Christmas Decor- Inspiration

This is our first Christmas in the new house (he still really needs a name), so I am having a blast decorating it for the holidays. It is also exciting because I am hosting Christmas for the Harvard family, so somebody besides Brooks, Woody, the dogs and me will see it! I am keeping up with my green and neutrals theme, so these wonderful pictures have been great inspiration for getting my tail into high gear.

Simple and Natural Table Settings

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Christmas Card Display (I won't go into why you haven't received mine, but IT IS NOT MY FAULT!)

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Simple Wrapping Paper with Greenery

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Christmas Mantle 

(Without stockings for little ones to pull down)

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Chalkboard Art

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Bowls of Ornaments

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Hopefully, I will have some pictures of the house to share with you shortly!

4 Days (And a slight vent)

Four days until I am out for Winter Break. (Although my husband and co-workers say it is really 3 days since we have already woken up for today.)

(Totally applies to two weeks off for Winter Break)

I need a break. In the worst kind of way. I am the most non type-A, perfectionist person...except when it comes to teaching. I want to do the best job, and sometimes I tend to make my life (and my students' lives) miserable trying to achieve the impossible. It is hard to accept that sometimes I will bomb a lesson, I will let students down, I won't get everything done, lessons will be too hard, lessons will be too easy.

I have to realize that my job isn't always to cram a standard down their throat, but might be to try to teach them about kindness and how to treat others. (Maybe I need to teach myself this too...) To keep my spirits up for the week, I thought it might be nice to share a moment that reminded me of why I love my job.

{Class was watching a black and white clip in their Social Studies class)

Sweetest Child "S": Wow, what was the world like when it was all black and white?

Class: Yeah! When did our world turn to color?

Maybe my job for today is to teach them about camera technology.

Thanks for reading my vent :)

Thanksgiving Break

Lot of pictures, not too many words....

We are really into boxes 

We are still working on smiling

Cousin photo op...

(Jake, Maddox, Woody, and Marrell)

And lots of playing outside...

Brooks attempting to ride a five year old's skateboard down a hill. Don't worry, he ate it.

When we returned to Atlanta, I tried my best to get some photos for our own family's Christmas card. Eh.....

We were really over smiling.

I have so much to be thankful for it hurts! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well!

I am here.

Struggling, but here.

My friend, Catherine, gave me a great suggestion- For your third trimester, you should be able to go on maternity leave. I've got two weeks until my third trimester (cue panic), and would feel much more comfortable relaxing on my couch than teaching up until my due date.

In other random news...

This bathroom.

I know, right? As much as I love, adore, and am so appreciative of our new home, it is without a tub. And did you know that a tub is in the top five mandatory things all pregnant women need. I took two baths a day while I was at my parents' house over Thanksgiving. Now I will close my eyes, and imagine that I am in the above picture. Ahhhhhhhhhhh

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And after I got out of my tub, I would put on this outfit with my perfect, un-greasy ponytail. The poncho would perfectly cover my bump and bum.

Awesome. Back to reality....

Word.

Melt my heart. The large dog is our Scout. Brooks adopted her in college shortly before we began dating. Then Senior Harvards adopted her. She is going through a rough time health wise, and it did my heart good to spend some quality time with her.

Will return soon with Thanksgiving pictures. (I put them all on Husband's computer...whoops.)

Oh Boy!

We're having another boy! I have actually known this for about ten weeks now, and after three ultrasounds, I feel safe saying it. We are so excited to have brothers 20 months apart (excited/terrified...all the same.)

And a quick baby update while I am at a computer. My 20 week ultrasound was a disaster to say the least. Woody was with us, and insisting he sit on the ultrasound table with me. Brooks and I knew it was taking a really long time and were a bit disturbed by the tech's lack of communication. We figured it was just that she was annoyed we brought a 15 month old to this appointment. Then those awful words, "The doctor wants to speak with you about the ultrasound."

...........................................

Actually, it still really hadn't hit me that anything was wrong at this point. After sitting with the doctor, we learned that our baby boy had a choroid plexus cyst on the brain and a "shadow" on his heart (not going to lie, still a bit confused on what that means.)

This is what I heard, "Brain. Heart." Cue tears.

