Elle's Nursery

In honor of Elle turning ONE (I'm crying) this month.. I figured it was about time I shared her nursery with you all. better late than never?

Honestly, it did't take me long to decide what we were going to do with her room. It went like this:

Me: Hey babe, here is what I found and want you to do with E's room (showing him my Pinterest pin)

Babe: Alright. 

See, done.

I decided on adding the blue for a pop of color and we went from there. 

We LOVE the hutch we found. Really neat, my sister had the exact same one for her girls when they were small & I really wanted it but she had sold it years ago (I guess she was getting pretty impatient thinking we weren't having kids, wink.) Anyways, we were visiting our home town one weekend and found this gem at a consignment store. I could not believe it! Even better? It was a STEAL. 

We had to get creative with the gold triangles on the wall because we really wanted the gold metallic look, not yellow. N's mom suggested the craft paint that comes in a tube (genius!) and it worked like a charm! 

Her crib we got from Pottery Barn, for FREE. Long story short, we were given one (thanks sis!) that had a broken piece. Upon calling them, we learned they don't give new pieces.. they give new cribs..for free. score. Best customer service EVER.  

Everything blue you see (chair, rug, monogram E)- Pottery Barn. (also free, thanks to some gift cards we received from work) 'Baby Things' basket- Michaels (Thanks Sally!) Rocking chair (Gifted from my sister) Curtains (Target) Painted wall letters (Gifted from Nathan's sister) 'Elle' frame (gifted from our amazing friend Tiffany) Sheets (my mom made these + 2 more sets!) Tassel (made by our amazing friend April) Peters the Deer (Amazon) Owl (Kohls)  Hamper (Baby's R us, gift from Kelly!) Photos by the amazingly talented Amy Leah 

How our family is Thriving (and not just surviving!)

This week marks the first week at my new "job" as a Stay at home mom!  It's funny because a while back during a counseling session I was asked what I wanted to do with my life. School? A specific job that I liked? She asked me to list some things I really enjoyed and so I did. She listened intently and then announced, "Well! Looks like your perfect "job" would be a stay at home mom/wife, everything you listed falls right into that category." Not gonna lie, I kinda didn't take her seriously. Me? A stay at home mom? I just wasn't too sure. 
And then Elle came along. And I was sure. I was sure she had been right & sure that I didn't want to do anything else but be that little one's mama. Fortunately I've been able to work from home these past 5 months since I wasn't able to quit right away which was such a blessing in and of itself. 

Fast forward to the beginning of this year when Nathan became a full-time youth pastor at the Church we've been serving at for 3.5 years. In the past he was working a full-time job + 3 different jobs for the church so this was such great news! During this same time we started a series at church called "Thrive, more than just surviving." Nathan & I had already been talking about how we think God might be calling us to step out in faith & him accepting the role at the Church had been one way. With SO many answered prayers, we decided to really start praying to see if we might just be able to swing it so I could focus on just being a mommy. At first, I really didn't see how we were going to make this work, but we kept praying that God would make a way.  I had been putting it off for a while because I was terrified. Not only of not having enough money, but of solely being responsible for a tiny little life (which I already had been for 5 months so this is ridiculous!) but Nathan & I knew this was the next step for our family and we knew this is what God was calling us to. After looking very closely at our budget & praying some more, we found that this was totally doable if we were strict with our income. Even though I know there will be times we have to rely solely on God to provide, we couldn't ignore that He was urging us to take this step..  So, on January 2nd, I gave my two weeks notice.. to my mom, because she was my boss. I thought she might cry..  but was very understanding.. she's pretty great.. and probably reading this.. Hi mom! I love you! ;) #runonsentencemuch? 

^^^ the bib doesn't lie.  This week has been everything I had hoped for and more. No, it wasn't perfect and yes, there were plenty of poopy diaper blow-outs & scream fits of an overtired baby that almost had me crying, but it was a huge answer to prayer. It's the sense of knowing I am right where God wants me.. and that's being Elle's mama. He is still working in me & has so much for me to learn & grow in this process .. equipping me for more and walking with me every step & I can't wait to just keep being a mommy. Elle is certainly a demanding boss considering her size, but she's the best boss I've had yet (sorry mom!) and I think I'll keep this job forever. :) 

Happy Birthday to my blog BFF!

Today I celebrate an abundant year by blessing you all. Some blogging friends and I are giving away some of my favorite things in honor of MY BIRTHDAY! Would you please take the time to visit each one of these girls on my behalf? I know you will enjoy the things that they are about and the lovely things they share on the world wide web.  

Lauren from Simply Free Blog | Rachel from Garay Treasures | Becky from Almond Place | Jess from JMN Way

We're Giving Away $25 to Target & $25 to GroopDealz!

(GroopDealz is an online boutique deal site where you can buy cute clothing, accessories, baby bows, shoes, house wears and more! )

 

But that's NOT ALL. A few other lovely crafty ladies are throwing in some amazing handmade lovelies.

   

Mandy from This Girls Doodles is giving away this custom doodled coffee mug. You can check out more of her doodles, read her blog, and shop by visiting her website.

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Sarah from Messy Little Smiles Organic is giving away TWO organic lip balms. These gems smell amazing, go on smoothly and they're NOT FULL OF CHEMICALS! I mean.. you may even be able to eat this lip balm and it not be risky! As the winner you get to choose your own flavors! I'm personally loving the honey vanilla, its pretty magical.

