According to Gehrig

It's becoming evident to me that 3-year-olds {or going-on-3-year-olds} are some of the funniest human beings on the planet. Gehrig is constantly saying unexpected things that crack me up and, even though his stubbornly independent personality challenges me a lot, his ability to think for himself produces some real gems that I just had to share.

When Jason checked on him after bedtime, Gehrig reported what he was "dreaming" about-
"I dreamin' about baseball. And football. And Chuggington. I dream about a lot!"

Over the monitor from his room at 3am-
Gehrig: "MOOOMM, I need heeelp."
I stumble in, annoyed: "Help with what, Buddy?"
Gehrig: "Falling asleep."
{I melt}

While trying to speak in code to Jason-
Me: "It was on....Fix-it Manuel."
Gehrig: "No, mom, it's just Handy Manny!"

While Jason was putting him to bed the other night-
Gehrig: "Dad, can you keep me safe?"
Jason: "Safe from what, Buddy?"
Gehrig: "Mom."
Jason: "Haha. Are you being silly?"
Gehrig: "No. I not being silly. She really really scary."
{nice.}

Anytime we ask him to try new food-
"No thanks. I'm too little. I'm just a little boy."

And my favorite as of late-
"Apple juice goes all the way down to my belly and grows up into pee!"

Oh, and since I'm way behind the times, click the Bloglovin gadget to your left to follow me there. Thanks!

Why Fall is the Greatest. Always.

I feel a bit overwhelmed these days. I'm blaming this on my first semester back after having Milo and have high hopes that, come Christmas break, my house will no longer look like a hurricane hit and my to-do list will look a whole lot more fun than: 

grade papers

do laundry

grade journals

grocery shop

grade worksheets

shower

grade

Maybe 'shower' could even work its way up to the top of the list? I dream big.

But who really cares about all those menial chores when....

Michigan, you guys!!

There are things about Fall that just make me swoon. These colors are on the top of that list. Also: scarves, apple cider, apple cider donuts, boots, Thanksgiving, crock pot comfort food, sweaters, tea, and things like this:

Standing in front of a giant apple with my boys.

I just really love autumn times. Why can't it be the longest season? Happy Fall, ya'll!

Energized

I've been feeling kind of off lately. I'm not sure how to describe it other than "heavy." I have all of these things I'd like to do, but feel paralyzed by the daily monotony of potty training, breastfeeding, and...that's about all I've been doing the past couple months {or so it feels}.  So my "do someday soon" list has gotten out of control and seems to be weighing on me. This week, I finally decided to take some control back and re-realize what makes me happy and "light."

Not that I'm complaining about spending so much time with these faces...

As someone with 2 literature degrees, I'm embarrassed to say that I've only read a total of three {THREE!} books this entire year. Three, guys. There were times in my life when I could knock that out in a week. That was obviously before I had kids, but lately I've recognized the void my lack of reading has left. Time to fill it.

This week, thanks to my ever-encouraging husband, I decided to start a bookclub, make a list of books to finish by the end of the year, and be proactive about finding times throughout the day to read. I know. This is nothing groundbreaking. You mean I can read while I'm nursing? Or during nap time instead of watching TV? Wow, Brenna, some epiphany! It sounds ridiculous, but it's true. I got so out of the habit that I forgot how happy it makes me. 

Today I went to a coffee shop and read. For two hours. It was blissful. Ironically, the book I am reading {The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin....yes, Erin, I know you lent it to me 6 months ago. Sorry I haven't returned it yet} mentions the importance of pursuing passions and how rediscovering your passions can bring increased joy. She discusses happiness experts "who advocate periods of deprivation to sharpen pleasure." It was quite apropos. My pleasure in reading is pretty sharp these days.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my excitement about my renewed me-time activity. Do you have any book recommendations I should put on my list?

Dear Milo: Month 3

Dear Mi-Guy,

You have been here for three months already. How is that possible? You have pretty much been the perfect baby since day one, which we should have predicted since your arrival was almost exactly what I hoped it would be: quick, "easy," and peaceful. Isn't it fitting that the meaning of Milo is "peaceful"? Your dad and I didn't know that before we met you, but now I can't imagine a name being more appropriate.

