peace

Ahhh Everdeen is napping...the house is clean and somehow I got through my list of things to do.  This peace is divine.

oh wait...I can hear a little voice singing in the other room...haha well it was nice while it lasted ;)

window

This little girl could spend hours looking out our living room window.  Lately, she has been obsessed with watching the little boys across the street play soccer.  "Daddur ball!" she says over and over. She watches the mailman deliver the mail, the old man down the street ride his bike slowly back and forth, and of course all of the dogs going for their daily walks...especially the two dachshunds Sam and Sally.

The past few afternoons have brought string after string of thunderstorms.  I love thunderstorms and the slow rumbling off in the distance. They're so comforting to me. I close my eyes and breathe in the rain filled breeze...for some reason rainy evenings always make me feel like everything is okay...maybe it's symbolic for washing away the parts of the day that weren't that great and starting fresh again the next day with clean air that smells just like summer.

The neighbors don't know they're secretly being watched by a little toddler.  Everything they do is interesting to her. She is quietly soaking it all in.  It is her own hello, goodbye window.

Have you read the story The Hello, Goodbye Window?  It's the sweetest story and one of my favorites read a louds :)

a little toddler room

If you've been following along with me for a while you know that we had been apartment dwellers for almost 9 years and have recently moved out of a tiny one bedroom apartment into our first home! Yay!  To say that we are enjoying our new home is an understatement :) I've been so excited to finally be able to share snippets of our new space.   

The one room that is complete, is Everdeen's room.  When I was pregnant I ached to be able to create a special space for her.  We crammed her crib and changing table into our bedroom and I hung a few pieces of my favorite art work up that I hoped would one day grace her nursery walls, but it really just wasn't the same.   I know that having a fancy nursery is not important and I loved every single moment that our sweet girl spent in our room with us.   In fact, even if she had had her own room, I'm pretty sure she would have co-slept with us for her first year anyways.  

When we moved this summer I began to wonder how we would both adjust to our new sleeping arrangements.  Our first night in our new home brought on a slew of emotions. We laid Everdeen down and tiptoed out of her room.  I remember standing at her door trying to fight the urge to drag her crib into our room.  That night our room was extra quiet and empty feeling.  I could no longer hear the constant and slow breathing coming from across the room.   I remember getting up several times to check on Everdeen those first few nights.  Making sure she was okay in her new little room.  I'm sure every mama gets up once in a while, just to check and listen for those reassuring baby sounds.  

* * *

I wanted Everdeen's room to be peaceful, happy, and bright.   Here's what we started with...yucky ugly blue carpet and beige walls.  We replaced the carpeting throughout the house and had everything painted a crisp, bright white.

And Voila! I think it is now the perfect place for our little girl :)

A few of the accessories

Foot Stool

Curtains

Flower Crown Print

What a Wonderful World Print

Live in the Sunshine Print

Elephant Print

Butterflies

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow...

 

 Today has been one of those days where I look around our cramped apartment at the piles growing higher and higher.  I can't ever seem to catch up on the laundry, let alone put it away.  I don't think the cats have been brushed in months and I just noticed a lone Christmas decoration still hanging up.  

But I don't care. Instead I played with my baby girl all day long.  I watched as her little feet danced in the jumper.  I watched as she rolled from one side of the carpet and ended up under the chair...when did she become so mobile?   The constant nagging in my brain telling me to go clean the bathroom and to make the bed became quieter.  I'll never have these moments with Everdeen again.  Each day she changes and grows and if I don't stop and take it in I'll miss it.  

I can see the light layer of dust on the TV stand and the carpet desperately needs to be vacuumed, but it can wait.  It will all get done eventually ...probably during the next round of naps or after Everdeen has been tucked in for the night.  But for now I just want to be the two of us...while her little hand still fits in mine.

A Little Baby Wall

Today we (and by we I mean my lovely husband) hung up the last of the decorations for the baby. I like how the little wall with the changing table turned out...it's bright and cheerful.  I can only imagine what I could have done with an entire room or a can of paint! Oh well, our checking account is thanking us I'm sure :) Wilson and Margo are going to have to find a new place to sleep here very soon...the minute we brought home the changing table they thought we had bought them a luxury padded bed and I haven't had the heart to tell them it isn't really for cats, but for their new sister. 

The prints on the wall are by Katie Daisy.  I love the color combinations of yellows, blues, and corals and I love how both of these quotes make me smile every time I read them. My mom found the beautiful white frame for me while antiquing and it has the perfect amount of whimsy to it. 

We picked up the fabric chicks and heart hangers from World Market.  They are so vibrant and I love that they are handmade so each one is different. I hope our little girl will feel happy in her new surroundings. 

Snowed In

Yesterday, we watched as seventeen inches of sparkly snow fell to the ground.  Although pretty, I wasn't able to go to my four month baby check up and for that I'm extremely mad at this mini blizzard that decided to grace Colorado with its presence.  But, I can't stay mad too long because the sun is already shining again and I'm pretty sure I've been feeling our little baby move inside of me.  

The little butterfly movements are truly an amazing feeling. And until my husband will be able to feel our baby move from the outside, it's just me and the little one for now...connecting and bonding over such a small thing as a tiny kick. In a few weeks we'll get to find out if we're having a little girl or boy. I love sitting with my eyes closed and day dreaming about what it will be like to have a little Martin or a little Jessica running around. Either way we'll be happy. I just focus on those small movements that remind me that there is a tiny being inside of me, a tiny being that is ours, that we are responsible for growing and teaching and loving.

Since we weren't going anywhere yesterday, I begged Martin to help me rearrange the bedroom furniture. I feel like I've been nesting like crazy and need EVERY space in this little apartment to be clean and organized.  Our 13 foot by 13 foot bedroom is going to serve as our bedroom, office, and soon to be nursery.  Yikes. 