Both of these are soft markers for Down Syndrome, however many times, they baby has these markers and is born without DS. The doctor felt optimistic since my blood-work was good and his femur size was the right length. However, she wanted us to get a level 2 ultrasound to take a better look at his hands and feet.She told us to go home, relax, and don't Google anything.

What do I do? Go home in tears, panic, Google.

God, like He always does, wrapped me in peace and comfort though. My sister sent me the verse Jeremiah 1:5. God has created this baby, and He doesn't make mistakes. He has a plan for his life, and it is our job as his parents to give him a loving environment to grow up in no matter what.

(This is long. Sorry.) So the following Friday, we went back (without Woody) to get our level 2 ultrasound. She told us that we would still see the cyst and the spot on his heart, but she just wanted to look closer at other markers. Well, wouldn't you know that the cyst had already gone away! In a week people! He still has the spot on his heart, but she and the doctors feel that his heart just needs time to grow. She said it is pretty common to have this marker. And we are down to just one marker! Everything else looks wonderful though! We were offered the option of amniocentesis at the last ultrasound, but now that aren't even recommending it. Praise God!

Although we know there is still a chance, we feel very optimistic and hopeful. I have been overwhelmed by the love and support of family, friends, and co-workers. When I think of strangers praying for my baby, I break down. I cannot wait for this baby blessing boy to join such a wonderful community of God.

Thank you for taking time to read this long post and your continuous prayers for our family. We are covered in them.

Soooo....

....not my intention to go over a week without posting. Brooks was out of town last week. Ugh. I was so lucky that my mom was able to come help out with Woody. He is going through some intense separation anxiety. I know he is fine as soon as I leave, but the fits as I am trying to leave and when I first come home break my heart. I seriously cannot imagine how single moms/military wives do it. Motherhood ain't no joke people.

I am going to get it together this week though. Brooks was supposed to leave tomorrow again, but his trip got cancelled. (Cue Happy Dance.) I have been making some updates to the house (that still needs a name) that I cannot wait to share.

Happy Monday!

Whew.

Fashion Don't- Maternity Addition.

No.

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Sleep Eating?

Miss B has been letting me know for some time that Woody plays so hard in the morning, that he often falls asleep in his high chair...but he continues to eat (kid doesn't miss a meal.) She sent me some pictures of the crazy guy.

And we're out...

Framed Fabric

TGIF People.... Sorry I have gone all week without blogging. It has been a bit of a crazy train, but more on that later.

Few things that I dislike more than bear walls. Luckily, husband agrees with me on this. We were dorks in college and spent what little money we had on art, thus most of our rooms in the new house were quickly filled with pieces. Then, there is the story of our bedroom...

I hung (by completely eye-balling, no marking , no measuring, call me a baller) a small gallery wall of photos, but the rest is empty. (The ginormous mirror I got for $20 shattered shortly after the move. Cue tears.) I have a lot of wall space, but not the money to fork out for large-scale art, so I was thinking of framing some of the bookoodles of fabric I have somehow found myself with and yet somehow need more of.

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No source :( 

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I'm not going to lie, I dig the "go big or go home" scale. Time to start stalking Goodwill for some large frames.

My Yellow Bed

I am not going to lie, I have made some unfortunate Ikea purchases in my time. (An awful bright red and white rug and a dresser where the drawers didn't shut come to mind.) However, when we purchased Vern, my parents gave us money for a bed, and I picked out a yellow Hemnes canopy bed. I have been smitten with that bed since we put it's 500 pieces together (only to take it apart in the move, and then put it back together in new house.)

As it turns out, it looks good everywhere...

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Ah, good investment Lindsey.

Baby Harvard Nursery...The Sequel

Woody wasn't even out of utero and I was dreaming of doing a nursery again. (Told you.) I can't help it. I have five rooms in my house in desperate need of decorating and TLC, but I love thinking of New Baby's (aka Sparky's) nursery.

And in the Harvard house, we believe in reducing, reusing, and recycling, so Sparky is inheriting Woody's crib, bedding, glider, and window treatments. (Don't fear, Woody is updating to a cool big boy room. He gets to keep his pie safe and gilver dresser.) However, I don't want to recreate Woody's exact nursery (despite how much I loved it.)