There are so many things I love about you. On top of having the most kissable cheeks and gorgeous pouty lips, you are a champion sleeper, waking up twice per night, at most, with a 4 or 5 hour stretch thrown in there. That is an amazing gift for your mama. Thank you! What's most surprising to me is that when you do wake up, you don't cry. You just squirm a little and grunt until I pick you up, upon which you usually flash a big, gummy grin my way. 

You are extremely tolerant of your brother, who tends to bombard you with pokes, jabs, and baseballs thrown in your general direction. In fact, your first ever smile came when he was all up in your grill.  He loves you so much and I can already see your relationship start to develop into something amazing.

In the last couple weeks you have really started to giggle, especially when Dad talks to you or we tickle your excellent rolls. You push up during tummy time and you even rolled over both ways a couple days ago. All these milestones are happening quicker than I might like, but I also feel so lucky that I get to watch you grow. 

You have added so much love to our family. I can't imagine my world without you. 

Love forever and ever.

The Glamorous Life

You know how celebrities are always photographed with their kids looking all stylish and confident and put together? 

This is what you get when you Google "celebrities with kids"

I sometimes wonder if people were to take pictures of me out and about with my kids how much of a hot mess I would look like. 

Here's a snapshot for you.

Last week we met Jason's college buddy and his family at a Detroit Tigers game and, while the entire day was completely chaotic {8 hours in the car, no naps, trying to find parking in Detroit, which at one point involved Jason bending a street sign just enough for his friend to squeak his van past it to drive on the sidewalk and get out of his parking spot, and walking a total of I-don't-know-how-many-miles}, this special moment really stands out to me:

I went to change Milo's diaper in the pristine public restroom at the ballpark and discovered that his whole outfit was wet. So, being the uber-prepared parent that I am, I changed his shirt and...couldn't find the extra pants I packed. Doubting my memory, I put the wet pants back on {nice, right?}, packed up the diaper bag, turned to leave and then, "WAIT! I know those pants are in here!" So I literally emptied the entire contents of my bag on the changing table and discovered them at the very bottom. {I like moments when I can actually trust my brain} So, change numero dos occurred. No more wet pants.

I then decided to feed him in the bathroom since I didn't feel like discreetly {not my forte} nursing next to the guy double fisting it in the seat to my left. After a slightly clumsy nursing sesh, baby boy proceeded to spit up all over me, himself, and his freshly-changed clothes. Awesome. SO, back to the changing table we went because, amazingly, I had another clean shirt for him to wear. Not amazingly, I had no more pant options, so homeboy left that beauty of a scene with soaked pants anyway. 

The clean half of my family + friends.

Pretty sure he just heard us say,
"He's DEFINITELY gonna sleep on the way home."

If you made it through that whole story and want more:

Yesterday Milo had a few hour stretch of ultra-fun, high decibel f-r-e-a-k-o-u-t-s, which I'm certain could be chalked up to gas, but the only thing that would calm him down was to feed him, which in turn contributed more gas to the problem. You see the vicious cycle, I'm sure. So, after I finally got him to fall asleep {via my expert method of letting him get so worked up that he exhausts himself into slumber}, I "let" him nap on me while I also shut my eyes for about 15 minutes. 15 glorious minutes of peace. He then woke up in a very grunty state, so I continued to try and get the gas out. There was much patting of the back, pumping of the legs, rubbing of the belly, etc. He was sitting between my legs on our bed when he let out a big grunt and expelled the problem {you follow? Sorry for this...}. Unfortunately, the problem came up out of the back of his diaper, down MY pants and onto our freshly-washed white sheets. Dirty mess=Happy baby. I'll take it.

It should say "I didn't poop on Grandma"

Nothin' but glam round here.

I think my point is I'm glad I don't have paparazzi catching these moments. They live vividly enough in my head.

Maybe next time I'm trying to get Milo to sleep, I'll read him this post...

Happy Birthday, Old Man

{Disclaimer: I'll try to keep this post as un-mushy as possible. 

