yes you maigh.

happy new year!

2012-01-26T11:17:00.000-05:00

I hope this new year has been treating you well so far. All 26 days of it. Life has been good around these parts. My husband went full time at our church as the "production guy". Ok. So using that term kinda makes it sound like he performs musical numbers from Annie every Sunday or something. While that would be sensational, his job description entails more planning of services and set lists than tap dancing solos. He loves every minute of it and it makes my heart happy. I am working on Saturdays at a hair salon with my best friend. Answering phones, scheduling appointments, and chatting with clients. It's the perfect gig if I do say so myself. It gives me a little "fun" money and just enough time away from Felix to recharge and regroup. Felix is still excelling in his position as "sweet nugget" and will probably be promoted as soon as he can bring me my shoes.

Blog wise, this new year I want to post more. (Blah, blah, blah.) And to use capitalization. And to interact with you guys more. I also resolve to do yoga 4 times a week for $1000. But, that story is for another post.

Thanks for sticking around, readers. Maybe I will be here with some more tomorrow. Because you know the sun will come out. Tomorrow.

newwwww.

2012-01-25T22:38:00.001-05:00

i did some tidying around here.

i think i like it.

no. actually.

i know i do.

perfect.

2012-01-05T13:54:00.002-05:00

this picture is my favorite right now.

a boy.

stick in hand.

sunshine.

happiness.

trim.

2011-12-28T09:00:00.004-05:00

another first for little mister. chachi (my best friend, chelsea.) cut felix's hair a few saturdays ago. i'm not gonna lie, i was kinda bummed about it. i know. i know. it's just hair. but, it was the hair he had on his head when i birthed him. my first baby. FROM MY WOMB. now i barely have anything to hold onto that allows me to still consider him a baby. but. these things happen. and i will feel sad for a spell. and then he will say "hey mama" when i walk into a room and i'll be happy he's old enough to do so.

let it snow.

2011-12-27T22:26:00.003-05:00

felix got to experience his first snow last week in illinois. it wasn't a lot. but, just enough to make it feel like it was really december. it most surely hasn't felt that way here in georgia. yeah. i'm talking about you 60 degree weather. ya goon.

pow-wow!

2011-12-14T21:44:00.003-05:00

felix's first birthday was the shmow-zow. here's a rundown of the photos.

1) the invites. art by my super awesome cousin. design by me. we printed it in black and white to save moolah and then i stamped the red zig zag on the teepee. and how do you spiffy up a plain envelope? a wrap around label. boom.

2) ahh! my favorite part of the party decor. the 9x7 photo of felix. and ya know what? it cost a mere $24. yup. i was a bit giddy. (a b&w photo sliced into three horizontal parts, printed onto the same paper they put architecture plans on. i had it done at a local place - buster's, but i'm thinking a staples could do it too. i was inspired by this tutorial over at the lovely lovely oh happy day blog.)

3) the food table was split into two parts. "sweet treats" and "felix's favorite eats". i'm almost positive you can't go wrong with cheez-its at any function.

4) the piñata. i made it using this tutorial, also from the oh happy day blog. (the large felix poster was also inspired by that lovely lovely blog.) instead of hitting the thing, i put in a little handle for felix to pull. a little more age appropriate.

5) the smash cake. it was kinda born from a joke. long story short, a friend of the family made it. it is, and i believe this is the technical term, a pancake cake. it was born in the wee hours of the morning by a dude with a spatula. pretty much, it's cake batter made like a pancake. layers and layers. i thought it would look terrible. and that was the fun of it. then he showed up with it looking PHENOMENAL. felix liked it. well tearing it apart. eating it...eh...kinda.

6) sam's club cupcakes topped with dollar store figurines. money. in my pocket. and time saved. i did make the arrow skewers and chocolate covered marshmallows (for hot chocolate). easy & cute.

7) we had a little area for diy "war paint". felix's was clearly done by his dad. :) the photo was taken post cake eating. that's why he is shirtless. although. i'll tell ya, it does't take a legit reason for me to strip him down to see those sweet rolls.

8) every guest received an indian name. they drew a rock from a basket that contained adverbs. and then drew a rock from a basket that contained animals. put em' together and you had your new name.
they wound up being surprisingly accurate. add war paint and then top it all off with a head dress.

it turned out exactly how i had envisioned it. and more importantly, i think felix had a ball.

my oh my.

2011-12-09T20:31:00.000-05:00

what a difference a year can make.
happy birthday my sweet felix.
we love you.

project awesome.

2011-11-15T09:00:00.024-05:00

my sweet friend lanie beth recently launched her (minibutlegit) ebook that ties fall&winter fashion into a pretty little bow. i had the pleasure of helping just a smidge on the project back in september and it has been so so cool to see it all come together.

if your fall closet needs a bit of polishing, this book is for you. if you enjoy a well designed page, this book is for you. if you like to openly admire long hair in a fantastic top knot, this book is for you. (i myself, fall into each of those categories. with little to no grace.)

she gives tips and inspiration, all from the honest best friend point of view.

so click the picture above. download the book for $5. i think that is completely feasible. whip into quick trip for your cappuccino tomorrow morning instead of starbucks. bada bing. bada boom. you've just saved the money for the book AND gotten an amazing sugar rush. multi-tasking with the rising sun. and even cooler is the fact that $1 of the proceeds go to as our own, an organization that is doing amazing things in india. check it:

"As Our Own is a Christ-based, community-driven movement in India that rescues vulnerable children from certain enslavement and exploitation, caring for them as our own.

We rescue children from treacherous situations. We provide lifelong aftercare for the rescued—they are now part of our family, for life. We transform communities to prevent high-risk situations that create the need for children to be rescued in the first place."

yeah. seriously.

bulldog.

2011-11-14T21:32:00.000-05:00

the bulldog face.
a favorite around here.

11 months.

2011-11-09T11:05:00.001-05:00

i see a lot of felix from this angle these days. go go go. i'm considering opening a gym. treadmills? sheesh no. just chase this guy around for a bit. i figure in about 2 months when the "new years resolution" folks start looking for a place to burn calories, an hour with him will be an even better investment. e-mail me for rates.

speedy gonzales is 11 months old today. i could tell you that this is mind boggling, but that would be super repetitive. that's all i can seem to chat about these days. the cashier at publix would agree.

right now he:

loves
playing outside.
watching joel brush his teeth. (specifically his tongue.)
having books read to him.
looking at pictures/video of himself.
the steam roller game.
anything ball related.
peanut butter toast.

loathes
(pretty much everything he did last month)
sticky things on his hands.
and getting dressed.

in celebration of his wonderfully fantastic 11 months on this earth, we are going to lounge in our pjs. and felix is suppose to whip up some cake with that whisk he loves to carry around.

snagged.

2011-11-03T19:37:00.001-04:00

i walked into felix's room a few days ago and this is what i saw. he his holding one of the poles from a baby activity mat. the other wound up in his diaper.

don't worry. it wasn't slowing him down. he's just went right ahead and checked out what was in that drawer.

and kelly j. if you are reading this. i promise your activity mat will be returned soon. clean and disinfected.

what time is it?

2011-11-01T12:18:00.001-04:00

felix was finn from adventure time for halloween. recognition was hit or miss, but the hits were really big hits. and that made it extra fun for us. i love the picture on the left. he was kinda skeptical of the "trick or treat" business at first.

here is finn for those of you who don't watch cartoons geared for the 5-14 year old boy. (you should though, it's a pretty fantastic show.)

SHMOW-ZOW!

make it monday.

2011-10-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

ok. so i made the blog post title sound like i do a "make it monday" post every week. yeah right. i'm just a sucker for alliteration.

i did make the striped pants monkey toes has on though. the lounge/sleep/getintoeverything pants with the thick band at the ankle are my favorite. joel had an old long sleeve shirt he was about to toss into the "donate" pile that had those bands at the wrist. short story, short. some britches were born.

(here is a good tutorial on how to do it. or just google dat.)

gone fishing.

2011-10-18T18:14:00.001-04:00

we are up in the mountains for a bit. and when we are in the mountains, we go fishing. yesterday, i hooked the only fish caught. also. i was wearing a ~~baby~~ grown child.

bass pro shop just called. they want to sponsor me.

(note: the fish lived.)

patches.

2011-10-13T11:04:00.000-04:00

elbow patches.
i love them.
on men, women, and children.

(and i really love them on a shirt that cost $1 at a consignment sale. cha-ching.)

mister sweetface.

2011-10-11T11:29:00.004-04:00

sunday this sweet face turned 10 months old.

i love this look. it is the one he gives right before he puts his shoulder to his ear and grins coyly.

at ten months felix can:
point to his toes.
point to momma's toes.
point to daddy's nose.
say "ball". (or "bah.")
say "car". (or "cah".)
wave at every.single.car. that passes on the road.
point to the picture of someone you name. (his favorite being papa.)
walk. (a little wobbly. but yesterday he walked into the kitchen to find me. wwhhattt!?!)
tell you what a dogs says...if he is in the mood.
(and if you're really lucky he'll tell you what a bird says.)
dance like a mad man.

he loves:
anything with wheels.
all things electronic.
cheerios,goldfish and strawberries.
being outside. the trash can.
ripping up paper.
yo gabba gabba.
stacking blocks.
and then KNOCKING THEM DOWN.

he hates:
his carseat.
getting his diaper changed.
getting out out of the bathtub.
naps.
(tough luck kid. all these are quite necessary.)

oh how i love that sweet face.

in a row.

