Sometimes it takes my breath away to realize how quickly years pass by and the difference that time can make. One year ago children were not on my radar. My, what a difference one year makes.
August 2014. We found out that I was pregnant. I was terrified, nervous, and mourning the end of a chapter (which felt more like a book). Jacob and I would never be "just the two of us" again.
But one year later, by the grace of God, I am celebrating my first Mother's Day. It still seems surreal. Surely this cannot be correct. After all, children weren't in my life plan.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Praise God that His plans are higher and greater than my own. I thank our God that He knew me better than I know myself. That God would bless us with a daughter, entrust us with His child, and make me a mom blows my mind and leaves me speechless (and teary eyed....but we won't go there!).
Psalm 139 (CEM translation-- that's me)
You made all the delicate inner parts of Ella Paityn's body
and knit her together in my womb.
Thank you for making Ella Paityn so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous- how well I know it.
You watched her as she was being formed in utter seclusion,
as she was woven together in the dark of my womb.
You saw Ella Paityn before she was born.
Every day of her life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
Today I look back over the last year. I never saw myself being here, but I sure am thankful that God did. I am grateful that God chose me to be Ella Paityn's mom.
On a lighter note.... what have we done on my first Mother's Day?
Slept in- yay for sleep!
Took EP to church for the first time (love that it coincided perfectly with Mother's Day....I only cried once!)
Came home and Dad fixed us lunch- sloppy joes, chips, and turtle pie
Watched the movie Steel Magnolias for the first time ever-- so good, but maybe not the best Mother's Day choice?! Someone dies! And I cried again.
Braved Tropical Storm Ana from the comfort of our couch and held EP nonstop-- baby cuddles won't last forever
Dad is making us dinner tonight- steak, baked potatoes, macaroni and cheese
Y'all....39 weeks. Talk about the biggest slacker first time mom EVER. Normally first time moms (or so it seems) have their nursery set up and ready to go by 30 weeks. I mean anything could happen so you have to be prepared. Right?! Well, not me! But alas, our nursery is finally finished and Ella Paityn is still baking....so I call that a success.
We don't have a huge amount of flexibility because we are in a rental. Our landlord wouldn't care if we painted and nailed, etc. but I don't want to have to undo what was done when we move. So we went pretty simple and use lots of Command strips/hooks! (Thank you Kim Barrett for getting me hooked on the "velcro" Command strips.)
We bought all of our nursery furniture from Buy Buy Baby and got a transitional set which we LOVE! It was definitely an investment, but it was also something that I can see Ella Paityn using through high school and then eventually taking with her to her first home. After all, that is what I did :-) The crib converts to a toddler bed, then full size bed. The changing table/hutch converts to a dresser and bookcase.
I made the crib bumpers and crib skirt and my mom made us two coordinating sheets (one in gold dot, the other in a green leafy fabric).
The tassel bunting, gold circle bunting, mobile, and pictures were all decorations from my New Bern shower. I gave Kim my "inspiration" and she took it and RAN! I am so thankful because our walls would be completely bare otherwise. This is the view as soon as you walk into the room. Imagine there is a beautiful ruffled valance over the window because that is what's to come! My mom is currently making it and is going to bring it to hang when EP is born :-)
The precious "bally" banner hung across the front of the crib was also made by Kim and part of my shower decorations.
Inside the crib (for now, don't get all crazy on me!) is a crocheted afghan that was made by Ella Paityn's Grandmommy (my MIL). It is absolutely gorgeous and I LOVE the lacy border. Sitting on top of the afghan is a bunny doll that Ella Paityn's CeCe (my mom) handmade for her. The blue pad is a sheet saver.
If you turn around 180* and face back towards the door, this is the view. We have the Mamaroo that we bought (a space saving swing) as well as the string art that Jacob and I made together. There are well over 500 nails in that sucker.
Behind the door we have EP's baby carrier that we can't wait to use!! Inside is the newborn insert (that my sweet friend Shamar gave to us) so hopefully we'll be able to use it as soon as she's brought home. You can also see the door latch cover that I made to match the bedding. More to come on the piggy bank :-)
Turn back around and face the crib, and this will be to the right:
Ella Paityn has two piggy banks. Would you expect any less with her Daddy raising hogs?! The silver piggy bank was given to her by her Mom's college friend, Grace, and it has her monogram engraved on it. The big white piggy bank was hand-painted by her Mom's best friend, Rebecca, and it is gorgeous. Rebecca was very critical of her work, but as you can see above-- it is amazing (and matches the nursery decor).
