experience and I'm grateful for that.

We are overcome with joy at this little life and marveling at all of her little movements and expressions.

First day of life

Around a week old

On Bread & Wine

First off, let me say, I am not a big reader. I want to be. I wish that I were. But often, I only let myself relax enough on vacations to really get into books. Case in point: I finished the first two Hunger Games books when Evan and I vacationed last year. I bought the third one immediately (and excited to read it). It's been sitting on my nightstand, unopened, for eight months.

That being said, I do love cookbooks... and I love Shauna Niequist. Her writing style is great for someone like me, because as much as you want to read it all in one sitting, you don't have to feel badly if you can't. You can put it down, and come back to it later and catch up right where you were. I first heard about her when Cold Tangerines came out - I was leading a high school small group and some of my girls read it after our ski trip. Any book that can engage high school seniors more in their faith is pretty great by me! Then I got her second book, Bittersweet, at a conference years later. I couldn't put it down. I just felt like I resonated with so much of what she wrote about life, faith, and relationships. Shauna writes honestly and openly about beautiful and broken pieces of everyday life. She writes about the things that shape us, in difficult and lovely ways, and reveal to us the heart of God.

I've been anxiously waiting for Bread and Wine to release. Shauna loves Jesus and cooking food. Me, too! I don't love cooking food so much now that I am 38 1/2 weeks pregnant, but normally, it's my stress relief. It's the time where I feel creative. I was super stoked one day to see on her blog that they were sending out advanced copies of Bread and Wine to bloggers, and was even more excited when I got an email confirming that they were sending me a book before the release date. Talk about a way to make this pregnant girl feel special! I put down Babywise and Happiest Baby on the Block and dreamed of when I will look forward to cooking again.

This book has some wonderful recipes (Evan has been really glad that it inspired me to do more than put a frozen pizza in the oven), but it's really much more about community, which is not always something that I am good at... I usually blame it on busy-ness, exhaustion, growing a baby, etc. Shauna writes about what happens before, during, and after dinner, both in the kitchen and with people. Bread and Wine made me want to cook and learn more about food, flavors, and techniques, but more than that, it made me want to invest in the people that God has placed in my life and the relationships that He has given me. It made me want to feed people in my home and care for them. I think that I am feeling this even more as Evan and I prepare to become parents. I feel like I'm mentally preparing for loneliness that I hear mothers face, and praying that I do not slip into that. I know it will take a community to raise this baby, and for Evan and I to keep our sanity. 

The table built by my husband, complete with some folding chairs to seat everyone.

I've been blessed to do dinner with a beautiful group of girls for the last few years, although it has slipped and become less routine recently. This started with a few friends who were on staff at our church when I was in college and has evolved. They fed us, poor college students that we were, real food and good food. The group has changed as people have moved away, and many of us have gone through multiple stages of life during these years. They came over Monday, and I made Annette's Chicken Enchiladas from Bread and Wine. Confession: I've made this meal twice already. Once for a group of college students, who devoured them, then for girls' dinner, and while I was making one tray for the girls, I went ahead and froze one for Evan and I to eat post-baby. They're easy and fantastic. Shauna recommends using Las Palmas green enchilada sauce, which I found to be really important (Williamsburg people: I searched multiple grocery stores before finding it at Food Lion). I've made other enchiladas with green sauce before, and have often been disappointed, but not so with these. 

I only took a picture once the enchiladas were assembled and before they went into the oven.  Shameful!

I heated up some black beans with a few tablespoons of barbecue sauce to taste (also mentioned in the book), which is surprisingly delicious. Someone else brought chips and salsa with cream cheese. Another brought dessert. Someone brought the bagged Caesar salad that's a staple at our dinners. And we talked and laughed and ate. I am so grateful for food, but I am so, so grateful for friends in my home. 

Even if you're a non-reader like me or if you're not into cooking, I think you will love Bread and Wine.  It's refreshingly honest, and it's a reminder of the value of life shared in community. I ordered a copy for my friend across the country because it just made me wish that she were here and we could do more life together, and I'm sure I'll be giving this to many others, too.

Bread and Wine is now out, and you can order it here. You'll probably want to start cooking once you read it, but you will definitely want to share your life - and your food - with others.

Mid-Century Modern Dresser (and Changing Table) Redo

You wouldn't know it based on this blog, but we have been moving on our girl's nursery. We started by finding a crib thanks to my parents (the BabyMod Modena  in grey from Wal-Mart. I am not ashamed).