2011-10-10T18:27:00.000-04:00

this past week i have been trying to get my "ducks in a row."

because as of late, they are about in line as felix's cheerios.
(we are still working on mastering the snack trap.)

clear the sidewalks.

2011-10-03T10:40:00.000-04:00

hello to you!

felix learned to drive on friday. he really did great. a little nervous at first, but by the end of the lesson he was asking for the keys and some cash so he could meet some friends for dinner. we obliged.

just kidding. we don't just hand him money. he has chores.

squash.

2011-09-28T09:00:00.003-04:00

so, i was trying to figure out how to follow up a post about sequins and such. and smooshed peas is pretty much the most terrible way to do it, but the momma in me couldn't resist. (i will feel so very sad when he grows out of his fatty "wrist bands".)

his fine motor skills are getting better and better. my kitchen floors are getting dirtier and dirtier. squashed peas are unusually clingy.

lengthy.

2011-09-27T11:10:00.000-04:00

i've wanted a long skirt for quite some time. so instead of trying on a bagillion different skirts that are 2 inches too short (as they always are), i made one. out of a bed sheet. i wanted one made of jersey and i had a full size sheet made out of the stuff just hanging out in a closet. and i had the elastic. so it cost me zero dollars and no cents. YAHTZEE!!

and sequins. nothing makes you feel feminine like wearing sequins on a sunday morning. i only felt like a disco ball once.

all in all, i'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. easy to make and it's super comfortable. because, uh, it's made out of a bed sheet.

(tutorial? yes? no? let me know what you think...)
(also..see my baby bangs? all the hair i lost postpartum is returning. yesss!)

mega fun.

2011-09-26T09:00:00.006-04:00

hi.

this weekend was mostly all fun.

family time = fun.
lovely party = fun.
eating two chili dogs = fun.
making clothes = fun.
late night giggles = fun.
ordering new glasses = fun.

malfunctioning water heater = NOT fun.

but..

wacky dancing shimmy woah time with uncle bebo. = MEGA fun.

(so fun the camera's focus couldn't handle it.)

autumn.

2011-09-23T10:39:00.002-04:00

this morning at 5:05AM marked the beginning of the first official day of autumn here in the northern hemisphere. felix and i went on a hunt for any signs of the season changing and all we found was one little tree with leaves turning red at the back of our property. i like to look at the pretty leaves. felix likes to eat them.

if i had been on my blogging game i would have saved the faux fall post for today. oh, to think ahead.

anyhow, happy autumn to you! i hope that this is a season of goodness and growth for your soul. (this is still hannah typing, not oprah. i know i confused you for a second.)

and happy friday too!

two

2011-09-22T14:44:00.001-04:00

2

the number of steps felix took all by himself today.

note:he had pulled up on a chair. no standing up from the floor by himself yet. let's not get ahead of ourselves.

sleep.

2011-09-21T12:49:00.001-04:00

this.
this is what we are working on this week.
napping specifically.
he's a great night time sleeper.
he is just busy during the day.
you'd think he has deadlines to meet.
busy.busy.busy.
all the time.
prayers welcome.

faux fall.

2011-09-20T10:24:00.002-04:00

this time of year in georgia is such a tease. you'll wake up one morning to the perfect weather. a cool breezy day that you can just feel fall in. and then WHAM. the next day you are pretty sure that no amount of deodorant can stop the sweat pouring from you in the 95 degree heat.

i call this the "faux fall". and during faux fall it's fun to act like it really is perfectly chilly outside. enter the pumpkin muffin. i know some of ya'll get a little cray cray for some pumpkin. i worked at starbucks. i know you asked everyday for a month if the PSL was available yet. no woman. for the 13th day in a row. it. is. not. available. (well now it actually is. so..)

i made these things with TWO ingredients. 1) a box of spice cake mix. 2) a can of pumpkin puree. that's it. no eggs. no oil. nothing else. and they are fantastic. i will say the batter was super thick. kinda tricky to put into the cupcake liners for a novice like me. but really, the hardest part was cleaning the dishes afterwards. it was that simple. oh, plus i added store bought cream cheese frosting. EASY.

i found the recipe on pinterest. (oh sweet molasses that glorious pinterest.) here is the link to the recipe. (she made hers with yellow cake mix instead of the spice cake mix.)

so simple. so yummy. so genius.

try try again.

2011-09-19T18:07:00.000-04:00

you remember this post? well...

sometimes you gotta take a million pictures.

to get the one you want.

i kinda think the same concept can be applied to parenting. but instead of silly pictures, it's real life. tactics and methods. and nine times outta ten you are still snapping photos. waiting for that "perfect" one.

learning. learning. and learning some more.

and somehow.. it still seems like ya never really know.

another.

2011-09-16T11:04:00.000-04:00

another video. how many of you just cringed?? but, this one is specifically for family in california! you guys. he is walking behind his rickety walker. back and forth. back and forth. everyday a little quicker. in the video he is taking a leisurely stroll. but, usually he is all business. man on a mission.

and how about my super professional video editing. yeah. didn't quite turn out how i meant it too. but, i don't have time for re-uploading shenanigans. it was suppose to turn out more dancey. and less...spastic. i also had another video that showed his new skill a little better. but he had pants on. boo to that.

oh! his top teeth are in. i think we may have another louie on our hands.

hope everybody has a good weekend. any extra fun plans?!? i will be picking out some warby parker glasses. i thought i had my choice down. then i cut my hair. it changes things. i'm also going to a baby shower. man i love a good baby shower.

countdown.

2011-09-15T08:00:00.010-04:00

the preparations for felix's first birthday have begun. {cue final countdown music.} well. only kinda. i picked up some of these little guys to top cupcakes. or to decorate tables. or to keep away from kids under the age of three.

this is his baby picture that "inspired" the pow wow theme we are going with.

eeeeeeeeek! nakkie baby booty!!

man oh man! feathers! teepees! arrows! i've got less than 3 months to get things together. i'm so so excited to celebrate my sweet bub's first year of life.

(newborn photo of felix by kelly is nice photography.)

that's my dad.

2011-09-14T08:00:00.002-04:00

my dad is in haiti right now. literally laying the foundation for an orphanage. although, i am sure there is plenty more coloring action going on.

my dad is my hero. and i mean that with every ounce of my being.

new additions.

2011-09-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

joel and i bought our very first vacuum! it's pitiful really. but, seeing as we have all hardwoods, it just didn't seem necessary. but then i got a fantastic new rug. a new rug with black stripes that show all sorts of dusty treasures. (we are doing a little re-decorating here at the chandler cottage. also i looked up the definition of cottage. "a small simple house." perfect.) so to target we went to pick up this red little beast. 10 amps of suction!?!? what!?!

no. really. what does that even mean. i dunno. but i do know that it is made for hard woods. and that it works like a charm on carpet too. mr. cleanypants chandler is pretty excited about the purchases. i am too. but i am little biased towards the rug.

typical.

2011-09-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

of course. a real-life-deer was standing less than 5 feet away from felix and he was just interested in the grass.

when the grass finally lost it's luster, he did give a few glances in the general direction of the wildlife. although, it is quite possible the tree was what held his attention.

with him, it's always the opposite of what i think it will be.

oh me.

2011-09-09T12:58:00.003-04:00

i can't even believe it.

...and i think his hair is turning red.
{!!!}

dance dance.

2011-09-08T10:00:00.001-04:00

welp. felix has finally decided that he likes to groove a little. i've been looking forward to this since i found out i was pregnant. talking? eh. problem solving? meh. feeding himself? ok.

but, dancing? YES!!!!!!

the part when he throws his hand up is my favorite. he gets a little wobbly...he might fall down....buuuut he works through it and keeps getting down. so good.

as for the jacket.. we are trying to bring the cropped look in style for boys. OR. i just grabbed a hoodie that was 3 months too small. give or take.

(soundtrack provided by the joellikesitwhenfelixdanceswhileheplaysguitar band. a great solo indie act. hip.)

well spent.

2011-09-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

sometimes, spending 3 dollars on a dinosaur cup is the best thing you do all week.

and i get it. i post more pictures of felix sipping from a straw than most deem reasonable. but i had to. come on. it's a cup. shaped like a dinosaur. and sometimes he holds it like a saxophone.

nerdster.

2011-09-06T07:00:00.002-04:00

this past saturday we went people watching at a little thing called dragon*con. (the "*" in between dragon and con, is very important. it seems you are a newb if you leave out the *.) oh, ya know, just over 40,000 folks getting together to celebrate all things nerd. to really spell out what it is, here is a summary from the website:

"dragon*con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the universe!"

it's pretty phenomenal. even if you don't think you would be in to it, i think you'd agree after laying eyes on some of the costumes. you see everything from storm troopers to my little ponies. yeah. here are some pictures from the parade. just the tip of the iceberg really.

ending this post like an essay from 9th grade-

in conclusion, if you can go to dragon*con next year, you should.

..also...next year we are planning to dress up.

!!

2011-09-05T11:14:00.001-04:00

happy labor day!
hope it's full of fun & rest.
i'll be back here tomorrow!

flashback friday.

2011-09-02T09:00:00.001-04:00

felix the day he was born.
life is a very precious thing.

library checkout card freebie.