The white lamp used to be a hideous vintage gold color with a purple "stained glass" lamp shade with 4 inch bead trim hanging from around the bottom. Y'all....it was a thing of sheer beauty. I held on to the lamp only because my sweet Granmom gave it to me. I always said, "one day...." and had great plans for it. Well, when we found out I was expecting, I knew that I wanted the lamp to be in the nursery. So after many coats of white paint and a new shade, Ella Paityn has a pretty lamp in her room that spent many years in the mountains of NC in her great Granmom's house.
This is inside the closet door. We are 100% sure that EP has more clothes than Jacob and I combined....especially when you consider that they are in 3 month increments. I also made a TON of interchangeable headbands with bows/flowers. All of those flowers/bows/headbands cost less than $25 to make!
If you turn to the left of the room, you will see EP's changing table and hutch. Eventually this can convert to a dresser and the hutch comes off, gets attached to a base w/ feet, and becomes a bookshelf. On top of the hutch is Ella Paityn's "Pop Belly Pig", bought for her by her Pop (my dad).
And if you turn around to walk out the door, you will find a protective Daddy (who is very good looking) and a precious piece of artwork. This canvas was handpainted for EP by her BFF, Claire (Rebecca's daughter).
Well, thanks for stopping in! Hope you enjoyed the tour :-)
One of our friends, Bridgett Melton, took our maternity pictures for us. We first met Bridgett and her now husband, Leo, when they moved in across the street from us on Kinsaw. She is getting her photography business back up and going and for a good reason-- she's great! We had such a good time and she even bought the dress that you'll see me wearing in some of the pictures! So, so sweet! Bridgett's photography business is Bridgett Baysden Photography...go check out her beautiful work! When these were taken, I was 35 weeks.
The locations that we used were downtown New Bern, the Brock Mill Pond, and a friend's wheat field in Jones County. Thank you Bridgett for doing a fabulous job! Go check out her website or facebook page!
We have about 30 days left and there is SO MUCH that has to be done. It is very overwhelming to think about! But we did get a few things done this past week over my Spring Break :-)
TAXES!! Now hopefully, we won't have to pay out and we'll get a whopping sum of $$ back!
Pressure washed the house
Hung some pictures in the nursery (which still isn't finished....)
Assembled thank you bags for the L&D nurses
2 Hershey bars
2 Reeses cups
Starbursts
1 pen
1 chapstick
1 pack of crackers
1 pack of gum
Bought a "Pack n Play" for $50 off of Craigslist....actually we were going to buy a Graco Pack n Play but after we got to looking at it, we liked this brand a lot better for our purpose. We wanted something functional for our room for the first month(ish). But even more than that, we wanted something that I could take with me to the Farmers Market that would give her moving space, air flow, and shade. Graco didn't offer anything with a large adjustable canopy over the playard. I found a Baby Trend Nursery Center at Walmart for $100 on clearance (very similar to the one below). But then, I happened to look on Craigslist and found this basically brand new one for $50. Bonus points for it matching our bedroom :-) We met the seller in Cary.....at the mall....in broad daylight.....with me, Jacob, my mom, and my dad.....with 2 people carrying concealed guns :-) One can never be too cautious, right?!
Installed our diaper sprayer that was $45 off of Amazon....normally $70 in the store!
That's a few more projects completed.....now to finish the rest :-)
Let me tell you, that I am highly qualified to write about what makes a great Dad. The reason? Because I grew up with a fantastic Daddy, or Dadoose as I more fondly call him. And that is how I know that my husband is going to fill those same shoes with our daughter. So what are some things that make a great Dad?