Then, we found a great linen slip-covered arm chair at T.J. Maxx that Evan made into a swivel rocker (more on that soon), and added a few other things. We still haven't quite made it to the walls, but they're next.

We painted using Olympic's no-VOC paint in Cozy Cottage (yes, we went pink). I looked for a mid-century modern dresser on Craigslist to use as a dresser/changing table combo, and after we got back from Christmas with my family, I found a perfect one... and we knew the seller! Took all the sketchiness out of a Craigslist deal. Even better, he was amazingly generous and gave it to us even though we were fully prepared to pay. It was a HUGE blessing and made me even more excited to turn it into something special for our little girl.

Here is the dresser before, albeit taken apart:

We decided  to jump on the two-tone train. I wanted to keep some rich wood tones in the room, but also wanted to use some grey like the crib. I grabbed a bunch of paint swatches from the Ace Hardware down the street from of us, and we found a close color match to the grey crib (Benjamin Moore Shaker Gray) to paint the frame of the dresser. Instead of painting, we stained the drawer fronts. This dresser has a veneer finish, so some light sanding was all that could be done, and luckily, the drawer fronts were in good shape so that wasn't too difficult. After a coat of primer, some repair of a few dents using drywall mud, more sanding, and two coats of paint, the frame was ready. After one coat of ebony stain, the drawers were ready. Evan finished off the drawers with two coats of polycrylic, and still has to add a coat to the top.

We're opting for no extra changing table because of space and many recommendations. The dresser gives us plenty of storage for little baby clothes, receiving blankets, burp cloths, wipes, and some diapers. I was pretty surprised at how pink the wall color dried (although it looks just like what I was hoping it would in these pictures!), but the gray and other accents we're adding help it to feel a little less pink. I think this room is definitely more for me than her, but I'm okay with that.

Pregnancy Update #1 (Yes, I Am 37 Weeks)

I am 37 weeks pregnant today. That means we are 3 weeks away from our due date. And I've posted almost nothing about it. While I can't wait for the next three (to five) weeks to go by, I definitely have a healthy fear of all that comes with it. We've been blessed with beautiful showers and are overwhelmed by how people are loving us and this baby before she even arrives.

So, why no updates? I really don't know. I've honestly loved being pregnant, aside from some of the weird aches and pains. I've appreciated people showing concern for me, and strangers who are nicer than normal.

I guess all this to say, sorry for no updates. And since I failed at taking weekly photos, here are some of the maternity pictures that Adam Barnes did for us. He is just wonderful to work with and a wonderful person in general, and we're so grateful to be able to remember this pregnancy! All photos below are by Adam Barnes Fine Art Photography.

I promise that there will be pictures of our sweet and tiny nursery soon.

Juicing

We have officially jumped on the juicing train since the start of the new year. And we love it.

I used to make green smoothies for breakfast (and I will again once it gets warmer out), but I felt like I was buying Greek yogurt, which isn't cheap, all the time. I've missed starting my day with so many fruits and veggies, though, and both Evan and I were interested in juicing. After a little research, we decided to use Christmas gift cards to buy this Breville juicer from Amazon. So far, it's been great for us! I love that the baby and I get a good dose of fruits and vegetables at the beginning of the day (in case a craving for something not-so-healthy hits me later on... hello, McDonald's sundae).

We buy produce weekly, and it really has not added much to our grocery budget, which has totally surprised me. I love spinach in smoothies, but I tried kale once and could not get it down because of the bitterness. When juiced, though, kale is not so bad at all! Here is our go to morning juice:

3-4 handfuls of kale leaves (or 4 large stalks - I basically fill up my salad spinner basket)
2-3 carrots, scrubbed
3-4 stalks celery
1 small sweet potato, peeled
1 small apple
1 small pear
1/2 lemon

This makes about 2 - 10 oz glasses and we both do actually enjoy it. It's easy to change things up or add anything (spinach, ginger, cucumbers, oranges, etc). I already cannot wait for spring and summer produce! Sorry for the blurry picture before... my camera died before I could take another one.

Do you juice? If so, I'd love to know what goes into yours!
 

DIY Drum Pendant Light for about $30

Well, the nesting instinct hasn't quite hit me (I'm in more of the "when I'm at home, I just wanna lay down" phase), but it did get Evan -- he's painted the nursery, almost refinished the dresser for the nursery, and he wired and installed overhead lighting (we've lived without it for 2 1/2 years in our bedrooms upstairs)! We found an inexpensive fun light for the baby's room (more on that soon), used a rather ugly light that came in a set I bought when we first moved in, in the dog's room (yes, they have their own room for now... it's also Evan's closet), and were stuck were with what to do with our room. Light fixtures are not exactly a small expense.