2011-09-01T05:00:00.006-04:00

i made these little guys for a friend's "we are adopting" celebration. kelly and her husband love reading a lot. a lot a lot. (her husband actually reads to her every night. i know. so sweet.) i've seen these type of invites here and there on the interwebs and i thought it was the perfect fit. so. i used elements from my favorites and whipped this one up. even though i made it for an adoption party, you could easily use it for any kind of shindig.

i think my favorite part of the whole process was stamping the date on them. i felt librarian legit. shhhhhhhhhhhhh.

you can download the blank library card invite template here.

these are the fonts i used in case you want the same look:
splendid 66 - the "typerwriter" font.
the only exception - the "handwriting" font
euphemia - the small print. (just in case you wanna change wording and such.)

the date stamp is from staples and the card sleeves are from a school supply shop. you can buy some here though. also- if you don't wanna buy them you can use this template to make them yourself.

the only thing i ask is that you use it for personal use only. and that you try and email if you are gonna use it.(mostly because that would make me excited.)

chop chop.

2011-08-31T09:00:00.003-04:00

i've been going back and forth about whether or not i wanna cut my hair off again. (the picture above was taken over 2 years ago.) i'm talking i've been going through some major flip flopage. i will love the style i have now after i shower and then loathe it before i walk out the door. welp. this friday it is going down.so what if it ends up looking like a "mom" cut. i am a mom. and blessed to be able to say so. ok.

oh! while my hair cut will be mostly out of complete vanity, kate's won't be. the picture below is to help remember her lovely lovely hair because she is donating it to locks for love. yup. it's true. she is lovely on the outside AND inside. sheesh ya'll. i love it.

(both photos by kelly is nice photography. click HERE if you wanna see some more of kate. i think you do.)

in-vest-ed.

2011-08-30T19:01:00.004-04:00

wowee, this post is a bit late today! but, better 6:30ish than not at all. right? have you noticed that i have been blogging 5 days a week lately? i kinda love it. i apologize if my content is less than par, but it sure has been good for me to actually keep up with it. it's something different to focus on, even if it's only for a minute or two. not that i don't love focusing on felix and such. i mean, most every post is about him, but i guess this is kinda something i do for me. to document. to remember.

speaking of felix. this post is about a little vest i picked up at the thrift store for him.

a new goodwill just opened up closer to us and i had to go check it out. the prices = semi steep for a thrift, but i couldn't pass this up. (and by slightly steep i payed a whopping $3 for it. sob sob. i know.) it is bright and maybe slightly gaudy, but i love it. i picture him wearing it this winter over a long sleeve henley, with some skinny jeans and toms boots. (these specifically.) when i factor in that i think he just may be walking around in this little getup by the time it gets chilly, i feel faint from the cute. we tried it on today to see how it fits now...

slightly big. yes. both the vest and his thighs.

window browsing.

2011-08-29T08:00:00.002-04:00

over the weekend felix found a new past time. looking out the window over his changing table. i thought i'd let him peek at joel while he was cutting the grass on saturday. bad idea. now he wants to look every time i change his diaper. it doesn't bode well for me. he already had a case of the wiggly wormy pants. (giving him a book to "read" has been the only way to cure it.)

how about the hair part in the picture on the right? some dwight schrute action going on there.

perfect.

he really screams for ice cream.

2011-08-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

he had his first taste of ice cream. he loved it. just like his momma.

and he cried when he couldn't have any more. just like his momma.

trail blazers.

2011-08-25T08:00:00.010-04:00

we went to dauset trails with some friends yesterday. it's a really neat nature preserve. i had never been and i was pleasantly surprised. most all of the trail was shaded. (except for the farm animals.) and we went in the morning so it wasn't too hot. which is great. i get wacky in the heat.

my sweet friend loren so graciously let us borrow her rolls royce of strollers. i could hug her for days. felix pretty much hates his umbrella stroller, but this gem had a snack tray so he was content. he ate cheerios the whole time. pausing only to yell at the bobcats and point at the fox.

it was so fun to see the kiddos reaction to all the animals. loren's daughter placed all the animals in either the "daddy" "mommy" or "baby" category. all depending on size of course.

there are all sort of animals that "live" on the trails.

we said the pledge of allegiance. threw up in our mouth a little at the sight/smell of the roaming plain dwellers. had dreams of bacon when our expensive new camera got snorted on through a fence. and felt like we needed to run a few laps when we were told that the cow was "huge. just about twice as big as you". (thanks nash. now i know why you weren't included in the first picture..:)

and a lot of other stuff.

it was so good to get outside and explore something new with mr. felix.

never.

2011-08-24T08:39:00.002-04:00

i never imagined i'd get so excited over a sip from a straw or a point to a juice box. but, i do. i get very very excited. he's growing! and learning! and being so good at life. i'm gonna flip my lid when he does something really great. like walk. or cut the grass.

felix using a straw is extra exciting because we can do the travel cup thing now. he had a hard time figuring out a regular sippy cup. i think a lot of it has to do with the soft spout, he just chews on it. (back to the whole, oh please oh please oh please let him cut those teeth soon thing) my gal pal LB recommended trying a juice box to get him sipping on a straw. she's a smart one. i just squeezed on the box a little to get the juice to his mouth, then he was all like "this is so much better than water" and went to town. the jokes on him though. the juice box in the picture is his last one for a while. we are trying to stick to water right now. and honestly, baby stuff like that adds up. with a quickness.

oxford redo.

2011-08-23T08:00:00.008-04:00

well hey there big mouth no neck. not my most flattering picture, but it shows the shirt well! and that is what matters around these parts today. i mentioned that i had started a "re-fashion" on one of joel's old button downs. welp. here it is. the shirt had seen some better days. specifically bright sweat stain free days. here is the before:

my intentions were to make a short sleeved blouse, but when it had the short sleeves i kinda felt like it looked like the top to a pair of nurse scrubs. and i don't want no scrub. (tlc. what what.) so, i went ahead and made it sleeveless. the green trim is double fold bias tape. so easy. (here is a tutorial that explains using it clear-as-day. i am gonna start bias taping the crap outta stuff.) i think i like it tucked in best, but i also added a rounded bottom hem just in case i wanna wear it with skinnys.

i like how it turned out. it doesn't fit perfect, but it works. and i can always go back and make a few adjustments. i have a hot pink shirt & a pair of black jeans that are up next. not so much of a re-fashion. just tailoring them a bit to fit better.

BONUS PICTURE:

YESSSSSSSSS!

come on!

2011-08-22T12:07:00.000-04:00

i need to pull myself together. i have about a bigillion "projects" going on. or actually 6 or 7. the kitchen table top hasn't fully seen the light of day in quite some time. it really isn't too bad right now considering how it looked last week.

starting tomorrow, every tuesday my MIL is going to come over and hang with felix while i work on stuff. i am thrilled about this. i am seriously thankful. i have a little room off the carport that is now officially my "place". so, tomorrow you can find me there. working away. or maybe just watching netflix and drinking a coke. either is awesome.

flashback friday.

2011-08-19T08:00:00.003-04:00

this is my flashback friday post. that's a thing, right? i dunno. really i just wanted a reason to dig up a sweet picture of itty bitty felix. also, the project i was gonna post today isn't finished. put those two things together and you've got a random post written by a weepy mother.

he.was.so.small.

next week i will hopefully have all my loose ends tied up. the ones of the project and the ones of my brain. listen. you all have a most restful & lovely weekend!

TP.

2011-08-18T08:00:00.004-04:00

when i was pregnant with felix i daydreamed about a mischievous little red headed boy surrounded by toilet paper. he obviously didn't get the red hair, but i knew it was just a matter of time before he found the TP. i didn't daydream about what i would do with all of the stuff that was victim to his grabby hands, but you should know it is on top of the toilet in a great big wad. it's the good stuff people. can't waste that.

a series of unfortunate events.

2011-08-17T08:00:00.010-04:00

yesterday was a tough day.

felix decided he didn't want to nap. at all. in fact he decided he didn't want to be happy about much of anything. i'm crediting his stinky attitude to teething. his top two teeth tease me on a daily basis.(please, oh please, oh please, let them cut through soon.) i'd pick him up: cry. i'd put him down: cry. i'd nurse him:cry. i'd walk him:cry. so on so forth. by the time joel got home i was ready to throw in the white flag. he swooped in like bono at a fundraiser. shining the light of goodness upon me. he bathed felix and put him to bed (the stinkpot put up a good fight. naturally.) then he came in and informed me he was gonna cook dinner for us. turkey burgers. uh. yes please!

and that's when things started to go down hill.

problem 1: the turkey burger meat was frozen. it took way longer than expected to thaw. ok. so it's not really a problem. more of an issue. but, humor me.

problem 2: burning burgers caused the smoke detector to go off. even though the doors and windows had been opened.(note: cranky kid had just finally fallen asleep)
where it now rests after being hastily ripped off the wall and thrown outside. just in time too, i suspect. felix never woke up.)

problem 3: dropping a freshly scraped burger on the floor.

problem 4: no pickles.

problem 5: discovering what was one of the main causes of problem 2.
the storm windows were down in the kitchen. also, i think how dirty they are had to play some sort of factor. and please don't mind my succulent propagation attempts.

problem 6: dinner being ready a lot later than we expected.

but, somewhere in between joel flinging the smoke detector out the door and clumsily dropping my burger on the floor, i got the giggles. ya know the kind that pop up at the wackiest times? those. i couldn't stop. then joel caught them. he said, "you have got to blog about this" in the most mocking and melodramatic tone possible. and then we giggled all the way through our dinner as we picked around the burnt bits.

so, here i am. blogging. thankful for the series of unfortunate events that occurred last night. i think that if dinner had gone off without a hitch i would have gone to bed weary. playing the long day over and over in my head. dreading the fact that tomorrow might be the same. but, instead i went to bed feeling refreshed and pleasant. looking forward to hearing felix giggle, at least once, just like his daddy.

i have a roof over my head. food in my kitchen. a healthy son. and a sweet sweet husband. i am blessed. even on the "tough" days.

pint size.

