a saying.

Dear Baby Boy Sailor,

I saw this print on pinterest and instantly adopted it as my new motherly saying. I hope you don't mind hearing this one over and over again as you grow up.

found here

Is it too early...

for some baby room mood boards? I think not. :) Especially since I only have a month before learning baby Bobo's gender and can still dream up both boy and girl rooms. Either way, I plan to paint the room a light grey with either a tint of blue, green, or lavender. I think it will be a good neutral for whatever children come along. so without further ado...

for baby girl
colossal dots curtains, cardboard safari buffalo, bamboo print, papillon, lulie wallace painting, woodland sheet, sparrow crib, sweater rug, eames recliner

for baby boy
cardboard safari buffalo, fisher fox print, sailboat, sparrow crib, blah blah blanket, woodland sheet, draper rug, fox pillow, madewell backpack, trousers, eames recliner 

these are sort of fantasy rooms. actually, once i do find out whether its a boy or girl i'll probably play around with a more serious board.

april 30th is the day of the big reveal. don't check your mailbox for revelation party invites—we aren't having one. but do check this blog. :) 

btw, i'm showing now and currently my tummy feels likes it going to pop!

Playing Along—Blog Tag

Katie, I had so much fun reading your blog tag post I thought I'd play along; not to suggest mine will bring delight to all who read it. But I do think its a good way to keep in touch with what's going on in the lives of our friends we don't see everyday—a much better way than facebook.


The Rules:

1. The first rule is to post these rules.

2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 things about yourself/your life .

3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.

4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.

5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them that you've tagged them.

Things about myself:

1. I'm 25 and I live right next door to where I grew up on a few acres of heaven. My two favorite things about our place are the climbing pink roses on our split rail fence and our fruit orchard both of which were all Tim's doing.

2. Tim and I are simultaneously adopting and pregnant. Going through both at the same time makes me realize that I am as eager to meet/hold one child as I am the other. They both feel like my own already.

3. I never graduated from college and I don't know why. I actually loved classes and had a 3.5 average when I dropped out. One day I just decided I was through. Whether I go back and finish is still up in the air. I'll probably be one of those 40 year old moms in class with a bunch of twenty somethings who always asks a lot of questions.

4. I owned a handmade boutique on Main St. for two years and now I work at a place I never imagined I'd work—Hill Country Memorial. I'm technically the graphic designer but lately my boss has been introducing me as the art director. Aside from the typical tasks of ads and brochures I've been put in charge of selecting paint colors, designing and hanging wall installations, and choosing artwork for the walls. The experience is amazing, and I'm continuously thrown out of my comfort zone. 

5. I love garage sales/flea markets/estate sales and 90% of my home decor and furnishings are pre-owned. While I don't keep the greenest house in town I do love the idea of reusing/refurbishing wonderful pieces that still have a whole lot of life left.

6. Though I've already done the store thing, I still see myself having one again—once we've paid off the house, the kids have flown the nest, and I'm one of those established older ladies who can actually afford to own a store. It will be a lot like Enid.

7. I often find myself with a huge goofy grin on my face while watching song and dance scenes in old musicals. I don't know if its because they take me back to my childhood or I just love them that much. Last time I remember making this face was while watching the last scene in the Artist with Rach at the Stagecoach.

8. These aren't in any particular order otherwise this one would have been first. I am a Christian. Tim and I go back and forth between an Evangelical Free church and the Catholic church. Denominations don't mean much to me. 

9. I'm a rule breaker so I'm going to cut this short at 9. 1-8 were a bit long. 

Katie's Questions:

1. Best day you can remember?

Honeymoon day with Tim on the beaches of Culebra. We had street vender epanadas, snorkeled, and played in the most beautiful waves I've ever seen. 

2. Favorite item of clothing and why?

Coral Wedges. I'm short so I love shoes that give me height and wedges are much more comfortable than heels.

3. If you could meet any fictional character, who would you choose?
Off the top of my head— Dowager Countess of Grantham. I just love the things she says and the way she says it. 

4. What chore do you absolutely hate doing?

Cleaning the kitchen.

5. Favorite Quote?

"If it were easy, everyone would be doing it." —Dad

6. If you could throw any kind of party, what would it be like and what would it be for?

This probably isn't my ultimate party dream, but I do have plans to host the first ever Bobo Peach Festival when the peaches are ripe. 

7. Favorite Season and why?

Spring—Blossoming trees, gardening, and green grass. 

8. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?

Pay off our house. 

9. What is something you learned in the last week?
That there is too much Vitamin A in my Pre-natal multi-vitamins. Grrr, can we mom's do anything right? Carrots are great for pregnancy, but don't eat too many. Tuna is great for you, but don't eat it more than once a week. I feel like I'm walking through a minefield. 

10. Best meal you've ever eaten?

Its hard to beat my mom's Thanksgiving feasts. 