My apologies for any "awwww" moments.}

Lately I've been thinking about so many of the things I love about my husband and, since his birthday is tomorrow, I thought I'd document them here. I met this guy 9 years ago and, as we have grown up and navigated through our 20s together, I realize more and more how lucky I am, and how lucky our kids are to call him "Dad." So, here we go. 29 reasons I luh this guy...

Baby Jason, circa 2005
{He still wears those sandals}

1. He is one of the hardest workers I know. He is constantly burning the candle at both ends.

2. He holds strong to his convictions. {But never judges others if they disagree with him}

3. He has a fabulous head of hair.

And people wonder how I have a red-headed child...

 4. Most people would describe him as quiet and reserved...

5. ...Yet he can sing every word of "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.

6. He will recite lines from Scrubs and Arrested Development over and over with me and laugh every time.

7. He says things like "What's the scuttlebutt?" to my girlfriends and is not embarrassed at all.

8. He has prettier eyelashes than any woman I've ever met.

9. I've never heard him yell. Not even during a sporting event.

10. He LOVES wedding season.

11. He is most certainly the calm to my storm. The words "even" and "keel" come to mind.

12. He can fall asleep anywhere. I once found him at his desk with his forehead on the keyboard, completely cashed out.

Forever one of my favorite pictures.

13. He looks really good in a baseball uniform.

14. He encourages me to pursue my goals, no matter how much I protest and procrastinate.

^Here he's freaking out about the thought of my new ring
falling through the cracks into the river.

15. The man could eat a dozen donuts {preferably Krispie Kreme} all by humself.

16. He calls cardigans "carn-a-gans," even after I've corrected him 1,000 times.

17. His one vice in life is Diet Pepsi, which I can live with.

18. He never gets overly-emotional {see #11}, but every now and then he has a laugh attack that is so contagious, mostly because of its rarity.

19. His Ryan Lochte impression is pretty spot on.

20. Some of our shared loves include: dancing to hits from the 2000s, the movie Away We Go, Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Bun ice cream, Mad Men, Coldplay, and Outback Steakhouse.

21. He tolerates me on road trips, which we take often.

22. He is an amazing teacher who cares deeply for his students. I am constantly in awe of his dedication to his job and the kids he teaches.

23. He recognizes my need for girlie time with friends, or by myself. The other night he turned on Pride & Prejudice and left the room saying, "I think you need a night off of boys." Nice move, Mr. Burghardt.

24. Seeing him as a dad is an amazing experience. He is loving, silly, and a great role model for our boys.

25. When we met, he drove a manual-transmission Jeep Wrangler. Hot.

26. He's the master of giving thoughtful gifts. For one of our anniversaries, he made me a "Brenna & Jason" board game complete with trivia cards and an elaborate game board with highlights from our relationship. It was amazing.

27. He quotes lines from Major League and Baseketball as if I'll know the reference. I never do.

28. He has given me two beautiful boys who have made our lives so lovely and chaotic and entertaining. I am forever grateful that I get to parent them with him.

29. He's a great friend, roommate, cook, companion, provider, partner, and date. I'm just lucky all-around.

Happy Birthday, Mister!

You sure are great!

Five Favorites {this week}

1. Milo - I cannot get enough of those cheeks. This little mister is reminding us so much of his brother as a newborn, just with an extra layer of fat, which is basically the greatest. I'm obsessed.

2. Noosa Yoghurt - Guys! Have you tried this stuff?? It's probably the greatest yogurt I've ever had. You can get it at Target or Whole Foods, and I'm sure other places too. Just, go get some immediately. I would eat it every day if it weren't a little on the pricey side. Every time I go to Target something tells me I deserve to treat myself, so this stuff finds its way into my cart. I've never regretted it.