2011-08-16T15:16:00.004-04:00

joel wears v-neck t-shirts everyday. seriously. almost without fail. the man loves them. he has about a kabillion from target. same brand. and some in multiple colors. a few of them have felt the wear and tear of being worn all the time and they wind up in my pj drawer.

welp. i thought felix might like to wear a v-neck just like his dad. i know he thinks about clothes all the time. ok. well..i want him to wear v-necks just like his dad. really truly it comes down to the fact that anything adult like that is pint sized makes me giddy.

so! i shrunk down one of the shirts to felix size. i used this tutorial. (the cotton and curls blog is pretty stinking fantastic. she has inspired me to start refashioning clothes in my closet. more on that later this week.) the shirt turned out ok for my first go. well. until i cut a hole in the thing. awesome, right? there's a teeny hole right near the neck. and it's still not finished. i have to sew some top stitches here and there. but, it works. and i learned a few things. like don't get all loosey goosey with your scissors.

before:

(the little tee is the one i used as a template. and my goodness, this photo should be in an art gallery.)

after:

(felix has started to use his pointer finger all the time. yay for new tricks!)

brush.

2011-08-15T08:00:00.002-04:00

hello to you!

did you brush your teeth this morning? no? well...don't be too hard on yourself. it is a monday. just brush twice as long tonight. or go rinse with some mouth wash. or chew some gum. or eat mint chocolate chips. or cover your mouth when you speak to someone. or just don't speak at all. or just blame it on the garlic bagel you had for breakfast. (oh my word. felix is so fun to watch when joel "helps" him brush his two tiny teeth.)

how was your weekend? mine was a-ok. i went to the farmer's market with my momma. (we had a nice giggle over very large vegetables.) church. a last minute cook out at my parents. and i started a "refashion" on one of joel's button downs. not my most productive weekend. but who cares? other than my dog. i accidentally forgot to buy her dog food.

near.

2011-08-12T08:00:00.016-04:00

this cupcake belonged to my niece, julia kate. she belongs to jeff and danielle. rachel, isaac, eli, and silas also belong to them. they all belong in california now.

california is a long way from georgia.

the day that cupcake was consumed was the last time i will see them for quite sometime. but, the good thing is, they all belong right in my heart.

more near than far.

bribery.

2011-08-11T08:00:00.004-04:00

i asked felix for a kiss the other day.

he gave me this look..

so i bribed him with some pears.

then he puckered right up..

it took me a minute to realize that he wasn't trying to kiss me.

that's just his pear eating face.

oh well.

next time i'll try using chocolate. just kidding.

not really.

sometimes.

2011-08-10T08:00:00.014-04:00

sometimes things happen that make me unhappy.

like when the air conditioner that is in the attic leaks and then soaks all the surrounding insulation and then the water starts to drip through the ceiling and then the weight of all the wet insulation starts to make the ceiling cave in and then your husband has to build a brace to support the ceiling in the middle of your living room so it doesn't come crashing in and then your baby wants to constantly chew on the wood of the brace.

ya know. those sort of things.

moving and shaking.

2011-08-09T07:00:00.012-04:00

as of july 26th, we have had a mobile baby in the chandler household. i feel like it came out of nowhere. he hadn't shown much interest in getting around. if he fell over from a sitting position, he would just lie there. he was a pretty spectacular lounger. i'm pretty sure he expected me to fan him with palm fronds.

i was chatting on the phone in my bedroom, where i was putting away some clothes, when he peeked his little head around the corner. it startled me. so much so, that i may or may not have screamed. what was this little thing smiling at me in the hallway?? not felix. felix was on his play mat in the living room. playing. in the same spot where i had left him. right? right?!?! my scream made him giggle and then he army crawled right up to my feet. two days later he was crawling and pulling up. by that saturday he had cruised all the way around the coffee table at his grandparents house. WHAT!?! i've told him over and over to slow it on down. to give me a little bit of time before moving on to the next milestone. my heart can't possibly keep up with all of this.

pooty the pirate.

2011-08-08T07:00:00.002-04:00

felix has been in need of lovey. i wanted to make him one for a few reasons. the top two being: 1) if it gets lost or damaged, i can just whip together another one. 2) it's extra sentimental. i've been making dolls using the black apple tutorial for a few friends and i love them. the only problem was that they are..well....girl dolls. felix needed a slightly more manly lovey. i was just going to modify the hair and torso and make a regular boy doll, but i thought a pirate would be more fun. i was right. it is more fun.

the swashbuckling version was a bit more difficult to make, so it turned out a bit wonky. but, i figure pirates are pretty wonky anyways. it adds character. the striped fabric is from my first baby shower that was thrown by some dear friends. the jean fabric was inherited when joel's grandmother passed away. (i've tucked away extra of each, in the case that a new one needs to be made.)

we are still working on making it felix's "official" go-to lovey. it's going pretty well. he only throws it on the floor 3 out of 6 times. and sometimes when he sees it he squeals and kicks his legs like a mad man. the first picture was taken right after nap time. sheesh, do i love a squishy baby.

din din.

2011-07-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

so. here is the deal. i hate cooking. you are probably thinking "oh, hannah! hate is such a strong word. also, you have terrible punctuation." welp. the first is false. hate is the perfect word. as for the second. why, yes. you are absolutely correct. i just do not find joy in cooking. maybe one day i will wake up and it will be the desire of my heart, but for now i just grin and bear it.

with all that said. my husband has urged me ever so gently to start planning meals. so, this weekend i did. i sat my rear down and chose what meals i would make for 3 nights this week. i have to start small or else i feel more than slightly sweaty. last night i made sweet-spicy glazed salmon. it went off with only one minor hitch. the fresh salmon still had it's skin intact. it took me off guard and made me a bit gaggy. the scales glistened at me in the soft over-the-oven light. joel graciously intervened and got rid of it for me. hallelujah! the picture above is how it turned out. just call me giada. ok don't. just pretend i look like her.

adobo-lime chicken tacos and eggplant parmesan round out the menu for this week. i'm feeling a-ok about the tacos, i've just never really had eggplant. (a friend gave us some from their garden, that's why i'm being adventurous.) i am earnestly going to try to keep this "meal planning" thing up. if you have any easy go-to recipes that you love, please fill me in!

cooking. i am coming for you.
and planning. i've got you in a choke hold.

my own heart.

2011-07-11T19:31:00.001-04:00

our little family sponsors a young woman through compassion international. her name is atimango gloria. she is 15 years old and from northern uganda. (i urge you...beg you really...to click the link and sponsor a child.)

months ago, our church had a table covered with photos of sweet sweet faces. most of which were young. young and adorable. as my eyes swept the many pictures i knew looking at them that most of these children would be chosen because of their cherub like faces. wrong? no. absolutely right. every child who was represented on that table needed help. but, i knew they would be the first to be picked. i wanted to sponsor them all. i still do. but, as of right then, we could only help one. and i wanted that one to be different. someone who may be innocently over looked because of their age. and then i saw her. tall. fierce. beautiful. gloria! i felt that if she were to walk into the very room i was standing in, all eyes would fall on her. ready to listen to whatever she had to say. and if by sponsoring her she would learn of God's love and use that presence to share it, we had to choose her.

and we did. every month we send her $45. that's all. and with that she is taken care of. food. shelter. education. we send letters back and forth regularly.(or as regularly as possible with the lag in mail delivery.) in her letters, she tells us all sorts of things. what's happening in her community, what she has learned lately, her favorite things.

in her last letter she wrote out the items which she had purchased with some special extra money: a dress, open toed shoes, soda (two bottles), photos, and sweets. i realized then not only did we choose the "right" gal. we chose my kindred spirit. a girl after my own heart.

married.

2011-07-02T14:05:00.000-04:00

thursday was our anniversary.
how did we celebrate?
ate at a new local place. (the french market. go.)
realized we were too late for the movie we were gonna go see.
so. instead. a coke icee, mcdonald's fries, and some ice cream were all consumed while we sat in the LA fitness parking lot and people watched.
we keep it classy.

photo by kelly is nice photography

chomp chomp.

2011-06-08T12:20:00.000-04:00

After a few rough nights and some major whining, Felix finally cut that stubborn second tooth last week. I am fully basking in the glory that is non-teething for at least a little bit before the next ones make their appearance.

It's weird to have a baby that has teeth. He was sitting in his high chair yesterday and he looked grown. How in the world is it time for him to begin morphing into a toddler. It's wacky. All of it. But, it's the completely lovable kinda wacky.

And now I will hold Felix close to me, whether he wants me to or not.

crunched.

2011-06-07T21:29:00.001-04:00

i understand why baby nuggets have to face backwards. i do. but, it looks like felix has a long 6 months ahead of him.

face lift.

2011-06-03T14:17:00.001-04:00

sorry if you have tried to view the blog the past couple of days. i put it on private to give it a bit of a "face lift". bad move. i don't quite have the time to fix it up how i want it and give you a grand reveal. so. you can see my progress as i go. if it goes.

it's bananas.