I had my heart set on a drum pendant, like one of these, but they are $100, which is actually a great price, but more than we were looking to spend. I looked up how we could make one, and we started searching for a drum shade. Easy to find, right? Wrong. The ones at Target will not work very well, as I found out the hard way (the hole for the bulb is too big and in the center instead of the top... they can work, just not as well). The best I found online was a large plain white one for $42..

Well, Evan and I ventured to TJ Maxx, and found nothing but one small drum shade - we were hoping for big. Then, by some twist of fate, an employee was wheeling a cart of goods and off of the cart fell (and broke) a large glass lamp with a LARGE white linen drum shade with a silvery sheen. We stood there, stalking the situation, before asking if the shade would be for sale independently now. It was. For $10. We were giddy with excitement.

We followed this tutorial as much as we could, but here is what we ended up going with:

Supplies

• Pendant Light (ours was a Portfolio brand one from Lowes for $20)
• 1 drum shade (with a small hole at the top, not a large one in the middle)
• 1 nipple kit (we only used one)
• 1 coupling

1) Get your pendant light ready. We spray painted the head, rods, and plate oil rubbed bronze to match other fixtures in our room (and because we like it).

2). Slide the coupling and then the nipple down the cord. Then, place the drum shade on top and screw in the pendant rod(s).

you can see my shade that failed in the background.

 3) Follow directions for installing your pendant light.

4) Turn it on and swoon!

Not too shabby for a $30 light fixture, right? We are still getting used to actually having light from the ceiling, but the glow cast by the light with the shade is really nice... perfect for a bedroom where you don't want to be blinded by light.I also like that I can add color to the shade in the future if I ever feel like it, but I am loving the soft neutral right now.

Guest Bath Makeover pt. 2: Custom Bath Vanity

After a few months, I have finally gotten this post ready! Our guest bath has actually been sitting completed for a while (except for accessories), just waiting for pictures to be taken. A while ago, I posted about the cabinet I found at a thrift store. I loved it, but it sat in our garage for a long time, while I was still deciding on a paint color. In the mean time, we decided it was high time to re-do our guest bath. We put down new flooring (Allure vinyl planks in country pine), painted with a can of Behr paint & primer that I found a long time ago in the "oops" paint section, and then we were deciding on a vanity. Our budget for this room was next to nothing (literally), so our options were slim. Re-do the existing vanity? Maybe, but the bones weren't very good and it would require a new counter top and sink. Buy this guy at Home Depot? Cheap, but clean. I was leaning towards the latter. Evan was never happy with the quality.

Then, Evan reminded me of our cabinet. It is a little shorter than a vanity, but with a vessel sink mounted on top, the height would be perfect. We might spend a little more than we'd like, but it would be totally unique, and the cabinet is so solid. My guidelines for a vessel sink: large enough to cover most of the counter top, have a ledge for guests to put toothbrushes and other items, at least 5" high, and made of ceramic or porcelain. Unfortunately, those don't usually come so cheap.

On the way home from the William & Mary/Towson game in MD, Evan made a stop at Ikea (without me, and totally unprompted by me. Isn't he amazing?). He found a perfectly sized ceramic vessel sink in the "As Is" section on super sale. No visible imperfections, just a floor model or return. He sent me a picture. It met all requirements. Sold.

After some sanding, drilling of holes for the faucet and plumbing (see below), 2 coats of Minwax stain in ebony, 3 coats of poly, some new hardware and some sink installation (we laid it down and used clear silicone caulk that we used elsewhere in the room on the edges), we've got a brand new vanity, and we love it. It's so much more quality than we could have bought and the look fits perfectly with this bathroom. It's narrow, which works for this small space. We bought the faucet on eBay for a super cheap (like $20), but, it is SO loud - I guess that's the price you pay for buying a "Made in China" faucet off Ebay :)

 

 

And here it is, with the sink and faucet:

 

 

Yikes! I really did shower today.

I also asked Evan to make a towel hanger, instead of putting up a towel bar (I've really come to hate the look of wet towels hanging sloppily on a towel bar). He primed and painted a scrap piece of wood and added three hooks. Easy peasy.

 

 

We are going to live with the bisque-colored shower/tub in here because it's clean, and it gets covered up by the shower curtain.We still need to add some art and accessories to this room, but it feels good to have 2 out of 3 bathrooms mostly updated!