So here's where we're at...

So I've been feeling super blessed recently by all the amazing encouragement that has been all over the blogosphere... seriously everywhere! I posted THIS post, and then it was like every Mommy Blogger I follow posted that they sometimes feel that way too... and it really made me feel good. Some days will be rough... but it's always been WAY worth it all in the end. I also recieved a message from another Mom friend that gave me such peace and encouragement... she COMPLETELY got it, and it was so refreshing.

I feel like I spend a lot of time worrying about what to blog, and writing perfect posts with pretty pictures, etc. Lately I've been feeling like the whole "write down your life" movement is the way to go... so along with yummy food, craftyness, and ooodles of Baby cuteness, I'm also gonna start a bit more talking about the everyday around here. Is that okay with y'all? Because after all... "the path to homemaker extraordinaire" is anything but perfect and I feel like there are a whole lot of Mamas out there who can relate to the journey I'm currently taking.

So here's what's new in the Edwards household...

1. We're sleep-training our little Lovebug. This is the HARDest thing I've had to do as a Mama so far. I've talked to soo many people and read EVERY. SINGLE. article/book/website about the subject. I honestly NEVER want to speak of it again. We're doing it OUR way, and we prayed long and hard about how to get the little chickie some sleep (and us too) and it's WORKING. ThankyouLordJesus.

2. Since I've had a bit of rest... I need to get busy! I've worked out once a week for 3 weeks and I'm pretty sure that's not really going to help me lose the baby weight. So unless I would like to spend approx 1 day at my healthy weight before getting pregnant again... it's time to make it happen!

3. Now that my child actually sleeps, I had a moment (the first in 7 months) where I actually thought "What should I do right now?" It was ground breaking I tell ya! I'm pretty sure the ol' sewing machine is finally going to get some much needed attention and there will be happy projects finally moving from by Pinterest board to getting DONE!

4. We are FINALLY going to start the HOUSE HUNT! It's been 8 months in this "temporary" apartment and I'm sooo very ready to have some space! I've been tripping over toys and baby contraptions and tip-toeing around keeping baby quiet for Bri (while he works from home) and us quiet for Lovebug (while she sleeps) and climbing 3 sets of stairs up to 3 times a day! Although I'll be a bit sad to leave Hannah's first Nursery behind, this Mama is getting EXCITED to find our first house! With 4 moves in 2 years, I DREAD the actual process of moving, but this will hopefully be our LAST move for a very long time.

So that's that. What do y'all wanna hear about next? Any burning questions?

Insta-Friday...

Our Week in Instagrams...

A much needed date at home with The Hubby...

Pizza, PJ's and Friday Night Lights Season 1.... Perfect.

Pretty girl in Allora Handmade.

Morning Coffee while baby plays... It's how I start my day.

Finally back to normal after a bad reaction to her shots this week.

Picture Project Weeks 25-28!

Time is just flyyyying by with our Sweet Girl! I feel like I've said that before, but seriously... I can't believe that she's SIX months old! She's still the tinyest little thing, but acts like such a big girl! She was scooting faster and faster and flat out crawled Friday across the floor! She can even get herself sitting up again after we put her on her tummy! She babbles all the time and squeals and laughs... such sweet sounds! She's started saying "Da-da Da-da" over and over... we know she doesn't know what she's saying yet, but it sure is adorable! Her new discovery is that she can open and close her right hand and she does it over and over, accidently making the sign for "milk." It cracks us up! She had a baaad little spell of keeping Mama and Daddy up all night for a few weeks, but seems to be getting back to her old self. She gobbles up every new food she tries... Parsnips, Rutabegas, Spinach, Brocolli... crazy girl! I'm just glad we won't have a picky eater on our hands! She now falls asleep on my shoulder and needs lots of cuddles in the morning and before she goes to bed at night... LOVE this. We're just soaking up every moment of this adorable stage of baby... so fun and will be gone so quickly! We ADORE our little girl.

Insta-Friday

Here's a peek at our week in pictures...

A Childhood Dresser turned Entertainment Cabinet!

It's been SEVEN months since Bri and I landed back home in Missouri... Since Lovebug came shortly after settling into our apartment, the decorating (aside from the NURSERY) has been severely lacking. The worst offense being the bench to our dining room table as a make-shift TV stand until right before the Holidays. Seriously... It was hideous. Cords everywhere and a sad table that only seated two, making a dinner party real classy...ha.

