Q's Room

We finally put the finishing touches on the nursery. 

 

 We have already spent many hours in this rocking chair

 

And changed countless diapers here:

 

My sister made the bunting over the crib and the bedding was made by my mother in law.

 

The artwork and models were a joint effort between Aaron and I (he made the models of course).

 

 

But the best part of this room is this little guy.

He's Here!!

Look who made his appearance 8 days early:

We can hardly believe he is one week old today.

  We love him so much!!

(Photos by my sister at 4 days old...there are a bunch more cute ones I will post later.)

Waiting and Some Thrifty Finds

It's no secret that I love thrifting.  It is one of my favorite past times to make the short trek up Green Springs highway and be able to stop at 3 different thrift stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army and Mission Possible).  Many times I don't buy anything, but I always enjoy the hunt and sometimes I come away with some great finds!

I have never really taken much time with the clothing sections.  The sheer volume of clothing is daunting and I don't have the desire or patience to paw through it.  I have found though that the baby section is worth a quick browse.  Look at these two adorable outfits that I snagged recently for baby for $.99 and $1.99 :

 

Aren't they cute?! Both are boutique brands that would cost WAY more new and neither are stained.

The studio is closed this week for the 4th/mid summer break so I have had a lot of time on my hands...time to patiently wait for baby's arrival (ok, so maybe not so patiently).  Oh waiting...so much fun, especially in this heat.  Aaron is done with summer school so we are trying to make the most of our time before life gets a little more complicated.  On our list of things to do is:

-eating popcicles at:


-exploring the outlets at the Shops at Grand River
-going to see What to Expect When Your Expecting at the dollar theater :)
-going for walks in the evening once the heat is less intense

Tomorrow I am headed to I Love Thrifting Day 2012.  You should join me (click on the link for details)! I went last year and a good time was had by all.  I'll let you know if I find any treasures!

Lastly, I will leave you will a deal for the thrift stores.  Today on Living Social you can buy a $50 voucher for Mission Possible Bargain Centers for $25.  This is one of my favorite stores (in the old Mazers).

Crib

As of this weekend, the crib is put together and the bedding is on it!  Many, many thanks are due to Aaron's mom, Mary Jo, who made the bedding.  She did a fabulous job and I love it so much!!  Also, a big thanks is in order for my sister Anna, who let us borrow the crib, even though it meant the not so easy transition of moving her 2 year old to a big boy bed. 

This afternoon Aaron and I have been working on some projects and artwork for the walls.  Hopefully they will be finished and hung soon and I will post some full room shots.

I have also been busy washing some tiny clothes and packing for the hospital. Not too much longer til there is a little one here!

Baby's Rocker: Before and After

My grandmother had a cute rocker purchased from an antique store in her house that was then passed on to my older sister.  It has been used to rock 3 babies and has received a lot of love over the years.  I happily accepted my sister's offer of the rocker to use for baby's nursery, especially since she claims that it is quite possibly the most comfortable chair on earth :).

 Before 

 (with various baby items on it...a little glimpse at some colors and patterns in the nursery)

After all its use and love over the years, the upholstery wasn't in great shape and needed a facelift so I looked around for something to get it recovered with.  My mom and I found some cute blue and white Premier fabric in the clearance section at Hancock's and snapped it up.  I received a referral from a friend at church about someone to recover it and we set off to Odenville, AL to drop it off with lady named Geneva. I highly recommend Geneva and would happily pass on her contact info if anyone is interested.  She was friendly, very reasonably priced and VERY quick (the rocker and one belonging to my sister were ready 4 days later).

I am so pleased with the result:

After

The nursery is coming together! We are headed to pick up the crib this weekend from my sister's house and I can't wait to get the bedding on it and see things pulled together.  Stay tuned for pictures soon...

A Little Vacation

After the move, recitals and wrapping up the school year, we were ready for some rest and relaxation! We researched some beach options, but due to the fact that we couldn't go til after Memorial Day weekend, rates were really high and we didn't think it would work out.  I was excited to see a Groupon Getaway deal for a bed and breakfast in FL and we jumped on the deal for a 3 night stay at the Cape San Blas Inn near Port St. Joe, FL.  My parents had actually already been considering going to this part of FL so they bought the Groupon too and we were able to caravan down and enjoy the vacation together.

 

Cape San Blas Inn- the bay was behind it and the beach in front

This is a part of the gulf coast that I had never been to and it has been fittingly nick-named the "Forgotten Coastline."  It was beautiful, quiet and remote. We enjoyed hanging out on the beach, exploring a wild-life preserve, canoeing in the bay, shopping at some cute boutiques and shops, and eating out.

