{Another Year Begins}

Yesterday I turned 29.

So, in the spirit of my birthday and the new year I have tried to take a step back and look at my life. At the beginning of every year, Ali Edwards picks one word, one little word to sum up her life for the coming year. I have been trying to come up with a word for a couple of weeks now and one word just kept popping up in my mind.

–verb (used without object), strove or strived, striv·en [striv-uh

n] or strived, striv·ing.

1. to exert oneself vigorously; try hard: He strove to make himself understood.

2. to make strenuous efforts toward any goal: to strive for success.

3. to contend in opposition, battle, or any conflict; compete.

4. to struggle vigorously, as in opposition or resistance: to strive against fate.

5. to rival; vie.

There are so many things that I want to do in my life, so many things to do with Kalie, with my family.

take mommy & me swimming lessons with Kalie * run a 5k * learn to knit

plan a memorable 1st birthday party for Kalie * eat more veggies * read at least 3 books from this list

breastfeed Kalie for 1 year * take a trip to the beach with our little fam * improve my photography skills

explore religion * be a better wife * be a better mom * write a will * document our lives

have more patience for everything/one * have fun and enjoy life

I am so unbelievable grateful for every second of this last year. All 31,556,926 of them. For some reason I feel as if I have just begun to live. This past year has been an amazing one with the arrival of our beautiful daughter. A year ago I couldn't even imagine being a mom and today I couldn't imagine not being a mom. She is the most amazing and beautiful little girl and the light of my life. This year was one for the record books. It has been the most amazing, wonderful year and I am so excited to see what is to come this coming year, my 30th year.

Taken by Auntie Kimmie.

Taken by Aunt Courtney.

This year was a very good year. My heart has grown with love and admiration and I know it will only grow even more as I strive to be the best me I can be.

{Fix It Friday - July 23rd}

Here are my edits for I Heart Face's Fix-It Friday.

Below is the original image.

Here is my edit.

{7 Days}

Wow, I can hardly believe that Kalie's expected arrival is about 7 days away! It feels like we just found out we were expecting yesterday. The time sure does fly by. I think we're pretty much ready for her appearance. Everything on my checklist below is done. I even have birth announcements all made and waiting for a cute little picture to be added to them and then printed. I finished her nursery a could of weeks ago and must say that I am very proud of it. It turned out exactly how I envisioned it. Here's a little peek.

I am very proud that I was able to make so many things in the room including those cute little birds on top of the book case. I also made her name above the bookcase, the valences on the windows (I hadn't sewn since 7th grade prior to making these and the burp clothes I made) and a few pictures on the other walls. I still need to get a white lamp, but I was thinking of painting one we already have instead. I've never done that before so I'm not sure how that will turn out and I will be waiting until after Kalie's arrival to do so.

So for now it's just a waiting game. I'm kinda hoping Kalie shows up a little early but the very latest the Dr. will let me go is Aug. 5th, 1 week after my due date.

I Heart Faces

Last week I came across a new (to me) blog called I Heart Faces. The blog is a photography site "that focuses on the art of capturing faces and their various emotions." They have have different challenges throughout the week and also have tutorials. I have really enjoyed reading this blog so far and am sure I will keep reading it.

One thing that caught my attention is the "Fix-It Friday" challenge. They post a photo that you can download along with a few edits that others have done and then it's your turn to try! Today is my first try, however since photo editing is defintely a skill I would like to improve I am going to try to do this every week. Below is my first edit.

{Lots to Do}

It seems as though my "Baby To Do List" is growing instead of shrinking. On Thursday I will be at 32 wks, which means we are only 8 wks away from the anticipated arrival of our little girl. Here is my official to do list. Hopefully it will be getting smaller in the coming weeks instead of longer.

Finish baby album templates.
Put together crib.
Find matching lighting to go with bedding and decor.
Make the baby's name for the nursery wall.
Move guest room to my studio.
Go on L&D tour - scheduled for June 3rd.
Wash baby clothes.
Make closet size sorters for clothes.
Sort clothes into appropriate sizes.
Set up nursery.
~~Start birth announcements.~~
Buy Thank Yous for shower.
Move my clothes into guest room/studio
~~Order bedding - ordered May 28th.~~
Make burpies - started May 30th.
Find fabric for valences and make them.
Sew embroidery picture to hang in nursery.
Order other items for nursery...pictures, changing table, etc.
Paint white stripe in nursery.

The plan is to finish the burpies tomorrow night (hopefully) and then clean up my studio before I start another project so we (or should I say B) can rearrange the furniture. Then the crib can be put together and the white stripe can be painted. I would like to get the stripe painted next weekend.

{What's in a name}

Tomorrow I will be 28 weeks pregnant. According to babycenter.com that means that our little one should be able the weight of a Chinese Cabbage (about 2.25 lbs). I go for my glucouse test on Saturday. Hopefully I will pass so I don't need to take the 3 hour test (crossing fingers).

I feel like there is so much left to do. We order our crib on Friday. We are getting it in a honey pine color. I really wanted to get a white crib, but the bedding that I picked out is cream colored so the white would not look so great with it. Once the crib comes in, I am going to start decorating the nursery. Although we need to move the bed that is currently in the nursery to my studio. It will be a tight fit in my studio but I am positive that I can make it fit with my other stuff in that room.

What else.....oh we have come up with 3 names. Brianna, Adison and Kaylee. It is going to be hard to decide which one to go with but I really would like to decide before she arrives. I want to hang her name in the nursery and I know I will have more time to make the letters before she comes.

I am also working on creating a baby book. I know, I know everybody has told me that they never finish theirs. My album from when I was a baby is proof! But I think my idea might just work for me. I am going to creat digital layouts and have them done before the llittle ones grand entrance and then I can just drop pictures and words into the templates. Once they are done I will get them printed in 8.5 x 11 size and put them into a scrapbook album.

It's a Girl!

We found out on Tuesday that we're having a girl!

It looks like I am following the Springer family tradition of the first child being a girl. My Mom and her 3 sisters all had girls first. I know it had pretty much no bearing on what sex our baby would be but it is pretty wild to think about. Our little one will also be the first girl great-grandchild on that side of the family following 2 boys just like I was the first girl grandchild following 2 boys. I know all coincidences but still kinda cool.

On to my book reading. I have yet to finish Anne Frank. I did read a bunch yesterday. It was probably about 70 degrees outside (and it's only March!) so I sat on the deck while the dogs ran around in the yard and read. It was so nice to be outside without all of that snow on the ground that we got this winter. I hope these temps stay through the summer but somehow I think that they won't stay.