A Little Maternity Shoot.

     Photo credit goes to Melody Cato, she so kindly took these shots while she was here last week! I'm so happy with how they turned out, they will be fun to look back on no matter how big I look. ;) P.S. I'm not the most confident person in front of the camera, I'm sure many of you can relate!
     I'm currently 32 weeks which means I have roughly 8-10 weeks to go, thats considerably less considering the 40 you start out with. Am I nervous? Sure, but I try not to think about it. The nursery is coming along just fine and my classes are preparing me as best as possible. Knowledge is power, that's the mantra I keep repeating to myself. The more I know the more relaxed I feel about bringing this little boy into the world. Here's to hoping all that knowledge doesn't get thrown out the window when the day of reckoning arrives! Second mantra I keep repeating, women give birth everyday, and they live to tell about it. Concrete evidence right there that I can do it!
     I have a couple more projects to finish before Baby Cato makes his grand entrance, and I'm starting to get that nesting itch thats telling me to knock them out sooner rather than later. So hopefully this next week I will have all of my crib sheets sewn and all of the baby clothes washed, sorted, and labeled, and a good grasp on meal planning for the after baby months. I need to make returns from the shower and purchase cloth diapers (yes, I'm one of the crazy ones). I'm also trying to schedule relatives as best as can be done without knowing when this little one will arrive. I'm hoping to spread out the help as long as possible! A couple other things to take care of; find a pediatrician (I need to ask some Greenville mommas who they recommend) and create the birth announcement so that all that needs to be done is a quick picture insert and some easy printing, the stamps are bought and the address list is put together. Hmm writing this list is making me slightly anxious, I hope I'm not forgetting anything . . .
     In other news, Gray and I have decided to do something a little crazy. I've been giving into my sweet tooth a little too much (as in a lot too much). So in an effort to help myself and Baby Cato now, and my future postpartum self, I will attempt to fast from sugar for the rest of my pregnancy. Crazy idea? Most definitely. Attainable? I'm going to try my darn hardest. I am allowing honey for tea and for my morning oatmeal, I'm really just looking to eliminate all those ice cream runs and candy binges! Wish me luck!
     Anything else to tell? I think I've covered most everything. . . so without further ado, the happy expectant couple! hehe :)

A baby shower with friends.

     This past Saturday, some of my friends hosted a "Cat in the Hat" baby shower for me and Baby Cato. It was the cutest thing ever. From the decorations to the menu and the games, it couldn't have been more perfect (and Pinterest worthy)! It was so fun to eat and talk and celebrate, it definitely ended too soon! I'm so thankful for Katekate, Jamie, Joy and Linz, they put so much thought and effort into making the day so special. Baby Cato is one spoiled boy!
     Here are some photo's from the day. Please take note of that watermelon/fruit salad baby carriage from Joy, how creative!

The cake was fantastic! It got several rave reviews that also included pleas for the recipe and pleas for take home slices. Best cake from a box recipe I've ever tasted (Katekate definitely substituted in some secret ingredients)!

The decorations included a pennant garland using pages from a Dr. Suess book and a fun fabric garland in primary colors! Jamie truly outdid herself. And the punch from Linz was so tasty, especially when sipped through stripped straws out of glass bottles!

Unfortunately I didn't get pictures with everybody, but the guest list included (for my own memory); Katelyn Gray, Joy Hill, Lindsay Mangham, Le'nore Sims, Lisa Cosgrove, Kaitlin Hogan., Ana Chappell, Jenny Koury, Naomi McLaughlin, Rose Greene, Gianna Miller, Jen Malone (her daughters, Caroline and Kate), Carolyn and Dallis Kennedy, Tricia DeBoer, Abi and Pax Little, Kristin Siegel, Allison Smith, Rachel Nieme and Melanie Stoner. 

How cool is this piece of art from Kristin! I'm so excited to hang it in the nursery. 

So many great gifts! I love that we decided to have people bring books instead of cards, our home library is starting out well stocked!

My heart is overwhelmed with thankfulness. Such a special day with some incredible friends!

This is real life.

