Summer Soiree

Some of our church friends decided to have a summer soiree and they went all out on the decorating. I just had to share. I take zero responsibility for this event. I simply made the tissue paper pom-poms to help them fulfill their decorating dreams.

Creative Centerpieces: cans wrapped in decorative paper and used as vases for summer blooms

The full table set-up

Adorable outdoor lights and fans made of decorative paper adorned the deck

The ca-hute lemonade stand

A bunting welcoming us to the event

Shepherd's hooks with mason jar candles

Paint table for the kiddo's

Tissue paper blooms over the food table

The full food set-up and busy little worker bees

Yummy fruit cups

Corn on the cob...the perefect summer food

And for dessert an ice cream bar with lots of fun toppings.

We enjoyed a wonderful evening of food, fellowship, and friends. It was a wonderful event! Walker's thanks for hosting!

And for the Sawyer fans sorry no pictures of him. 1) I was too busy having fun. 2) Dad was in charge of dressing him for the event as I had to get there early and he looked pretty interesting.

Zoom Zoom

Sawyer checking out his new wheels!

Thanks Uncle Troy & Aunt Candace he loves it!

Guest Room Series: Painted Chevron Curtain

I fell in love with this diy chevron curtain from kfd desgins found via Pinterest and I knew I had to give it a try for the guest room curtain. This project was tedious and time consuming (especially when you're crawling around on the floor 7 months pregnant), but I love the end result. And in all reality it wasn't that difficult to complete.

I had old off-white IKEA tab top curtains. Long ago I stopped using the tab tops and made a pocket to fit on a curtain rod. I really wanted white curtains for the guest room, so I had Kyle bleach the curtains in a 1 part bleach 4 parts water mixture. The bleach took the color out of the curtains and now they are white (I would call it white, but not bright white).

After washing and ironing the curtain I laid it out on a big flat surface (our living room floor) and measured the size to create a template for the chevron pattern. There are all different sizes of curtains and windows, so these measurements might not work exactly for everyone, but they can easily be adjusted.

My curtain was 52 inches wide x 82 inches long. I chose 9 points for the chevron pattern. The curtain was divided into 1/8 sections (0, 6.5, 13, 19.5, 26, 32.5, 39, 45.5, and 52 inches). If you want less points you could divide it into 1/4 sections like the inspiration photo (0, 13, 26, 39, and 52). For each point I laid a piece of painters tape down the length of the curtain. See the picture below for an example.

To create the chevron pattern I made a mark on every 8 inches on the first section. On the second section I measured in 5 inches and then started marking every 8 inches. I rotated these measurements for every other section. This is how the chevron pattern is created.

Once all the measurements were complete I took painters tape and connected the dots. One word of advice when taping, alternate taping above and then below the line to ensure that each section will be equal once painted. Therefore when taping one section will look smaller than the next section, but once it's painted and the tape is removed they will be equal.

Once taping was completed I used a utility knife to remove the strips that would interfere with painting.

Then I got to paint. I used regular latex wall paint and a small foam roller. I was able to complete the 1st coat with a sample size of Valspar paint. I did have to buy another sample size of paint, but we'll get to that in a minute.

Once finished painting I had the great pleasure of removing all the tape. I had never used painters tape on fabric, but it worked great and created very crisp lines with very little leakage.

After the first coat the paint coverage varied in a few spots, so I touched it up with a regular craft paint brush. But to be honest I kind of liked the varied paint coverage as it made it look a little less modern and a little more casual...that is until we hung the curtain.

(please excuse the nasty baseboards, we haven't gotten around to painting those)

The painted chevron pattern that has the most light exposure looked like tye-dye which is not the look I was going for. So, back to Lowe's for a 2nd sample size of paint and a second coat on the chevron stripes that are over the window. This might not happen if you have a higher quality curtain or start with a darker color and paint on white. So, while this project took a while to complete I LOVE the finished project!

PS: Originally I was going to do 2 curtains, but the other wasn't the same length and due to the position of the bed I figured one curtain panel would be fine. Call me lazy, but I'm totally fine with the look.

Other guest room projects include:

Ruffle flower pillow

Sunburst mirror

Summer Has Arrived

@ least in Ohio.

Warm weather has arrived.

Evidence: the swim trunks are out, the bare chested little man is loving the freedom of less clothes, the blonde hair is revealing itself, crocs are the 1st choice of footwear, the golden skin is shining through, and splashing in the water is a new favorite activity.