Involvement
To be a great parent, you must be involved with your child's life. It is impossible to see into the future, but I can go off of what Jacob has exhibited in the past. I couldn't have hand-picked a more involved husband. If I am doing something, he always wants to be there to support and help me. Spelling bee? He's there cheering me on in the crowd. School Title I nights? He's there calling out BINGO numbers or passing out prizes with me. Sewing nursery bedding (or any other craft project)? He is sitting with me and helping in any way he can from being there to talk to, helping stain wood, to ruffling fabric. I absolutely love having my husband as my best friend. It really does make life so much more fun! And because Jacob loves being involved in my life, I know that the same will be true for our daughter. We are two blessed and lucky girls.
Love
It's hard to even know where to start with this. As DC Talk said, "Love is a verb." Jacob shows me his tenderness and love for me on a daily basis. The depth of his love for me is almost overwhelming to think about and he exhibits it in so many different ways. It's one of the things that I have struggled with the most when thinking about having a baby...having to share his love. And after {almost} six years of marriage, I finally understand how people say that your love only gets sweeter as time passes. Jacob truly is the love of my life. Dedication
Jacob exhibits dedication in so many different ways. First, he is very dedicated to me (which goes hand in hand with involvement). He is also very dedicated to his job. Jacob goes out of his way to help others. And lastly, even when it isn't all that fun or when things aren't looking as good as they could, Jacob is dedicated to farming. His ultimate goal of full-time farming is never overshadowed by temporary circumstances. He takes care of the pigs at least 2 times a day (morning and evening) and does whatever it takes to make sure that they are well cared for. To the point that he has birthed pigs during an ice storm, brought sick pigs home to try nursing them back to health in our bathtub, dug holes and said his eulogy for each animal that has died (the standard ashes to ashes!), took extra time to rub and talk to the pigs, and the list goes on. Starting a business is hard work, but he never loses sight of his goals and is completely dedicated to making them a reality.
Those are just a tiny snippet of the character traits that make a good Dad. Those are some of the ones that my Dad was great at; and, I am 100% confident that Jacob will also be great at.
Jacob and I have always been more of the "making memories" type of people than the "giving presents" type of people. Early on we agreed that while it would be nice to get jewelry, clothes, roses, or the like for an anniversary, we would really rather spend time together. So every year, since our honeymoon, we have gone on a anniversary vacation together. Our honeymoon was amazing and quite extravagant (think...1 day in Savannah, 3 days in Disney World, and 4 days on a Disney Cruise to the Bahamas). Since then our anniversary trips have been a little more affordable and we have gone to Atlantic Beach, NC (1 year), Gatlinburg, TN (2 years), Hilton Head Island, SC (3 & 4 years...what can we say- We love it!), and Myrtle Beach, SC (5 years).
This year for Christmas, we decided to forgo the presents for each other and use our Christmas budget to take a mini-vacay (we'll call it a babymoon) back to one of our favorite spots...Hilton Head Island! Now before you go thinking, we could never afford that....let me change your mind. It doesn't take a lot of money at all! I bid on our room on Priceline (there are some tips/tricks) and had it narrowed down that we would either be staying at the Omni Hotel & Resort or the Sonesta Spa & Resort....both of which we were more than okay with. I ended up winning the bid and paying a whopping $72/night for a 4 star resort. Amazing.
Saturday
So, Saturday morning we struck out on the 5 1/2 hour trip to Hilton Head! When we finally got there we were pleasantly surprised with beautiful accommodations including a newly renovated king room.
After arriving and getting our luggage unloaded, we struck out for a walk on the beach! Even though it was a little chilly and very windy, the view was gorgeous. Afterwards, we headed out to the Tanger Outlets in Bluffton and shopped around a little bit mostly killing time before we headed out to dinner. For dinner we ate at one of our go-to joints for any vacation, Mellow Mushroom! After eating some pretzels and pepperoni pizza, we headed to Sweet Frog and got some frozen yogurt.
This whole day, I'll mention, that my stomach had been a little off. I attributed it to way too much soda, not enough water, and generally unhealthy food (Bojangles for breakfast, McDonald's for lunch, Mellow Mushroom for dinner). More to come on Sunday....
After dinner we hung out at the hotel and played Ticket to Ride, a super fun board game. We played a total of 4 times and Jacob beat me....four.times. Ridiculous! But, we still had a lot of fun!
