Memorial Day Weekend: Summer lets do this thing already.

Memorial Day weekend marked our last hurrah before Cory started his full time job, and I like to think we made the most of it.  My parents came down from North Carolina and finally got to meet Amelia! It was so fun to introduce her to them. She smiled a them for a moment and then promptly fell asleep, as she is wont to do. 

Over the weekend, we attempted to get Nathaniel's reaction to his little baby cousin. He was disinterested most of the time, but a few times he gave us this look (shown above) that seems to say, "Is this really all she's going to do? Really?" She'll get more interactive soon Nathaniel, I promise. For now I'm just enjoying the long periods of slumber in which I can clean out closets and catch up on Netflix.

Anyway, my Mom bought my Dad a new grill for Father's Day,  but we decided to break it in early. It's so fancy! It gets like, 700 degrees in 5 minutes. And it's shiny. And...that's about as much as I know about it. But it seems pretty sweet!

The boys were all outside around the grill while my Dad cooked up the steak. Something about cooking outdoors just calls to them. Even baby Nathaniel couldn't get enough. Such a man's man.

Nathaniel says, "I would like that Medium Rare, please"

Life tip: Grill corn in the husk for about 30 minutes. Its delish.

Ever since he was a tiny newborn, Nathaniel has really been the apple of Grandpa Hansen's eye. He laughs hysterically every time my dad plays with him, and will stare intently into his eyes when he's talking. My dad has always bitten his tongue when he's concentrating or distracted, and Nathaniel will do the same thing! I was snapping a few photos of them together, and in one of them they were doing the weird tongue thing! Priceless. They are two of a kind.

My parents headed back to North Carolina early Monday morning, so we spent the holiday with Cory's family. They were grilling steak too, so we ate like king's two days in a row! So lucky.

Also, we coordinated our outfits. We're totally those people. And I'm not sorry even a little bit.

I'm ready for more of the same this summer! Let the weekend bar b ques and beach trips commence.

P.S. Arrested Development Season 4...was lacking. I laughed maybe 4 times. So sad.

Introducing...

Baby Girl made her appearance last week! Cory finished his last final at 3:45 PM on Thursday, and we were admitted to the hospital at 6:00 PM. The labor and delivery was fairly quick, and the recovery has been fairly easy so far. I'm so impressed by the human body right now. 

We're home now, and deliriously happy. Cory has three weeks until he starts his job, and we're filling our days with diaper changes and rocking sweet baby Amelia to sleep. We spend a ridiculous amount of time just looking at her and telling each other how cute she is. We're so in love with this tiny little person.

P.S. Shout out to my girl Freya, who was kind enough to bring her fancy camera to the hospital and snap some pictures of our first days with Baby Girl. She's my fave.

That Time I Threw Up On Public Transportation: A summary of the past 9 months.

Before we get into the nitty gritty, let's start with some pretty maternity pictures. Taken by the ever so lovely and talented Freya.

She's good, amiright? I loooove them. My favorite is the black and white of just me in the street. And the one of use holding the ultrasound picture. And our hands making hearts on my belly one.  Oh, I love them all. Thank you Freya!

So, now that you've seen the pretty, lets move on to some hardcore pregnancy details.

Since I didn't really keep track of things on a regular basis during this pregnancy, hows 'bout I just do a little summary of things looking back from 38.5 weeks. A highlights reel, if you will. If you're into that sort of thing, read on my friend. But be warned, things just might get real.

Morning sickness: This has definitely been the defining symptom of my pregnancy. But, the bright side is its not deabilitating. I mean, yes I throw up all over the place and without warning, but I don't actually feel nauseas and disgusting all the time, which is definitely preferable. Although, because I don't feel gross all the time, I tend to carry on with life as if nothing is different. So, I'm usually out and about when the sickness strikes. It's made for some truly hilarious/disgusting/awkward situations.

When I really start to think of the litany of places I've been sick, it starts to sound like a really messed up version of Green Eggs and Ham. Here, there and everywhere. In a car, on a bus, in the street, on my feet, a dark alley behind Red Lobster, in the trashcan at the doctor, in too many parking lots to count, and...I'll stop there.

