Baby Tiny's Nursery {Reveal}

 

 My Inspiration for this nursery:

"Beloved I wish above all things that you may prosper" 3rd John 2 

The Lord has been showing me in the recent months that to "prosper" by His standards basically boils down to weather or not you're effective for His gospel. Therefore, above anything else I could hope for for my little girl, I would wish that she would be effective for Jesus in all that she does, therefore that she would prosper by God's standards. 

When I think of {wish} I think of a dandelion and I took that and ran with it. I knew after doing Riley's nursery that I wanted to make her room super girly and vintage and beautiful. I {LOVE} the outcome.....

 I went hunting for vinatgey {not a word} items and came across this sweet little dress in an antique store. I painted the bird the colors of her nursery (yellow, pink and gray) and hung my old baby shoes up with the dress.

 Birds weren't an original option to put into this nursery, but over time they kinda came along with the territory and I actually ended up liking the little birdies here and there.

 Scraps of fabric tied to some hemp rope made this sash type thing that is swagged over her closet doors. I got these cute butterflies at the dollar store!

Her beautiful white crib was a gift from my parents! After hunting down crib bedding all over the world, I couldn't find anything that I really loved. So what's a girl to do? Sew it yourself of course. Now I have never sewed a day in my life, but my sweet grandma's sewing machine got some good crash course use and I really am so happy with what I ended up with. The crib bumper and skirt is a beautiful yellow pillow ticking material that I just love!! And the other materials that I used are various yellow and pink and white cotton fabrics. I made the crib skirt, the crib bumper, a pink sheet, a yellow sheet and a quilt.

 

Here's another view of the crib...you can see the design of the material a little better. Please don't look too close at the quilt, I may or may not have some lines that are more ambiguous than straight.... 

Here's "her" dresser that actually belongs to my mother-in-law. I more or less have stolen this from her. We'll see if she ever gets it back :) Its topped with her changing pad 'cause I don't have massive bedrooms nor can I justify the expense of a dresser and a changing table that realistically will only be used 3 times before it becomes a catch all of laundry. Sewing this minky cover for the pad was RIDICULOUS! I don't love to sew minky at all, but maybe over time I'll be able to work with it a little easier....

Here's a shelf that was in my room when I was a little girl. I added some small knick knacks and some frames that I got from Teen Challenge and spray painted. The little bear was in the hospital with me when I was born and plays music and is wearing the hat that I wore in the hospital.

Lastly here are a few shots of some "extras" in her room that just seem to make it all come together.

Praise the Lord for photo shop :)

Milk glass from my grandma.

The Dandelion Painting I did for my princess.

Up close of the quilt and the inside of the crib.

WE ARE PACKED UP and READY TO HIT THE HOSPITAL when this little lady says go!

I'm so excited to dress a girl this go round! I can't wait to do hair and put on dresses and just girly her up! Below is the car seat canopy I made for her. This was such a simple job. I'll post some how-to's if anyone is interested?? Here's a pick of the "baby tummy" as Riley would say at just about 38 weeks.

We are anxious to meet our sweet girl. I'm finishing up some of my to-do lists, installing the car seat, packing hospital bags, finishing my last week at work and watching my two-year old "graduate" from school on Friday night. I am so thrilled to move on to the next season of life God has for me. 

My wish for this little girl? That she might prosper in all that she does....

Miss Addy

So I got a once in a life time opportunity to attend the birth of a sweet little baby girl last week....and here's the story behind that....

If you haven't figured it out yet, I like natural child birth. Ok "like" isn't really a word, but what word is there to describe something that I am an advocate for 100% but kinda despise it at the same time? I guess I "love-hate" natural child birth. Read more on that here.  Anyhow I tend to be a little out spoken on the whole issue and I may or may not be a little enthralled with the miracle of childbirth in and of itself, so people end up knowing how I feel whether they asked or not (sorry!)

Sam, my dear and sweet friend, was pregnant with her second baby and was telling me one day how she really wanted to try and deliver this next baby naturally. I {kinda jokingly} said I'd go with her and make sure she did just that if she was serious about it. She and her husband talked about it and they agreed and well I couldn't say no to such an opportunity. So a couple months went by and I found myself getting ready last Tuesday night to leave to be "Sam's doula". WOW. 

Let me tell you. There are no words for this experience. Literally, none. I can't believe how amazing she did and well watching a baby be born just puts even the toughest of guys to tears! To watch a mother agonize in that pain for their child is just such a testimony to the agony I'm sure we put the Lord through daily. Could you imagine giving birth EVERYDAY?! But Sam did it because she loves Addy. She did it because its what Addy needed her to do. Amazing. Being a mother is such a gift and how blessed I am to have been there to see Addy be born. I held her at just 15 minutes old. Such a little miracle. Here we are...