Sunday
Sunday morning I woke up and my stomach was still all out of whack so I called the BCBS 24 hr. nurse line. After asking me a series of questions, the nurse on the phone had decided that my symptoms were either due to: 1) pre-term labor or 2) C. Diff (Clostridium Difficile) and that I should go to the nearest Urgent Care or Emergency Room immediately. Um, HELLO?! I am in South Carolina and on vacation!! Well, of course, I freaked out and started crying. I tried to call my OBGYN for a second opinion and apparently, they no longer have a doctor on call phone line (something about new federal guidelines). I asked Jacob what he thought, I asked my parents what they thought. Then, I ultimately decided to do something that I don't like to do.....annoy my midwife. I texted her what was going on and she almost immediately texted me back. She said to take some Imodium, drink TONS of fluid, and see how I progressed throughout the day. Well, obviously I progressed just fine and things cleared up. Thank the Lord for midwives who go above and beyond.
So, we spent a little time that morning scouring the island for Imodium, eating McD's for breakfast (I had their fruit/maple oatmeal and it was delicious), and playing Ticket to Ride. And the good news is that I finally beat Jacob!! Afterwards, we went for another walk on the beach and the weather did not disappoint. Gorgeous sunny skies, little to no wind, and about 65 degree temps.
On our walk, we even got to see some of these...
One of our favorite places on Hilton Head Island is Lawton Stables. It is a gorgeous farm located smack dab in the middle up an uppity, gated neighborhood that makes guests pay to get in! In the middle of the highfalutin folks' community is a beautiful horse farm. But even better than that....chickens, goats, cows, a pet deer (yes, you read correctly- her name is Callie), and PIGS! You can walk through their farm, go on horseback rides, and pet/feed the animals.
After going through Sea Pines, we headed back over to the Tanger Outlets to pick up a few cute outfits that I had spotted during our first round through. As to not be impulsive, I waited it out a day before buying them! Let's just say that I LOVE Carter's & Janie and Jack :-)
For dinner, we went to The Crazy Crab which sits right on Jarvis Creek (the sound). While we can always count on this being the most expensive meal of the trip (around $65 with tip), it is always worth it. Delicious food, great customer service, great views! Unfortunately, that wasn't the case this time. Let's just say that it was way less than wonderful. Terrible service, cold to lukewarm food....and that is just skimming over it. Well, we paid the bill and were about to leave when I noticed one more thing with the bill that tipped me over the edge. So, I went and talked to the manager, very calmly but very matter-of-factly. We didn't expect it at all, but she ended up taking one of the entrees off of our bill as well as the surcharge for macaroni and cheese (which is what tipped me over the edge)! We walked out with a bill of $25 instead of $50. Jacob (notice I did not say "we" here) generously tipped our waitress $10 saying that we should always offer grace because we don't know her situation. True? Probably. But still, she gave terrible service.
After dinner, we headed back home, relaxed, watched Bridesmaids on TV, and played a few more rounds of Ticket to Ride (all of which I won)!
One of our favorite scenes....I mean what is not to love here? Privacy (short i), That's from my undercarriage. HAHA! WHAT?! I mean, so wrong....yet so hilarious.
Monday
Sadly, Monday morning meant that it was going home time. We slept in until around 8:30 and then headed out to the beach for one last walk. It was definitely difficult to leave because the beach was at its best.
The beach was littered with sand dollars. We saw at least six and there were families finding them everywhere as well. It was so exciting and so of course, we had to take some home! We took the ones that were clearly already dead because they were up near the sand dunes and had already turned greenish. You can see in the pictures above, that the beach in Hilton Head has a very gradual slope. No crazy drop offs or sand bars like you find in Atlantic Beach. And, the sand is packed firm so the wind doesn't blow it everywhere. This means that when the tide comes in, it is all the way up to the bottoms of the dunes; yet, when the tide goes out there is at least 500 yards of packed sand. This makes it an ideal vacation beach because it can be slammed packed and you still feel as though you have all the space in the world.
After our walk, we headed back to the car and left the beloved island. There may have been some hormonal tears spilling down my face. It was an end. And end to our vacation, an end to this one last vacation as a couple of two (even if we vacation alone in the future, we'll always be a family of 3). But I got it together quickly when Jacob took me to Chick-Fil-A for a CFA biscuit and...ice cream! At 10:30 in the morning :)
We had a wonderful time in Hilton Head and will definitely be going back soon...
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