What can I change? The wall color. Here are some of my favorites...

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Trying to convince Husband that dark walls are a DO for the nursery. Justification? Woody's walls were light and he was the worst sleeper as a baby. Plus, our bedroom walls are dark, and we have no insomnia.Yes? Yes.

Bah! Can't find a source. I love this nursery so much. But let's get real, my kid can't have nicer wallpaper than me. Nor a mantle.

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Then there is this juicy goodness...

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The bedding is a gold and gray ikat, so I am using this pillow as inspiration to tie in the dark walls in.

So what do you think? Dark walls? Or keep it neutral?

Woody- 15 Months

It seems unreal. He is becoming a little boy, and is creeping out of the baby stage. (I can't bear to say he is out of it.) And no, I haven't done a 12,13, or 14 month update, but let's start up with a 15 month.

This is his cousin, Jake's, shirt. I think he is so cute in it!

We took Woody to his first Braves game? Recap: Ate the first inning, sat (somewhat) for the second inning, walked around for the third, went home during the fourth.

Why do I laugh and take pictures during temper tantrums? Bad mom.

Getting ready for church

One Friday night we went to eat at Chick-fil-a. Since there weren't any kids in the Play Place, I decided to let Woody play on the end of the slide while Brooks finished his meal. Mistake. He climbed up the the slide (the wrong way) and wouldn't come down. I tried to get a little girl to coax him down, but no. Oh, and there was no way my pregnant self was going up the thing. I made Brooks climb up there and get him.

He is obsessed with any type of chair. He was in Heaven when Brooks brought in the car seat from his truck for my mom to use while he was gone.

So, I know this seems so small, but this was his first craft! I screamed when I saw it at church. Look how smart he is- he colored the rain blue. Genius. 

On our way home!

One day, I met Jessica and Burke at Catch Air. Woody was acting funny at first, but then he loved it! (Turns out, he was sick, and we had to stay home the next day. Apologies to those who he infected.) 

(And yes, I am obsessed with overalls.)

The next day with the kid who never cuddles. I had to document it.

His daddy bought him that shirt. In case you can't see, it has a yak on it. Seriously.

Woody Facts

• 23 lbs and 31(or 32) inches tall. He is in the 50-75th percentile for both.
• He wears a 5.5-6 double wide shoe and 12-18 month clothes
• Eats at regular meal times, plus some snacks :)
• He eats most things. He really likes lasagna and Ms. B's (the lady who keeps him) hamburger casserole. (I'm glad he gets home cooking from somewhere.)
• At a year, we completely dropped nursing, and he has been doing well drinking whole milk from a cup...too well.
• Sleep has improved drastically. He takes a long nap as Ms. B's (usually 2.5-3.5 hours.) He goes to bed at 7:00 and normally wakes between 5:30-6:30. He likes to sleep with his lovie, blanket, and Mater truck. However, when we go in to get him in the mornings, he has thrown lovie and Mater out. Blanket is definitely his favorite. He would take it everywhere if we let him.
• He has a mouth full of teeth. I should probably count them at sometime. And he likes to brush his teeth.
• At around 13 months, we moved his car seat to face the front. He seems to like it better.
• Woody still has terribly dry skin. We have tried many things, and have resulted in keeping him on an antibiotic ointment as well as an oral treatment for two weeks. I hope he grows out of this!
• Seriously, goes non-stop. Even my mother and Ms. B. (I use them as references since they have experienced other children) cannot believe how busy he is at all times. Climbing on everything is a favorite. Oh well, keeps me active.
• He has the best facial expressions. The stink-eye and pig face are two classics.
• Temper tantrums. Yep, they have started. Right now I find them funny. Ask me again in six months. When he starts rolling everywhere on the floor is when I usually break out the camera.
• Super Why, Sid the Science Kid, and Mickey Mouse's Playhouse are his favorite TV shows.
• We play outside when I get home. I love that time because it is so fun to watch him explore. 
• Going back to work full-time has been hard for this momma. It sparks such a debate with people, and they tend to have very strong feelings on the subject. It is what it is though, and even though it is not easy, I know I have a job to do at school and want to do my best at it. It makes me appreciate Woody to such a whole new level, as well as our time together. Love, love, love my little man.