I literally threw up on a bus this week. Luckily I had a bag, so no harm was really done. And I didn't even wet my pants, so I'd definitely call that one a win. The poor people in the bread aisle at Publix were not so lucky. I still can't look those cashiers in the eye. It was truly a massacre.

Oh little baby, I'm going to have some embarrassing stories that I looove to tell about you. You brought this on yourself, you know.

Anyway...I apologize if that seriously grosses you out; I no longer have a filter when it comes to awkward and disgusting bodily functions. Let's move on, shall we?

Swelling: Not so much really. Its been nice. My fingers are just a little too big for my wedding rings right now, but honestly, this one has passed me by so far. Lucky, I know.

Back/nerve pain: My lower back will hurt occasionally, but it hasn't been too bad over all. My feet will suddenly fall asleep sometimes, and I think it happens when she's sitting on a nerve or something. It's really sudden and super weird.

Weight gain: I think the whole getting sick thing has really kept this under control. I've gained maybe 5 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight. I also think this baby has Cory's superfast metabolism, so she's sucking up any extra calories I consume pretty well. Thanks baby.

Cravings:  Bagels with cream cheese and sometimes fancy toppings (basil, cucumber, tomato and balsamic is my absolute FAVORITE fancy bagel topping combination). Clementines and citrus. Strawberry lemonade. Fruit smoothies. Cranberry juice.  Seafood in general. And, weirdly enough, pancakes at midnight. And only at midnight. With wayyyy too much syrup. Nothing like whipping up a batch of pancakes in the middle of the night to make you feel like a totally normal, fully functioning adult.

Aversions: Cookies and milk. Or cereal and milk. I will get sick every. single. time. I don't know why I keep testing it. Oreos will never be the same! Dawn dish soup and bounty dryer sheets are the worst to me. So weird. The color orange still grosses me out. Note to self: don't spray paint things when you're 9 weeks pregnant (for many reasons, those chemicals probably aren't so good...).

Nesting: If wanting to throw everything in the house out because "I feel super claustrophobic and I hate all the things" is nesting, then yes. I've had nesting. My lack of interest in decorating/crafting was one thing that really surprised me. Non-pregnant Lindy lives for that kind of thing. Pregnant Lindy lives to sit on the couch and watch back to back episodes of Breakout Kings  (a subconcious effort to inspire this baby to make her own escape?). To each their own. The crib is set up, and her clothes and diapers are organized. What else does she want from us?

A name: I really thought we'd settle on a name early, but nothing has felt just right. Our current favorites are Annie and Amelia, so we'll see what feels right when she's born. Or rock paper scissors for it if nothing jumps out at us, I suppose.

And there you have it--I think I covered most of the high points. Little baby girl, we really are ready for you. I am so lucky to be your mom. We're excited to meet you any day now. Come when you're ready--I'm quite at my leisure, you know. Although, your Dad has his last final on Thursday, so he'd probably appreciate it if you held off until then. See what you can do, kay? See you soon! xoxox

A boy and his robot

So, Cory built a robot.

As seniors in his program you get to choose a big final project to work on for your last two semesters. One of the options is to build a robot that can maneuver though an obstacle course and preform certain tasks.

This year the robot teams needed to build a robot that could take a small blue block to the small blue block place, and a large green block to the large green block place, and so on with different sizes/colors of blocks. And for extra points, it could take a block up a ramp with no rails to keep it from safe from plummeting to destruction. It's all very scientific.

 There were 5 other robot building teams at FSU, and if you won the school's internal competition then you'd get to take your robot to the Southeast Conference Competition. Fifty other universities in the southeast region build their own robots, and the best robots from each school face off at the end of the year to see who's robot is the champion of robots.

And with that ill fated assignment, my husband was gone. Cory has been eating, dreaming, and breathing robot for the past 8 months. He's been building this robot for as long as I've been growing our child within my womb. And while his little project has involved significantly less vomiting, he's had his own burdens to bear. On a few occasions he was be up at the school until 4:00 or 5:00 AM  perfecting his code, or rewiring the hardware, or doing whatever one does to color sensors to make them better.