3. Non-maternity clothes - By the end of my pregnancy, not even my maternity clothes fit over my belly, so I am so thankful to not have to wrestle with my wardrobe every day. Plus, it is finally spring weather so even though my pre-pregnancy pants obviously don't fit yet, I can wear skirts and regular shirts to my heart's content. This is a shirt that my lovely friend gave me {because she knows my Target obsessions don't end with yogurt} and it is definitely my favorite item right now. Notice that it makes an appearance in that last picture. {Also, is it a coincidence that Milo seems to be wearing the same shirt in picture 1? My tastes are so transparent.}

4. My new Keurig - My birthday gift this year, other than little man Milo, was a Keurig. I love this thing so much. It's fast, convenient, and easy clean-up. Love.

5. "Phoby" wrap - My fabulous friend, Sarah, {who got me the shirt} also made me a knock-off Moby wrap. I love it so much, especially for carrying the baby when I need my hands free to play with Gehrig or get meals ready. Milo seems to love it, too, though he pretty much sleeps anywhere we put him, so who can really tell?

Alright, go check out the others' favorites at Moxie Wife!

An Arrival

Milo Fitzpatrick Burghardt

Born April 25, 2013

8lbs 13oz - 21 inches

He has captured all of our hearts, including big brother's.

Pinterest Challenge Update {less than stellar}

If you will recall, I started this Pinterest challenge with the intention of completing six projects in six weeks. Wayell...let's just say it took me about eight weeks to complete three of them. I'm not proud. But I'm also not ruling out the possibility of finishing this thing out, even if it takes me the next three months {don't count on it}.

Alright, here's a reminder of my projects:

The bottom three got neglected. I wanted so badly to recreate that beautiful outfit for Easter, but Michigan decided to be a blustery 40 degrees and it just wasn't gonna happen. I know what you're thinking. "Why not just wear it another day then, Brenna?" Well, it's April 14 and it snowed here this morning. This "Spring" has not been kind to my desire to wear maxi dresses and sandals. 

So, let's get to the productive side of things.

{1} I posted about my wreath project here.

{2} This play dough recipe ended up being really simple to make and Gehrig loved it! My favorite part is that the Jell-O makes it smell great, so your hands aren't left with that weird salty smell after you're done playing. I cut the recipe in half and made three different colors. It lasted about 2 weeks before it got too sticky to play with. I'll definitely make this again!

{3} I made this quiet book for Gehrig and I'm really excited about how it turned out. I mostly followed this tutorial for putting it together, but changed the activities based on what Gehrig's interests are right now. Also, the original author was crazy ambitious and sewed everything on her book. I went the much lazier/faster route and used a glue gun for the activities and just sewed the pages all together. We're saving it to give him as a "big brother gift" at the hospital, so I have no toddler reviews yet. I think he'll like it though.

The cars can velcro multiple places on the road.

The animals are finger puppets and the barn doors open
to show a pocket where the animals can go.

Self explanatory...

Waiting patiently for my desire to craft {or do anything productive} to reappear. Maybe some sunshine will help. Or maybe the conclusion of this pregnancy will help...

Thanks for visiting!

Easter Sunday

Our typical Easter tradition involves visiting both of our families across the state, but Easter was a pretty simple affair this year since we have been mandated to stay within an hour of the hospital... Thankfully Jason's immediate family has all relocated closer to us within the past year, so they were able to come over for brunch and lots of sugar consumption after we went to church {where Gehrig's chants of "Done pray? Home? Play?" thankfully didn't seem to draw too much attention}.

We loaded up on sweets and watched Gehrig play baseball outside {luckily the weather was a balmy 45 degrees}, burning off the many many jelly beans he suckered out of me after not eating any of the actual food that was prepared. Then we said goodbye to our visitors and two of us {guess who?} had a lovely sugar crash nap. All-in-all, it was a great day.

I've decided to link up with Grace, Kayla, & Erica to share my ultra-boring Easter outfit. I had grand plans of recreating this beauty for Easter, but the chilly weather, lack of time, and my ginormous belly interfered and I realized it was much simpler to wear this festive, and comfy, dress that my mom got me instead. This outfit doesn't really live up to the other beauties in the link-up, but I suppose the 37-week belly should be documented. Plus, G in a sweater vest seems worth sharing with the internet.

The hand on belly was totally unprompted, by the way.