2011-05-27T21:24:00.002-04:00

it's been a big week around here. felix is cutting his first tooth, rolled over from tummy to back, and had his first taste of "real" food.

grabby grabberson.

joel watched his first bites via facetime. oh technology, you win again.

i fed him with my finger first. i read something about it being body temperature, making it an easy transition. i think it helped. maybe.

i tried a plastic spoon after feeding him a bit with my finger. that was a no go. so, on to the next version of cutlery.

the next spoon was a-ok by him. so a-ok that he wanted to do it all himself. by the end of the feeding he was so great at using the spoon i went ahead and whipped up a t-bone steak, that he cut and ate himself. ok. well. at least that's what it felt like. i was really taken back by how much he could do by himself. i wasn't expecting that. i probably should of seeing as he is teething, so he put everything in his mouth. but sheesh.

i fed him bananas. it seemed fitting. because, let's be honest, the fact he is eating solids is BANANAS.

hey sweet boy.

2011-05-20T07:00:00.002-04:00

i love him.

take me out to the ball game.

2011-05-19T07:00:00.006-04:00

this past tuesday shall go down in felix's man book. he has officially attended his first major league baseball game.

i wore wonky sun glasses and thank goodness felix wore long sleeves. it was unusually chilly for a may afternoon. i think it would have been a balmy 70 degrees if not for the wind. i was kinda bummed it wasn't more picturesque, but it's still a lovely memory. the tickets were given to us and they were fantastic. 15 or so rows back from the dugout. the closest joel has ever had seats.

we had a few extra tickets, so our friends molly and danny came along. don't be fooled by the picture, even though it seems danny is totally into baseball, it's molly that is quite the fanatic. they fake interviewed each other during the game using sports newscaster voices. it was pretty phenomenal. and cute. they're cute. (they sing too. like sweet sweet song birds. proof.)

also. we got to use a valet to park the car. oh you fancy, huh.

joel is 27.

2011-05-18T20:05:00.000-04:00

today is the mister's birthday.
i baked him a cake.
and kissed him on the mouth.
he is the good kind.

wednesdays.

2011-05-13T23:30:00.001-04:00

wednesdays have the potential to be rough. joel works from 8:30am to 10pm-ish. that leaves me to my own devices for practically the whole day. i wish that i were the type to to thrive when on my own with felix for long stretches of time. but i gotta be honest, i don't thrive. i flounder. and then i sink. i need human interaction on days like that. or i feel like i'm in a hole.

but before you think that i'm probably wearing black clothes and listening to emo music 24-7, let me remind you that i stated that they have the potential to be rough. but they aren't. not in the least. wednesdays are "date day" with my best friend chelsea. (remember when i used to do the "now introducing" posts? yeah... i didn't think so.) she comes over to the house and i make her lunch. her choices usually consist of sammies/grilled cheese/cheese quesadillas/or frozen pizza. this past wendesday we had quesadillas. and she loved on felix a lot. per usual.

also. he almost has a legit mohawk now. people ask all the time if we cut it that way. nope. we sure don't. he just likes to sleep on his sides now.

5 months.

2011-05-09T18:50:00.000-04:00

whhhhat??
felix is 5 months old today.
we both can't believe it.

little fish.

2011-05-03T07:00:00.001-04:00

the kid loved it! i think we have a little fish on our hands.

there aren't too many shots of him in the water because it made nervous. i didn't want to ruin my new camera. eeks!

florida or bust.

2011-05-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

welp. the great florida excursion of 2011 went off without a hitch. felix was a champ and we didn't have to stop once due to crying. (there was a special stop for a poopy diaper...but i was a-ok with that. better out than in.) was the ride there and back cry free? of course not. but, i was thoroughly impressed with how well he did. i'm learning that he will usually surprise me, i just gotta give him a chance to.

he mostly did this..

having an i-phone came in handy, yet again, in serenading him with the sounds of adele & the civil wars.

during one of the stops he got to experience the inside of a gas station for the very first time. he begged us for slim jims and a red bull, but instead we just made him pose for a picture.

the trip offered up a lot of "firsts" for him as you can imagine. first time seeing a palm tree. first time in another state. first time in a condo. first time going to five guys.

first time wearing sunglasses.

first time setting foot in grass.

ok. ok. the list could go on. but, i'll spare you....

until tomorrow. he was a little fish for the first time too.

paper baggin' it.

2011-04-28T07:00:00.005-04:00

i dipped my toes in the sewing-for-myself waters. i made this paper bag skirt the night before i wore it on easter. you know it's gotta be simple to make if i can do it one night. (my nickname should be "the sloth".) i used a bunch of different tutorials. if you wanna make one just google "diy paper bag skirt".

also, it wasn't so wrinkled when i first put it on. i ripped it off right after this picture and did cart wheels. well, i ripped it off. put jeans on, then did cart wheels. we like to have fun on easter. just not that kind.

mexican & soap.

2011-04-27T09:44:00.001-04:00

sunday was a lovely affair. holidays have a certain extra gleam to them these days. i get a little more giddy. felix gets to celebrate everything for the first time. and his very first easter was just as it should have been. exciting and new and all things fun.

after church we ate mexican. because nothing says "easter" like a good burrito. and what goes with mexican? arcade games with papa. duh. (papa = my dad.) then we headed to joel's parents to hunt eggs, celebrate my nephews birthday and have dinner.

isaac, the birthday boy, is one neat kid. he's creative to the max. this picture is proof. a dragon. carved out of soap.

each easter egg had 15 cents in it. it may not seem like a lot, but pair that with mad egg hunting skills and you can really rack up. i want to hunt next year. momma needs gas money.

felix had his first foray into tastes other than milk. every year my m-i-l makes apple juice jello eggs. i love them. felix? well, he couldn't quite figure it out. he may have tasted it, but it most certainly didn't reach his stomach.

i heart easter.

sweet 16.

2011-04-22T09:36:00.000-04:00

when i turned 16, my party started at a neighborhood pool. a neighborhood in which none of us lived in. my party ended when we got kicked out of the aforementioned pool. not so fun. my niece rachel on the other hand, she had a lovely and fantastic 16th birthday party. i'm caught between feeling insanely jealous and overwhelmingly proud. she is - in a nutshell - the most mature, smart, loving gal her age that i've ever met. oh, and did i mention she is beautiful?

photo by pages of our life photography. (thanks beth!)

told you.

this past saturday the bonfire palooza took place. here a couple pictures from the evening. {all taken by sara chapman photography. she is fun.}

some of the details i wanted to share didn't get captured because i was feeding the little bub and i couldn't ask sara to take them. bummer huh? just picture hay bales covered in vintage fabric, pennant flags, and a peach tree covered in hanging jam jars with votive candles inside. (you can kinda see the peach tree in the smores table picture.)

also picture a smiling rachel dancing the night away with some of her closest friends. and then picture me requesting they play the cupid shuffle again. and then me getting winded half way through the song because i'm so out of shape.

ok. ok. just leave this post imagining a radiant soon to be 16 year old girl making memories to last a lifetime. sweet sweet stuff indeed.

travelin' man.

2011-04-20T12:53:00.000-04:00

next week we are packing our bags and heading down to orlando, fl for a conference. (with the rest of the staff from our church.) also, we are driving. this is when it gets harder for me to breathe. here lies our little problem. felix loathes car rides. well, in the past month or so, he's done a lot better.(can you hear the angels sing?) even so, i am a bit nervous about the ride down.

i have been concocting mission:contentbaby for quite some time. the toy bag will overfloweth. i'm in the process of making "flash cards" with different patterns to keep him occupied for a bit. (say, oh, 10 seconds or so.) i've read about sticking different pictures to the ceiling, rotating them out every so often. blowing bubbles will also be involved. and stops. lots of stops. my heart is grateful that we will be traveling with folks who understand.

any of you have tips for a successful long car ride? do tell.

in the cute department, felix will get to "swim" for the first time when we are down there. to say i'm excited about that is an understatement.

yes please.

2011-04-19T07:00:00.002-04:00

lucky kids. subscription: want.

i will hold you close to me.

2011-04-18T12:52:00.001-04:00

friday night i was preparing some things for my niece's 16th birthday party, when joel plopped my laptop down on the table next to where i was working. he said "you better stop cutting because you are about to cry." oh good. nothing like a good cry on a friday night. "molly wrote a song for felix" he continued. i knew he meant business about the crying bit after i was informed molly's songwriting was involved.

so here it is. the song that made me weepy. she wrote it from my perspective, right after giving birth. including the whole NICU ordeal. (which you can read about HERE).

felix's song.

(ok, so i'm working on getting it into a player directly on this post. until then...you may have to just download it.)

america the talented.