Sometimes I would bring dinner up to the school. We'd eat in a lab surrounded by wires while the little robot I affectionately named Sparky kept us company and I asked about the fail safe precautions he's taken in case Sparky started to turn on us during the rise of the machines.  (I couldn't help myself.)

This is Cory's eating and reading code face:

This is Cory's thinking and reading code face (not posed, I swear):

And this is Cory's (and the rest of his team member's) we won 1st place in the internal competition and 3rd place in the Southeastern Conference Competition against 50 other teams face(s):

It's a major award!! Congratulations babe. You definitely earned it. Now just 3 more weeks of school left for you, and we're home free until this baby shows up. Then the real work begins :)

Would you like to see Cory's robot in action? 

This is Sparky going up the ramp to deliver a block. No rails!

And here is a much longer video of the main course and a bunch of block drop offs, if you're into that sort of thing:

I'm so proud of you babe! Now if only you could teach it change diapers. :)

When Cory was Born

A few weeks ago, I asked my mother-in-law Kim if she had any family photo albums. We had so much fun going through old pictures, and other paraphernalia from Cory's childhood.

These photos taken at the hospital right after Cory was born struck me as so sweet and beautiful. Their first few moments as a little family of three. 

25.5 years later and they have five kids--the youngest just turned 16!  

Right now, as I sit at 32 weeks pregnant, labor and delivery seem like the ultimate adventure. I've been so focused on just making it there.  Do days even exist after May 8th?

But really, how silly of me. That will be just the very start of our story. It makes me appreciate every little kick and nudge I feel right now. Hopefully I can hold on to this appreciation during midnight cry sessions, and messy diaper changes, and everything else that I can't even imagine right now.

And then there's these, which make just make me happy:

I asked Cory if he would wear suspenders for our upcoming maternity photoshoot (with the ever so talented Freya). He refused, on no uncertain terms. How the times have changed.

Sugar & Spice: A baby shower

My friend Amy is due to have her own baby girl on May 7th (just one day before my due date!) so we (Me, Freya, Kendal, and Tanya) threw a little baby shower for her yesterday. Pink is Amy's signature color, so we went with a Sugar & Spice theme.

It was so fun to let that girly girl flag fly uninhibited. Everything was pink and lacy, and all the food was tiny and sweet. Thanks for letting us throw you a party Amy! I can't wait to meet that sweet baby girl in May.

Check out more pictures of this shower in Freya's recap post here.

 Menu: Yogurt Parfaits (Fruit, yogurt, and granola), mini-quiche, mini-cheese balls/crackers, cream puffs, mini-cinnamon rolls, eclairs, powered donuts, mini strawberry cupcakes.

We served lemonade and water in dainty china teacups. I've never felt so fancy (or scared that I was going to drop my cup...).

We had a few activities for guests to complete at their leisure; they could leave a note of advice/encouragement, write their address on an envelope (to help Amy out with all those thank you notes!) and attempt to guess which age the parents-to-be were in a few adorable baby/childhood photos.

Sources

Invites:
Designed with these free fonts: Castellar, Ecuyer DAX, & Callie's Hand

Menu:
Parfait Bar (Yogurt, Granola, & Fruit)
Mini Cheese Balls & Crackers
Mini Quiche (Sam's Club)
Mini Eclairs (Publix, Freezer Aisle)
Mini Powdered donuts (Publix)
Mini Cupcakes (Homemade by Kendal)
Mini Snickerdoodle Cookies (Homemade by Tanya)
Mini Cinnamon Rolls (Homemade by Freya using crescent roll dough)
Pink Lemonade & Ice Water served in vintage teacups

Decor:
Tissue Paper Fans (Devra Party Supply)
Kraft Paper Windmills (Tutorial here)
Accordion style pinwheels (Tutorial here)
Paper Doily Banners (No tutorial...just fold doilies in half and put on a string...)
Fresh pink and white mini roses (Flower section at Publix)

Favors:
DIY Sugar Scrub (in recycled baby food jars)

1 1/2 cup sugar (white or brown)

1/4 cup olive oil (or almond oil)

1/4 tsp vanilla extract (for scent)

1/4 tsp pink coloring

The activity instructions and other printables we used are below--just right click, open each image in a new window and save as.  They're all yours!