We are soaking up the sun and enjoying the warm weather.

The Thyroid Saga Continues...Again

I recently had my monthly thyroid check-up and it seems I've become somewhat of a mystery. My latest blood work shows my TSH level has increased (this is good) and my Free T3 and Free T4 hormones have continued to decrease (to normal and even slightly below normal range for the T3 which is also good).

Now for the extended version. After 3 months of blood work I have demonstrated a pattern of decreasing thyroid hormone levels. When I was first tested my Free T3 and Free T4 levels were significantly above normal range and my TSH levels were undetectable (basically zero). After this 3rd round of lab work my TSH has risen to a detectable level (.18) though it is still below the normal range. This indicates I may still have a hyperthyroid issue. However, my Free T3 hormone level is slightly below normal range (2.0, though not concerning at this point) and my Free T4 level (.81) is in the normal range.

So, while this pattern is good and may indicate a temporary thyroid problem instead of an autoimmune disease the doctor believes it is strange that my TSH would remain so low and my Free T3 and Free T4 would also be decreasing. There was even talk about having to take a hormone supplement if this pattern continues, hopefully it won't.

That may not make any sense to others, but I needed to record for my memory's sake, so next month I will remember my numbers.

The conclusion...well there could be several reasons and because we don't know what's going on at this point I will simply continue to be monitored. The most likely theories:

1) Graves disease can be supressed during pregnancy

2) I had a mild form of thyroiditis and it has now resolved itself

The doctor also mentioned that this kind of roller coaster of hormone levels is more typical after delivering the baby...if that's the case I can't wait to see what happens after the baby is born :)

I was just grasping the idea of Graves disease and beginning to do some research, but I guess I will just return to staying away from Dr. Google and patiently wait to see what my body decides to do.

I know this post has been a little snarky, probably because I find it a bit funny that I can go from 1 diagnosis to the exact opposite issue in a few short months, but I truly am thankful that my thyroid numbers have for the most part returned to a normal range and I pray they continue to hold steady from this point forward in the pregnancy. Thanks for everyone's prayers and well wishes. We'll see what happens next month.

1st Official Hair Cut

Two weeks ago I was fed up with Sawyer's unruly hair. Truth be told it was starting to resemble a mullet. I had taken a few attempts at cutting the long hair on top and around the ears, but I had no idea how to attack the back. So I decided it was time to visit the barber.

I planned to take him to a stylist that specialized in kids cuts, but that morning we faced several obstacles. The salon was not yet open and as we were driving we got caught in a deluge of rain. However, I was on a mission. The driving conditions were terrible, so I decided to go to the nearest salon and see if they took walk-ins. Well, it happened to be a beauty school and due to the weather there was no waiting. I just prayed he would handle it well. And much to my surprise he did an amazing job. He sat there like a big boy and hardly squirmed at all. He did refuse to put the cape on, but I didn't care. They gave him a sucker and he was well entertained. Since there was no one in the shop he had a parade of young ladies to ooh and aah over him. 10 minutes later he was done and I could breathe a sigh of relief. He looks even more adorable now. I didn't take any pictures of the process, but here is a before and after.

Before:

After:

And for those inquisitive minds no he did not wear his pj's to the salon. He changed back into his pj's when we got home because he was soaked from the rain, had hair all over his shirt, and was sticky from a sucker.

Monumental Moment

This past weekend marked a monumental milestone for Sawyer and his parents. He uttered the word "no."

As his parents we had been avoiding teaching him this word. However, as we were eating at a restaurant on Saturday night he refused a bite of food by saying "no." Kyle and I looked at each other in shock and despair. We have now moved into the world of verbal disobedience. We had been dreading this moment for a long time.

He has been performing disobedient actions since he started moving, but now that he can express his sinfulness in words it seems like the disciplining issues are now going to quadruple.

We've now reached another level of this parenting journey. Please pray for us...seriously. Being 8 months pregnant and trying to discipline a very fast and curious 17 month old is well exhausting.

Even though he can be trying and a bully he's still pretty cute and that smile makes me melt all the time. See the above picture :)

32 Weeks

How far along: 32 weeks 2 days

Total weight gain: 29 lbs.