11. If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to?

Penelope


My questions:

1. What is your cocktail of choice?

2. If you could hop on a plane to anywhere, where would you go?

3. What is your decorating style?

4. What is your favorite garage sale/2nd-hand find?

5. What is your favorite flower?

6. Which style icon best describes your personal style?

7. How would you describe your sense of humour?

8. What is your favorite thing to cook?

9. What is one health habit you are working on?

10. Facebook or Pinterest?

11. Beatles, Elvis, or Willy Nelson?

Tag! Your it! (Clearly I don't have many friends, or friends with blogs I should say)

Katie

Haley

Heather

Anna

Eating and Exercising for Baby and other Things

I can't tell you how many times I've heard the phrase "you are eating for two now." A few weeks in to my pregnancy I read that 2nd person you are eating for is the size of a walnut (now a lime) and I really only need an extra glass of milk and a piece of fruit daily to satisfy eater number 2. So really I've just endeavored to eat like I normally do except 5 times more healthier. Tim and I've always eaten healthier than average I suppose, but now we decided to kick it up a notch. This means lots of fruits and vegetables and fewer and fewer processed foods with no nutritional value. Also, since I can't have wine or coffee my two main food groups, I've been forced to drink a lot more water, juice, and even milk which I haven't enjoyed drinking since Jr. High. Oddly enough I've had healthful food cravings like cucumbers and strawberries. For 2 seconds I considered completely eliminating processed foods from our diet, but then I realized this would mean no cheerios, store bought english muffins, or crackers. I'm not giving up those! One of the things that has really helped us consume more vegetables is my new cookbook Eating Well 500 Calorie Dinners. This is an amazing cookbook! Its full of simple, quick, vegetable and flavor packed recipes that just happen to be around 300 calories. It pairs two sides which each recipe that add up to 500 calories total for the meal.

So, I've also started walking about 3-4 times a week. I need to bump that up to everyday which will be easier now that the days are longer and the weather nicer. Making a baby is the best motivation ever for taking better care of oneself. 

Tomorrow I'll be 15 weeks. I have a little bump but nothing most people would notice. I can't button up my pants these days so I've been forced to use the hair band trick covered by extra long shirts. I've started looking at maternity clothes and was really surprised what you can get for really great prices. Case and point:

Target and Destination Maternity

All for under $30. I've also gotten some hand me downs too. :)

Today I received one of the quarterly newsletters from the Sanyu Babies Home in Uganda. Turns out this may or may not be Sailor's home since our agency is working to establish connections with another Ugandan orphanage and our adoption will be later than sooner these days. However, I love this little home and I love hearing about the children who are so well cared for and loved. I was excited to see the Easter donation they posted on their home page which asks for just $14 to help them purchase some chicks for the home to raise and produce eggs to eat and sell.

Donate

Speaking of Easter, my favorite time of year is quickly approaching. SPRING!!! Tim and I just spent the most wonderful evening eating Scholotzsky's and plant shopping at the Lowes in Kerrville. We got green beans, cucumbers, strawberries, tomatoes, and raspberries to support our new healthful habits. Of course I got my year supply of succulents and lots of blooms for my flower garden including poppies, zinnias, and ranunculus. I am determined to have a green thumb one day, absolutely determined. Below is some motivation.

succulents

ranunculus

our peach orchard in bloom

Friends and family, we will be sharing our harvest both edible and decorative and hope to make some trades as well. Goodnight!

another little adventurer is on the way.

First things first, Sailor is going to have a brother or sister in September—the 5th to be exact. I'm thinking seeing Sailor's face for the first time will be something like seeing this little one's little form for the first time...AMAZING! Tim was out of town for the past week so he missed our first sonogram. I keep telling him how much he has to look forward to when we have our next one at 20 weeks—the big one where we find out the gender. Yes, we are going to find out. 

When we first discovered this wonderful news we thought we might have to put the adoption on hold which would be disappointing. However, since then we've discovered we can keep plugging along with the adoption even with a newborn in tow. We just keep praying that God's timing will be perfect ;) and our referral won't come when I'm 9 months pregnant or when I'm trying to nurse a newborn. I have no idea how its all going to work out. But its not my job to know I suppose. Just to trust. 

I'm currently reading this book. Its not that I'm anti-American or think that everything French is best. But yes I agree with what this author has picked up by observing french parenting. Basically they give children and even babies credit for being able to learn quickly and adapt to the families lifestyle instead of the other way around. I know a lot of great American parents, mostly via their blogs, but in general I'd say American parenting sucks and maybe the rest of the world's too but I can only speak what I know. So that's that.

On a different stem of thought, back when I was wed almost five years ago I recall discussing the flowers I would like to use for bouquets etc. I had no idea. I remember just telling Michelle I love all flowers and make something pretty (which she did). But I was thinking the other day of how much more I know of flowers now, having been educated by Sprout. If I had to choose my favorite blooms today I'd say Ranunculus, Anemones, and lush Garden Roses. 

I love orchids too, especially ones with 10 blooms for $14.99. They remind me of my Aunt Cynthia who had such a green thumb and could keep orchids blooming time after time. I'm going to give it a real go this time.