Flying Time

(Excuse me while I get all deep and introspective here.)
 
Where in the heck did summer go?

My busiest season at work is winding down. My husband is gearing up for a new school year (at a new school, too!). I'm about to start a new semester of graduate school. Our baby girl will be six months old this month. Holy frijoles!

I am truly amazed at how quickly time flies when one has a child. She is now at (what I consider) the fun part of infancy - she's grabbing, babbling, laughing, trying solid foods, and being a general stinker. I don't know where my colicky, new-baby-smell newborn went. I miss the new baby smell; I don't miss the colic. This first year is flying by. The moments are fleeting and I'm trying my best to soak it all in before we're buying school supplies and sending her off to kindergarten.

Life hasn't slowed down one bit, yet I feel like I'm accomplishing more than I ever have. Maybe it's because I have such limited time that I am being more intentional with that time (except for Facebook - I need to set better limits on my social media time). Maybe it's because I am prioritizing and eliminating the stuff that I once thought was important. Maybe it's because I am learning to say no. Whatever it is, life keeps chugging along at a rapid pace.

I just took a moment to take a deep breath. It's rare to do that now. Where does the time go?

Reawakening

Hello. Anyone still out there?

I have had this little voice in the back of my mind reminding me that I started this blog and that I ought to resurrect it. My last post on concentrating on the now is absolutely more relevant than ever, as our daughter is already 15 weeks old. But I miss recording life events here... and recording these little events is so much more important to me now.

So, what's been going on with me since I last blogged?

1. Our beautiful daughter entered the world in mid-February.
2. I took advantage of 12 weeks of maternity leave.
3. I came back to work at the beginning of May.
4. Husband is off work for the summer (what we're dubbing as his paternity leave).
5. We're adjusting to our new normal.

While life is definitely busier than ever, I wouldn't trade a thing in for all the riches in the world.

(Except the sleep deprivation. I can definitely do without the lack of sleep.)

Here's to recording the big and the little things, and savoring each moment as it comes.

Concentrating on the Now

The beauty of blogging is that you can set posts to publish well in advance, which is what I've been doing this month. However, as time has caught up with me, I can't say that I'm running out of steam. Rather, I'm focusing more on the impending birth of our little one. So while I applaud my efforts for January and participating in NaBloPoMo, I'm going to take a step back from the computer and concentrate on the real nitty gritty: Getting through these last couple weeks of non-parenthood while doing last minute "prep" for parenthood.


I'm at 37 weeks right now. I'm still working my full-time job and feeling the physical pains (side note: mad props to women who waitress or who do other physical labor for work while pregnant). We have everything set up to bring little one home, and we're all packed to head to the hospital when the time comes. Husband knows to keep his phone on at all times in case things happen when he's not home. We are spending as much time as we can as a couple before becoming a family of three. It's exciting and terrifying all at once to know that our lives are going to significantly change forever in just a matter of weeks.


I could sit here for the remainder of my afternoon and finish posts for the rest of this week, or I could go lie on the couch and breathe through the Braxton Hicks contractions I've been experiencing all afternoon. I'm choosing the latter. And who knows, the inspiration to write might strike me later this week.

Roses for No Reason

"I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck." - Emma Goldman

It's a rare occasion that Husband will send me flowers. I can count how many times he has given me flowers: My 20th birthday, my 25th birthday, our wedding day, and the beautiful bouquet above. Flowers aren't my thing because I'm terrible at keeping them alive. However, the bouquet above might be my favorite because it was completely unexpected. There was no special day associated with the arrangement - he did it just because. I appreciate that he sends me flowers so rarely, because the every day stuff that he does for me is much more valuable. And for that and for him, I am so incredibly thankful. Give me his encouragement and support each and every day over flowers, jewelry, or anything else. 

Wall Decor on the Cheap!

I know this idea is floating around Pinterest because several friends have mentioned doing this in their own homes. I had not seen it before (and sometimes I feel like I've been to the end of Pinterest and back) but I love the idea and knew it was something I could pull off.

Behold! The dry erase picture frame!

I am not crafty. I know first graders who have surpassed my "talent." But this craft... this I could handle.
What else I love about this project is that you can make it for almost no money.

The supplies: A dollar store picture frame ($1), dry erase marker (I bought a package of 4 for $1), scissors, pretty paper (I bought this silver paper years ago at an after-Christmas sale). To personalize each frame, I wrote quotes that I found inspiring. The most difficult part of the project was narrowing down what quotes to use. The beauty of the dry erase element is that you can change the quotes depending on whatever season in life you may be in.

My intention was to make wall decor for our baby girl's room, and I was so pleased with how each frame I made turned out. I originally purchased three frames - two are on display in her room, while one is displayed in our living room. The one picture above is in her room. I've seen variations of this craft (like this one) that I wouldn't mind adding to our home.

What are your favorite, simple craft projects that add something to your home?