2011-04-15T07:00:00.001-04:00

happy friday to you! (don't you worry. i promise there isn't a rebecca black joke anywhere in sight..) first i would like to point out this completes a WHOLE WEEK OF BLOGGING. wwwwwhhaaaat?!? i know! can you tell that a certain someone who-shall-not-be-named (no, not lord voldermort...i promised no rebecca black jokes, harry potter was not included.) can entertain himself a bit better lately? but! i know that i have blogged excessively about my little dear this week, so on to something not related to my offspring.

yesterday i went to a taping of america's got talent. i was excited to see how the production went compared to when i worked on vampire diaries. i've concluded that TVD > AGT. the crowd at AGT was cray cray. and i'm not saying that in a "oh friend, you are so cute and silly" kinda way. i mean CRAZY. no restraint. i know that for good television the audience needs to be into it and pumped but seriously. out of control. i went to a 1pm taping therefore there were a bunch of field tripping high schoolers in attendance. one girl in particular who's high pitched scream is still ringing in my ears. i got to hear it for 5ish hours. i left with a headache. here are some gems i learned from the afternoon as a whole:

- all audience reactions are staged. they have you ooh & ahh and laugh and cringe, all before any acts even come out to perform.
- even if you don't have talent, having a "story" that pulls at the heart strings will get you far. in this case, to vegas.
- the 16 year old triplets who sang cheesy classical music may be lame on stage, but their grandmother in the audience was wearing a shirt that said "nanager" on the back. that got them some fun points from me.
- my friend kelly, who was my date for the day, is way easier to scare than i thought. every time a judge would X somebody she would jump. very entertaining.
- most people get giddy when in the room with a celebrity. in the most obnoxious way.
- most people also have a hard time following directions. sit means sit. not stand up and scream within the first 5 seconds of every performance.
- much to my disappointment, there were no kid hip hop dancers.(at least at our taping)
- the term "parking deck rage" should not be grouped under "road rage". it deserves to be acknowledged all by itself.
- *never look at a homeless man when he is standing near a tree. he could be peeing.

fun afternoon? yes. would i like to go again? meh.

*please note seriously.

like a weed.

2011-04-14T07:00:00.011-04:00

welcoming so many new babies into the world recently & felix rolling for the first time has gotten me feeling a bit sentimental. i was told over and over that time would fly by when i had a child. they spoke the truth. the absolute truth.

what a difference 3 months makes. at 1 month i was still getting to know the tiny human living in our home. at 4 months i know that humming nat king cole in his ear can calm his little heart. i know that giving him a bath helps him sleep better. i know that when he is getting tired he babbles. i know that his cousins can get him to grin, even in his grumpiest mood. one thing that i knew then that i know now, is that i love him. a lot.

in other non baby related news - i am going to a taping of america's got talent this afternoon. i'm excited to see how things are done. and to see sharon osbourne. she's fun.

roly poly.

2011-04-13T07:00:00.004-04:00

felix rolled over for the first time monday. and we missed it. since we live in such a small home (two bedroom & one bath), this was against all mathematical odds. the little stinker waited until joel and i were both in separate rooms. joel went into the kitchen to grab a bowl of cereal and i was in the bathroom getting ready to hop in the shower. i heard joel say "you've got to be kidding me. come here." as i came around the corner i saw him flip back to where he had started. ahhh! we both looked at each other with that "really? did that just happen?" look and then watched felix, waiting for the next roll. nothing. he barely moved a muscle. so, after a few minutes we went about our business. wait a beat. then oh yeah. he did it again. and we both missed it. again. phooey mr. felix. phooey. and now, it is with great pride i will now show you video of his third roll.

i filmed it from around the corner so he wouldn't get distracted. also, i think his failed attempts are so cute in a little engine that could kinda way. it's funny how you look at things differently when you've got a baby who doesn't just lie there anymore. i didn't think twice about that cord in the floor before hand. now i'm in safety mode. the kid's growing up. oh me oh my.

she's done it again.

2011-04-12T07:00:00.007-04:00

oh kelly lewis. you make my heart happy. she took some pictures of felix in celebration of four months being on earth. and for easter. (so, yup, he'll wear the outfit again then.) i love them. i love him. i love her.

like i said yesterday, i made the bow tie using THIS tutorial from prudent baby. i also made the suspenders. i cant find the tutorial i used to make them. it bums me out. i kinda wish i had used THIS tutorial though. i like them better. and i also made felix. no tutorial for that though folks.

there are some more images posted on sweet kelly's blog. including one of felix's old man face, which that alone is worth the trip over there.

oh snap! i made that.

2011-04-11T07:00:00.010-04:00

helllllloooooo, my dear dear reader[s]. here i am. typing this up just for you. i've missed writing a bit. so, i'm going to do that. right. now.

the past few months have been quite the baby shower palooza. i believe i have been to five or so. and as i have stated before, i like a baby shower. but, ya'll. it gets expensive. to keep my wallet from looking like a black hole, i made a good deal of the gifts i gave. and even though they are all super simple projects, they made me feel empowered. there is something about making something with your very own hands that does a soul good. and now, a few poorly-taken-mostly-with-a-camera-phone pictures of those items.

this was for sweet baby harper. i can't wait to meet her. and don't you love that name?!? cause, uh, i do. the doll was made from a black apple tutorial on the martha stewart website. the onesie, i made up as i went.(it's missing the three buttons i added the next day.)

i kinda wish i had made some of the peepee teepees for myself when felix was younger. i think it would have kept the surprise sprinkles to a minimum during diaper changes. i found a tutorial i liked HERE. the stuffed hippo and pocketed onesie i also made up as i went. this gift was for baby luke. he's got some baby chicks that just hatched waiting on him when he decides to make his appearance. how very easter.

ahhh! oh how i loved this one. i am, without a doubt, going to make one of these for felix soon. i bummed i didn't get a picture of it with its crayon "teeth" in the little pockets on the front. baby paul received this gift, filled with coloring books and such. i found the tutorial over on the made by rae blog. she had a whole month of posts celebrating the boy! LOVE. alot.

ok, so this isn't the gift itself, but i really loved the packaging! the knots came as sort of a mistake. i wish all mistakes turned out to be so lovely. and pin wheels are pretty much one of my favorite things to make. the gift was for baby josiah! yup. josiah. i like writing it since we just found out his name out the shower. a fitting time to announce it. in the box was a "potty package". ya know, stuff to make diapering a new little boy nugget easier. diapers, wipes, peepee teepees, guaze, vaseline, desitin. lauren (josiah's momma) has two girls, so boy diapering is new territory. gotta make things as easy as possible.

adelynn needed a book bag. her mom had been searching high and low for one she liked and couldn't find one. i had some fabric from ikea that i bought about a billion years ago and it was perfect for the project. how stinkin' cute is she? she deserves a new book bag too. girl has started potty training like a champ. HERE is the tutorial for it. prudent baby = the cute kid stuff mecca.

proof that i do make things for felix. like bibs. the kid drools. a lot. so, i made these heavy duty by sewing them with a towel sandwiched in the middle. they work great.

i made another little thing using a tutorial from prudent baby. i'll share it tomorrow. hint: felix can wear it.

ok. it's a bow tie. and it's so cute i can't stand to not tell you.

the sickness.

2011-03-15T14:47:00.002-04:00

So, I've been MIA. Pretty much big time. The gajillion weeks before this last one, I have no excuse for. Well, I most certainly could play the "I have an infant" card, but I'm gonna save that gem for another day. I do have an excuse for last week though. I had the FLU. I feel like it merits all caps. It was fierce. It was swift. It. Was. Awful. I was in the bed for 3 days straight. Joel the Great stayed home for two of those and took care of Felix. He did wonderful. Every 3 hours or so he would bring Felix in to feed, but other than that he did it all by himself. Makes me proud.

Little bub didn't catch the flu, but he did wind up with a cold. He still told me some stories. They are my favorite.

Mmm. Gotta love the "momma" voice. Eek.

DATE NIIIIGHT!

2011-02-09T16:12:00.000-05:00

I hope you read the title of this post in a high pitched rocker voice. (It's pretty much the only way I see fit.)

Last night Joel & I went out for the first time since Felix was born. Jackpot, ya'll! My SIL Danielle watched him for us while we went to The Civil Wars concert at Eddie's Attic. I honestly thought leaving him for more than hour or so (like I have before) would be tougher than it was. I put on my game face and walked right out the door. Ok, so maybe it was after putting that game face all over Felix's, but then I left with grace. I know without a doubt that my confidence came from the fact that Danielle has five kids, yup count em' 1-2-3-4-5. She knows her momma stuff for sure. And I know she loves Felix something fierce.

Our 5ish hour date was gah-lorious. We saw The Civil Wars while I was pregnant and the difference between the two shows was surprising. It had nothing to do with them, they are fantastic. (I may or may not want to be Joy Williams.) It was my mind set. The thoughts that raced through my brain while we watched. I found myself thinking about Felix a lot more this time. A lot. Well, obviously I missed him, but these thoughts were of what he would be when he grows up. What will he be passionate about? What will his talents be? Will he love music like his daddy? When I was pregnant most of what I day dreamed about was his birth and meeting him for the first time. But as he gets older, day by day, I get more excited about seeing his personality emerge. Who is Felix Chandler? I hope I raise him to know exactly what the answer to that question is.

I also thought about food this concert. Which is actually no different from the last one. I had a burger, some fries to die for, and a Coke. A sweet sweet caffeinated Coke. With apple crisp for dessert. In case you were wondering...

fist pump for the new mom.

2011-02-08T12:07:00.000-05:00

Oh yes. I did it. I made my first "uh oh, bless his sweet heart" mom mistake. Well, I'm not sure that I would like to call it a mistake. Let's call it a moment of lost clarity. That makes it seem less ominous. Because, let's face it, it wasn't harmful to him in any way. Well, maybe to his 13 lb. ego, but it didn't put him in the hospital.

I slathered his scalp with Aquaphor. Yup. Ya know, the thick, WATER REPELLING, Vaseline like ointment that was suppose to clear up his cradle cap. (Well, to give it credit it did clear up the cradle cap.) It never crossed my mind, not once, that when I went to bath him later that night, the stuff wouldn't come out of his hair. Only after waiting and waiting and waiting for his hair to dry did I realize the shampoo had no effect on washing it out. My sweet fluffy haired boy had turned into a Jersey Shore guido in less than five minutes under my well intending hands.