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My sweet friend Carley from HodgePodge by Carley is giving away a Felt Doily Colorful Garland. I love the gorgeous detail and the uniqueness of this banner. It could go well in any room of the house, maybe even in the laundry room to help liven it up! Carley also makes mixed media artwork that you have to go see!

All you have to do is follow the Rafflecopter below to enter to win!

Don't forget about the other giveaways currently happening on Teressa's blog! You can find them all here.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Giveaway/sweepstakes rules: No purchase or payment necessary. Sweepstakes prize is listed above. By entering this sweepstakes, the entrant acknowledges that they are eligible for this sweepstakes according to all laws set forth by their home state. US residents only. Entrants who do not meet these criteria will be disqualified. Winner is liable for any taxes associated with the prize. The promotion period for this giveaway will close next week and a winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter. The winner will be contacted privately and then later published on this site. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes sponsored by groopdealz, Teressa Jane and the bloggers and shops listed above.

The best things you can do to help new mommys.

Don't ask what they need. Instead of asking new moms what they need or what they need help with, offer specific tasks.  When we were in the hospital a group of our amazing friends came over and cleaned our entire house. They even scrubbed my toilets & shower. -Embarrassing.  However, it was one of the BEST things they could have done for us. We came home to an amazingly clean house & a basket full of necessities like new toothbrushes, Dreft laundry detergent, hand soap & gift cards to restaurants! 

Be really wise with your words & be sure what you're saying is loving. I know a lot of people mean well.. But be careful what you say to a new mama. For me, even talking about my birth used to bring me to tears because of how traumatic it was for me. So when people said things like "I had a friend who's baby was stuck too but she still delivered at home and it was a beautiful birth," can leave a new mom feeling even worse about sharing her story. So be gentle & think twice about what you're about to say to a fragile new mom. 

Don't ask if you can bring your kids. OR don't NOT ask & bring them anyways. (Obviously there are exceptions for close family) I always felt trapped whenever anyone asked me this. With Elle being so new, I really preferred that other children not be around her until she had time to get some of my immunities. 

Stop with the advice. I promise, if we have questions, we will ask. When we posted that our baby slept 8 hours last night (fist pump!) we aren't looking to start WWIII about all the different sleep techniques and what you did. Chances are we have a very close group of people we trust & are able to ask our most ridiculous questions to. So please, unless we ask, don't be so quick to tell us how to parent. 

Don't make it about you. I know this one is tough. You hear a new mom telling her story or what's she's struggling with & you want to chime in with, "oh when I had my baby..." Or " that is rough but you should hear so & so's story..." As new mom's we need to be heard and if we're vulnerable enough to openly talk about this stuff with you, take the opportunity to encourage us, not turn the story around on yourself. 

With that said .. DO relate! When a new mom says she feels terrible because she let my baby sleep & didn't wake her to feed her or she accidentally dropped her phone on her baby's little head while trying to nurse & scroll through facebook (I don't think it's important to know if I did this or not), it's perfectly acceptable to then divulge that you too did those same exact things & she has nothing to worry about and she's a great mom! My sister was my BIGGEST encourager with this and I will be forever grateful. 

Don't assume. I had so many people say things like "don't you just feel_____ or aren't you just so _____.  I recently read this article about how when we don't really ask a question but pretend we already know the answer, it makes people feel like they can't be honest. Instead she suggests asking things like, how are you doing? Instead of "isn't being a mommy just the best thing in the whole world?" This can leave a new mom feeling like something is wrong with them if they just haven't gotten the hang of things yet & aren't really sure how they feel about this new little creature who is constantly attached to one of of their nipples.  

New moms, old moms, all the moms... Anything to add??? 

10 signs you're a new mama

Your baby is 4 months old and anyone who comes near her must have clean hands. If they want to hold the baby, you must actually see the hand washing take place. You don't anticipate this not being required until they're about a year old. 

You never put your baby down. After all, you only have one, why put her down when she is much better soothed in your arms. 

You & your husband are able to stare at, talk to & make all sorts of sounds at your baby for at least an hour without getting bored. You have no place to be and no toddler telling you they "poo pooed in their pants." 

Trips to the store are fairly easy considering you only have one in tow. I should know, I nannied multiples. That stuff is hard! 

Your iPhone is always giving you the "memory is full, please check your settings" message when attempting the a fourtheenth video to get that laugh recorded. 

When your baby reaches a milestone, You tweet, facebook, and Instragram the cuse out of it. 

You've called your pediatricians office more times than you would care to admit & about things you would really not care to admit. 

You're texting your sister, mom, aunt, BFFL, and anyone else who will respond promptly, an unheard of amount of times a minute. Sending info about your baby's poop, asking questions like "she keeps farting in her sleep, is that normal??" & maybe just a success story about how your baby just fell asleep in the car ON HER OWN. *fist pump! 

Your husband has banned you from google because you always come to the conclusion that your child must have Ebola & that's why she spit up last night. 

You're still really careful about nursing in public and take drastic measures to make sure your baby doesn't kick that cover off because you don't need the whole world seeing that. I've heard it gets easier with more & many are willing to just "whip it out" when they're little love is hungry. 

New mamas, anything you might add?!