 Best Shrimp and Grits we have ever had! (Yes, those are fried grits...now I am determined to try to recreate them with this recipe.)

 I also especially loved the breakfasts at the inn each morning.  It was so fun to wake up to the smells and tastes of a gourmet breakfast.  We enjoyed things like quiche, apple fritters, stuffed french toast, and fresh fruit.

Traveling 6 hours in the car while 33 weeks preggo means lots of stops along the way :)  We happily took advantage of free donuts at Krispy Kreme on the way home in honor of National Donut Day and also took some pictures with peanuts along the way in honor of our little peanut growing inside (we were in peanut growing territory afterall).

It was a fun trip and we were happy for the time to rest and explore a new place!

Catching Up

Bet you thought I had dropped off the face of the earth! Well between work, recitals, pregnancy, buying a house and moving, we were in survival mode for several months and blogging went on the back burner :)  There are just times like that, you know?

Despite the craziness and busyness of the past few months, they have been very full of blessing! Aaron and I have looked at each other over and over again and exclaimed at God's provision for us.


Baby Long is almost 35 weeks now and continues to be super active in the womb :)  We are so eager to meet him and we feel like this pregnancy is flying by.  I am mostly feeling good, just not sleeping very well, but I guess that is preparation for the days ahead.

Our house closing and move fell at the busiest time of the year for me.  May was FULL of recitals!  My little dancers all did wonderfully and I was so relieved to finish up teaching classes.  It was getting a lot more difficult to dance with them!  I am happily filling in at the studio front desk this summer rather than teaching and this has been a welcome change of pace.



We had LOTS of AMAZING help with the move and are sooooo thankful.  Aaron's Mom came for about a week and worked so hard to get us packed up.  We couldn't have done it without her.  Later Paul and Joanna came too, my parents pitched in and then a great group from church actually moved our stuff.  What a huge help everyone was!!

We are absolutely loving the house and the added space!! I will post more pictures soon.

Aaron also wrapped up another school year.  It was a challenging one for sure.  My dad and uncle came and helped throw the end of the year party...a hotdog extravaganza in the park! A good time was had by all and the food was delicious! 

Aaron is enjoying teaching summer school now and only has 6 students...a dream come true!  Stay tuned for more posts soon about our house, vacation, preparation for baby and some baby showers. Thanks for reading!

Lately...

So what has been going on lately aside from work, house hunting, surviving a wretched stomach virus and growing a baby?! We were excited to find out at our last appointment that baby is a BOY and is doing well! He has been kicking up a storm and we already love him so much.

He has joined me in lots of dancing lately. This is a really busy season for Math in Motion shows and I have enjoyed going into elementary schools and performing. The kids are always so excited and enjoy the show. The extra money that I make doing it has sure been nice too.


I am also getting ready to perform in the upcoming Sanspointe concert on March 8, 9, and 10. I will be in a new piece entitled "Sweet." I get to share the stage with 2 other moms and their small children and they are so cute. We are also sharing the concert with a company from North Caroline, code f.a.d. Tickets can be purchased here. Hope you can make it!

Aaron has been busy with school. This has been a challenging year for him to say the least. I am so proud of his perseverance. He has also been working out diligently as he participates in CrossFit with some other male coworkers. Aaron also entered some model airplanes into a competition recently.


He came home with 2 first prizes and a second place prize in different categories. Way to go Aaron!


And finally, remember the coffee table that I bought back in the summer for $10 at Salvation Army? Probably not! I sanded it back in the summer, but sadly I let it sit in my parent's basement for WAY too long.

Well, it is finally finished and we love it! Take a look at the before pics:

Nice shape and very solid wood, but lots of scratches and dings.

Our living room with the perfect empty spot for the table:

And finally the finished product in place:



A special thanks to my dad and Aaron who finished up the project for me so I didn't have to breath the paint and stain fumes. I love it!!

Long Awaited Update!!

Good grief it has been a long time since I blogged!! Life has been full to say the least. We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas break which included lots of family time and a trip to Iowa for a wedding and visit with extended family.

I barely have any pictures from the holidays, but thought I would share one with you:

Look closely at who the present is for!

Yes, that is right, we are expecting a Lil' Long around July 19 and we are thrilled!! I am 15 weeks now and baby got a good report this morning at the doctor. We are so eager for our next appointment when we find out the gender!

Psalm 139:13-16

"For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them."