(i wish i had a better picture.)
And so, like always, I Googled what to do. Bright and early Sunday morning I washed his hair with dish soap. With a little side of baby powder. It helped a bit, but the stuff still lingered. So, after talking to two hair dresser friends I tried baking soda and baby shampoo yesterday morning. It worked like a charm. Well, it got the Aquaphor out. After using the dish soap, his scalp is dry again. Olive oil will be our next experiment. I hear it should do the trick without greasing the poor kid up.

(Oh! Yesterday we went to the doctor for his 2 month check-up. He weighs 13 pounds & is 24 1/2 inches long. Atta boy.)

namesake.

2011-01-22T12:27:00.001-05:00

this is felix george chandler jr. & barbara "bobbie" mildred fields chandler.
joel knows them better as little pawpaw & granny.
they're just hanging out.
reading.
i love it.
& i'm glad we named our son felix.
history is a good thing.

oh monday night.

2011-01-18T09:52:00.002-05:00

....and this is how we spent last night. Making Felix "walk" around. MLK Jr. would be proud of how we celebrated his day, I think. Felix showed great equality and integrity in his stride if you ask me.

....and yes, we call him pooty sometimes.

i birthed a child...(part 3)

2011-01-14T15:06:00.003-05:00

I had noticed that he was breathing pretty heavily when I was trying to feed him, but I figured that we both were just getting a bit frustrated since he wouldn't latch. Joel asked the tech about it, so she listened to his little chest. She said she thought that he may be breathing too quickly, so she asked our nurse to come have a listen. The nurse came in listened to him and said that he was taking about 80 breaths per minute and that 60 breaths was the norm. She said it was probably nothing but that she wanted to take him to the nursery to monitor him for a bit. No big deal.

An hour or so went by and the nurse came back in, without Felix, and told us that a NICU nurse was checking him out. They didn't know what was causing him to breath so quickly, but they were assessing the situation and would let me know soon what was going on. Ok, a little bit more of a "deal". Around 4am our nurse came in and told me that Felix had been admitted to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). A big deal to me. I cried. Well, sobbed may be a more appropriate term. I was a cocktail bomb of hormones, sleepiness, and pain. I just wanted to hold my new son. To feel his skin on my skin. I couldn't get the image of him, all alone, trying his hardest to catch his breath, out of my mind. Joel held me. He held me good.

My mom came back up to the hospital soon after we had found out. And there's just something about seeing her that makes it feel ok to cry. It feels right. And in her words, "sometimes you just gotta get it out." I love her. Thought I needed to add that.

The nurse came back in to give us a run down of how things work in the NICU. She warned us that he did have a feeding tube and that we wouldn't be able to touch him unless it was during the allotted "touch time" (which was every 3 hours). I'm thankful for that nurse and the heads up she gave us. We took the elevator down one floor to the NICU wing. We had to be buzzed in through the swinging double doors, then wash our hands thoroughly before being able to go back. A routine we got to know pretty well. As I was walking back I was struck with overwhelming amounts of thankfulness. We were passing incubators and little beds with teeny tiny babies in them. Babies that you knew would be there for more than a week or so. Babies fighting to live. Before I even got back to the "pod" that Felix was in, I knew he would be ok. His problems were the least of the babies there.

As he came into view, tucked away in a back corner, my heart was comforted even though my mind was reeling. He was attached to all sorts of wires and had the smallest IV I've ever seen. My first instinct was to scoop him up, to rock him for hours. But, I knew I couldn't. Joel grabbed my hand, reminding me he was still there. The nurse watching over Felix was the sweetest. She let us know what each and every wire was for. What each beep meant. What was being administered through the IV. Why his feeding tube was in his throat and not his nose. Any question we had, she answered with kindness. She told us that his breathing quickly could be attributed to either an infection, low blood sugar, or it could be just a transitional "thing". They had done some blood work and taken some x-rays and now we would just wait.

The next day (Saturday) I got discharged from the hospital around 11:30pm. We had decided to get a hotel room close to the hospital because 1)we were going to be back every 3 hours for feedings and 2)I couldn't bring myself to walk through our door at home without him. By the time we checked into the hotel we were feeling a bit more hopeful that we would take him home soon because all of his blood work had come back great. It could be as early as the next evening! Sunday when we went in for his morning feeding, the nurse told us that the doctor had ordered one more x-ray just make sure it wasn't Pneumonia and that Felix would have to stay until he was finished being weaned from the glucose (for low blood sugar) and his antibiotics that they had started as soon as he had been admitted just in case it was an infection. That meant no going home Sunday evening, but most likely sometime Monday morning. We were thrilled.

Monday morning Joel went back and saw him before I did. (I stayed behind at the hotel to check out and had my best friend drive me over to the hospital about 10 minutes after Joel had left.) When I got buzzed into the unit, Joel met me in the hallway. He wanted to warn me that Felix was under a phototherapy light and had little mask on to protect his eyes. The little stinker's Bilirubin count had gone up, so now they were treating him for Jaundice. I was heart broken. Now, I know that Jaundice isn't a real big deal and that it's pretty common in newborns. But, I was SO ready to go home and start the new life of parenthood. He had to be under the light for at least 24 hours, so we were going to be there another day. Phooey. We joked that the reason Felix went to the NICU was because he wanted to go ahead and get started on his super hero shenanigans. (Humor helps most situations. I'm pretty sure it's scientifically proven.)

his laser beam and/or web thrower

his x-ray vision goggles.
The hand in the first picture is not my own. It is Joel's. He was dubbed the official bottle feeder. At every feeding I would breast feed, then he would supplement with the bottle. He'd hold him and say "Let's eat my son", then Felix would chug away. I don't know if I've mentioned it, but I sure do love that man.

Monday we had checked out of the hotel and got settled in over at our sweet friends parents house. It was perfect. Close to the hospital with a separate entry. If anybody is curious, Lanie Beth Sinclair gets her hospitality from her momma. Staying there was such a blessing. It recharged our batteries, even though we were only there for one night. Yup, just for one night. Tuesday afternoon in between feedings I received a call from the doctor telling me we would get to take him home that night. For sure. Ahhhhhhhh!

About 5 days after he had been admitted, we got to take him home. I was so excited to get him home, I didn't take one good picture. Oh, and you are probably wondering what the deal was with his breathing. It was a transitional thing. It pretty much worked itself out on it's own, he just had to get used to being here.

We took him to the pediatrician on Wednesday and she gave him a clean bill of health. Not a thing wrong with him. The same is true today. Well, except that his parents are slightly wacky.

(part one)
(part two)

i birthed a child... (part 2)

2011-01-10T22:42:00.005-05:00

Don't worry, I didn't have Joel take me home. That would be cray cray. I mean, I was feeling a bit crazy but the hospital is about 30 minutes from our house. We were there already, so I might as well be checked. If they sent me home, well by golly that is where I would be headed if we turned around any how.

We went into the hospital, a nurse sat me down in a wheel chair and began carting me to labor and delivery. While we rolled, the nurse thought she should go ahead and let me know that she figured it was our first child and didn't think I was really in labor. "If you were really in labor you would be in a lot more pain. Trust me, I know" she said. Awesome. Gotta love hearing that. I just nodded.

After getting "settled" in to the hospital room, a nurse came in and checked me. I was at 4 cm. Yahtzee! I was in labor nurse lady! Boom. Roasted. I had progressed enough to be checked in. We were there to stay. Now, since we are at this point in the story, I might as well tell you that I went into all this wanting to go completely natural. So there's that. I say that lightly, now knowing that it isn't a "light" type of thing.

And so the laboring continued. I wanted freedom of movement so they only kept me hooked up to the fetal monitor in short increments. I hated that fetal monitor. Well actually all the monitors. I loved the fact they assured the nurses all was well with Felix and I, but they bugged me. I was a rocker in between contractions and when I was hooked up I had to sit still. Boo to that. I progressed slowly. My sister-in-law, who when my labor began was just a visitor, stepped into the role of doula. During contractions she told me to "moan it out". So I did. Whenever I would start to moan at a high pitch, she would tell me to keep it low. Keep it low. Keep it low. All I wanted to do was shriek. Like a banshee. But, I did my best to keep it low. And from what I understand, I may have kept the moans low, but most certainly not quiet. When the swinging doors opened to the waiting room they could hear me. So, sorry to all the other women delivering that day. I know I must of been awful to listen to. All day. Bless their hearts.

I got stuck at a 6 or a 7 for quite some time, due to the fact my water was still intact. The nurses called the doctor to come and fix that. I was feeling pretty stinking uncomfortable at this point. Duh, right? One of the nurses suggested that I labor in the shower for a bit. That 45 minute shower was the best part of the whole deal. (Other than my sweet boy.) I highly recommend it ya'll. I have new respect for the shower.

The doctor came in and broke my water. AND. IT. WAS. OOOONNNNNNN. Oh my word, it was on. I don't remember too much after that point. One of the things I do remember is thinking that if the next contraction was worse than the last one, I could possibly die. I know it sounds dramatic, but I am keeping it real folks. I was at an 8 when I got the urge to push. I wanted to so very badly, but the nurses warned of all the terrible repercussions that would occur if I did. Only by God's help alone, I didn't. A nurse told me that I could push as soon as the doctor got there. I could hear him chatting it up at the nurses station, so I decided screaming for him to get in there would help. I think it did. He came strolling on in and said, "Let's have a baby. Go ahead and push." Just like he was commenting on the weather.

