SG's Room: The Reveal + Preparing for Caroline

We've finally finished getting the girls' rooms ready! Susannah Grace is now in her "Big Girl" room and Caroline's room has been rearranged slightly for her arrival! I've included before and after photos of our journey preparing both rooms! Enjoy!

Susannah Grace's Room

 Before: 

 

We bought SG this "Big Girl" bed- it's a convertible crib that will convert to a toddler and full sized bed when she is ready!

This ugly yellow color was the color of SG's room...

After:

Tah dah! Here's one half of her room!

We repainted the basket to the left of her bed with spray paint and glammed it up a little ribbon and my great grandmother's broach :). We plan on doing the same to the basket on the right- minor detail.

My mom helped me sew the toddler blanket you see draping over her crib! The pillow is currently being embroidered. I love how sweet it turned out.

 I wish I had taken before pictures of this creation. The frame was originally metallic- I bought it 50 off at Hobby Lobby. I painted it and then sanded it to get a distressed/shabby chic look! I also mounted the burlap fabric you see to a foam board using a stapler. The doily was inspired by my friend, Lauren's nursery. She used doilies to decorate a wreath with. When I saw it a light bulb immediately went off in my head about what I wanted to create. I traced this monogram and used a paint pen to fill in the gold color. I added the ribbon and broach to give it a vintage look! 

Before:

Yucky flat blue painted dresser- $129

I don't understand why the previous owner painted it this color...

After:

And, here it is Shabby Chiced! I used a tutorial located on my pinterest account that was very helpful. It took some time, but I think it turned out beautifully!

I sanded, primed, sanded, painted, sanded, distressed, and used a paste wax to get this look!

 I thought the original hardware was beautiful once I stripped the blue paint off of it. 

                                         

I bought this lamp at a flea market for $13, put a new shade on it, and used a tutorial to figure out how to get this ruffled look using extra fabric from SG's drapes. 

If you can't tell, we're going with a ballerina theme for SG's room. I think it fits her personality perfectly because she LOVES to dance and walks on her little tip toes. I got the printed painting 50% off at Hobby Lobby! Whooo Hooo!

                                     

I splurged a little on this french cottage style chair at an antique shop. I just couldn't resist. I didn't have to do a thing to it! This is where we read night night stories before bed.

This is the basket that we spray painted. It holds SG's night night books. 

Before:

 I fell in LOVE with this dresser at an antique shop! I had been searching everywhere and finally found exactly what I was looking for for the right price. I used it as inspiration for the chest I shabby chiced. 

After:

 This is the other half of SG's room!

We still use a changing pad for her. It's just easier on our backs, and she enjoys seeing herself in the mirror! 

 close up view

 I found this dress form at TJMAX for around $30. However, it was HOT PINK. 

So, we spray painted it ivory and put a $10 tutu from Target on it!

Caroline's Room

Bow holder- I'm not sure if she'll have a head full of hair like SG or not, but we're ready with our bows just in case! It will be interesting to find out!

 I took the wreath out of SG's room and put a "C" on it instead of an "S". Since we had to take down the wall monogram I thought the wreath filled the void and really pulled everything together.

 Here's where we'll be spending LOTS of time together :)

We've got our bags packed and ready to go.

Now, we're just waiting for her to get her so I can hold and snuggle with her in this sweet little smocked coming home gown her Nana bought her. I'm getting more and more excited. I can't wait to find out what she is going to look like and be like! Caroline, Mommy and Daddy LOVE you and can't wait to meet you!

18 Months

I've been meaning to devote a blog post to this sweet little time in SG's life for the past month now. Better later than never, right? This little girl has definitely been keeping us busy, along with preparing for her little sister, Caroline. I've included some things she is doing below along with a few pictures.