I'd been looking for an an old buffet or dresser to transform at local antique markets, when I remembered the old furniture in my parents basement from my childhood. A seriously outdated dresser from Ethan Allen... Solid wood, great shape.... Sold. Well actually it was free... Which made this one cheap project! Here's the before:

Bri and I quickly headed to the hardware store to snag the following:

Piece of pine hardwood 3/4in
3M Sand block
Medium grit sand paper (100)
Paint (we used Behr premium plus)
Min Wax Polyurethane
Micro foam roller
Fine paint brush
Drop cloth
New hardware (ordered HERE)

The color we chose was a country blue... pretty dark with a grey tone to it. We color-matched a rustic shelf from my parents house that I loved.

My wonderful parents blessed Bri and I with a date night to tackle most of this project and we gladly took it!

We borrowed a palm sander from Bri's parents and went to town on that dresser. We used the sand blocks for the detailed parts. Here it is after....

After a really good wipe down, we hauled it up the 3 flights of steps to our apartment and got to work painting. It took 2 coats to get the even look we wanted and then we let it dry 24 hours.

Then I spend about 30 minutes sanding off the edges and making it look nice and worn on all sides,
before applying the polyurathane. FYI... that stuff smells. We did this in December in Missouri, so naturally we had to freeze ourselves out with the doors and windows open... ha. We really liked the look of the low-shine sealer over the flat paint. Here's the final product after putting on the new hardware...

We're really happy with how it turned out! Have a great weekend y'all!

Insta-Friday...

So I recently got an iPhone. I LOVE my iPhone. It makes it super easy to blog, Pin, Tweet, Facebook, take amazing pics, and surf the web, read books...all while rocking my sweet girl for hours or while waiting in the long line at Trader Joes. I can also edit my pics. Y'all KNOW I don't have oodles of time for that right now (see previous post) So it's such a handy little thing. I could go on, but y'all would much rather flip through pics of this crazy-cute little Lovebug instead!

I'm linking up!

What I Want for 2012

I know I'm really late on the whole "Here are my goals and resolutions for 2012" post, but folks, I'm just plain WIPED. When I sat down and started thinking about all that I want to accomplish this year, and what I want to change, etc, I started to feel very , very overwhelmed. Am I expecting too much of myself? Do I have too many goals? I honestly wanted to run to bed and hide under the covers...which is where I suppose it all starts. Our little Lovebug has been going through an "I don't want to sleep at ALL" phase for the last month. I've talked to several people... I know that it will pass, that babies do this. We'll survive. Her phase just came at a very bad time for this Mama. I was just starting to feel like myself... I wanted to start sewing again, blogging more, trying new recipes, decorating, etc. Well, this tired Mama is barely making it through the daily stuff like dinner, cleaning, laundry, errands... before crawling to my bed bone-tired at the end of the day, only to be up with our girl most of the night.

WIDE awake... laughing (at Mama's exhaustion) 1am.

Every morning, while I drink my coffee and Lovebug plays, I read blog after blog of Stay at Home Mamas with 4+ kiddos, who craft, and sew, and make sweet memories, all while recording it on their beautiful blogs almost EVERY day. They also take time to do daily photos of their kids, pin a few things, tweet, and run an Etsy shop. HOW do they do it? Seriously HOW? Does is somehow get easier with more than one kiddo?

Passed out... sitting up... NO paci... exhausted.

I KNOW that "Comparison is the theif of JOY", but folks, this is what I want for OUR family, for MY life... to have the time and energy to do MORE than what's getting done.

This is what I want for 2012...
1. Be in constant communication with God... He's listening, so I'm gonna get talking and ABIDING!
2. Eat Healthier-LESS SUGAR. (Totally addicted + my body type = BAD)
3. Get walkin' girl! (The baby weight ain't gonna fall off on it's own)
4. Get out that sewing maching at least once a week... I've got the crafting/sewing bug BAAAD!

5. Catch up on Hannah's Digital Scrapbooks and keep current on them!

6. Blog more... it's been a drought since Lovebug was born!

7. Stop Pinning and MAKE something! It seriously stresses me out having a zillion pins and nothing made.

So LET'S CHAT! Anyone else feel overwhelmed by all you want to accomplish? Any advice from other Mamas? I wanna hear from y'all! For real.

I'm still IN LOVE with this beautiful girl, tired or not.