Forced Nesting

What a month! Or two months. Or winter, really. It seems like everyone I know {and everyone I don't know for that matter} has spent the last two months fighting off sickness after sickness after nasty, annoying sickness. Our house was struck hard a couple weeks ago when Gehrig woke up with a horrible stomach bug {my nightmare, realized}. A week later I woke up with the same bug {another nightmare, realized}. After 12 hours of agony, I also noticed that my Braxton Hicks contractions were feeling awfully strong and strangely close together. A call to the midwife and several more hours of awful brought orders to go to the hospital so they could stop my contractions and monitor me. Long story short: everything's fine and baby's staying put for now. But it did put us on high alert and reminded us that anything can happen...meaning I should probably get ready for this baby's debut.

Thanks to two amazing women (my mom and mother-in-law, who both rushed to the rescue while I was sick), our house got a good, thorough cleaning and, most impressively, the laundry got all caught up. Since then, I've decided to follow a cleaning schedule that will help me maintain an organized house and maybe not have a panic attack the next time we're on our way to the hospital with the prospect of bringing a new person home with us.

So here's what I've been doing on top of the usual picking up clutter and cleaning the kitchen every day:

Monday: Laundry {although, let's be honest, this chore usually takes me until Wednesday to finish}

Tuesday: Clean bathrooms

Wednesday: Floors {vacuum and mop}

Thursday: Miscellaneous project {pick a closet to organize, wash windows, etc.}

Friday: Dust surfaces

Maintaining the clean has always been my biggest challenge, so getting into this routine has made my life much simpler. Instead of a whole day spent doing chores, I just spend a half hour or so each day and the house stays fairly clean.

Liebster Award

I just found out that Amber of Dimples and Pigtails nominated me for the Liebster Award. Thank you, Amber!

The Liebster Blog Award is given by bloggers to other bloggers who have less than 200 followers or have been blogging for less than six months to show newer bloggers that they are appreciated and to help spread the word about new blogs. Gosh, that makes a girl feel good!

The guidelines for the award are this:

1. Post 11 random things about yourself.

2. Answer the questions your nominator created for you.

3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.

4. Choose bloggers {with less than 200 followers} you love and link them in your post.

5. Leave me a comment on this post with the link to your Liebster post so I can read your answers.

Here we go!

My 11 Random Things:

1. I'm the youngest of five kids. Our family gatherings are loud and chaotic and I love it.

2. I hate being touched behind my ear. Weird, right? Whenever I tell someone this, they immediately try to touch me behind the ear, which I think is even weirder. Why do you have to test the theory? Trust me. I will freak out.

3. I studied abroad in Ireland during college and it remains one of my best life decisions. 

4. I have my MA in English Language & Literature.

5. My husband and I met the summer after I graduated high school when we both worked at a golf course. We officially started dating the day before I moved away to college. We had a long-distance relationship for almost 4 years before getting married in 2008. Turns out, we like each other a lot in close proximity, too.

6. I once ran a half marathon. Typing that felt like a lie, but it really is true. I am by no means a runner, but it's something I would like to get better at someday.

7. Smoothies might be my very favorite food.

8. I'm a full-on emetophobe, a word I recently learned to describe my very serious anxiety toward vomiting. This is an unfortunate phobia to have when your entire family comes down with the stomach flu, as mine did this past week. Immersion therapy, I guess...

9. I secretly {well, not anymore} think it would be so fun to be a wedding planner. I'm a little bit obsessed with wedding shows and I think it's crazy how much people spend on weddings. My sister and I have discussed how great it would be to help people plan weddings on a tight budget. One of many dream jobs I have...

10. I love living in Michigan. I'll love it even more after this harsh winter is over and the beauty of Spring arrives.

11. I have a lot of freckles in the summertime.

Questions for Me:

1. Why did you start blogging? My husband and I started posting to a blog when we were expecting our now-2-year-old son. We didn't live by any family and wanted to keep everyone up to date on how the pregnancy was going. Now, I use it as a way to document projects I make and, more than anything, keep up on writing because I love writing as an outlet, but I don't do it enough.