Stats:

Weight- 29 lbs- 97% percentile

Height- 33 3/4 inch- 94% percentile

Eating:

3 meals a day- milk with breakfast and lunch

2 snacks- around 10 am and after her nap around 3:00ish

+ a little milk in a cup at night before bedtime

Sleeping:

Goes to bed at 7:30-8:00 PM and wakes up at 7:30-8:00 AM each day

1 nap- 2-3 hours long- there are days here and there where we are rebelling against a nap- not crying- just playing in our crib instead of sleeping- It drives mommy crazy

Personality and Development:

*Talking LOTS and starting to string words together- she will pretty much try to repeat anything you say

*Some of the words she is saying right now- Momma, Dadda, Meme, Poppie, "Nee Nee" for Sydney, Nana, Pawpaw, Gigi, Ray Ray, helwo- for hello, hey- sometimes she'll say Hey Momma or Hey Dadda, bye bye, no, k- okay, all done, ank you- thank you, "pease" please, "mommy" for monkey, at- cat, "dawg" dog, ball, baby, swing, on, sheep, alright, eat- while going to her high chair, stars, moon, nigh nigh- night night, wuvy- luvy, wight- light, etc. 

*SG is really into animals right now. If you ask her what certain animals say she can tell you. Some of the sounds she makes are:

Cat- she will meow and hold her lips in a pucker, monkey-whoo whoo while making arm motions, dog- she will bark,  bird-tweet tweet while flapping, sheep- bah, cow- moo, horse- she makes a blowing sound,   elephant- makes a different blowing sound, lion and tiger- rarrrrr, duck- quack quack, pig-she makes this hilarious oinking noise- I will have to get it on video, etc.

*She can touch and name most of her body parts: head, eyes, ears, mouth, nose, neck, shoulders, elbow, belly button, knee, toes, etc. 

*She LOVES Dora the Explorer and will try and sing the songs from the show- such as: "Backpack Backpack" and "I'm the Map"

*She absolutely loves any kind of nursery rhyme song: "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Bringing Home a Baby Bumble Bee," "Patty Cake," "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," and "I'm a Little Teapot"

*Every night we read her the bed time story Lullabye Little One- in the book she will point to various things she knows and names them including: fish, duck, moon, stars, nigh nigh- It's sooooo cute!

*She is currently at the stage where she thinks the world is a grand audience- she will say hey and wave to pretty much anyone if she's in the mood- especially if she's the center of attention

*She's constantly BUSY- loves getting in to anything and everything

*She definitely likes to test her limits right now and see what she can and cannot get a way with- this is not so much fun for mommy

We sure do LOVE this little girl. While there are challenges here and there, she brings us an overwhelming amount of joy. We are so thankful the Lord has blessed us with her precious little life!

 Daddy walking with SG

 SG running in her flower girl dress for Ray Ray's wedding

 being silly with Daddy

So grown up- tear

 Pretty girl!

 just rocking...

 with her sweet little grin :)

 My little turkey...

so stylish in the outfit I made for her :)

 Here she is with her first encounter with sponge rollers for Ray Ray's wedding- I just couldn't resist!

back view :)

Multitude Monday: 212-244

I am thankful for...

9-19-11

212. having a day to clean and prepare for Caroline after a little scare last night- I had a couple of contractions, which I didn’t have with SG until labor. Therefore, my mind was in a MILLION different places and I couldn’t go to sleep until 4 AM because I was thinking of all the things I needed to do before her arrival- I’m so glad I had a day to get them done!

213. Meme’s help watching SG while I got A LOT of things done today to prepare for Caroline- I didn’t think she as going to be able to watch her so it was a real blessing

214. having time to wash the car seat, swing, bouncy seat, and jungle gym covers for Caroline to snuggle in

215. Trey’s help raising SG’s old bed for Caroline so I could put the bumper back on, hanging a cross in SG’s new room, and do other chores I am physically challenged with at the moment

216. Trey picking up the bassinet and a few much needed items from Meme’s

217. a healthy report at the doctor’s office- I’m currently 2 ½ cm and 75% effaced at 37 weeks

218. SG’s excitement to see and play with all of her new “toys” (i.e. Caroline’s baby stuff)

9-20-11

219. SG’s sweet demeanor as she played with her baby doll- She kept wanting to take it in and out of the swing while loving on it and giving the baby it’s pacy

220. the excitement SG displays when we turn on the swing- she wants the music on- when I turn it on she rocks back and forth with a big smile on her face while saying “Star!” “Moon!”- since little stars and moons rotate around as the music plays

221. listening to SG’s sweet voice mimic things I say all day long

222. Gigi’s much needed help cleaning my bathrooms- It’s hard to scrub when it’s painful just to bend down

223. having time to embroider several burp cloths and two receiving blankets for Caroline

