five months : a gift

dear baby boy,

You are five months old now.  I thought when you were in my belly, warm and protected and literally a part of my body, we could not get any closer.  but then I didn't know you.  I didn't know your smile.  I didn't know your joyous shouts and your passionate cries.  I didn't know the intense stare you have when you are trying to figure out my words and my sign language.  I didn't know your energy.  I didn't know your strong pull on my hair or your gentle touch on my face.

I didn't know I would think about you constantly, even when away from you.  that in a room crowded with people yours is the only voice I would hear. That even when someone else is holding you I would gravitate towards you like our hearts are attached with a string.

I didn't know how fulfilling my job would be to love you, teach you, feed your body with food and your mind with knowledge of your importance and of God's love for you.  What I thought I knew about being your mom barely scratched the surface.

All I knew when you were in my belly is that I wanted you.  I meticulously planned {as much as a mama can} your existence.  Your father and I waited until the time was right in our marriage to start a family, when we knew we could financially take care of you, and there was nothing else we wanted but you.  Then we prayed you would come to be...and you did, with no delay.   Some babies are pleasant "surprises" - but you were intentional.  An intentional gift.


A gift I am especially thankful for right now, during this season when there is such a focus on gifts.

I thank God for sending the ultimate gift - His Son.  I thank God for sending you, my son.  Both saved my life in more ways than I can express.

Both are gifts I don't deserve, but am ever grateful for.

I love you, crazy boy...happy five months!

*  *  *  *  *  *

Well, tomorrow Hubby, Baby Mac and I celebrate our first "Christmas" together, close on our "new" house, and then it is off to Minnesota to see my family - so excited for the time with them...and for Cormac to meet all his cousins!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

g

be our guest : guest room redo

No matter how small your house is, it is important to have a place for guests to stay 

and feel cozy and comfortable.

Before having our baby, we had a guest suite...which, being the largest bedroom, then became the master suite with the arrival of Baby Mac.  

So we were left with only the pullout sofa bed to accomodate visiting loved ones.  Hubby thought this was acceptable...particularly since we don't have frequent overnight guests. Me? Not so much.  I adore having a guest room in my home.  I don't care if it only gets used once a year...still totally worth it.

Plus, in October both my mother and sister were coming to visit.  

Joy! Wait - panic!  

Where would they sleep?

So, I had to get creative.  

We currently only have 3 bedrooms - 1 master, 1 nursery, 1 office.

Obviously, the office was my only choice.

So now we have an office/guest suite.

This works really well actually...the room has an attached full bathroom that hardly gets used.

I just ditched my own desk space to make room for a comfy daybed.

No biggie, my Mac is portable! :)

Here is the room {before}when we first moved in:

Here it is {after}my quickie recent redo:

 Changes I made were: 

- new window panels {Ikea} -- white brightened up the space!
- lavender-gray walls {Valpsar - London Coach}
- black iron daybed {Ikea - found on clearance for $59!!}
- gray throw {West Elm}
- white bedding {Ikea and West Elm}
- gray and white rug {Ikea - $19!}

{before}

hubby's office space {before}

and {after}

{before}

{after}

So to conclude my guest room tale, 

the visits from my mom and my sister went grandly.

They had a comfy place to lay their heads...

and I have a guest room again!

Does anyone else feel me on the need to have a guest room?

Much love -

g

some firsts...

'Tis the season for lots of baby "firsts." 

We decided to start getting Cormac used to eating solid mushy foods, so a couple weeks ago we started him on cereal.  I thought he would be quite gung-ho about it, 

considering his bottle makes him quiver with delight, 

but the very first time eating from a spoon was, well,

  awkward.

{sorry for the poor picture quality -- bad light and no matter how I tried to edit these they look as bad as that rice cereal tasted.  Because yes, I tasted it.  Blech.}

Okay, so maybe solid foods didn't start off so well...but I assure you that now every morning he eats his oatmeal with gusto!  Plus, I don't try to give him so much at once.  Hey, it is a learning process for both of us, right?