Before and After: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Armoire

I've been curious about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint for a while now. People talked about this magical paint that sticks to everything without primer, and looks buttery smooth after a good waxing. I'd never seen it in person though, and the idea of ordering something that costs around 35.00 a quart sight unseen from an online vendor was not appealing.

If you're wondering, "What is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint?" Click here to go to the website for all the deets.

Anyway, my friend Sara bought some chalk paint in Tampa! She showed me her Annie Sloan Chalk Painted furniture, and it was so pretty, and smooth, and she loved it. It almost convinced me to order it online!  And then,  she told me I didn't have to order it online! There's a little shop half an hour away that sells it.

I finally went over there the other weekend to check it out. The shop is delightful!  It's the Sweet South Cottage, and they sell custom painted furniture, and cute shabby chic decor in addition to the ASCP. Everyone was so nice, and I even got to chat with the shop owner and catch a glimpse of some of her recent projects. 

They have a studio out back where they work on projects, offer painting workshops for groups, and they even rent it out for parties. It's basically the cutest thing I've ever seen.

It's a place of old ladders, old windows, exposed beams, and pretty stenciled floors. And through the windows you can see the shop owner's house that has turrets and gables and is painted in all the colors of soft delicious cotton candy. I want to go to there.

Side note: The drive out to the store was so pretty. This was early February, and these little white flowers were blooming all along the side of the highway. I was thinking about how glorious the weather is, and how people in other places are actually building snowmen right now, while I cruise down the road in 75 degree weather, looking at the closest to snowbanks Florida has to offer.  (So, of course, I stopped to take a picture like a crazy person. Thats normal...)

 Anyway, I finally got the chance to try out the fabled Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! I bought a quart of "Coco" and got to work painting the dresser we had stripped and sanded the weekend before.

Without further ado, I bring the very poorly lit before and almost after of the little dresser that fell into our laps at the most opportune moment:

Tiny dresses!! They make me talk in a high pitched voice and I can't help but throw the door open and show Cory itsy bitsy clothes every chance I get. He loves it.

Anyway, back to the paint.  I know you don't have to strip and sand before you use the paint. Thats kind of the whole point. But, the dresser was in bad, bad shape. The polyurethane had bubbled up over the years leaving a thick, scaly texture all over wood. So, we had to sand for a while to prep it. (Strike 1, not the paint's fault)

The sample color of "Coco" lead me to believe that the color has more of a chocolatey tone, but it really reads as more of a beigey gray on my dresser.  I swear, even the sample in the store looked a little darker. I don't know if I just got a fluke quart of paint, or maybe I didn't stir the paint well enough? I may try the dark wax on it later, to see if that deepens the color to more what I was expecting. (Strike 2)

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Coco, sample via

Overall, I like the finish a lot. Once I went over everything with steel wool it became super smooth and will only get better once I finish applying the wax (I said it was an almost after). The paint went on really well with 2 coats, and the coverage was good. For a piece that didn't need the sanding to fix the surface problems, it would definitely be a time saver.

I'm glad I tried it. I would  use it again for big pieces like dressers and tables that I really like, and plan to keep for a long, long time (at 35.00 per quart, momma's gotta love it to spend the dough). Next time, before I leave the store I'll ask to see a sample of the quart I'm actually buying to ensure I get the color I expect. Luckily I still like this color! So it all worked out.

And, of course, I need some advice. Perhaps you noticed that I have three different knobs on the drawers currently. I was playing around with a few different types from my knob stash (I don't know why I have a knob stash, I just do...), and now I don't know which one I like best! For me, its a tie between option #1 and #3. What's your vote?