224. Trey letting us order pizza night- I was too tired to cook- Little Caesar’s $5 pizzas are quite yummy!

9-21-11

225. Gigi coming over and offering to help me clean my bathrooms since I have trouble bending over and scrubing at this point

9-22-11

226. Mom taking off work to spend some quality time with SG while I ran a few errands

227. having time to take the pillow we made for SG’s room to be embroidered- I was too nervous to embroider it myself J

228. time to prepare a grocery list and shop without having to also entertain SG

229. a mommy make over- not really- but getting your hair cut becomes a privilege when you have children ;)

230. My contractions subsiding- I was having some pretty close ones and hoping they would go away so we could make it to our pampers and prayers shower the next night

9-23-11

231. sweet sacrificial friends throwing a small intimate shower for the arrival of sweet baby Caroline

232. my dad getting to come to my shower- especially since he has had to be out of town for a couple of months taking care of my grandparents in Florida

233. Gigi watching SG since she wasn’t feeling well while we went to our shower- it was such a BIG HELP

9-24-11

234. spending the day with Susannah Grace and Trey at the zoo

235. Trey buying me a disposable camera since I forgot our camera’s battery at home- I was very emotional about not having pictures of our time together at the zoo since it will be one the of the last things we do together as a family of three

236. Susannah Grace’s excitement each time she saw a new animal

237. SG mimicking the sounds the animals made

238. SG saying “Mommy” for monkey because she doesn’t know how to pronounce the “k” sound while making her monkey sound, and the people around us thinking it was funny

239. SG saying “Choo Choo” each time the train made that sound while we were riding the train at the zoo

9-25-11

240. getting to celebrate another birthday with Poppie- Walt (Trey’s Dad)

241. enjoying some yummy yogurt with family at Yogurt Mountain for Poppie’s birthday

242. SG and Sydney enjoying each other’s company at YM

243. the brief period without whining all day at Yogurt Mountain- SG is getting her 2^nd K9 tooth and it has been very challenging

244. Trey buying me a new battery for our camera since I lost the other one- I have no idea where it went

Sew Busy...

One of the MANY reasons I have neglected to post pictures on our family blog lately is that I have had various sewing projects I wanted to get done before Caroline's arrival. I LOVE for my girls to match (Susannah Grace, Sydney (my niece), and Caroline). Therefore, I've been working like a crazy woman to get some things done before Caroline's big arrival. I've included some pictures below of my latest creations.

 Auburn outfits for my girls and an Alabama outfit for Sydney 

(SG and Sydney have shorts that match their tops!)

I made SG and Sydney the outfit on the left and Caroline has the matching onesie outfit on the right :).

 Fall owl top and pants to match for SG and Sydney!

BIG SIS and LIL SIS outfits for my girls

Here is the reversible fall outfit (Halloween/Thanksgiving) outfit I made for SG and Sydney!

 The "S" is a turkey face!

I also made Caroline a coordinating outfit to match!

I can't wait to put her in it!

 Monogrammed gown and matching receiving blanket for Caroline

 Cute monogrammed receiving blankets for Caroline

 LOTS of embroidered burp cloths for sweet Caroline

One of my favorite burp cloths and a bib I made 

Multitude Monday: 193-211

***So, it's been a busy week trying to get everything prepared for Miss Caroline. I'll post a few pictures 
of SG's new room and how she is growing in the next few upcoming posts. Stay tuned!

I am thankful for... 9-12-11 194. Meme watching SG while I got some sewing and embroidering done- I finally got all of SG and Sydney's fall outfits done! YIPPEE! 195. a good dr.'s report- I'm dilated 1 cm and 70% effaced at 36 weeks and everything seems to be going well 9-13-11 196. Trey safely traveling to MS

9-14-11 197. getting to spend time with our friends Amy, Livi, and Anna Kayt 198. realizing how very blessed I am to have such a healthy pregnancy thus far through a friend's sad situation 9-15-11 199. Mom helping me finish SG's bedding 200. reaching #200! 201. Trey's safe travels back from MS 9-16-11 202. making The Sandwich King's codwich sliders with Trey 203. enjoying a movie night at home with Trey 204. getting to put SG in her new big girl room to sleep tonight- it was bitter sweet- She's just growing up too fast 9-17-11 205. Nana watching SG while Trey and I went to a dear friend's grandfather's funeral 206. down time in order to relax- I have really needed to slow down lately 207. Trey helping me with SG 9-18-11 208. good fellowship at church 209. a refreshing nap after church- I usually have a really hard time taking one 210. a fun time at the park watching SG as she enjoyed playing 211. SG's cackle as her daddy spun her around in a diaper box- she could not even sit up straight afterwards- It was HILARIOUS!