We'll make it work. We decided to stay in our one bedroom apartment for another year...besides, babies are small, right? :) We knew that now wasn't the time to move to the place we eventually want to call home. So now, we wait for the right time and make the home we have a home for three instead of two. 

To be honest though, sometimes I feel sad that I can't decorate a nursery for my baby. The necessities are all we have room for and I guess that's probably a good thing. Martin keeps reminding me that people thousands of years ago didn't have fancy nurseries for their babies and everyone turned out just fine.  "What would they have done in a teepee Jessica? Everyone lived in the same room." He has a valid point, but still...

Our room is a work in progress for now, but I can see the potential. 

Being an adult means you get to have a couch

Our college dorm-like living room is a mere memory. Our tiny love seat has gone on to bigger and greater things and our legs thank us every time we stretch out on 70 inches of pure bliss. Sure the love seat was perfect for cuddling, after all it isn't called a "love" seat for nothing. But we had had enough of the leg cramps and squished bodies. And I'm sure our friends will thank us now that they don't have to sit a nose length away from us.

Martin surprised me with this beauty on Christmas morning.  I opened my gift, confused...was it a piggy bank? For the cats? I kept smiling hoping someone would tell me what I was holding in my hands. Martin told me excitedly that we were getting a new couch and he was letting me pick it out! Such a nice husband.

I was tempted to take in my model couch with us to the store and ask a sales associate if they could please find something similar to this. "You don't have anything in this color? Well, that's a shame."

After spending an hour just walking through the maze that is Ikea, we came home with a couch that suits us perfectly. We love it and have even experienced a few naps that have not left us with a big charlie horse in our calves.

It's funny because the past few times that Martin and I have sat on the couch together I noticed that we both sat on the same seat cushion, squished together with miles of extra couch next to us. We're not used to all this extra space...but that's okay with me. I don't mind the snuggling for a little while longer. 

Spring is Here!

My mantel is ready for Spring.

Today I'm working on my Spring cleaning...my car is cleaned out, the laundry is clean and put away, the bathroom cleaned, carpets vacuumed. 

The windows are open today letting in the cool March breeze...blowing little Margo's ear hair wildly.  But she loves it. 

There's something about Spring that makes me feel happy, like we all get a new start, another chance. And the feeling that summer is not too far behind...

I'm moving to the desert...

At least I'd be warm and toasty

This morning I think I could have ice-skated to work.

We watched the icy snow fall all day and I dreaded my drive home from work.

At 2 o'clock as I was checking my e-mail, I noticed one with a red exclamation point next to it...which means "I AM IMPORTANT AND YOU'D BETTER READ ME RIGHT NOW!!"

So of course I did...

It was the best e-mail I've read in a long time

Dear Employees, because of adverse weather conditions school is cancelled tomorrow, February 1, 2011.

I think every teacher has a happy dance... 

I did my happy dance, not caring that my students were watching me.

I made it safely home from school thinking that life was going great, I mean, I got a snow day!!  

Then I turned the key to my apartment and heard the dreaded sound of water...

You have got to be kidding me I yelled.

I ran like a mad person around my apartment afraid to see where it was coming from: the bathroom, the laundry room, a little in the living room.

I literally sprinted to the apartment office, out of breath, and maybe a little crazed, yelling that I had water coming from my ceiling. They were already on the phone with my upstairs neighbors...the lady was so nice though, she had remembered that my husband and I had just gone through this literally four weeks ago in our last apartment.

 Everything is okay...thanks to my quick thinking and quick running! I should probably try out for the mad dash in the olympics. 

I would like everyone to take note that I was much calmer this time...ahem...Martin.  I was thinking that if bad things come in threes, maybe apartment flooding does also.  Seeing this is the third time, I'm praying it's the last. 

So now that everything is sort of back in order I can dwell on the fact that I have a free day tomorrow! I think I'll snuggle with my furry babies and watch girly movies all day on the couch...maybe dream about living some where warm...

Hello, again

I'm back!

I'm settled.

We are moved and the flood is over.

I can breathe again.

I don't want to do that again...okay?

Having your apartment flood isn't as adventurous as you'd think.

We lived as nomads for a week and my incredibly very nice older sister and brother-in-law took us in out of the wet, damp, apartment situation.  We can't thank them enough.

thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you  

If you ever need to be rescued you can come to our new place, you might have to sleep in the living room, but you're always welcome :) 

My entire family came to help Martin and I move on Saturday. We can't thank them enough either.  Everyone has just been too kind. 

Here are some pictures of our new place. I'm still getting used to it, like anything it takes me eons to adjust.  But I know how to get to my school and sort of the grocery store so I'll be okay. Plus our new place gets tons of sunshine, which makes me and the little furry children happy.  

We still have a little left to do, but not much.

So far this apartment complex has been incredibly kind and accommodating...I like people who are nice.  Things are looking up already :)

Moving

We are on the search again.

I know what you're saying, "But you just moved to your new apartment!"

Annnd you're right. 

Due to unfortunate circumstances...aHeM certain people raising our rent by 26% and calling it a "DEAL!"...we are forced to vacate and find somewhere else to call home. 

I feel like I was just getting our apartment to feel like home.

Now we have to repaint and pack everything up and try again somewhere else. 

This time we'll undoubtedly be moving farther than across the street. I really love this area we are living in now...I've been here for four years.  Now I'm going to have to figure out how to get to a new grocery store and my school and what will I do without a Target just down the street?

We're off to look for apartments today...just the way I wanted to spend my Saturday (I hope you can sense my sarcasm)