Maternity clothes: well when I have to wear something other than shorts and a t-shirt yes

Sleep: side sleeping with a pillow between the legs and at least 1 bathroom break per night

Best moment this week: finally finding a name for the little lady

Movement: Often, when I sit down to relax on the couch at night she's especially active making my whole body shake

Food cravings: nothing substantial except maybe ice cream...but I always want ice cream so I don't think it can count as a pregnancy craving.

What I'm missing: being able to sit or stand for long periods of time w/out becoming uncomfortable

What I'm looking forward to: finishing house projects so I feel prepared for having this next little one (nesting is in full force, just ask my husband)

I had a quick and easy doctor's appointment this week. Babies heart rate was 148 bpm. My blood pressure and weight were good. The baby is still in the same position laying diagonally with her head in my right pelvic bone and her feet near my belly button. She still has plenty of time to flip down a little more, but it would be nice if she went ahead and made the move because it can make sitting and sleeping uncomfortable.

I mentioned to the doctor that I have been experiencing quite a bit of pelvic pain. I know it's not ligament pain because I've dealt with that in both of my pregnancies. This is a different kind of pain that makes it difficult to walk or lift. I figured it was nothing more than growing pains and I was right. It's just pressure pain and the best way to alleviate the pain is to rest. The dr. said I should stop picking up Sawyer. That only made me smile...as if that is even possible. I'm with him 24 hours a day and while he doesn't often want to snuggle he is only 16 months old so he does need assistance with some of life's basic tasks...getting into his high chair or car seat for example. So, while I don't think I can stop picking him up I do think it's time to slow down...we'll see how that goes with a very busy 16 month old.

Vacation 2011

This year we went on vacation with my side of the family. It was quite an adventure as we traveled to Utah and spent a week on a house boat. We all had lots of fun and considering there were 17 people ages 1 to 80 in very tight quarters we all got along famously.

Sawyer mostly enjoyed playing with his cousins and running up and down the hall. He didn't love the water, but towards the end of the trip he became more tolerant and would play with a ball in the hot tub (that wasn't heated) for a good while. However, he was not a fan of the sand. We also got to enjoy (we as in his parents) the 1st sleepless night in his entire life. He was up until 3 am one night and he simply was not tired. He just wanted to play and given the very tight quarters his parents were not happy campers. However, we survived and the rest of the week his sleeping returned to normal.

Everyone in the family quickly learned how FAST Sawyer is. I don't think anyone truly believed me. I'm sure they thought...he's 1 we've got to be quicker than a 1 year old. We all learned that was not true as he quickly dashed to any and all open doors. He also figured out how to open and close doors so there were several times he would perform a vanishing act by hiding in someone's room. Normally not a big deal, but when you're surrounded by water it's a little nerve-wracking. Thankfully God protected our little escape artist and he never went overboard.

I mostly enjoyed relaxing in the sun and reading magazines as I couldn't really participate in the water sports. Kyle however had lots of fun on the speed boat tubing and kneeboarding. He did pretty well for an old guy. He also got to enjoy some fishing.

Thanks mom & Randy for planning this vacation! I know it was lots of work, but it was wonderful to be with the whole family and we had lots of fun!

And now for picture overload:

Attempting to go to bed the 1st night on the boat

Our view of beautiful Lake Powell

Our home for a week

Sawyer learning some rock climbing skills. And Kyle is not trying to make a fashion statement with the turbine. He lost his beloved Royals hat to 50 mph winds on the 1st day so he had to find a way to keep the sun off his sun burnt neck.

Sawyer & Tyler playing with the big red ball

Running down the hall

Papa giving golf lessons to the kiddos

1 of many intense games of chess...Adam & Randy

Grandma entertaining Sawyer

Kyle caught the 1st fish of the trip, however it was not nearly the largest

Me & Kyle

Playing on the beach amidst the canyon rocks

Adam & Wendy soaking up the sun

BUBBLES!

His 1st speed boat experience was primarily spent doing this.

He did get a chance to "drive"

We took the short hike to Rainbow Bridge

Lake Powell

Grandpa, Christina, Wes, Kristen, Kyle, Wendy, & Adam at Rainbow Bridge

Sawyer's 1st reaction to the water

Noah & Tache playing in the hot tub

Sawyer warming up to the water...he's got a ball that always helps

Noah & Sawyer in their matching gear

the 4 cousins: Colten, Tyler, Noah, & Sawyer

Our family of 3 1/2

Playing in the water

Tickle fest while drying

Papa & Sawyer

Tyler & Sawyer in their favorite spot...at the end of the hallway right near the back door...why oh why?