Maybe someday when I'm not raising kiddos and birthing children of my own I'll find myself in a career where I get to be apart of this everyday...but until then, I savor my moments with Sam, Kyle and miss Addy. I savor the birth of my son and anxiously await the arrival of my daughter.

From the bottom of my heart Sam, thank you.

Baby Girl Grove aka Baby "Grill"

So Riley, Tyler and I are all in great anticipation of the new season that is just on the horizon for our family. We are excited about....

-Aubrey's promotion to "stay-at-home mommy" full time starting May 25th

-Tyler finishing student teaching, his last tests and getting that anticipated Oregon Teaching License

-The coming of summer and warm weather and bbqs and s'mores and fires

-Tyler's prayers, hunt and search for a teaching job to be answered as the Lord sees fit

and most certainly

-THE ARRIVAL OF OUR BABY GIRL!!!

So in our anticipation, we grabbed the camera, went outside in the sun and took a few pictures to document our family as a family of three (on the outside) for one last time and capture baby girl in all her big belly glory! Here's what we came up with {courtesy of Loni Evans}

  

With our baby girl's arrival around the corner we are finishing up getting the nursery {to be revealed sometime this week} just right, packing hospital bags, hauling {Tyler's job} the infant car seat and bassinet down from the attic and just enjoying our last few weeks of just Riley. I can't wait to watch him be a brother. I've been praying lots for him because I've been told about 1,768 times that "Riley's world is really going to change" and most of the time its not in too much of a positive light. I want my children to love one another, not have a home full of sibling rivalry, so I'm praying for wisdom on how to start us all on the right foot at adding more children to our nest. All in all we can't wait and look forward to holding little Miss Grove in our arms.

Mama says "sorry"

As a mama that's chosen for myself and my babies to attempt natural labors and deliveries I feel like there is a little apologizing the women on my "side" need to do. 

I did not choose to deliver Riley naturally, with midwives and without medication because I want some sort of award or pat on the back, but because I'm confident it was the right decision for myself. The Lord has given me a solid tolerance for pain and a body that more or less tends to reject pain medications. (I learned this about myself when I had my appendectomy and knee surgeries...there's something about being in pain and extreme vomiting that just kills me.) Obviously in labor and delivery situations pain is inevitable so I elect to forgo meds, keep my lunch down and power through the pain. As I entered myself into the world of natural child birth, I learned more about certain risks and benefits of such practice and in turn have become quite the advocate for doing things naturally.

Does this mean that I think you're selfish or wrong if you elect to get an epidural, see an obgyn, induce labor, etc? No, not in the least. I'm also aware that not everything, if anything really goes the way we "birth plan" stuff, so sometimes things just happen. Some women in my boat however tend to make women who choose differently feel less than. {SORRY} Same goes for nursing vs. formula, home birth vs. hospital, vaccination vs. no vaccines and so forth. Frankly I'm quite tired of the "mama battles" tearing us all down and stressing everyone out.

Insert the Holy Spirit. I believe that the Holy Spirit is such an amazing tool we all take for granted time to time. The Holy Spirit has a special way of speaking to our hearts and I think we as mothers would do ourselves quite the aide in listening more carefully and more often. I don't know why its laid so heavy on my heart to try with all that I can to labor and deliver naturally or to not let my babies cry themselves to sleep (gasp!) or to nurse my children well past 12 months. Maybe I'm being protected, maybe I'm being stretched, maybe I'm being taught a lesson only learned through certain actions...I really can't say. But I know as I have sought and continue to seek the direction and conviction of the Holy Spirit, confirm I'm not acting unbiblically and have the lead and or support of my husband, then I am being the best mama I can be. This mama is not going to look like anyone else as a mother; but they aren't gifted with my children and I'm not given theirs. So for me to stand on my high horse and tell you how and what to do is wrong. Granted there are biblical foundations all us parents should follow, I haven't found anything about the fouls of baby wearing, or on-demand nursing.

So my mommy adventures and lessons continue on. I think being led by the Holy Spirit in our parenting decisions and actions is vital for our own sanity as mothers with 190 million parenting books to consult and for our specific children's needs.

Also seeing my day to day choices as creating and/or affecting my life's ministry for the Lord helps to draw my attention beyond the given moment and focuses me more on Him and less on me (John 3:30) I know when Riley was born the nurse I had was truly ministered to through my choice of natural labor/birth because that was her passion in life. I needed her help through the experience she had as a doula prior to nursing, so she spent her entire 12 hour shift with us. She was then able to watch my mom, best friend and mother-in-law pray for me, my husband hold me up and be my rock and claimed she's never seen a couple like us before. These were just a few ways she said she was impacted by us. So maybe enduring pain like that was worth the ministry that occurred for that woman. If I hadn't listened to the convictions of the Holy Spirit, things could have been very different and an epidural would have produced a patient that didn't need that nurse's undivided attention.

Life is about ministering for Jesus.  And its ok for our ministries to look a little different than the other.