I pushed for about 10 minutes. And about 17 hours after I had begun labor, Felix was here. Joel cut the chord and fell to his knees crying. That man is my heart. I'm blessed to call him my own and I was blessed to birth Felix the way I wanted.

As soon as I pushed him out they set him on my chest and that sweet boy peed on me. Three times. And I didn't care one bit. Crazy how that happens. They cleaned us both up, we got to hang out with him for a bit then they whisked him away to the nursery. I was transferred up to a recovery room. They brought him back to us and it wasn't until 4am (a few hours later) that Joel realized something just wasn't right with Felix's breathing.

(read part 3 here)
(read part 1 here)

i birthed a child... (part 1)

2011-01-06T15:42:00.003-05:00

and if you want to know the story, read on friends. read on.

Well, I suppose I'll start this story when the false labor began. Tuesday, December 7th. The early morning of the 7th to be exact. Around 1 or 2AM to be even more exact. I woke up with some cramping and after tossing and turning for most of the night, the cramping subsided that morning. I had a doctors appointment that afternoon, and upon leaving I knew that I was 80% effaced, 1 cm dilated, and that Mr. Felix was in the posterior position. It was encouraging to know that all the uncomfortableness the night before had made a bit of progress but being told that Felix was in the posterior position was the pits. Well, it was the pits after whipping out my phone once I got to the car and Googled exactly what that meant. (If you are like me and need a little "filling in", it means that the baby is head down, but face up. The ideal position is head down, face down. If any guys are reading this, you can now woo the ladies with this info. Ok. Maybe not. But, knowledge is power people.) While, a baby in the posterior position isn't a terribly bad thing because the baby will usually flip during labor. It does make labor more difficult and that is NO GOOD. The prayers commenced.

Jump forward to Tuesday evening. I could be found on all fours doing pelvic tilts or leaning over a pile of couch cushions trying to get the little bub to rotate face down. After doing various gold medal in gymnastics worthy moves for a few hours, I called it a night. Well, wouldn't you know it, I woke up an hour or two after dozing off with more contractions. Irregular, sporadic, get your hopes up for nothing contractions. Thus loosing another night of sleep. When the sun rose Wednesday the contractions had subsided and I got a few hours of sleep. After waking up late that morning, I continued my different "poses" in hopes they would help Felix turn.

The contractions returned that evening after dinner. (I had oatmeal. It's what I wanted, ok.) They were still random, but growing in the uncomfortable department. I decided I need to relax the best I could, so Joel brought the rocking chair from the nursery into the living room and I hunkered down to watch the documentary "Helvetica" and eat some Jello. They were still pretty sporadic. I rocked. Watched some more. Still sporadic. Decided to get into the bed. Still sporadic. Kissed Joel goodnight. Still sporadic. Tossed and turned. Then, I decided that maybe they weren't so sporadic anymore. I woke Joel up and asked him to start timing them. Yup, they were about 5 minutes apart. Joel was a trooper. He would doze between the contractions and I'd yell "start" and he would start the timer. He was a good time keeper. Actually, a great one. Very low key.

2 and half hours, some walking around, and a bath later they were still coming about 5 minutes apart. We called the doctor to get the go ahead to make the trip to the hospital. It. Was. On. And also, it was cold. The kind we aren't used to here in Georgia.

On the way to the hospital we unfortunately welcomed back the ol' nemesis of mine, mr. sporadic. I would tell Joel, if I don't have another contraction before we get to "the name of a near by landmark" then we would turn around. One of my biggest fears in giving birth was to get to the hospital and have them make me go home. (Yeah, I know, not pushing a baby out, just having to go home. Doesn't make much sense.) Right as we would pass each of the places I named, I would have another contraction. So, we pressed on. When we got to the hospital, I hadn't had a contraction in over 10 minutes. We pulled into the parking deck and we waited, all the while, I was contemplating having Joel take me home.

(read part 2 here.)

hey baby.

2010-12-15T22:55:00.001-05:00

felix samuel chandler
12.9.2010
7:14 p.m.
7 pounds 14 ounces
22 inches

{photo by kelly is nice photography}

My oh my.

2010-12-01T18:18:00.000-05:00

happy december to you!
i'm gonna birth a baby this month.
and that makes me happy.

photo via weheartit

honestly.

2010-11-14T19:26:00.000-05:00

so to be honest, i have failed at keeping up with my weekly belly shots. i know. i know. i'm pretty disappointed and it's completely my fault. but, there is no fixing it now. i can never seem to follow through with things like that. i have a feeling my new years resolution will involve trying to better myself in that category.

but, i do have some pictures to show you! and they are of the belly. so that's gotta even things out in some wacky way.

my sweet sweet friend kelly of kelly is nice photography took the pictures. she is pretty much my kindred spirit. (yes, i've used this term since seeing anne of green gables.) not only is she an amazing photographer, she has a great heart. and she's giggly...the good kind. love her.

oh, and i LOVE the pictures. i know i will treasure them forever and ever.

and ever.

timber.

2010-11-08T23:28:00.000-05:00

this morning was pretty typical. woke up. went to the bathroom. pulled on a jacket to take the dogs out. slipped on some shoes. glanced out the window and saw joel dragging a tree across the yard... ya know. the norm.

the crazy woke up this morning, fed the chicken, then decided "oh i'll just go ahead and chop this tree down." all before breakfast. sure it wasn't a mighty oak, but it was a bit of work nonetheless. and he did it with a hand saw.

he requested i post both of these. the first so you can see some of the tree he chopped. the second because he "liked his pose".

for those greeny pants who are concerned about the tree being chopped down, it's roots were starting to grow under the foundation of the house. not cool. but, you'll be happy to know the wood will be used for fires in the near future. i think thats greenish.

for those safety pants who are concerned about the fires, they'll be in the fireplace. don't panic.

a place to lay my head.

2010-11-05T12:50:00.000-04:00

just ordered this fabric to make an upholstered headboard.
...in case you were curious.

a bit o' nursery.

2010-11-02T11:04:00.000-04:00

well, felix's little pad is coming along. maybe a bit too "slowly but surely", but coming along none the less. here are a few little snippets of progress proof.

three cheers for having a place to change his little booty! and a hip hip hooray for cheap & fun ikea curtains. hey oh! less sewing is a good thing when you lack that talent.

every little bub needs a place to hang his cape at night, so i ~~took a cue~~ stole this idea from the ish and chi blog. i made two as well. ample room for hanging things. because, you can never have too many capes. or chucks. or kisses from your momma. wait. what?

this is the little table that will go beside the rocker. my plan all along was to paint it or stain it, but i gotta tell ya, i'm starting to fall in love with it just the way it is. i may just give it a good bath and tighten some screws. it's got character.

i still have a few more things to pull together. another pair of curtains, some shelving, a rug, that sort of thing. but, just seeing the room looking more like a suitable place for felix makes me happy. he already makes me happy. (that's what his name means, ya know.)

staying in.

2010-10-23T17:17:00.001-04:00

i don't "gush" too often.
i don't think.
but i have to tell you that today i am thankful to have a mister who is willing to go grab pizza and watch movies at home instead of going out.
even when i think he wanted to.
and even when he knew, if we went out, i would have to shower.
and if we didn't i wouldn't.
(pizza is just as good when you are stinky.)

little bub update.

2010-10-15T15:34:00.001-04:00

welp. mister felix is exactly where he should be.
head down.
he is measuring perfectly.
and his little heart is beating away.
this makes momma goose very happy.
happy indeed.

the real thing.

2010-10-10T19:55:00.002-04:00

i recieved this print at my shower saturday. it's signed. and numbered. isn't that so grown up?!?! uh yeah. it is.

(my shower was over the top fantastic. this sweet gift was just the tip of the kindness iceberg. and i was the titanic.)

(pictures from the circus-palooza to come soon.)

(also, i ate my weight in mashed potatoes today.)

week 30. (plus a few more.)

2010-10-07T16:32:00.001-04:00

alrighty. f-o-u-r weeks behind on this little ditty. but, i think doing it in batches may be better than spamming you with a weekly picture. i'm just gonna post one bigger picture of the belly for week 30. (weeks 27-29 are in the "collage".)

i have my first baby shower this weekend. pretty excited about it.

could be.

2010-09-27T21:10:00.001-04:00

you know the show "i didn't know i was pregnant"? blows my mind. i suppose some folks just need a checklist. welp. here ya go. (you can thank me when you know your not "just constipated" and actually in labor.)

you could be pregnant if:
1) you put deodorant on as soon as you step out of the shower, the latest possible time being before you blow dry your hair. (or another shower may be needed.)
2) you pray a blessing over the person/business with soft toilet paper in their bathrooms.
3) you plot ways to sue palmers if their cocoa butter doesn't work.
4) you wake up one morning and even your knees are chubby.
5) dust and dirt make you panic more than slightly.
6) food commercials can either make or break your day.
7) painting you toe nails is like trying to give a cat a bath.
8) lifting your arms in a sleeveless shirt after 6pm may result in a flashing of unsightly hair. yup, even when you shaved that morning.
9) while writing a "could be" post, you have an emotional outburst interruption about something totally unrelated.
10) pillows make your world go 'round.
11) your nails look like the wicked witch of the north's, no matter how much you file.
12) you could finally be on baywatch. from the chest up.
13) you could be in a rap video. from the waist down.
14) your husband has a new shadow. you.
15) you want to redecorate. your WHOLE house.
16) granny panties are your undergarment staple.

seriously. it blows my mind.

{belly picture update for the last three weeks coming soon...}