2. What is your favorite part about blogging? As I do it more, I am realizing how easy it is to communicate with other bloggers and give/get support. I could just write things down in a journal, but it's so fun to get and {hopefully} give inspiration to other people online. That's something I didn't expect.

3. Do you have a favorite place to thrift/shop? I don't do a lot of "thrifting," although my town {Grand Rapids, MI} has some pretty fun antique and thrift shops that, if I didn't have a wild child in tow most of the time, I might spend more time in. So, I have to go with the old standby, Target. I could spend hours there and I love that you can leave with a new pair of shoes, ice cream, mascara, and laundry detergent. One-stop shopping for all the necessities.

4. What do you wish you knew more about? So many things! I really want to become a better seamstress. And I would love to know more about gardening, especially now that we own a house.

5. What is your favorite item in your house? If we're talking material items here, I must say I have a special appreciation for our living room couches. Up until this past fall, our furniture was just a hodge podge of hand-me-downs from family members. I love our new, matching couches, and they make me feel like a real-live grownup. I'm also completely smitten with the bookshelf my brother-in-law made us for our wedding. I kind of can't believe how talented he is.

6. What do you do when you're not blogging? I work part time teaching English courses at a community college. I am also in the midst of starting my letterpress business, Patterns Press, where I design and make invitations and other paper-based products. Most of the time I'm home with my son, playing "pee-pall" (baseball) and putting train tracks together, only to see them torn apart a minute later. 

7. What's your best yard sale/thrift store find? I found a beautiful mirror tray at a local antique store that I have on my dresser for jewelry. I love it. It reminds me of something my grandmother would have, and she's a classy lady. 

8. Do you have a talent? What is it? I'm a pretty good writer. Not necessarily in blog format {digging for compliments...}, but ask me to write a poetry exposition or a literary analysis and you'll get yourself one dynamite essay. I know, it's a talent that will take me oh-so-far in life. I'm also semi-decent at playing hairdresser. I've helped with hair for several weddings and always thought it would be fun to go to beauty school and do hair all day.

9. What inspires you on a daily basis? Lately I've been so inspired by the women in my life. My sisters, my mother, mother-in-law, grandmothers, friends, cousins, and bloggers {who I pretend I actually know}. I have so many female relationships that offer me inspiration in different areas of my life. How to be a good mother, a hard worker, a supportive wife, a faithful friend, a creative spirit - the women I know teach me so much, whether they realize it or not.

10. Do you have a favorite blog? Why do you like it? I have a lot of favorite blogs, but Camp Patton might take the cake. Grace is hilarious in the way she recounts the daily with three littles. I secretly pretend I'm friends with her, which I'm convinced would up my cool factor by about a billion. 

11. What is your favorite pattern? I love this question! I'm a little bit in love with patterns {hence the name of the blog...}, but I'm having trouble coming up with a favorite. I think half my closet is made up of polka dots, but I also love a good chevron {Once again, obvious on the blog}. A lot of my sewing projects tend to involve paisley prints, too. The list goes on...

Bloggers I Nominate {Some of these have already been nominated by others, but I strongly "second that!"}:

Landen from The Coatroom at Victoria Station 

A Dash of Ash

Jessie from Early Bird & Night Owl

Kate at The Rhodes Log

Questions for My Nominees:

1. What is your dream job?

2. If you could meet anyone, who would it be? Why?

3. Do you have a favorite recipe you can share?

4. Do you have a guilty pleasure? {TV show? Food? Drink?}

5. Where is your favorite place to visit/travel?

6. If you won the lottery, what's the first thing you would do?

7. What is your favorite part about blogging?

8. What do you love most about the town you live in?

9. What is your favorite item in your closet?

10. What's your middle name? {I'm a little fascinated by middle names...and I like to know them}

11. Do you have a favorite author? Who? Why?

Whew! Congrats on making it through that whole post. Thanks again, Amber!

March Goals {& how february stacked up}

I've been setting small goals for myself at the beginning of the month, hoping the shorter time frame will make them more achievable. February went fairly well, although I still have work to do in the exercise department. I did limit my shopping, though, and only cheated to buy myself a new pair of flats {I chalked this up to necessity since the heels I was trying to pull off while teaching in the evenings were not agreeing with my swollen feet.} That's excusable, right? 