Valentines Day 2012

Valentines Day (technically its not quite here, but I like celebrations and dragging them out as long as possible)

Anywho, I love this day. Just 'cause its fun and you can eat a lot of chocolate and no one can really say anything to you for it....and plus, I don't know if I'm supposed to say this, but my Hubs is a really big romantic! Seriously he's planned and executed some pretty amazing dates. This year he surprised me {BIG} with one of these...

You see normally we're not, if ever, extravagant gift givers, but this is something that we've been wanting and hoping for to take solid photos of our sweet little growing family. With baby girl on her way, I guess he thought nows as good a time as any....I was SHOCKED! And HAPPY!!!!!

I can't put this baby down! I have SOOOOO much to learn, but already this has made me picture taking skills improve drastically! Take a gander....

FRESHY fresh 2012

I feel a little cliche for writing on the eve of the new year, but Ecclesiastes pretty much says nothing you say or do is really all that new, so I'm over pretending to be original....

With that said, I must say I'm really excited to be starting a new year. Last night I was thinking about the greatness that a "new year" brings. I'm kind of a planner and organizer, and there's something refreshing about getting to start all over. I know that God doesn't really operate within our levels of time, but He created us and He knew that we would operate with schedules, times, plans, etc. So I love that He gives us the feeling of starting over with the coming of a new year. Grace gives us a similar feeling of being made new and there is really something powerful in that. 

I'm glad to be closing the door to this year and ready for the surprises, joys and even trials of the year to come. I'm ready to start over. I'm ready to get back into a routine with my quiet time with God, I'm ready to dig into the Word and come to know God even more, I'm ready to eat a little healthier, I'm ready to be a little more active even during this pregnancy, I'm ready to close certain doors and way ready for certain ones to open, I'm ready to be the mother to a two year old and an infant, I'm ready to be a better wife and friend, I'm ready to really pray to our powerful God unceasingly for things heavy on my heart, I'm ready to watch my husband finish his schooling and hopefully begin his career and I'm ready for so much more. 

I love a fresh start like I love fresh towels from the dryer. 

Above all I know I'm ready to dig deeper with Jesus this year and coming to know God more will impact every corner of my life, and I can't think of anything more exhilarating. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR. HAPPY FRESH START. 

Tiny

Well, we had our first appointment with our OBGYN yesterday and it was great. I must say, coming from having Riley with a Mid-wife and going to an OB was a little intimidating for me. We chose not to go back to Salem because of the commute. Appointments aren't long, but add 45 mins of driving both ways, we're looking at 3+ hours per visit. Also when the baby is born we want Riley to be able to be home and visit us a lot and being here in Lebanon will make that a lot easier for him. Smooth transitions is what I'm hoping for for Ri-man.

My Doc looks at my chart and says...."so you're wanting to have a natural labor and birth right? Did you do that with your first?"(She too thinks of me as an 'earth mama', I love it) I told her yes and the reasons I have for delivering naturally and she seemed very supportive of me and my wishes which made me all the more comfortable with choosing her to be my provider. Then she made some comment about not delivering on Saturday night cause she teaches Sunday School....another comfort knowing my doc is a believer! She actually reads the ultrasounds for our pregnancy alternatives center here in town. So all in all, I'm thrilled with my choice. I just never thought I'd choose an OB.

She said the baby looks great and I was measuring right on. Tiny's heart was beating strong and sounded good too! The baby was SO SO still during the ultrasound, which I have to be honest made me worry a little. Riley was a CRAZY man in there even at 12 weeks he was moving all over. This baby was just so still. My doc pointed out that I'm only 10 weeks and movement is just getting going and I have nothing to worry about. I don't need to have a spirit of fear, after all, the One knitting this babe together loves him/her more than I ever could. So rest assured all mamas expecting (you too Sear) we aren't to have fear for our babies, but trust because the Lord loves that little one way more than we ever could, and that's a lot of love cause I know your our hearts are full of love and adoration for these babies.

Its still too early to tell the gender of the baby, but believe me, Tyler and I were trying to look with untrained eyes as to what we might be having. There were no conclusions made, so we wait for week 18! Only 8 more to go....but I must say, I want this to go slow. Weird huh? I like my time with just Ri and I can honestly say, I love being pregnant. I hate the pain of labor, but in a weird, maybe sick way I like giving birth too! As a sweet friend from church told me thursday, "you were born to have babies" uh oh Tyler better be careful, I might take that too seriously. Maybe I will become a Doula someday to tide me and my obsession with all things pregnancy, labor, delivery and babies over. I can just see it now, the stay-at-home mommy that makes cakes and aids mommas who are delivering babies....I don't think that was a career choice in my psych program. The Lord changes hearts huh!?

Well, if you're even still reading this, thanks for putting up with my babble. Here's our first look at Tiny.

Amazing huh?