     Real life is working three jobs and coming home exhausted. Real life is friend visits and relative visits and birthing classes and doctors appointments, unkempt houses, and dogs who require attention. And yes, real life is hating to mow and letting the grass get super high. It probably should have been mowed three weeks ago, but in real life, sometimes things like yard work get pushed back. Real life isn't perfect and I like to remember that because social media can sometimes lead you to believe the exact opposite.

4 Mission Street

     And so we come to the second installment in the 4 Mission Street Series. Today I'm showcasing the Craft Room. A room solely for my own enjoyment and creative endeavors. I don't think Gray will be letting me have a craft room quite so large in our next house, so I'm soaking it in now! I love the character in this room. There are so many unique features and with a large window and door, the wall space was fun to work with!
     The craft room is where I have our large gallery wall. I showed you how to put some prints on canvas in THIS POST. I am so happy with how it turned out, it adds so much color and life to the room!
     Some other features that have proved to be my favorite are the mirror over the faux fireplace. I found the mirror at a Habitat for Humanity Restore and painted the edges yellow to add some color. Its so large and the shape is so fun! The crates that hold my fabric were bought at A.C. Crafts, but I'm pretty sure Walmart was selling them too, and then painted with some left over paint from our last apartment. Screwing them into the wall was an interesting project and one Gray hopes never to repeat. Lets just say, that isn't drywall we were screwing into with our junior power tool. . .
     The couch in this room is really just for looks and for the dog. Since buying new furniture for our living room, Riggs has learned that certain pieces are off limits and so he has claimed what remains. I thought we had this settled until he decided to lay down on my new couch last week! Due to a series of events last week (which is a week that will go down as one of the worst in Riggin's life) he has lost his privilege to "stay out" while we are gone and instead is confined to the kitchen only. We can't risk other things being damaged so his freedom has been curbed. He's taken it pretty well considering there is only a thin rug on which to lay. Such is life Riggs, such is life.
     I've completed so many fun projects in this room and still have a many more to finish, especially before baby gets here. Next project; sewing crib sheets, I'll let you know how they turn out!

Five on Friday

Five things I'm lovin' this week!

This Gelato | These Watercolor Paintings | This Polka Dot Dress | This Tea Blend | This book

The mom look.

This is not a mom look . . .

 This, on the other hand, is . . . see the difference?

     I've noticed that this face is getting a lot of practice recently, and Riggs has been the prime culprit. The tilted head, the nostrils flared, the brows lowered and more together, and those wide eyes that show a little more of the white. When done correctly, its a killer face. And generally one that scares Riggs into the right course of action. It usually precedes a stern comment or command and sometimes, if he's lucky, a stomp of the foot. 

     Will my kiddo be scared of this face? I'm not sure, I think I need a little more practice. My mom had this face mastered. I mean, yowza! If you got the mom face it meant, "STOP, IMMEDIATELY, whatever you were doing and seriously cower or show some remorse for whatever got you in this predicament to begin with!"It was not a face to be taken lightly. It's use was varied, but I remember it most clearly in public situations. It only took one look to get all four ducklings back in order and if not, you could rest assured a painful pinch on the upper arm would soon follow (and possibly more punishment when we got home). 

     Even though that face scared me, and I naively thought to myself, "oh I'll never use that face with my kids," its a face that I can't avoid. Has any mom successfully avoided it? It might not be quite like mine, but it will have the same desired effect. Even though I thought I'd get away from using it, I have to be honest and say in my limited experience, it has definitely proven itself useful. Especially in most all of my babysitting endeavors and even now with Riggs. Its effective and that alone has motivated me to practice. I don't plan on raising a hooligan (I mean who does) so I might as well get crackin'. I'll be adding this exercise to the 300 squats and pelvic rocks I'm doing each day and hopefully by the time this little one arrives, I'll be ready!! Watch out baby Cato, you better behave!

Hiking Ohio Chronicles

     Pictures are truly one of life's ultimate time travel devices. They transport us back to different places, different people and unique experiences. They make it easier to not only remember the sights, sounds, and smells, but the emotions and conversations from a particular moment in time. And no matter how nostalgic you are or are not, there is beauty in being able to sift through a raged box, view a dusty reel, or scroll though an online collage and remember times that passed too quickly but times that added immeasurable value to your own life. I really love these pictures for that reason. They remind me of home and family and gosh darn good times! Hiking with my sisters and my grandma in God's creation genuinely makes my heart happy.