I also tried a few recipes last month that were, overall, pretty good. These oatmeal-quinoa bars didn't go over as well with the picky toddler portion of the household as I had hoped, but it was worth a try. I also made some carrot muffins {the recipe for which I won't even post because I had so few of the actual ingredients that they ended up being some sort of crazy adaptation that turned out just OK}. However, this pot roast was definitely a success. I haven't had much luck with roasts in the past, but this recipe is worth passing on. Easy, yummy. A winning combination.

Now for March:

1. Finish craft projects. Starting things is a strength of mine. Finishing them? Well, I'm gonna work on that this month.

2. Read. I have two books on my nightstand waiting to be finished, and a few more on my radar that I'd like to get started. 

3. Look up more. It freaks me out slightly to think that I'm having another baby next month. I'm realizing that my time with Gehrig as my only child is dwindling quickly. That being said, I want to enjoy my time with just him as much as possible and there are far too many useless distractions that tend to prevent that. So this month I'm going to limit my time on my phone and computer to nap/bed times so that I can really soak up these last months without a newborn.

That's all for now. What are some of your goals for the coming month?

Pinterest Project 1

Remember that Pinterest Challenge I'm doing? Well, I finished my first project. I really loved this wreath I saw and wanted to brighten up my front door with a Springy wreath, too. Here's how mine turned out:

It took me all of 10 minutes since I actually reused the same wreath I used for Christmas, and Autumn before that {the holiday version had red and green yarn accents and some holly, which I used to replace the orange lilies and green accents for Fall}. What can I say? I'm just so efficient...

I dug around my fabric stash for the brightest, springiest patterns I could find and followed this tutorial to make the flowers. Throw it together with some hot glue and there you have it: my new Spring wreath. 

It's serving a nice, cheery purpose, though it seems a bit out of place since today we woke up to this:

Jason's response to the snow storm went something like this: "What would you do if it snowed until June? No, seriously. I think it might snow forever." The eternal optimist, that one.

Why I love Daffodils

Disclaimer: I've been wrestling with myself about whether to post this. I wrote it a while ago and it feels really personal and strange to publish something like this to the internet, but I've been reading a lot recently about honesty and the importance of being authentic in our interactions with others. Authenticity can strengthen our relationships and connect us in more meaningful ways than when we put on a front and try to appear to have it all together. So here I am...being authentic for the world to see. {Okay, more like for my mom to see...}

I think everyone can agree that February is the worst. It's like, alright, Winter, you've served your purpose. Christmas was pretty. We made some snow angels. Let's get on with the warm weather and sunshine now.

Three years ago, February got even worse for me. On February 21, 2010, my first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. I was 11 weeks pregnant and had been told three weeks prior that the baby had not grown and they couldn't find a heartbeat. Jason and I were both in our final semester of grad school at the time, which meant we were forced to grieve through one of the busiest, most stressful times in our married life. I was in a fairly dark place then and now, every February, those emotions tend to creep back up and make this time of year challenging, on top of those already-present winter blahs.

Hopefully it goes without saying how incredibly grateful I am to have a beautiful, healthy toddler and another, so far, healthy pregnancy. But I still grieve the loss of my baby. Each one is unique and special and, even though we were pregnant with Gehrig not too long after, my heart will forever feel the gap of the child we never got to meet. The gray February sky tends to remind me of that more than anything.

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One of the only things to provide light at the end of that dark, snowy tunnel three years ago was the prospect of Spring. Sunlight, green grass, warm breezes, and the ability to get outside seemed like the perfect escape; a new start, just what Spring really is: the promise of new life. As I was leaving one of my last grad classes, I saw the first sign that Spring was near: a cluster of Daffodils. It was like I had been seeing the world in black and white and all of a sudden, a bright beam of yellow burst through to remind me to hope. Cheesy enough for you? Good.

Bottom line: I'm really ready for Spring. I need some color in my life and in my mood. Here's hoping it's right around the corner!

{And thanks for letting me be authentic today.}