Another first:  first time going to the mall to meet Santa!  I swear, my baby boy does enjoy some things.  He does smile.  He just needs to, um, get used to things first.  Unfortunately, Santa had many other babies to make cry, so there was no time for him to warm up to Old St. Nick.  Plus, we weren't paying customers.  I stood behind the "paparazzi guardrail" and snagged a few shots of Santa looking jolly and Cormac looking cranky, like this one:

One final first: Baby Mac endured his first time going for a brisk run in the jogging stroller...well, at least without screaming and crying.  Hurrah!

Here's what has *this girl* making her cranky face -- wrapping presents.

Buying presents is much more fun than wrapping them.

Anyone have any tips to get me motivated?

g

fleaing and beyond

 What a beautiful weekend for a flea market!  

My lovely friend Laura and I adventured downtown to check out The City Flea holiday market.  It was smaller than expected but a fantastic location.  

Various booths sold handmade wares,

such as these sassy feather clips:

It was cold, so Laura designed a gorg earwarmer:

My find for the day was this vintage jar - j'adore!

 After we headed to our local urban market, which was teeming with folks enjoying the beautiful, albeit frigid, sunny day...

Hit up the wine shop for a tasting...

Four Italian wines tasted...and generous pours!

 These people we met mistakenly thought I was a professional photographer...uh, because my friend told them I was...ha! :)

Then we got some delicious Vietnamese food...

 ...and Vietnamese coffee!

{it brews in the tin on top...and that is a layer of condensed milk at the bottom of the glass - sweet goodness!}

A fabulous day of 

fleaing, wine and delicious eats!

Hope everyone had an equally lovely weekend!

g

{oh, ombre!}

I am getting the "December Itch."

Yes, it's the time of year when I really want to chop my hair short.  In order to resist this urge, I am focusing on trends not involving pixie cuts and "the shab."

Here is my favorite: ombre!

I love that what was once known as having "really bad roots" is now a hair fashion trend.  I'm intrigued.  Can you go to the salon and request "the ombre" dye job...or do you have to just let your highlights grow out?

In any case...LOVE!

Source: bedazzlesafterdark.onsugar.com via Barbara on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Alyssa on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Kim on Pinterest

Anyway, hope everyone is having a beautiful Friday!  I am ready for a weekend of... possible cookie baking {!?!?}, girls night, and a fabulous holiday flea market!

love -- 

g

{I am ________ }

(Saw this on one or two other beautiful blogs I read...had to join the fun!)

Obsessing over: our possible "new" old house (!!!!)  gray boots. snuggly baby hats.

Working on: getting in the Christmas spirit - despite no snow!  developing an organized way to clean my house, losing that last bit o' post-baby belly, reading Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness {thanks Laura Love!} 

Thinking about: gift-giving. baking something sweet. not over-thinking things.

Anticipating: baby's first Christmas, road trip to Minnesota, the first snowfall, the sweater from Victoria's Secret that was backordered to arrive - this week!  

Listening to: Christmas tunes on the Christmas music cable station

Drinking: orange Fanta...had a major craving

Source: visitoffice.com via Steve on Pinterest

Wishing: safe travels on upcoming adventures. health + happiness for my son. always.  snow...snow...snow...SNOW!

Source: aforadio.com via Jenna on Pinterest

Oh...now I need to watch White Christmas!

g

I scream, you scream : four month update {late}

 Baby Mac has discovered a new means of communication:

Shrieking! 

{see face above}

I finally got around to taking his four month photographs.  My excuse is that I had a hard time procuring a tie onesie that my chubby little baby boy was not bursting out of.   Here is my question: if my baby is of average weight and average height...why does he wear a 6-9 month onesie at only 4 months?

Weight: 15.4 lbs {50th percentile}

Height: 25.5 cm {50th percentile}

Head: 17 cm {92nd percentile}

Yes, the boy has a giant head.

Other developments?

*Can roll onto his side -- not quite mastered the back-to-front roll yet!

*Grabs {tastes, and then throws}whatever is in front of him: cash, toast off my plate, books, cell phone...

*Spins in a circle while on his back.  Doesn't matter what direction I lay him in his crib, when I next see him he could be facing any which way.  A couple times I thought I was going crazy.

*Cries much less during car rides - as long as he has toys to shake/chew on.

{Crazy, silly baby.}

Happy Thursday!

g