Multitude Monday: 172-193

I am thankful for...

9-5-11-

173. Meme watching SG while I ran a couple of errands

174. getting to appliqué four shirts today for the girls J

9-6-11

175. my sweet husband ordering and picking up my new devotional book- Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

176. getting to order the fabric for SG’s big girl bedding! YAY! I can start making it now!

9-7-11

177. having some time while SG was napping to distress the dresser I have been shabby chicing

178. movie night with the hubs- It was nice getting to hang out

9-8-11

179. getting to talk to my sister in law about my niece’s pathology report- the growth was cancerous- However, her perspective was encouraging. She reminded me of the important perspective that our children belong to the Lord. They are His first and ours second.

180. another week of SAVING $$ at the store! WOOOOHOOO!

181. Nana coming over to help me measure and cut out SG’s big girl bedding after a long day of working

182. Trey fixing us a meal off of pinterest while we worked on the bedding- chicken lasagna rolls- YUM!

9-9-11

183. Meme watching SG again so I could get some more sewing done!

184. getting to cut out pants to go along with the shirts I appliquéd earlier this week

9-10-11

185. getting to spend time with Rachel at her wedding rehearsal

186. Trey’s help with Susannah Grace while we rehearsed

187. SG’s cooperation, as much as could be expected for an 18 month old, b̶e̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶e̶s̶c̶o̶r̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶T̶r̶e̶y̶ “walking” down the aisle

9-11-11

188. having my hair and make up done for Rachel’s wedding- it’s been a LONG time since someone else has done this for me J

189. getting to have some quality girl time at the salon

190. SG’s hair cooperating with the sponge rollers I used to curl her hair- It was too adorable!

191. SG walking down the aisle with Daddy like a big girl

192. sunshine for Rachel’s wedding

193. a beautiful day and beautiful bride and groom- I was so blessed to witness my "sister" marry the man of her dreams- such a good feeling

Multitude Monday: 147-172

I am thankful for...

8-29-11 147. a shopping day with Nana and SG 148. getting to pick out Caroline's sweet coming home dress and a few things for SG 149. time to finish priming the dresser I'm shabby chicing 150. time to clean up a little around the house 8-30-11 151. getting to spend time with Haley and Lola at the squishy park :) 152. yummy yogurt mountain helping cool us all down 153. SG eating her yogurt with a spoon all by herself like a big girl 154. time to do some sewing 8-31-11 155. Meme keeping SG while Trey and I went to Nashville 156. getting to chill out in the hotel and NOT MOVE while Trey was doing some work around town 157. having my first meal at a DDD (Diners Drive-ins and Dives) restaurant with Trey 158. getting to catch up with a dear friend- Love you Melisa! 9-1-11 159. getting to sleep in a little longer that usual 160. getting to spend time with the hubby shopping around and eating a good lunch 161. having time to talk with Trey without interruption on our way home to Birmingham 162. the warm feeling I have when I see SG after we've been away from each other 9-2-11 163. finally getting paint to start painting SG's new room :) 164. SG's long nap 165. Meme and Poppie's help painting a couple of rooms in our house 9-3-11 166. finding the perfect decor for SG's room 50% off at Hobby Lobby- WOOHOO 167. Trey and Meme's hard work today finishing painting and getting everything in order 168. time with Nana while Trey and Meme were painting 169. Mom's help taking up my bridesmaid dress and SG's flower girl dress for Ray Ray's wedding 170. Sherry's help at just the right time :) 9-4-11 171. getting to spend time with Ray Ray and Gigi at Rachel's bridesmaids' luncheon 172. getting to spend time with family to celebrate Krysten's birthday